Bird and Little Bird

Backyard Discoveries.

After early spring days that seemed like they were never going to bring sunshine, things have finally warmed up here in Vermont. We have been taking advantage of this fact as much as we possibly can, and are spending hours outside each day. Yard to park, park to yard. Repeat. It seems that the rest of the world is doing much of the same, and we have been seeing plenty of signs that our animal neighbors are getting out and about as well. We've been finding feathers and footprints, and then, this last weekend, we found a very different and very special kind of something.

A nest of baby bunnies. The dog was the first to find it actually, and because of this fact, we have had to keep a very close eye on the nest. The dog is now getting his first lessons in what life as an urban animal will be like; he is no longer allowed out in the yard without out human supervision. And, because we don't know if he might have scent marked the area around the nest, the Interwebs advise that we gently check the bunnies each day to make sure that their mother is visiting, and that they are staying warm and "plump."

Mariam is, of course, happy to do a daily bunny check. We have also been marking the nest with an "x" made of twigs, hoping that their movement will make for an obvious sign that mother bunny has been visiting on schedule.

Unfortunately, the wind and other animals around the area (near our bird feeder) have made the marking system an inexact science at best. So, we continue to do a bit of bunny reconnassiance each morning, to ensure that all seems well and that they are continuing to grow and stay warm enough. So far, it does seem that mama must be sneaking in for visits under the cover of semi-darkness, and as long as this is the case, we can leave the bunnies in the nest.

This sort of backyard wildlife experience is exactly what I thought that we would be sadly leaving behind in heading for more urban pastures. And, I was trying my best to be okay with this. But when we were standing in the shady little backyard of the new house last weekend, do you know what I saw out of the corner of my eye? A tiny little cottontail rabbit, hopping along the fence line and out of sight.

And I would call that a happy coincidence if ever there was one.

Scenes From a Friday Morning.

As of yesterday afternoon, Dan is done with medical school. Not officially, of course. There is still graduation and all that good business, which is a couple of weeks away. But in terms of classes and tests and endless hospital shifts, he is done. I think that it will take a few days to wrap my brain around this idea. We can philosophize further at that time.

For now, there are eggs for breakfast. Sunny side up with a couple of slices of buttery gluten-free toast. And, I am drinking coffee out of a quart-sized Mason jar. So there is also that. Good for morale. Half of it is milk. I promise.

Oh, and the laundry pile. Right. I think that might be what inspired the quart jar of coffee in the first place. 

It's just that I keep getting distracted by things like everyone needing new bathing suits, and trying to decide what kind of sandals we should get for the baby now that the weather is warm and he never wants to come inside again. And checking the weather to see if it is going to rain or if we can go fly kites.

And then it occurs to me that this is probably just the motherhood version of spring fever.

Home Here, Home There.

Well. After spending the last many days totally immersed in the soul crushing process known as "urban house hunting" I am happy to report that we are emerging victorious. It was nobody's idea of a good time, but it looks like we have signed a lease on an apartment in the Boston area. You'll note the word "apartment" in that sentence, I suppose, so let's discuss a bit.

We drove down to Massachusetts early Saturday morning, and spent Saturday and Sunday looking at place after place. We looked at an old farmhouse on acreage, we looked at city apartments with funky wood paneling and no yard space to speak of.  We tried very hard to be open minded, which I think we did a reasonable job of, considering. After seeing a particular place in the heart of the downtown area of a little city outside of Cambridge, we decided to go for it. It is indeed an apartment- on the second and third floors of an older house- but it is sparkly and clean and is walking distance from things like the library, the park, and the town pool. It will be a different life than the one that we live on our acre here in Vermont, but we knew that was coming and have at least some sense of adventure. I think.

So, we put our eggs in the proverbial basket, laid down a deposit, and put in an application. And then, of course, we found ourselves totally entrenched in three days worth of ridiculous back and forth negotiations with the property management company, during which we spent a lot of time playing in the local park near the apartment and envisioning what life would be like if we got the place that was so very much better than anything else we saw. In other words, we tortured ourselves a bit. Just for fun.

 

But last night we finally got the word that the place is ours. I'm still holding my breath a bit until our signed copy of the lease comes back this way with the landlord's signature on it as well. I'm an optimist at heart, but goodness, a girl can only take so much. To celebrate the sudden reduction in massive family-wide anxiety, Mariam gathered huge bundles of flowers from the backyard and brought them inside for me to put in empty Mason jars.

Any and all available surfaces in this house will soon be laden with boxes, packing tape, and piles of stuff to sort through. But I think for the next few days, we will go with the jars of flowers instead.

A bit of relative peace and quiet is very well deserved for adults and small people alike around these parts, let me tell you.

Thoughts on Plan B (and a Free Activity from Volume Twelve).

So. Not a lot is happening at our house this afternoon. Mariam is at school. The pets are napping in their usual preferred locations. We have all kind of gone quiet while we check the news and try to make decisions about what to do next. The idea was to drive down to Cambridge to look for a house this weekend. We were planning to be there by this evening. That plan obviously doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now. So, Plan B. Not sure what that is yet, just working on letting go of my anxiousness around the fact that it is even necessary. What a world this one is sometimes.

In happier news, there is an activity from Volume Twelve of Alphabet Glue available as a free download on Ginny's blog right now. It is the "wave in a bottle" activity, and it is easy kid science at its best. Try it. You'll like it. Oh, and it comes with a sea-centric book recommendation list, which is pretty fun as well. So this weekend you can go get a stack of books about pirates and sailboats and ocean waves and remember that the world is actually vast, beautiful, and facsinating. And really, pretty wonderful too.

What to Say.

I think that this photo is pretty self-explanatory. Although I am certainly willing to field presssing questions should you find that you have them.

But all joking aside, it seems that these last couple of days, I don't have a whole lot that I want to say here. I find myself stunned, and very nearly speechless, after the events in Boston on Monday. There is undoubtedly an extra weight to it all when I think about the fact that we are moving to the area in such a short time. But more than that, there is a deep, deep disappointment and pain at just the whole idea of what has happened. Aren't we, as human beings, a little bit better than this?

And so, I have to remind myself again and again that the answer to this question is so very often a resounding yes. I have been trying to focus on the fact that within hours of the bombing the Red Cross was announcing that they had more blood donation offers than they could possibly need. I have read through the Google documents created by Boston area families who offered up their couches, cars, and dining room tables to stranded strangers in need of a meal, a shower, or even a place to spend the night when they found their hotels were on lockdown. I think of the fundraising efforts that immediately began and spread across the internet; to purchase airfare for families of the injured to get to hospital bedsides, to help pay medical expenses for people in need.

I may not know what to say, or how to even wrap my overly sensitive, wildly compassionate, bruised little heart around this horrible mess. I may not be able to read the news reports because I simply don't have the stomach for it. But here is what I do know: the people offering their living rooms and kitchens to stranded runners, the spectators who ran towards the blast to help injured strangers, the people who appeared on the Boston sidewalks with drinks and blankets for anyone who needed them? Those are the people who prove that our human family, though flawed and imperfect, is also one that is filled with kindness and unexpected love.

And that is what I choose to remember right now.

Library Monday: Q & A a Day for Kids.

There was a time in my life when I was a keeper of journals. I guess in some ways, I still am (this blog being a fine example, I suppose), but I don't do the same kind of waxing poetic with pen and paper type of thing that I did in my college years. I'm good with that, although from time to time, I do thing about the little details of daily life that might be nice to remember later. Which is one of the reasons why, when I ran across Betsy Franco's Q & A a Day for Kids, I snapped up a copy like that.

The idea here is genius in its simplicity, and pretty well done in its execution. There are pages assigned to every day of the year, each with a prompt for kids to write to. The pages have space to write an answer to the prompt three times: this year, next year, and then one more time three years from now. The questions are mostly about small details of daily life: what kinds of things a kid likes to wear or eat, what instruments they play, what they see when they look outside of their bedroom window. There are also some questions aimed at finding out a bit more about a kid's perspective on things. One question asks what they think a gallon of milk probably costs. Together, revisiting each of these questions again over the next couple of years will create a unique journal of the way that a child's likes, dislikes, world view, and thoughts on life's smaller moments change as they grow. I love it.

 

For our part, we began the journal on Mariam's ninth birthday. So, if we stick with it, we will finish it on the day that she turns twelve. I expect that we will have days when we forget to write, and am planning to give us leniency for catching up within a reasonable window of time (so that the answers are still an accurate picture of her thinking at the moment). So far I have learned that she thinks that I am the person who understands her best (at least most of the time), and that she is pretty sure you can buy a car for about 1,000 dollars. Good to know.

And remember.

Hey there, Friday!

People! Friday is here, and that means one very imporant thing: this week has been nearly survived. Insert loud exhaling noise here.

Between the stuffy noses and the crying because teething is miserable and the househunting from afar and the tax refund check that is maybe lost in the mail? Well. What is that saying about just keeping your thoughts to your very own self unless they are nice ones? Right. But I did feel that I should explain myself if I was going to post a picture of my kid digging wax out of a candle holder with a coffee spoon. Which I found that I had to do because, basically, it was the only photo I took all week long. And really, it is kind of his favorite thing to do. If we are being honest.

But there are other bits of news worth sharing, too. I've been working behind the scenes on a handful of little projects and posts for other people's internet homes, and coincidentally, they all seemed to appear in their finished form around the same time this week. Here they are, in the event that you want to take a peek.

 

- I am pleased to announce that the first Sparkle Stories ebook has made its way into the world, and that I have teamed up with the ever wonderful David and Lisabeth to provide easy, practical (and yes, fun!) games and crafts to include in their books as they release them. This first book is full of some of our family's favorite Sparkle: a collection of stories from the Junkyard Tales series. You can find the book on Amazon here.

 

- There is a new post up at Playful Learning today. I think that it will be of particular interest to any of you fellow bird nerds out there because I made you some printable birder's notecards. So go print them already!

- There is an Alphabet Glue giveaway going on over at The Crafty Crow through Saturday evening. You can enter to win copies of the two newest issues of Glue, and there is a 20% discount code there, too- enter "crafty" at checkout through Sunday evening.

- I know that I mentiond it earlier in the week, but the red paper canoes tutorial on The Crafty Crow can be found here.

 

- And lastly, there are just a couple of days left to purchase the Learning Through Play ebook bundle. The kids' gardening resources that are included are fantastic, and are worth the price of the bundle just on their own. Also, it is about 28 degrees here today, so reading through those ideas on gardening with the small people is basically like getting a really cheap therapy session. Totally recommend it.

Because You Are Getting a Lecture.

It somehow feels like we have been doing both everything and nothing around here lately. With all of us having been sick on some kind of terrible rotating schedule of inconvenience and discomfort, things have been a little bit hazy. At this point Z. is the only one still under the weather, and he is on the upswing. So hope renewed and all that good business.

This last weekend, Mariam mentioned Clara Barton in passing during a conversation about something or other. Dan commented that he knew the name, but couldn't quite remember what she had done. The girl was horrified. And indignant. "Everyone on the couch," she said. "Because you all are getting a lecture!"

Moments later the printer was pushing out a full page black and white photo of Clara Barton, and the visual aids for said lecture were in the works. So, even if we have been busy with the running around to various doctor appointments and the time-consuming vociferous complaining about how we are feeling, we haven't been getting any dumber. Thank goodness, for that.

I know that we have discussed Mariam's fondness for declarative signage many, many times in the past. But I kind of can't help myself. The way that she just sits down and scribbles out these things with such a serious sense of purpose, with no regard for conventions, penmanship or spelling? Perhaps another parent would be horrified. But as a former teacher of kids her age, I know only too well how quickly and easily such authentic inspiration can get replaced with concerns about perfection.

In other news, the red paper canoe project from last summer's book along is available as a tutorial on The Crafy Crow. Go check it out!

Learning Through Play: Super Book Bundle for Spring!

So, as of right about now, the incredibly fantastic "Learning Through Play" spring book bundle is officially available. Organized by Melitsa of Raising Playful Tots and Cathy of NurtureStore, the bundle is available between now and April 14th. Melitsa and Cathy have put together a package of e-books and resources worth more than $130, from sixteen different authors. It is all based around the theme of "learning through play," which is kind of the perfect idea as we head into warmer weather and longer days.  The bundle includes books, resources, and an online course, and covers sensory play, outdoor play, art and crafts, positive parenting, learning to read and write, math and lots more. There is tons of great inspiration to keep busy and get creative with your kiddos all spring and summer long.

How to buy and download the bundle

The book bundle has officially gone on its way. But not to worry! The individual authors of the books included in the bundle all have their very own webpages and blogs where you can find their contributions. To track down any of the included ebooks that you were particularly hopeful about getting your hands on, simply click through to the author's site below.

The Garden Classroom by Cathy James of NurtureStore:

The Garden Classroom brings you fifty-two creative and playful outdoor activities, giving you a whole year’s worth of garden-based projects to enjoy with your children. Value $9.99  

ScienceArts by MaryAnn Kohl of Process Art & Treasures of Childhood:

ScienceArts inspires children to explore the world of science through art with open-ended experiments. 141 pages of art experiments amaze & delight children as they discover the magic of crystals, light, constellations, plants and more. All scientific reactions and concepts explained. Value $9.99

The Playful Family by Shawn Fink of Awesomely Awake:

The Playful Family encourages and challenges busy parents to slow down and spend quality time together with their children, regardless of their age. With nearly 100 ways to connect, engage and play together this easy-to-read e-book is a must-have resource for any parent interested in becoming more playful and happy while raising children. Value $4.99  

Connecting Family through Creative Play e-Workshop by Gina Kimmel of Connecting Family & Seoul and Katherine Lockett of Creative Playhouse:

Connecting Family through Creative Play is a 30 day e-Workshop designed for families who wish to connect with their children on a daily basis through simple, creative play. These ideas are perfect for parents looking to find a balance between the everyday responsibilities and connecting with your child in meaningful ways that fit into your family’s daily rhythm. You will receive daily messages from us in your inbox with inspirations to play, ideas for connection, and resources to help spark your imagination, including access to a private Facebook community. {Please note this course is running April 29th 2013 to May 28th 2013 only and you must register on the course before May 15th 2013} Value $25  

Alphabet Glue: Volumes Nine through Eleven by Annie Riechmann of Bird and Little Bird (Hey! I know her!):

Alphabet Glue is a downloadable e-magazine for families who love books, and aims to help more families to incorporate creativity, imagination and all things literary into their everyday routines. Each issue contains leveled book recommendations organized by theme, bookmaking tutorials, story-building activities, and hands-on projects that complement favorite titles in children's literature or teach basic elements of science. Value $11  

Alphabet Summer Learning Pack by Erin Wing of Small Types:

The Alphabet Summer Learning Pack is a collection of flexible summer learning ideas organized around an "A to Z" theme. Use these resources to prevent the dreaded "summer slide" and build fun learning routines into your summer plans. Ideas are simple and flexible, so families can pick and choose the activities that work for their particular child and schedule. They provide opportunities to practice key literacy and math skills, and they leave plenty of time for lemonade stands and sand castles. Value $7  

Pink and Green Mama Crafts: Backyard FUN by MaryLea Harris of Pink and Green Mama:

Backyard FUN brings you 13 Art Lessons and Craftivities to create your own Backyard Fun Camp at home or in your classroom with step-by-step instructions, supply lists, and full color photos. The supplies for these fun and easy projects will come from your own art and craft stash, garage, hardware store, and recycling bin! Value $10  

Alphabet Crafts by Allison McDonald of No Time For Flash Cards:

Alphabet Crafts lets you create the alphabet from A-Z with fun crafts that promote more than just letter recognition. Kids will love making their own alphabet and forget that they are learning in the process. With 5 exclusive crafts never published on No Time For Flash Cards. Value $8  

Alphabet Games by Malia Hollowell of Playdough to Plato:

The Alphabet Mega Pack includes 12 hands-on games that teach children to recognize the names and sounds of letters - skills that are important for learning how to read. Each activity includes easy to follow parent instructions and helpful photos. The games are addictively fun for kids AND their families! Value $6

Raising a Creative Kid: Simple Strategies for Igniting and Nurturing that Creative Spark by Jillian Riley of A Mom with a Lesson Plan:

Raising a Creative Kid will help you raise a creative thinker by simply setting up a creative environment, using intentional language, and nurturing mistakes. This easy read is full tips and tricks that will help you transform your environment into a creativity growth center. Value $7.99

5 minute reading tricks for raising rockstar readers by Amy Mascott of teach mama:

Fifteen 5-minute reading tricks that cover everything from teaching names to what parents should say during read-alouds, from learning sight words to reading fluently. It’s about rolling out the red carpet for our rockstar readers. Now. Whomever you are, wherever you are, no matter how busy you are. Value $10  

Parenting with Positive Guidance: Building Discipline from the Inside Out by Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute:

Parenting with Positive Guidance gives you the tools for understanding your child’s behavior and effectively teaching and guiding your child toward increased self-control while fostering a healthy parent-child relationship. 100+ pages of information you can start using today! Value $9  

Treasure Basket Play by Melitsa Avila of Raising Playful Tots:

Treasure Basket Play lets you learn step by step how to make your own natural sensory baby play activity with a Treasure Basket. Includes case studies and interview with a sensory play expert on using Treasure Baskets. Value $8.95  

Play Grow Learn Issue 2 by Christie Burnett of Childhood 101:

Issue 2 of Play Grow Learn is packed full of playful fun with 55 pages and over 100 activity ideas. Includes ideas for creating family stories with internationally acclaimed author Hazel Edwards, an exclusive full colour, printable sea themed bingo game, 12 pages of active and outdoor play ideas, recipes, art, literacy, creativity, construction, imaginative play, books and more! Value $4  

Spring Literacy and Math Activities and Games by Christine Lanyon of Scribble Doodle and Draw:

Spring Literacy and Math Activities and Games includes 15 fun learning center ideas. Skills worked on include, addition to 8, patterns, counting to 20, measurement, number sequencing, abc order, writing 3 letter words, rhyming, syllables, compound words and more. Value $8

Kind of a ridiculous amount of good stuff, eh? Click on the magic button below and it will all be in your inbox pretty much immediately. Oh, and tell a friend!

Sneak Peek: Learning Through Play Spring Book Bundle!

Some of you might remember the ebook sale organized by Melitsa of Raising Playful Tots and Cathy of NurtureStore last fall. It was incredibly fun to be a small part of the whole affair; I had a chance to meet other writers, and to be a part of a really cool and innovative group of creative teachers, authors and parents. Cathy and Melitsa have now organized an even bigger book bundle for the spring season, and it will be availabe through the blogs of the individual participants beginning this coming Monday morning. The Spring Learning Through Play book bundle will be available April 8th to April 14th only, so you'll definitely want to pop back in next week and download your copy. I'm just having a chance to look through everything that is included myself, and I'm amazed at the amount of  great stuff inside. The interwebs are full of awesome folks if you just know where to find them!

Here is what Cathy has to say about the special:

Learning Through Play Spring Book Bundle

This special bundle of books is available for you to buy only between April 8th and April 14th. I’ve read the books (and written one of them!) and I’m so happy to recommend this offer to you. These ladies really know their stuff and the books and resources are packed full of fantastic creative and practical ideas that you can use with your children. There are sixteen different authors joining in, bringing you over $130 worth of resources. And, guess what – you can buy the lot for just $9.99! Read on to see all the items included in the spring special offer – and start looking forward to getting your copies!

The Garden Classroom by Cathy James of NurtureStore:

The Garden Classroom brings you fifty-two creative and playful outdoor activities, giving you a whole year’s worth of garden-based projects to enjoy with your children. Value $9.99

ScienceArts by MaryAnn Kohl of Process Art & Treasures of Childhood:

ScienceArts inspires children to explore the world of science through art with open-ended experiments. 141 pages of art experiments amaze & delight children as they discover the magic of crystals, light, constellations, plants and more. All scientific reactions and concepts explained. Value $9.99

The Playful Family by Shawn Fink of Awesomely Awake:

The Playful Family encourages and challenges busy parents to slow down and spend quality time together with their children, regardless of their age. With nearly 100 ways to connect, engage and play together this easy-to-read e-book is a must-have resource for any parent interested in becoming more playful and happy while raising children. Value $4.99

Connecting Family through Creative Play e-Workshop by Gina Kimmel of Connecting Family & Seoul and Katherine Lockett of Creative Playhouse:

Connecting Family through Creative Play is a 30 day e-Workshop designed for families who wish to connect with their children on a daily basis through simple, creative play. These ideas are perfect for parents looking to find a balance between the everyday responsibilities and connecting with your child in meaningful ways that fit into your family’s daily rhythm. You will receive daily messages from us in your inbox with inspirations to play, ideas for connection, and resources to help spark your imagination, including access to a private Facebook community. {Please note this course is running April 29th 2013 to May 28th 2013 only and you must register on the course before May 15th 2013} Value $25

Alphabet Glue: Volumes Nine through Eleven by Annie Riechmann of Bird and Little Bird:

Alphabet Glue is a downloadable e-magazine for families who love books, and aims to help more families to incorporate creativity, imagination and all things literary into their everyday routines. Each issue contains leveled book recommendations organized by theme, bookmaking tutorials, story-building activities, and hands-on projects that complement favorite titles in children's literature or teach basic elements of science. Value $11

Alphabet Summer Learning Pack by Erin Wing of Small Types:

The Alphabet Summer Learning Pack is a collection of flexible summer learning ideas organized around an "A to Z" theme. Use these resources to prevent the dreaded "summer slide" and build fun learning routines into your summer plans. Ideas are simple and flexible, so families can pick and choose the activities that work for their particular child and schedule. They provide opportunities to practice key literacy and math skills, and they leave plenty of time for lemonade stands and sand castles. Value $7

Pink and Green Mama Crafts: Backyard FUN by MaryLea Harris of Pink and Green Mama:

Backyard FUN brings you 13 Art Lessons and Craftivities to create your own Backyard Fun Camp at home or in your classroom with step-by-step instructions, supply lists, and full color photos. The supplies for these fun and easy projects will come from your own art and craft stash, garage, hardware store, and recycling bin! Value $10

Alphabet Crafts by Allison McDonald of No Time For Flash Cards:

Alphabet Crafts lets you create the alphabet from A-Z with fun crafts that promote more than just letter recognition. Kids will love making their own alphabet and forget that they are learning in the process. With 5 exclusive crafts never published on No Time For Flash Cards. Value $8

Alphabet Games by Malia Hollowell of Playdough to Plato:

The Alphabet Mega Pack includes 12 hands-on games that teach children to recognize the names and sounds of letters - skills that are important for learning how to read. Each activity includes easy to follow parent instructions and helpful photos. The games are addictively fun for kids AND their families! Value $6

Raising a Creative Kid: Simple Strategies for Igniting and Nurturing that Creative Spark by Jillian Riley of A Mom with a Lesson Plan:

Raising a Creative Kid will help you raise a creative thinker by simply setting up a creative environment, using intentional language, and nurturing mistakes. This easy read is full tips and tricks that will help you transform your environment into a creativity growth center. Value $7.99

5 minute reading tricks for raising rockstar readers by Amy Mascott of teach mama:

Fifteen 5-minute reading tricks that cover everything from teaching names to what parents should say during read-alouds, from learning sight words to reading fluently. It’s about rolling out the red carpet for our rockstar readers. Now. Whomever you are, wherever you are, no matter how busy you are. Value $10

Parenting with Positive Guidance: Building Discipline from the Inside Out by Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute:

Parenting with Positive Guidance gives you the tools for understanding your child’s behavior and effectively teaching and guiding your child toward increased self-control while fostering a healthy parent-child relationship. 100+ pages of information you can start using today! Value $9

Treasure Basket Play by Melitsa Avila of Raising Playful Tots:

Treasure Basket Play lets you learn step by step how to make your own natural sensory baby play activity with a Treasure Basket. Includes case studies and interview with a sensory play expert on using Treasure Baskets. Value $8.95

Play Grow Learn Issue 2 by Christie Burnett of Childhood 101:

Issue 2 of Play Grow Learn is packed full of playful fun with 55 pages and over 100 activity ideas. Includes ideas for creating family stories with internationally acclaimed author Hazel Edwards, an exclusive full colour, printable sea themed bingo game, 12 pages of active and outdoor play ideas, recipes, art, literacy, creativity, construction, imaginative play, books and more! Value $4

Spring Literacy and Math Activities and Games by Christine Lanyon of Scribble Doodle and Draw:

Spring Literacy and Math Activities and Games includes 15 fun learning center ideas. Skills worked on include, addition to 8, patterns, counting to 20, measurement, number sequencing, abc order, writing 3 letter words, rhyming, syllables, compound words and more. Value $8