During my son’s first year of Pre-K, his teachers put together a very special calendar for the parents. I don’t think they would mind me sharing this idea with you on a month to month basis over the next year. Here’s how to start.
The First Page:
This page held a picture of my son, the calendar year, and the following poem:
The Hands of a Child
Written by Amy Ethridge
When you look at the hand what do you see?
There are just some lines most would agree.
But take a closer look this very minute
And notice the treasures that are found within it.
The hand can be so many things,
From tulips to beautiful butterfly wings.
A Santa, an apple, even a heart,
A pumpkin, an umbrella, that’s only a start.
The hand can be a leprechaun trying to hide.
It can be the sunrise to brighten the day.
It can be a fish swimming away.
It can be a turkey strutting along,
Whatever you make it, you can’t go wrong.
Just take a little time to look and see,
Where these hands came from,
And you’ll surely agree
Your child, the artist, reaching his goal,
Created this for you with body and soul.
Keep it and use it till the time has past.
Then put it away so the memories will last.
The Second Page: 
Here there was my child’s handprint and the following in print.
“I know you wipe some away,
But these handprints were made to stay!
So keep them forever, a treasure they’ll be,
A special ”I Love You”,
For you from me?"
The Third Page:
The month of January!!! There is a small calendar with snowflakes and a snowman. Using white tempera paint and overlapping fingerprints form my son’s hands, he made a very special snowflake. Above the calendar and snowflake is the following rhym.
Snowflakes
Snowflakes white are dancing down.
Dancing, dancing . . . all around.
Each one is different, it’s surely true.
Here’s one I made from me for you!
The next page, of course is February. I’ll be sure to post it before the end of the month. So you’ll have it to enjoy all month long. As with any craft or art project, this one too can be customized to fit your desire. And your imagination is your only limitation! Happy crafting. Hope you enjoy the handprints.
Written by Jane O'Connor
Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
This is only our first Fancy Nancy book. However, Nancy is the typical girly girl. She dresses up plays pretend and takes full advantage of her imagination, all while embracing all things fancy. In this book, Nancy introduces children to 26 very fancy words. Some they are familiar with, but many they are not, for instance "Repondez s'il vous plait", to you and I, RSVP. My own little girly girl was completely taken in by the brilliant illustrations while we read, totally identifying with the character. She wants to be, and in many ways already is, just like Fancy Nancy. This darling little book encourage imagination, pretend, and builds vocabulary.
Here are a few other Fancy Nancy titles to check out if you enjoy this one as much as we did. Fancy Nancy
Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly
Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy
Fancy Nancy: Let's Get Fancy Together!
Dear reader,As any of you with children know, the holidays are a very hectic time of year. I failed you, and let the holiday chaos keep me from updating the site and sharing more ideas with you. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.Our ornaments came out great. We did 25. I did a set for the baby, and each of the older kids painted their own. We used markers on the first couple and water colors on the other three. Then, we embellished with glitter. (Tip: For those of you who don't use a rolling pin often, like me, you may want to dust the surface you are rolling on with flour and then the dough periodically as you roll it out. I did not do this, and the dough stuck to my rolling pin A LOT.) The ornaments are currently scattered on the tree. When I take down the Christmas tree over the next few days, I'll gather them and post a picture for you. We enjoyed the activity so much that we will be repeating it as a new family tradition.Also, as we are bringing in the New Year, I've made a few resolutions. I won't share them all with you, but one is to keep this updated for you, my reader, and share as many ideas, books, and thoughts with you as possible. I'll also keep an eye out for any good sales on kid related products.Hope you'll visit again soon. My apologies for the break in posts. And I look forward to any responses you have or thoughts you'd like to share.Yours sincerely,Eve Lawson
