Top Five Friday #6 - Sickness stinks but...

Initially I wanted to write the top five reasons that I hate the dumb swine flu (see the gross picture of swine flu above), but that is just too negative for my blog. So, instead, I am writing the top five things that make me feel better when I am sick.

1. My husband got up with the kids (who are also sick)and started the day.

2. He also brought me hot tea in bed.
3. Family members brought us food - it is so nice to not worry about what we are going to eat.


4. Watching our dog snuggle up with one of the sick kids. She is such a good dog, and it is so obvious that she understands that they are not feeling well.
5. Vita Coco pineapple coconut water. I don't know why, but drinking this makes me feel better. It also has 180% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C.

So, that is my top five for this week. Do you have a top five you would like to share? If you do, please link up here!

Scarecrow Craft

C has been sick and did not feel up to making this scarecrow, but R and I had fun with this craft. I cut a paper doll type shape out of a brown paper bag and then traced around it on white paper to make clothes. R glued the outfit on the body and colored it purple. Don't all scarecrows wear purple?


She drew facial features and added a pink flower button to the fashionable outfit! Then she cut brown craft ribbon into small pieces and glued them under the pant legs, sleeves, and on the head.

We added a very trendy hat, and here is R's fashionable scarecrow:

We plan on making scarecrow cookies and we have a pile of scarecrow books to tell you about, so stay tuned!

Acorn craft

Acorns are all over the ground here so we just had to do an acorn craft. I began by drawing a large acorn on the back of a cereal box. Luckily, I was not concerned with perfection because I am lacking drawing ability.

Next, C and R searched the button box for brown buttons. We glued the buttons on to make the cap of the acorn.

Then, C and R tore brown construction paper into small pieces.

They glued the torn paper onto the bottom part (nut) of the acorn.

C colored green grass and a blue sky with dark clouds in the background.

R used scissors to cut fringe along the bottom of her page. This was her grass, and it was all her idea. I was impressed.

We also read one of our favorite Autumn books: Count Down to Fall by Fran Hawk. I have seen this book mentioned on a lot of blogs, but if you are not familiar with it, you should definitely request it from the library. There are so many great learning opportunities in this one book and it is a fun read too!

Australia

We are having a lot of fun with two fictional books about Australian animals.

The first book, Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields, is a counting poem that follows six wombats on a walkabout in the Australian outback. A hungry dingo decides the wombats will make a nice lunch and decides to follow them. Will the wombats be able to outsmart that dingo? The first time I read this book, I was very disturbed as the wombats began disappearing, but rest assured, the dingo does not eat any wombats! A child who does not know the outcome, however, may find this disturbing. C and R love to find the dingo hiding behind rocks and trees. They also love the appearance of a kookaburra. My favorite part of this book is this line of dialogue, "That bloke's got our mates". I try to say this in an Australian accent. I am not good at this at all, but it is fun for me! C and R do not even get it, which makes it more fun for me. My husband and oldest son, T, would be very embarrassed by my attempt.



We have also been reading Bobbie Dazzler by Margaret Wild. Bobbie is a wallaby that really wants to do a split, but just cannot seem to get all the way down (I can relate to this, just not that flexible). Her friends, wombat, possum, and koala all try to convince her that it does not matter, but it matters very much to Bobbie. With a lot of practice, eventually Bobbie and all of her friends learn how to do splits. This book has a good message and my children really enjoy the story.

R is in love with Australian animals right now, so these books make her very happy.

The WaterFire Duck

We live in Massachusetts, but we are very close to Providence, Rhode Island. WaterFire is a very popular event in Rhode Island. People travel from all over the world to enjoy the beauty and music. In 1994, a sculpture was installed on the three rivers of downtown Providence and one hundred bonfires are lit by firetenders who travel in torch-lit gondolas filled with firewood. It is a wonderful sensory experience. My children have not been yet, but I hope to take them next summer, especially now that we have read, The WaterFire Duck.

If you are unable to experience WaterFire firsthand, this new book is just perfect for anyone interested in learning about the state of Rhode Island. The WaterFire Duck by Kiki Latimer and Bunny Griffeth is the story of a little duck in search of her song. She travels the waters of Rhode Island searching for people, music, fires, and dance. The book is wonderfully written with illustrations that bring truly allow you to visit Rhode Island as you turn the pages. I love that it captures the beauty of the state over the course of the year with summer weeds, fall foliage, winter snow, and spring flowers.

I definitely recommend this book, and if you ever find yourself in Rhode Island, be sure to check out WaterFire.

The publisher is donating a portion of all sales to support WaterFire Providence. For more information about WaterFire, please visit www.waterfire.org.

My Interview

I was interviewed for an educational activities column on Examiner. A different blogger is featured each week, and this week you can find me there. Here is the link. If you read it, let me know what you think!

You could call her Purplicious

One of R's favorite snacks is frozen blueberries. She eats them right out of the bag, and then she looks like this! I have to guide her to the bathtub and beg her not to touch a thing on the way!