Quality

My husband taught me an important principle years ago.  My sewing machine (that I'd had since high school) had broken down and I was looking for a new one.  Being the frugal person I am, I was looking for something cheap.  He told me that because I use my sewing machine to make clothes and other things for the family, I should get the highest quality sewing machine we can find.  He reminded me that my "tools of the trade" are as important as his in his job and I should consider them investments, not expenses.  We compromised...I got a high quality Bernina.  Although it wasn't the top of the line, it wasn't the bottom either.  I'm still using that machine.

Because we're professional moms, we need to surround ourselves with things that work well and make our jobs easier.  It's so frustrating to have to deal with something that is constantly breaking down or needing repairs or needing to be replaced.  Whatever you use regularly, buy the best you can afford.  It will reward you with many hours of loyal service and peace of mind.  With all the options available today, you might be able to find what you need through someplace like Ebay or Craig's List.  It doesn't necessarily have to be new, but it should be in top condition.  I bought my serger (another Bernina) used and again, have had many stress-free hours using it.

Remember, you're a professional and you're worth it!

Every child is different!

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how every child in a family is different!  You'd think after the first one, things would get easier and there would be fewer surprises.  Well, in many ways it DOES get easier because now you've had at least a year's experience of being a mother (hopefully more!) and you have adjusted to having a little one around.  And then the second baby is born and from the moment you meet her, you can see that she is a completely different little person who has a mind and spirit of her own.  The techniques that worked fine with your first one have little effect on the second...or third...

Because of those unique differences, you get the opportunity to grow and develop new skills along with each child who comes into your life.  With the one who is demanding and strong willed, you will increase your patience.  With the sensitive one, you will become more gentle.  With the active one, you'll become more active too (whether you want to be or not!).  Every child has a lesson to teach you.  Be open to learning those valuable lessons and enjoy the adventure that is motherhood!

The Trust Bank

Trust issues tend to become part of your adventures of motherhood at a fairly early stage in the game.  From the four year old whose face is covered with blueberries who looks at you with big blue eyes and solemnly states he didn't eat them, to the teenager who has mastered the art of deception, this can be a tricky area to deal with.  You want to be able to trust your children to tell the truth but to trust them, they need to have earned that trust.  For kids to understand this, you can tell them about the Trust Bank.

Just as we deposit and withdraw money in a regular bank, the family Trust Bank is where we deposit and withdraw trust.  Trust is deposited when we tell the truth and are honest.  Trust is withdrawn when we lie or are deceitful.  The whole goal is to have a large amount of trust built up in your Trust Bank account.  You don't want withdrawals or worse, to be overdrawn.  Usually trust is added slowly and regularly while withdrawals can deplete your account quite quickly.  When you have accumulated a large amount of trust, your life is pretty comfortable and your freedom expands.  (That's a perk!)  But a depleted trust account means less freedom and more distrust and it's hard to build it back up.

It's usually easy for kids to understand this concept and helps them see the real value of honesty.  Those little white lies do have an impact and so does telling the truth.

Professional mom

By being a mom, you are embarking on an exciting and fulfilling career!  What you do is extremely important.  You have an impact not only on the next generation but future ones as well.  There are little people who look up to you and trust you and depend on you for their every need.  While that is a daunting responsibility, it is also motivation to do your best and become the best mom you can be.  Don't settle for mediocrity, strive for excellence in all that you do.  Think of yourself as a professional and present yourself as such.  How would a professional mom look?  How would a professional mom act?  How would a professional mom spend her time?  Would you do anything different if you treated yourself as a professional woman with a demanding and vital job?  Be proud of who you are and the role you play in society.  You may not get public recognition and praise but that's ok.  Your contribution to future generations is worth every sacrifice and effort and someday you will look back on your career and be thankful for the opportunity you had to be a mom.

Kitchen gadgets

I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to kitchen gadgets.  I've lived in homes where the kitchens are small and space is at a premium so to stay in my kitchen, a utensil or piece of equipment has to earn its keep or it's tossed out.  There are a few things I really don't think I can do without and what's odd about that is that I only started using them in the last ten years or so.

#1 - A good sharp pair of kitchen scissors.  You can cut up a raw chicken, trim fat off meat, cut veggies and fruit into little pieces, trim off little plastic fasteners, snip fresh herbs, and who knows what else!

#2 - A sturdy wire whisk.  I had two - a round one and a flat one but I only used the flat one so that's the one I kept.  With a whisk, you can mix batters quickly, use it to stir gravy and sauces in a pot (it cuts down on lumps) and it's easier to clean than beaters and is more sanitary than wooden spoons.

#3 - Digital kitchen scales.  Some recipes call for ingredients based on weight, not volume.  Scales make that easy and also convert weight into grams when needed.  If you're on a diet or controlling your food intake for whatever reason, you have to have digital scales!

#4 - This last item is for cleaning and I don't even know the name of it.  I'll call it a food scraper.  It's invaluable for getting hardened or baked on food from pots and pans and plates and counters and sinks and...  I never liked using scrubbies because they tend to get dirty real quick.  This little guy is just a flat piece of plastic (or whatever it is) and it doesn't get dirty or smelly and it won't scratch surfaces.  I think the brand of it is Norpro and I've seen it at Target and Walmart so it's still available.

My daughter is getting married in a month and I'm going to get her these things for a shower present. Shhhh, don't tell her!  :)

More on discipline

I was visiting with one of my daughters recently and she said something which I thought was really insightful.    She said, "Well-disciplined children rarely need disciplining."   That's a very accurate statement.   We often think of discipline negatively or erroneously compare it with punishment but discipline is something that we all need to develop.  The dictionary defines discipline as training.  There is nothing negative about that!  We do our children a disservice by not training them or teaching them how to act around other people and in public.   If we could only get it into their heads that when they behave well, they are happier, have more privileges, and have happier parents!  Sounds worth it to me!

Regardless...

There are few things more annoying than incessant whining and complaining by your children.  It's enough to make you give in and do whatever it takes to stop the noise.  But, kids are more clever than you think.  That's just what they want you to do and that's why they do it.  When you give in to their demands, you are unconsciously reinforcing the exact behavior you want to stop.  There is something pretty easy you can do to cut down on the number of times they try this tactic.  First, remember to remain calm and even tempered yourself.  Stand by what you say and mean what you say.  If your child argues with you, try using the word "regardless" and restating your stand.  By doing this, you acknowledge that you heard what your child said, yet you don't agree or disagree with him.  Usually you only need to do this a couple times before you deflate the argument.  Example - Your child wants to go to a friend's house but you don't want him to.  He complains that you never let him go.  You say, "Regardless, you can't go over there today."  To which he replies, "That's not fair!"  And you respond, "Regardless, not today."  And so on.  It's really hard to argue with someone when they don't keep the argument going.  Try it out sometime.

Date Night

While you are trying so hard to be a good mom, don't forget that you're also a wife.  Sometimes it's easy to put that relationship aside as you struggle with sleepless nights, fussy kids, and a million obligations...which is why it's so important to establish Date Night very early in your marriage.  Just because you're married, doesn't mean you should stop going on dates with your guy.  Make one night a week just for the two of you.  Even if money is tight or you have a tiny baby or some other circumstance, you still need to connect with your husband regularly, without the kids.  Your kids need to realize that you have a special relationship with their daddy too.  If you can't get a babysitter, plan a date at home.  Order take out or have pizza delivered or make something special for that date and put the kids to bed early.  They will soon learn that Friday night (or whatever night) is Mom and Dad's night.  And, don't spend the date talking about them or thinking about them either.  This night is about the two of you.  Make the most of it!

Where's that number?

If you haven't already done this, you need to do it today!  How's that for a start?  I'm talking about a list of important telephone numbers by your phone.  This isn't just for babysitters.  Your children need to know where to find important numbers, as well as your husband (I'm assuming you already know where all those numbers can be found).  I keep my list in a binder that sits under the telephone.  For those of you who don't have landlines, you need to put this list somewhere else close by...maybe inside one of the kitchen cabinets.  My list includes the usual family, neighbors and friends, doctor and dentist, our auto mechanic (very important in this family!), husband's work, and daughter's boyfriend.  In the past I also included school information, and my kid's friends home phones.   You should also have these numbers listed in your cell phone...oh and don't forget the auto mechanic!

Bloom where you're planted

When I was growing up, I thought I'd always live in Southern California.  I loved living close to the beach.  I loved to swim, surf, fish with my dad and hang out with my friends.  Then I grew up and moved away...

I've since lived in Utah, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Oregon and Washington and still get a rush of happiness when I smell the ocean.  But!  I also learned to appreciate every place I've lived.  It wasn't easy.   The trick is to search out the things that make your new home special and explore what the area has to offer.  Every place has a history and unique things to see and do.  Find out what they are.  Get to know your neighbors.  Get active in church.  Find opportunities to volunteer.  Get involved in your children's schools. Take your kids with you and discover new parks and playgrounds.  Don't sit at home and bemoan the fact that you are in an unfamiliar place with no friends.    You and your children will meet friends faster and be happier if you get involved and learn to enjoy the unique beauty around you.

My favorite place to be!

Last year, I went back to the place I grew up and took two of my daughters to my favorite beach.  We had a wonderful time playing in the surf, climbing rocks and walking along the water's edge.  To me it was heaven.  I still love my hometown but I'm ok just visiting it now.  I know my family has been richer in experience by getting to know other parts of our world.  That visit reinforced my belief that it doesn't matter where you live, as long as you have your family, you can make any place your home. 

Music Part 3 - Practice makes perfect

People often ask me how my children learned to play the piano so well.  They are surprised that they had no formal training.  As I said in my last post, starting around age ten to begin lessons and practicing consistently will go a long way towards achieving proficiency.

But what if your child doesn't want to practice?  You first need to ask yourself if your child really wants to learn or is he just doing it because he has to.  Is he ready to make the commitment to practice?  Is his schedule too full with other things?  Does he need a little motivation?  (incentives, bribes etc.)  When one of my children was 12 or 13, she decided she didn't want to practice any more.  I told her that it was ok, that maybe she wasn't ready to commit to such an undertaking and I would give her a year off.  Well, after about a week, she came back to me and said she was ready to commit to practicing because she missed the piano.  Having her come to that conclusion on her own was a lot easier than me having to threaten or demand and make it a power struggle. 

Practicing the piano was just part of the day for my kids.  I think the most we had using the piano was six children and that took some scheduling to fit them all in.  Maybe they realized that if they missed their time to practice, there wasn't another time the rest of the day.  Whatever the reason, they all practiced regularly and it wasn't long before the music itself was the reward for their effort.

Music Part 2 - Piano lessons

When I was about seven years old, my parents signed me up for piano lessons.  I was so excited!  I could picture myself sitting down at the old, black upright playing beautiful music!  Imagine my surprise and dismay when I learned that all my teacher wanted me to do was repeat little two finger exercises that didn't sound like music at all.  The third day of lessons, I locked myself in the bathroom and refused to come out and take my lesson.  That was the last I saw of my piano teacher and the last lesson I took.

I had that memory with me as my husband and I were deciding how to go about providing music lessons for our kids.  We both felt that music lessons were an important part of our children's education and wanted to make it a good experience for them.  Our income was tight and we couldn't afford lessons from a teacher so we searched around for a self-taught program that would meet our needs.  My biggest requirement for a program was that I wanted them to be able to play real, recognizable music from the beginning.  We found one that met that requirement, a five book series entitled The Complete Piano Player by Kenneth Baker.  With our oldest daughter as guinea pig, we embarked on our newest adventure.

I had read that learning to play an instrument was easier if you waited until the child is about ten years old.  I know, everyone else starts when their kids are about five or six.  The theory is that children's bodies mature and develop unevenly and it isn't until they are about ten that their brains and eye-hand coordination work well together.  Our daughter was 12 so we started with her and her 10 year old brother.  They thrived on the material in the books and quickly mastered the beginning songs.  Each week, we would have a little "concert" where they could perform their music and their dad would pass it off so they could move on to the next pieces.   The key to success was regular, consistent practice.  For the first two books, that meant 1/2 hour a day, every day.  After that it was one hour a day, every day.  Years later, someone told my daughter that she wished she could play as well.  My daughter's response was that she could...if she put in as much time practicing.

Now it's been many years since we bought those first books.  The kids "graduated" from the beginning series, moved on to an intermediate series and then advanced.  All eight of them are excellent piano players who are in great demand as accompanists and solo performers.  Not bad...

Music Part 1

Recently, one of my daughters asked to borrow my iPod while she went to the gym.  When she gave it back later, she said, "Mom, your taste in music is schizophrenic!"  Ok, so my iPod has current pop, Disney tunes, classical instrumental, novelty songs, oldies, religious music, Glee...  I love music!

Music can have a power effect in your home.   It can cause excitement, encourage sleep, bring peaceful feelings or make you laugh.  It can be used to teach and inspire.  Don't limit yourself or your family to just one type of music.  Experiment with different styles.  Sing lullabies to your babies and little ones.  Introduce teenagers to classical music (subtly, of course!).  Vary the CD's you listen to in your car.  Attend concerts and musical productions as a family.   You could even sing together.  I know, that's stretching it a bit  :) 

It's probably easier to introduce different styles of music when your children are young and not so influenced by peer pressure.  My children especially liked the Classical Kids CD's, a series of CD's  where a story is woven around a particular composer (Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Handel, and others) and his most famous works.  The stories are very engaging and entertaining, not boring or dry.  My kids listened to them frequently and I didn't realize how much they were actually learning about classical music until one day my three year old daughter walked into the living room, stopped and listened for a second, and said, "Sounds like Mozart but it's Vivaldi."  She was right.  The music playing on the CD was Vivaldi.

Picky Eaters

Most moms at one time or another have a picky eater. You work hard to provide good nutritious food and your child turns up her little nose at it and says "Yuck!"  Now, before you get too worked up over this, let's do some thinking.  Is there any food you don't like?  I dislike mushrooms so much that if I am served them, I will actually pick them out of the food.  I won't say anything to anyone around me but it is the one food I will not eat.  How about your husband?  Could children have preferences also?  So, if your child only dislikes a few kinds of food, it's probably best to respect that and not make a big deal of it. Our likes and dislikes of any particular food is purely an individual matter.  One of my children thoroughly dislikes potatoes.  I thought everyone liked potatoes!  We appointed him the potato chef and taught him how to make potatoes taste really good.  He became quite expert and quite proud of his creations.  He still won't eat most potatoes but he makes the best mashed potatoes from scratch than anyone I know!

But what if your child doesn't seem to like anything?  Try to do a little detective work.  Does he like to "graze" throughout the day?  Maybe he fills up on other things and isn't hungry at regular mealtimes.  Does he eat a lot of sweets and other snacks?  Again, he might not be hungry when dinner comes around.  Does he drink a lot of milk and/or other beverages?  Same result...not hungry.  If you cut back on the availability of  sugar-laden food and munchies, your child might actually have an appetite at mealtimes.

Also, it's best not to make mealtimes a power struggle.  I think it's reasonable to ask your child to try something but definitely not reasonable to expect him to clean his plate!   Don't put large servings on his plate.  Sometimes a full plate looks pretty overwhelming.  And you certainly don't want to encourage habits that can contribute to obesity later.

To be fair, this little guy is not a picky eater!

If your child is too full for dinner, then it stands to reason that he's automatically too full for dessert.  Be consistent about that!  Offer to save his dinner in case he's hungry later but don't fix him something else or sneak him his dessert or give in to whining.

The most important thing is to remain calm and respond in a firm but gentle voice.  Your child won't starve if he isn't fed constantly throughout the day.  Mealtimes can be a pleasant time...it just might take a little work and a little time to get there.

Ode to Legos

The first Lego set (actually a Duplo set) we ever got was a little three piece set consisting of a red boat, a little blue man and a yellow rounded square.  That set was given to my firstborn child when she was about 6 months old.  Since then I don't think I can accurately count the 1,000's of Legos/Duplos we have accumulated over the years.  If I could only keep one kind of toy for my children, it would definitely be Legos.

There aren't many toys that can match the creative and educational benefits of Legos.  For the youngest, they can help develop fine motor skills, sorting and pattern skills, and foster creative and imaginative play.  For older kids, they can encourage group play and teamwork, help with math skills and problem
solving skills and help children think in 3-D which is a skill necessary for future studies in physics, architecture, design and building.  It's hard to believe that one little invention developed in the 1940's can still have such amazing power to teach and inspire.

Of course, you might have other thoughts about them when you accidentally step on one in the middle of the night or you are faced with cleaning up a roomful of bricks scattered all over a room or when your collection grows so big you don't know how to contain it all.  A small price to pay, I'd say  :)

It doesn't matter how old you are, when a box of Legos is out, you are a kid again, building wondrous and grand creations.  Good job, little brick!

Tradition!

Traditions are an important and unique part of every family.  Both the husband and wife bring to their marriage traditions from the homes of their youth and then begin creating traditions for their new little family.  Some beloved traditions from childhood make their way into the new family while others are planned and still others just seem to happen.  Most of the traditions my children remember fall into the third category...those that aren't thought out in advance but with the passage of time, become traditions.  Some of those are having pumpkin pie for breakfast every Thanksgiving, making their dad a special book of letters and pictures for his birthday every year, having pizza for Sunday dinners, and watching the movie Groundhog Day every February 2nd.  We have birthday traditions that include the telling of the birthday story, the birthday child getting to pick what he or she wants for dinner and picking the birthday movie.  Enjoy those traditions that are special to your family.  Some people might think they're weird, but traditions are part of what makes your family unique!

Babies cry

Poor little guy!

It's a fact of life that babies cry.  Sometimes the reason why is obvious (hungry, diaper change, discomfort) while other times, you have no idea what the problem is.  You do everything possible, try rocking the baby, pacing the floor, anything you can think of and still baby cries.  At this point, you are very frustrated. BUT...before you get too frustrated, or worse yet, desperate, may I suggest that you just put baby in his crib, pat his little back, cover him with a blanket, put on some soft music, turn off the lights and gently close the door to his room.  Continue to check on him every 15 minutes or so or sooner if you hear something different in his cry.   Baby will be ok if you let him cry for a while.  It's not your fault if you've met all of his needs and he still cries.  Some babies just cry more than others.  You're not a bad parent and this stage won't last.

I wish I had...

Too often we tend to compare ourselves with others.  We see another family and secretly wish our kids were as well behaved or wish our house was as nice or our spouse as attentive or ... When you do this, you are not being fair to yourself or your family.  We tend to compare the worst of ourselves with the best we see in others.  We also don't know the reality behind the public face.  Maybe they do have a nicer home but maybe they're drowning in debt.  Maybe the kids just seem well behaved because you don't see them on a regular basis.  Maybe the spouse is gone most of the time.  Lots of things we don't know.  We only know what is going on in our own little world.  And who knows?  Maybe there are people who look at you and are envious of what you have.  You and your family are unique.  Make the most of what you have with what you have and never stop striving to do better but don't worry about what anyone else does.

Preserving the times of your life

One of the most important purchases you can make is a good camera!  Preserving memories is one thing you don't want to skimp on.  Trust me on that one!  When I got married, I was so so focused on other things, it didn't even occur to me to have a designated photographer at the temple where we were married.  It was a very small group and thankfully, my brother-in-law brought a camera and took about 5 pictures of my husband and me after the ceremony.  That's all I have from one of the most important days of my life.  I truly regret that now.  We don't have very many pictures of our older kids either from when they were babies.  With digital cameras so easy to use and inexpensive, there's no reason not to have visual memories of the adventures of your family.  Another plus with digital cameras is that you can take a large number of pictures, preview them and delete those that aren't worth saving.  Be sure to store them on a secure photo sharing website (like Flickr, Snapfish or Shutterfly)  and not just on your computer hard drive.  That's another thing I learned the hard way...when the hard drive crashed and I lost several years worth of pictures!  One more thing...printing digital pictures is very inexpensive and you should consider keeping traditional photo albums of your favorite pictures, special occasions, and unique experiences.  There is something about sitting on the couch, looking through old pictures that can't be duplicated by gathering around the computer screen.

Thankful

I don't know if I'm crazy or not, but I always seem to have a song in my head.  Sometimes I tap my fingers or feet to the music and my husband will notice and ask what song is playing.  Often I'm not even aware that I'm doing it.   Today the song going through my head has been "Thankful" by Josh Groban.  I love that song!  The lyrics begin "Some days we forget to look around us.  Some days we can't see the joy that surrounds us." ..."It's up to us to be the change, and even though we all can still do more, there's so much to be thankful for." 

 So much of life is filled with the negatives, the things that are NOT going right, the bad things going on, the frustrations and disappointments we face.  If we are not careful, we can let those negative emotions control us and affect the way we treat our families.  Even though things are tough, there is much going right in our lives too...probably more things going right than wrong if we stopped to think about it.  Look around you...see if you can find the beauty in your life, the blessings, the little things that make you smile.  Change your focus and concentrate on the good things.  Sure, the bad things are still there and may need to be dealt with but we don't need to let them control our lives.  Remember, "there's so much to be thankful for."

Work is not an evil word

From the time they're young, children need to learn how to work.  I'm not talking slave labor here (although some kids think that ALL work constitutes slave labor).  I'm talking about the normal, routine taking care of the home, taking care of personal belongings and pitching in when extra hands are needed.   It is probably easier and quicker for you to take care of everything but you lose out on the opportunity to teach your child valuable skills and let him feel like a contributing member of the family.  Young children love to imitate Mommy and Daddy and want to be helpers so let them feed the kitty or fold some towels or sweep the kitchen floor.  Be creative! Be positive!  There are a number of small tasks that children as young as preschoolers can help with.  The time will come when they're not so eager but hopefully by then they will have started building habits that can be expanded upon.   And as they grow, their abilities and skills grow and improve too.   Don't sit back and watch them work but be there working alongside them.  Show them by your example that everyone contributes to the family.  Strange as it may seem, some of my children's fondest memories are of times where we worked together as a family.

Chocolate to the rescue!

I admit it.  I love chocolate.  It doesn't matter what kind, or in what form, I love my chocolate.  Why am I saying this in a blog about being a mom?  Because sometimes life is stressful and overwhelming and even maddening and nothing helps a mood better than a good dose of chocolate!  I have a stash in my bedroom, the hall closet, hidden in the kitchen and downstairs.  Sometimes I even share  :)  My children love to tell the story of a time when their mom (that would be me) was having to deal with a particularly difficult visitor.  This frustrated mom calmly excused herself and went into another room.  When one of the children went to find her, he found her sitting on her bed chomping into a giant Hershey Kiss like it was an apple.  What's your stress reliever?  Make sure to have it readily available because you never know when you're going to need it!

Your family command center

Ok, so it isn't Pinterest worthy...!

Every home, large or small, needs a command center...a place where you have a family calendar, a place for your bills and other current papers and a place to post reminders.  It doesn't have to be complicated or fancy but it should be convenient.  Find a system that works for you.  My system is incredibly simple although I do like the budget program from sparksavings.com.  In my kitchen I have a plastic bin in a cabinet where I put incoming bills, receipts and other mail.  In the same cabinet I have a file drawer for financial papers and I have a large calendar/bulletin board hung nearby.  I use online bill paying for most bills so that cuts down the number of bills I have to physically deal with.  Once or twice a month, I go through the bin and pay the few bills that are there and file the statements and receipts that will be needed at tax time.  Again,  it's not complicated and takes less than 15 minutes each session.  My files take up less than one drawer.  It gets cleared out every January to make room for the new year.  The wall calendar helps keep track of everyone's schedules, appointments and activities.  At a glance, you can see what is going on and where conflicts might occur.  However, a calendar is only helpful if everyone in the family uses it.  The bulletin board holds things like wedding invitations, current store advertisements and coupons I want to use. With these few tools in place, you'll never have to search for important papers again or miss an activity or appointment.

If / When

Two sentences - "If  you clean your room, you can have a treat."  "When you clean your room, you can have a treat."  Is there a difference between those statements?  There most certainly is!  The first one implies doubt and uncertainty.  There is an unspoken opinion that you don't think the job will get done.  The second sends a positive message.  It clearly implies the expectation that the job will get done.  Which message do you want to send to your child?  Surprisingly, the negative approach seems to be much more commonly used.  Too bad...When you speak positively to your children, they will be more inclined to to what they are asked.

Reflections

Sometimes we are reminded how fragile life is.  When a newborn lives only a few hours, our hearts ache with the loss.  Yet, even then we can marvel at her perfect, tiny fingers and toes, her sweet peaceful face and be thankful to have known her.  Little did she know how much she has impacted our lives.  Her earthly mission is complete but ours goes on.
Every child is a precious gift from God and as mothers, we have been entrusted with raising and nurturing and loving some of those precious little spirits.  What a great responsibility and yet what a wonderful opportunity!  Give your children an extra hug today and give thanks to be part of their lives.
We love you Erin Abigail.  Thank you.

"Your imagination can take you anywhere!"

It seems like parents don't read to and with their children much any more.  That is so sad!  I know it's easier to plop your child in front of a tv or have an electronic book "read" to your child but think what is missing...a time to snuggle close and share stories and just enjoy the time together!   You can explore new books and rediscover your love of old ones.  I can't imagine a life without books!   Some of our favorite ones have been Curious George books, Madeleine books, Dr. Seuss books,  Miss Spider, the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series, the Narnia series, the Wishbone series, The Little House on the Prairie series, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Bronze Bow, Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, Flossie and Bossie, A Wrinkle in Time series, The Prydain Chronicles series, the Redwall series, the Anne of Green Gables series.  Have I forgotten any? 
Oh, and the title of this post is a quote from Wishbone! :)