Month: June 2020

Picture Book Review: Under My Tree

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn book review5 Comments

Under My Tree by Muriel Tallandier

From the Publisher:

A modern take on Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree that celebrates the friendship between a curious child and her favorite tree.

When Susanne leaves her city home to visit her grandmother, she finds a very special tree of her own in the forest. Each time she returns to the tree, she observes something unique about it—from the sheltering protection of its branches to the scratchy surface of its bark.

This is a wonderful introduction to trees for young children that gently cultivates an appreciation for nature. Interwoven in the fiction text are unique facts about trees and simple activities that encourage readers to touch, smell, and observe the world that is all around them. Printed on FSC-certified paper with vegetable-based inks.

My Thoughts:

By the time I finished reading this book to my five year old, I knew that this was one that we need to buy for our own personal library. A little girl so in love with her tree, that she looks forward to seeing it every year when she visits her grandmother. I love this depiction of a child’s relationship with nature! I loved the science sprinkled throughout, the thought provoking questions for children, the prompts to use their senses when thinking about the tree. I loved that the little girl loved her tree so much she shared it with her friends and her family. We are such a nature loving family, that this was a wonderful story to share with my son, to encourage his own relationship with our natural world, and engage his curiosity and senses. I loved this book, but even better, so did my five year old.

This book is compared to Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, which is a wonderful book, although a sad one. I think this book has a different tone, one that respects the tree, which I enjoy much more.

This was just a lovely story with beautiful illustrations, and one I plan to buy for my son’s shelves, to be read again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Myrick Marketing and Media for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Sunday-Monday Post!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized28 Comments

My Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Last week sort of went by in a blur. It’s funny how some weeks go by so slowly, and others fly by. I think last week seemed to go by so quickly because we were able to get some decent outside time in. We have been spending a chunk of our mornings and afternoons outside and it is wonderful! All that sunshine. We head back in during the heat of the day and do other projects then, but the mornings for sure are ours. We also shopped at a small farm over the weekend – Trillium Woods Farm near Lansing, MI. We placed an order online for different meats and then went to their drive-thru pick-up. I have always wanted to start supporting small farmers and this year I really am going to do better. Our own little plantings are doing well, our peanuts and radishes and carrots and beets are coming along!

Read Last Week:

I talked last week about how this book really resonated with me, and it really does. From start to finish, I devoured this book, and feel like I am on the right path for my child. Everyone has their own journey and I think this is part of ours, at least for now. I even joined the Wild and Free community online!

Reading This Week:

I am so excited to read this new RaeAnne Thayne book – it is just the right time for this summery type read. I am also looking forward to Honey and Venom – we are learning about bees this week and it seemed like a good time to start this one as well!

Posted Last Week:

Currently..June

Homeschooling: Ladybug Week!

Watching:

So this week we have been watching Living the Dream, When Hope Calls, and Rosemary and Thyme. For our movie nights this week we tried watching Winchester until it scared me too much and we had to turn it off lol. Then Saturday we watched This Beautiful Fantastic – and I loved it so so much!! I see myself watching it many many more times. Can a movie become an instant favorite? If so, this is one. It is beautiful and if you love books or gardens or quirky or unlikely friendships this is the movie for you.

Stay Safe everyone.

Homeschooling: Ladybug Week!

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn homeschooling8 Comments

Ladybug week! I was super excited about this week, since we were going to have live ladybug larvae to observe with our studies! They are pretty crazy looking honestly. And I learned things about ladybugs as well – I think that is one of the coolest things about schooling Wyatt myself. I am continuing to learn too! Did you know that when ladybugs emerge from the pupa state they are yellow before they turn red? I didn’t until this week.

We also started the sunshine before noon challenge from 1000 Hours Outside this week. Morning sun is supposed to do wonders for your health, both physical and mental, and we are making it a priority to get outside early. I am loving the early morning time outdoors together – we read and draw and talk and observe the world around us. Blue jays shrieking, dragonflies flying low over our heads like little helicopters, the breeze blowing through our hair. It is a wonderful way to start the day. We start in the shade and then welcome the sun as it moves closer to us.

We worked on so many things this week, but focused on the life cycles of ladybugs, what they eat, counting, letter and number identification, the letter L, handwriting, patterns, sequencing, and fine motor. If you read here, you know that Wyatt has Cerebral Palsy. One thing he was working on in school was making a circle, without going around and around in spirals. Just one circle, with a starting and stopping point. And this week, he did it! We were sitting outside and boom, there it was. Over and over. And he was so proud, as he should be! We do a lot of hand over hand work together, as well as using an app called Writing Wizard, and this week the connection between brain and hand was made! He is such a hard worker.

This was a fun week, and I was so happy that we were able to get outside too! I am really looking forward to next week, when we tackle bees! After that we are taking a week’s break then we are just going to pick back up again. We missed two months of school so we will continue, although I hope to make it a little less formal most days.

Resource Round Up!

Ladybug Anatomy Bundle and Printables – PsychoScreen

Ladybugs Preschool Printables – Lauren-Sophia

Books We Read:

(This section contains Amazon Affiliate links)

A Ladybug’s Life || Are You a Ladybug || The Life Cycle of a Ladybug || Mrs. Peanuckle’s Bug Alphabet

Extras Used:

(This section contains Amazon Affiliate links)

InsectLore Ladybug Land Kit

Wooden Self-Adhesive Ladybugs and Bees

Videos/Songs:

Caitie’s Classroom – Beautiful Bugs

Ladybugs by Jessie Farrell (Gumboot Kids – Spotify)

If you have any questions about how I used or adapted the materials let me know!

Currently…June

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized30 Comments

Today I am linking up with Anne in Residence’s monthly post, Currently… This month we are sharing what we are feeling, wearing, buying, craving, and discussing.

Wearing:

These two necklaces that were both gifts to me from special people in my life. My husband surprised me with the rabbit and moon necklace for mother’s day – he knows how much I love rabbits and the moon. He said he also liked the shape of this one, because he knows how much I also rub the pendant of whatever necklace I am wearing, almost like a touchstone. The other is a necklace that one of my best friends surprised me with after a particularly hard week in my life. She remembered how much I admired hers and wanted to give me a smile. And she did!

Buying: Lots of crafting and art supplies, and picture books. I miss the library! We also purchased a Schwinn Roadster for our kiddo! He has cerebral palsy and is not able to balance on a two-wheeler right now, and we wanted him to have something to ride around. His legs have gotten too long for his tricycle from last year, plus we didn’t want him to look too “baby” so we thought this was a great find for him! It is low to the ground, has a stable center of balance, and is very sturdy – sort of like a hybrid tricycle big wheel. Plus it looks cool. He absolutely loves it! We are working on the pedaling still but it will happen!

Craving: Fresh fruit and vegetables! I have been super nervous about buying fresh produce from the stores with the pandemic – I know it is probably cuckoo. But yesterday we finally did it and made this Mediterranean tuna salad with fresh veggies (including mint from our own garden), and oh my goodness, it was divine after three months of not enjoying anything fresh. Our own garden is slowly taking shape, after many setbacks – shelter-in-place and my husband’s fractured elbow being big ones.

Feeling and Discussing: So many things. Sadness, grief. Contemplative. I’ve been staying sort of quiet online about current events since I don’t feel like it’s my feelings that need to be heard. But there needs to be change, real change, in this world. So right now I am listening and learning and praying.