gdata.io.handleScriptLoaded({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-26T08:12:09.894-05:00"},"category":[{"term":"homeschooling"},{"term":"IEP"},{"term":"liquid watercolor art activities"},{"term":"children's books"},{"term":"siblings"},{"term":"curriculum"},{"term":"OT"},{"term":"busy book"},{"term":"Testy Shop"},{"term":"Testy Homeschool \u0026 Teacher Shop"},{"term":"crafts"},{"term":"CEU Challenge"},{"term":"review"},{"term":"cardsets"},{"term":"quiet book"},{"term":"light box"},{"term":"preschool"},{"term":"language"},{"term":"therapy"},{"term":"Michael"},{"term":"supplements"},{"term":"weeklyreview"},{"term":"daily life"},{"term":"tidbits"},{"term":"blogging"},{"term":"audiofiles"},{"term":"app"},{"term":"giveaway"},{"term":"reference"},{"term":"car ride activities"},{"term":"Apraxia"},{"term":"Ava"},{"term":"SLP"},{"term":"articulation"},{"term":"Dala"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Testy yet trying"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"A Speech Pathologist Mother and Her Daughter Diagnosed with Childhood Apraxia of Speech"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/daily+life?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/daily+life?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/daily%20life"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/-/daily+life/-/daily+life?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d7\u0026max-results\u003d6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"https://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"255"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-4860981687642878907"},"published":{"$t":"2013-10-02T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-10-02T05:00:01.412-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"homeschooling"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Pros and Cons of a Sick Homeschooling Household"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"We were all sick last week.  Ava came down with it first.  She was sniffly and slightly feverish.  She was achy with a sore throat.  She was irritable - for her.  This resulted in the children being snippy with each other.  They usually get along well and the lack of harmony really grated on my nerves.  If the children were in school I would have needed to keep her home.  Or send her in and feel guilty and worried about her all day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Instead we just kept to our usual routine.  I leaned a little more on Michael for answers and a little less on Ava.  We took more breaks.  But overall, school continued.  The kids like our school work and they get bored when just left on their own for too long.  Ava in particular likes to be with her loved ones and so she didn't complain at all.\u003cBr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Michael was also irritable all week.  He didn't seem to get the sore throat or fever, but he did get the runny nose and cough.  Again, we just kept to a slightly less cheerful and intense version of the usual routine.  The children being irritable was driving me crazy though.  I felt like I was intervening in some sort of squabble at least once every 30 minutes and it was killing me.  My mood was off and I was atypically grumpy and short tempered.  In retrospect, I should have known I was next.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e Then it was my turn.  If the children felt even a fraction as miserable as I did, I am in awe of how well they had actually been doing all week.  I was taking two different types of over the counter pain killers and it still felt like my throat and Eustachian tubes were on fire with every breath.  This was keeping me from sleeping.  I was running the same low grade fever the children had been running.  The details aren't important.  Let's just say that if I weren't homeschooling I would have been spending my days in bed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e Instead, I got up and got breakfast into the littles and got through our first two lessons of the day - circle time and math.  At that point, instead of transitioning to reading or Scholastic News I let the children have free time and informed them that I was going to read.  They could come find me when they were ready to do their reading lesson.  Admittedly, that was a bit pitiful, but it worked.  The children played independently for almost two hours while I dozed on the sofa.  Then Ava came to ask to do her reading lesson.  The rest gave me enough energy to get through Ava's reading lesson and lunch.  Then it was more free play for the children until Michael came to ask for his reading lesson.  At that point in the afternoon I typically read to the children for an hour or we do art, but there was no way my throat was going to participate in an hour of reading aloud so we watched a movie instead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It wasn't elegant, but it got done.  We repeated that same schedule the next day.  Even though the entire household was sick, we still managed circle time, word wall activities, math, and reading every day.  It wasn't as high energy, efficient, or on schedule, but it still all happened.  It was a workable solution.  I'm looking forward to being back to full energy and patience this week (I'm still shaking off the cold), but it was nice to see that we can work this homeschooling thing through a household illness."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/4860981687642878907/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/10/pros-and-cons-of-sick-homeschooling.html#comment-form","title":"4 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/4860981687642878907"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/4860981687642878907"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/10/pros-and-cons-of-sick-homeschooling.html","title":"Pros and Cons of a Sick Homeschooling Household"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"4"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-2991421714438758565"},"published":{"$t":"2013-09-04T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-09-04T05:00:03.725-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Michael"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"tidbits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Vestigial"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"We traveled last weekend.  We drove to New Orleans for a wedding.  The wedding was lovely.  The children were delightful.  We couldn't have been more proud of their behavior.  We very much enjoyed visiting with family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e One morning while enjoying the free continental breakfast at the hotel Michael was sitting in my lap and wiggling a bit as five year olds are prone to do.  His tailbone was grinding into my leg rather painfully and I asked him to sit still because his tailbone was hurting me.  He looked at me like I was crazy.  I found myself explaining vestigial body parts to him.  My cousins and I thought of wisdom teeth, and appendixes in addition to the tailbone and then conversation moved elsewhere.\u003cBr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I should have known Michael was deep in thought because, in retrospect, he was uncharacteristically quiet, but I was distracted with visiting.  Several minutes later he popped in with this thoughtful insight... \"Mama, you know what else is vestigial?\"  At my prompt of, \"Yes sweetheart?\" he replied, \"Newspapers!\"  He then earnestly supported his assertion with rather well thought out examples of all the other ways we can learn things today.  We all burst out laughing as I tried to defend newspapers to my son.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Although we had obviously missed some subtleties as we explained the meaning of \"vestigial\" to Michael I was astonished at his ability to swiftly comprehend a rather abstract concept and then promptly turn around and apply the newly gained knowledge to an entirely different context.  Sometimes I wonder how I will ever keep up with him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e "},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/2991421714438758565/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/09/vestigial.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/2991421714438758565"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/2991421714438758565"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/09/vestigial.html","title":"Vestigial"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-8991834043081040608"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-30T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-30T05:00:02.465-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Dr. John's Candies - A Review"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've been trying to reduce the presence of sugar in my life.  Which is great for health, but otherwise rather sad.  I intensely dislike the taste and aftertaste of artificial sweeteners which eliminates the option of replacing sodas and candies with diet products or products aimed at diabetics.  One of the things I mourned most was the loss of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2012/01/lovely-indulgence-breville-one-touch.html\"\u003emy tea\u003c/a\u003e because I just can't drink it unsweetened and I dislike it with the usual suspects of artificial sweeteners.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e Then I discovered the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol\"\u003esugar alcohols\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013P3KC6/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003dB0013P3KC6\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003exylitol \u003c/a\u003eand \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XA49BG/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003dB007XA49BG\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eerythritol\u003c/a\u003e. These are natural, low or zero calorie sugar alternatives that are low-glycemic and do not contribute to cavities.  Xylitol actually fights cavities.  And they taste pretty great with no aftertaste.  Now I find I like the flavor of xylitol and erythritol mixed together at about a 1:1 ratio.  Some people experience... gastric distress if they consume too much xylitol and so some people I've converted to xylitol and erythritol choose to consume erythritol straight over xylitol.  Xylitol's is slightly better for the teeth.  They also have slightly different tastes.  Experiment and choose for yourself.  I have been unable to find them locally and so I've been buying them on Amazon for over a year now.  I use them just for sweetening tea and I haven't tried using them as substitutions for baking, so I have no comments on how they work in that capacity, but I don't use sugar at all in tea any more.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I recently discovered \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.drjohns.com/default.asp\"\u003eDr. John's Candies\u003c/a\u003e.  These are xylitol candies.  Xylitol has 75% fewer calories than sugar.  It also inhibits the growth of cavity causing bacteria in the mouth.  It does not raise blood glucose levels.  And they taste great.  The children are just as delighted to have a Dr. John's lollipop as they are to have a regular one.  I adore their hard candies.  They taste great.  Seriously.  I've tried the butterscotch, strawberry cheesecake, mango, natural cafe caramel, and natural double dutch fudge hard candies and I really like them all.  Ok.  I've also tried a yet to be released cream soda flavor which is my absolute favorite because they happened to include it in the sampler I ordered.  When I couldn't find one that looked like it on the website I called their customer service to ask about it and discovered it isn't available yet on their website.  I'll be making another order as soon as it appears.  My son enjoyed a chocolate caramel from the sampler and claimed to like it even more than the lollipops.  I wasn't as impressed with the caramel that I tried, but I'm not a huge fan of caramels in general.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e I just wanted to let you guys know that there is a candy out there that you can feel good about giving to your kids that tastes really great, doesn't contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, and is actually good for the teeth.  You can also enjoy them guilt free yourself.  I find that a couple of Dr. John's hard candies will help curb a sugar craving.\u003cBr\u003e\u003cBr\u003e The company also has some chocolates that I would love to try given how good their hard candies are, but the price is just a little too high.  You can't get them in a sample size, and at nearly $20 per box, I just can't justify trying something I might not like.  If anyone out there has tried their chocolates and wants to let me know what they thought, please leave a comment! "},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/8991834043081040608/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/dr-johns-candies-review.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/8991834043081040608"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/8991834043081040608"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/dr-johns-candies-review.html","title":"Dr. John's Candies - A Review"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-6075892363702752003"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-28T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-28T05:00:01.278-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Happiness is..."},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"We put the children to bed, turn off the lights, sing a couple of songs, and sneak out of their rooms.  Ava is younger, and is almost always asleep by the time we finish the process and stays that way.  Michael, on the other hand, often will pop back up after we leave and play a while.  I don't have a huge problem with that.  He plays completely independently and puts himself back down when he's done.  His room is a disaster in the morning, with legos and playmobil everywhere, but I feel that's a small price to pay for the independence.  We look to see if his light is still on when we go to sleep.  If it is, we just go in and shut it off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At about 9:30 one night recently we heard the tell tale thumping of his feet through the living room ceiling (his room is above the living room).  So we knew he was up and moving about.  It was a little late and he had been up and playing for a hour and a half so my husband went up to settle him.  This time, instead of finding him absorbed in legos or playmobile, he found Michael in his bed surrounded by books.  He was reading a \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0152009019/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0152009019\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eMr. Putter and Tabby\u003c/a\u003e book to himself.  He looked up at my husband and said, \"I've been reading THOUSANDS of books!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He's been reading remarkably well for a five year old just starting kindergarten for quite some time, but he didn't have the \"bug\" yet.  He wasn't quite fluent or confident enough to just pick up a book and read it to himself for pleasure.  A couple of weeks ago, when re-organizing his bookshelf I sorted them into two sections.  On the left are books for adults to read to children.  On the right are books for children to read to adults.  All the books on the right are \"Michael's books\" - books he can read independently.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Seeing that half of the books are ones he can read on his own was powerful for him.  Now, each night, he chooses a couple of books for me to read to him and he chooses one from his side of the shelf to read to me.  I was pretty pleased at that progress.  It was apparently the last little encouragement he needed.  Now he's spending his free time reading - for fun.  I am so very happy."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/6075892363702752003/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/happiness-is.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/6075892363702752003"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/6075892363702752003"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/happiness-is.html","title":"Happiness is..."}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-6933108364088303916"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-09T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-09T05:00:00.646-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"4 Simple and Sweet Picture Books about Kittens to Read To Your Toddler"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Do you have a child who loves cats or kittens in your house?  These books are perfect for babies and toddlers because they are simple and sweet.  However, as I was cleaning the bookshelves of my 4 and five year old children I found I wasn't quite ready to put them away yet.  Sometimes you just want to read a short and sweet familiar favorite even if they've moved beyond the reading level of that particular book.  These books have been favorites of my son and daughter for years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CphiISbsa3g/Ufkztfez9lI/AAAAAAAAEdw/qne-xeYtygk/s1600/4+Kitten+Picture+Books+for+Young+Children.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CphiISbsa3g/Ufkztfez9lI/AAAAAAAAEdw/qne-xeYtygk/s400/4+Kitten+Picture+Books+for+Young+Children.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e These are listed in no particular order of preference.  They are all short, simple, and sweet.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416913564/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1416913564\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eHello Calico!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Karma Wilson (of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416949224/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1416949224\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eBear Wants More\u003c/a\u003e fame).  This book is in rhyme.  I always enjoy picture books written in rhyme and this one is no exception.  It introduces a curious kitten and the mama who loves her and follows the kitten as she explores during the day.  The illustrations are vibrant and beautiful and always catch the attention of my little ones.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141691904X/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d141691904X\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eUh-oh, Calico!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Karma Wilson.  This is a sequel to Hello Calico!  This time, the kitten suffers several mishaps (spilling cream, trampling flowers, etc) and finds that her mama loves her even when she makes mistakes.  The children love chiming in with \"Uh-oh, Calico! and predicting how her behavior will lead to the subsequent mishap on the next page.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e3.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761458417/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761458417\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eKitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Bill Martin Jr (known best for \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805087184/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0805087184\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eBrown Bear, Brown Bear\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442450703/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1442450703\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eChicka Chicka Boom Boom\u003c/a\u003e).  This is a gentle, sweet story of a kitten who needs to get out of bed and ready for school and yet needs gentle reminders from his mama to stay on task.  Each page follows a predictable format with the mama asking a question and receiving a reply from the kitten.  There's a mouse hiding in each picture and my children always adore finding the mouse and discussing what he's up to in each new situation until finally the mouse and kitten meet.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761459464/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761459464\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eKitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Going to Sleep?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e is a sequel to Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat Are You Waking Up? by Bill Martin.  This sequel is at least as sweet as the original.  This time the kitten is getting ready for bed and it is his teddy bear who is tagging along through bath time, getting dressed for bed, brushing teeth, and story time. The two Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat books are some of my daughter's favorites.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you liked these children's book suggestions, I have \u003ca href\u003d\"http://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/search/label/children%27s%20books\"\u003eseveral others\u003c/a\u003e ranging from board books through early chapter books.  Check them out.  As soon as I get a chance, I'll share 4 truly good variations on the gingerbread boy story and 4 fun books for halloween.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/6933108364088303916/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-simple-and-sweet-picture-books-about.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/6933108364088303916"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/6933108364088303916"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/4-simple-and-sweet-picture-books-about.html","title":"4 Simple and Sweet Picture Books about Kittens to Read To Your Toddler"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CphiISbsa3g/Ufkztfez9lI/AAAAAAAAEdw/qne-xeYtygk/s72-c/4+Kitten+Picture+Books+for+Young+Children.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2522593221428423055.post-7641140709104138459"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-02T05:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-02T05:00:01.001-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"children's books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"daily life"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"5 Board Books to Enjoy Singing to Your Baby (or Toddler, or Preschooler)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I needed to clean out the children's bookshelves again.  We had gotten to the point where they were so overstuffed that we had taken to stuffing books across the tops of the other books, piling them up on the floor, and so on.  Some books I donate.  I find I don't like them as much as I thought I would when I bought them.  Other books the children are too old for, but I'm attached to them, so I ferret them away in a storage box to read to my grandchildren some day.  All the rest, we keep.  As I was doing my recent cleaning, reducing, and organizing of the children's bookshelves I found several board books that still play well around here.  I love to sing, and the children love to listen so it all works out.  Here are five of our favorite board books that are songs.  The children loved them as babies and toddlers and they still love them today at the ages of 4 and 5.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cdiv class\u003d\"separator\" style\u003d\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PP7h4OHUVS8/UfbjG62_kbI/AAAAAAAAEdg/WdbExUDfhBE/s1600/5+Board+Books+to+Sing+to+Your+Baby.JPG\" imageanchor\u003d\"1\" style\u003d\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d\"0\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PP7h4OHUVS8/UfbjG62_kbI/AAAAAAAAEdg/WdbExUDfhBE/s400/5+Board+Books+to+Sing+to+Your+Baby.JPG\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e These are listed in no particular order of preference.  They are all wonderful.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e1.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761130675/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761130675\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eSnuggle Puppy!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Sandra Boynton.  I'll be honest.  I didn't like this book at all when I first bought it.  I got it because I love Sandra Boynton as an author of baby board books.  I got it home and didn't like reading it at all.  And then I realized it was adaptation of a song from her \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001ADB6Y/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003dB0001ADB6Y\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003ePhiladelphia Chickens\u003c/a\u003e album.  I own both the board book and the album and they are great.  As soon as I heard the song I fell in love and the children adore it too.  If you just want to learn the tune to go to the song in the book, check out this \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dqxbeoIU9B54\"\u003eYouTube video\u003c/a\u003e.  The story/song is about a mama dog telling her puppy how she loves him.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e2.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761143726/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d0761143726\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eYour Personal Penguin\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e by Sandra Boynton.  This is another sweet book adapted from a Sandra Boynton song.  It is about a penguin who wants to be friends with a hippo and tells the hippo all the wonderful things they can do together as friends.  If you scroll about halfway down \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.workman.com/boynton/\"\u003ethis page\u003c/a\u003e, you can listen to the song sung by Davy Jones of The Monkees.  My children love this one too.  Careful, it'll get stuck in your head.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e3.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580890148/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1580890148\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eThe Itsy Bitsy Spider\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e written and illustrated by Iza Trapani.  You'll know this tune.  It is the Itsy Bitsy Spider.  What I like so much about this one is that although it begins with the traditional lyrics, there are five more as well, all beautifully illustrated.  It tells the story of persistence.  The spider continues to try to find a place to spin her web until finally, at the end of the book, she succeeds.  You can have fun finding the spider on each page and cheering her on.  I have read this story and sung this song hundreds of times at this point and I still actually enjoy it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580890717/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d1580890717\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eBaa Baa Black Sheep\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e written and illustrated by Iza Trapani.  \u003ci\u003e(The link leads to the paperback version.)\u003c/i\u003e This is another expanded nursery rhyme by Isa Trapani.  It begins with the traditional Baa Baa Black Sheep song and is expanded another nine stanzas.  The story is about a cast of animal characters asking the sheep for various items she does not have.  The animals wonder why she won't share only to find she's been knitting them gifts all along.  The moral of the tale is that each person shares what they have to give.  The illustrations are particularly rich and add much to the tale. Once you know to look, you can see the sheep working on her gifts all throughout the story.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e5.  \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/158089030X/ref\u003das_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026camp\u003d1789\u0026creative\u003d9325\u0026creativeASIN\u003d158089030X\u0026linkCode\u003das2\u0026tag\u003dtesyettry-20\"\u003eHow Much Is That Doggie in the Window?\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/u\u003e written and illustrated by Iza Trapani.  \u003ci\u003e(The link leads to the paperback version.)\u003c/i\u003e This may be my favorite of the Iza Trapani expanded nursery rhymes.  It is expanded by an additional 12 stanzas.  It tells the story of a boy who wants to buy a doggie from the pet store, but doesn't have enough money in his piggy bank.  He works all week to earn money, but during the week he also spends money while being generous to his family members.  At the end of the week he realizes he doesn't have enough money for the doggie and goes to the store just to say hi to the doggie.  He discovers that the doggie has been sold.  When he arrives at his house after sadly walking home he finds his parents have bought him the doggie to reward his generous spirit.\u003cbr /\u003e \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI found several other groups of books I want to share (cute, kitty-themed early picture books, halloween books, and gingerbread boy variations), but this is probably enough for a first installment.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE children's books?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/feeds/7641140709104138459/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/5-board-books-to-enjoy-singing-to-your.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/7641140709104138459"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https://www.blogger.com/feeds/2522593221428423055/posts/default/7641140709104138459"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https://testyyettrying.blogspot.com/2013/08/5-board-books-to-enjoy-singing-to-your.html","title":"5 Board Books to Enjoy Singing to Your Baby (or Toddler, or Preschooler)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Dala"},"uri":{"$t":"https://www.blogger.com/profile/09390391982768152147"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"35","height":"35","src":"//lh3.googleusercontent.com/zFdxGE77vvD2w5xHy6jkVuElKv-U9_9qLkRYK8OnbDeJPtjSZ82UPq5w6hJ-SA\u003ds35"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PP7h4OHUVS8/UfbjG62_kbI/AAAAAAAAEdg/WdbExUDfhBE/s72-c/5+Board+Books+to+Sing+to+Your+Baby.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}}]}});