Books...The Other Medicine

I am home today... My son has been very sick. It started last Friday night. My son was at my Mom and Dad's house (she picks him up from school on Friday's so he can play with his cousins who are currently staying at my parents house). We had planned for a date night, and he was going to stay the night. My sister calls me about six o'clock in the evening and says I should probably come and get him because he had just woke up from a nap and was crying uncontrollably. She could not get him to calm down. So I grab my purse, jumped in the truck, and am there in about seven minutes.

On the way there I called my son's dad. He was on his way home from work. So instead of coming home, he headed to my parents house and beat me there by two minutes. He had calmed down once he saw his dad. My sister said he felt like he was running a fever and sure enough, I felt his forehead and he was burning up.

So we took him home. I checked his temperature once we got home, it was 101.5. Great, so home we stayed all weekend. I could never get his fever to break. At one point on Sunday, it was 103.5. So yesterday I called and made an appointment with the doctor. I went to work and his dad went on ahead and took him to see the doctor. Diagnosis....strep throat.

So I took today off so he can rest and I can administer his medicine. (His fever finally broke last night.)

Luckily I have a stack of new reads from the library on hand. Trust me, reading stories aloud is a great way to keep your sick child entertained. It's a great alternative to television, especially when resting is top priority! So we have been reading stories, and lots of them!

My son's most requested book has been Sally Sutton's Demolition. It's a book featuring machines and their role in building demolition, recycling materials and the building of a park. At the end of the story is a page listing facts about the machines that were featured in the story. My son now wants a mobile crusher. (Just thought you would like to know!) We have read it so much that my son can point to the machines throughout the book and give me a general synopsis of what each one does. Have you read this one?

Play Matters and So Does Reading Aloud

Today's play was inspired by Inner Child Fun's homemade play dough recipe which can be found here. We had everything on had to make it, and my son played for over an hour. Our thanks to Valerie for inspiring another wonderful hour of play.

Children need play and lots of it. I love it when the stories we read aloud daily enter into my sons play.  Characters that might frighten him such as the big bad wolf  from Little Red Riding Hood or the giant from Jack and The Beanstalk. Listen closely and you will be surprised at the things your child will talk about as they play, things that make them happy, sad, scared or angry. It is interesting to see how they work their problems out through play.

Reading aloud is just as vital as play. It expands the imagination and opens up a whole new world that is waiting to be explored. You never know what time in history your child may visit, or the next new exotic place they might explore right from the comfort of your living room.

Finding Balance...What is really important....

I can not believe that it is almost the middle of March! It seems like we just celebrated Christmas. Time is flying by for me. St. Patrick's day is a few days away and Easter is not far behind. I haven't even got out the Easter books yet. Yes I know, I am so behind on everything this year. We haven't done any crafts in forever and I feel like such an awful mother.

I am trying to find some kind of balance between working, being a mom, and being a significant other. Trust me, this is a very hard thing to do.

I am so glad I take the time to read aloud to my son. It is the most cherished hour of my day. It is the calm to the storm my life has been weathering. I always know that we will have that precious time together at the end of our day.

I know that there are parents like me out there with the same dilemma of trying to balance it all and make it all work. Trying to be the best at work, and the best at home. Sometimes things have to take a backseat. Please don't let it be our children. They are the most important thing in the world. 

I have been doing three positions at work, and the other day I had to finally tell them that I can't do it all anymore. This was a very hard thing for me to do but the hours are killing me, and more importantly I am missing precious time with my son. Before he was born, work took center stage in my life, but it can't be that way anymore.

I am thankful for the job I have and will work as hard as I always have, but I am even more thankful I get to come home and be a mom. I just needed to remind myself of what is really important.

So no book reviews today, just please spend time with your children. And if you choose to spend that time  giggling over the mishaps of Curious George, or following the adventures of Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House series, or laughing and crying over the trails and tribulations of Jo March and the lot from Little Women, then know that your time with your child is being well spent.

Update...We are still here...

Hello, oh how I have missed this little space. I have been working ten to twelve hour days, and the last thing I want to do when I get home, is spend more time on the computer. So, I have been spending my time with my family, reading aloud to my son, and reading for myself.

The weather here in Arizona has been beautiful. We had rain on Friday, the mountains surrounding the valley are covered with snow, but that will be gone this week because it's supposed to get up to 89 degrees for the high on Friday.

We have been spending our weekends at the park running barefoot in the grass. Or taking walks and examining the natural world around us. For some reason getting outside with my son has been very important to me this year. I feel that we need sunshine, and lots of it!

We are still reading, though my son is going through a stage where he only wants to read at bedtime. This has cut our read aloud time down quite a bit, but I am still aiming for an hour a day. I think this may have to do with my working so much, all he wants to do when I get home is play, so that's what we have been doing.

We just finished Dandelion Library's lovely abridged version of Peter Pan. I just loved the illustrations, and my son loved the story.

I just finished re-reading The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma. I really enjoyed this book, their story was interesting, but what was so thought provoking was how reading aloud brought a father and daughter together. No matter what was going on in their lives, divorce, Christmas, prom, late night play rehearsals, or laryngitis, this father and daughter made it a priority to read aloud. Which, in my opinion, built a very strong relationship between a father and a daughter. The kind of relationship that most fathers and daughters don't have in today's world. 

I also just finished Laura Ingalls Wilder A Writer's Life by Pamela Smith Hill. I found this book fascinating. I felt the book was more about Laura's relationship with her daughter Rose Wilder Lane, who was also a writer, than anything else. It described how the Little House books come to be, and the role that Rose played in helping Laura with editing and publishing her stories. I also found it fascinating that Rose said that Laura loved to read aloud at night. I wonder if her love for reading aloud came from her mother?





Thoughts on Reading Chapter Books to My Three Year Old

We started reading Jenny And The Cat Club by Esther Averill last night. My son was entranced, especially since Pickles the fire cat appears in some of the stories with Jenny Linsky. (By the way, he loves Pickles the fire cat. You can read more about Pickles in The Fire Cat by Esther Averill)

Every time I told him it was time for bed, he begged for me to read more. Until, next thing I knew, we were on page ninety four, and it was eleven o'clock at night. He wanted more, but it was very late, and we had to be up all the earlier this morning due to an early morning meeting at work. 

My son just turned three last month, and I am reading chapter books to him. Am I being a pushy mother? I don't know, maybe, but he loves them. He begs for them, he loves Jack and Annie from The Magic Tree House series. He now loves Jenny Linsky and Mercy Watson. (He wants buttered toast with every meal, just like Mercy Watson.) 

I tried reading his first chapter book to him when he was about two and a half. I was able to gauge his comprehension by asking him questions about what was happening in the story as we read along. I still ask him questions, and know that he is retaining what I read to him, because I will ask him things about the book

the next day. He usually remembers, bits and pieces of the story, and what he can't recall, he tells me he can't remember, and he asks me to tell him what happened. 

I have been reading to him since before he was born. I think this is the reason why we are now reading chapter books at three. I gave him a good foundation because when he was a baby, we logged hours and hours reading books like Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, tons of vintage Little Golden Books, fairy tales, Peter Pan, and Beatrix Potter's The Compete Tales. We also frequented the library, so he was also read countless picture books.

We never sat our son in front of the television as a baby. (He does watch it now, but if you can keep your child from watching, please do. It is a very addictive habit, that I think causes behavioral issues. This is something my other half and I disagree about, but that is another post for another day.) When he was with me he was in my Moby Wrap, or when I couldn't carry him for safety purposes, such as while I was cooking or doing laundry, he was in his bouncy chair. I always placed him where he could see me, and would explain to him what I was doing. 

As he got older and started toddling around, we still read the picture books, the Little Golden books, and the age appropriate baby books because he didn't want to sit still for longer books. He was ready to explore the physical world around him. I still always offered to read him a story, because by this time, he was able to tell me if he wanted to be read to or not. Most of the time, but not always, he wanted still wanted to be read to.

I never force my son to sit for a story, it's always his choice. I think that is what makes our reading aloud time so precious, it is not forced, which means we both enjoy it so much. 

I went back to work full time when my son was twelve weeks old, the only quality time I was able to spend with him is at night and on the weekends. Raising a child is hard work, the most important job in the world. Reading aloud is a sacrifice on my part. It takes up a lot of my free time, but building a strong family unit is more important to me than anything. Reading aloud to my child is one of the most important things I will ever do in my life. It is building a bond that I hope will last a lifetime. 

So if you are a new parent and asking the question, when should I start reading aloud to my child? The answer is right now! If your child is older and has never been read to, don't think it is too late, start small. Take them to the library, let them pick out a few books. Turn it into an adventure. Then sit down with your child, get cozy and read to them. Trust me, it will be the one of the best decisions you will ever make.

Reason to Read Aloud #7



I love the library, my son loves the library. His father, not so much. We love him dearly, but he is not a book person. Which means (gasp!) he is not a library junkie.... Which means that getting him to take us to the library is like a form of torture for him. (Heaven forbid I ask him to take me to the book store, you would think I was asking him to commit espionage.) He is a get in, get what you need, and get out type of guy. I could spend hours and hours browsing books, which literally drives him crazy. (I promise, I do have a point here.)

So anyway, the other day I ask him to take us to the library after running a few errands.... (If looks could kill, I would have been dead, really.) So then our son pipes up from the back about wanting to go too. (I get that look again.) So with a really heavy sigh, he heads our car towards the library.

So I know what you are thinking, he has softened his heart about the library, right? We will be able to browse for hours, looking for the most wonderful and perfect books, right? WRONG! I have exactly ten minutes to browse for my son and myself. I go into super fast mode, find a book for myself, then head to the childrens' section where I scan thousands of books in about five minutes.

That day I was able to bring home fifteen picture books. (I can only say "just one more minute sweetie" to his overly gruff and annoyed "Are you ready to go?" question so many times.)



One of the books I grabbed that day was Opera Cat by Tess Weaver. I am so glad I got this book. We read it for the first time tonight. At first, I thought my son wouldn't like it, and I almost didn't read it to him, but I am so glad I did! It is a story about an opera singer and her cat who has a secret talent. One day the opera singer gets laryngitis, and finds out that her cat can sing as beautifully as she can.

After reading the story twice (my son requested a second read)...My son asked me what the opera was, so I found a music station on my phone, and next thing I knew, we were dancing to opera in the middle of our living room. It was so grand. (My son will dance to anything, I promise you, even opera.)

So, in conclusion, reading Opera Cat to your children might lead to spending your evening dancing to opera in the middle of your living room. (I can't think of a better way to spend my evening, can you?)

P.S. My other half is not an ogre, I promise. He has no problem with us venturing to the library by ourselves, it's just not his thing. He says that he can find anything he wants to read online.

Winter Is Here, Resolutions, and Thoughts

I can't believe winter is here and the new year is just a few days away. Where has this year gone? I can't believe that my son is three! How does this happen? One minute he is a tiny baby, the next, he is a thirty seven pound boy full of energy. He has his own ideas, likes, dislikes, and agenda.

I feel like I am missing so much because I have to work. I hate putting my son in school all day, but at this point and time we really have no choice. He has just transitioned into the three year old classroom, and I have noticed he is picking up some really bad habits (whining). This is frustrating, but we just have to teach him the right way to behave.

My son is starting to play a lot more by himself, I have mixed feelings about this. It's great because I get more done, but I miss that time with him. Maybe I am missing his dependence on me? Which is selfish, because I want my son to be independent.

There are some positive things. I have really noticed in the past few weeks, his language development has progressed in leaps and bounds. He is speaking full and complete sentences that strangers and other family members can understand. When people find out he just turned three, their eyes go wide, as they can't believe that he is only three. I feel embarrassed about this, though I know I shouldn't. He has always amazed  people with his language abilities. I give all the credit to reading aloud to him and talking to him just as if he were an adult.

Since the new year is upon us, I wanted to make a few resolutions. (I never make resolutions... I never keep them.) I wanted to record them here, as a reminder to myself to be a better person and a better mother.

Limit television watching to two hours a week.

Limit computer time.

Teach son how to read.

Do more art with my son.

Read two chapter books a week with my son.

Read more non-fiction books to my son.

Read one book a week for myself. (I only read 28 books in 2012. Must read more!)

Enjoy the small moments, and not stress over silly things.

Limit family sugar usage.

Cook more homemade meals.

Get us outside everyday.

The resolutions I have listed are doable. Limiting personal television time will give me more time to read for myself. I don't watch much anyway, and neither does my son. I am really excited about teaching my son to read. I am not sure how this is going to happen, but I'm sure it will happen as it's meant to.

Again I have no book to share with you, even though we are reading daily. We did go to the library today, and I started gathering up all the Christmas books to put away until next year. I guess putting away the Christmas books made me a little wistful, which resulted in this post.

Spontaneous Life....

Today was a busy Saturday, daddy was home, so did our weekly grocery shopping, plus we went to a few extra stores which took up most of our morning. Once we got home, it was time to rest, watch a Christmas show, and just spend time with each other.

The pictures in the collage above are from a walk we took last Saturday. The white in the cotton field is the only white we will be seeing in these parts unless we take a trip to the mountains, where it is suppose to snow tonight. We may go to the mountains in the morning, we may not. We are generally not planners, but live a spontaneous life. The only trip we have ever planned was a cruise to Mexico, which of course, you have to plan for.

We also didn't plan on a child, he just happened. Oh, and what a joy he is! I didn't plan on becoming obsessed with reading aloud to him, but I did, and it has been a wonderful adventure for both of us. Sometimes the most wonderful things in life aren't planned.

I think we spend to much time planning, instead of leaving our time open for spontaneity. To spend time with family, take a walk, read a story, do art, make a gift, or just talk to each other face to face. It disturbs me that we live in such a materialistic and selfish society.

How many children experience the joy of touching their first cotton plant? Or picking a flower? Or running through the grass barefoot, or making mud pies? How many children are read to? How many are missing out on the stories from the bible? Or the stories of our heritage? Or stories of fairies, gnomes and pixies that fill the imagination? Or fairy tales filled with giants and nursery rhymes where a cow can jump over the moon?

There is no harm in letting our children have these experiences. In fact, I believe that our society is suffering because our children are not having these experiences. So if nothing else this Christmas, give your child the gift of nature and read them a bedtime story. You never know, it could change your child's life forever.

Reason to Read Aloud #6

Your two year old son might be able to tell his daddy, while eating at the dinner table, what he might find in a sarcophagus. (Thanks Magic Tree House Series....)

Five Reasons to Read Aloud To Our Children

Thinking about reading aloud to your children? Excellent, you have came to the right place. I want to give you five good reasons why reading aloud to our children is so important.

1. Reading aloud sparks children's imaginations.
2. Explore the world through the pages of a book, and watch a child's face light with delight at new discoveries.
3. Foster current interests, and watch as it grows and flows into other interests.
4. Reading a picture book will not only expose children to a wonderful story, but to a whole world of art.
5. Childhood is fleeting, and in a blink of an eye it's gone. Reading to our children, not only makes memories, but fills their heads with wonderful stories that help them to know the world is really bigger than their own back yard.

Here are a few books that have opened our worlds:

Happy Reading!