{this moment}

inspired by soulemama.

book: bless us all

since i am a teacher i thought i would start sharing some of the books that i love to read with my children and/or with my students.

the first book i am sharing is a book i love to read with my children.  it was a gift for calvin for his first christmas and it has been a favorite ever since.  maeve now loves to hear it too.  it is written by cynthia rylant, who is a prolific and eclectic children's book author.  Bless Us All is filled with blessing rhymes for each month of the year.  each month 'blesses' things that one might see in that month.  for example, january is 'bless the houses snug and tight, bless the kitties day and night, bless the trees and bless the snow, bless us all when cold winds blow.'  the illustrations are simple and colorful.

a simple story that reminds us to 'bless the ones so dear to us, keep them safe and near to us'!

busy busy busy

being a teacher, september is always a busy month full of transition for us. but as october is beginning, we are finally finding our rhythm.

i have been having fun making bento style lunches for the kids. i was getting tired of packing the same old thing and i began to search the web for some new ideas and stumbled across bento box lunch ideas that looked fun. i love the lunches by another lunch. i am finding it that it is a creative outlet for me that is very useful, something i have to do anyway (and am enjoying much more that i used to) and not too involved (at least not as much as making a quilt...).  plus the kids love them!

this was cal's lunch on the first day of autumn. see the little bear head? that is an egg! i found these egg shapers at our local japanese market. i used little cutters i have had to make the cheese into fall leaves. carrots with hummus on the right and some fall colored crackers by the bear. the sandwich is dinosaur shaped, i know not super fall, but that is the only sandwich cutter i own.  (fyi... the lunch is packed in an ecolunchbox)

we are trying to make the most of this colorful season by getting outside as much as possible. it is our family favorite and something we look forward to and talk about all year long.  we are taking a fall nature and art class through the local extended education program.  it rained for the first class so we were indoors.  i have high hopes for next week though.