Rapunzel

This week I'd like to draw attention to one of the stories in our Treasury book we talked about previously. Lately it seems we have been coming back to the story of Rapunzel. It contains all the things that make a story great (a hero, a villain, adventure, romance, and for my little girl - a beautiful maiden with long braids of shiny golden hair). My daughter has reached that age when she is infatuated by boys - older boys at that (yikes!). At this point it is innocent so I'll leave my shot gun in its case (truth be told, I don't own a shot gun, but I have no problem getting one when the time comes). But at the speed in which these boys are running from her, I don't think it is them that I need to worry about for now. I guess it is no wonder she loves stories where a handsome prince comes in to save the day, and he and the fair maiden live happily ever after. In a world inundated with Disney Princess, I forgot there were classics out there that are still just as much fun to read. Give it a try. I know you'll like it!

Picnic time

I have been counting down the days and eagerly watching the weather forecast for that perfect day. A day when the breeze is no longer too cool to sit outside for more than just a few minutes. A day when the sun is shining and the warmth of its rays doesn't turn you into a sun-dried tomato. A day when the mosquitoes are yet to be seen. That day was yesterday. And so, my little girl and I packed the best picnic a basket can hold, we grabbed our ever-favorite waterproof picnic blanket from Mambe blankets, and we headed to the park. My city has the perfect place to picnic and spend the day playing at the Jordan Valley Park downtown. We found the perfect shade tree for our picnic. After we finished, we headed down to the water fountain for a splash in the fun. I tried to fly a kite while my little girl had fun with the other kids running through the jets of water coming up from the paved surface below. It was a day to remember and was made perfect with a stop off at Andy's Frozen Custard on the way home. If you have never heard of Andy's Custard, then I pitty your soul and I encourage you to make the stop the next time you find yourself driving through the Ozarks in Southwest Missouri. It's worth it!

Clifford's Day with Dad

This book is one of our favorites and made it on our list today because of all the fun we had yesterday. Saturday was the perfect day with dad! It was the first truly perfect day of Spring and we had a day full of activity. We started the day off with a Family Fun Day which included BBQ, an inflatable bounce, and all our friends and family. Then we played in the final soccer game of the season. That evening we went to the park and had a picnic. And of course we ended the day with a stop off at Andy's Frozen Custard! In Clifford's Day with Dad, our big red friend spends a day with his dad and has lots of adventures of his own.

Bears on Wheels

The Berenstain bears date all the way back to my childhood and perhaps a little longer. Bears on Wheels is a simple book that illustrates the fun of counting. Even in its simplicity, the thing that impresses me most about this book is how the illusstrations exercise the imagination and let the story take on a life of its own. We come back to this book time and time again and have just as much fun today as we did when she was 3.

Britain's Got Talent

The remarkable thing about this six-year-old little girl is not how well she sings. It is the message she brings to the world. Hidden somewhere beneath the gentle surface of each child is a gift. One that is special and unique to each one. Perhaps not all will sound as angelic as Connie Talbot, but certainly each is just as special. How are you cherishing and nurturing your child today?

Behold, No Cavities

At our first visit to the dentist, I could barely get my girl to sit in the dentist chair, let alone convince her that the dental hygenist had bubble gum flavored cleaning paste. So it ended about as soon as it started. This last visit, however, was picture perfect and I owe it all to Spongebob Squarepants! We have been reading Behold, No Cavities and she has loved learning about going to the dentist and getting that perfect report of no cavities. After we were done, we had to rush home and make a tooth with her name on it so we could hang it on our own "no cavity tree".

Pinkalicious

If you are the father of a little girl then you probably know exactly why this book made our list this week. Pinkalicious gets to the heart of all that is wonderful in my little girl's life.

Pink, pink, and more pink!

Someone should create pink vegetables because I am sure that my girl would gobble them all up if it were so. I admit that it can be infectious and I encourage you to try a little pink this week.