Cinema Sundays: My Picks of Great Flicks…Valentine’s Day Special

Posted on February 13, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Early 20th century Valentine's Day card, showi...

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My husband and I love watching movies.

We rarely go to the theater.

Instead, we frequent the shelves of our local library which offer brand-new-to-DVD movies, as well as many treasured classics and a great collection of foreign films…all for free! Our local stores also have red boxes (and black boxes and perhaps other color boxes as well) which are vending machines that disperse a wide range of movie DVD’s for the cost of $1.00 per night.

Looking back, I remember going to the movies on a Saturday with my older sister or several friends. Fifty cents was the admission price…and you got to see a double feature, newsreel and several cartoons…at the end of the showing, you were allowed to remain in the theater and see it all again! Clutching a precious quarter in my hand, I would approach the concession counter and make my selections…weighing the cost of bonbons (chocolate covered vanilla ice cream balls…five or six to a narrow rectangular package) against the box of spearmint leaves and jumbo popcorn which together cost the same as the bonbons. Once in a while, the bonbons won out…I really loved them!

With Valentine’s Day so close, I’d like to recommend a movie (actually two…one is the sequel) that will warm you heart and remind you that there are many types of love and many ways to show it.

It may surprise you that both are “Christmas” movies…but perhaps that is not so surprising…under all the commercialism of the Christmas season these days…the message is still about abiding love.

The Christmas Shoes, and its sequel, The Christmas Blessing, are both movies on my not-to-be-missed list. With top performing actors, both will make you smile and cry with joy…and both will remind you of what is really important in life.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Stop by tomorrow for Make-A-Meal Mondays…and something special for Valentine’s Day.

The Day I Almost Changed My Mind About Becoming a Teacher

Posted on February 12, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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In May of 1967, I had graduated from college with a bachelor’s in early childhood education, completed my student teaching requirements, and passed the New York City teacher’s licensing exam. I was fortunate that the principal, of the school where I had done my student teaching had created a new kindergarten class for me that would start in the upcoming school year. I was excited and thrilled that my life-long goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher was finally going to be realized. In addition, I was to be married at the end of the summer, right before school started!

So, when the principal asked me if I would do some substitute teaching in June, during the last month of school, I jumped at the opportunity. I would be getting classroom experience as a “real” teacher…and I would be earning some extra money that would certainly be useful for two newly-weds.

The first call came one early morning in the first week in June. I would be taking over a second grade. As I parked my car (parking cars on city streets near schools is a whole other blog post topic) and walked into the school, my heart beat quickly…a little with nervous excitement and a little with happiness at embarking on this new journey.

Many schools divide each grade level into homogeneous classes…that is, most of the students in each class are at a similar learning level. The 2^nd grade students in the class I was assigned to were so smart and self-motivated …they almost didn’t need a teacher.

I walked into the room…the children filed in a few at a time…smiling at me…taking their seats. When everyone was seated, I introduced myself. From that moment on, the day was an absolute dream. The children knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing in each subject…and they did it…with very little direction from me. At the end of the day, I was convinced I was a natural…destined to be the best teacher ever!

When the phone rang the next morning, I answered it with a smile. “I’ll be right there.” This time I entered the classroom with confidence. I had been assigned to a fourth grade…even better, I thought.

Two boys walked in, pushing each other. Another was shooting spit balls out of a straw.

And it was all downhill from that moment on.

At one point, I sent one of the girls to the chalkboard with a basin of water to clean it off…one of the boys grabbed the basin and upended it over her head. Books were purposely dropped on the floor while another child was reading out loud. One girl began crying that her pigtails had been pulled by the boy sitting behind her. No one had done their homework…no one knew what lesson they had been studying. Very few had their books…and those that did were using them to hit any classmate within reach.

They were out of control…and I felt helpless to control them.

By the end of the day, I was almost In tears…convinced that I had been mistaken about my career choice.

When the phone rang the next morning, I ignored it. During the night, I had given a lot of thought to my experience. I decided that the money was not as important as the destruction of my hopes and dreams. I knew where I belonged…in early childhood classes. It was what I had prepared myself for and I wanted to be able to look forward to the new school year with eager anticipation.

I did go on to teach kindergarten and Head Start for many years…and I can honestly say that I LOVED every minute of it…from the lesson plans, to the story readings…from the field trips with two lines of boys and girls holding hands, gazing in awe at the museum exhibit or the animals in the zoo to snack time with milk and cookies.

I have so many fond memories of my teaching days…and I am thrilled to be able to be back in the classroom again. My SHOW ME HOW Story-Time Program for the local Pre-K and kindergarten students has enabled me to share the picture book stories and craft projects recommended in my new book. I was also able to share with the parents who attended the presentation on Thursday the importance of reading to young children, talking with them and participating with them positively.

If you have young children and need some story suggestions, great eco-friendly craft projects and easy-peasy healthy cooking activities, why not grab a copy. Head on over to my website where we’ve slashed the price to $22.50…that’s 50% of the cover price. It will be the best gift you could give to yourself and your preschooler.

Birthdays: Special Days On Which To Reflect

Posted on February 11, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Today is my birthday!

I know that many people, especially as they get older, would rather not celebrate their birthdays. Perhaps they think that if they don’t let people wish them “Happy Birthday” it will keep time from slipping away. Maybe they believe that birthdays are just for young children.

For me, each birthday is an opportunity to rejoice and reflect.

I look back at the year gone by and think about everything that has happened, all that I have accomplished and all of the wonderful people whose lives have connected with mine. This past year has been especially fruitful…my new book for parents of preschoolers was published in September. My talented daughter and daughter-in-law set up my website and were instrumental in getting the book to look so amazing before it went to print. I’ve met dozens of amazing moms and dads through their blogs…many have read the book and have done terrific reviews on their sites…you can read the latest one that was posted today:

http://bookdads.com/book-review/book-review-show-me-how/

And then I give thanks for today…as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift…that’s why they call it the present.”

I love my life…yes, sometimes it is incredibly busy…but I’m happy that I have the strength and energy to do what needs to be done (most of the time).

I love my family…supportive encouraging loving husband whom I’ve been married to for forty-three years, three awesome grown children who are happy in their own lives, three gorgeous (of course) smart (of course) and wonderful (of course) grandchildren and a dear sweet sister.

I love my friends…one I’ve known for over half a century and her prayers and good wishes raise me up on a daily basis; some whom I’ve just met through this amazing blog/internet/social networking phenomenon. but I feel close to them already.

And then I look forward to the future…with eager anticipation. Another gem from Eleanor Roosevelt sums ups how I feel: “You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.”

I’m excited about the opportunities that I have to share my passions: for picture books and for uplifting young children. The new SHOW ME HOW! story-time program for our local schools here in Colorado Springs has enabled me to be back in the Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, surrounded by the eager smiling faces of young children. And parents and teachers who use the book will be building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and creating a life-long parent-child bond.

May I share one more quote from Eleanor Roosevelt? “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Helping children believe in the beauty of THEIR dreams is exactly what the book does! I realize that parents are often overwhelmed these days with juggling jobs, home, family and other responsibilities. It is hard to find the time to plan quality activities. That’s why the book is such a valuable tool…it is a genuine shortcut for today’s busy parents and teachers. Everything is laid out in a simple easy-to-use format…story suggestion and summary, gentle parenting tip, eco-friendly craft project and child-friendly healthful cooking activity.

After doing some market research, we’ve decided to try to make the book more affordable for parents and others (preschool teachers, nannies, daycare providers, grandparents) who want to purchase a copy. From today (my birthday) until March 9^th (World Read-Aloud Day…very appropriate, I think, because the book is all about the importance of reading to young children), the book will be on sale on my website for $22.50 per copy with FREE shipping. I am taking away the BOGO event, as that required people to purchase two copies at the same time. I hope that everyone who has been thinking about getting a copy, but were hesitant because of the price, will hop over and grab one…or more…I’ve been told they make great gifts for baby showers. 🙂

So now I will post this to my blog and close the computer and enjoy the rest of my special day! There is definitely an ice-cream sundae, a bowl of popcorn and a good movie in my plans for today!