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Holiday Book Preview

Allison McDonald — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:27:12 +0000

The holidays are coming and I thought I'd share some great books for "older" kids. I have older in quotations because I mean the 5-7 year old crowd, ones that still believe in all the magic but are old enough to learn some of the deeper meanings. These three books are all great to learn more about each of these holiday traditions.

15 years ago...I make the headlines

Talia Rivera — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:12:44 +0000

IN "RAIDING PARTY," POLICE SWEEP CATHEDRAL
Boston; November, 1994

In a collaborative effort, police officers from several law enforcement agencies swept through the Cathedral Housing Development Tuesday, arresting about a dozen suspects believed to be involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities.

Before you buy this season's most popular video game...

Mitch — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:15:38 +0000

If there's a gamer in your house, chances are that a game called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is on his Christmas list. Maybe you've even bought it for your young'n already: the game grossed $310 million dollars on its release day, November 10, and earlier this week passed the $550 million mark. But before you wrap it up and put it under the tree, do you know what you're actually buying?

Box Day

Aliki McElreath — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 +0000

For weeks now T.'s excitement about the upcoming holidays (Christmas and her birthday in January--an event which should be a national holiday, as far as T.'s concerned) has been building and building. It's difficult for most small children to get as excited about Thanksgiving, as they do about the thought of getting lots of gifts over the holiday season. My students, on the other hand, have been thinking about Thanksgiving for weeks and weeks now.

Eating on the Cheap, Version 2.0

Sweet Pea Chef — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:33:32 +0000

Yesterday I shared our favorite recipe for Dilled Egg Salad, a really tasty and inexpensive recipe. Today I thought I would share another favorite way to stretch a menu on the cheap.

Potatoes are inexpensive, and despite being maligned for years from those in the low-carb camp, are quite healthful. Next time you make baked potatoes and have a few leftover (or just make a few extra to have on hand), try out this easy, delicious and good-for-breakfast-lunch-or-dinner side dish.

Hashed Potatoes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, sliced

Stop the world...

Aliki McElreath — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:30:00 +0000

I went to the mall last weekend. I don't like shopping malls, even if I once did, a long, long time ago. If I have to go to the mall these days it's because I need to buy one specific thing (vacuum cleaner bags from Sears, for instance, how exciting) and then I'm in and out. Wandering aimlessly around the mall, with all the lights and people and excessive things spilling out of stores, gives me a headache. I'll take an hour at my favorite thrift store any day.

Shape Make and Hide

Allison McDonald — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:15:27 +0000

In our focus on shapes this week I wanted to do an active game that got my son up and moving. Young children learn in all different ways and exposing them to various experiences will only encourage more learning!

1. Gather your materials, all you need are some pipe cleaners!

Thanksgiving Craft Links!

Allison McDonald — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:04:22 +0000

Thanksgiving is almost here and these are some of the craft ideas I wish I had thought of, well one I did but the others had me saying " Why didn't I think of that?" you'll love them!

I love this Pet Rock Turkey from Let's Explore!

This pilgrim paper bag puppet from Ziggity Zoom is so cute!

Eating on the Cheap

Sweet Pea Chef — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:12:12 +0000

"In there challenging economic times…"

Hardly a day goes by without some store, organization or individual spouting these words to precede some statement of fact. Some local food stores are trying to promote their prices and methods for getting a meal on the table on the cheap. Meanwhile cooking shows also seems to be utilizing our common interest in inexpensive meal preparation.

The popularity factor

Aliki McElreath — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 +0000

My L. has always been a party-planner. While he’s not a fan of parties in general (too noisy, too many people, too much food), he likes to plan a party, especially when he can be in control of every single detail. But it’s been awhile since he’s shown any interest in planning any type of party, and we’ve been sad about this. Last year was a rough year for him, and he withdrew socially for most of it, and regressed quite a bit. This year is different, though, and we're keeping our fingers crossed, and watching it all unfold.