New to the Blog World? Me, too!

You know, the plain truth of it is...I've been a little out of the ole' loop lately. If only I had known what I was missing!

The written word is a part of who I am. In 2nd grade, I was scribbling poems in my bedroom at night. Long before I started carrying a purse, tiny notebooks were stuffed into my back pocket to jot down- anything. Words. Phrases. Quotes. Sketches. Something about a brain spilling onto paper thrills me, inspires me, forces me to somehow deepen.

I simply enjoy writing; even observing the flow of ink onto paper appeals. (Gads! Does anyone even use a pen and paper to write these days?!?)  But with two crazy kiddos running about, I went through a dry spell, a hardcore writer's block. Oh, I still had ideas but lacked the proper motivation to sit down and write. Until...

One bright afternoon, on a car ride through the countryside, a best girl of mine brought up blogging. Prior to this causal conversation, my knowledge of the blog world was limited, at best. I had read friends' blogs but hadn't really ventured out to explore the blogosphere. After checking out a few links my friend recommended...hooked!

If you are also a freshman in the wide world of blogging, here are a few tidbits I've learned while taking the first steps of my own journey.

If you join a site like Blogger, you can create a reading list to save blogs you wish to follow. When I have time, I'll sit down and flip through the blogs I have saved. Using a reading list is much like creating your own custom-designed magazine, all material that you've personally selected as interesting.

Most bloggers give you the option of signing up for email alerts when new posts are created. You'll usually see a "Follow by Email" box on the side of the page where you can enter your email address for notification when a new material is posted.

You can also follow blogs by joining the site and becoming a member. You can do this publicly, to support the author/s, or privately if you wish. If you have an account with Google, blogs you subscribe to will be added to a reading list. If you want to keep track of a particular blog, utilizing your reading list will prevent you from forgetting to swing by again.

And, man...once you've found blogs that suit your interests, you'll LOVE the constant variety, fascinating new perspectives and clever tricks you'll learn from others. Over the past few months, I have found several blogs that I'm just loving. When you have a few minutes, if we're like-minded birds of a feather, check out some of these sensational blogs and see what I mean. You won't be disappointed!

My FAVORITE blogs are written by clever, introspective mamas with unique, captivating writing styles. Visit these inspiring women at Harpers Happenings and Sometimes Sweet.

I've been getting so many creative ideas for the home from Small Notebook, Design Mom, and Smile and Wave.

How could you not admire the simple, yet stunning, photography on these blogs- Katie's Pencil Box, Angela Hardison, BLEUBIRD BLOG?

Check out Playful Learning and Toddler Approved! to grab great ideas for teaching in the home.

For fashion inspiration with flair, stop by A Beautiful Mess, much love, illy, and Skunkboy Blog.

Like beer? Then swing by to visit my friend's clever site for the brew aficionado at Beer on my shirt....

And of course, if you appreciate art made with happiness and love- for your home or a wee one's room, you'll go bonkers over turtle bunny love design, a blog written by one of my favorite artists and friends.

If you stumble upon anything spectacular while you're out there searching, send me some new reading material! I'm lovin' the blog world and am always on the lookout for fresh perspective, knowledge and inspiration.

Fill up that reading list! It's a great big world out there...

BUG OUT! Praying Mantis

Living near woodlands, we meet lots of lil' buggers out here. My skin has definitely thickened as I've taken a more scientific approach to sharing space with larger insects and arachnids. 

Every once in awhile, I'll stumble upon a praying mantis, the most captivating insect I've observed. Because they are noticeably watching ME watching them, I'm entranced. We will stare at one another intently for quite some time. I'll move from one side of her body to the other, observing her turn her head to follow my gaze. They can turn their heads up to 180 degrees! So impressive.

Here's a beauty we followed for a bit alongside our friends' pond. 

This mantis is a beautiful bright green to blend with the grass.

So you know me, ever the nerd at heart, I did a bit of homework to learn more about these fascinating insects. Most people know that the praying mantis is named for its common front leg position, which often resembles praying hands.  Because I'm always interested in the meaning in a name, I learned that "mantis" is actually from the greek word "prophet". Praying prophet? Um...cool!

Check out the gams on this girl! Whoo whee!

So we've all heard the stories of the, uh...unique mating rituals of the praying mantis. Yikes. The things they do for love. These beauties are clearly designed for fierceness. According to National Geographic's data on this creature, mantis legs are deadly weapons. They are accessorized with spikes, which they use to impale their prey. Daaaaaang! Now that's some medieval killin' right there!

Climbing my deck chair to get a better view of the lunch menu.

And the brutal stories go on and on. It seems the praying mantis also channels a bit of Hannibal Lecter when the mood is right. It's true that females will devour their suitors during or after mating, but the praying mantis has been known to turn cannibal, well...just for the taste of it. Man. You'd think they were just squabbling over a grasshopper, but really, Molly Mantis just wanted a bite of Mikey Mantis' abdomen. Gads.

Legs ready to grab something yummy.

But despite the sordid tales, this insect is amazing. It can change colors (from bright green to brown) to blend in with its surrounding environment. In these photos, the mantis on my deck changed to a brown color to blend into the chair and surrounding wood. Clever girl!

Hungry!

And while you're looking at them, rest assured that they are indeed looking back at you. The praying mantis' 2 compound eyes and three simple eyes between are keen in the daylight, so they do most of their hunting when the lighting is good. In ideal conditions, they can detect movement from up to 60 feet away and they can see in color.

Look at that FORM!

They are patient and efficient hunters. After carefully stalking their prey, they wait, completely motionless, for the precise moment of attack. And what an attack it will be...

What are YOU lookin' at?

Not messing around, the praying mantis will stab its victim with its lightning fast front legs and will promptly behead the captive to quell any struggling. Now, with some some peace and quiet, the mantis can enjoy a delicious treat.

Ugh. Paparazzi! I'll have better luck catching my lunch in a more private setting.

Despite common rumors, the praying mantis is not an endangered insect, but PLEASE do NOT harm them when you meet. I have learned that these insects have no known negative impact on the ecosystem whatsoever. In fact, many people keep these gorgeous creatures as pets! They can live up to one year and seem relatively easy to care for and observe. If you do choose to take on a praying mantis, please use common sense, do your homework and handle with care. 

These exquisite creatures have certainly intrigued me this season, and my children and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning more about their lifestyle and behavior. I bow down to the praying prophets and have utmost respect for their patience and efficiency. And when the boys misbehave, the ladies in the mantis world send a pretty clear reminder of what a girl can do if she's irritable. Good to remember sometimes, huh? No wonder these dudes are prayin'!

P.S. Do you LOVE bugs as much as we do? One of our totally awesome friends makes totally awesome BUG TEES and counting flashcards to go with her total awesomeness. Check them out on Etsy at Creature Crawlers! 

Pokeweed in August- A Follow Up

It's follow up time! In June, I wrote about young pokeweed that was just beginning to thrive here in Pennsylvania. Now, in August, it's much easier to observe the mature fruit of this troublesome plant. If you're just learning to spot these nasty invaders, here are some current photographs to help you hone in your identification eyes.

Here, you can see a 7-foot tall pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) covered in berries. Note the purple hue in the stem.

Large pokeweed

The berries are beautiful, but toxic. If there are wee ones hangin' around, it would be best to remove any pokeweed on your property so children aren't tempted to sample these colorful berries. In case of accidental ingestion, you can read about pokeweed poisoning here.

Mature pokeweed berries are deep purple in color.

Berries are attached to a pinkish/purple stem on the plant. The pokeweed stalk can also have a purple tinge.

Once you learn to identify pokeweed, you'll begin to notice this native vegetation popping up everywhere. If you have interest, Iowa State University provides a brief but thorough overview of this pesky plant.

This mature pokeweed stands 7 feet tall.

So get that pokeweed outta there! In my original post, I detailed our method of removal, but if you're short on time or would prefer to avoid handling the toxic roots, you can consider professional eradication.

The mature pokeweed plant is so lush and tantalizing, it seems a bit of a shame to have to evict such an aesthetic wonder. But this dangerous beauty can pose a serious threat to humans if mishandled, so sadly, on our property, it just has to go.

All of these photographs were taken on local hikes, so to gain confidence in positively identifying this plant, look closely. Spend a moment to let the image sink in and make an effort to identify pokeweed on your own next adventure in the woods. It's exciting to learn about the plants that are native to our region and wise to have information about the effects they might have on pets and humans.

If you'd like to review some of the original, young pokeweed shots I posted in June, you can view them here. As always, if you have any questions, comments or interesting new links, please feel free to post.

Get out there and enjoy the rest of the season safely!

Raising Readers

Bust out your spectacles! Lately, we have been so excited to see our 3-year-old actually reading by herself! She reads ME her bedtime stories now, and we can hear her reading to her stuffed animals and our family dog (Rottweiler Sleepover?) long after we've said, "good night".

Disclaimer: I'm no expert on this. My degree is in secondary English education, so teaching my wee ones to read is a trial and error system. I do, however, utilize many of the strategies I was trained to use with ESL students and reluctant readers. With great joy, I can report that we have had much success sparking the desire to read in our daughters.

Create your own labels to help early readers connect words with specific objects.

When my eldest was about 9-months-old, I began creating labels for many common household objects. When I'd turn on the lights, I'd point to the word and clearly enunciate it. Then I'd use her hand to move the switch up and down while repeating the word to help create a connection.

Keep related literature accessible wherever you can.

Wherever we keep adult literature, I have added kiddie lit as well. I have placed books next to our youngest daughter's potty so that she can read about bath/potty time in the bathroom, again, making a connection to the words. 

I also firmly believe that interweaving the sense of touch helps my1-year-old make a tangible association with words. We were given My First Touch 'n Feel Flash Cards and have used them constantly to help teach our girls to read. Physically holding flashcards gives children an active role in the learning process. Using a manipulative like this empowers them to see reading as a game and creates a positive association.

Use flashcards as an early reading game!

You can also find tons of great flashcards in dollar stores. We snagged Playshool First Words Flashcards there.

Lisa Dejohn's Alphabet Animal Flashcards are, without a doubt, the most beautiful, durable and inspiring cards we own. If you need a lovely gift for a birthday party, grab some at Anthropologie. Once you get your own, consider framing the first letter of a child's name. These cards are THAT good. Trust me.

Lisa Dejohn's Alphabet Animal Flashcards are wonderful!

Munchkin Bath Letters and Numbers have made every bath time a learning experience in our home. At only 15-months-old, Layna just likes to play with the letters, but Kaira spells out messages now and leaves them on the wall for her dad to find when he takes his shower. So cute.

Munchkin Bath Letters and Numbers are great for bath time learning!

Kaira was given subscriptions to Highlights magazine and Wild Animal Baby for her birthday last year, and she goes bonkers over every issue. She can read most of these magazines by herself now. Simply astounding! These magazine are so easy to toss into diaper bags, place in the car and bring along whenever you travel. We also love books that have text in both English and Spanish for early language acquisition.

Highlights & Wild Animal Baby are exciting and engaging magazines for young readers.

Leap Frog makes Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set, which captivates both of our daughters constantly. When kiddos pop a letter in the slot, the machine clearly pronounces each sound and sings the ABC song.  It's also a lifesaver if you're making dinner and need to keep the kids nearby but out of harm's way while you cook.

Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set is ideal for manipulation and letter pronunciation.

Because our daughters love puzzles, I often take the pieces and write the word of each image alongside of its place. As a starting point, I will ask one of my girls to place the picture of the grasshopper next to the word. As their skills mature, I have written the word on the BACK of each piece. Later in reading development, I can flip the pieces and ask if one of my kids can read the word on the back to identify the picture on the front.

Write the word next to, and on the back of, puzzle pieces for additional challenges.

We love art in this house. I have found glittery letters and doorknob signs at our local dollar store. We use these to create name tags for different rooms in the house. I can teach spelling and reading by helping my girls sound out the letters for their names and the names of friends. We make doorknob tags to give as gifts often.

Teach spelling and reading by making doorknob name tags.

Let them see YOU reading! My husband and I read constantly, and we are sure to let our girls SEE us enjoying literature. Our house is full of books, so we encourage our daughters to flip through our reading materials and their own daily.

Make books accessible and important in your home.

We place books of various genres in baskets in every room the girls frequent. We want them to pick them up as often as possible, so we make them accessible and prominent in our house.

Book baskets beckon kids to grab ahold to investigate what's inside.

We keep another book basket directly adjacent to our 1-year-old's crib. She pulls small board books into her bed to flip through as she falls asleep or to keep her busy when she wakes up from napping. 

Consider keeping a book basket with board books next to the crib.

Bookshelves can be too tall for shorties and can be a falling hazard in a young child's room, so we have used wooden crates to store literature for our 3-year-old. She loves heading over to her little library to choose stories every night. As her reading is advancing, I'm starting to read more poetry to get her into predicting rhyming words and rhythm. Shel Silverstein is my favorite author of all time, so if you haven't checked out his books, oh PLEASE do!

Low-level bookshelves are a great alternative to taller options.

We have had the MOST success teaching our 3-year-old to read by leaving her notes every night. To catch up on this process, check out my earlier post on Learning to Read Love Letters.

Leaving notes presents a fantastic and exciting challenge for early readers.

And now that we have laid a solid foundation for reading, Kaira is very inspired to start WRITING! We have a large, laminated piece of notebook paper for her to practice on for fun. Using Crayola Dry Erase Crayons, she experiments with writing regularly in an artistic, creative way!

Crayola Dry Erase Crayons are fun for art and letter writing!

Teaching reading has been such a natural, enjoyable process in our home, and I can't tell you how pleased we are with the results. We hope our daughters grow to love literature as much as we do and know that they're on the right path. 

As always, if you have any questions or great new ideas to share, please feel free to post them here. We hope YOUR summer reading was spectacular!  

21 Rays of Sunshine

The blunt truth is that summer has never been my favorite season. I get cranky when I'm overheated, mosquitoes find me irresistible and I have THREE people to cover in sunscreen every time we head out for some fun. 

But lately I've been trying to focus on living in the moment, on finding the beauty of now. And so, as a distraction from scratching at these bug bites, I've realized that it's time to thank Summer for 21 rays of sunshine she has brought into my life this season. 

We've traveled to and fro this summer, made day trips and hit the beach for a much needed vacay, but these photos are all about celebrating home. I've realized that here, in our small town life, we kind of have it all.

1. PEACHES- Mmmmmmm! These mouth-watering babies were so juicy we had to either eat them over the sink, or (my favorite) outside so we could hose off afterwards. You know you have some good peaches when you have to start slurping as soon as your teeth pierce the flesh. These definitely didn't disappoint.

We ate about 20 of these in three days.

2. UMBRELLAS- I don't know what it is about a good umbrella, but I just love them. Beach umbrellas, deck umbrellas, a colorful rain umbrella-love them all! They're a party for the eye and add such relieving shade from the scalding sun. 

We just got this striped umbrella for our deck and I'm crazy about it.

3. QUIET CREEK FARM- We have loved heading out to pick up our weekly share of fruits and veggies this summer. It has been rewarding in so many ways. But you've already heard me go on and on about this wonderful place...

My little peas, pickin' peas

4. MINI-GOLF- On our anniversaries, my husband and I always find a mini-golf course and throw down the gauntlet. Lee has beaten me every time we've played...until THIS year! I got a hole-in-one twice and schooled that sucker! This is the start of something great. Booyah, Lee! 

And the gold medal goes to...CALLY!

5. FRESH BERRIES- Deeeelish! We have wineberry bushes, Rubus phoenicolasius, all through the woods on our property. We toss the berries in our cereal and the kids eat them right off the bush. Here's another perfect opportunity to teach about plant identification and safety...with savory results!

6. WATCHING THE SKY- Summertime is lovely for stargazing and storm watching. When we purchased our deck furniture, a requirement was that our chairs had to be able to kick back so we could comfortably get our eyes on the skies. And when we added on to our home, we ordered BIG windows so we'd be able to safely observe the majesty of the thunderstorms that pass through our area. Last night's lightning proved to be quite a show!

Ooooh! Full moon out our window! When we turn off all the lights, the house is aglow. So cool!

7. OUR OWN LIL' GARDEN- Now that our girls are old enough to participate, this year's garden has been wonderful. Kaira helped with the planting, and both kiddos carry the veggies up to the house when we collect. There are so many lessons for children and adults alike in gardening, and we're already planning for next year's crops. 

Kai and Lee planting sweet potatoes earlier this summer

8. FRESH MINT SUN TEA- Well, you've heard me rave about this delight as well. Because I'm always so HOT in the summertime, having this amazing tea available is so refreshing. Plus, my lil' crazies can definitely tire me out, so my homemade sun tea is the perfect pick-me-up on a sweltering day. 

9. MOWING THE LAWN- No. This is not a sarcastic addition to my list. I REALLY LOVE mowing the lawn. In fact, I get salty when my husband sneaks a mow in while I'm away and was devastated to have to take maternity leave (it's a seriously bumpy ride) from mowing while I was pregnant with my daughters. Cutting the grass is one of my favorite "chores" because I get time to myself and see a completely satisfying result. Plus, our mower is orange, my favorite color, so it makes me happy every time I lay eyes on it. 

Working on the mower so she's in tip top condition. Yeehaw!!!

10. BIRDIES- Again, if you read The Cardinal Family Birthday, you already know I'm a crazy bird nerd. I'm a-spyin' all year long, but I feel much more connected to my little friends in the summertime, when our windows are open and I can hear them sweetly singing the days away. We find many nests under our deck and in our bushes and trees, so there is always something new to discover.

3 little robins got knocked out of their nest in our tree during a nasty thunderstorm this summer. We made them a new "nest" and replaced them in the tree until they were ready to fly.

11. FLOWERS- Every spring, my girls and I get to work planting flowers in all our deck pots. We just love stepping out into our own private Eden every day. My daughters each have their own watering cans to help our flowers grow, and my eldest even does the snipping when we bring them in for vases. In the bathroom, on the kitchen table, in the bedrooms...freshly cut flowers add life, beauty and inspiration to any space.

Our flowers bring us such happiness, outdoors and in vases.

12. BIKE RIDES- Man o' man. Kaira got her first "big girl bike" this summer and has been tearing it up out there. Her training wheels are set so that they hardly touch the ground, so I know it's only a matter of time until she's ready to really ride that beast. Her little sister gets so frustrated that she's expected to ride the tricycle and makes every attempt to hop up on the big bike too. Time sure does speed by, huh?

Getting brave on a big hill!

13. FIREWORKS- Who doesn't love fireworks? Well...Kaira doesn't. At 3, she still gets spooked from time to time. When we watched our first pyrotechnic show this year, she wanted to snuggle me or her dad through the entire display. And I can't say we complained. Layna, on the other hand, would probably rush up to ride one into the sky if we didn't stop her. Regardless of their varied reactions, it's spectacular to share such a stimulating experience with our little ladies.

Fireworks had a full moon backdrop this year. All right!

14. SWINGS- Everyone knows a good swing is always a blast, so my husband made this simple plank swing for the girls this year. This has been such a happy addition to our days. Such a simple project and so funny to watch my two little monsters fight over (cough)- I mean...take turns swingin' in the breeze. 

Layna snags some solo time on the swing.

15. LINE-DRYING LAUNDRY- Yup. You read that one correctly, too. My second favorite "chore" is hanging our skivvies out on the line to dry in the sun. I love everything about it...the sound of the birds serenading me while I'm at work, the warmth of the sun on my shoulders, the scent of our clean clothes as they sway in the breeze, and most of all- the contemplative time to reflect on my family. Pinning up each tiny pink sock, each of my husband's ratty t-shirts, every tiny dress brings me more joy than I can describe. I'll have to follow up on how much I love hanging laundry. Sounds thrilling, I know.

Carrying my laundry to the line. See how happy I am? It's no joke. I love it. 

16. ART ON THE DECK- Early morning art sessions are the best. In the summertime, it's so exhilarating to take our paints out onto our deck to create. Being out in the open air, with nature buzzing all around us- ahhhh...inspiring.

17. FRESH HERBS- My hub has been making lots of amazing breads from scratch this summer. To make a yummy dip, I have been chopping tons of fresh herbs to mix with olive oil and red pepper flakes. SO yummy! We've also been buying mozzarella balls and piercing a cherry tomato, a mozz ball and some fresh basil with a toothpick. Simply drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top and enjoy an amazing snack.

Fresh herbs really add jazz to so many snacks and dinners.

18. CATCHING BUGS- Summer is the BEST time to snag all kinds of interesting suckers. We, with a little help from some of our 3-year-old friends, have really caught quite an assortment of fascinating insects this season, the most impressive being the pine sawyer beetle. Do you dig bugs as well? I'm working on some blogs about some of the other creepsters we've caught lately, so stay tuned.

Kaira scrutinizing her pine sawyer beetle.

19. HIKING- Now, our family loves a hike any day of the year, be it in snow or rain, but trekking in the summertime has some benefits. Our girls love to kick off their shoes to feel the ground beneath their toes when we take breaks from our walks. In the summer months, plants and wildlife flourish, providing ideal opportunities to teach as we traipse through the woods. We might get dirty and ripe, but summer walks are worth the stink.

Summer hiking makes us happy!

20. HANGING OUTSIDE WITH FRIENDS- Pool parties, deck BBQs, picnics, bonfires and ballgames...we love them ALL! With so many crazy kids running around, it's literally a breath of fresh air to be able to get all the nutsos and grown-ups together in open space. It gets a little intense when we try to cram 10 adults and 8 giggling little girlies in one room in the colder months, so I think we all have an extra appreciation for outdoor par-tays nowadays. It's such an overwhelmingly positive feeling when we're all together and our kiddos can be free to play and explore.

My girls, waiting for their best pals to come over for a swim date!

21. ICE CREAM- Why 21 photos instead of only 20? Because there's always room for ice cream.

So thank you, Summer, for a season of smiles. As much as I have cherished all the happiness you have shone down on us this year, I'm feeling my favorite autumn breeze begin to rise in the air, and I know it's time for a change. I can't wait to see where the wind takes us next...

What kind of sunshine has Summer brought to YOUR little corner of the world this year?