Laura Ingalls Wilder

 It only took me a few minutes to figure out why Victoria scooted her chair close to the heater with her desk stool next to her. We had been reading The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder this past month and Victoria is loving it as much as I did when I was little.

It has been fun to experience the books all over again. I love that she is sewing. She has even put together a sewing basket with projects lined up. That's my girl.

 She and her friends even play that they are pioneers.  They spend quite a bit of time debating who gets to be Laura this time.  Hopefully they are taking turns.

I think if they could get closer, they would.

Christmas Book and Craft

The Biggest Best Snowman

by Margery Cuyler

is a cute story about a little girl who is told that she is too small

to do just about anything. 

That is until her and her little forest friends

build an enormous snowman and

show her mom and her funky dressed sisters what they did.

I hated it when I was a kid and I was told, you can't do that,

you're too little.

I think that is probably why I have always let my kids try things

and use scissors when they were two.

(They never cut themselves by the way)

If I have to make a decision that really is because one of the

kids is too young or small, I try to think up some other reason

so I don't have to shatter their dream because

they are too little to do it.

 This idea for the snowman started with a mini pringles can that Victoria had.

We were both looking at the can as to what

we could make out of it.

And then I cut these wierd leg ties off the dog sweater and instantly

saw a snowman scarf.

Victoria is liking that she can use the cool temp glue gun

if she is careful.

 My baby isn't a baby anymore.

Adorable!

Christmas Book and Craft

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

by Laura Numeroff

illustrated by Felicia Bond

should be on your list to read to your little one. 

Heck, even your big kids will like this story.

It reminds me of a little kids mind and the chain of thoughts

that it takes as he or she is visually

stimulated in life.

Victoria made these adorable mice from walnuts.

It was the intention that she was making ornaments to give to people
but then it became a family of mice with one black mouse.

It became a whole story in itself.

Kind of like the story of the mouse in the book.

So, needless to say she kept all of her mice and has decorated
the house with all 20 of them.

A Christmas book and a craft

We read "B is for Bethlehem" by Isabel Wilner
and illustrated by Elisa Kleven. 

I really like this book mostly for the illustrations.

The artist used every color to depict the

Christmas story.

Victoria and I glued a paper chain.

I think that every child needs the experience of gluing a paper chain. 
I remember doing some when I was little and helping each of my children do one.
It is funny how you either like making a paper chain or you don't.
You either get a good glue stick that actually sticks the paper
together or you don't and have to resort to a stapler. 
Fortunately we had two really good sticky glue sticks.

It is kind of a childhood right of passage.

I think Sammy even enjoyed getting in on the festivities.

Pinkalicious!

The women's gym that my Mom works at had a Pinkalicious Party for little girls and their mothers on Mother's Day weekend.
They needed cupcakes so I made these cupcakes just like the cupcakes in the story.

This is the cutest story. It is about a little girl who eats too many pink cupcakes and turns pink. The only remedy is to eat green vegetables. Victoria thought it was a good thing she likes vegetables and salad so she wouldn't ever turn pink. Though I do remember the kids turning orange as babies from eating carrots and sweet potatoes.Victoria had a great time. She made a pretty glittery crown and made a princess wand. It was nice spending the time with her one on one. She even got to spend a little time with Nana behind the desk and even go grocery shopping with her.