Will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Many people have a misconception about this day.  They think it is Mexican Independence day.  This is not true.  Mexican Independence day is on September 16th.

Cinco de Mayo marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  The city of Puebla celebrates this holiday, however not all of Mexico commemorates this day.  For more history on this holiday check out: Cinco de Mayo

Idea of the Day:

Do a few Cinco de Mayo activities with your children today.

- Make homemade tortillas

- Make homemade salsa

- Color Mexican flags

- Print out various Cinco de Mayo activities

apples4theteacher

Coloring Pages

Kaboose.com

Crafts and Activities

Do you shop online?

Most of my shopping is done in a traditional brick and mortar store.  I like being able to try on clothes instead of receiving them in the mail and then trying them on.  I also like that if I need to return something, I do not have to go through the hassle of  shipping and shipping costs.

I do enjoy buying books online from Barnes & Noble and taking advantage of their fast and free delivery.  I also occasionally buy things on Ebay.  Typically only antiques or hard to find items.

This weekend I purchased my first item on Etsy.  If you have never heard of this, Etsy is a website where you can buy and sell handmade items.

I saw a link from one of my friends on Facebook about a necklace she had bought from a shop on Etsy called MissionMommyhood.  Yes the necklace was cute but it was the story that made me shop.

Most of the necklaces are for mothers in that you can have your child’s name stamped on the necklace.  The woman who makes the necklaces is doing it to raise money so she can be a mother.  The money made from these necklaces is helping pay for infertility treatments.

Since many of you who read my blog are parents, you know the joy children bring to your life.  Read this woman’s story and help her become a mommy.

Idea of the Day:

Shop at MissionMommyhood the next time you need to give a gift or for yourself.

I purchased one for Mother’s Day.  Although it will not arrive in time, I simply printed out the picture of the necklace along with this woman’s story.

Do your children choose a theme for their birthday parties?

Our children think all parties need a theme.  We have done Thomas the Train, Disney Cars, Princesses, Flags of the World, Baseball and Mickey Mouse, just to name a few.

My daughter’s birthday is next week and she has decided that her party is going to be Charlotte’s Web. For this party, I have had to get more creative since they do not stock Charlotte’s Web at Party City.  Although they did have very cute barnyard invitations that I used for the party.

The decorations for the party will most likely be the most time consuming.  So far I have managed to build a barn out of large boxes from U-Haul. However there are still a few more projects I need to figure out.  For example, my daughter has reminded me that there needs to be a spiderweb that says, “Some Pig”.

I should be able to pull this off but I need to do more research.

Tip of the Day:

When planning a Charlotte’s Web party, here are some helpful sites:

Party Ideas

Cartoon & Character Birthday Party

Charlotte’s Web Lessons & Activities

Do you know what is happening on Thursday, April 22nd?

If you said, Earth Day, you are correct.  If you said, Take Your Child to Work Day, you are also correct.

My son thinks this is the best day of the year, after Christmas and his birthday.  He loves going to work with his dad!  What child wouldn’t enjoy this?

They get to miss school, eat lunch out and run around the office driving others crazy with all of their questions.  Where is the bathroom?  Why do I have to be quiet?  Why does that lady talk so loud?  What smells funny?  All great questions to ask when the entire row of cubicles can hear everything.

Maybe this is why my husband only has my son at the office for 1-2 hours and then they go on various adventures around the city.

No matter what they are doing, it is a great bonding day!

Idea of the Day:

Check to see if your work participates in Take Your Child to Work Day.

- Some companies have activities and events planned for the kids (that way their parents can actually get some work done).

- Some companies have age restrictions.  Make sure to find this out ahead of time.

- If you company does not participate, you can still make it a fun day together.  Take your child to your office and show him/her around.  Then find take part of the day off to do an activity in the city where you work.

- All day can be too long for some children.  In the past we have made it a half day adventure.  My son would go in the morning with my husband, we would meet for lunch and then my son would return home with me.

I hope you will try to find a way for your child to participate in this special day.

Do you believe that today is Big Little Brain’s first birthday?

I cannot believe it either.

When I started this blog on April 9, 2009, I had no clue where it would go.  Would anyone read it?  Would I continue to blog even if no one read it?

Although it is not a well-known blog and only has around 100 visits a day, I am still proud of myself for doing it.

I enjoy finding new activities and resources to do with my children and I truly enjoy sharing my ideas and findings with others.

So today, as a tribute to my one year of blogging, I am reposting my first blog entry.

Hello?  Are There Any Whos in Who-ville?

What would the world be like without the contributions of Dr. Seuss?  No Green Eggs and Ham or The Cat in the Hat.  What would people give as baby shower gifts or for graduation?  How would our children ever learn to rhyme?

Being new to the blogging community, I am feeling like a Who in Who-ville as they wait for someone to acknowledge their planet exists.  I am thinking, will anyone read my message?  Will anyone find it useful?

The story HORTON HEARS A WHO! teaches us the important lesson about how any voice, no matter how small it may be, can change the world.  So here I am sending my message out, hoping it will reach someone.  And I will continue to write new posts as I do believe I have good education ideas and tips that can help others.

Tip of the Day:

When reading to children, point out the author.  For young kids the title and author will not mean much in the beginning.  However as they continue to develop their listening and reading skills they will begin to ask, “Who wrote the book.”  From there you can discuss the different people involved in making a book.  Point out the author and illustrator.  As they get older discuss copyright dates.  Children will begin to notice that authors may have written more than one book.  They can use the copyright to compare which book the author wrote first.  They can also begin to realize which books were just written or those that have been around for a while.

There is more to learn than simply the words on the page.