Sunday we took a stroll from church, to downtown for lunch, and landed ourselves at our favorite local bookstore – Union Ave. Books.
It kicked off our week with some good thoughts about what kind of fun we’ll be getting ourselves into. It’s spring break for my kids and school is out. Since we took a trip to visit family in Colorado last month, and my husband is super busy at work, we decided to postpone anymore big trips untill summer. So this week will be a staycation for me and the kids.
After spending about an hour in the bookstore, I was full of ideas of what to do with ourselves this week.
When I picked up the beautiful book of poetry, Outside your Window, A First Book of Nature, it inspired me to plan a nature week with the kids. The illustrations are amazing and full of wonder. The book’s contents are organized by the four seasons and the poems are practical. For example some of the spring poems included are about frogs, rainbows, planting seeds and making compost. I can’t wait to share this book with my toddler, through all the seasons.
I Love Dirt is also a journey through the seasons, with inspiration and ideas to slow down with kids, take time to look for four leaf clovers, jump in puddles and watch worms wiggle. We plan to spend lots of time outside this week, gardening, playing in the dirt and taking nature walks. Finding this book today was perfect timing.
My five-year-old picked up the book Babar’s Celesteville Games. This French elephant is just as quirky and imaginative as she is, and always on a great adventure. It’s perfectly fitting, that we spend our week at home entertaining ourselves by reading some of Babar’s adventures.
The meander into the bookstore was provoked by my oldest daughter who was wanting something new to read. Really she asked to go to the library, but I’m saving that trip for one day this week. So today we supported the local bookstore instead.
She picked up a couple books from this Candy Fairy series. I was hoping to deviate from the fairy book scene this time. But hey, it’s spring break and if the girl is going to curl up on her bed with what she sees as a good book, then so be it. Her other recent favorite reads have been from the Ivy & Bean series and the Rainbow Magic fairy books.
Pulling books off our shelves at home, I started looking at Grow it, Cook it, with Kids and thinking about what we can start planting for our garden. A trip to our neighborhood plant store might be in order this week. That’s always a fun way to kill some time. We might use some ideas from our First Nature Activity Book to sprout some beans and grow Easter grass inside.
Thinking about what we’ll craft, I’m browsing through Look What you Can Make with Dozens of Household Items. I found some baskets made from cardboard boxes that could be great for collecting nature stuff. Plus it got me brainstorming for decorations the kids can create for the – ready for this – “potty party” the girls are planning for my toddler this week.
Our whole gang of girls will get cooking in the kitchen for this so called “potty party” to celebrate my baby graduating to big girl panties last week. The Southern Living Kids Cookbook has a recipe for Beary Good Rolls, which is cinnamon bread made into bear shapes. I think I’ll decorate ours by giving the little gals purple frosted panties. The girls will be thrilled to help with that. They never pass up a reason to celebrate!
As for my toddler’s favorite book these days, pants off (pun intended) it’s Diaper’s Are Not Forever.
What are you and the little folks at your house reading these days?
