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Tuesday Tales – Shopping for Books

Posted on August 7, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

We have a lot of books in our house. Not a shocking statement when you realize that I am a teacher. Many of our books were from when I was teaching and bought them for the boys. Other books were from my college days when I started to “collect” them.

We often gift books to the boys for special occasions, holidays, and just because. Sometimes, they get to help us to pick something special out. The other day we found some gift cards to the book store that were for the kids. It was a lot of fun wandering around with each of them to see what they would ask for. Much to my surprise, they both focused on the books and not the countless toys (albeit educational ones).

I walked around the store with JSL. He is getting very interested in reading on his own. As he get closer to starting Kindergarten, his reading readiness skills are increasing dramatically. Sure he loves to read the Magic Tree House books with me, but he is looking to smaller early readers. We went up and down the aisles and then something caught his eye. He saw a Jake and the Never Land Pirates book. When I flipped it over, I noticed there were other books listed. We went to someone working in the store to see if they would help us find them.

We located the early readers and he instantly fell in love because Bucky, Izzy, Jake, and the rest of the crew were inside the book. I noticed they were rebus style and although not in love with that, allowed him to put them into his buy pile. In the end, he opted not to get all four of the Jake and the Never Land Pirate books that they had and selected a World of Reading Phineas and Ferb book to round out the day. I know that in no time he will be reading these and others to me!

TechyDad went around the store with NHL. They were looking for a specific book in a series he has been enjoying. He wanted to purchase the second of the Tales of the Sixth Grade Muppets books since he enjoyed the first one so much. They eventually found it and I think NHL would have stopped shopping there.

The boys continued to look around since JSL and I were trying to debate on books. They spent quite a bit of time looking at books in the biography section. TechyDad said that NHL was very intrigued with a few of them. In the end, he narrowed it down to Walt Disney, Benjamin Franklin, Jim Henson (would have been second choice), and Abraham Lincoln. The one he selected was the Sixteenth President of the United States. NHL learned about him in school and wanted to read more.

What type of books would your children select if given time to shop in a large book store? I would love to know. Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below and also let me know what you have been reading recently. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

BTW – If you are interested in the books that we purchased, the following are Amazon links to them. If you decide to buy them we will receive a percentage of the sale.

Categories:
books Disney Educational jsl nhl shopping TechyDad Tuesday Tales

Photos on the Go – Take 1

Posted on August 5, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Although I almost always have my point and shoot camera with me, I often do not have enough time to get it ready. Thanks to my new cell phone, I am able to capture some very nice images that capture memories that will last. Let’s take a glance at some of the items that I did not blog about yet.

Super JSL Buzz Lightyear received a cool new present. He thought it was hilarious that he was wearing his Buzz Lightyear shirt and wanted a photo. This was his idea for the pose.

While watching the Summer Olympics, I was able to get some knitting done. After a few days, I had accomplished quite a lot and was ready for some more yarn.

We went to a CSI style event at the library. The boys learned how to be animal detectives. More about this will be coming soon.

For TechyDad’s birthday, we bought him a few packages of the LEGO mini figures. They are in series and are randomly inserted. Much to our surprise, two that he really wanted were in the ones we got, along with an Olympic swimmer.

The boys went with me to bring something to my old college campus. We parked a distance away and walked in the court yard area. The boys were amazed with how beautiful it was and how I knew my way around. They also had fun seeing tour groups of incoming freshman walking around.

It was just too warm to bake in the house, so the boys helped me to pick out a cookie cake for TechyDad’s birthday. He requested one and the boys had fun selecting the colors and what it should have written on top. It was delicious in case you were wondering.

Nana and Papa’s Goofy now has a friend. He must have been lonely hanging upside down by the plants, so Dopey is hanging around with him

While at Nana and Papa’s house checking on Goofy and Dopey, JSL and I took some time to just relax together. One of the activities we did was make some maps and pictures with the crayons. It was fun to play with 120 Crayola Crayons and watch the little guy color.

On Friday, the Capital Region finally got our first Trader Joe’s. We braved the crowds and went to get some items that you can not get at other locations. Had the crowds been a little less I would have taken more photos of the unique store that others already cherish.

What photos have you taken while out and about this week? I would love to know and hear more about how you capture those unique moments while on the go.

Categories:
animals birthday Disney family jsl looking back photos shopping TechyDad weekend

Poor Perry the Platypus

Posted on August 4, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

This week, we had to head to the doctor to have something checked out. It was not an expected visit. Since we were tossed in right before lunch, I made sure that you took some items with us to keep busy.

I think you may have been a bit upset at waiting for the doctor. I do not remember what the story was with this set up, but Perry was not looking too happy at the time.

Once we were finished at the doctor, we went to Target to look for some presents for Daddy’s birthday. While there, we noticed some new learning games for your LeapPad. We just took it back out the other day and you love using it to really learn your letters and sounds before kindergarten. The best part, the store also had an AC adapter to use so we do not have to fuss with batteries when home.

We immediately bought the AC Adapter, but held off on the games. Later on, you and I went back out to the store to look for presents for Daddy and NHL. We eventually bought the Jake and the Never Land Pirates game for the Explorer as something for the next doctor visit.

It was definitely a splurge, but you really love Jake and need games that are better for you (some DS and Wii ones are so frustrating). This certainly fits the bill and I know it will help to take your mind off of things a bit.

I promise, we will get through this stressful time. Thank goodness, Perry was fine and managed to snuggle with you that night in bed.

Love,

Categories:
birthday Dear Kid Saturday Disney doctor Educational jsl photos shopping sleep

Tuesday Tales – Olympig!

Posted on July 31, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Twas just days before the Olympics when the boys and I were at the library for jelly bean testing in the name of science. A display by the front door caught our attention. It was filled with books for all ages and videos about the Olympics. Suddenly, JSL grabbed a book and asked to check it out. I have to admit, the cover of Olympig! by author and illustrator Victoria Jamieson made me smile.

On Thursday night, we got caught up with things before bedtime. JSL was very upset about skipping our usual reading. That is when I had an idea. It was family story time. I figured it would be fitting to read Olympig! the night before the opening ceremony to the 2012 London Olympics.

We meet Boomer, a very unlikely hero. Boomer the pig sets off with his family to compete in the Animal Olympics. Boomer is filled with confidence and believes that his hard work and practice will pay off. Of course, the pesky Mr. Hamstring is always there to point out his short comings along the way. The boys and I talked about how proud we were of Boomer each time he kept plugging along. He did not give up and is a good sport when he does not win most of the events.

Both of the boys really enjoyed the book and were even more excited to be able to watch the opening of the Olympics the next day. What I really enjoyed was the message that Jamieson puts into her book. Parents, Teachers, and children can easily use this book as a springboard for discussion on doing your best, being a good sport, and work ethics. The words and illustrations blend beautifully together to bring you deep into the world of the Animal Olympics.

Here is a book trailer about the book so you can see more.

Now my mission is to explore more books by this very talented author and illustrator! Of course, while watching the Olympics, we will also be exploring some of the ideas that Victoria Jamieson has on her website for crafts and more.

What are you and your family reading this summer? What have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: One Amazon affiliate link is included and should you purchase the book mentioned I will receive a small percentage from the sale. As always, all opinions are my own.

Categories:
books Educational jsl nhl real world news Tuesday Tales

Jelly Beans in the Name of Science

Posted on July 28, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL and JSL,

Last year, we went to a lot of the summer programs at the library. We are doing the same this summer. It has been a lot of fun and quite a variety of items to do. Last year, one of your favorite items was the kid style chocolate blind taste testing. This week, they decided to do something similar, but with jelly beans. NHL, I knew that you were going to be in heaven since you adore jelly beans. I will admit I was worried about JSL.

Since I was nervous about JSL’s reaction, I made sure not to talk too much about it before we arrived. As we began, the two of you were excited because all of the kids were thrilled about the prospect of candy.

JSL, as I suspected, you were not overly thrilled with the jelly beans. You started to pout and get upset. I made a deal with you that I would cut the jelly beans in half and you did not have to eat any that you did not like. Thank goodness the purple jelly beans that we began with were very tame and you seemed to enjoy them. Things fell apart a bit by the time we arrived at the pink. You got through most of the green and then NHL helped to let you know ones to avoid.

NHL, you were in love with this activity and not just because of the candy. When I looked over, you were well into the second set of jelly beans and recording your data. What shocked me was you did not simply put an “x” next to your favorite. You had a system. You gave each jelly bean a score from one to ten so everything was noted as you went along. This was really good thinking since JSL had a hard time keeping track of the flavors as he went along.

Here’s a video that I made the two of you of the fun from the experience. Something to remember the scientific study of jelly beans.

We had a great time and talked about how scientific the sheets were and what other items could be done in a similar fashion at home. The best part was that everyone had fun, JSL tried new items, and NHL explored data collecting. I know I can’t wait to check out more of the events the rest of the summer and make more memories with the two of you.

Love,

For those interested in the types of jelly beans used by the library, I asked. Here are the answers (the favorites were not done being tallied up when we left):