Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in toronto, CN

What's Going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

June 25, 2009

This weekend looks like it might be hot and maybe sticky in places - not to mention a tad fragrant from the garbage strike. Since the majority of water features & parks are closed, I'm not sure exactly how we are going to stay cool but we will find a way. Our agenda may include a trip for ice cream at Dutch Dreams, or a playdate at Dufferin Grove (I was there today with Mamalooper and No Mother Earth) - because the shade of that park makes for hours of comfortable playing.There are also some other things going on around town (and just outside) that we may check out:

The CN Tower is having a Birthday!

The CN Tower is turning thirty-three -- wow, really? It doesn't look a day over 20 -- and for the special day on Saturday the tower will be red and white (have a look for it before bedtime).

Cobourg Highland Games Festival

Why not escape the city and the garbage and strikes and head to Cobourg to experience over 100 pipers, dancers, and Celtic traditions of all kinds at the Cobourg Highland Festival. There will be games going on all day (every see a man toss a telephone pole or a cannon ball -- IN A KILT? Here's your chance). Everyone can be Scottish for the day, just stay clear of the hagus.

Summer Music In the Garden at Harbourfront Centre

Starting today and every Thursday at 7pm / Sundays at 4pm there will be a free performance of classical music and dance all summer long. The music and dance take place in the garden that was designed by Yo Yo Ma and Julie Moir Messervy. Concert admission is free and all performances are weather-permitting. For more information on the concert series visit Harbourfrontcentre.com

Summer Reading Club Kick-off

At many branches around the city, the TD Summer Reading Club is starting this week and the theme is Agent 009. Check the Toronto Public Library branch nearest you for registration dates to pick up your reading club super sleuth kit.   Gerrad/Ashdale (1432 Gerrad St. E) will be be signing up all day Saturday and Long Branch Library (3500 Lakeshore Blvd W) will be having a kick-off on Saturday between 2 and 3pm.

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What's Going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

June 11, 2009

The weather promises to be somewhat June like this weekend so get thee family OUTSIDE!

It's the closing weekend of Luminato and if you haven't caught any of the activities yet, you are missing a really fun and inspiring time. What excites me the most is the Cirque du Soleil "encounters" that will be taking place around the Harbourfront Centre and The Music Garden approximately every 30 minutes. How often can you see the most amazing circus in the world do mini-performances for free? The family program at Luminato is hosted by my favourite fun factory: The Bunch Family. See all the details for the weekend activities at their site.

Also in the artistic inspiration arena is art09 which is taking place today through Sunday  at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This is another family-friendly event where local and international artists show off their creations and children can make their own in a supervised family arts & crafts area. Children are encouraged to create a message of hope to attach to The Tree of Hope that will be presented to SickKids hospital after the show.

This Saturday, the entire family is invited for an afternoon of Kids Krafts at Mackenzie House (82 Bond Street), the home of Toronto's first mayor William Lyon Mackenzie. Children can participate in historically based activities and make a craft between noon and 4:30pm. Call 416 392 6915 for more information.

Also on Saturday at Woodside Square Library (1571 Sandhurst Circle) drop by between 11 am and noon to make a special craft for Dad at the Celebrate Dad session.

On Sunday Ontario Place is hosting The Childcare Show between 10 and 5pm. This Expo is a family-friendly event where parents can meet childcare professionals to learn more about childcare, educational and recreational activities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Also on Sunday at McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg (10365 Islington Avenue), Summer Magic is taking place. The Poynter family are putting on a magic and comedy show for the entire family to enjoy. Drop by between 11am and 4pm (shows at 12:30 and 2:30)

 

 

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Top Five Books About Having Fun with Grandparents

by Katie

June 09, 2009

This week, my top five is going to run with the grandparent theme featured in the guest post yesterday. The following list is of Top Five Books about having fun with Grandparents. Which means these are great books to be read by Grandparents or just when you miss hanging out with Grandma or Grandpa. Which makes me think: it's high time we saw the Grandparents.

Just Grandma and Me by Mercer Mayer
We have read this book so many times together that I think I know it by heart. Little Critter and his Grandmother go to the beach together where Little Critter tries to be a very helpful grandson. Look for the spider and cricket who appear on every page.

Just Grandpa and me by Mercer Mayer
What can I say? We love Little Critter. In this story Little Critter goes on an adventure filled trip to the department store with his Grandfather to get a new suit. Remember to look for Little Critter's bug friends.

Grandpa and Me by Karen Katz
Cooking with Grandpa is the nice twist in this story about a grandchild helping out in the kitchen. This is a bright lift-the-flap book by the same author who wrote and illustrated the really adorable book Where Is Baby's Belly Button?

Here Comes Grandma by Janet Lord (art by Julie Paschikis)
Grandma is coming to visit! Grandma has sent a letter describing how she is going to take her trip to see the grandchild she really misses. She comes by horse, car, and even hot-air balloon to deliver her hugs and kisses.

Grandpas Are For Finding Worms by Harriet Ziefert (art by Jennifer Plecas)
Grandpas know how to do all sorts of things. Some love carpentry, some fishing, and others are masters at making silly faces. But regardless of their special talent,  all these grandpas do one thing really well: they all make their grandchild feel really special.

These books are also all available in the Toronto Public Library system.

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"Leaping" across generations: How seniors and children can read together

by Katie

June 08, 2009

Today I have a very informative guest post by Glen Atkison, Director of Marketing for LeapFrog Canada. June is Senior's Month in Toronto and Glen has ten tips on how to encourage children and seniors to read together and connect over books.

Did you know this month is Seniors Month? At LeapFrog we think it is important to encourage children and seniors to read together this month (and ideally every month). It is a great chance for seniors to share their experiences and love of reading with younger people.

As a parent, I can see the benefits reading offers my daughter, who likes a wide range of books including Dora the Explorer and the Robert Munsch classics. Unfortunately, many people don’t or can’t take advantage of the opportunity to read with their children. Not only can seniors help children enjoy reading in a peaceful one-on-one environment, assisting a child with reading can also improve the youngster’s literacy skills. The situation is win-win – by reading with a child, seniors have a sense of value, contributing to the future, and purpose. Finally, both the youngster and senior get to connect through the joy of books.
 
While being a hands-on dad and working for a company that promotes reading, I have learnt a few things on how seniors and children can read together. Here are my tips:  

1. Choose books using the five finger test. Have the child open a book and read one page aloud. For every word they can’t pronounce or don’t know they should hold one finger up. If they put five fingers up the book is too difficult to read alone, if they do not have any fingers up the book is too easy and if they have two to four fingers up the book is appropriate.
2. Read aloud with the child. For really young children you can solely read to them, for children around 4 to 6 years old you can read a story to them and then have them read it again or alternate pages, and for older children you can encourage them to read to you.
3. Cook recipes together from children’s cookbooks. Or, if you have a traditional recipe that you usually cook from memory write it down together and then follow the instructions.
4. Read a book and then take the child on a trip related to it. For example, you could read Fancy Nancy at the Museum then take a trip to a nearby art gallery.
5. Start a book club. For example, read The Little Engine That Could, then make conductor’s caps, draw pictures of trains and sing songs about trains.
6. Let little ones play with their food. Give them alphabet snacks such as cereal or cookies and have them spell three words before eating them.
7. Share books that you loved reading when you were younger.
8. Offer access to educational learning aids, such as the Tag Reading System, that encourage alphabet knowledge and reading.
9. Encourage the child to talk about the books they have read. For example, which character would they want to be or how would they change the ending?
10. Be patient and supportive. Sometimes children take a while to recognize a word and sound it out.

 

Glen Atkinson is the Director of Marketing for LeapFrog Canada. He brings to LeapFrog a wealth of experience, having worked in marketing for other major brands. He is dedicated to LeapFrog’s One Million Reading Hours, which encouraged parents to read with their children for just 15 minutes a day last summer, leading to over 1,000,000 million reading hours being generated. This is a philosophy that he embraces, as he is a dedicated dad who reads with his daughter every evening.

 

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Top Five Books on Earth Conservation for Preschoolers

by Katie

April 21, 2009

In honour of Earth Day tomorrow, Gigi and I went to the library and found five awesome books for preschoolers on earth conservation. Preschoolers really love to help so I’m totally taking advantage of her enthusiasm (before cynicism sets in) to steer her down the path of being earth friendly. Some of the books on our list include specific activities and ideas that kids can easily incorporate into daily life. If you have any to add, give me a shout in the comments. Enjoy!

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The Essential Breastfeeding Log

by Katie

April 20, 2009

Caroline, one of the two fantastic editors over at Being Savvy Tampa, is featuring a guest post by Suzanne Schlosberg and Sarah Bowen, authors of The Essential Breastfeeding Log. The log is designed to help parents recognize emerging patterns in a child's feeding and sleep habits and I bet it beats the chicken-scratched, scribbled notes that I took for the first months when trying to crack the DiGigi Code. Their way is both organized and offers advice, mine was completely illegible therefore it revealed almost nothing. I bet a log like this probably would have helped me get organized in those early days of marathon breastfeeding sessions. Since authors Suzanne and Sarah offer some great advice, they would like to share seven breastfeeding tips for new mothers.

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What's going on in Toronto This Weekend

by Katie

March 26, 2009

It may be raining this weekend but the temperatures are on the plus side and rain doesn't need to be shovelled. There's lots going on in and around the city so there is no excuse to get outside with the family. Unless you are really lazy. Like me ;)

Saturday March 28th
Starwatch & Earth Hour
TVO and the Ontario Science Centre need you to get outside with the kids after dark, and count the stars around the Big Dipper. Then they want you to compare the results found during Earth Hour on Saturday night. Enter the data online to help answer the question "Do you see more stars during Earth Hour?" Full details on how to participate can be found at TVOkids.com and OSC sites via the Earth Hour links.

Saturday Senanigans at the Bata Shoe Museum
This weekend the Bata Shoe Museum hosts the Annual Toronto Festival of Storytelling where children can listening to tales told by some of the best storytellers around. There are sessions for children 5 and under, and children 6 through 10. Session details can be found on the website. Readings are scheduled during both the morning and afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.

Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival at Kortright and Bruce's Mill
Tap into some of sweetness and spend a day in the beautiful outdoors, eating pancakes and going on wagon rides. Runs both Saturday and Sunday full details on their website.

It's Maple Syrup Time
MapleTowne is open at Mountsberg Conservation Area.Wagon rides through the sugar bush, see a demo of maple candy creation, and sample some of the goodies - sounds good to me. Activities are on daily from 10 to 4pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday March 29th
Bunch Family Salon - Contemporary Art Edition at OCAD
Leading artists and thinkers spend the afternoon with parents and children, for an afternoon of creativity. Games, workshops, and inspiration galore at the Ontario College of Art and Design. (100 McCaul Street, 2 - 5 pm) www.bunchfamily.ca (recommended to purchase advance tickets)

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Favorite Preschooler Books by Canadian Authors

by Katie

March 10, 2009

What can I say? We love books in this house. Our halls, rooms, and most available spaces are covered in books. I’m impressed with the library Gigi has built, and now that we order from Scholastic every month to raise funds for her school plus get books for awesome prices, she needs a bigger book shelf. She loves all kinds of books, including the newly introduced short chapter books. Her attention span astounds me, considering it’s not applied in all situations, like circle time at the library. I guess she likes it when we read the books with just her in the audience.

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Best Bet Books: Winter is for Hockey!

by Katie

January 21, 2009

Each and every morning Gigi and I are reminded that we are in the depths of the great, mighty, and powerful Canadian Winter. Our toes are often frozen, our noses and cheeks are burned red, and Gigi loves to scream at the wind "STOP!" It's freakin' cold outside and it's impossible to forget. Even our method of going to school has adjusted to the season: we go by sled more mornings than not, and  Read more...

A strategy is a must

by Katie

January 08, 2009

Honestly, most parenting references and books - health resources aside - turn me off. Some are a bit too preachy and others just aren't my "style" - even though I can't clearly define what exactly that style is called. We are definitely laid back parents but I've been known to suffer from helicopter-mom syndrome. We try not to raise our voices but oh boy that little lady sure does push the  Read more...

New adventures and experiences

by Katie

January 05, 2009

The past year has been full of new experiences for Gigi and sometimes she really loves to discuss her adventures right down to the last detail. Coupled with the endless game of "asking the question but why" and a vocabulary that is growing at an incredible rate, she loves to talk about all these new things non-stop (or so it seems). I have found that books about kids or characters going through  Read more...

What better way to end 2008, than with a top ten list

by Katie

December 30, 2008

You know what I need to do for this week's Tuesday list? A top ten year end round-up list. Because making lists is what Tuesday is all about and this being the last Tuesday of 2008, I'm going to list my favorite Savvy Souce posts - written by yours truly - from the past year. Researching and writing these posts this past year has been a blast. It's been extra motivation to explore Toronto and  Read more...

Christmas past

by Katie

December 11, 2008

Not meaning to brag, but Christmas rocked when I was a kid, it really did. And it was also a well balanced celebration, not just a gift fest. Sure, we received great gifts on the twenty-fifth, but in my family and school the entire Advent season was celebrated. At school we had daily advent calendars - a tree shaped wall hanging with little drawers full of tiny fun gifts. The anticipation for  Read more...

Gift idea: poingo

by Katie

December 04, 2008

More and more often these days, when we are out and about or sitting around with books, Gigi will ask me specifically what words or phrases say. At age three, she's really getting into reading, which both excites me and also exhausts me ( I don't know what it's like with your kids but some days I get multiple requests for the same book that go right into the double digits, a zone I refer to as  Read more...

Books! books! books!

by Katie

December 04, 2008

Here are five more book recommendations for anyone out there still doing their holiday shopping for the preschooler set. Oh who am I kidding, I've barely accomplished any shopping. I always plan to get it done early, yet I always find myself out doing last minute shopping. Anyhow, I'd better get my act together. Perhaps I can save you some time with some books that we already have tested and  Read more...

The Subway Mouse

by Katie

November 26, 2008

Last night Gigi requested a bedtime book that totally should have been on my Toronto-centric kids books list yesterday . I can't believe this one didn't even cross my mind: The Subway Mouse by Barbara Reid . If you haven't read this book, you are missing out on an beautiful adventure story that any child who has taken a trip the TTC can appreciate. The Subway Mouse is the story of Nib, a mouse  Read more...

Toronto-centric kids books

by Katie

November 25, 2008

What better way to learn about Toronto than to read some kid-friendly books dedicated to the city. Toronto is a massive city, full of interesting places, natural wonders, and of course: hockey. Here are my top five picks for Toronto-centric kid books: The Lobster Kids' Guide to Exploring Toronto (Kids' City Explorer Series) is a Toronto Guide written for kids (okay,okay - parents are allowed  Read more...

Holiday Book Recommendations

by Katie

November 24, 2008

The holidays are coming fast and we have lots of books on our Christmas list for Gigi. We are firm believers that you can never EVER have too many books (if you saw our bookshelves, you would know this is very true). Since many people are putting together their shopping lists in this final stretch before Christmas and Chanukah, I thought I could make some recommendations based on some of Gigi's  Read more...

What's going on this weekend in toronto

by Katie

November 21, 2008

Tomorrow at the Bata Shoe Museum on Bloor, author Musharraf Farooqi will be reading from his latest children's book The Cobbler's Holiday or Why Ants Don't Wear Shoes . This family event will include a reading by the author followed by a shoe-tying competition. As an added bonus, there are two ways to score a free admission to the Bata Museum this weekend: come dressed up as an ant or small bug  Read more...

The difficult things: preschooler books on sensitive subjects

by Katie

November 20, 2008

Now that I answer to the name "mom", I know that one of the dreaded things I signed up for in this parenting gig is talking about some difficult subjects with Gigi. Honestly, I'll take all the good help I can get because boy-oh-boy, I dread some of the more squirrely stuff. Since I love to inspire conversation with a good book, I figure why not use them to talk about the more sensitive issues.  Read more...

Preschooler art appreciation: beautiful books

by Katie

November 19, 2008

Some books from my childhood left a lasting impression solely from the images on the pages. I can still picture in my mind the detailed and Victorian illustrations in my various Kate Greenway books. I would study every last inch on each of the pages and have totally vivid daydreams about living back in the "olden days" (did I mention I loved Little House and Oliver among other historical themed  Read more...

Everyone loves to laugh: books that will make a preschooler giggle

by Katie

November 18, 2008

Gigi loves to laugh and she really loves to tell knock-knock jokes (really, really loves to tell them). What is it with three year olds and knock-knock jokes? They all love hearing them and they love telling them. Her favorite is: knock, knock / who's there / police / police who? / police let me in, it's cold out here . Her granddad taught her that one. Personally, my favourite is one of ones  Read more...

Excuse for a quiet cuddle before bed

by Katie

November 17, 2008

Gigi is a high-energy child who is almost always on the move. Sure, she is sitting still for longer periods of time during the day since starting nursery school, but it's not consistent and needs some work ( sorry kid, but it's true ). Honestly, I love how spirited she is but it leaves little time for cuddling. And cuddling is something I love, need, and want because it negates all stresses of  Read more...

Ready, set, read!

by Katie

November 13, 2008

Our first parent-teacher meeting at Gigi's Nursery School was scheduled for yesterday. I'd been looking forward to it since it was announced because I know that Gigi loves her school and I'm fairly confident that the school loves her. I couldn't wait to hear what her teacher had to say. She may need to work on sharing and conflict resolution, but we have seen her emotional side mature in leaps  Read more...

Top Five: Storytime in Toronto

by Katie

November 11, 2008

In my research for Toronto Savvy Source, this is probably one of the more difficult top five lists to pull together. Deciding which story times are the best in the city is pretty much impossible.  So I decided the easiest thing to do is to list the first five that I can think of off the top of my head.  Cop out? You bet, and without further ado here it goes (drumroll please): Mabel's Fables  Read more...

Crafty preschoolers: make your own book

by Katie

November 06, 2008

When Gigi was about eighteen months old, I signed us up for a local "messy babies" group through the Ontario Early Years program. Most of the time involved doing messy or noisy things like playing with huge piles of corn meal, ice filled tubs, squeezing squishy stuff, and other clean-up nightmares but the last part of the session always involved an easy craft. One week we made touch and feel  Read more...

Abc, eh

by Katie

November 04, 2008

Alphabet books never go out of style and I bet that any theme a child could dream up has been covered in an ABC book. For Gigi, familiar sites and sounds often interest her. When she can relate to something, it makes learning more interesting. Since Gigi loves to travel by car and plane to see her relatives, she also loves looking at maps and pointing out places she has been. I'm not sure she  Read more...

Owen: a book that makes her wonder

by Katie

November 03, 2008

Gigi was born into a family of bookworms. Our home is stacked from floor to ceiling with books and we just never seem to have enough bookshelf space to make it work. Our dream home would include a huge shelf lined library with big comfy chairs, a window with a inspiring view, and a roaring fireplace. I remember curling up with a book on a rainy weekend afternoon and falling head-first into books  Read more...

People in the neighbourhood: fire fighters

by Katie

October 15, 2008

Based on my standards, a person or character I might call my favorite firefighter may not necessarily be the same as Gigi's favorite firefighter. Regardless of our differences in ranking those who protect us from fire and other perils, firefighters are inherently fascinating. Often after school, Gigi and I stop at one of the many coffee shops on our route home, and due to our proximity to the  Read more...

The true story of the 3 little pigs

by Katie

October 08, 2008

Gigi's Dad bought her a book that quickly turned into a family favorite: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (illustrated by Lane Smith) . This hilarious retelling of the classic story makes me laugh each and every time, and I promise it is an entertaining for adults to read, as it is for kids. I love fairy tales turned upside down, twists on the classic - but only if done  Read more...

Hey september: we hardly knew ye, you went so fast

by Katie

September 30, 2008

September was all about Gigi's new adventure at nursery school and me realizing that my baby is no longer a baby but a preschooler. I can't believe how much has happened this month. Let me take the time to have a little groovy flashback session just like at the end of Scooby-doo; my favourite posts from the past month ( get groovy and wavy and let's flashback all together now ) social  Read more...

Feeling shy

by Katie

September 29, 2008

Last week, after finding that really cool book Manners by Aliki , I went looking for other titles by this same author / artist. Her comic-book style illustrations are so funny and engaging that I wanted to see what other topics she has tackled. Now I'm loving her book " Feelings ". This book covers all the different kinds of emotions that a preschooler goes through, but maybe can't name. I'd say  Read more...

What's going on this weekend in toronto

by Katie

September 26, 2008

This weekend brings the Healthy Kids Expo to Toronto. The Healthy Kids Expo invites kids, teens, and parents to come check out all the different ways they can lead healthy lives and live green. Special guests include, of Oprah fame, Dr. Mehmet Oz host of Dr. Oz on the Discovery Channel, Wendy Mesley from CBC TV, and Member of Parliament, Olivia Chow. There are dozens of exhibitors, prizes to be  Read more...

Manners: some people have them, some people don't

by Katie

September 24, 2008

One thing that fascinated me on the very first day of nursery school was how quickly Gigi responded to the teachers cues for manners. The teacher was so slick at sliding in those cues, Gigi would just say "please" and "thank you" as soon as she heard them. When I am giving gentle nudges for manners, I get the disappearing ears about 67.3% of the time. Amazing how the ears just disappear and  Read more...

Word on The Street!

by Katie

September 22, 2008

There will be something for everyone of all ages, at The Word on the Street festival this coming Sunday. I'm putting this post up now so you can pencil this in for this weekend - you can thank me later. In case you haven't heard of this super cool cross-Canada event, The Word on the Street is a book and magazine fair that has been celebrating the printed word and literacy since 1990. On Sunday  Read more...

Sibling Rivalry

by Katie

September 11, 2008

Gigi is an only child which makes me happy and sad. Happy because having one child is very manageable, affordable, and we have a lot of fun as a trio. But having one child is also sad for me, because both SB and I grew up in families with three kids and it was cool always having someone to do something with almost any time of day or night. That said, our situation isn't going to change anytime  Read more...

Mermaids: Mythical Inspiration

by Katie

August 14, 2008

When I was a child, I was fascinated with mythical creatures and all things magical. My family and friends gave me many beautiful books around the myths and legends of various cultures. One creature that competed heavily with the unicorns and Big Foot (he was really popular when I was a kid), was the legend of mermaids. Maybe it was because growing up next to the ocean, it seemed easy to believe  Read more...

July: the month was a blur

by Katie

July 31, 2008

Is July really over? Wow - that was fast. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that we were constantly on the go, sometimes together, sometimes in different directions. When we travelled together, we did it in our usually style - roadtrip! And of course we had Gigi's favourite audio books on hand to keep her from declaring how bored she was in the back seat, and to aid with our sanity. Our  Read more...

Travel prep: preschooler style

by Katie

July 17, 2008

I'm very pleased to introduce a guest post from my friend and favourite children's librarian, kittenpie. A career Children's Librarian, kittenpie of Life of 'Pie , has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie. Her preschooler book  Read more...

Listen to your books!

by Katie

July 15, 2008

When we travel as a family, 99% of the time it's because we're on a roadtrip. And what makes a roadtrip more tolerable (other than a chauffeur and stretch limo) is audio entertainment. Pre-Gigi, we used to blast the tunes or an occasional stand-up comic to pass the hours, but once Gigi entered the scene and (gasp) started voicing her opinions, our musical selections suddenly were being vetoed  Read more...

Gigi's Book Picks

by Katie

June 17, 2008

Gigi and her books it's a constant rotation of favourites. Every so often I go through her shelves, pick out ones that have fallen out of favour, and put them away for a few weeks. Then when I pull them out, they create the same excitement as her current favourites. Right now her top five book picks consist of a variety of topics: Embarrassing body functions: Walter the Farting Dog by William  Read more...

Extracurricular preschool activities

by Katie

June 16, 2008

Gigi may not be starting her official preschool until September, but I'm always on the lookout for organized activities where she can make friends and work on those all-important social skills. Seriously, the kid needs to work on networking so we can fill up that playdate calendar of hers. Starting July 15th at the North York Central Library and running until August 19th is a drop-in (no  Read more...

The Rainy Day List

by Katie

June 10, 2008

Rainy days with a preschooler can be a special kind of hell for parents. Especially when your preschooler has boundless energy that the confines of a small apartment cannot exhaust. Oh wait; I guess we can assume that all preschoolers contain the same bottomless resource of fuel a fuel that if the world powers could harness, we would probably be able to solve the energy crisis. This week had a  Read more...

Local authors and illustrators

by Katie

June 05, 2008

Gigi's appetite for books is enviable because she makes time to read, something I really need to do more often. When she sits down and insists on reading the book aloud, we are in constant amazement by her ability to memorize or retell the events on the page in her own words. Alphabet and reading skills are right around the corner for her and as soon as she cracks that alpha-code there will be  Read more...

Hanging out at the library

by Katie

June 04, 2008

If I was to assess my parenting skills, there a more than a few things I can think of that need work. Off the top of my head, I fail miserably on the no-tv before three idea, the never raising my voice pledge-to-self, and the no swearing pipe dream. Thankfully the reading to my child dream isn't on that list. My daughter's entire family has read to her from the get-go. During the early months,  Read more...