Every other Saturday from 10:00 – 11:00 am, Lowe’s offers a Build and Grow clinic for kids. They provide safety goggles, a work apron to keep, a wooden kit to build complete with instructions and all of the nails and stickers needed, and the tools needed. This morning Stuart and Nicholas headed off to Lowe’s to build a CarBot. It’s a car! It’s a robot! It’s both!

First you get your safety gear and kit. Open up the kit, separate all of the pieces, take a look at the directions, and start building.

Hammering the fender…

Nicholas loves any excuse to wear safety goggles. I just wonder if they clean those goggles between classes?

Nicholas did a great job on this project. He did almost all of the hammering except for two parts that were a bit challenging to do so Daddy helped with those.

Time to add the finishing touch…stickers!

The CarBot is a #48 Lowe’s sponsored race car that turns into a robot called the Lowebot (a construction robot). Once Nicholas finished his CarBot, he got a badge to put on his apron. It’s a shame that it needs to be sewn on. I have a sewing machine but I don’t know the first thing about how to use it and no, I don’t really know how to sew by hand either. Sad, isn’t it? Fortunately, our neighbor and her daughter like to sew

Build and Grow clinics – What a great way to teach a child building skills while they make a fun toy for themselves. Plus it’s a great way to spend time with Dad. Stuart enjoys building things so I know he really enjoys this kind of bonding time with Nicholas. And best of all, it’s FREE!  We’ve already got the next two Build and Grow clinics on our calendar…

March 13th – Tabletop Basketball Goal
March 27th – Kaleidoscope

I’m addicted to books. I freely admit this. I have stacks and stacks of them in every room in the house. We have shelves filled with books. My bedside table has 6 books on it right now. There are more on the dresser, several in my car. Books are everywhere in my life.

It’s no wonder I’m a writer!

Several weeks ago, my husband and I went to a Valentine’s Day party where we played the “Not Quite Newlywed Game” (and came in 2nd place!). My husband had to fill in he blank for the following sentence:

My wife has more _______ than anyone I know.

I thought he’d say shoes.

Know what he put?

Books.  He was SO right!

I’m also addicted to the computer. I have my own web site, co-founded another site called The Naked Hero, write bi-monthly with The Stiletto Gang, and just launched two more sites called Books on the House and Books on the House for Kids and Teens.

What do they all have in common?

Books?  Ding ding ding...that’s right!

Of all my projects and blogging, I’m most excited about Books on the House and Books on the House for Kids and Teens. It launched on February 15th, and the response has been phenomenal! Turns out other people love books, too.

They love free books even more.

These two sites are all about building a community of readers. The goal is to bring great books to readers, and to help readers discover great books.

Every Sunday evening, a new book and author are featured. There are video interviews (our first week, we featured children’s author Jane Kurtz who talked about her upbringing in Ethiopia, her passion: Ethiopia Reads, and her new books, Lanie and Lanie’s Real Adventures, the 2010 American Girl Doll Lanie Holland books; 6 copies of her books were given away!, we’ve featured NY Times Best Seller Allison Brennan, YA author Suzanne Crowley, and now we have best selling children’s author Joan Holub!), Q & As with the authors, and more. Enter each week for a chance to win the featured book(s).

That’s all there is to it! What better way is there for a reader to discover a new-to-them -author, and what a great way for a writer to showcase their books to potential readers?

Susan McBride was the inaugural author on Books on the House.  This week, my new release, Hasta la Vista, Lola! is being featured.   I’m giving away 4 copies of  the second Lola Cruz myster.

As I said, Jane Kurtz was the inaugural author on the Kids and Teens site, and now we’re featuring Joan Holub and her books Twinkle, Star of the Week and Groundhog Weather School.  Her books are SO fun!!

I’m thrilled about Books on the House and Books on the House for Kids and Teens and the potential for the sites to really help build a community of readers. We have some fabulous authors and books lined up including:

NY Times Bestseller Jane Yolen with her new graphic novel
NY Times Bestseller Brenda Novak
Children’s author Joyce Stengel
Children’s author Debbie Dadey
and so many more!

I hope you’ll check out Books on the House and Books on the House for Kids and Teens and help build our community of readers. Tweet about it! Spread the word! Books are a good thing to be addicted to!

Tell me who your favorite authors are, both adult and children, so I can try to feature them on Books on the House!

Here are Dallas Celebrities singing Faith Hill’s This Kiss…

I just couldn’t look away…turning down the sound does help.

As my preschoolers have learned their letters were are now working on helping them learn to write them.  We are no where near the “writing our own names” stage, but here are some ways that we are learning to trace letters and shapes.  Hopefully, developing the fine motor skills they will use in penmanship for the future.  Here are three of our favorite – make-it-yourself – resources.  I bet these can be adapted for both older and younger learners.

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First we have sticky sticks. We made these at home one afternoon, they are great for molding and for tracing letters.  You can also use them for “dot-to-dot” activities. I drew the letters out first for my daughter, but for a more advanced writer, you can leave the dots and have your child “guess” the letter they are tracing as they use the sticky sticks to go from dot-to-dot and form the letters….

We have also created a mini-whiteboard out of an old CD case.   Our kids are still at the early stage of writing, so I need to write the letter first (usually in one color of dry erase marker) and then our kids will trace the letter I wrote in another marker.

If your child is already able to write letters, you can play a guessing game where you write the letter and try to guess what the letter is before you are finished writing it – you can also do the same “game” with words.

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This last learning resource is my son’s favorite!  He especially loves the way that the gel “squishes”. They are super easy to make with things you should already have at home (ziplock baggie, hair gel & food coloring). Basically, I filled a bag with gel, added the food coloring, used packing tape to seal the top and let the kids have fun!

We traced letters, maps, pictures, and even just “squished” the bag with our hands. Be careful, the bags can burst with enough force.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, family-friendly excursion in Dallas this Saturday, March 13^th, head down to Centennial Hall at Fair Park for the inaugural DFW Family Expo, put on by Metroplex Baby and Kids (MBK), and benefitting Children’s Medical Center.

It promises to have something for family members of all ages and stages, including on-site baby gear demonstrations for new and expecting parents and a toddler zone with bouncehouses and face painting.  Even mom and dad can take part in the fun by stopping by the Tony & Guy booth in the Home & Family Services section for mini touchups and TIGI product samples.

“There really is something for everyone! With specially designed sections, exhibitors and providers are able to cater to the consumer’s needs… Those looking for deals can head over to the Market Place and Resale Zone to shop for clothes and more, at prices 40%-60% off retail. There is so much more with amazing giveaways, children’s concerts and even trackless train rides,” says Barbara Arnondin, Co-founder of MBK.

Tickets to the Expo are $3 for adults and $2 for children 2 and over. All the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Children’s Medical Center. On-site parking is $10, but attendees are encouraged to take DART (a Green Living sponsor and official transportation provider) for easy and inexpensive access to the Expo. You may also find free parking nearby at the Women’s Museum.

Some of the other sponsors include all three major baby retailers- Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby and Lone Star Baby & Kids. Industry leaders like Britax, Maclaren and Born Free will also be on-site to demonstrate their products and answer questions. This is only a fraction of the companies represented at the Expo.

For a complete list, more details, and to purchase tickets online, check out www.DFWFamilyExpo.com.

Jill is the DFW mom of a son.  She was once a self-proclaimed priss who traded in pointy toed high heels, daily trip to Starbucks between business meetings, and aspirations to be the next Katie Couric for life as a mommy.  She blogs at Baby Rabies.

I am a huge reality TV fan.  I don’t get involved in the non-competition shows, but you televise a group of people competing and I am in.

Amazing Race.

Top Chef.

Project Runway.

The top 3.  Since I don’t cook or sew, my only hope to someday competing would be on the Amazing Race which if run with my husband would end in one of those tearful driving scenes where he would be exasperatedly exclaiming, “How do you get to age 40 without map reading ability?”

Maybe living vicariously through these shows from the comfort of my couch is the best thing for my marriage.

I have been an avid Project Runway vicarious liver…not liver, but one who lives…since season 2.

I pick a favorite and root for their success throughout the show.  Laura Bennett was my season 3 pick.  She is the mother of 6.

YES, 6 children.

*gasp*

Oh, and 5 of them are boys.

*double gasp*

As a mom of only three boys, she makes me look like an underachiever.

Anyway, the short story of that season of Project Runway was that she created beautiful, sophisticated designs while pregnant with her 6th child and ended up as runner up.

I thought she should have won, but my invitation to the judges panel still hasn’t arrived.

Laura just wrote a book about her life with her large family and I was excited to get an advanced copy.  It is called, “Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday?“  which is also a quote from the book.

Not only does she have 5 boys living at home, she and her husband live in NYC in a two bedroom apartment.  I once saw a short interview with her from her home and all I remember about it was that it was a loft-like great room with boys swinging from the ceiling.  Literally swinging.

I love a girl that designs energy-expending activities into her decor.

It just goes to show how laid back she is taking this parenting thing.  There is story after story of absolute silliness that results from so many kids, pets, activities and expectations.  It is a fun read and I often found myself giggling and nodding.

My favorite parts of the book was the evolution of her love story.  It starts with a non-voluntary psychic reading and progresses to the insanity of their present life.

Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday is being released April 6.

I had the opportunity to visit Reading Friends Preschool and Kindergarten in the Highland Village a few weeks ago. I was excited because it is a place that I had heard about from one of my friends as having a really structured, yet creative approach to learning.

The Reading Friends program is is an academic Preschool for children ages 2 through Kindergarten which is structured and multi-sensory.  They take abstract/academic subjects and make them age-appropriate, concrete and meaningful to your young child.

And all of this is delivered in a fun, loving and nurturing environment.

Imagine visiting a jungle (aka Reading Friends Pre-Kindergarten Language Class for 4 year olds):     A different book introduces a jungle friend, and each friend represents a different letter of the alphabet.  The explorers sing along with Sis the Snake and her Jungle Band.  Mag the Monkey leads out with song and dance.  Tat the Toucan teaches about tattling.  Pal the Parrot demonstrates the importance of cleaning up after an adventure.  Every character has its own unique personality, and the kids adore them all! Language is exciting when jungle friends lead the way through learning letters and sounds.

There is great joy and learning by DOING.

Reading Friends was started here in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and has been teaching DFW kids for 21 years.  Their unique and innovative learning program has been developed and refined over the years.  The Phonics Advantage curriculum is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach of teaching phonics and language structure.

The bottom line is…it works!

The kids have fun participating in every aspect of learning.

What I loved the most about the school was the incorporation of exercise, movement and sensory activities into every activity. As a (no longer practicing) Physical Therapist, I know how exercise and movement impact brain function. As a mom of three boys, I know that energy expenditure is essential! Reading Friends keeps their students moving while learning.

Parents love the school almost as much as the kids do…

I met with Graham’s teacher today for the first Parent Conference and she had nothing but good things to say. I have to share that Graham had a green (best behavior) EVERY DAY for the 1st 6 weeks! So we’re off to a great start.  Just wanted to reiterate that I know Reading Friends gave us such a great foundation for K and beyond, and we are so grateful for that. –Kim, Parent of former Reading Friends Student

Burb Mom is excited to announce a Reading Friends coupon for our readers:

Special Offer for new families at the Moccassin Trail, Lewisville location –receive $75 off your first month’s tuition (limit one per family).

It really is something you should check out.  The school is located convenient to Flower Mound, Highland Village and Lewisville at 1439 Moccassin Trail.  You can find out more information by calling Marlo Senick, School Director at (972) 317-7772 or by filling out this form.

You will know if this is the right place for your child after exploring what Reading Friends has to offer…

I’ve been finding it difficult to write.  I don’t know why since a TON has been going on but I just don’t know how to put what I am thinking, what I am feeling, into words.  We traveled to the US for Christmas and life has been crazy since.  We were stuck in snow in NYC, had a scare thinking that our son might need hearing aides (he doesn’t), lost a passport (and a stuffed monkey), and then my grandmother passed away (she lived a long, full life).

A week after returning home to Nigeria in January the city in which we live experienced a week of fighting.  Tensions had been high for a long time and on January 17^th the “ice broke” …in parts of town people were shooting their neighbors and burning down houses.  The crisis broke out due to political, religious and tribal differences.  We stayed “locked” in our compound for almost a week, safe but uncertain of what was going on around us.  While we are so thankful God protected us during a tumultuous time, we grieve for our neighbors who lost family, homes and possessions.

Yesterday, February 20^th, my husband and I joined a group called Global Relief in taking some small relief to victims of the “Crisis of 2010”.  We assisted the group in sorting clothes and medicine and then delivering the clothes, medicine, food, blankets, and mosquito nets to 125 needy families from a neighborhood that has practically become a ghost town.

here I am viewing the devestation

While it was devastating to see streets of houses burned and few people walking through once bustling streets, it was encouraging to hear the hope in the voices and the faith that so many had.  How would I deal with such a situation?  I can only hope that I would forgive and begin to rebuild my life as many of these people are doing.

I sat with some ladies for a while during the crisis debriefing time

The group we served yesterday is just a small number of the many who have been displaced and who have lost loved ones.  Plus, there is still tension and unrest in many parts of town.

the truck loaded up with food and clothes for needy families

We continue to pray for peace in our city and for forgiveness and calm.  I would ask you to pray with us for the city of Jos, Nigeria.  Thank you.

Back in my college days, when life revolved around such things as rushing home from class to watch soap operas and waiting around for Whattaburger to begin serving taquitos at 11pm (By the way, I sure do miss the metabolism of my early 20’s. I cannot even look at a taquito these days without gaining a pound or two), my friends and I would host an Oscar party every year. Ballots would be cast, food would be consumed, money paid out to the winner and good times were had by all.

These days those college friends are in the same parenting boat as the husband and me…the boat that involves bath times, time-outs and sippy cup refills as opposed to lots of time spent palling with friends. Max and Ruby get more screen time on the family television than Oscar-nominated films. We do get to walk the red carpet on occasion…mainly because someone spilled juice on it a few months back and the stain has yet to be removed.

However, this year I am bringing back the Oscar party. Rather than sitting on the couch in my frumpy mom yoga pants to watch the glitz and glamour this award season, I am taking the time to create a family-friendly Academy Award party that adults and children will both enjoy.

Want to get your family in on the awards-party action? Below are some ways I set the stage at my house for some Academy Award fun.

This award season do not merely watch the action from the sidelines of the family couch. Involve every member of the family in on the fun. A family-friendly party is a great way to spend some quality time together enjoying one of America’s cultural phenomenons.

This will be a new “favorite food” for my preschoolers! My son was so proud that “he made breakfast”.  My son Z loves cooking, he loves helping in any way!  He loved mixing up the batter for us.   We used some of the batter to spell our names with pancake letters and made mini-pancakes with the rest of the batter.  These were the perfect size for little hands to grab!  A tip we use to keep the mess to a minimum, especially when my two-year old is the one cooking:  Put the batter into ziplock bags (here is a demonstration of what I mean).   Cut a corner out of the bag and pipe the batter onto your griddle.  When I let Z pour the batter my stove is covered!  Using bags of pancake batter lets him participate more in the cooking process.

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How to make these yummy sandwiches? Grab two pancakes, lather on the peanut butter, add slices of bananas and you have a hit with kids and mommy alike!   I can see us making variations in the future with eggs and bacon, or with breakfast sausage patties.  These would be great to make for road-trips or other out-and-about mornings!  Have you ever made a pancake sandwich before?  I’d love to hear how you made them!

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Rachel is mommy to three preschoolers and blogs about their learning adventures and activities at Quirky Momma.  Another favorite breakfast food of theirs is Freezable Breakfast Burritos.  We love the convenience!