Wednesday Book Nook

We're back with our second edition of Wednesday Book Nook! 

First up is a cute Easter read called Piggy Bunny, written by Rachel Vail, and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard. 

As you can imagine from the cover, this book tells the story of a young pig (named Liam) who wants nothing more than to be the Easter Bunny. Unfortunately though, his family can't understand why he would want to be anything other than a piglet. It isn't until his grandparents buy him his very own Easter Bunny suit, that Liam full realizes his dream. This story is a testament not only to the wonderful imaginations every child possesses, but is also a story to remind parents to support their children's dreams -- even if it is to be the Easter Bunny!


Our second read is an early reader's chapter book: Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel. Lobel is also the author of the classic Frog and Toad books, so as you can imagine, this one didn't fall short of expectations. 

The neat thing about this book is that there are actually four stories within the main story. The concept is that a young mouse gets snatched up by a hungry weasel who wants to make mouse soup. Mouse is clever though, and convinces Weasel that in order for the soup to taste good, he needs to put stories in the soup. Mouse then tells four short, quirky stories, each containing a particular item that Weasel will then need to collect to put in the soup. However, as soon as Weasel leaves to collect these items, Mouse sneaks to safety. Mouse shows that using your brain and your words are better ways to get you out of sticky situations than rudeness or violence.

This is a great read if your child's at the point where picture books are no longer cutting it. There are still small illustrations throughout the book, but the focus is on the story itself. It's actually categorized as a Reading with Help book, but if you have a strong reader on your hands, it might not be a bad idea to encourage them to try reading the story by themselves, and then regrouping so you can discuss the book -- ask them what they liked, what they didn't like, about each of the characters, and what the author was trying to say through the story.

We hope you enjoyed this wee's Book Nook! Happy reading!

~ Sonja & Joy

Make Your Own Craft Bin

This March Break, why not take a "break" (if you'll pardon the pun) from all the electronics we're hooked up to, and encourage some hands-on creativity?


Something I always had for my kids was a craft bin. It's really just that simple. We used a large Rubbermaid bin, which you can find at any old Walmart. You could always get fancy too, and find a decorated box like the one Joy uses for her yarn. You can find some on great sales at places like Marshalls or Winners, if you keep on the look out!

Here are some ideas of what you can include in your craft bin:

• glue (both liquid and glue sticks)
• glitter
• pom poms
• felt
• paint (craft acrylic, washable tempura, and little watercolour pallets are good options)
• safety scissors
• tin foil
• yarn scraps
• fabric scraps
• tissue paper
• used wrapping paper scraps
• pipe cleaners
• old greeting cards
• cotton balls
• construction paper
• stickers
• empty tissue boxes
• beads
• coloured string

The great thing about craft bins like these, is that you don't have to necessarily plan out a specific craft. They can go into the craft bin and see where their imagination takes them! Another good thing to invest in is a child sized apron -- crafting can get messy, and you don't want their nice clothes to get ruined. Sometimes you can even find them at the dollar store. No need to shell out a ton of money for something that's going to get all mucked up -- in fact, there's no need to spend a ton of money on any of these items. Just watch for sales, and use whatever is lying around the house that might otherwise end up in the trash or recycling.

Happy crafting!

~ Sonja

DIY Building Blocks

All right, we're back with another fun craft to occupy the kids (or, if you're like Joy, yourself) during March Break. It's from the book I Can Make That! by Mary Wallace. 

Drum roll please...

DIY building blocks made from stuff you probably have lying around the house!

Click on images to enlarge!

How cool is this, right? All you need is cardboard, construction paper, paper towel and toilet paper tubes, paint, scissors, and any other bits and bobs you feel like using. The sky is really the limit here. If you're looking for a craft that'll keep them occupied for more than fifteen minutes, this is definitely one to consider. Not only do they have to cut and colour the cardboard and paper, there's hours of fun to be had afterward creating all sorts of buildings and figures! This would be a good craft for babysitters to either make ahead of time, or bring to the kids' homes for something fun and different. 

Have a good one!

~ Sonja & Joy

Wednesday Book Nook

Good afternoon folks!

We're going to be starting a bit of a tradition around here, and as I'm sure you can guess from the title of this post, we're calling it Wednesday Book Nook. Every Wednesday we'll be featuring two books on the blog: one picture book, and one early chapter book, or middle grade novel. We'll be looking at new releases, classic lit, and pretty much everything in between. Posting it mid-week means that if it sounds like something your little one might be interested in, you can make plans to head on over to your local library on the weekend to scoop it up -- if your library carries it, of course!

Coincidentally, both books we picked up were British. What are the odds?

First up, is the picture book, Bear and Bird by Gwen Millward. 

What a great story about friendship and working together! Bear and Bird are a delightful (and kind of an odd) pair, who live together in a little cabin in the woods. When they run out of the firewood to keep them warm through the cold winter, Bear sets out to find some more -- only to get lost. Bird, being the good friend he is, sets out to find his friend, and bring him home safely. 

This book is filled with lush illustrations that are great for playing "I Spy" with kids. Ask them to point out different objects, or find all the insects on the page. This will keep them occupied for quite a while, and is a wonderful learning opportunity!

Our early chapter book of the week is You, Me, and Thing (The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo) by Karen McCombie.

This one caught both of our attention with its cover alone. Who said you can't judge a book by its cover? The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo revolves around three characters: Ruby Morgan (who narrates the tale), her friend and neighbour, Jackson Miller, and their magical friend/pet/thing, Thing -- who can't keep from getting into trouble. Especially when they bring him along to a friend's pool party! 

The pages are chock full of quirky illustrations, and fun British terms that you and your reader will have fun deciphering and researching, and the wild characters provide an excellent opportunity to read aloud and play with voices. The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo is actually the third book in a series of three, and we can't wait to get our hands on the rest of them!

~ Sonja & Joy

Autism Ontario -- Online Webinar Opportunity

If any readers are a) parents of children with Autism, b) teachers and/or educational assistants that work with autistic children or c) are caregivers for these children, Autism Ontario is hosting a registered webinar series. Here's the info from the site:

Hi everyone,Autism Ontario is proud to be providing you with our first Online Webinar Series.  We look forward to having you join us from the comfort of your own home.   Registration is now open for the webinars listed below: Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 7pm On-line Webinar: Ask the Doctor Presented by Dr. Wendy Roberts Webinar Description: Everything you wanted to ask your doctor about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and more! This webinar will cover early signs of ASD, when and how to make a diagnosis, early intervention principles, and medical problems including sleep, nutrition, GI problems and toileting. Dr. Wendy Roberts will also review competence building at all ages and communication strategies. For more information and to register please click here. Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 7pm On-line Webinar: Individual Education Plans – The Basics and Transition and Safety Plans Presented by Patricia O'Connor Webinar Description: This webinar will address the necessity, the process, and the role of the parent in the development of the Individual Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is an essential document since it becomes the template for the student and teacher program and represents how your child’s program will differ from the regular program. Transition and safety plans will also be discussed and examples of when, why, and how these documents are implemented in the school setting will be reviewed. For more information and to register please click here. Our first webinar was a huge success.  Thank you to those who attended.  Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 7pm On-line Webinar: Positive Advocacy Strategies/The Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC) Process Presented by Ed Mahony

You can also view this information directly, you can find it here. 

Have a good one!

~ Sonja

Our Attempt at the Cookie in a Mug

Hi all,

Today we experimented with the chocolate chip cookie in a mug, which we'd come across a while ago on No. 2 Pencil. It turned out great, and we thought we'd share it with you guys (just in case you haven't come across it yourself whilst wandering the blogosphere). This would be a great little snack to make with your little ones, as it's fast, easy, and it's done in the microwave! Not to mention, the fact that it's in the mug means it minimizes crumb messes -- bonus! It's also great if you have a craving for a homemade cookie...but don't feel like going through the hassle of baking a full recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of butter

1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 Tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar (we didn't use dark brown, but it still tasted delicious)

3 drops vanilla extract (well...we weren't super precise about this)

Small pinch of kosher salt (or, leave out the salt if you're using salted butter)

1 Egg yolk

Scant 1/4 Cup of all purpose flour

Chocolate chips (as much or as little as you want!)

The How-To:

1. Melt the butter -- not to boiling though!

2. Add your sugars, vanilla, and salt. Mix together.

3. Separate your egg, and add only the yolk to the mixture. Stir.

4. Add your flour, and combine again.

5. Toss in your chocolate chips, and stir them in!

6. Cook in a microwave between 40 and 60 seconds. This will depend on your microwave, so start at 40, and go from there. Don't cook for longer than a minute, as the cookie will continue to cook as it cools.

That's it folks! A great little recipe that we were super excited to stumble across. We can't wait to try out some other Desserts-in-a-Mug. They're just too cute!

~ Sonja & Joy

March Break is on its Way!

I can't believe that March Break is next week!  I want to share some ideas with you this week that you can do with your little ones while they're home.

Today I want to share with you a recipe for Kool Aid playdough.  It's colourful, smells wonderful and is easy to make.

image via chocolate on my cranium

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

1 pkg unsweetened Kool Aid powdered drink mix

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix together the flour, salt and Kool Aid until well blended.

Mix in the boiling water and oil into the flour mixture.  

Mix with spoon until it's cool enough to knead.

Keep kneading until the colour is blended.

Store in a tight bag or container in the fridge.

This mixture can be kept for 2 months in the fridge.



WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME OF YOUR CREATIONS.

EMAIL US SOME PICTURES AND WE MAY FEATURE IT HERE!

~ Sonja