Summering

The season that once seemed to saunter by is now passing swifter than my memory or my liking. Holding dear to my heart all the memories we made: Maine adventures, picnics, play, kayaks, drive-ins, meteors, moonrise and bats, soda geysers, mud, homegrown blueberries, cacao roasted almonds, brownie brittle and apple galette, turtles, fireflies, toads that sing at night, hummingbirds and one wild rabbit, fireflies, cricket chirps, a blue moon that brought two very special moths, night swimming, pools with slides, our magical ice cream man, summer storms and rainbows that follow, bedtime stories, dawn chorus.

 

Mom to Mom Give Away: Nikki McClure

Satch and I are huge fans of Nikki McClure. When I told him that the art is made from paper cuts, he was enthralled. "But how, Mama, HOW?!?!" I sat him down in front of the computer and played this video. He was SMITTEN!



We were delighted to see Nikki's art in Cynthia Rylant's book, "All in a Day" last year. And we are excited beyond words that Nikki released her own book, this past May! Both books quickly became bedtime favorites. The images depict tender moments that children and parents can relate to, moments shared within the closeness of family. Both books inspire the reader to savor the beauty in our day to day life. You will have a chance to win one of these books at the end of the post! In the meantime...it is my honor to introduce you to Nikki McClure...

Mom: Nikki McClure
Of: Finn
Where: Olympia, WA
Site: Nikki McClure

1. In what ways has becoming a mother changed you?

Just about every way! Though I still feel little bubbles of me rising to the surface every now and then but not strong enough to get up from a warm snuggle with a sleeping child and make my way to see my friend's band play down the street.

I find that I am much more efficient. No dilly dallying- except when I am just hanging out with my child.

We just dilly-dally then!

2. What message would you like to share with creative mothers?

Make new rules. Work small and quick. Finn is reading a book and eating nectarine slices as I type this.

3. What inspired you to create "Mama, is it Summer Yet"?

Finn asking me that question in March!- It was a nice day, granted. I wanted to show him what to look for and look forward to. I realized that if my nature savvy kid was a bit confused, then what about all the kids inside all day! There is also a part that explains why we eat strawberries in June, not February no matter how big and red they seem to be in the market, Our family has to wait. I'm so cruel.

4. Your work inspires me because it so movingly reflects the beauty in ordinary moments, family and nature. Would you mind sharing one such moment with my readers and how that moment was portrayed in your work?

This one is hard...every picture has a back story. I like to keep them secret so the image can belong to the viewer and elicit their own set of memories.


5. What moves you, grounds you, fills you with joy?

Summer. Eating wild berries. Swallows flying. When everyone is happy at the same time.

To honor the passing Summer season and warm your hearts in the coming cold months, the generous folks at Abrams Books is allowing me to give away a copy of these two beautiful books. To win one of the inspiring beauties, kindly share one favorite Summer moment spent with your child in the comments section of this post and specify which book you are swooning over. The winner will be picked by random generator and announced on Wednesday August 18th.

*Please leave an email so I can contact the winners.

Time to Remember (and giveaway)

"It was a time of innocence.
A time of "kick the can" and climbing trees,
of riding bikes and skinning knees,
of endless days and porch swing nights,
watching flickering dancing lights.
It was a time to remember." - Robert Nutt (Amy's Light)

As soon as the evenings grew warm, S began asking, "Is it firefly season yet?" And just as he got settled into bed, he would run back to the window for one last check. A few nights ago, as he lay sleeping, his dad and I saw the first flickers. We made plans to celebrate the following night with an outdoor reading of "Amy's Light". Satch put on his pajamas, grabbed a glow ring, listened and waited for the lights.

"In the night we shall go in...
and your hands,
your little hands and mine...
will steal the stars". - Pablo Neruda















Amy's Light by Robert Nutt is an enchanting story that truly reflects the wonder and innocence of childhood through the magical experience of catching fireflies. The illustrations are beautiful beyond words, lifelike, yet dreamy. The moonlight, the glow of the fireflies reflecting in the little girl's eyes...BREATHTAKING!

The generous peeps at Dawn Publishing are allowing me to giveaway a copy of Amy's Light to one very lucky reader...and you have no idea how happy this makes me.

Kindly leave a comment on the post (please include your email for winner notification) by midnight Sunday June 20th. Tell me about your earliest memory of fireflies or a firefly moment shared with your child. The winner will be picked by random generator and announced Monday June 21st.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig!

We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven. ~Henry David Thoreau

We're back from our adventure at the Tree House Camp! S had a swell time and didn't want to go home. It turns out, however, they're not actually tree houses, but more like stilted cabins, not very high up. I guess they don't want the liability of ladders. The rear of the cabin (where the entrance is located) is actually at ground level, so you don't really get that tree house sensation. The camp is situated next to a main road, so we were a little bummed about that. It's fine for a getaway weekend, but if you're planning to spend much time there with little ones who like to explore, you may want to consider this, the sites are rather small and don't offer much room for kids to run freely. They can't play catch else risk losing their ball to the poison ivy. There are wood stoves in the newer tree cottages which is a good thing as it can get cold at night. Still, we didn't use it because we were warm enough snuggled together. S found it wildly amusing that there was no electricity which opened up a whole discussion about ideas, inventions and how thoughts become things.

We read our bedtime story by booklight. All Around Me I See by Laya Steinberg is a nature awareness story about a family who goes on a camping trip. The child describes all that she sees, from the moment she leaves her home and on into her dreams. The illustrations by Cris Arbo are beautifully detailed. It's the perfect picture book to take camping with little ones. The thoughtful and nature loving folks at Dawn Publishing provide a free discussion and activity guide to go along with the book.

After our story, he practiced making shadow puppets by moonlight. This was a dreamy moment that I shall never forget. It was his idea, not mine. He created an ostrich by using his head for the body...a trick he picked up from this book. We keep this book beside our bed in our bedtime book basket.

He cried once during the night because he said he was homesick then added, "the bunk is as hard as a rock!" T'is true and my back did hurt the following morn.

When I was a wee girl scout, we camped Bear Mountain. Now THAT was some mighty fine camping. I still remember the blood-curdling screams when one of the moms discovered a raccoon in her blanket. Oh, how we laughed!

At the Tree House Camp, we didn't feel like we were out in the wilderness nor in the tree tops, but we had a relaxing time and we all enjoyed the simplicity so much that we decided, one day each month, we would recreate that vibe: turn off the phone, the mac, the lights and unplug the tv (not that we watch it much) and instead...eat dinner by candle light, play a game by lantern and our bedtime stories with a book light...

"Wake to what the spider unspools into a silver...
dawn dripping with light. Sleep in sleeping bags,
sleep in sand, sleep at someone else's house
in a land you've never been, where the dreamers
dream in a language you only half understand." - Gary J. Whitehead

* OH! The natural bug spray...smelled lovely and worked great! Neither S nor I had a single bite. The Great Robinsky, however, was the "control group" in the experiment and he got eaten.

Summer Wonders

Summer Wonders by Bob Raczka is a lovely, LOVELY book! The paintings by Judy Stead are so beautiful, you'll want to frame the pages. The story celebrates the joys of summer with just a handful of words. It's perfect for the seasonal book basket!

We've invited a bunch of friends over to our favorite hill for a 4th of July Pot Luck Picnic.

Have a good weekend. See you Monday.

Sidewalk Games

I keep thinking about the games I used to play when I was a child, games that were played outside with neighbors and friends. I keep looking around the yards and wondering, where are all the kids? Are they inside playing Wii?

We keep little baskets of rocks and sidewalk chalk outside in Satchel's wagon for instant gratification. I found that the chalk sticks are actually more vivid after they've been rained on. Satchel's great uncle sent him a set of 3D chalk for his birthday...really work! All the kids in our neighborhood were over our house drawing on the sidewalk - cool!

I want to start an anti-Wii movement and get the kids outside interacting with other children, instead of machines.

Sterling Publishing has a wonderful little book that is sure to bring back memories and bring back the fun!!!

What was your favorite game?

Some of my favorite games were:

• Whiffle Ball
• Chinese Jump Rope
• Running Bases
• Freeze Tag
• Tinikling
• Skully
• Jacks
• Hop Scotch
• Crack the Whip

Summer Solstice Mondo List

"The Whippoorwill, Wednesday, with wings to fly
Four times the sun moves across the sky"
- Seven Time the Sun: Guiding Your Child through the Rhythms of the Day

Our Praying Mantis egg case arrived yesterday and Satch hung it on a shrub in the yard. In two weeks approx. 300 baby mantids should emerge. Satch is convinced he hears it hatching.

In celebration of the upcoming summer solstice which marks the official first day of summer, I offer you the mondo list of what we've been reading and playing with.....


I love toys that allow children to explore their world in new ways. Well, Satch and I had the pleasure of playing with the GeoSafari SeaScope by Educational Insights. It's a 4x telescope than can be used to see below the surface of streams and ponds OR on land (for watching birds or playing pirates - Yo Ho Ho!) . Oh what fun!

Tar Beach is an exquisite book by artist, Faith Ringgold. The gorgeous images are from her story quilt. A work of art transformed into a story! "If one can anyone can...all you gotta do is try".

The Salamander Room is one of Satchel's favorite bedtime books. Beautiful illustrations and magical imaginings! Salamanders are one of Satchel's favorite creatures and he's very good at finding them.

Little Hoot is a sweet book which can also be found in our bedtime book basket beside our bed. It's a story about a wee owl who would like to go bed early for a change. I just adore the illustrations by Jen Corace.

Another book that makes our bedtime fun is Constellations , a glow in the dark guide. We put some glow in the dark stars on the bedroom ceiling too, but my sense of direction got all wonky and I put Libra on the wrong side - DRATS!

About Birds is a delightful children's guide that offers a peek into the world of our feathered friends. We hope to get a closer look as Satchel received a window nesting box for this birthday from his Grands!

Lifetimes is an unusual and interesting book that introduces children to a few of nature's shortest and longest lifetimes. It fosters an appreciation for nature and the cycle of life. Did you know that the lifetime of an earthworm is 6 years? Lifetimes won Learning Magazine's Teachers Choice Award.

The Dandelion Seed is very moving. It's the story of a dandelion, but the message runs far deeper than it's roots...the more you see, the smaller you will feel.

We're enjoying reading about Places of Power, beauty and wisdom according to Native American tradition as told by Native American and conservationist, Michael DeMunn. This ABA Award winner is spiritual and thought provoking and we love it!

Wave is a wordless wonder by artist, Suzy Lee. A story that makes Satch giggle every time!


Fireflies! The story - a classic! The message, the illustrations - magical!



The Kids' Guide to First Aid is a wonderful guide to teach children about the bruises, bumps, burns and stings that often comes with summer fun!

This summer we're going to learn how to read the sky and predict the weather with this fun book!


Satchel's dada is a bit of a weather buff so we're learning all there is to know about the clouds with The Kids' Book of Clouds and Sky.


Explore the world after dark with Night Science for Kids, build a bat house and talk to fireflies! I'm definitely trying the firefly experiment with Satch.

Festivals Family and Food is becoming a dog-eared companion. Not everything in it resonates with me, but it's packed with wonderful ideas to celebrate the seasons...some of which has sparked ideas to create our own family celebrations.

I've adored Lynne Franks ever since her "Seed Handbook" and now she's published this wonderful journal, "Bloom!".