{pretty, happy, funny, real} Winter Reading

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Brought to you by Like Mother, Like Daughter

What books do you like to read with your kids in the winter? I posted some of our winter recommendations here, and I'd love to hear your own!

{pretty}

Winter storm season is upon us! We are surviving just fine with stacks of good books to read and storm chips. If you need to know what storm chips are, they seem to be a uniquely maritime invention! (Feel free to appropriate as you deem necessary.)

{happy}

Can you see what he's reaching for there? Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town. Jack will find anything Richard Scarry or Thomas the Tank Engine and ask to read it over and over and over again. He will also look at those books by himself for quite some time. I'd always heard it said, and can concur from experience, Richard Scarry is great for little boys!

Here he is with Thomas.

When the storm and the flu cleared up, these two were more than happy to get outside to play!

{funny}

We have been reading this great winter poem book - Winter Poems (that's the cover up in the first picture). There's even something by Shakespeare in it, which is partly why I love it! This poem is called "A Merry Note," and the last line of each stanza reads:

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

 Never mind who greasy Joan is, what does it mean to "keel the pot?" We all thought it sounded rather funny, and I got out the big dictionary for the kids (I think for the first time) and we looked it up together.

As a verb it means "turn upside down; upset." Makes sense considering the noun, which I already knew. Of course, I also know what it means to "keel over," but now I shall be confident in my verb usage! I keel pots on a regular basis, don't you?

We all just think it's a funny line. It still begs the question though, who is greasy Joan?

{real}

My darling sister sent me this delightful book for Christmas.

It has so many great storytelling ideas! I've done a little bit of storytelling with the kids at bedtime, where I make up stories that always begin, "Once upon a time there lived a brave and beautiful princess named Arden and a strong and noble knight named Jack. Together they lived in a beautiful kingdom, and they ruled it well. . ." Now Arden always asks for a "story with no pages."

I'm excited to try some of the activities and prompts to keep my own story juices flowing and get the kids in the practice of making up their own stores. I'd love to make some of the story rocks and other more crafty things, but a couple weeks ago I did a very simple version of a story bag, just with drawing some simple pictures on a piece of paper, cutting them up, and putting them in a little bag.

The kids took turns pulling a piece of paper out the bag, and we made up our story as we went along. They thought it was wonderful, and afterwards made up their own versions. For this bag I used mostly wintery words, and it would be easy enough to change things up with the seasons, or with any passing interest.

I'd love to hear some of your ideas for winter reading and indoor activities when the winds are raging outside!


~lg