Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?

Posted on April 1, 2011 by viviankirkfield

: Image via Wikipedia

When I introduced the SHOW ME HOW Story-time Program to District 11, I had no idea how popular it would be.

But I guess when you combine picture books and young children and craft activities, you are bound to get positive results!

Yesterday morning found me at Edison School…just three minutes from my house. It was easy to find because I’d been there before…not to read or craft, but to vote. 🙂

The kindergarten children in Ms. Gustafson’s class were eager to hear about Frederick, the little mouse whose family is preparing for the winter by collecting corn, straw, wheat and nuts. Although it looks like Frederick is sleeping most of the time, he tells his family that he is busy…gathering the sun’s rays, colors and words. When winter comes and the mice have eaten most of the food and are cold and hungry, Frederick offers up the supplies he brought and warms his family with his words about the sun’s golden rays and brightens the gray winter day by talking about the colors of the flowers in the spring.

I was so impressed with the children’s level of attention…smiling faces and raised hands greeted every question I asked as we discussed the difference between the supplies Frederick gathered and those his family brought. They understood that even though food and shelter were important, the beauty that Frederick supplied was necessary for life also.

After the story and discussion, the children moved to their tables where they worked on creating a colorful flower picture. Many of the children added their own touches…some drew Frederick and his family…one boy raised the edges of the construction paper flowers so that they had depth, just like real flowers do.

I was touched when one student wanted to give me his picture to take home with me…what an honor! However, the teacher was going to hang all of the pictures on the wall outside the classroom, so I thanked him and told him that I would be able to enjoy seeing it again the next time I visited Edison School.

As the children put the finishing touches on their pictures, I thanked them for having me, said goodbye and walked down the hall to the other kindergarten where 15 smiling children waited to greet me and hear all about Frederick.

Based on my book for parents of preschoolers, the SHOW ME HOW Story-time Program helps encourage young children in school to become readers and lovers of books. If you’d like to have this unique resource available to you and your child, please visit my website where you can purchase a copy at 50% off the cover price. For just $22.50, you will have 100 story summaries, 100 simple craft projects and 100 easy healthful cooking activities right at your fingertips! And you can enter to win a selection of craft supplies for your preschooler.

I’m looking forward to April 12^th when this blog will be a stop on the book blog tour of Max the Dog Who Works. He is also in the People Telly Awards competition and the following is a message from him about a youtube video he made:

This competition and the People Telly Awards are chosen specifically by online voters. We are seeking your help to share and gain as many votes as possible to show support for Leader Dogs for the Blind. To vote, please visit the Link provided below and rate it using the ever famous thumbs up system. Videos that earn the most thumbs up win!

The more people you share this link with, the greater the chance of earning recognition for Leader Dogs.

Visit: http://www.youtube.com/tellyawards?x=TNRiC8lMBoU to cast your vote

Hugs and Licks:Max!

Leader Dogs for the Blind…a very worthwhile organization…please give your support by watching the video and voting for Max!

Healthy Habit Thursday: The Importance of Vitamins!

Posted on March 31, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

I can still remember the ENORMOUS vitamin pill my sister and I had to take every morning. It was all but impossible to swallow…and often left us feeling that it was still stuck in our throats, long after breakfast was over.

These days, children have chewable vitamins with fruity flavors, shaped like favorite cartoon characters.

But the underlying premise is still the same…supplementing your daily diet with vitamins and minerals is probably a smart move…especially these days when the nutritional value of processed foods is questionable.

So why are vitamins important and how does each one help?

Today’s post will concentrate on Vitamin B…a complex vitamin made up of eight essential nutrients. And then, every Thursday in the month of April, we’ll take a look at various other vitamins.

The B-complex vitamins are essential for life and good health. They help make and regulate our genes, produce energy, regulate blood sugar, enhance mood and cognitive abilities and maintain cardiovascular health. Since the 1940’s, they’ve been known as anti-stress vitamins because they help strengthen our resistance to the physical and mental consequences of chronic stress.

Eight B vitamins make up this family of essential nutrients.

Vitamin B1: Also known as thiamin, this vitamin helps cells produce the right amounts of energy and gives you the power to get through day-to-day life. If you consume large amounts of sugars and simple carbohydrates like pizza, breads, pastas, bagels and cereals, your supply of B1 will be depleted.
Vitamin B2: Also known as riboflavin, this vitamin is at the heart of energy production and thought to be helpful to decrease the frequency of migraine headaches.
Vitamin B3: Also known as niacin, this vitamin helps cells produce an enzyme that repairs DNA damage from toxins and it also can significantly lower blood cholesterol levels.
Vitamin B6: Also known as pyridoxine and pyridoxyl-5-phosphate, this vitamin works together with other elements to promote a variety of chemical reactions involved in the production of serotonin and other mood-enhancing neurotransmitters. It’s been used in studies to decrease PMS symptoms and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Vitamin B12: Low levels of this vitamin can accelerate aging and the risk of cancer and may mimic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Folic Acid: This vitamin is the main contributor to making new DNA which is needed to make new cells for growth and healing. Studies show that this vitamin can enhance the benefits of anti-depressant drugs and cut hearing loss in middle-age and older people.
Biotin: This vitamin activates some of the genes involved in metabolizing blood sugar, protein and fat…it’s especially important for people with pre-diabetes and type-2 diabetes. It also can help lower triglycerides and it improves nail health.
Choline: This vitamin is found in all cell membranes where it helps communicate external information to the cell nucleus. It is needed for normal brain development and function.

This is a photo from my recent trip to visit my daughter and her family. 2 1/2 year-old Jeremy had a wonderful time whisking the eggs and mashing the bananas (both GREAT sources of Vitamin B) for the banana muffins we made. As parents, we are responsible for providing healthful foods for our children…and ourselves. Do you find yourself dragging before the day is half over? Maybe you need to eat some foods rich in B vitamins.

1. Dark leafy green vegetables

2. Fresh fruits

3. Fresh dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese

4. Meat

Two important tips to remember:

Most processed foods these days are “enriched” with vitamin B…but we should all strive to eat foods that are naturally rich in B.
The nutritional value of a food can decline when frozen, overcooked or combined with various additives.

If you are looking for some simple child-friendly healthful recipes…please visit my website where you can purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW, a unique resource for parents and teachers of preschoolers that provides 100 cooking activities your child will LOVE to help with…most take just 15 minutes to prepare and will contribute to your child’s positive self-image. The half-price sale continues until April 9^th…so please don’t miss out if you were thinking of getting a copy. You can also enter to win a selection of craft supplies for your preschooler.

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian and find out how much fun I had this morning at Edison School! And don’t forget about the Book Blog Tour for Max the Dog. You can click on my sidebar to find out more.

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: I LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE YOU

Posted on March 30, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

WOW! I just got back from visiting with my daughter and her family in New Hampshire.

As I boarded the plane in Boston, I was missing them already!

While there, I was able to read and craft and cook with my 2½ year-old grandson, Jeremy. Oh yes, and hug and kiss him a lot.

Young children need to hear how much they are loved and valued…on a daily basis. As parents, we sometimes get overwhelmed with our tasks and chores. It warms my heart to observe how loving and nurturing my daughter is…even though she is always busy…she never forgets to let her child know how special he is!

While on the east coast, we visited with my niece and her children and my daughter grabbed some time to read to her son, Jeremy (on the right) and her cousin’s little boy, Jake. No matter what stories you read to your children, what counts is the joyful and positive time you spend with them that counts. Today’s story suggestion let’s your children know that you will love them…no matter what!

I LOVE YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE YOU

Written by Lisa Baker

Illustrated by David McPhail

Mother Fox tells her son that she loves him when he is happy as well as when he is angry. She also loves him when he is sick in bed as well as when he is running around. She lets him know that she loves him when he is shouting as well as when he is quiet. Little Fox, of course, is very comforted by the fact that his mother loves him just as he is.

Young children need to know that we will love them no matter what. This level of unconditional love and acceptance will encourage them to come to us with their problems and concerns. It will also enable them to show love to others and develop healthy relationships with others, now and throughout their lives.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of books available at libraries and bookstores? Check out my website where you can purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRFTING AND COOKING at 50% off the cover price. This is a great resource for busy parents…it pinpoints 100 picture books every young child should hear and provides a story summary, gentle parenting tip, easy craft project and simple healthful cooking activity for each recommended title. Just stop by and enter to win the Crafty Easter Basket filled with craft supplies for your preschoolers…no purchase necessary…just fill in the contact form. You can even leave me a comment here on why you would like to win the craft supplies.

One more piece of information I’d like to share…a fellow author is having a book blog tour…these are great books for children and Positive Parental Participation will be the host on April 12. There is an ongoing contest to win prizes…you just have to check out each stop on the 30+ day tour…here is the link for more information: http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html