On: the joys of learning to read

Starboy is checking out his kids' meal at the San Diego Zoo. The mac and cheese came with several bags of not-great, but not-too-terrible, over-processed snacky things. (Including already-sliced apples with a sell-by date at least a week away. Yech.)

"What are these, Mama?" he asks, holding up a very kid-friendly black package.

"What do you think they are?"

"I think they are animal cookies!" Big smile.

"Why do you think they are animal cookies?"

"Well," he reasons. "The picture is animals, and I see here a /k/ for 'cookies.'" He points to the "c" at the beginning of the word.

We're doomed.

More Sparkle!

We're kicking it up a notch with the second part of our kid-friendly fireworks display! Check out Phase 1 from Friday!

 

And the beautiful display with both projects together!

We started with some dowels or lollipop sticks, silver duct tape, and several types of mylar for fringe. All from the craft store. It turned out that the shredded mylar was the fastest and easiest to work with.

First, we anchored the tape to the stick.

Then we just added the strips as fringe, and rolled it up. We needed a few layers.

Et voila!

 I was disappointed to realize that our blue mylar was clear. And slippery. With lots of static cling. And, the wrong color. And wrong quality of light reflection. Starboy loved it. I cut fringe, rather than individual pieces, to avoid a mess, and chaos.

This was too complicated for Starboy to do. So already: Fail.

 Sheesh, was the mylar a hassle to work with. Very flimsy and static-y, and hard to tape. And it kept tearing. And, way too hard for Starboy to do. FAIL.

 The result? A pom-pon. Rah! Rah! Rah!! U! S! A! 

Gross.

Starboy loves it. I think it's hideous and cheap-o. But I suppose we could take it to the parade.

 Luckily, it makes a great car wash wand.  Moving along...

 The mylar fireworks with Friday's pipe cleaner ones look great together. Rice is anchoring the lot of them, and you can see in the photo at the top of the post that a ribbon might pull it all together.

We also tried some using just a mason jar and the rice. Another approach!

July 4th Sparkle!

Starboy was super-enthused to make these "sticks with pokes on them made from pipe cleaners."

It's very easy to make your own kid-friendly fireworks display. Many, many thanks to Miss Molly for giving us the idea! 

The materials are simple: Pipecleaners, sticks or dowels, and duct tape. We got special, shiny tape, and two lengths of sticks. We also used some old canning jars and rice to turn them into a table decoration.

A decent burst requires four pipecleaners, though five is a little better. You can cut them into thirds, or just cut off one third and bend the remaining long piece in half.

 Kid scissors will be useless. Starboy loved using adult scissors. This gave us a chance to talk about "leverage." Math lesson!

Then, really secure the duct tape to the stick. If you have ripped the tape instead of cut it, feel free to attach that ragged end here, to bury it. And leave the ragged side at the bottom so it gets wrapped in to the project with the straight edge on top. We used strips that were about 1/2" wide by 5" long.

 Then, start adding pipe cleaners, and rolling.

 As you roll, add a few more stems.

 

Starboy was very interested in the sticky tape, and rolling it by himself. You'll notice his isn't too tight. You can pinch it down, and wrap another piece of tape around the outside to snug it down.

Then, arrange the "pokes" to make some rockets' blue glare.

Sparkly joy!

Here's a close-up of a cinched-down firework.

Oooh, what are those other fireworks?! Stay tuned!

Can you think of anyone more perfect to enjoy some holiday sparkle? We couldn't! Hope they arrive in time for celebrations! And check out SparkleStories.com for a free summer story!

Free Summer Sparkle Story!

Hope over to SparkleStories.com and enjoy a free summer story! We're checking out the new audio book right now.

Starboy is a big fan of the new "Sleep Fairy" series, as he calls it—the Sparkle Sleepytime series. Every week, a new bedtime story! It's a nice way for Mommy to get a break.

Out of my league

Starboy and I popped into a fancy bookstore recently, and found this cute book called Funny Food.

 Man, I thought I was so clever coming up with little shapes for Starboy's breakfasts.

 I am not worthy! These are ridiculous! I mean, The Mona Lisa, made out of a plum? Is everywhere Florida now? It's almost as bad as those unbelievably detailed Bento lunches!

I know. I wish I could do it, too. But I just don't have the energy to care that deeply. 

 Okay, but I might be able to do this one with bananas and berries. That's not too deep.

I wish they had some more animals, though. There are a lot of "people" in the book.

Really, women have to be sexualized at breakfast, too?! L'oeuf'ly.

I suspect the train banana will be requested. 

So, check out this hilarious book at your local bookstore, if you have any left. I think it's a little more fun than Play With Your Food, but they definitely go together. We didn't buy a copy, but I wouldn't mind a second look if I saw it at a used book sale. I'd love to see an "all animals" edition!

Reading Roundup 2013.05.17

Some fun reading this week.

Say Hello to the 100 Trillion Bacteria That Make up your Microbiome, New York Times (May 15, 2013)
A must-read by Michael Pollan. Print and save.

How to Tell a Story, Crafting Connections (May 13, 2013)
Storytelling tips from Sparkle Stories' David Sewell McCann!


Brenda Chapman, 'Brave' Creator, Calls Merida's Makeover 'Atrocious', Huffington Post
(May 13, 2013)
Gross.

Disney Princess Makeover Sparks Outrage: Merida Petition Goes Viral, Yahoo! Shine,
(May 10, 2013)
Despite 200,000 signatures, Disney carries on, saying it's a "limited run of merchandise." Also check out the slideshow of current toy makeovers at the bottom.



Chores Without Threats or Bribery
Attachment Parenting International
May 15, 2013

Reading Roundup 2013.05.10

Here are some things I looked at this week....

Cyberparenting and the Risk of TMI, NYT Motherlode (May 3, 2013)


Female Purity is Bullshit, Jezebel (May 8ish, 2013)
"This entire 'conversation' is just an effort to rig a system in which men get to determine female worthlessness no matter the input."


5 Things to do when you feel your temper rising, Aha Parenting (April 24, 2013)
"You notice what you're feeling, you breathe your way through it, and you DO nothing.
When our temper rises, we all feel an urgent need to DO something, anything. But that's our emergency response system operating. And parenting, despite how it feels, is not usually an emergency. "

Structure: Why kids need Routines, Aha Parenting (May 13ihs, 2013)
Structure and routines teach kids how to constructively control themselves and their environments. 

I love this Rita Pierson video on what teaching really is about.

Incredible tree book

This amazing photo-a-day project by Mark Hirsch will be published in August. The Denver Post wrote about it recently, but you just can't miss Hirsch's website. Hirsch was challenged by a friend to make a photo a day of the tree, and the project wrapped up in March. The images are stunning, thoughtful, amazing—and all taken with an iPhone.

I'm ready to pre-order. What a great vehicle for daydreaming!

Not your father's yule log (!)

Seriously?! As a no-TV-for-kids advocate, I'd prefer the WPIX yule log to this sorry landfill-filler. Yes, this is the big city, but there's still camping within an hour of the city. Gross!

Reading Roundup 2013.05.06

Hope you are enjoying your Screen Free Week! (Hey, what are you doing here?)

Dear Less-Than-Perfect Mom, Huffington Post (Apr. 30, 2013)


Playgrounds with Natural Elements Offer More Benefits for Children than Traditional Parks, Inhabitots
(Apr. 26, 2013)

The Play Date Gun Debate, NY Times (Apr. 29, 2013)
Talking about guns with other parents

Willie Nelson Turns 80: One Person Carrying a Message can Change the World, April 29, 2013
Singing: Angel Flying too Close to the Ground (H/T Don Winslow)
Democracy Now!

Grading Writing: The art and science — and why computers can't do it, Washington Post Answer Sheet (May 2, 2013)

The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries, NY Times, (Apr. 30, 2013)

How I became a hipster, NY Times (May 1, 2013)
Very funny story about being hip in Brooklyn.

It's Screen Free Week!

It's Screen Free Week! See what you can do this week that doesn't plug in!

Boundaries

 Starboy has just started paying attention to filling the edges and corners of his paintings in art class. Miss Molly says this is a developmental milestone, that aligns with the child learning about his own space bubble: where he ends, and where the rest of the world begins.

Which is also why there is a lot of boundary pushing at three (um...and beyond). I'm sure some of it has to do with some of the meltdowns we've been having as well.

But it's fun to see his growth as the artwork progresses.

Reading Roundup 2013.04.26

Another big reading week. Enjoy!



Watching Movies with the kids is a mixed bag, New York Times, (Apr. 19, 2013)
Still another reason why Starboy doesn't watch TV or movies.


Do e-readers inhibit reading comprehension? Salon (Apr. 14, 2013)


Standardized test questions kids have to answer that don't even count, Washington Post (Apr. 23, 2013)


How my job went from great to infuriating, Washington Post (Apr. 21, 2013)

New Standardized tests feature plugs for commercial products, Washington Post (Apr. 20, 2013)
It was only a matter of time. Bastards.

NCTE Position on machine scoring of standardized tests, National Council of Teachers of English (Apr. 2013)
Hint: They don't like the idea.

5 Benefits of Sportscasting your Child's Struggles, Janet Lansbury (Apr. 25, 2013)
Lovely article. H/T to The Thumbstumbler

10 Things that are More Important than Discipline, Positive Parents (Jul. 19, 2011)
In case you need one more "do this" article on parenting.

What pro-spanking research misses, The Attached Family, (Oct. 2, 2012)
""Spanking kids does not deter behavior. Like beating a dog, it just makes them mean. "



The Curse of Fertilizer, National Geographic (May 2013)

Commuting Wild Dogs on the Subway, The Sun, (Jan 12, 2011)
Totally random.

Vivian Maier documentary in the works, Messy Nessy Chic (Feb. 18, 2013)

Light Table Letters

A couple of weeks ago, I saw Play at Home Mom's fantastic letter templates. I downloaded them immediately. What a fun way to play with letters!

Starboy had a great time with them, but the activity lasted maybe ten minutes. He chose these particular letters. I'll be interested to see how much of the alphabet we can make it through. I want to try the dot stickers as well—that might be a great restaurant activity!

Reading tent

 I'm just smitten with all of the ideas for play tents that are going around. I made one last fall for Starboy's fairy party (then forgot to photograph it), with the purpose of bringing it inside for reading. But there's a dresser and a mountain of outgrown clothes in that back corner, that I haven't been able to resolve. Long story for another day.

 But Starboy requested a "fort coming down from the ceiling," and I've been under the weather for a few days so he's been feeling a little neglected. So: The fort goes in front of the dresser and the mountain of outgrown clothes. And the Beatrix Potter festival begins.

Butterfly fairies flutter around inside. You know you want a tent like this.

Lolly, lolly, lolly get your honey here....

Starboy loves homemade lollipops, so I made some for our Moms Club bake sale. We raise money to buy pajamas for kids who come to shelter downtown. Each child gets a backpack with a stuffed animal, a story book and a pair of PJs, to help out a tiny bit during a crappy time. The lollies were a big hit, and we sold a bunch!

They're also great for a sore throat or a cough (for kids over age 1—honey can cause botulism in babies).

Reading Roundup 2013.04.19

Big wordy week! Here are a few things that caught my eye. Happy reading!

In Time of Tragedy, Look to Yourself First, Bonnie Harris Connective Parenting (Apr. 16, 2013)
Really great article about refusing to let fear overtake your parenting in these sometimes disturbing times.

What if Everybody Understood Child Development?, Huffington Post (via Not Just Cute)
(Apr. 5, 2013)
"Most people, I imagine, would be surprised to learn that understanding child development is not one of the standard requirements to become a teacher. Or maybe not. Maybe most people, including those who decide what teachers need to know, are unaware of the incontestable connection between how children develop (not just cognitively but also socially, emotionally, and physically)and how they learn."

Lessons in Domestic Diplomacy, New York Times (Apr. 12, 2013)
How to argue more effectively, with less drama

Good Teachers are a Flaw in the System, Teacher Tom (April 15, 2013)
"How does anyone expect teachers to work under these conditions?"

Six Vintage-inspired Animations on Critical Thinking (Brain Pickings)
Great graphics

How Nature Makes Kids Calmer, Healthier, Smarter, Aha Parenting (Apr. 15, 2013)

Exercise, friendships, and puzzles beat back dimentia, NPR (Apr. 15, 2103)


My So-Called 'Post-Feminist' Life in Arts and Letters, The Nation (Apr. 29, 2013)
Hat tip to Scott Lewis Photography
"...Nearly every review refers to me as a stay-at-home mom. One such article is entitled "Battlefield Barbie," which calls me a "soccer-mom-in-training." ....The general consensus is that the book is good, but I suck. ...Talkasks if I'm worried I'll be labeled a slut. I object to both the word and the question; the journalist prints them anyway.Brill's Content and The Women's Review of Books insinuate that I brought on my own rape and various other crimes that I experienced at the hands of men—armed robbery, a knockout blow to the skull from a crack addict.Salon resorts to slut-shaming and libel. New York thinks I'm an insult to feminism for having left a promising career behind."

Butterflies and birdies

Butterfly sandwiches and a birdie cookie from the Moms Club bake sale for lunch today. Big hit. I was e-chatting about butterflies with Sparkle Story maven Lisabeth, and Rye saw a photo of a past butterfly sandwich and needed one Right. Now. Even though it was right after breakfast. He reluctantly waited until lunchtime.

That cookie is super simple—store bought candy eyes, a triangle of orange frosting on a yellow cookie. Frankly, it would make a great English muffin, with two kinds of cheeses. Wish I'd thought of it.

And guess what? If you're three and you don't play Angry Birds, and your mom keeps you away from Angry Birds junk, and you hang out with like-minded families. then a birdie cookie gets to be just a birdie cookie—not an advertisement, or a ready-made script.

I'm disappointed that, with school coming up, that's not going to last as long as I'd like.

Sun Moon Clock

Techman said, "We're one step away from putting him to bed with a laser light show...and, like, fog."

Earlier this week, my Moms Club asked me to participate in a panel discussion on kids and sleep. What a riot! When the mail came in, I was already into 90 minutes of post-bedtime-routine negotiation with Starboy. We've tried a lot of things: earlier bedtimes, the "right" bedtime, wearing him out, star light (above), Mr. Sun/Moon clock (pictured), routines, stories, songs, yelling (totally ineffective, duh), baby gates, shutting the door (trauma-inducing), homeopathics, and I don't know what else.

We don't do cry-it-out, because...we just don't. It's not in my beliefs. The teen years are hard enough without planting the seed that no one's got your back when you feel really lonely. In the end, the things that have worked the best for him are: Looking for his needs, soothing him even when it seems ridiculous, trying to hit the magic "tired window," and just waiting (ugh, brutal) until his body is simply ready to do it. We co-sleep, which is great, and occasionally not great (but surely would be great-er with a king-sized mattress and a room big enough to fit it in.).

Starboy was two before I got a proper night's sleep, and by "proper" I mean five hours of sleep in a row—he was only waking up two or three times, instead of eight or 10. He is so afraid of missing out on the action. That, for sure, didn't come from Techman's side of the family, where pretty much the whole party is sacked out about the living room by 9:30, mouths agape, snoring in symphony. (Whereas, when we woke up after Thanksgiving with my family, we discovered my dad and his friend had been up until 4:00 a.m., partying it up)

I also discovered recently that Starboy has a lip tie, that I'm fairly certain affected his ease of breastfeeding and therefore his sleep (and mine. And Techman's). It was a real heartbreaker to discover—oh, if we'd known! The sleep deprivation causes so much frustration and stress. But somehow everyone on our granola team missed it, or didn't know. Starboy gained weight so quickly, it didn't seem to be an issue (except for the frequent feedings, the pain, and the sleeplessness, but whatever. He was plump and otherwise happy). But in hindsight, I'll bet having it clipped would have been a real game-changer. 

Our bottle-fed culture is having to re-learn obvious natural signs that grandmas had known for generations—midwives used to keep a fingernail sharpened for a quick frenulum snip. There are some kinds of progress that aren't always an improvement, are there? It's a thing to think about in these fast-paced times.

The panel discussion went fine, and since all three of us had creative comprehensive handouts on our own experiences, I felt really good that, regardless of what was discussed, the other moms had a lot of ideas to take home and try, to pick and choose. That's not the research-based way to do it, exactly, but that's pretty much what most of parenting is, isn't at? Except for the times when you are so fed up you manage to pull something genius out of the clear blue, just out of desperation.