Happy New Year!

Ringing in the New Year...at the library? Well, that's what happens when your mom is a reading teacher. I brought the girls to the library the other day for a New Year's Eve story time, and they created these festive, fun masks. Reminds me of Mardi Gras. They were able to decorate these masks with colorful feathers and faux jewels using these ultra-cool self-adhesive glue dots that really made my day since it kept their fingers clean. Whoo-hoo! The best part of the story time was when they were able to use noisemakers after they did the countdown. My little one was so proud that she was able to blow her noisemaker like a horn.

Wishing you all the best for 2011!

Gingerbread Galore

These books are on my radar to read with the kids as a follow-up and extension to The Gingerbread Man. Apparently, these books have a similar storyline and similar catchy rhyming phrases, but different characters. I'm basking in gingerbread glory! Hopefully, they have these treasures at our local library or we'll have to head to the bookstore!

My colleague at work also told me about the Gingerbread Man Superhero! and the Musubi Man: Hawaii's Gingerbread Man. Talk about gingerbread thematic overload!

What's in my Book Bag This Week?

One of my favorite books to read to the girls this season is The Gingerbread Man. It is a classic tale about a gingerbread man cookie who is made by a little old man and a little old woman. The Gingerbread Man in turn decides to run away from them and from other various characters including a butcher, cow, and sow (pig). In the end, it is a sly old fox that gets the better of him, and the fox enjoys him for a snack.

Our favorite part of the book is when we chant "Run! Run! Fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" I love the predictable story line and catchy phrases that rhyme. It's perfect for even the youngest of readers! The girls and I even did an impromptu short play based on the book using plastic figurines we already had at home. It was pretty hilarious to say the least.

In honor of The Gingerbread Man, we erected our very own gingerbread house this week (see above picture). What a labor of love! I got hand and finger cramps using that darn piping bag. The girls had loads of fun putting the candy on the house. You can smell the sweetness of gingerbread coming from our dining room. Anyway, we think the Gingerbread Man wouldn't mind running to this house and calling this his humble abode!

"Pingu" for Preschoolers

Have you ever met Pingu, the penguin? Well, he's quite a hit at our house with our preschooler. We first discovered him a few years ago on PBS Kids Sprout, but since then he has been off the air. The other day our little one was babbling about penguins, doing a penguin walk, and reading a book about penguins. So I whipped out our Pingu DVDs which her older sister watched years ago.

Pingu is a boy penguin who has a sister, Pinga, and penguin parents. He and his best friend Robbie the Seal, like to go on adventures and often get into mischief. I personally love Pingu's universal appeal since there is no dialogue or language that is spoken between these adorable penguin characters. However, the penguins do engage in their own penguin "talk" or language. I think it's great that preschoolers from all different cultures can infer and follow the storyline based on the characters actions, feelings, and chain of events represented by these simple, playful claymation characters. I love watching my children enjoy an entertaining show that does not involve glitz, glamour, and special effects!

Check out Pingu's website:
http://www.pingu.net/us/official_pingu_us_website_homepage.asp

Take the Time to Smell the Roses

Do you take the time to smell the proverbial roses? As a working mom, it's always a challenge to carve out time for yourself to recharge and appreciate the beauty of life.

Well, we were lucky enough to have a warmer day outside today. So what did I do? I break out my semi-new bicycle that hubby bought me for my birthday. In addition to getting much needed exercise, I was able to appreciate some of nature's best views on my bike ride...a family of deer crossing the street, a gaggle of geese dilly-dallying on a soccer field, a delicate bird's nest on a bare tree, and a sun almost setting for the day. As I get older (fighting forty), I find myself appreciating these rather simple yet breathtaking, amazing creations of God more and more.

What's in my Book Bag?

I am a sucker for pop-up books. Although I didn't grow up having many around at home, I have always enjoyed them as works of art. Now as a parent, I enjoy seeing my preschooler interact with the pages. She particularly enjoys those pop-up pages with tabs to pull or flaps to open. I get a total kick out of seeing my little one experience the awe, wonder, and element of surprise when those little fingers pull those tabs. Of course, she doesn't tire of pulling those tabs or flaps over and over again until they are worn and well-loved. When the pop-up is new and "stiff", my little one enlists my help. Of course, I oblige and get in on the action, too! After all, these are brand-new, crisp tabs that have yet to be christened by chubby digits. Me first!

Anyway, this is what's in "my book bag" this week for my preschooler:
Book(s) of the Week: Jingle Bugs, The 12 Bugs of Christmas, Snow Bugs...
all by David Carter

I can't wait to get my hands on some of these delightful, drool-inducing David Carter pop-up books that are just perfect for the holidays. There's nothing like combining colorful cute bugs with the holiday theme and reinforcing basic concepts such as numbers in The 12 Bugs of Christmas. Best of all, you can also sing-along to familiar holiday tunes with Carter's books!

Top Ten

This is my top ten list for how I would like to celebrate the Christmas season:

1. Read the story of Christmas and the birth of Christ with my family
2. Attend Christmas Eve service
3. Give a gift to a child in need
4. Watch my children open their gifts on Christmas morning
5. Sing Christmas carols
6. Watch a holiday movie (A Christmas Story or Elf)
7. Decorate gingerbread houses with the kids
8. Send out Christmas cards
9. Make homemade cookies
10. Look at and fill photo albums with family pictures from this year

What's your top ten for this season?