What's on our bookshelf....

The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin - Written by Joe Troiano and Illustrated by Susan Banta

Spookley the Square Pumpkin is the only square pumpkin in the patch. The other "normal" pumpkins tease him for not having curves. One day a storm is brewing and the wind starts blowing. The curvy pumpkins start to roll and tumble down the hill towards a hole in the fence. Spookley uses his special shape to save the day. At the end of the story, the farmer is so pleased with Spookley that he plants more pumpkins that grow in all different shapes, sizes and colors.

First and foremost, this story teaches the ultra important message that each person is special in their own way. Talk with your kids about how it must feel to be a square pumpkin and what unique yet special attributes that they have. You may also find it an appropriate to time to introduce the word diversity.

This book also gives you an opportunity to talk about three dimensional shapes, colors, and patterns. The cute illustrations and great rhyming make this story an enjoyable read with a great underlying message.

Get out those rain boots!

We've been cooped up in the house way too long. The rain seems to be sticking around for awhile so let's take advantage of it. Grab those rain boots and a few waterproof toys and head outside. Here are a few ideas of what to do:

Water
- Splash around with your hands. Is the water warm or cold?
- Stomp in those puddles and compare the splashes made by big stomps vs little stomps.
- If you have a larger puddle, see if some of her toys float.
- Absorb water with sponges. Show him how the water goes into the sponge and what happens when you squeeze the sponge.
- Measure the water with measuring cups. See how many cups it takes to fill up a bucket. When one bucket has 1 cup of water in it, is it heavier than the bucket that has 2 cups in it?

Worms
- Count how many worms you see.
- Talk about how fast or slow they move. What other animals move like a worm does?
- Pick them up, how do they feel?
- Compare sizes of different worms. Do all worms look alike?
- Talk about why you see worms after in rains.
- What do worms eat? Which animals eat worms?

Mud
- Find some mud and get dirty!
- Let your child feel the mud with his hands and talk about how much heavier it is than regular dirt.
- Build a mud castle.
- Dig in the mud to find bugs.
- Play with cars and build a race track in the mud.

As I finish this post, the sun is peeking out a little bit so hurry before the puddles dry up! Hey, is that a rainbow I see?

What are your family's rainy day activities?

Child Seat Safety Inspection - TODAY

According to the Kernersville website:

On 09-22-2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the Kernersville Police Department will be performing a Child Safety Seat Inspection at the Target store located at 1090 South Main Street in Kernersville. The event is sponsored by Target stores. The event is open to the entire public. The Officers present will install child seats and then teach the parents the proper way to install the child seats themselves. Child seats will be available for families with financial needs.

Contact J.W. MABE - (336) 996-2294

What's on our bookshelf....

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett

This is a great book for any age - young or old. It's been my favorite for as long as I can remember and I'm so excited because it's just been released as a movie.

The book features a town called Chewandswallow where food drops from the sky three times a day instead of snow or rain. Life in Chewandswallow is really fun and convenient (no more grocery shopping!) but as you can imagine, it can get pretty messy. When the storms roll in, the food gets bigger, the portions are super-sized and people start to fear for their lives.

The illustrations alone will make you fall in love with this book. There are so many silly and outrageous drawings to look at, it's hard to get through the book without seeing something that you've never noticed before.

If you love the book, check your local listings to see the animated movie (available in 3-D at some locations).

What's happening this weekend....

UPDATE: The Honeybee Festival is cancelled due to weather.

Friday September 18th

Discount Night at the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem
The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem is hosting Discount Friday Night this Friday, September 18th. From 4 to 8pm non-members can gain admission for only $3 per person! There will be dog-themed crafts and games in anticipation of the Clifford the Big Red Dog exhibit that will open on September 26th. Check out their website for future discount nights.

Rock the Block
Rock the Block is coming to Fourth Street on Friday, September 18th from 6pm to midnight. There's a little something for everyone including but not limited to: great food, wine tasting, crafts, street performers, live music and a children's area. Visit their website for more details.

Saturday September 19th

Honeybee Festival
The Honeybee Festival will be held Saturday, September 19th at 4th of July Park in Kernersville from 10am - 6pm. The festival will have crafts, food, a children's area and free concerts. Admission is free and parking is available at Kernersville Elementary School.

Apple Fest 2009
Apple Fest will be held at Historic Bethabara Park on Saturday, September 19th from 10:30am - 4:30pm. There will be unique crafts, traditional music and food. Local orchards, handicraft demonstrations, and colonial re-enactors highlight this festival, as do horse-drawn wagon rides and colonial games. Admission is free.

What's on our bookshelf....

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang

Children show emotions as young as birth but are not aware of what they are communicating. We need to help children understand their feelings and how to deal with them. Talking about their emotion during the time they are experiencing it, is very beneficial because it helps them recognize and name their feelings when they are feeling them. For example, if they are sad, explain to them that you see their face is getting red, their smile is turned upside down and tears are coming down their cheeks. Then talk them through what happened and if applicable, what other choices they had to avoid this feeling or even that it's okay to have that feeling. Give them options for how to deal with their emotion. The options could be: talking to the person who hurt their feelings, screaming into a pillow, or sitting quietly by themselves. Once they understand how they got to that point and how to process that emotion, they will be able to communicate more effectively and feel less frustration.

Sometimes, reading a story that spotlights a particular emotion can help as well. In this story, a little girl named Sophie gets very angry after her sister takes a toy away from her. We follow Sophie as she gets angry and eventually calms down. The story and illustrations make it very easy to recognize the signs of her feelings from her facial expressions, the words, and the colors on the page. Follow Sophie on her journey and ask your child if they ever feel that way. Together, brainstorm ways that Sophie could have handled the situation differently from the time she became angry to how she calmed down. This book is a wonderful conversation starter.

Elmo wants to help your kids be healthy!

Most kids that I know, hang on every word that Elmo says. Show your child the video above and Elmo will teach them how to wash their hands, sneeze into their elbow and more. You can find additional Elmo videos and more information about the flu at at www.flu.gov.

Organizing Your Child's Artwork

I love displaying kid's artwork but am not a big fan of a cluttered fridge. My favorite way to display it is to hang a clothesline or wire along a wall and use clothespins or clips to hang the artwork. This way makes it super easy to switch out the artwork and you will not have to worry about the size of it.

If you like a more decorative look, there are frames specifically for displaying kid's artwork. Since the idea is to switch out the artwork often, the frame pops opens from the front with the use of magnets so you don't have to break your fingernails prying open those tiny metal tabs on regular frames. These frames also include a removable mat so you have a little leniency in the size of the art as well as some storage space to keep previous artwork in there. I've seen two at Target both for $24.99.



Artwork Display and Storage Frame from Target

Most people that I know don't have the space to keep all of their children's artwork but feel that they are throwing away a piece of precious history. I completely understand, so while you're agonizing over the decision about whether to throw it away or rent out a storage facility, get out your camera and take a picture of it. This is such a simple way to save space but savor the memory. The pictures will be easy to store but you can still display them if you like.

Displaying your child's artwork lets them know that you are proud of them and appreciate their artwork. Plus it's a fun conversation piece when guests come to visit. Please share your ideas on how you display artwork, better yet - take a picture and show us.