I Can See The Light

This week I can finally see the light. Although it’s still rather dim and slightly blurry, I know I’m close. Today when I thought I was going to have a mini meltdown, I simply closed my eyes and said “6 more days, and I’m free!” Yes, that’s right people, it is my favorite time of the year and the one of the best parts of my job…summer vacation!

It is also around this time of year that many parents often ask what I would like as a thank you gift. As much as I appreciate the #1 teacher stuffed animals and mugs, what I’d really like this year is for parents at my school to buy this book.


What to Read When is such a great resource to have. So many of my parents ask me what books they should be reading with their children and now I can point them in this direction. This book takes into consideration a child’s age, gender, attention ability, and interests, as well as offering tips on read alouds. Another bonus feature of this book is its annotated list of over three hundred titles with category themes ranging from friendships, to thankfulness, to silliness, to separation. A “Reader’s Ladder” is also included, which recommends books at every age from birth to 10 years old.


I always assume that parents understand how important is it to read to their child, but this school year was the first year I had to make it homework. Parents were busy and it was very apparent that more and more of them were not finding the time to read with their child. My students absolutely loved story time; it was the one time I knew everyone was engaged and listening. Read alouds build listening and comprehension skills, increase vocabulary when children hear words in context, allow children to learn about the world around them, and provide a forum for discussion. These are only a few of the benefits. I’ll step off of my soapbox now, but the moral of the story (no pun intended) is please, please read with your child!

If you still would like to give your teacher an appreciation gift, then these cookies are pretty cute and would make any teacher smile.


Say it with me "6 more days, 6 more days, 6 more days..."

-Kacey

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

I have a confession to make. If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll share it with you. There has been a rift in the Three; a difference of opinion among the Three Bay B Chicks that we may not be able to recover from. As much as I would like to believe that our friendship is strong and can withstand any challenge that comes our way, this topic may very well be our Achilles heel.

In light of our inability to reach an agreement, I submit my argument to the blogosphere today and allow our readers to decide.

Background:
I feel that my long-time friend, Kacey, has gone astray. Back in March, she wrote this statement on our blog, “I’m a loyal fan of Barefoot Contessa and have been known to try a recipe from Giada." Yes, friends, it is true. My dear, dear friend Kacey has turned to the darkside and used recipes from Giada de Laurentiis as a guide for Italian cooking. My heart breaks each time I am faced with this reality.

Like any compelling argument, I must outline the reasons for my belief that we should turn away from Giada's teachings. I have gathered the following facts and photographic evidence to aid our audience in reaching a conclusion.

Evidence:

1) Most of the food that Giada makes is not Italian. I queried the top 94 recipes from Giada available on foodnetwork.com. Here are the first five recipes that came up: Couscous Cakes, Beer-Battered Apple and Onion Rings, Corn and Black Bean Salad with Basil-Lime Vinaigrette, Hibiscus Tea with Vodka and Citrus, and Nonna Luna’s Rice. My fellow bloggers, just because something has basil in it, does not mean that it is Italian. Case in point: Thai food uses basil too.

2) When you Google Giada’s name, you will find an equal number of sites dedicated to Giada’s food as to her cleavage. In other words, enough people in the world have queried the words breasts and cleavage as they relate to Giada that both terms come up in the drop-down menu on Google. This begs the question, “why the low cut shirts?” Perhaps the viewing public should be focusing on Giada's knife skills, rather than her… other assets.

3) I recently sought out advice for this situation from my perpetually level-headed friend, Thuy. She listened, as a good friend does, and made no judgments. However, I would like to point out that after our conversation, Thuy sent me the below photos, which were accompanied by the quote, “In her crusade to show the world how much enjoyment can be derived from Italian cooking, De Laurentiis goes through a lot of tomatoes.”

Rather than belabor my argument, I think it is best to end my post on a high note. If you are in the market for a resource that teaches you about actual Italian food and cooking techniques, I would highly recommend the following: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Cooking By Hand, Trattoria Cooking, and The Silver Spoon.

After all, don’t you think that an Italian cooking icon should look more like this:

Rather than like this:

I leave this critical decision in your hands.

-Francesca

Our Favorite Author

A few weeks ago Emi attended her first book reading/signing. We were eating breakfast at one of our favorite spots in the city and as we were walking out we saw it... a sign in the book store for the Amy Krouse Rosenthal. What luck! We absolutely adore her and were tickled pink to discover she would be reading her latest book, Duck! Rabbit!

While Emi was probably the youngest in the crowd she tried her best to listen to Mrs. Rosenthal describe all about the inspiration for her books.


Amy was very engaging and had some children from the audience go up and read stories with her. After she read a couple of her favorites, we were able to have her sign a few books for us to take home. Hooray!

As much as I love Emi's interest in books, there are a few I could do without. One book I particularly detest is Good Night Moon. If you ask me, this book blows – it's painfully repetitive and features a creepy old rabbit lady whispering "hush." Not exactly the last image I’d like to see before going to bed. However, Emi goes nuts for this book, thanks to my mom, who taught her to look for the little mouse on each and every page.

What I appreciate most about Amy Krouse Rosenthal is her simple storytelling, layered with memorable wit and charm. I believe that parents love her as much as their children because her books are so bearable to read, even for the 105th time!

Here are some of my favorites:

Darling book, great pictures. Duck! Rabbit! is a fun way to learn all about different view-points and perspectives.

Little Oink is a cute story about a little pig who loves to be neat and clean. The kids think it’s hilarious that he has to make his room messy in order to go out and play.

Spoon thinks he is boring and no fun compared to his friends, knife, fork and chopsticks. He learns to appreciate all that he and the other spoons have to offer.

At the signing, it dawned on me that Amy also wrote one of my favorite books, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. It's not a kids book, but a charming and ingeniously adapted memoir of her life from A to Z. It’s a very easy read and tremendously entertaining.

I'm crossing my fingers Emi will grow out of her Good Night Moon phase. Otherwise, this mom might have to "lose" the book and leave it at Grandma's house.

-Kacey

Green Guilt

Since Earth Day last week I’ve been feeling lots of “green guilt” towards my reckless consumption. I've decided to join forces with Thuy and take some small steps towards becoming more earth/green conscious. Here are my top five items I’ve recently purchased and am proud to say are officially GREEN!

1. Better World Books: I recently posted about my favorite spring books. If you wanted to purchase any of these books, but haven’t, please use this site. Better World Books not only has an amazing amount of books, but it also ships FREE in the US and costs only $3.97 to ship anywhere in the world. In addition, the company supports book drives and collects textbooks from universities and colleges. They convert these donated books into funds, which they use for literacy and education programs.

2. Ecojot: This paper company has some of the cutest journals around. All of their products are made from 100% post consumer recycled paper, their inks and glues are vegetable based, and the paper is chlorine free. Check out their darling sketchbooks for kids.


3. Grip Color EcoPencils: Not only are these easy on the eyes, but these pencils are also triangular, which means they won’t roll off your table. They’re non-toxic and made from reforested sources in Brazil. Plus, they have polka-dots! Hello? Need I say more?

4. Reuseable Snack Bags: Confession: I use a lot of Ziploc bags! I am sure that my consumption doubled after Emi’s arrival too. I’ve started the process of purchasing reuseable snack bags for my lunch. They can be a bit pricey for one bag, but it seems like a good investment, especially since I take my lunch to school and use about 5 ziploc bags a day! Yikes! Click on the different bags to be directed to the seller's sites.

Also, be sure to check back with us on Friday for Thuy's post about these lovely Evelynfield's bags. She'll be hosting a giveaway.

5. I’m Not a Paper Cup…cup: I converted my water bottle to a stainless steel bottle about a year ago. Yet, when it comes to my daily cup(s) of coffee, I’m guilty of using many paper cups. This cup solves my paper cup problems. I especially like the fact that it’s microwaveable, since most days I don’t finish my coffee until after I reach the classroom. (Maybe that’s why I’m so irritatable?)


Here's to taking the first of many small green steps!

Remember to visit us Friday for your chance to enter Thuy's giveaway.

-Kacey

Spring Book Favorites

One of the many reasons I love teaching primary grades is my love for picture books. I have to admit my interest in reading rapidly declined when I began reading chapter books. Where are the pictures? You mean it’s going to take more than one sitting to finish the story? Bother!

I’m always on the lookout for new books to read to my students, and now Emi. We have a LOT of books in our house. Many of these are classics, favorites from my own childhood. While nostalgia plays a part in my book acquisitions, I’m continually on the look out for new books that have that certain je ne sais quoi. Good art - simple or complex. I like artists who can inspire imagination with just their clever color pallets and design. Art that appeals to children but isn’t too “cartoony” is what I look for. I like stories that are simple, yet unconventional and witty. I feel that the more I enjoy reading a certain book, the more engaged my little listener will be. Below are my top 5 Spring favorites. Go to the library and literally check them out. You won’t be sorry, I promise!

1. The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters


This is such a fun book. Go on an adventure with the Jolly Postman while he visits friends from fairytales and Mother Goose characters. It comes with actual letters to remove and read. In the age of email, kids will learn to appreciate the loveliness of getting mail. This story is a delight to read.

2. Little Pea


Amy Krouse Rosenthal is my new favorite girlfriend. (Sorry Orla!) Her books are darling! Little Pea hates eating candy for dinner, but his parents will not let him eat his favorite spinach dessert until he cleans his plate. Kids find this story hysterical. If they like this book, then they will surely appreciate her others, Little Hoot and Little Oink.

3. Do Unto Otters

Confession: I bought this book based just on the title. It was a hit with my first graders. (They thought it was the best thing since lunchables.) Everyone loved the pictures and I appreciated the fact that it’s a book about manners. We were able to generate a much needed discussion on why manners are important. Bonus!

4. Lost and Found

This is such a sweet simple story about an unlikely friendship. I’m especially drawn to the pictures, which are vibrant and subtle at the same time. There is a sadness in both the penguin and little boy’s eyes that is quite touching. Great for ages 3-6.

5. The Secret Circus


This book is close to my heart because I know the wonderful lady who wrote and illustrated it. This is Johanna Wright's first book and it’s absolutely lovely; the perfect book to read before bedtime because of its soft rhythmic prose. Children enjoy it because they feel like they are part of a secret. Her amazing paintings, although muted, create a dreamy atmosphere and reveal “the secret,” even though the text may not. I hope this is the first of many books from the lovely Ms. Wright.

I would love to hear about any of your family's favorite books. Sharing is caring, people. Sharing is caring.

-Kacey