Press Here by Herve Tullet Electronics, once again, top the charts in sales this holiday season! We live in an electronic world, with children playing on their iTouch, iPad, iPhone, Android, Nintendo DS, PSP, Kindle, XBox, or Wii, to name a few. Put down the electronics because ,with great pleasure, I would like to introduce [...]
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With all of the moving boxes around us, I’m reminded of one of my favorite children’s books, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis.
Where to begin?
I feel as though I have been in a perpetual state of transition—from deciding to move, processing what a move would entail with four school-aged children, preparing the house for market, keeping it clean for open houses (again with four kids, a husband, and a dog and cat), finishing out elementary school with a graduation and year-end festivities, wrapping up three Pre K Scholars classes of my own, house hunting in our new town, enrolling the girls in new schools, packing up fragile and sentimental items, saying goodbye to dear friends. And that was all prior to the actual move!
Upon arrival in our new town I can honestly say that I was faced with one of the most challenging moments as a parent—it didn’t last long, but the first two days were emotionally heavy. All of our belongings were still en route, so it was just our family in an empty house. It was time to get ready for bed and in doing so my husband had a great idea, “You all have to come see how many stars you can see in the sky from our own front yard!” Everyone ran outside with excitement!
“WOW! Find a star and make a wish,” he said.
Kate (five) made her wish out loud: “I WANT TO GO HOME!”
Knowing that children feed off of our energy I knew I needed to remain calm, light-hearted and excited, even if all I wanted to do was cry. Could we pull the move off?
It took about two days and getting the girls’ rooms put together before they found a glimpse of feeling like “home.” We are definitely still transitioning, but life is good and through it all I think we have all learned a lot about moving and life. Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned:
- Life is a process
- Change is good—we must all learn to be flexible
- Attitude really is everything
- Perception is a choice
- It’s okay to take risks—you might enjoy the outcome
- Children love being given tasks and being a part of the process
- No matter what your age, we all have feelings that need to be respected
- Communication is so important
- It’s okay to cry
- Adventures are exhilarating and there really is no toy that can rival the joy that comes from a plain old brown cardboard box
Did you know?
The cost of a high quality pre-kindergarten program is $12,000 per year…putting quality pre-kindergarten out of reach for most middle class families with young children
January Book Review: Press Here by Herve Tullet
January 11th, 2012December Book Review: No Two Alike
December 7th, 2011no two alike by Keith Baker “No two snowflakes are alike, almost, almost …..but not quite” Take a journey with two adventurous birds through a snow fallen forest. Explore the wintery landscape to discover that “no two are alike”…from branches and leaves to forests and trees. This book has very simple yet poetic verse which [...]
November Book Review: Just Enough and Not Too Much
November 8th, 2011Just Enough and Not Too Much Written and Illustrated by Kaethe Zemach This is a treasure of a children’s book to remind us about being thankful for what we have and remind us of the dangers of wanting MORE. Is it possible to have too much? “Simon the Fiddler had a cozy little house and [...]
October Book Review: The Bear’s Autumn
October 5th, 2011Author: Keizaburo Tejima Translated from the Japanese by Susan Matsui Have you ever experienced the joy of watching a child do something all by themselves for the very first time? Whether it be learning how to hold their own bottle, feed themselves, tie their own shoe, ride a bike, learn how to sound out a word…All [...]
September Book Review: Iggy Peck, Architect
September 12th, 2011Author: Andrea Beaty Illustrator: David Roberts “Young Iggy Peck is an architect and has been since he was two, when he built a great tower-in only an hour- with nothing but diapers and glue.” Thus begins the rhythmic tale with expressive illustrations of Iggy Peck, Architect. Iggy [...]
April Book Review: James and the Rain
April 26th, 2010Author: Karla Kuskin Illustrated by: Reg Cartwright If April showers are in your forecast, then it’s imperative that you read James And The Rain with your tots! With expanded text and updated illustrations the 1957 out-of-print copy has been revived! “James pressed his nose against the pane and saw a million drops of rain. The [...]
March Book Review: alphabeasties and other AmaZing Types
March 21st, 2010Authors: Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss In celebration of A Week, the alphabet and ABC books everywhere Did you ever notice that letters don’t always look the same? “Blocky or small. Thick or tall. Roundish, slope-y, Fancy, or dopey. Letters look different in all different places, That’s because they have different typefaces!” With an alligator [...]
February Book Review: Ruby’s Wish
February 15th, 2010Author: Shirin Yim Bridges Illustrator: Sophie Blackall Most of us recognized yesterday as Valentine’s Day, but it was also the first day of the Chinese New Year. In celebration, this month’s book review focuses on Ruby’s Wish, an endearing story of the Chinese New Year that provides wonderful insights into Chinese culture and particular customs. [...]
January Book of the Month: For Just One Day
January 13th, 2010Author: Laura Leuck Illustrator: Marc Boutavant A new year has begun, and for many of us that means new beginnings and new dreams. Twelve fresh months ahead—what will we do with them? In the decision and planning process, we get to utilize one of the greatest gifts we are given: our imagination! As this relates [...]
December Book of the Month: Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!
December 7th, 2009Authors: Don and Audrey Wood I believe that the more animated you are in reading to your children, the more engrossed they will become in the story. This holiday season, I recommend reading Don and Audrey Wood’s Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! to your children—the animation in your voice will come naturally as you become [...]
