Imagination Station

With the heat here soaring above 104 degrees, and a forecast of 105 for today, the need for creative indoor activities is higher than ever!  We have been STUCK INSIDE for the past couple of weeks and are running out of ways to reinvent the fun in the toys that we have.   Yesterday, however, we succeeded in our attempt to find something fun for the kids to do.  What can you do with boxes,  a hot glue gun, some clothespins, pillowcases, and random odds 'n' ends?  We made the "imagination station" - a puppet theater, drive thru stand, lemonade stand, or whatever inspires the kids and/or the moment requires.  It is still quite plain, but we will paint it today.  I am so excited to see what it turns out to be like when the kids "put the paint to the palace", so to speak!

Visit to Mt. Rushmore

This summer, in addition to many other summers prior to this one, my husband and I have stuffed our three children into our aging, but very capable, minivan  (lovingly referred to as the "cheerio wagon") to drive and visit some family in Spokane, WA.  This year was different for a couple of reasons.  First, our children are older and that adds an entirely new dynamic to anything.  Second, and because our children are older, we decided to let go of the idea that our drive was a marathon sprint to get to our destination in record time.  Instead of racing to get there, we took our time and enjoyed this as part of our vacation as well.

One of the stops that we made along the way was in South Dakota to enjoy the views that are so breathtaking as you stare up at Mt. Rushmore, and into the eyes of presidents past.  My excitement was very obvious as I spit questions in rapid-fire succession at my husband - "Do you think it is as big in person as you dreamed it would be?", or "I wonder who the next president will be to have their face carved in stone...".  As we got closer to the monument, I could see the faces and the excitement just intensified for me!  Once we parked, got out, and began to walk closer to the Grand View Terrace, I became one of the many tourists snapping endless pictures and resembling a paparazzo chasing an exciting story.  I couldn't believe that I had grown up, gone on endless road trips, and have never stopped to see this amazing work of art!

Here are some of my pictures that I took while staring up into the faces of Jefferson, Roosevelt, Washington, and Lincoln - an experience I will never forget!

This is my family.  Look how close we are to the mountain.  It almost felt as if you could reach out and touch their faces from where we were standing!

This picture is one of my favorites.  As you walk closer to the Terrace, you walk under individual states' flags that are flying high from large pillars that are carved with the dates that various states joined the Union.  I love the patriotism and the memories of our country's history that overcomes me when I look at this picture.

We are getting closer to the terrace now and are almost as close as we can be to this beautiful monument.

This is the view from Grand View Terrace - I can't believe how close we got!

Literacy Jenga

At the Dobrow house, we are ending school & starting our summer break.  My younger two are still young and, with one heading to first grade and the other to kindergarten next year, they are all about anything that involves learning - or "getting smarter" in their words!  So, to keep the excitement alive, I have transformed our family Jenga game.  I would like to introduce .... Literacy Jenga.

On one side of the blocks, I have written some two, three, and four letter sight words (keeping in mind the age of my children) in a fairly large print for easier reading.  These are some of the high-frequency words that my son has been using in kindergarten, and words my daughter will encounter next year when she starts school.

On the other side of the blocks, in a different color and smaller print, I have written larger words that are encountered in the early elementary years as well.  I chose to write out the words for numbers one through twenty, the days of the week, as well as the months of the year.  These are going to be challenging, but with practice and continued exposure they too will be mastered! 

What Have I Read Lately?

Today, I finished a beautiful story that my husband's grandmother gifted to my oldest son for his birthday a few years back.  It was lost in his bedroom, only to surface when he was forced to clean everything - including the back of the closet and all other "black holes" that exist in a pre-teen bedroom!    He brings this down to me and asks where he should put it, knowing that I would absolutely DIE if he just got rid of it or put it back in a drawer somewhere where it could never be enjoyed by others, and I snatched it up as future reading material! I expected it to be a sweet story because Grams shares a special bond with Jaydon around books - she has since he was small.  I curled up on the couch that night and readied myself for an adventure through this book.  I read through most of it that evening, enjoying every page, and picked it back up today to read the final five pages.  It ended in the same sweet way that it began, a sweet and moving story between a writer and a reader!

 I love this book for so many reasons!  First, it is a beautiful way to illustrate the relationship between writers and readers - there is a direct line of communication, a pure conversation, that exists in this relationship and this book.  Walter, a rat that devours any literature he can get his tiny paws onto, has begun living in the Long Island home of Miss Amanda Pomeroy.  Miss Pomeroy is an old lady that is that does little more than write books and stay inside her home by herself, no family that is mentioned throughout the entire story.  Walter and Miss Pomeroy develop a very unique relationship through letters and small gifts that they leave for one another, each making an impact on the life of the other in an unexpected yet heartwarming manner! 

When trying to teach students about fantasy, about various literary elements, or just simply trying to give them something to connect to when teaching them how literature is a direct line of communication between a writer and a reader, this book is it!!!! So cute, a new favorite in my literature collection!

This is Me

This is my first post on this blog - how exciting!  I can't wait to put my experiences and thoughts here to share with the world, or at least whomever reads it. The past few years have been devoted to being "Mom" and knowing that there would come a day, in the not so distant future, that I would have to embark on a new journey and figure out what I really wanted to do in life.  This blog is the beginning of that new chapter in my life.  With the kids a bit older now and my Master's degree nearly complete, I will begin to find my place in the classroom - educating other people's children in the way I would want others to educate my children!  I am eager to begin - So, here's to many new experiences!