Movie Night: Rough Riders

It was Daddy's turn to pick a movie, which meant I knew the theme before he even announced a title: cowboys!

 

Most family members already had appropriate hats (Mommy doesn't do hats), so we just needed bandanas. Have you tried to find red bandanas at Walmart lately? Have you tried to find any sort of bandanas? (Heck, have you tried to find ANYTHING?) The poor worker who was trying to help me kept saying, "Well, they're right...no...well they should be..no..." 'Tis the season to get you to buy stuff, and bandanas, not high on the profit list at two for a dollar, were pretty well hidden. And only came in blue or black. But, I think we still looked smashing, don't you?

Cowboys always drink out of Spiderman cups.

What? Sam Elliott is a bandit???

The shy cowgirl.

 

The not-so-shy cowboy.

Daddy realized that there has never been a picture of me on the blog, so he tried to remedy that situation:

 

There you go! Please disregard the mess in the background.

 Dinner was this Cowboy Casserole from allrecipes.com. It was very simple, and REALLY good! I don't usually like bread mixed in with my food, but it turned out just right. I used a maple bacon, a honey BBQ sauce, and Grands layer biscuits, in my deepest cast iron skillet.

 

It looked like the biscuits weren't done, but they were perfect. I will definitely be adding this to the recipe file.

 

Served in tin plates, of course, with the bandana as either napkin or accessory. Everyone eventually decided to wear theirs, as you saw.

 

The movie is in three parts, and starts off with a lot of background building. We just got through the first part this night. I thought the kids would lose interest, but C. stayed with it, and S. tuned in and out. L., on the other hand...

 

was a little overtired. After some snuggles with both Mommy and Daddy, he was out for the night. Probably for the best: my I-must-climb-everything child does not need to be watching Teddy Roosevelt for more ideas!



Christmas Giveaway - Day 5

A few days ago, in our review of some Hanukkah books, we told you to keep an eye out for this one:

 

Title: Carter's Christmas

Author: Lisa Bullard

Illustrator: Katie Saunders

Publisher: Millbrook Press (division of Lerner)

ISBN: 978-076-135-0743

HC Price: $23.95

 

We have several of Bullard's books in our Junior Reader collection, most notably the color-food-fun and the "Mighty Movers" series, and they are very popular. As I said in my earlier post, I plan to order this entire series for the library, so I have no qualms about giving it away to one of you! First, though, I may use it for next week's field trip - a group of second graders are coming from the local German school. This strikes me as the perfect read-aloud, with its description of traditions and preparations for Christmas, and side notes about the historical significance or cultural origin of each. What better way to spark some conversations about the ways we each celebrate this season?! I promise we'll take good care of the book, though, so you will still be getting it in brand-new condition.

 

In this storyline, Carter is trying to find the opportunity to make a special ornament for his grandmother, without her seeing it. If I were giving this book as a gift, I think I would give it now, and follow it up by making ornaments or some other gifts together. We may hypothetically be working on that right now at home, but I can't give you details or pictures without spoiling someone's surprise! If your mother doesn't read this blog, though, you are perfectly safe in posting your ideas in the comments section, for your chance to win Carter's Christmas.

Christmas Giveaway, Part 4 1/2

Carrie over at Reading to Know is also having a giveaway - a very cute version of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

 

 

I'm telling you about it even though I have entered, because that's just the kind of person I am. And, because there are two copies up for grabs, so we can both win! So, quick, click on the blog name and go leave your comment!

Holiday Giveaway - Part 4

I can't really call this a Christmas giveaway today, since the books we are giving away are all about Hanukkah. All three are from Lerner, so you know the printing and binding are all of great quality, right off the bat.

 

 

I was tempted to keep this first one:

 

Title: The Count's Hanukkah Countdown

Author: Tilda Balsley and Ellen Fischer

Illustrator: Tom Leigh

Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing (division of Lerner)

ISBN: 978-076-137-5562

HC Price: $16.95

 

Besides the obvious appeal of the Sesame Street characters, we are working on counting at home. The number 8, of course, features prominently, along with some subtle number skills (wait...we only have seven...we need one more!). The very basics of the celebration, from the addition of a candle each night to the story of the Maccabees, are introduced. This would be a good book for children who have not celebrated Hanukkah, probably not so much for those who do. The only issue I have with it is really a tiny one - why do Jewish children in books always have to have traditionally Jewish names? Lovely names, of course, it just seems a bit contrived that no one in the family ever has a non-traditional name.

 

Moving on to:

 

Author: Lisa Bullard

Illustrator: Constanza Basaluzzo

Publisher: Millbrook Press (division of Lerner)

ISBN: 978-076-135-0774

HC Price: $23.95

 

Like the Sesame Street book, this one is part of a series (watch for a review of Carter's Christmas soon). I will be ordering the whole set for the library, so I don't mind including this one in the giveaway! I really like the explanations of the various parts of a Hanukkah celebration - Bullard manages to give a little more detail and background of some parts of it (such as the purpose of the dreidel) without weighing the book down. Finding a good Hanukkah read-aloud for story times is difficult, but this one would do nicely. There are even instructions for making your own dreidel out of a milk carton.

 

Last, but not least:

 

Title: Emanuel and the Hanukkah Rescue

Author: Heidi Smith Hyde

Illustrator: Jamel Akib

Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing

ISBN: 978-076-136-6256

HC Price: $17.95

 

There are very few picture books that touch upon the persecution faced by the Jewish people over the years, and this one does so very gently - seen, as it is, through the eyes of a child who doesn't understand his father's fear. Emanuel's father, and many others in their whaling town, are 'secret Jews' who emigrated from Portugal. Although they are now free to practice their religion, they continue to do so in secret - until a storm late one Hanukkah night.

 

If I was giving any of these three as a gift, I would pair it with this set from Constructive Playthings:

 

 

We just got it at the library a couple months ago, and I have been very impressed with the quality and durability of the pieces. This set would be excellent either for children who celebrate Hanukkah, or for a classroom situation.

 

If you would like to win all three of these books (but not the play set - sorry, we're keeping that!), just check out the giveaway rules here, and leave us a comment!

 

Christmas Gifts for Creative Kids - Part 2

As I mentioned in a post earlier this month, this Christmas we are focusing on gifts that spark our kids' creativity, and which they can use together. This gift may also spark a migraine or two, but it's one of those things that you know they are going to enjoy, so once you get the idea, you can't let go of it.

 

This gift is mostly for L., although the others will enjoy it as well. He is 16 months old now, and ALL BOY. He loves NOISE, and he loves getting into things he is not supposed to.

He has a drawer in the kitchen with things he is allowed to play with, but that doesn't seem to be enough - and, quite frankly, I am tired of searching for the rolling pin or the potato masher when I need them. I decided to give the kids their own set of kitchen supplies, painted in bright colors to make it clear which things are theirs, and which are NOT.

 

I spent a whopping $4 at a local thrift shop for the basic materials:

 

Then used up the paint left over from another project:

 

In addition to setting them apart, the paint makes them look brand spanking new. Toss them in a basket, and you have a cheap and easy gift that any little one would absolutely love. And, hey, if it ends up becoming an "outside only" toy by New Year's Eve, it's durable enough for that, too! Remember, despite what major retailers would have you believe, gifts should not be expensive or flashy or electronic - they should be something that will make the recipient happy, preferably for more than just the moment of unwrapping.

 

How about you? What gift would make you happy, without costing an arm and a leg?

Christmas Giveaway Day 3

For complete instructions and rules, visit this link

 

Two books to give away today (both to the same winning post):

 

978-07613-91807

 

Okay, raise your hand if you have a child in the "Why?" stage? That's what I thought. Some questions we can answer, but sometimes we get questions like, "Why is that car blue?" "Why is that man tall?" It can be a real stretch of the creativity to find an answer ("I don't know" is usually met with "Yes, you do!"). It's nice to have books like these to take over for you sometimes.

 

This series includes natural cycles, such as From Tadpole to Frog, and From Shoot to Apple, as well as other food topics - Fom Cocoa Bean to Chocolate would, of course, be my favorite:) We have the peanut butter book to give away, courtesy of Lerner Publishing. Their binding is easily the best in the business, durable enough for library use, but still eye-catchingly attractive.

 

Also from Lerner:

 

978-07613-46111

 

Another series that also includes patterns, textures and colors. I LOVE the pictures in this one, beautiful bright photographs showing shapes in everything from candy to stained glass windows. The text is simple and the descriptions clear, including three-dimensional shapes such as cones and cylinders.

 

So, what would you pair with either of these as a gift? With the peanut butter book, I would attach a coupon for a day cookng together. Maybe make buckeyes (showing my Ohio roots), or try making peanut butter ourselves. With the shape book, quilting together comes to mind - not that I am any good at that, but I think the time together is more of a gift than the skill imparted! How about you? Share your ideas for a chance to win both of these!

 

 

 



Christmas Giveaway Day 2

Between now and Christmas, I will be giving away books, books, and more books! For complete rules and instructions, visit this post. (As I type, there is still time to enter that giveaway - which has...um...one entry so far.)

 

978-006-220-7739

Today's entry is a bit more contemporary. Younger readers who are just discovering Big Nate tend to think author Lincoln Peirce was inspired by the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series. In actuality, Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney grew up reading Big Nate comics, so the inspiration was the other way around. Either way, if your reader likes one series, he or she is bound to love the other!

In Big Nate: In a Class by Himself, Nate gets a fortune cookie that tells him "Today you will surpass all others". Of course, if you read it in a fortune cookie, it must be true - just check out the fortunes we all got during our last movie night. The cookie isn't very specific, however, so Nate spends most of the day looking for ways he can surpass all others - with an end result that he wouldn't have predicted, but which fits him to a "T".

If you are not familiar with Big Nate, it is good, clean humor, appropriate for any age. Lots of gross-out humor, poking fun of grown-ups and siblings. If you are the type of grown-up who thinks chilren's books shouldn't make fun of grown-ups, you are probably the kind of grown-up that gets made fun of in books that make fun of grown-ups. Just sayin'. Interspersed with caricatures, lists, and illustrated factoids ("Dad handed out rice cakes for Halloween one year. That was also the year our house got egged. Connect the dots, Dad.")

The version we are giving away is actually the "Special Edition" (donated by HarperCollins), which includes an additional 16 pages of "Jolly Comix and more"! To have a chance of winning it, just leave a comment with a creative way to give this book as a gift. I am going to take the most obvious, and say, pair it with a good sketch pad and artist's pencils, maybe even a book about drawing caricatures like this one:



Hmm...looks familiar...

Happy commenting!