Smiling.

XOXO, MJ

A few weeks ago, as we were shopping in a larger office supply store, my husband spotted three glittery calculators in the clearance aisle. It is important to note that these were three different colored calculators in desirable shades for each of our three kiddos. When he offered to purchase these sparkly presents (calculators can be educational, too, right?), they were thrilled.

I wasn't really sure why they were so excited about...calculators. Granted, my daughters, 5 and 7, are intrigued by numbers and solving problems. But I wondered...in comparison to other toys and electronics, what would these simple machines have to offer?

We hopped in the minivan to venture back home. And that's when the imitations started.

C, my 5-year old, buckled herself into the backseat and put her calculator up to her ear. I heard something along the lines, "Oh... uh hum... sure...I'll call you." In the rearview mirror, I spotted M (7) typing away on her device and pretending to swipe to the next screen and enter her password. L (2) was kicking his legs and asking me to find a new game for him.

M continued to look down at her screen as she jumped out of the minivan, walked up the stairs, took off her backpack. She said something that I couldn't understand as she talked down into her phone, I mean calculator.

I'm not the most perceptive person at times. But I got it.

And I know they weren't even trying to point it out to me.

But I got it.

My pal, Jennifer Cooper over at Classic Play wrote a post on Friday that hit home:

"Yesterday I started an experiment. I’m trying to see if I can go a week without my kids seeing me use the computer. This means, no checking email, facebook, instagram, etc when they’re around. Perhaps it’s the social scientist in me (what’s left anyway), but I’m curious to see what effects, if any, this has on the kids or me. I know modeling can play a role in parenting, so I’m curious about it."

She in her good humor recounted her successes and failures (go read it :)).

I work from home half of every day, and I always feel the need to have my phone next to me to hear the ding of a recent email or the tone of text. But if I'm being honest, and I think I have to be, I also love having the opportunity to check in with friends and beatiful words and images, too.

It is my wide eyes and not the top of my head, looking down at a screen, that I want my children to remember as their mom's expression. It is my nasal laughter and the pitch of my voice, that I want them to hear and not my impatient bark or hurried response.

I'm trying Jen's experiment this week (and likely for weeks to come) to keep the electronic check ins to necessity - and I won't pretend that I don't know what necessity means.

Rachel over at Hands Free Mama is a great inspiration. Check out her thoughts on living for what matters.

She posted this gut-wrencher from Professor T. Ripaldi, and it's the kind of quote I can't not share with you (proper use of a double negative here for me).

When we adults think of children, there is a simple truth which we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life, childhood is life. A child isn’t getting ready to live – a child is living. The child is constantly confronted with the nagging question, ‘What are you going to be?’ ...

How much heartache we would save ourselves if we would recognize the child as a partner with adults in the process of living, rather than always viewing him as an apprentice. How much we would teach each other … adults with the experience and children with the freshness. How full both our lives could be. A little child may not lead us, but at least we ought to discuss the trip with him for, after all, life is his and her journey, too.

Would you like to join in the experiment, too? I have a feeling I'm going to need some buddies to help me move along!! :)

How do you keep your electronic attention span in check?
XOXO, MJ

I'm delighted to show you a simple, quick, low budget project that you (or your kids or grandma or neighbors) can craft in minutes and enjoy for weeks to come.

Last week I joined some other great bloggers to put together baggies of crafts for the Happy Craft Cart that St. Jude's Research Hospital offers its patients.

Hoping for something festive and fun, I thought rainbows. How about a Rainbow Circle Garland?!

All you need:

• Colorful paper
• Twine/string/yarn
• Glue (I used rubber cement but glitter glue would make it sparkle!)
• Circle craft punch (not necessary but very efficient)

Step One: Decide how long you want your garland or strand (if you want to hang them from a door frame or above a window). Cut twine.

Step Two: Punch out circles. Each circle cluster is a triad so you'll need three times as many circles as you want to glue on.

Step Three: Pick three of your circles. Fold them in half. Glue the back halves of each circle. Press two of the circle halves together, sandwiching the twine in between them. Glue the final circle to the other halves. *To make sure you get a rainbow effect, keep switching the combination of three colors.

Step Four: Find a spot that needs some cheer. Hang over a headboard, around a curtain rod, from a door frame, or lay across a table to surround yourself in rainbows.

Garlands spread festivity, don't you think?

What are you making this week?

XOXO, MJ

That's my little one, or I should say my oldest daughter, M. She's really into trying new styles with her longer hair, and this is her beautifully designed and executed side bun. She accomplished this smooth styling on her first try.

She has since tried it five, six, ten, maybe even twenty-five times with no success. Sometimes the ponytail bubbles or she can't hold all the layers tight as she wraps the holder around the mound of hair. Other times she thinks she has it all wound just as she wants it, only to step down from the stool and have it all fall out.

And as much as I get frustrated with her for spending so much time on something I consider an unnecessary concern for a seven year old, I had the opportunity to be in her shoes these last 24 hours.

I'm writing this with my Z pack of antibiotics next to me as I battle through a third round of strep throat in three months. I have never had strep prior to this year! M is upstairs sleeping off a bad bout with a gastrointestinal bug that dehydrated her and kept her out of school for a couple of days.

I like my challenges to be neat and tidy. I like it when there's a clear solution to a problem. I like to move quickly to resolution.

Illnesses, your own and more poignantly your children's or loved one's, remind me that life is not about everything fitting neatly into the bun. Life is messy and complicated and tragic and annoying and beautiful and unbelievably amazing all mashed up together in a great big bowl.

As M was struggling to calm her nerves and stomach pains last night, she asked me to rub her feet. As a baby she'd always loved having her feet massaged, and I have many rosy mental pictures of her smiling baby face, enjoying the snuggles.

But she's a big second grader now, and she's independent and already letting me know where she does and does not want my help.

But for one night I was allowed to sit on her bed and rub her feet again. I got to watch her perfect face fall asleep and peek over as her little sister, all curled up under her covers, slept soundly unaware that anything was amiss.

I knew it was one of those moments I'd treasure because it felt so fragile, so fleeting, and so precious.

I had plans and I had lists of things to do that just didn't happen, and instead I now have a warm memory of my slumbering little girls and an unexpected moment of grace.

And I have an appreciation for all those happenings that don't fit in my neat and proper bun.

And I'm grateful.

XOXO, MJ

  

Well, hello, friends! How was the weekend? We were busy bees over here, and I'm excited to welcome you to a new Pars Caeli feature, Make It Mondays!!

Every Monday we'll kick off the week with a fun project for your home, your children, yourself, or something else magical. You then have the whole week and weekend to find some time to fit the fun into your schedule!

Why the new addition? Three simple reasons: 1.You beautiful readers have eaten up the DIY posts I've featured here and there on the blog. 2. I'm always looking for ways that this webhome can be more helpful to your life outside of cyberspace (there is still one out there, right?). 3. I can't pass up an opportunity for alliteration wherever I can find it. :)

So, on with the fun...

I carved out time this weekend, between football games and birthday parties, for some prep of our St. Jude DIY date with other wonderful blogger friends. You and I have until Wednesday to submit pictures to Louise. Special thanks to Paige(who is right now living it up in NYC for New York Fashion Week!!) for thinking up this crafty goodness. To sum it up, we're all making kits for the Happy Craft Cart of St. Jude's Research Hospital. These baggies will contain the supplies needed to make a simple craft and lift a child's spirit in the process.

I knew that I wanted to grab my kiddos and get them involved in the creation of these bags. I've started a  Pinterest board for anyone who wants some ideas (go, go visit!!). Introducing my 7-year old to Pinterest was a trip. She's hooked.

We were blown away by a few crafts by Minieco, and we decided to give them a go. Have you seen her photos and crafts(wo)manship? Outstanding!!

Our first batch of Happy Cart Crafts will be baggies of these glitter paper beads. Some of the kits will have the beads already made so that younger artists (under 7) will still feel confident in their results, and other kits will have the paper and glittler glue needed to make it all from scratch!

This is an incredibly budget-friendly (slightly time intensive) craft that all three of my children enjoyed. Here's what you need:

• Paper (we chose rainbow and only used one piece of each color paper to make all the beads here)
• Scissors or paper cutter (I bought my Xacto cutter many years ago, and it comes in handy for these sorts of projects)
• Glitter glue (really, any glue is fine, but glitter makes everything better, right?)
• Skewer (you could also use a pencil or anything with a small circumference to wrap the paper)
• String or twine for necklace/bracelet/anklet creations

First step? Cut isoceles (ish) triangles out of your paper. Ours were about an inch at the thick end.

Next, begin with the thick end and tightly (the key!) wind the entire triangle around the skewer. We made different shapes by doing this. Some beads were exactly symmetrical, some looked more like cones or party hats, and others looked like a wobbly top.

As you get close to the end of the wrapped paper, squirt a dollop of glitter glue on the front and back of the end tail and graciously smear it all over the end and the rest of the bead. This will help secure the tight wrap and spread the glitter around the whole bead.

Once the bead is secured, carefully remove it from the skewer and let it dry for a few minutes before crafting further. We spent an evening making all our beads and the next afternoon making accessories out of them.

My 7-year old REALLY got into this project. She's a talky crafter so I had the pleasure of hearing her elaborate on how good she felt creating something she knew would make other children–children who really needed it–happy. She alone made half the beads, and she made me very proud. Again.

She's anxious to make more Happy Cart Crafts, and we'll be sharing those with you, too! Beads like these work well when made from magazines, too. Maybe you and/or your kiddos would like to give them a try?!

And because little brothers like to get in on everything, here's little L's anklet.Thanks for stopping in on Make It Monday! It's gonna be a great week, friends.

XOXO, MJ

Did you check out the new seasonal digs around here? Make yourself at home in the refreshed autumn makeover (and if you haven't had a chance to make your bucket list for fall, let me offer a few ideas).

Wednesdays around Pars Caeli will continue to be kid focused. During the summer I shared some of the fun we have with Mommy & Daddy School. But now, we're a full three weeks into the start of the school year, and I'm feeling a little melancholy about the end of another childhood summer.

This is the second full week of preschool, Kindergarten, and 2nd grade for our team, and so far everything is running smoothly.

For the first time in almost 8 years, our home is silent for two mornings a week, as even my youngest heads to morning preschool, and my hubby and I adjust our work schedules to accommodate more meeting time in the office.

It's the end of an era...an era when we as a couple handled all childcare, homecare, and professional juggles together. As I look back now, I wonder how we managed to work from home and the office and to change diapers and adjust sleep schedules. A large part of me already misses the chaos, strange though it was; I thrive on it. I know that we have been richly blessed to be able to have time with our children and time in our professional worlds, and it has not come without certain (sleep) sacrifices...I have the wrinkles to prove it.

However, new beautiful buds are growing. And I celebrate those, too. My husband surprised me at work with a morning coffee date last week. That NEVER happens. On a typical morning, we are usually trying to maximize and squeeze every possible minute out of one role (be it work or home) before we have to transition to the other.

And for another, M, my 7 year old, is most at home when she's at school. That seems weird to even type, but I know it to be true. She loves learning and independence. She thrives on routine and structure. She wants the challenge and adores her friends. She's back in her rhythm.

C at 5 is finding new courage and new friends in her full-time school journey. L at 2 in his first time in a school environment is so proud of himself and his buddies.

My need now is to let them know that they are each on my mind even when we are apart. I know they know, but I still need to some way to show that.

One gesture I've started is a lunch box note routine, especially with M. She gets a joke a day that she can share with her friends as they munge on their bagels and pizza slices. So far it's a hit. If you're into ridiculous, simple humor, follow me on Instagram or Twitter (@parscaeli) and I'll be sharing the chuckles for you (and your children) with the hashtag #lunchboxnotes. If you have a corny joke, send it my way...please!

XOXO, MJ

So it started last year, around this time. Everyone in the house was ready for the endless days of summer to come to a quick close. Although story book in concept, the togetherness of all three kiddos home every day, particularly my daughters (then 4 and 6), had brought out some sharp edges and frayed nerves.

Insert flabbergasted momma.

In an effort to help my daughters see the goodness that could/should/must (?) come from this sacred childhood time together, we created Sisters Day. Our wedding anniversary is August 17, and our children enjoyed seeing the attention (AKA presents) that came with this special holiday. Not coincidentally, Sisters Day is August 18.

Philosophically, I want my children to have many wonderful memories of each other. Practically, I want a peaceful, happy home. And furthermore, who can feud when they're being celebrated?

This is our second year of celebration, and I'm not joking when I say that the girls have been asking about it all year (which also led us to create Sibling Day and now Brother's Day, too). We like celebrating.

KEY COMPONENTS TO EVERY SISTERS DAY:

1. Listen to each other's ideas and agree on great things to do.

Easier said than done at this age (or any, I suppose). We asked both girls to list activities they thought would be fun to do, and we narrowed it down to 2-3 that would be enjoyed by both.

M, the 7-year old, really wanted to make friendship bracelets, but C, talented though she is, at 5 does not have the fine motor skills down to weave and knot. So, that activity was axed.

C, a lover of all things princess, really wanted to watch Disney princess movies. At 7, M is kind of "too big" for these...or so she claims.

2. Everything is done together.

If we're baking cookies, both sisters are involved in the mixing, scooping, intense dough eating, and joy of the entire experience. The giggling and spills are all a part of the memory.

3. Make some only-for-this-occasion moments.

It's the idea of the special plate used only for certain holidays. Our backyard playset has a table and two benches built in, and once a year we all enjoy dinner out there together. What's the occasion? Sisters Day.

Reserving little treats like this for such a day has helped build upon the gift that having a sister truly is.

4. Catalog this for all eternity.

I'm a little snap happy on any day, but on particular events like this, I think it's so important to photograph the time together. I have the girls pose for a few sister shots, and I make sure to get candids of them together, too. I hope this tradition lasts the rest of their lives, and I think it will be amazing to look back on all of these sister celebrations through the years.

This year our Sisters Day included a trip to the zoo, the creation of a long-awaited (as seen on TV, thank you so much) Wuggle Pets, dinner out on our playset, watching Mirror, Mirror with hot, buttered popcorn in hand, and a sleepover in our tent (set up in our downstairs playroom).

I know that these days will be just a few of the millions of memories that my daughters have of childhood and sisterhood. I want them to have so many unplanned, silly snapshots of life, but I think it's okay that some of the good ones had a little planning involved...

With a little Happy Sisters Day banner stretched across them.

XOXO, MJ

My husband and I share the parenting and home responsibilities. Our life is packed, like yours I might suspect, with the busyness of professional responsibilities, children's activities and school, Church community and functions, and home projects/maintenance. Our home can go from an organized, in tact, gracious space to an absolute food, toy, and clothing disaster in less than 35 seconds (yes, I timed it).

Before the summer began, and we're clearly immersed in the outdoors and summer activities, my husband and I decided to strategise on how we could get our children more involved in keeping our home a great place to live and play. Not only did we want more of a happy, clean place to be, we wanted less of the midnight-house-cleaning-after-the-kids-are-all-fast-asleep moments. We also want our children to learn important principles of responsibility, teamwork, organization, and caring for all we've been given.

We pulled up to the kitchen table with all three kiddos (at this point 7, 5, and 2). We sat in front of our chalkboard wall, our place for conversation and idea generation. We asked each of them:

What needs to happen in order for our house to be clean?

We went through room by room to talk about washing dishes, dusting, cleaning sinks, vacuuming, etc. I wrote them up on the board so that we could all remember (even if only some of us could read the list).

I added in a few jobs that my children overlooked like cutting the grass and putting laundry back in the drawers and closets. We talked about the tasks that the kids left out. For example, no one mentioned empty the garbage. As I added it to our list, we talked about what would happen if no one emptied the trash (lots of "ewh yucks" here). Going through the complete list of all household chores was a helpful way to make everyone aware of all that has to be done to keep our house clean and functional. It was also an interesting way to find out who enjoys what tasks. My oldest daughter loves to do the dishes, and my son loves to help cook. These preferences came in handy later when trying to start off our teamwork on the right foot!

Now that we had our list of everything that needs to be cleaned in every room (wowza), we could get into the meat of the lesson. We asked the kids to shout out which jobs they could do on the list. We put stars next to every responsibility that could be handled by one of them. This was actually a lot of fun to discuss, and it brought out each of their senses of independence. Can my five-year old really wipe off the table every night after dinner? Yes, she can! And she's even very interested in doing it. Can my two-year old put away his own clean clothes? Yes, he can! And he wants to! How have I been holding these children back so much?

The key here for our kids was keeping the discussion light and fun and focusing on all of their capabilities and talents. We highlighted the theme of teamwork and down-played the notion of chores.

The interesting part of this exercise for me: we found only two chores that needed just Mommy and Daddy.

Curious? Mowing the lawn and driving to the grocery store.

This next step is really a matter of preference. How often does the sink need to be cleaned? How often do we need to vacuum?

So we went through our lovely list one more time and circled the things that needed to be done every day and underlined those that needed to be done weekly. If it was something even less often (eg: cleaning out the fridge), we left it alone.

This step was an eye-opener for my 7-year old. "There are really that many things to do every day?"

Smile. Yes.

It was time to put the team to action. My children are very motivated by music. Or at least music that they love which right now includes a strange blend of Veggie Tales, Disney, Rihanna, and Sugarland (they're eclectic).

Looking at our daily tasks, we focused on how many songs it would take to accomplish each. We decided collectively that most could be accomplished in two or three songs.

This was a revelation and relief to me. We could really get each of these tasks done together - while building our family connections and learning important life skills in the process - and it might take 6-9 minutes. Suddenly the monumental mountain of house cleaning dissolved into a manageable pile of dust. The Nagging Fairy would get a break.

Helpful tidbit for getting your kids involved in this process? Purchase lightweight and easy-to-use tools. Our 7-year old can (and wants to) vacuum. The fact that our vacuum is purple and weighs under ten pounds, definitely works in my favor as well. My two-year old always runs for this broom and dustpan that look like an alligator.

Every family works differently, and schedules will dictate a lot. When is the best time of day to accomplish these jobs? What day or days of the week? Do you work in pairs, alone, or all together?

You know best. My advice is to embrace the possibility of togetherness and enjoy the fun of hard work. And keep in mind what tasks even the smallest members might be able to do with great success. My two-year old is very proud of his ability to empty our bedroom trash cans into the big trash, and he does it well.

Here's the list we created as a family. Feel welcome to download here if it's helpful for you!

Cheers to a happy home, and independent, confident children with a sense of responsibility and teamwork! What are your thoughts on giving children responsibilities around the house? Here's what we do (I'd love to hear your tips and tricks, too!)

xoxo, MJ

This post is carefully titled.

That apostrophe s is really important.

When my 5-year old (C) asked if she could join in a family tradition this year, I was curious.

The summer before my eldest (M) started Kindergarten, I asked her if she'd like to have a sleepover with Mommy. I knew she was nervous about being away from home all day, eating lunch at school, (in our case) wearing a uniform, finding her mommy in the car line after school.

The week before school began we planned a lovely evening for just the two of us that included building a clay castle together, doing up special hairstyles for Mommy and daughter, and talking about our wishes for the new school year. She slept cozy with her animals and covers, and I slept (not quite as cozy) on the floor, on a charming little "bed" she had made up for me.

That first celebration was two years ago, and it's become a back-to-school tradition now. C, having heard about the special moments had been hoping/waiting for her turn to enter Kindergarten so she can experience her rite of passage.

I'll admit, there's a lot to get done with the weeks leading up to school. I have my mental checklist that I'm trying to tick through every day. So, when C asked if she too could have an evening with Mommy...I thought, how am I going to do this?

And then I looked into those gigantic blue eyes and realized, there would be a way.

"What do you want to do for our night, C?" I asked. I braced myself for the answer. My children, thank God, have exquisite imaginations, and are not shy about dreaming big. Her response:

• Could we eat Reese's peanut butter cups?
• And maybe watch Beauty and the Beast together?
• And can you paint my fingernails?

In my head, I was thinking, "Really, that simple? That's all she wants?" I asked her if she'd like to do anything else, and she looked at me with excitement and said, "that would be the best day ever, Mommy."

I about cried.

Could fulfilling a dream of my daughter's be that simple? She just wants to hang out with me and watch a movie, while I get to eat chocolate and paint fingernails? That's such a little dream.

But really, it was a little's dream.

And I was reminded again how the simple moments we spend with our children (and one another) can be the stuff that dreams are made of...even when we don't realize it.

I believe that sometimes we're not fully aware of the little pieces of Heaven all around us. And sometimes we overlook our own capacity to be one of those pieces.

I've got round 2 with M coming up on Thursday night and she has a movie, some hair fixing, and baking on her mind.

I can't wait...because in the process of these little moments, I'm fulfilling my own dreams of motherhood, too.

How will help someone live their dream today? I promise, it might even be something small..that you'll enjoy, too.

XOXO, MJ

  

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive and interested in last week's post on my daughter's bookclub. This evening we celebrated our second (and maybe final for the summer) meeting, and it was again such a joy to be with these young minds and senses of humor.

Our read for this month was Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. She's a magical woman who offers children cures to their greatest (parent-identified) ailments, such as picky eating, sibling fighting, and selfish behaviors. We rated our book (it scored a little lower than the Chocolate Touch), made simple folded books to house our own cures, and sculpted some of the objects used in the story.

For those moms and dads interested in starting up a club for your 6-9 year olds, here are 9 reads we considered...easy to moderate level chapter books that have a great theme for discussion/crafting! :)

The Chocolate Touch

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Stuart Little

The Lemonade Wars

The Magical Miss Plum

Ramona Quimby, age 8

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

Charlotte's Web

Do you have any great chapter books to add to the list? I'd love to see your top reads!

XOXO, MJ

I've been a proud member of a wonderful bookclub for the last five years or so (did you see the Hunger Games night that I hosted...memorable and delightful), and my daughter, M at age 7 has always been intrigued by the idea of reading and eating together with friends. To keep her excited about reading, I suggested that we could gather a group of her friends and explore some chapter books together over the summer. I had to throw in a craft and some delightful treats to seal the deal, but I didn't really need my arm twisted.

Soooo, I had this crazy idea that borrowing a chocolate fountain, melting 4 pounds of milk chocolate yumminess in it, and inviting over a handful of 7-year olds would be fun. 

I was right. And I was exhausted post event.

Starting a bookclub with your child allows you the opportunity to connect and to educate, and it sets a great tone for future learning. Your child sees that you embrace reading, that reading can be and is fun, and that reading shared with friends enhances relationships and knowledge of ourselves.

Here are my tips on how to host a bookclub for a special young person in your life:

1. Invite 3-4 friends.

Keep it small to start off. Where possible know the parents, too. This size of club makes it easy to have more in-depth discussion and allows the kids to be able to listen to one another's ideas without being overwhelmed by the numbers.

2. Get the parents involved.

Though I'm a teacher by training, I still wanted lots of input from the other parents of kiddos involved in the bookclub. I sent out an email with 5 suggested chapter books (with Amazon links) and asked each mom to pick two that seemed like good reads for their girls. We decided on two dates in initial email exchanges as well so that everyone could get these on the family calendars.

3. Read the book, too.

We selected The Chocolate Touch as our first book. It's a good book that mirrors the story of King Midas. The protagonist John Midas gets the chocolate touch and turns everything into chocolate...even his mom! My daughter finished the book in one afternoon because she was so excited about it, and I wanted to be able to talk about the details with her and her friends so I devoured it, too. While you're reading, jot down a few notes and a handful of discussion questions. If you feel stumped on what to ask, simply Google a synopsis of your chosen read. Someone has already created the questions. Trust me.

4. Make it easy to enter the conversation.

M made packs of numbers 1-4 for her friends. Our first question: How would you rate the book? (We do this without the props in my bookclub as a way to begin the book talk) The girls shuffled through the numbers, looking for 4s if they loved it and 1s if they never wanted to read it again. I asked them to turn their chosen number face down and on the count of three - we all revealed our ratings! First question, why did you give the book this rating? I loved that we had variance in opinions and great reasons to back up their thoughts!

We breezed through the events of each chapter, with each girl clammoring to tell what they loved best about the characters and details. At the end of the discussion, I asked each girl to re-rate. One bumped her rating of a three to a four after the conversation!

5. Fun is a must.

We want children to connect joy and reading together so let's make it fun. Think about how food can be themed for the event. The Chocolate Touch lent itself to great chocolate treats such as strawberries and angel food cake dipped in a chocolate fountain. 

Throw in a craft, too! I wanted M to have full ownership of the meeting so we imagined together what kind of project would fit well with the plot of the book. We decided on a chocolate box but put a twist on it by folding a pyramid-shape! Super cool and easy. Check out this site for lots of box templates easy enough for kids (and busy moms) to follow.

After two hours of pizza, talk, and chocolate, with full stomachs and high-pitched giggles, we said good-bye to great friends and avid readers.

Next month we read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and M is so excited to plan our menu and gather the craft supplies. I'm already behind her in my reading...just as I had hoped.

Hosting a bookclub for your child requires a little bit of energy, but it opens up some great paths into literature and relationships for your little one.

Any great children's reads that you'd recommend? Would you have wanted to be a part of a bookclub as a child?

XOXO, MJ

Hello, friends! Happy Wednesday to you. It's a beautiful day here in Pars Caeli. We're talking about creativity for Mommy and Daddy School, and I'm sharing more about me and my family over at the loveliness of Classic Play. Have you visited before? Please, go take a gander.

I had the pleasure of learning from Jen Cooper during her Alt Summit class (that girls knows her stuff on great writing), and, when she asked me to come on over to be a part of her Creative Family Series, I (jumped out of my skin) and said yes, yes, yes!!

As a parent, I look for ways to cultivate creativity in my children. More accurately, however, I don't need to find ways to inspire them (they are bubbling over with ideas and energy), but I do foster avenues for channeling creativity and a solid foundation from whence they can feel confident to explore their God-given talents.

How do you nurture your creativity? Were you raised in a creative home? What do you do when you feel lacking in inspiration? These and more great questions were a part of my interview with Jen. Here's a teaser to get it started. I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts!! And, thank you, thank you, to Jen for offering me the opportunity to write about a subject I so adore. Such an honor.

Now walk on over... XOXO, MJ

Creativity? How would you define it?

For me, creativity is the making of the new–anything from a re-creation to an inventive solution to a masterpiece. I have yet to meet a person that I wouldn’t consider creative. Creativity isn’t special pixie dust reserved for the brilliant artists of the world. We’re all born with it, and some of us cultivate it in broader ways than others.

Have you always considered yourself creative?

I snicker at this, but, yes, I think I have. In times of challenge, I’ve always hung my hat on my creativity. I’m the youngest of three...

I'm excited to honor Children's Book Week, the national celebration of books and reading for youth. This worthwhile spotlight started nearly a century ago and remains the longest-running literacy initiative in this country.

For my part, I really want to share with you four of our favorite family read-alouds. Reading to my children is such a daily gift. Taking on the voices and speech patterns of animals and inventions, I have the great pleasure of opening up the world to them.

We have a favorite bookstore, discovered a number of years ago while on vacation. As a souvenir from the trip, each child selected a book. We all have such fond memories of that time together, away from the TV and laptops.  I have such warm memories of all five of us huddled up in the big bed, listening and treasuring story and art, as we read and reread these wondrous books.

1. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker

Bear keeps to himself, always has, always will - until he hears a tap, tap, tapping on his door. Enter Mouse. The story unfolds to reveal the ways that Mouse ingratiates himself to the stubborn Bear, with persistence and attention. With its enjoyable repetition of refrain, your children (and you) will find yourself joining in the first sparks of friendships, and the sweet illustrations will stay with you long after the book close.

Bear has a series of other stories, and we happily read those, too, but I think this is by far, the best of the bunch.

2. Manana Iguana by Ann Whitford Paul

My super smart sis, who is also a rocking Kindergarten teacher, recommended this one to me. Manana Iguana is a modern take on the Little Red Hen. Poor Iguana is raring to throw a grand fiesta, and she looks to her three companions to help with preparations. My fave animal in this one is Culebra (the snake) with his quick wit, "I'll help you, Iguana. I'll help you Manana, Iguana, when I grow arms."

The integration of Spanish and English dialogue is seamless and natural to the story. The drawings endear. And I do one amazing, annoyed iguana imitation if I do say so.

3. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

What list of children's stories would be complete without a Seuss? This one is my favorite. The ridiculousness matched with the sing song patterning makes it such a great read-aloud.

I've been influenced by Seuss artwork for a very long time, and I see my kids trying to identify what real creature might have inspired the crazy critters that Dr. Seuss brings to life in these pages. Mr. Gump's little ditty is my fave, as I have a melody that goes along with it, too (a book turned into a musical, I'm all about that!).

4. Little Miss Spider by David Kirk

The interior of this book feels and looks like a shiny, polished new car. The dramatic colors are like a rainbow on your lap and each vignette draws you in. C has always loved this story, so much so that she memorized the entirety of it at age 3 and "read" it to her teachers.

Miss Spider hatches into the world, alongside many siblings, but without the presence of her mother. We follow her through the story as she searches and inquires, "Where could my mother be?", only to find that she has discovered the most amazing mother right by her side.

It's a sweet, simple story, again using rhyme, that reminds us of the most important connection between mother and child.

If you're looking for a sentimental something for a momma (perfect for Mother's Day) in your life, try wrapping up this charmed storybook. The book concludes with the verse below - one so fitting for Mother's Day. Cut and paste it into your next email or text to a favorite momma in your life.

XOXO,
MJ