Thanksgiving is next week and we've got Turkey on the brain..."Turkey Trouble" that is! "Stuffed with clever wordplay, groanable puns, and
easy-to-ham-it-up animal sounds, the chuckle-inducing narrative makes a
crowd-pleasing read-aloud. Turkey's get-ups are exuberantly silly and the
animals' sardonic facial expressions are sublime" said the School Library
Journal, and we couldn't have described it better!
Written by Wendy Silvano with illustrations by Lee Harper, Turkey Trouble is both a classroom and family favorite! With lots of "great ideas" and a few "Oh, Gobble, Gobbles!" Turkey Trouble is truly the perfect Thanksgiving read aloud and hard-cover "must have" for your children's book collection!
A Mr. Arachnid Library favorite!
Click on the link to check it out: Turkey Trouble
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Fall Family Fun List
There's a chill in the air...You know what that means...The magic of a new season is beginning to stir.
Here comes FALL!
List making is a normal thing around here...We're always making To-Do lists ( both at home and around the office), but a seasonal list of things to do is something new. We tried it this summer and it served as the perfect guide for summer fun making...so here we go again!
1. Explore a pumpkin
2. Carve pumpkins
3. Visit Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA (http://www.dutchwonderland.com/plan-a-visit/about-dutch-wonderland) to participate in their fall festivities
4. Take a trip to Salem, Massachusettes
5. Bake up a storm--starting with Pumpkin Pie
6. Read one of our very favorite books for fall: The Perfect Pumpkin Pie
7. Make a bird feeder
8. Visit a pumpkin patch
9. Go on a leaf hunt
10. Make leaf rubbings
12. Listen to our: Should I Stay or Should I Go Bird Migration song (www.toucheedi.com)
13. Listen to our Hibernating Kind of Bear song (www.toucheedi.com)
14. Learn about Bird Migration and Animal Hibernation with Preston
15. Decorate the house with mums, pumpkins and Scarecrows
16. Go to a movie or host a movie night
17. Watch: "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"
18. Drink Apple Cider
19. Go on a hayride
20. Visit the Bloomsburg Fair
Sunday, July 28, 2013
A Nighttime Nature Ride = Simple FAMILY FUN
I have two boys. Ronnie-16. Preston-4. Like most families, we're often on the lookout for things we can do together that everyone will enjoy. Last night was no exception.
When our evening plans to visit with family were cancelled, the scent of disappointment wafted through the car like and old Sippy cup full of sour milk. In an attempt to save the evening and do something fun as a family, we decided to take a scenic ride through the countryside.
With Ronnie’s new spotlight in tow, we headed out to the back roads of Central PA. Our only goals: to enjoy the scenery and spot a few deer.
As it turned out, we found there is a lot that goes on when the sun goes down. From bats and skunks to deer and possum...there is a real busyness in the woods at night. I mean, I knew there were nocturnal animals, but, I never expected to see so many in one evening.
The first little guy we came across was a very arrogant possum. He sat in the middle of the road nibbling away on his bedtime snack. Instead of being scared away by our headlights, his stare seemed to say, “Do you mind?” We imagined various ways of interacting with this guy.
We also saw many deer (13 in total), and many zipping-zapping bats—nothing too impressive at first. But, then, we saw a mischievous coyote and a very sneaky red fox tiptoeing along the side of the road. Where were they going? Perhaps, to grandmother's house to join the BIG BAD WOLF or maybe they were headed to "Bloomingdale's to buy a hat that would turn out to be a mistake."
As we were heading home, the last and most exciting creature we spotted was a large owl. His wide wings caught my attention. We watched as he spread his wings and with silent flight, he pushed his talons forward, lowering them like landing gear, to snatch something out of the air. He left out a loud screech and flew to the top of a tree where we saw his head shift from side to side nearly making a complete circle. We were in awe!
Who would have thought there was such nightlife here in PA? On the way home, we decided that our simple ride had provided a lot of entertainment. We also decided, we will do it again. It might be fun to keep a journal of all the creatures we spot along the way.
So if your looking for some simple and relaxing family fun, head out on a nighttime nature ride. Don't forget your spotlight!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Summer Fun
The warmth of the sun, the sounds of the birds and the bees, and the smell of a cook-out nearby all spell summer.
As we get ready to flip our calendars and head towards JULY, we think about all of the things we want to do during this special season. Like many, we've been busy crossing things off our summer to-do list, but there is still more we want to squeeze in.
- 1. Ride a bike
- 2. Catch lightening bugs in a jar
- 3. Eat an ice-cream cone (or two or three)... Yum!
- 4. Plant something with the kids...herbs, delicious smelling lavender ( to keep the bugs away), tomatoes (to top off our salads)
- 5. Pick strawberries
- 6. Pick blueberries
- 7. Go camping
- 8. Go for a walk in the rain
- 9. Catch a butterfly
- 10. Have a picnic
- 11. Go fishing
- 12. Paint rocks
- 13. Go swimming
- 14. Watch the sun rise and set
- 15. Read a few good books
- 16. Draw
- 17. Keep a summer-fun journal or scrapbook of your family-fun adventures
- 18. Watch a baseball game
- 19. Dance outside in the grass
- 20. Start a seashell or rock collection
- 21. Make lemonade
- 22. Set up a lemonade stand
For more Summer Living ideas, check out Martha Stewart's site. She has a variety of terrific summer-time craft ideas, photos and recipes (including many varieties of thirst quenching lemonade).
Martha Stewart's travel and activity ideas
Friday, April 5, 2013
Colors of Spring
CD Promotion
Spring Inspires Imagination!
Capture the colors and sounds of spring with this special offer... For every children's CD you order during the month of April, receive a box of scented markers FREE!
To take advantage of this special offer. Visit our shop online: www.toucheedi.com.
Offer expires April 30, 2013.
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