What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday?

Posted on February 16, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed when you walk down the aisles of a bookstore or library…so many choices…which one should you pick? I know I do!

It is also difficult for parents who want to choose good books to read with their children.

These posts on Wednesdays are dedicated to busy parents and teachers who are looking for quality picture books, but don’t have a lot of time to search through the stacks.

Since this week I seem to be following a theme of LOVE, I’ve chosen I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, one of the stories I recommend in my new parenting book.

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART

Written by Noris Kern

Illustrated by Jean Baptiste Baronian

Polo, the baby polar bear, wonders what it means when his young caribou friend, Walter, tells him that his mother loves him with all her heart. Polo goes home to ask his mother and she explains that she loves him with her mouth when she kisses him, with her paws when she tickles him, with her belly when she hugs him; in other words, with her whole self or whole heart. Polo is extremely comforted by this revelation. Before he goes to sleep, he tells his mother that he loves her with all his heart too.

Charming illustrations and a simple text help young children enter the world between the pages of this book. Young children need to be reassured that their parents love them. All too often, we interact with our children only when we want to correct their behavior. This is really a reinforcement of their negative behavior. Perhaps, instead, we can follow the principle of Positive Parental Participation.

If you are enjoying the time you spend with your young child, whether it is reading the picture book or working on a craft project or preparing something together in the kitchen, that joyful interaction will help your child feel valued and valuable, an important step in the formation of high self-esteem.

Are you looking for great picture book recommendations and simple, easy-to-do fun-filled educational self-esteem building activities? Pick up a copy of the book that provides it all…now at a substantial saving at 50% off the cover price.

Quotable Timeless Tuedays: LOVE

Posted on February 15, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan in 1898. On the...

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“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength…while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” –Lao Tzu

Have you ever read accounts of Herculean feats of strength and courage? I’ve come across news stories that relate how a mother lifted a car that had rolled on her child…and how a husband swam miles in frigid ocean waters supporting his wife until they were rescued. I truly believe that love gives us strength and courage.

“You come to love, not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” -Sam Keen

As a young girl, I remember sitting with friends, talking about what each of us was looking for in the “perfect” husband…did you have a list of attributes you wanted in a mate? What was on your list? The thing is, there is a perfect person for everyone…their imperfections may bother others, but not you.

“I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” -Roy Croft

We are made better by those we cherish…because we strive to be the best we can be for them…we wish them to think well of us and to respect us.

“In real love, you want the other person’s good. In romantic love, you want the other person.” -Margaret Anderson

When you really love someone, you want the best for them and you are willing to give them anything you have, if they need it. My husband and I enjoy sharing things…meals at restaurants, good books, our lives. I know some people don’t like to share food, even with those they love, but I’ll never forget an experience we had at a Dunkin Donuts in Connecticut over 35 years ago. We had been out all day shopping and needed to have a bite to eat before we drove home. We only wanted to grab something quickly, so we pulled into a Dunkin Donuts and went inside. Sitting down at the counter, we noticed the special of the day…soup, bread, coffee and a donut. Since I LOVE soup and hate coffee, and my husband LOVES coffee and wasn’t in the mood for soup, we decided to order the special and share it. The woman behind the counter got our food and set it before us. The soup was delicious and I pushed it closer to my husband, asking him if he would like to have a taste. As he picked up the spoon, the woman behind the counter remarked, “That’s disgusting!!!! I’ve been married 30 years and I’ve never shared ANYTHING with my husband.”

I think that was one of the saddest thing I have ever heard.

“Love is comprised of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” -Aristotle

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and across the web there were stories, pictures and messages about love.

I think the most important message we need to keep close to our hearts is that we shouldn’t wait until Valentine’s Day or any other “special” day to say “I love you” to people we care about.

I will end with a quote by someone who couldn’t see or hear or speak…but her words create a beautiful picture in our minds and epitomize what love is all about.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” –Helen Keller

Valentine’s Day has come and gone…but children need to hear the words…I love you…on a daily basis. Stop by tomorrow for: What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday. I’ll be reviewing a picture book I recommend in my new parenting book, SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING.

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Valentine’s Day Special

Posted on February 14, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Esther Howland Valentine, circa 1850: "We...

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Do you remember your first Valentine’s Day card? Was it from a relative or a best-friend? How about your first “love interest” Valentine? Do you remember crafting Valentines when you were a child…cutting the red construction paper into heart shapes and gluing bits of ribbon or lace onto the handmade card?

The history of Valentine’s Day is clouded by various legends, but its roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration. Pope Gelasius I made this pagan festival into a Christian feast day in 496 and he declared February 14 to be Saint Valentine’s Day.

However, it wasn’t until the 14^th Century that Chaucer linked St. Valentine’s Day with romance. In 1381, he composed a poem in honor of the engagement of Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia. “The Parliament of Fowls” spoke of the royal engagement, the mating of fowls and St. Valentine’s Day.

By the 18^th Century, gift-giving and the exchange of handmade cards had become a tradition in England. However, it wasn’t until the 1850’s that the tradition of Valentine’s cards became widespread in the United States when Esther Howland, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts and a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, began to mass produce Valentine’s Day cards.

Do you still make your Valentine’s Day cards by hand?

A lot of people do try to make something special to celebrate this day of love. If you pass a bakery or candy shop, you will, no doubt, see windows and shelves filled with cakes, cookies, cupcakes and elegant confections in the shape of hearts, bows, and cupids.

For a healthier take on Valentine’s Day food, why not try this lovely HEARTS OF MOZZARELLA SALAD. This recipe is from the SHOW ME HOW! book, which provides 100 child-friendly healthful cooking activities. You can try it for lunch today or as a side salad for dinner.

HEARTS OF MOZZARELLA SALAD

You will need: 1 chunk of mozzarella cheese (about 1 lb), 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 Tb basis (dry or fresh), several leaves of romaine lettuce, 1 Tb balsamic vinegar, 1 Tb olive oil and 1 Tb Parmesan cheese.

1. Cut mozzarella into 8 slices, each about ¼ inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut each slice into a heart shape. Put the excess cheese in a plastic bag in the fridge to save for topping on pizza, etc.

2. Slice each tomato into 4 slices and place a tomato slice on top of each cheese heart.

3. Arrange on a platter of lettuce leaves and sprinkle each serving with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil and Parmesan cheese.

I hope you’ll stop by tomorrow for a bunch of wonderful love quotations in Quotable Timeless Tuesday.

May you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day…filled with Sunshine (even if it is raining) and Love.