Memories of Easter
With Easter this week, my thoughts have ventured to Easter’s past. And, while I now love the Easter feast and all the wonderful food associated with it, my childhood memories involve egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, and Easter frocks. Egg hunts were so great. I have always loved the feel of fresh new grass in the […]
Invisible to All
It’s amazing the difference one little word can make. Take the Pledge of Allegiance, for instance. Should a well-meaning but obviously contextually confused boy say the pledge over his school’s loud speaker and change “indivisible” to “invisible,” the meaning shifts dramatically. “One nation invisible to all” doesn’t seem to capture the essence of what I […]
Easter Activities for Fine Motor Skill Development
Easter Fun Activities To Build Fine Motor Skills Bubble Wrap Easter Eggs You Need: paper paint paintbrushes bubble wrap scissors Directions: – Cut the bubble wrap into squares. – Paint the squares of bubble wrap using paintbrushes. They will need to hold the square of bubble wrap to paint it, in much the same way […]
The Fun of Whitewashing
One of the more famous scenes in the movie about Tom Sawyer was the whitewashing of a fence. After Tom got into trouble, Aunt Polly punished him by making him whitewash the fence. Tom manipulated other boys into completing the job for him, even paying for the privilege of doing so. By the time the […]
Helene Wecker’s “The Golem and the Jinni”
This week I am reviewing Helene Wecker’s 2013 debut novel, The Golem and the Jinni, which was a complete impulse buy. The Golem and the Jinni is a general fiction novel with some elements of fantasy and historical fiction, and follows the lives of Chava and Ahmad, two immigrants who are trying to find their […]
Industry in Jefferson County
I was talking to someone a couple of days ago about industry in Jefferson county. As we talked, she mentioned that in earlier decades people had gone out of the county to work. I’m sure some of residents did go to work in different counties, but when I was growing up in Jefferson City in […]
Sensory Activities for Easter
Peeps Play Dough is squishy in texture, which makes it the perfect Easter sensory activity. To make Peeps Play Dough you need: 5 Peeps 3+ tbsp. of corn starch 1 & 1/2 tsp of cooking oil Optional: Food coloring Instructions: – Combine ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat around 30 seconds or until they […]
Mockingbird
This week an old familiar lullaby has invaded my head and just won’t let go. Over and over the words continue…”Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don’t sing, Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.” We’ve all heard and sung the song many times. […]
Springtime Fun with the Kids
Even though Spring does not officially arrive until the Spring Equinox on March 20th, I always consider March a Spring month. Spring means sunshine, wind, tulips, windmills, and kites. It is the time for flying kites. Three kite designs to purchase in stores are: ⦁ The Sode kite: Known as the Kimono kite, for its […]
Dog and Watch Alarms
Have you ever had one of those surreal moments when hilarious and pitiful cross paths, like a lonely intersection of some desert highway replete with an old man in a pinstripe suit holding a cane waiting to ask about your willingness to part with your soul? You know the type of situation I’m talking about. […]
Steven Erikson’s ‘Gardens of the Moon’
This week I dove headfirst into a fantasy book quite unlike any I’ve ever read: Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon. The story follows a large cast of characters, primarily focusing on the struggles of a hardened war veteran, Whiskeyjack, and a lone mage, Tattersail. Operating as arms of a vast empire, these two warriors […]
Alastair Reynolds’ “Revelation Space”
As a huge fan of hard science fiction, I’ve come to grips with the fact that the genre’s “good to bad” ratio is about 1:10. Is isn’t hard to find painfully standard fare books in the genre, so I am always on the lookout for another great find. This week, I snagged a copy of […]
One More Meow!
There are certain inherent issues associated with being a teacher. For instance, the question, “Do you have any tissue?” is usually accompanied by an image you can’t erase from your mind, no matter how hard you try. And sick kids, they always ask to go to the nurse standing as close to you as they […]
Stink Bugs
My granddaughter was visiting with me this week, when she suddenly said with astonishment, “Wow, there are 26 bugs on the window.” Of course my answer was, “On the outside?” Unfortunately, her answer was “No, on the inside!” And she was right. I counted 26 brown shield shaped, dime-size brown bugs, armed with a sweaty […]
Music in Schools
Children benefit from music in schools. There is a compelling amount of research connecting music to higher order brain function, among other positive outcomes, as outlined below. With this in mind, you may want to lobby for more music in your child’s school. It is equally important to access programs that are now in place, […]
Valentine’s Day Memories
Valentine’s Day is coming, love is in the airm and memories fill my head. Wow, I have more memories of valentines, candy, and flowers than I am willing to admit. Let’s just say, they number more than twenty one. My first memories of St. Valentine’s Day are of making hearts…red, pink, and white… small, medium, […]
