Integrating Culture: Hispanic Heritage Month

From September 15th to October 15th, tht United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. According to Wikipedia: "September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. They all declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico, Chile and Belize celebrate their independence days on September 16, September 18, and September 21, respectively."

Hispanic Heritage Month also celebrates the long and important presence of Hispanic Americans in North America, starting with the discovery of America by Spanish conquistadors led by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492. While we no longer receive the day off of school for Columbus Day, we do need to recognize that he discovered a land where we know occupy and live.

The contributions of Hispanic and Latino are many and to help guide you on who and the what, here is the government website you can read on what they are focusing on here: Hispanic Heritage

Here are a few books to read:

Here is a website I have sent to my teacher, but there are some names of Latinos you could have your child look up and read about. Scholastic.

Here are some more resources you can use during the last part of this month and all year long to recognize Hispanic and Latino Heritage: Parents Connect.

Integrating History: Constitution Day

Constitution Day, September 17th, 2012

This document is the Supreme Law of the United States and kids in the family should begin learning about what their rights are as US citizens. You can start small with the little ones or go big with the older kids.

Here is a website for a quick list of activities can be found here.

Another great website, Constitution Day, has information on the ratificaion of the Constitution and the Founding Fathers.
Activity:
For the older kids in your family, you could match the Founding Father with one interesting fact about that person. This activity woul take longer than one day.


Books:
Amazon has a great deal on two books I read that helps kids understand the purpose of this document a little more.
David Catrow is slowly becoming my new favorite author.

 You can talk about what rules are and why we have them as you read these books. Of course since it is still the beginning of the year, you can put in place school rules for the house like:
1. No TV on a school night
2. Reading after dinner for 30 minutes
3. We will play a board game as a family one night a week.

Whatever you think will fit your schedule and family needs. The kids will love creating rules for parents as well. Have the older kids write out a constitution for the family and everyone sign it to be placed in the playroom or bathroom of the house.

Recognize this document and how lucky we are to be an American. It is your role as a parent to help create functioning citizens in this country. Start now.

Integrating Behavior: Library Visits

We took on the library summer reading challenge. We went to the library, signed a star, received our sheet to color each day we read 10 minutes. She really wanted that rubber ducky. Diva E and I read each night before bed, that is a given. She loves to read.

But then I started thinking. Since that day we signed up for the challenge, I had never returned with my child to the library. Besides being 8 and 9 months pregnant this summer, what was keeping me from going?

When my bonus kids were younger, during the summer I did a great job at taking them to the library every morning for an hour. It was a free activity and it kept the amount of "checked out" books at bay at the house. (Because honestly, it is no fun to receive a late fee on a book your child has misplaced.)

As they grew older and my child entered the world, I slowed down on the visits. I am not proud of that and while I look at the amount of activities there were at the library this summer, I feel bad that I missed out on tons of FREE entertainment for my toddler.

So, I did something drastic to ensure that trips to the library would occur at least monthly. I canceled a few of my magazines that I know the library receives each month. A few things will come of this:
1. I won't feel so overwhelmed at being "behind" reading my magazines. Each month one comes and I haven't read one since April. Some magazines are just easier to read in a sitting while your child watches Doc McStuffins. Others......
2. I am saving money.
3. Less clutter. What do you do with all those magazines?
4. I am modeling reading at the library for my child.

Diva E met the challenge and I made a conscious effort to get her to the library to get her rubber ducky and free book.

 I gave myself a challenge. I will get my child to the library at least once a month. But how will I do that?  So when my favorite magazine that I have had since the beginning came in the mail with the renewal stamp. I sent it back with a "cancel please" a first I felt like I had betrayed my dear friend, Oprah, but I know each month, I will see her at the library. And since she is so into the promotion of reading, she can understand my motivation to do this. So after doing inventory of the magazines that I subscribe to and checked to see if they were at the library.

So my house has said good bye to:
Ebony
Parents
Oprah
and Good Housekeeping.

I will have to keep Essence until the library has those. But I feel a ton lighter knowing all of those subscriptions are not collecting dust as I put them to the side, planning to read them.

And..... I have inherited People and a few gossip magazines that I always read in the check out line at the grocery store. (I purposely pick the long line just to read them).

What will you do to get you and your child to the library once a month?

Integrating Food: National Watermelon Day

August 3rd- every year we celebrate a big fruit. One of summers favorite treat and so popular. I know we have seen it at almost every BBQ we have been to this summer.

Here are some books to read.

This one is great for counting. A little description:

Max and Josephine are planting a garden,
from small blueberries to big watermelons
and everything in between.
Can you help them count the seedlings from one to ten?
And when they are ready to harvest,
can you help Max and Josephine count the crops by tens…
all the way up to one hundred?

For Watermelon Day

Description: There's a watermelon growing in the corner of the patch where the fence posts meet, and Jesse is waiting for it. Waiting for it to fill up with the cool summer rain and the hot summer sun. Waiting until at last it is ripe and ready for eating. Waiting until it is ready for her family's annual Watermelon day.

And finally, my favorite: Just then we heard a fella yellin??
He was sellin? watermelon! . . .
We chomped and slurped
And gulped and burped,
Then Peter spit a seed at Sue. . . .
Four friends turn a boring summer day into a rollicking, watermelon-seed?spitting adventure that takes them all the way into the town square, where everyone can?t help joining in on the fun. But when the mayor arrives, will she put a stop to it all? Energetic, begging-to-be-read-aloud text and boisterous, hilarious illustrations combine to form a picture book that celebrates simple, good-natured mischief.

Of course, if you are as creative as my friend is, you could even cut out a watermelon in the shape of things like a pig, a baby in a carriage or other creative things. All you have to do is "Google" it! Have a Happy Watermelon Day!!

Integrating Culture: Asian-Pacific Amrican Heritage Month

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States have enrichened the American Culture. Just like most cultures, they also have a "designated month" which is in May. But with everything going that month, I knew we could celebrate it anytime.

A few things about Hawaii from my point of view:
1. I went there for my honeymoon and fell in love.
2. It looks exactly like the pictures.
3. I really don't care to take my children before maybe the age of 13. It can be expensive and we can do the beach thing on the "mainland." I really want them to travel, just to closer places that won't hurt my wallet.

Thankfully, I live in a state that has many Pacific Islanders residing. I began looking for presentations. The big kids and Diva E's first experience was a great one. It was a group of young kids learning the dances, so they were putting on a free performance. I forgot to warn the little one that they would be without their shirts, Diva E screamed out, "EWW, mommy, he has no shirt on." At the age of three she still talks about the man who wore no shirt and had fire on a stick. It made an impression.

You may not be able to attend presentations, but here are some things you can do:
1. Watch a YouTube video of a dance or two and try to do the same dance or create your own dances.
2. Make flowers to put in your hair
3. Find shells to make bracelets and necklaces
4. Invite friends over to do a big cookout and have your own Luau (we have a great hawaiian restaurant I love to order from.)

 Some great ideas of what a luau can be here at this Party ideas website .

Here are great books you can share with your child:

I love the counting book, it has a CD with it.

There are many events that your city may even hold if there is a large Asian/Pacific Islander population. I know for us here in Utah, the Polynesian Cultural Center is coming to visit us to perform favorite pieces from their performance Ha:Breath of life. I was so excited right and bought tickets right away! What a great way to end the theme week.

Summer Stations

Integrating Art: Keeping the memories

There is nothing better than your child coming home with wonderful artwork that they made at school. This occurs more at the preschool and lower grade levels. I do not like to keep things around. Never have and never will. So how, as a mom can I make her feel special and celebrate her beautiful art without it junking my house? One way is using her artwork as cards to send to family members. Another is to create a book. It is very simple, take a picture of the artwork and place it in a folder for later keeping. After you get a collection worthy to fill a book, you can go on to websites like Shutterfly.com or snapfish.com to create the book. I took pictures over the last year and a half and gave it as an Easter present. She loves it, and now she has documentation of her artwork, and I have less clutter. Now, she has a book she can read over and over again.

The quote on the back: " Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things they way they really are or people might thing we're stupid." Julie Feiffer