We were so thankful for the gorgeous three-day weekend to slowly get us back on track and to allow us to (kind of) regain control over the mess that had become of our home.  After being away last week, the game nights, our movie night, book-reading, errands–even cleaning and organizing with the kids–was really a ton of fun.

And we totally threw in a little bit o’ learning over here, yes we did.  It was sneaky and fun and a natural part of our day.

Maddy is learning about contractions in school, so the ole contractions have been her spelling word focus for the last week or so.  Seriously? Contractions are SO fun! They’re tricky! They’re shortcuts! I love them!

So we did a little bit spelling word play–making the practice of these words as fun as possible–so that she’d learn them as best as she could.  Goodness knows she’ll be using them.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Learning About Contractions Through Sneaky Games and Play:  We spent a whole lot of time outdoors this weekend–one, because our house was a disaster, and two, because it was so beautiful outside.

After we did a little bit of yard work, including taking the Christmas lights down (oh, yes we finally did. . . ), Maddy, Owen, and Cora pulled the chalk out of the garage.  They did a whole lot of drawing, and when I could tell they were about finished, I brought out three cups of water and three paintbrushes.

The kids are huge fans of water painting, both in the summer as a cool-down activity and in the fall or winter to create ‘masterpieces’ that last a teeny while longer.

So I painted with them for a bit, and then I brought out Maddy’s Contraction Words Flash Cards. Instead of making two sets of the same words, I made the contraction and its match: don’t / do not; haven’t / have not, etc.

 

purple cards: contractions and the words they shorten

She had already completed the Trace, Copy, Recall activity for this list (and here’s the pdf of Contraction Words Trace, Copy, Recall).

I love the Trace, Copy, Recall activity because though it may not be as exciting as other things, it does give Maddy an opportunity to really look at the structure of words, write them, and then immediately check her knowledge. I do think that it should be used as a first activity in conjunction with several other much more fun and much more engaging foll0w-ups.

I said, Okay my little friend. Let’s do some contraction water-painting to see how you know these words, okay? We’ll only do a few.  I’ll flip a card–or you can–and you paint either the contraction or the words that make up the contraction.

I flipped a card over, and she started painting. At first she wanted to paint with a mix of water and chalk–her favorite painting substance–but it was too difficult. So she stuck with water.

She got through most of the list, which I thought was fine–it honestly took only about 10 or so minutes, but it was something.  I threw the cards back in the bag, and she continued her water-artwork.

 Maddy practices spelling the contraction for do not. . .

. . . and she practices some more. . .

. . . and she practices some more.

The cool thing about Maddy practicing her words was that when Owen and Cora saw her, they wanted to spell words also.  Cora started water-painting the names of our family members; Owen tried to spell along with Maddy, learning a bit about contractions on a sunny Monday afternoon.

We also threw in a bit of sneaky spelling word matching during breakfast this week.

The learning is quick–it’s easy–and it’s seriously a great time-filler.  On the (very) rare occasion that we have 2 minutes to spare before we get coats and shoes on and head out of the house, it’s fun to have a little something to work on.

Especially because this spelling list had pairs to match, after breakfast, we all took a few minutes to do some contraction-matching. 

I dumped the bag of Contraction Spelling Words on the table, and I said, We only have a few minutes, but I think we can do it. Do you think we can match up all of the words and the contractions in the five minutes we have before we leave for school? I bet we can. Let’s go!

We all scrambled to separate the cards.

I read them as I went along, and Maddy made some pairs. Owen drove his Mario K’nex car through the cards, but he was still right there with us. Cora called out, I have a pair! I see a pair! through bites of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and it was pretty chaotic. But we managed to match them all up in no time flat.

And we got to school on time. Woot!

These activities are quick. They’re on the fly, they’re unusual because of the medium or because of the time of day we did them. Does this mean that my sweet Maddy is an A-plus speller and that I expect her to have 100% on every test? No. Absolutely not. She struggles with spelling, big time. But it demonstrates to Maddy–and to Owen and Cora–that learning is important.  That learning is fun.  That learning doesn’t always mean pencil and paper, sitting at the table.

And everything that I’ve read about the nature of spelling–and spelling instruction–points in the direction that instruction must be methodical and explicit, meaningful, and multi-sensory.

In fact, Gary Alderman and Susan Green, in “Fostering Lifelong Spellers Through Meaningful Experiences” (The Reading Teacher, May 2011), identify three components of meaningful and challenging spelling instruction:

1. Students should learn spelling through meaningful writing experiences;
2. Multi-sensory techniques should be employed so that students can have visual, auditory, and kinesthetic involvement with the words;
3. Spelling should be taught explicitly so that students understand the logic behind the spelling and not just how to memorize words.

The authors suggest that teachers:

• Encourage students to use spelling words in real-world writing.
• Use multi-sensory techniques to make connections with each word.
• Have students create images to represent words.
• Use interactive websites that allow students to compete against themselves.
• Personalize spelling words for each child.
• Teach high-frequency words that students see in school and at home.
• Teach word sorts.  (YAY! LOVE them!)

Easier said than done for many of us here at home, but the little things we do–even for 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there–can help support our kiddos’ learning. And it often results in some fun family time as well.  And that’s it!

Check out 20+ Fun Ways to Learn Spelling Words if you need-or want–some other cool ideas, and happy spelling!

It has been  tough go for us over here for the last few weeks.

Maddy, Owen, Cora, Brady–everyone–has unfortunately felt the ‘funk’ that I conveyed throughout the last weeks, especially when Susan became very ill. It was hard. So hard.  And it still is.

But before I took off for NYC, on one quiet afternoon when Cora and I had the house to ourselves and Maddy and Owen were at school, we did a little something that made us both happy.  Really, really happy. 

We set aside a full hour to look for pretty things, to arrange pretty things, to photograph pretty things, and to put all the pretty things we found into one pretty little book: Cora’s Favorite Things.

Simple, easy, and happy.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Here’s the skinny:

• Favorite Things Book–Easy, Little Book of All Things Happy: It all started with Cora asking if she could use my camera to take some pictures.

Forget that she has a LeapPad and a Leapster (which has a camera attached), and forget that she has her own ‘kid’ camera. She always wants to use mine. And believe me, it’s not all that great of a camera.

Cora is arranging her favorite, most beautiful things.

But I was tired. And I felt like doing just about nothing, so I walked upstairs with her, and I brought my camera. I said, Sure, Sweetheart, you can use my camera. But I’ll just stay right here while you use it. What do you want to take pictures of?

She had already arranged things on her floor–she had her make-up set, her chap stick, her glitter, and several other items–all her favorites.  She said that she wanted to take pictures of all of her things.

Very cool photo by Cora of Cora’s special box from Aunt Mary and Uncle Ronnie’s wedding

I looked around and said, Oh my gosh, Cora. You have a great idea! You have all of your absolute favorite things here–all of the things that make you so happy. Why don’t you take photos of each of these things, and then I’ll help you make a book–a teeny tiny, happy book–that you can look at whenever you want? Of all of your favorite little things but in one place?

She was totally game.

I handed her my camera, and she got right to work.

I taught her how to use the automatic focus, how to gently press the button until the image became clear in the window.  It was hard for her, but she could definitely see the difference in her focused and unfocused photos.

 

So she took photos. . .

. . . and she arranged. . .

. . . and she took more photos. . .

. . . and arranged some more.

 

And when she was completely finished, we hit the computer, and she chose which photographs were ‘publishing worthy’.

I printed them out, we cut them, and then she very carefully, very meticulously arranged the photos in the order she thought would work best.

 

 Cora’s favorite things. . . all ready for binding.

And once the photos were in order, they were re-arranged and arranged again because a Favorite Things Book has to be just that perfect if it’s full of your favorite things.

I punched a hole in the left hand corner of each page, made a front and back cover, and tied it all together with a ribbon that Cora chose and declared absolutely perfect for her book.

She put her finished book on top of her jewelry box, on a shelf in her room, and it’s been there ever since.   And seriously, for the small amount of time that it took to make this teeny book o’ favorites, the payoff for creating a little book of all things happy was really great.

Just last night before bed, Cora and I sat on her floor after reading a few books, and we looked through her Favorite Things photos. And we were both. . . well, surprisingly happy.

And why wouldn’t we be?

Cora’s Favorite Things Book, right on top of her sweet little jewelry box

I like the idea of this book, something that focuses on little things that make Cora happy, but I did hesitate at the fact that it was full of material things.  However, we’ve been struggling with helping her identify emotions, control her temper, focus on happy, and work through all of the challenges the come with being four, so I also thought that identifying things that make her happy might be a good starting point for working through tough times.

Like those afternoons when she’s so tired that she doesn’t know what to do with herself (and has stopped napping ages ago)? Maybe I’ll say Why don’t you head up to your bedroom and look at your Favorite Things Book? Maybe that will lift your spirits?

Or the times when she’s huffy and angry and needs to remember how lucky she really is? Again, maybe I’ll remind her of her Favorite Things book and all of the happy parts of her little life.   I can only hope, right? It’s all about having some tricks in your back pocket. And I’ll take as many as I can.

And here’s to many more easy, little books of all things happy to come! Our plan?  Our Favorite Outdoor Things Book; Our Favorite Foods Book; Our Favorite Activities Book; and more.  Happy thoughts for happier days.  Cheers.

The last few weeks have been a blur–and an emotional roller coaster to say the least.

I‘m back at the home front now–admittedly wishing for a little snow this weekend–and ready to share the fun things we’ve been doing to sneak in a little learning over here.  But first I’m thrilled to share my New For (Me!) Friday, and it has to do with toys, toys, toys.

I’m sharing a few things that I learned at my first-ever Toy Fair.  THE Toy Fair, the mac daddy of all toy extravaganzas, the big toy king of all toy kingdoms. It was something. And never in a million years did I think I’d find myself there, among toys big and small, hanging out with the big toy-world fish and the little toy-world fish alike.

The crazy part of it is that Valerie of Frugal Family Fun Blog and I went to Toy Fair with Melissa & Doug, as their first Blog Ambassadors, so a lot of our time was spent in the Melissa & Doug booth (no complaints here!), with the many cool peeps from the company.  The whole thing was totally and completely off. the. wall.

And the teacher in me feels the need to sum up the experience in a few lessons I’ve learned through the week.

Here’s the skinny. . .

What I learned at Toy Fair 2012:

Here I am, totally holding up the Melissa & Doug sign (not really). . .

. . . and here’s a sneak peek into the Melissa & Doug Toy Fair 2012 booth.

• There are great some people behind great companies.  Like Melissa & Doug.  And I’m not even saying that because I spent so much time with them–and by then I mean the 70+ employees who came to work the Toy Fair–not just THE Melissa & Doug. I’m saying it because it’s true.  Melissa & Doug have assembled a team that is stronger than strong: customer service representatives who are seriously nice in real life and not just on the phone.  Sales people who really stand behind their products and love their customers. A public relations and outreach team that is genuinely interested in finding a comfortable spot for Melissa & Doug in the social media space.

And ThinkFun.  The communications manager couldn’t be more lovely, and Bill and Andrea–owners of ThinkFun–couldn’t be cooler.  Another super company, eager to meet ‘fans’ and interact with the media.  Yay, ThinkFun.

And The Mother Company.  I spent Saturday with the incredible Abbey and Sam from The Mother Company, learning about their top-notch products and really getting a feel for their company, their goals, their products, and their vision.  AWEsome company, awesome products.

And MomTrends. The gals at MomTrends organized the Blogger Lunch for Melissa & Doug, and they handled blogger appointments and tours throughout the week. Class acts, this group of women–smart, fun, sweet, and savvy.

And The Toy Industry Association.  Okay, so I don’t know the whole association, but I did meet several members, including the VP of Strategic Communications, Stacy Leistner, who couldn’t have been more charming.

Surely you can’t spot the two bloggers hiding among the Power Rangers.

• Hanging around toys for five days straight is FUN. Really, really fun.  And how could it not be? Through the whole event, people are trying new toys, talking about new toys, looking at re-vamped toys, sharing new toys, dreaming about toys, and thinking about toys.

I had the opportunity to view, play with, and poke around 100′s of Melissa & Doug products.  And I shimmied around the other Toy Fair booths, watching people demonstrating toys I could never even imagine. Valerie and I skipped in and around booths, in awe of what we saw and wishing we had our own little ones to explore with us.

It was awesome, exhausting, and fun. I highly recommend attending if you are able.  It was just what the doctor ordered.

• We’ve got a lot to look forward to this spring.  New games, new crafts, new dolls, new brain-teasers, new activities. You name it, it’s coming down the line, and it’s cool. And I don’t necessarily think it’s all going high-tech; what I saw was a lot of crafty fun, a lot of creative fun, and a lot of classic fun.

Really beautiful sets from playmobil.  Really clever games from ThinkFun.  Crazy-cool crafts from Melissa & Doug, along with new smart new lines for babies up through tweens. Outdoor games, toys that encourage imaginative play, and products that bring families together.

We saw ice-cream maker that doubles as a beach ball (believe it).  Fizzy bath tablets from Color My Bath that help teach color mixing and blending (seriously).  Geometric building pieces from Space Chips that can create spaceships or elements from the Periodic

Table (not joking–he lost me at the beginning).  Toys that teach, toys that move, toys that cuddle, toys that foster creativity and critical thinking.

We met the woman behind Glitter Toos whose crew was uber-kind and kept their booth open for me (maybe because I told them I was secretly stalking them all week long?).

 

Just enjoying a cup of tea from Melissa & Doug’s new Bella Butterfly Tea Set (out this spring).

• Bloggers are the real deal.  I met a number of really talented bloggers–professionals who take their job seriously and aren’t simply stalking the Toy Fair booths seeking freebies and swag (though I’ll admit it, freebies and swag aren’t all that bad. . . ).  I met bloggers who were at the Toy Fair because it was the best place for research for their work, whether their focus be baby products, learning games, tween hits, or up-and-coming cool products.

I met bloggers who were teachers, lawyers, professors, and advertising executives. I met bloggers who asked strong questions, who have great ideas, and who are leaders in their field. I met bloggers whose videos get millions of views on YouTube and bloggers who have a small but loyal following of readers. 

I met bloggers who are genuinely concerned about the safety of their children and who are genuinely excited about what lies ahead.

I met bloggers who were genuinely excited to tour the super-fun Melissa & Doug booth, and I am over-the-moon excited about reconnecting with them again soon.

Here’s our Melissa & Doug Blogger Luncheon slideshow:

Want even more Toy Fair fun? Here are the photos from the whole week:

And this is just the tip of the iceberg; I met so many great people and learned about a ton of incredible products that I hope to share in the upcoming weeks and months, so look forward to our New For Us Fridays, as I’m sure I’ll be sneaking in a bunch of totally cool, new-for-us toys, games, and products that I ran across at Toy Fair.

And here’s my disclosure: I’m not a toy expert, and I’m not even trying to play one. I’m a teacher-blogger-mama who just so happened to rope Melissa & Doug into inviting me to come along for the ride, so know that my ‘take’ on the toys of 2012 is my own, totally unprofessional take on the products I had the opportunity to see.  Please see the Toy Fair site if you’d like a more comprehensive list of toys, trends, and such.

It was an experience that exceeded all expectations and one that next year I will properly train for–and I’m not even joking. . . .

fyi: This is an unsponsored post, and opinions here are all my own.  I was working with Melissa & Doug as part of their Blog Ambassador program during the Toy Fair, and I thank them for providing meals, transportation, and accommodations.

I have always loved making Valentines with Maddy, Owen, and Cora.

I love the discussion and decision-making beforehand, I love the mess, I love the time together.  And I love their proud smiles when they look at the big pile of little gifts they’ve created for their friends and classmates.

So this year, since it’s been an especially difficult time for me, I found I really, really enjoyed our Valentine-making process.  Our sweet mini-stained glass hearts brightened the grey week, and we all were really pleased with how they turned out–for the most part.

‘For the most part’ because there were some that made Maddy frustrated because they were ‘too wrinkly’.  There were some that Owe

Because we so love the Stained Glass Hearts that cover our windows this time of the year, Maddy and I thought it would be fun to make tiny ones and use them as Valentine cards.  That way, each of their buddies could have his or her very own, very beautiful ‘stained glass’ heart for windows at home.

Thanks to one of our old faves–Melissa & Doug’s Alphabet Stamp Set–these mini hearts were simple and super-sweet.

Here’s the skinny:

• Sweet, Mini-Stained Glass Hearts: Just like the regular-sized Stained Glass Hearts, these Mini’s required only a few supplies: construction paper, tissue paper, alphabet stamps, and contact paper.  If you want to hang yours, like we did, then you’ll also need some ribbon.

I cut out the hearts one morning while some of my girlfriends were over for coffee, so they were ready to go when Maddy, Owen, and Cora came home from school.

 

They were about 4″ x 4″ — not that big at all. (I’ll upload the pattern when I return from Toy Fair.)

Maddy and I decided on the basic plan: that instead of signing their names to each and every card, that they would use the alphabet stamps to stamp their names. We remembered that last year the name-writing was tiresome for everyone, so this year we decided to change things up a bit.

Cora and I made the first few after she came home from preschool one day and before we picked up Maddy and Owen.

 

Cora stamps the letters of her name. . .

. . . on her pretty heart Valentines.

She pulled the letters of her name from the stamp set, and we found a tiny heart stamp from another set we have (try the Melissa & Doug Heart and Butterfly Stamp Set), and she got rolling.  Once she stamped her name, she decorated her heart with some hearts and pretty designs.

Then she wanted to start her ‘stained glass’ part.

 

Cora places the ‘stained glass’ in her heart Valentine. . .

. . . but before she’s finished, she stamps ‘BFF’. Of course.

 

Before she was ready to fold one end of the contact paper over the other to seal the heart, Cora decided that she wanted to stamp ‘BFF’ (for ‘Best Friends Forever’) on her Valentine.

I love it.

I cut pieces of contact paper that were large enough to cover both sides of the hearts, we peeled the paper and placed the heart on top of the sticky side. Then Cora carefully placed tiny pieces of tissue paper on the inside of the heart.

We used old pieces of tissue paper that may have been in gift bags–red pieces, pink and purple patterned pieces, and light blue pieces. I used the only pieces we had, but looking back, any mix of colors would work, and it’s a great reason to keep the tissue paper from gift bags. No one can tell if it’s old and crinkly once it’s flattened between two pieces of contact paper.

Once both sides were covered, we flattened the contact paper on the heart, pinching the sides and perimeter of the heart. We also used the handle of a pair of scissors to ‘seal’ the whole thing. 

Maddy stamps her name onto the hearts. . .

. . . and Owen cuts the contact paper around the edges.

We cut around the edges of the heart, removing the excess contact paper, leaving only a small border of contact paper. This part caused Maddy a bit of stress; when she couldn’t properly flatten the contact paper, when there were ‘wrinkles’, she became really frustrated.

But I wanted Maddy and Owen to have a hand in their cards, so only if they asked for help did I give it, and I assured them that each card was unique–and that nothing was perfect. 

However, when we held them up to the window to see the sun shine through the stained glass, we realized that you couldn’t see ‘wrinkles’ in the contact paper.  That helped.  A little.

And at one point, Cora spilled the tissue paper all over the table and floor, but we picked it all back up and kept plugging along. . .. . . and at another point, my tiniest decided she was finished making her Valentines so she dumped a huge handful on the contact paper.  I told her it was so beautiful, I took a picture, and I asked her to go play with Brady for a while.

Cora may or may not have been finished making Valentines at this point.

 Punching the hearts was hard for the kids–with the contact paper–so I punched and they threaded the ribbon through.

After all of the hearts were cut out, we punched holes in the upper left-hand corner, and we tied a tiny piece of ribbon through it.  We all knew that the really cool part about these Valentines was that they looked like stained glass when held to the light or hung on a window, so we wanted to make hanging the hearts easy.

 

And that’s it! Our happy Valentine’s Day min-stained glass hearts were finished, and we bagged them and were on our merry way. . .

It’s not for everyone–making Valentines when you can buy them at a dime a dozen–but it’s always been something that we’ve done together, and I hope to continue it as long as the kids are willing.

Happy, happy Valentine’s Day!

Huge thanks to Melissa and Doug for their awesome stamps which made one part of this craft fun and easy!

We love our pooch, we really do.

Sure, sometimes I say things to him that I wish I didn’t.   No, Maddy, I  promise we’ll never give Brady away, I promise. I’m just frustrated.  . . Owen, Sweetheart, we are not taking Brady back to Miss Marty’s farm and to his mom and dad. He will always be ours. He is part of our family and we will not give him back.

Sometimes he pushes me to my limits.  Fine, Cora. I’ll admit–I really don’t want him to run away when I open the door. I do love him.

Sometimes–okay, all the time–I realize that we failed miserably on the ‘drop it!’ lesson and I know we really shouldn’t call TREEEEEEAT! when he grabs a sock, a Polly Pocket, a Lego guy, or a magnetic letter off of the fridge to distract him and have him drop the stolen object.

I don’t always mean to silently curse his muddy paws, or the midnight barks to go outside, or the fact that he insists on riding shotgun on the way to the vet or pet store or dog park.  I really do think he’s a funny dog, a sweet boy–the perfect pooch for our family.

We love Brady.  We really do.

We love Brady so much that some days he gets to wear dress-ups, he gets songs sung to him, he gets read to.  We love him so much that we write stories about him and we write poems about him.

 Cora loves Brady so much that she often reads to him or lets him wear her fairy wings.

And I know we’re not alone in our love for our pet which is why I’m excited to share some fun news.

The PAL–Pets Add Life 4th annual poetry contest is this month, and we have an opportunity for one teach mama reader to win a family five pack of PAL shirts and a $50 American Express gift card that can be used to purchase pet food, supplies, or toys–or even buy a brand new pet for your family!  How awesome is that?  Pet love for everyone!

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Learning with Pet Poetry:  Our pet-poetry learning was simple, on-the-fly, and fun.

Using our magnetic letters and our pooch’s name, I introduced Maddy, Owen, and Cora to the always fun, totally cool acrostic poem.

Acrostic poems are poems that use the first letters of a word or name to begin each line of poetry.   Each line can be a word, a phrase, or a sentence.  In its most basic form, it’s a short poem of only a few words that relate to or describe a single word or name.  Our poem was super-simple.

I’ve always said that I’m a big fan of celebrating names, so because Cora has just mastered the spelling of Bradyboy’s name (woot!), I threw his name on the fridge.

And I created the very first poem instead of making lunches like I should have been doing so we’d get to school on time.  The poem was simple:

 

And it really captured the essence of Brady if I do say so myself.

So when Owen came downstairs, he said, Mommy, why is this big mess of letters on the refrigerator?  Why did you write ‘bad’ and ‘dog’?

Ooooh, you’ve got a good eye, Owen, I said. But that big mess of letters says a whole lot more than ‘bad’ and ‘dog’.  Use your strong eyes to see if you can see other words in that mess.

He worked through ‘racer’ and said, Oh, and ‘acro’ (mispronounced as ‘a crow’).

I said, That word is ‘acro’ and I was just starting to write ‘acrobat’.  Do you know what an ‘acrobat’ can do?

He didn’t, so I explained: An acrobat is someone who can do gymnastics, jump high, do twists in the air, that kind of thing.

Well why did you write all of these words on here?

It’s a cool type of poem, actually.  It’s an ‘acrostic’ poem.  An acrostic poem is a secret, sneaky kind of poem where the whole poem is built on one word or name. And each line of the poem describes that word or person.  Let’s read it together.

We read it together, and by that time Maddy and Cora had (finally!) made their way downstairs for the breakfast that wasn’t even ready.

Okay, so can you find the secret name in this acrostic poem, now that we read the whole poem together?

I could literally see the light bulb go on as he eyed the letters ‘BRADY’.  BRADY! He said. It’s a poem about Brady!

By that time, it was much later than it should be, and I had like five seconds to make lunches, for the kids to eat breakfast, and for us to get coats and shoes on, backpacks packed, and for us to run all the way up to the school.

So it was a mad scramble as Maddy and Owen changed the words of the poem from ‘bad’ to ‘big’ and ‘racer’ to ‘rad’ and ‘dog’ to I’m not even sure I want to know what.  But before I knew it, Brady McBraderson made his way into the kitchen, grabbed one of the magnetic letters right off of the fridge, and ran into the living room. . .

Treeeeeeeeat! . . .

With a little support, almost any child can write a simple, clever acrostic poem about their pet, and most kiddos are more than eager to write about the pets they love.  So I am totally psyched to share a way that students in grades 3-8 can share a little pet poetry love–

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) is pleased to announce that the organization’s 4^th Annual Pets Add Life National Children’s Poetry Contest!  The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 5:00pm EST.

• Students in grades three through eight are invited to write a unique poem about their pets, what they love about them, the joys they bring, and then post it online at www.petsaddlife.org or mail their final poem and submission form to: Pets Add Life, 661 Sierra Rose Dr. Reno, NV 89511.
• One student from each grade level (6 total) nationwide will win a $250 gift certificate for pet products, and a “by-line” in everydog magazine, a nationally circulated publication. In addition, the six winning students’ classrooms will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to spend on pet-related education.  FUN!
• To learn more about this exciting contest opportunity for kids, visit petsaddlife.org

I know that this is a great way–and reas0n–for children to express their pet-love and to get writing, and I am so hoping that someone I know enters–and wins!  So please let me know if you do, my friends!

And because I know many readers are parents or teachers of kiddos who may be a bit too young to enter, we have an opportunity for everyone to be a winner:

—————————————————————

GIVEAWAY: a family 5-pack of PAL shirts and a $50 American Express gift card

Do you want to win a family 5-pack of PAL shirts and a $50 American Express gift card!

• All you have to do is leave a comment here sharing what you love about your family pet(s)–or if you don’t have one, share what you love about a favorite friend or neighbor’s pet.

For extra entries:

• Tweet this: Win family tee’s & $50 gift card from @PetsAddLife on @teachmama — learn w/ pet poetry http://wp.me/p1NAxy-1Cn  #weteach

• Share this post on your Facebook page–very easy!

• Share this post with a friend (just tell me who you shared it with!)

• Pin this post on Pinterest! (Use ‘pin it!’ button below post!)

By entering this giveaway, you are demonstrating your understanding of and compliance with the Official Sweepstakes Rules.

This contest ends Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at midnight ET. Winner will be chosen by ‘And the Winner is. . .’ and will be notified on or around 2/29/12.  Winner must respond within three (3) days of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.  All Official Sweepstakes Rules apply.

fyi: This post is part of a sponsored campaign with PAL. Opinions are all my own, influenced only by my three little pet-loving poets and our brave, fierce pooch.

I remember so vividly beautiful you standing by the window in your blue dress, Susan. The one that Jess gave to you because it fit you so perfectly and you both knew it was the one.

I remember how nervous you were–how excited you were–how ready you were.

I remember how Curt calmed your nerves in a short, whispered phone call that I barely heard as I said prayers of calm, prayers of strength for you from the other side of the room.

But you didn’t need my prayers, Susan. You really didn’t.

You didn’t need my prayers because you knew what you wanted to say. You knew how powerful your words were and how desperately they needed to be heard.

You knew that you had a message, and you knew that you were not alone. You were speaking for thousands. You were speaking for thousands who walked in your shoes, who will walk in your shoes, who do walk in your shoes.

You were speaking for thousands of mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and cousins. You were speaking for thousands of fathers, sons, brothers, and uncles whose loved ones experienced very same thing. You were speaking for so, so many.

And, as I watched you on stage, as I held hands with our family of girlfriends and as we smiled up at you, as I watched the thousands in the audience drying their tear-streaked cheeks, as I thought of Jessica who stayed with you backstage beforehand, as I pictured your husband and boys at home, and as I recalled long talks with you, lazy backyard playdates with you, and the tons of advice, support, and love from you, I felt so very proud.

 Susan speaking at BlogHer 2010

I felt so very lucky.  I felt so very blessed that you were part of my life, one of my favorite people and dearest friends.

And Susan, though I am angry and heartbroken that you have gone, I am confident that you are now comfortable, pain-free, and at peace.  I believe that now you have answers, that you have hugged all of the angels and saints you’ve read about and prayed to, that you are walking hand in hand with your grandma, and that you’re hanging out with all of your favorite astrophysicists, researchers, and scientists.

I know that you are already working on something up there–creating some kind of community or showing everyone how to Tweet or how to create the most awesome Pinterest boards ever.  I bet you’re snacking on diet coke and dark chocolate with sea salt and finishing every project you’ve always wanted to finish.  I bet you’re sharing stories about your sweet, smart boys and your amazing husband, and I bet you’re teaching and sharing and learning. And I’m sure there are a bunch of beagle pups at your feet.

I bet you’re making lunch dates with all of the Women in Planetary Science who came before you. I know you are dancing and laughing and rope-swinging with your Mothers With Cancer sisters; I believe you will be guiding and praying for those who continue to fight.

And Susan, I bet that when it’s our turn, when that day comes, that you will be right there at the entrance of those pearly gates to welcome each and every one of us in–your arms open, your smile wide, and your eyes bright. Just like always.

We love you, my friend.  And we already miss you like crazy.  And we will all make sure that no matter what, your fight–the fight of fights–will not be in vain.  

So what am I doing now–today–to make sure I’m doing you proud, my sweet friend?

Here’s what I’m doing, and I hope that others will join me:

• I donated.  To your charity, Susan. To your fight.  To the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Because we need more research on IBC. Now.

• I talked. To my kids about cancer. In a way that was not scary but was as honest and direct as I thought they could handle. And I used a book that I have used before and that is familiar to my kids–but a book that is certainly worth revisiting. It’s In Mommy’s Garden written by Neyal Ammary, a childhood friend and talented writer and illustrated by Christopher Risch.  And it’s really well done.

• I scheduled. My yearly check-up with my ob/gyn. Because I got a notice in the mail that I needed to call in January and I never did. So I scheduled because it’s the least I can do to stay on top of my health and my family’s.

• I cried. In front of my kids. Cora was home today when I heard the news, so she saw–and knew–how upset I was. And I cried again when Maddy and Owen came home.  They have experienced loved ones’ passing but not recently; they’re just now getting to the age where they understand more.  I think it’s okay–healthy–for our kids to see us cry. Plus, I couldn’t help it.

 

something small: a sweet story about remembering

• I read. I wanted to know what I should say and how I could best explain Susan’s passing to Maddy, Owen, and Cora who knew her well. So I spent the greater part of the early evening scouring resources for kids. I found fabulous resources on PBS Parents: When Families Grieve.  And though I know my kids will not be as touched as will Susan’s or their family, neighbors, and classmates, I still wanted to have the words ready in case I needed them.  I printed out the Elmo Storybook, something small, to read to Cora tomorrow while Maddy and Owen are at school; it is a sweet book with a strong, gentle message about focusing on the small–but meaningful–things in order to work through grief.  And I appreciate and will use the language that PBS Parents provides to offer explanations to my kiddos as the need arises. 

• I printed. The brochure from the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation about signs of IBC, and I will share the link with every woman I know. Every. Woman. I. Know.

• I learned. About two new-to-me cancer organizations that I look forward to supporting, thanks to the amazing Kristen Hammond: The Cancer Card Xchange and PreventCancer.org. Awesome and awesome. And worthy of our money.

• I ordered.  Several of the American Cancer Society Birthday cards. Again. Because I know how much the partnership between ACS and Tiny Prints meant to Susan and the incredible Leticia, who worked together with the also incredible Jessica Rosenberg to make it all happen. So yes, I’ll support that happy partnership in a heartbeat.

• I laughed. With my kids, with my friends, with their kids. Over silly things like Brady and his puppy pal eating puppy treat ice-cream today, on Brady’s second birthday, because we could. And because we should.  Because life is too short not to.

• I looked. At the moon. For you. From you.  Never have I noticed a moon so full as we had tonight, Susan, and we all think it’s from you. And we thank you.

Huge, sincere thanks to the many readers who have emailed or tweeted or facebooked me in the last few weeks, offering their words of support and love for Susan. Thank you to the many people who shared their kind words on the @whymommy love fest page.  It means so much to me, I can’t even properly express to you.  More importantly, it means the world to Susan’s family. Thank you.

This has been a difficult time, and though we are continuing the learning in the every day around here, quite honestly, it’s been hard to come back and share it. I do look forward to getting back on track in the next few days, but in the mean time I do appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers for Susan’s family.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thanks to the talented Amie Adams of Mamma Loves for the insanely awesome photo of tonight’s moon.  And thanks to Susan for giving it to us.

Huge, happy–gentle!–hugs to our dear friend, Susan, of Toddler Planet.

Here is part three of THE most incredible digital card that has ever been made to show Susan just HOW much she is loved.

@whymommy love fest, part 3: made with love for our friend

Many thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of friends, family, and strangers who have contributed, and many thanks to those who will contribute down the road.

Again, we are doing this because Susan totally rocks. And . . .

• We want her to know that she rocks (because she totally does).

• We want her to know that she is loved (because she totally is).

• We want her to know that she has made a difference in more people’s lives than she will ever know (because she has).

• We want her to know that she is an incredible mother, friend, scientist, writer, blogger, daughter, sister–you name it (because she is all of that and more).

• We want her to feel our collective strength standing behind her (because that’s where we are!).
• We want her to know that she not alone (because we are all right her with her).

———————–

Please don’t worry if you haven’t contributed; a totally amazing Facebook page has been created for our friend, and photos, poems, prayers, and words of love and encouragement are being added every day. Feel free to add yours there.  @whymommy love fest — check it out.

Susan is reading every single word–and she’s feeling every single prayer. So keep ‘em coming!

Here’s our happy, full-o’-love, cyber-hug for our friend Susan, part two.

It’s only a fraction of what we’ve received, which amazes all of us.

Set to the amazing music of Bill Leslie, chosen especially for Susan by her bff and the amazing musician and blogger, Marty, it’s a teeny, tiny expression of our love and admiration for our incredible warrior friend.

We have had an overwhelming response to the call for @whymommy love over the last 24 hours, and the love keeps on flowin’ in!

With love, Susan, here is part one of our @whymommy love fest:

Originally created to an amazing soundtrack chosen by the amazing ladies of The DC Moms, complete with a little Indigo Girls, ‘IZ’, and Three Dog Night, it totally rocked. But thanks to You Tube’s copyright laws keepin’ us on the straight and narrow, we mixed it up to a little up-beat Cha-Cha.  Enjoy, Susan!

Part two–and all consecutive parts–of our love fest will be shared here, there, and everywhere, and we’re still happy to take little bits o’ your love for our friend.  See the original post for the skinny.

Or visit our @whymommy love fest Facebook page and share your love there. Either way works!

We are rallying to show support for our sweet friend Susan, @whymommy, and we’re calling out the big guns.

Because Susan’s complete and utter awesomeness has reached sooo far across cyberspace and beyond, Susan’s buddies from The DC Moms would like to extend an invitation to anyone and everyone who has been touched by our pal to contribute to a ‘@whymommy love fest’.

Here’s the skinny:

• @whymommy love fest: We’re making THE most incredible digital card that has ever been made to show Susan just HOW much she is loved.

We want her to know that she rocks (because she totally does).

We want her to know that she is loved (because she totally is).

We want her to know that she has made a difference in more people’s lives than she will ever know (because she has).

We want her to know that she is an incredible mother, friend, scientist, writer, blogger, daughter, sister–you name it (because she is all of that and more).

 

Cora is working on her card for Miss Susan

We want her to feel our collective strength standing behind her (because that’s where we are!).

We want her to know that she not alone (because we are all right her with her).

______________________________

So, if you would like to contribute to our @whymommy love fest, please consider doing any of the following:

• send any medium-sized photo(s) you want;
• send along a caption, a signature [xoxo amy]  OR [praying for you, my friend! love, Maddy] OR a Bible verse, saying, few lines of a poem, whatevah!! Something we can add in 1-2 slides on iMovie;
• send a picture of YOU holding a sign with your favorite word to describe Susan (inspiration, courage, strength, etc.);
• send any voice-overs or songs or anything you want included!

Send your contributions to dcmomlove@gmail.com  by the end of the day tomorrow, Tuesday 1/24/12.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And even if contributing to this kind of thing is not your cup of tea–which is totally cool–if you could lift our friend in prayer, she will feel it.