Book Update: May 2014

Whew! April was a MUCH better reading month for me. Sometimes it's SO freeing to say, "I'm not enjoying this, and I'm going to stop reading it now." I've had some terrific reads this month, and I'm really excited about the books in my pile for May.

Books I finished:
(P.S. I'm totally cheating and counting finished books up through yesterday.)
(Affiliate links used, which means if you purchase the book, I'll receive a small commission. Please view my disclosure policy for more information.)

1. The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle--three stars


2. Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein--three stars


3. Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan--four stars
Oh my, what a lovely book! I laughed and ugly-cried my way through it; I'm so thankful that Goodreads recommended this one to me!


4. B is for Betsy (read-aloud for Addie) by Carolyn Haywood--four stars
A delightful read about a 1st grade girl named Betsy. Her adventures are fun, with real emotion--lots of great conversation starters with this one!


5. Kayla Aimee's The Blog Book (e-book)

6. Restless: Because You Were Made for More by Jennie Allen--five stars
I adore Jennie--her writing style is almost as appealing as her speaking style, but not quite. :) A few of the stories in the book were ones I had heard/read before, but I SO admire Jennie's passion and vulnerability and will happily devour anything she shares with the world. I AM restless, and I'm not sure what the next few years hold for our family--this was a timely read for me!


7. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith (e-book)--three stars
CURRENTLY FREE!


Books I'm still reading:

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
I LOVE Lauren Child's illustrations in this book, but let's be real--Pippi is a brat! I'm not sure Addie is old enough to realize when Pippi is exaggerating and when she's just being dangerous, so this will be read with caution! (And that makes me feel so old.)


Mind in the Making by Ellen Galinsky
I'm taking forever to make my way through this, but there are so many interesting tidbits!

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron


Books I returned without finishing:

Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick
I want to like this book, but the writing style is just too difficult for me to get into. The concept is GREAT, and it's helped me think through my discipline style--so, there's that!

Here's what's cooking for May! I've started several of these, and I'm loving them all--Adam suggested I "un-plug" at 10:00 and read until I fall asleep, which has led to some excellent unwinding time each night! What are YOU reading this month?

The Importance of Community | Lone Star Signers

So. I don't get too personal here most of the time. I like to write about homeschooling, and our adventures with Tot School, and all of the amazing benefits of using American Sign Language with our children.

I love to read, and write, and teach... and I tend to be a fairly stoic introvert. But every once in a while, I think a little bit of my natural goofiness or passion shines through, and I have a feeling that today is going to be one of those days.

Way back in college, I took one of those personality assessments at church as part of a spiritual gifts class. I knew a lot of the answers already--I had a knack for organization and "administrative" type tasks even at the young age of 19 years old. What did surface (way back then) was my passion for community: not just for myself, but for connecting others in genuine relationships.

These past two years, I have really been thankful for the opportunities that Lone Star Signers has provided for me--a chance to use my natural gifts for planning and teaching, my love for children, and my passions for early education and American Sign Language to impact other families in the San Antonio area.

I also love the relationships that have developed with other parents who have similar interests and desires for their own children. We have a Mom's Book Club that meets occasionally, and I also like to host Family Game Nights and playdates for our little ones. These events are personal for me--not as a "business" opportunity, but a chance to get to know y'all beyond the basic small talk and pleasantries.

This weekend, I had an opportunity to catch a little bit of the 2014 (In)courage conference online. Some of my favorite authors (heck, my favorite women!) share their stories regularly over there--and hearing their voices on the webcast is weirdly fascinating. As woman after woman reinforced the power of REAL community, that passion in my heart was fanned a little brighter.

Mamas, we NEED each other. Social media is awesome, especially for the days we don't get out of our jammies--but it cannot replace real friendships.

If you have your community, your tribe--that's awesome! But if you're feeling even the tiniest ache of loneliness, a desire to have a genuine conversation with another woman this week--please join us for our Mother's Day Picnic on Friday! We would LOVE to have you.

--Melissa

Homeschooling: Kindergarten to 1st Grade Transition

Here we are: the end of the school year! When I was a student, the spring semester always seemed to last forever, but now I can’t believe that May is just a week away.

We have 24 “official” learning days left in Kindergarten—but the benefit of doing school at home means that EVERY day is a learning day. That is how I want my children to view life, anyway.

Addie is VERY excited about starting first grade. She knows that her Kindergarten lessons are dwindling down—there’s even a post-it note in her phonics book that delineates where the “1st grade” work begins and she is counting down! (The entire book is actually 1st grade-level, but we’re just doing all the beginning review pages now.)

Also on the agenda for the next five weeks:

• 24 math lessons (I could not have planned THAT any better!)
• Handwriting 
• Language Arts work (rhyming, syllables, and more)
• Lots of memory work review

All of our 1st grade curriculum has been ordered and most of our books have arrived already--I am eager to make a year-long plan so that we can officially start mid-June.

Here is what we have chosen to start (some affiliate links included):

Classical Conversations: memory work, fine arts, science, presentations, and more

Language Arts: an eclectic mix, including First Language Lessons (new) and SRA Phonics (left over from my teaching days)

Math: Saxon 1st Grade

Bible: Enjoying God's Gifts (free from another local homeschooler)

Science: Elemental Science (Biology--Animals)

Social Studies: U.S. History (using library books)

If you're homeschooling next school year, I'd love to hear what your family is doing for curriculum!

My Philosophy of Education: Individualized Learning

As I did our homeschool lesson-planning yesterday afternoon, I realized again just how thankful I am for my years in the classroom. Little did I know that the years I spent teaching others’ children would better equip me for teaching my own!

I put in hundreds of volunteer hours in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms before I graduated from college. I worked with individual students and small groups my junior year of college and student-taught a 3rd grade class for an entire school year. By the time I began interviewing for my first position, I felt like I was prepared for anything! (Ha!)

And then, I was called in to interview for a 3rd/4th grade multi-age classroom. (I had never heard of such a thing!) I still remember sharing my educational philosophy with my future teaching team in the school’s conference room—little did I know that my belief in an individualized education would be the perfect fit for the multi-age team.

For two years, I taught a mixed-class of 3rd and 4th graders through a parent-choice program in Northside ISD, and I loved every minute of it. My students weren’t boxed into grades in our classroom. It was so easy to differentiate their learning: teach a brief skills-based mini-lesson to the whole class, and then break off into small groups to reinforce. The children loved their independence—they each knew their routines and what was expected of them—and no one was bored OR left behind.

From there, I moved to a small town near Kansas City, Missouri and took a teaching position at a tiny parochial school. Only in its second year, my principal was also the Kindergarten teacher, and I taught the mixed-class of 1st and 2nd graders. Walking into a new school with limited resources, I was thankful for my previous experiences with crafting lessons based on student needs. (Keep in mind this was before Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers!) We had no science or social studies textbooks, so I used the state standards and library books to put together learning units. With only 12 students, I had the time to do math in small groups and teach reading and spelling individually.

Now that I am teaching my girls at home, I think back on those years and all the lessons I learned with joy. One of my favorite aspects of homeschooling is personalizing both of my girls' education:

* Kate's "school" work is obviously play-based at just 2.5 years old. She also picks up so much just being in the room while Addie and I are doing math and memory work review. While I certainly don’t push her, I am constantly amazed by what she is capable of learning!

* Addie is a strong reader (chapter books already!) and memorizes VERY easily. Fine motor work--especially handwriting--can be more of a challenge. She also has a little thing about doing something perfectly the first time... (I don't know where she gets it! Ha,ha.) We're working our way through our math book--it's full of hands-on practice at this age, so she feels like she's playing most of the time. Our main focus right now in “school” is working quietly and giving lessons our full attention.

Thanks to homeschooling, 
our learning has no boundaries!

Signing Success Story #8 | San Antonio * Baby Signing

A couple of times each month, we like to feature the success stories of San Antonio's littlest signers. Today, I thought it would be fun to share the story of the little girl who is the inspiration behind what we do here at Lone Star Signers.

* Child’s name and age:

Adeline (5 years old)

* When and why did you start signing with your child?

Addie was 18 months old (15 months adjusted) when we started signing with her. Born 14 weeks too early, she faced several developmental delays the first few years of her life, including speech. Her fabulous speech therapist recommended that we try American Sign Language as a way to bridge her to verbal communication.

* How has signing made a difference in your family?

When we started signing with Adeline over four years ago, I don't think we could have guessed how that decision would impact our family, equipping other parents to communicate with their young children! Signing Time was one of the best parts of our day--we learned new signs together while laughing and singing. And the best part was that it worked!

Within a few months, she was speaking and signing. By the end of the year, she no longer qualified for speech therapy, and when she was evaluated by the school district on her 3rd birthday, her speech skills were two years ahead of her actual age.

Today, Addie is a very chatty extravert who still loves signing!

* What would you tell a friend interested in signing with their child?

Young children WANT to communicate with their family, but often lack the verbal skills to do so. There are absolutely no negatives to using sign language, but there are countless benefits! If you put in the time to learn the signs and use them consistently at home, you will be amazed.

Addie went from being non-verbal at 18 months to reading words at 3.5! I have no doubt that Signing Time fits her learning style perfectly and has equipped her for early learning success.

* Do you have a favorite Signing Time product?

We have several DVDs on permanent rotation around here. Our younger daughter Kate still loves Baby Signing Time and we all love our new Rachel and the Treeschoolers digital episodes!

* * * * *

Previous Signing Success Stories:

#1: McKaylee, 2 years old

#2: River, 15 months

#3: Edan, 3 years old 

#4: David, 17 months
#5 Everly, 13 months
#6 Isabella, 3 years old
#7 Sienna, 23 months

San Antonio Book Festival 2014 | Lone Star Signers

Wow, what a fabulous San Antonio weekend! Normally we are swimming the first week in April, but I am not complaining about these cooler temperatures and rain. Summer CAN wait, as far as I am concerned.

I feel so fortunate to live in this city. There are amazing events happening each and every week--so many educational and cultural opportunities to experience with my children! This weekend, we went to Kids Day at the Park, sponsored by our local PBS station and the San Antonio Book Festival at the Central Library.

Addie and I did our research on the authors and illustrators in the Children's Reading Tent at the Book Festival--we've been reading Locomotive, Cub's Big World, Senor Pancho Had a Rancho, The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred, and more!

The turnout at the Book Festival was impressive--by the time we arrived at the Central Library, the parking garage was already full, so we had to walk about half a mile from the free parking lot. We stopped by the H-E-B tent, where an interactive reading of Ferdinand was taking place. After that, we found our way to the Children's Reading Tent and caught the tail end of Antonio Sacre's presentation--he's a hilarious bilingual storyteller, and we'll definitely be checking out his books!

The next author was Samantha Vamos, who read one of our new favorites, The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred. Addie was fortunate to meet her before the presentation, and then we purchased a copy of the book for Ms. Vamos to sign after. I was truly impressed by how gracious all of the authors and illustrators were with the children--that goes a long way toward inspiring the next generation of writers and artists!

There was a short break, so we walked down the closed-off street to hear the music and see all the booths. Addie and Kate danced, and we met The Cat in the Hat! We finished off our time at the Book Festival with a presentation by illustrator Joe Cepeda--a very down-to-earth fella who shared all kinds of interesting tidbits about the art he creates. Addie was enthralled throughout each of the readings--I can't wait to carve out some book-writing time for her this week!

My thanks to the San Antonio Public Library for putting on this excellent FREE event for our city! I'm sad that we only got to experience a few hours of the festival before naptime--but we are already so excited for next year's.

Frozen & ASL | Lone Star Signers

My sweet five-year-old daughter wrapped up her 24-week session with Classical Conversations this week. I am amazed at how much material she has memorized in six months and I know that, with lots and lots of review, all this learning is going to go with her into middle school, high school, and college!

She also learned Ephesians 6:1-24 in the King James Version and recited it to our community director on Monday. 470 words (and some hard ones, at that!). To celebrate, her daddy bought a special treat--Frozen on DVD.

It was her first time to watch it, but she's already walking around singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" all day, everyday. It reminds me of how much I loved Beauty and the Beast during my childhood.

In case YOUR children are also eating and breathing Frozen, you may enjoy watching this beautiful ASL version of "Let It Go" with them.

Homeschooling Q & A: Are You Qualified to Teach Your Child?

As April arrives and many parents are thinking about plans for next school year, I want to address a topic that seems to come up in lot of my conversations about homeschooling: parent-teacher qualifications. I find that, sadly, many homeschool-curious families doubt their own abilities to provide a quality education for their children.

Before I was a mom, I was a classroom teacher. I've taught in both public and private schools; I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to legislation, curriculum, and social pressures. There are many amazing teachers out there, the kind that I would be overjoyed for my daughters to have as role models, BUT those teachers are losing their autonomy in their classrooms. This is bad news for teacher morale and the children who are being force-fed curriculum mandated by those who have never taught a single lesson in a classroom, ever.

Teachers are under-valued, underpaid, and no longer able to make the best decisions for the students in their care. Ten years ago, my school district mandated which math lesson I should be teaching on any given day, regardless if my students already mastered the material or weren't quite ready to move on yet. While I understand the district's reasoning behind standardized education, I personally believe it's the wrong move for our youngest students, who all learn and develop at different rates. 

Are You Qualified to Teach Your Child?

Let's find out! Grab a pencil and a piece of paper, and take this short quiz:

1. Do you love your child? Y/N
2. Do you want the best for your child? Y/N
3. Do you know your child better than anyone else in the world? Y/N
4. Do you know how to read? Y/N
5. Do you have a library card? Y/N

If you answered yes to each of those questions, you ARE qualified to teach your child. (Obviously, check your state homeschooling guidelines to be sure.) It doesn't matter if you got straight As or learned higher-order math in high school--what matters is that you KNOW and LOVE your child like no other teacher can.

My oldest daughter is in Kindergarten this year. I'll be honest with you--I never took a "how to teach Kindergarten" class in college, nor do I remember my own Kindergarten experience twenty-something years ago. When we decided that we would be homeschooling for Kinder, I did the same thing at home that I would do in my classroom: go to the state education website and download the essential knowledge and skills list. 

While our curriculum choices are not the same as our neighborhood elementary school, I am confident that my daughter is not missing out on any information that the state deems "essential" for five-year-old children. Other than that, I can take into account her individual strengths, weaknesses, and learning style to hand-craft an education that is exactly what SHE needs.

When I meet someone for the first time and they hear that we are homeschooling, they always seem relieved by the fact that I "used" to be a teacher. I am fortunate that my background is education, and that I also have the passion and tools to build my own curriculum at home (thanks to the Internet and the library!). But my teacher certification did not make me an expert in every single subject that I taught in my classroom--there were many evenings I spent reading my science textbooks and trying to grasp the concepts I would be teaching to my students the next morning.

The difference now is that I can learn the information right alongside my daughter--through homeschooling, I am able to model lifelong learning, with a little help from my library card! If you are feeling called to homeschool one or all of your children, but have concerns about your qualifications to teach them, feel free to e-mail me! (Sometimes it's helpful to bounce thoughts off another parent who has walked the same road.)

When you think back on the teachers who made a positive difference in your life, was it how much they KNEW or how much they CARED about you? You can do this, parents!

Brachycephaly Q&A: Do I Regret Not Treating?

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Questions about Brachycephaly? Ask 'em! | Lone Star Signers

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Review: Rachel and the Treeschoolers | Lone Star Signers

Are your children filled with wonder? Our girls are 2.5 and 5.5, and there are an infinite number of questions asked around here each day! I love to watch my girls learn—and I am so thankful when I find a terrific learning resource like Rachel and the Treeschoolers.

We LOVE Signing Time, and we have come to love and trust Rachel Coleman and the rest of the Two Little Hands team. Rachel and the Treeschoolers is a completely different program than Signing Time, but the heart is the same—the same sense of humor, great music, and positive values.

When Two Little Hands launched their Kickstarter campaign for new episodes of Rachel and the Treeschoolers back in August, our family was thrilled to get involved. And so were lots of other families—Rachel and the Treeschoolers surpassed their original $50,000 goal by $169,188! Episodes 2-6 were fully funded, and we received our digital copies of episodes 2 and 3 (Plants and Flowers & Incredible Insects) in November.

Here are five things I LOVE about Rachel and the Treeschoolers:

Social skills are included in every episode!

Young children are able to relate to the treeschoolers characters. Each episode focuses on a different character’s “struggle,” and Rachel walks the characters through understanding and supporting their friend. In the first episode, Atticus has a fear of thunder, and in episode three, Hue the firefly feels like he’s not special because he’s a bug. These challenges are great discussion-starters for our family: "How would you help a friend feel better if..."

The show is packed with creative learning segments!

Rachel is a great host of the show—energetic and FUN! (She's been educating preschoolers for over ten years now, after all.) The show has a quick pace for short attention spans. My favorite segment is the game show portion—the kids don’t even realize all the learning that's happening!

My children continue to be exposed to ASL!

We LOVE American Sign Language, and I love that Rachel casually signs throughout each episode. It’s NOT the focus like Signing Time, but if you are signing with your children already, they’ll benefit from seeing ASL in a new context.

Rachel and the Treeschoolers is purposeful about educating children!

I love that the show doesn’t talk down to my daughters—they are learning advanced vocabulary like photosynthesis and thorax! In fact, Rachel and the Treeschoolers was labeled as “too educational” by TV executives. If my children are having screen time, I would love for them to be LEARNING!

The music is great!

Granted, this is my husband’s area of expertise, but I enjoy listening to Rachel sing. Adam continually comments on the great harmonies and production value. Our girls sing all day long, so I appreciate that the music isn’t annoying.

Our girls watching Rachel and the Treeschoolers on the iPad--no Internet required!

Interested in learning more about Rachel and the Treeschoolers? Visit their website today to view clips of the shows and request FREE copies of the Activity Guides! And if you’re interested in purchasing the first three episodes, you can save $15 during the month of March with the code ts15.

***

Important note: I am not being paid for this review. I purchased Rachel and the Treeschoolers myself because we believe in and support Two Little Hands Productions. However, this post does include affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I will make a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!

Around here: February

Ah, February, with your springlike teases and longer days! Here is what we're up to:

reading The Story of the World, Volume 1


playing drums with Papa (Addie started lessons earlier in the month)

celebrating the first Texas Mountain Laurel blooms (my favorite sign of spring!)

enjoying the third quarter of Kindergarten

listening to Elizabeth Mitchell's Sunny Day album


loving on Winston (he and Kate have been inseparable lately)

learning to play (a little more) independently

savoring the return of Cadbury Mini Eggs in the seasonal aisle

doing open-ended art together once a week

exploring local parks on the weekend as a family

writing and drawing in our sketchpads (obsessively, for one little five-year-old)

anticipating bluebonnnets and a new family rhythm

March, you are welcome here!

Classical Conversations & Kindergarten | Lone Star Signers

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Baby Signing Classes: What to Expect | Lone Star Signers

When I joined the Signing Time Academy back in March 2012, I had no idea what our community would look like two years later. Twenty awesome families from San Antonio have graduated from our Play & Sign classes--I am truly honored to have a role in their child's early education!

Many families write to me each week asking for more information about our baby sign language classes, so here is what I typically share:

* My name is Melissa Droegemueller and I am a Baby Signing Time Instructor with the Signing Time Academy. Before becoming a mother, I was a classroom teacher in both the public school system (Northside ISD in San Antonio, TX) and private parochial setting (Kansas City, MO). I graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2001 with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education (specialization: Reading). My years in the classroom were magical, and my passion for teaching has only increased in the past 12 years.

* I am married to an amazing man, and we have two beautiful daughters (ages 5 and 2). Our older daughter is being homeschooled for Kindergarten, and her little sister is learning right along with her!

* I teach three sign language classes weekly, with the possibility of a fourth (preschool-level) class starting next month. Classes are offered on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings.

* I am certified as a Baby Signing Time Instructor (ages birth-5 years) with the Signing Time Academy, the educational division of Two Little Hands Productions (creators of the award-winning programs Signing Time, Baby Signing Time, Potty Time, and Rachel and the Treeschoolers).

* Our older daughter was born extremely prematurely (26 weeks) in 2008. We spent the first 135 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the next three years in doctors' offices and various therapies. Addie began speech therapy when she was 18 months old (15 months adjusted)--it was our Speech and Language Pathologist that recommended we use American Sign Language (and Signing Time DVDs, specifically) with her as a bridge to verbal communication. By the time Addie turned 3.5, she was recognizing over 50 words that she could sign, and she has been actively reading books since shortly after her fourth birthday. With my educational background, I have no qualms giving the credit for her early reading to sign language!

* Our signing classes are for ALL children, whether they are hearing or deaf, exhibiting signs of speech delay or apraxia or early talkers! I have been down the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) route, and I firmly believe that using ASL with your child works beautifully in conjunction with speech therapy. Many families come to us simply looking for a fun, interactive, educational experience for the whole family, while others may have deeper concerns.

* Classes are casual and family-centered! Parents are encouraged to sit down on the floor with their children and model the signs as they are being taught. My children are in attendance, and my husband is typically here for the evening class. We love it when both parents are able to come--and if Grandma is visiting, bring her along, too! Our space is not huge, so we often limit class size for comfort.

* We encourage families to build relationships with each other, both in class and in "real life." There is a warm family environment in all classes; it's not unusual to see a child sitting in another parent's lap! Many of our families continue to attend class even after graduation, so the community that is being built here is really genuine.

* As I mentioned earlier, I am a passionate teacher with detailed lesson plans. However, students are young, ranging from young toddlers to older preschoolers--and each class looks a little bit different depending on the group of children, their moods, their nap schedule, and even the weather outside. :) Flexibility is key--active learning is the goal!

* Routine is important for young children, so our class does have a typical schedule that ebbs and flows each week. We open and close each class with the same songs. New signs are introduced at the beginning of class, and we practice our signs with stories and songs. We take frequent movement breaks--dancing, whole-class games, and more. Usually, we move from instruction-time to the family craft and learning centers. Each class features 5-6 educational activities for families to practice new signs and work on important literacy, math, and fine-motor skills. The last 10-15 minutes of class include bubbles, parachute play, ABC and color songs, and a brief review. Families are welcome to stay and participate in free play after our closing song.

* This time in our life is a joyous one. We treasure the relationships that are being built through signing classes! My goal is to help your family with your child's early education--don't hesitate to contact me with specific questions.

Homeschooling in a Small Space | Lone Star Signers, San Antonio

We began our homeschooling journey nearly two years ago, shortly after our older daughter turned 4. I have a background in elementary education, and I LOVE teaching, so I knew that doing pre-Kindergarten with Addie would be an ideal situation.

The hardest part (for us) was figuring out HOW to do homeschooling in our small home. We actually live in a two-bedroom apartment, so our "space" is at a premium. The most helpful tool for me was actually walking around the model-home areas at IKEA and seeing how others maximize their living areas.

I quickly realized that we didn't need to keep our "living room" separate from our "dining room." We moved the dining room table next to one of our living room walls and scooted the couch closer to the TV, which opened up an entire room to be our classroom/playroom. Our girls don't watch much TV during the day anyway--why was I sacrificing all that space for a room we hardly used?

Our open room serves us well. The girls have a big area for creative play and dancing. We store all of our school supplies on the bookshelf and in the drawers--it's SO easy to take down what we need and put it all away at the end of the day.

I tried re-creating a traditional classroom environment when we first started schooling at home, but that doesn't work well for Addie or me. She's only five years old and would much rather work on the floor or at the big table than at a small desk. We get a ton of use out of our clipboards. :)

If you feel like homeschooling is right for your family, don't let a small space deter you! The most important advice I can give you is this--be open to change! Flexibility is key in all areas of homeschooling. :)

Weekly Round-up: The BEST of the Internet #3 | Lone Star Signers

**We've had two busy weeks with illness and catching up on schoolwork--

so I missed last week's "Best of the Internet" Round-up!**

I love sharing great early education & ASL resources for your family--but thanks to constant Facebook "updates," fewer than 25% of people who have liked my page actually see what I post. Are you one of the lucky few? :)

Here are my favorite links from February 1st-13th:

1: Bob's House (Superbowl Commercial, 2008)


2: Childbirth Preparation Classes by Salty Mama Birth & Family Services (starting February 19th)

3: Counting and Measuring with Lego by The Imagination Tree

4: "Tell Your Valentine I Love You" from Signing Savvy


5: 10 Fine Motor Activities for Babies & Toddlers from Happy Hooligans (I especially love #2!)

6: Food Allergies | What Parents Want You to Know (But They're Afraid to Tell You) from Smartter Each Day**
**FAVORITE post of the week, seriously!**

7: And just in case you missed the follow-up to our toy rotation dilemma, here's my post on that. (I am LOVING toy rotation--I am a believer!!)

There are so many amazing resources out there for parents and teachers of young children! I'd love for you to share a link with us: what inspired you this week?

Toy Rotation | Lone Star Signers, San Antonio, Texas

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To Join Goodreads or Not? | Lone Star Signers, San Antonio, Texas

I have a little bit of a problem. Too many books, and not enough time.

I LOVE to read. We make multiple trips to the library each week--books for me, books for the girls, books for signing classes. It's pretty much a part-time job keeping track of all the books and due dates on our multiple library cards.

I've been reading a ton of non-fiction lately--mostly parenting/homeschooling books. The last three or four were duds, so I'm hoping to find a few gems hidden in this stack. (The last few fiction books I've read were completely depressing--Eleanor & Park, The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You. I need some happy.)

Another struggle with books? There is SO much great content on the Internet these days, and it's a lot easier for me to read a quick blog post or article than choose a book, re-read the previous few pages to get back into it, and then stay focused long enough to read a chapter. For the first time in forever, I'm actually returning unfinished/skimmed books to the library!

In January, I started nine books. I skimmed and returned three, liked but didn't finish two, finished but didn't like one, and finished AND liked three. I have four more in the pile that are in progress.

My question for you: Are you on Goodreads? Would you recommend it? My first thought is, "I do NOT need one more thing to keep up with!" But if YOU tell me it's worth it, I'll give it a go.

The Big Reveal: San Antonio's NEW Do Seum! | Lone Star Signers

After the cold weather late last week, we were so excited to head down to Lion's Field Park on Saturday for the San Antonio Children's Museum's Dream It, Build It, Do It Event!

Our girls loved all the bright balloons decorating the field.

We built with PVC pipes, created a fort out of fabric, and tossed stuffed animals high in the sky using a slingshot. (Not Kate's beloved bear Winston, though.)

The big reveal ceremony was a lot of fun--especially the children holding the bright countdown signs.

Our girls were excited to pick out a colorful button to put on their sweaters (and now, their backpacks) and enjoy a tasty chocolate chip cookie from the Blu Cafe & Bakery.

We love our city and cannot wait for the opening of The Do Seum next summer!