Christmas Traditions

Probably the most important part to me about Christmas are the traditions that we create as a family.  As a kid, we had traditions of which presents we opened when and where we went for dinner.  As I now have a family of my own, I feel that traditions are important to instill within my children.  It sounds silly, but I think children thrive on tradition - it creates an expectation and a sense of routine, but it also creates magic and spirit!

Some of our Christmas Traditions include...

St. Nicholas Day - This is actually a holiday that many people do not celebrate, but it is one that I brought from my childhood and carry on with my family.  I even celebrated it with my college roommates!  The way in which my family celebrates is that on the evening of December 5th, the children write their letters to Santa and place them in their stocking.  Then the children wake up on December 6th, with their stockings filled with oranges and small gifts (usually like stationary or a small nutcracker or toy).  They also learn that St. Nicholas came and is personally delivering their letters to Santa Claus.  It was something that I remember as a child being so excited for!  My children also love this feast day, too, as it generates that Christmas Spirit!

Christmas Lights - I know many people take family trips to look at lights, but we take it one step further...Usually the night of the last day of school, we all come home, get into our jammies and pile into the car.  We drive to the local Coldstone Creamery and have Ice Cream for dinner.  Yes - I know it is not your typical holiday meal, but that is what makes it exciting and extraordinary!  Then we get back into the car and drive around to look at lights.  We have a few favorite neighborhoods - including one that sells popcorn and cocoa!  Each year we find new light spectacles to add to our list, too!  Gary likes to take notes...someday...





Rudolph Monopoly - This is a tradition we started just this year!  Following Christmas Children's Mass, we all come home and enjoy an appetizer dinner while playing Rudolph Monopoly.  As the boys get older, it is fun to adjust our traditions a bit.  It used to be just an appetizer dinner, but now we have added monopoly.  It was great fun and PJ was the first annual winner!

Those are just some of our major traditions.  Of course we do the classic traditions of cutting down a Christmas Tree, decorating our home in lots of lights, attending Christmas Children's Mass on Christmas Eve, and baking Christmas cookies.  But it is always fun to do something a little different and exciting!

What traditions do you have???

Speech-Language Holiday Lesson: Christmas Cookie - Bite Sized Holiday Lessons

I just love the Christmas season!  I am firm believer in keeping the spirit of all Holidays alive in the school system.  Almost all cultures celebrate a holiday this time of year and this is why I am in love with this book; even though it has mostly Christmas undertones, it is a fabulous basis for discussion across all cultures and traditions.


I was recommended to check out Christmas Cookies: Bite Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Rosenthal by a colleague four years ago.  I immediately fell in love with it.  Ms. Rosenthal does an amazing job creating metaphors with feelings, moods, and other seasonal vocabulary.  She relates each of these words to baking Christmas Cookies.  This book transcends itself perfectly into a simple Christmas story, to a vocabulary lesson, to a social skills lesson, to a language writing lesson.  I use this book across all grade levels!  The differentiation occurs naturally with discussion.  Below I will outline how I use this book in a variety of ways with my Junior High and High School students.


Simple Christmas Story - Just reading this book as a story can reach the youngest of learners and the lowest level of learners.  Basic comprehension questions could be:

• What are they baking?
• Who is baking?
• How does she feel?
• What do they need to bake cookies?
• What season is it?
• Tell me about the weather outside...
• Where is he going?

Vocabulary Lesson - This book is rich in vocabulary.  Basic level vocabulary such as lonely, disappointed, and believe are great because children of all ages have had these feelings before.  They can compare and contrast with situations in which the have felt these ways or even with other books they have read before.  Words like prosperity, charitable, and reciprocate are higher level words that can easily be discussed in the book and transferred to grade-level material and novels.  In addition, the visual cues and situations presented with each vocabulary term allow for differentiation and improved comprehension.

Social Skills Lesson - I love to use this book with my students with Autism.  This book provides such a concrete example to some very abstract words.  Often when I use this book in social skills groups, I read it through once to practice good listening skills.  You could also work on turn-taking skills by having each child take a turn reading a page.  Then in the second read through, I will take each word and allow children to think of examples in their own life where they have had that feeling or provide examples of the term in their own life.  

For example, for selfish I provided the example of when my son took the last juice box without asking if anyone else wanted one.  I may not get through the whole book the second time.  And that is OK.  I want us to connect and discuss social situations where these words come about.  We may even take the time to role-play certain words like selfish, moderation, perseverance, or reciprocate. 

Expressive Language Writing Lesson - This is my favorite activity to do with High School students.  I always first start off whenever I am doing a children's book with High School students that although it is a children's book, often there is adult meaning in children's books.  So it is our job to understand the adult meaning.  Then I read the book to everyone (who doesn't love to be read to!).  We take a little time to think of our own example or to explain some of the vocabulary.  Then I am sure to review or teach what a metaphor is.  I explain that the author does an amazing job of writing metaphors with the vocabulary comparing each to Christmas Cookies.  And the cool thing is, they will be able to write metaphors too!

We start off by making a word web.  We put the vocabulary term in a circle on a page.  Then I ask the students to brainstorm examples in their life where they have experienced that term, what feelings do you have around that term, what does that term make you think of?  Then I ask the student to pick one situation that they brainstormed.  I show, again, how Ms. Rosenthal wrote the metaphor:

word + meaning = example & context clue

It does take some practice and we usually start with the word Tradition as most students have some type of Holiday tradition (e.g. opening presents).  Some of the writing that has come out of this lesson has been so profound!

Student Examples:

Responsible means doing my homework every night.       

Disappointed means a store doesn't have merchandise that I wanted.

Celebrating   means running off the bus on the last day of school.

Perseverance means to never give up during the hockey game.   I'm never giving up in the hockey game even though we're losing.

Anticipation means waiting for the perfect  gift to be around the Christmas tree with family.

Responsible means the day after Christmas the family starts taking down all the Christmas decorations and putting them away until next Christmas.

Hope means some children in different countries have wishes that they want for Christmas.

  I am super proud of each of my students and what a fun way to keep the Holiday Spirit alive!

What are some of your favorite Holiday Lessons within the school system?

The Monkey on my Back

Six months later...here I am.

I have this monkey on my back every once and a while.  Sometimes I mess up or forget to do something, I get so paralyzed by my anger or fear or whatever that emotion is that I feel towards myself, I keep ignoring the monkey.

The monkey gets bigger which makes me more afraid to do what I want to do.  Will others be mad at me?  I am so mad at myself.  It's almost as if I can see and feel the monkey, but in a weird way, it is almost comforting, too.  I have control of the monkey.  I choose whether or not he will get off my back.

Even though I don't like this monkey, I can calculate his every move or lack there of!  I know I should do something about it, but there he sits; mocking me, like a monkey in a circus with cymbols and a drum.

So, here I go.  Goodbye, Monkey.  C'est La Vie.  I am getting rid of you so I can start where I am.  I am sharing our families' lives in order to connect with others.  And I am forgiving myself for letting this monkey get so big.

Strawberry Fields

Yesterday evening I was able to take the kiddos on a field trip to a Strawberry Farm.  The weather was perfect; overcast, warm, but not hot.  We were lucky enough to have a private picking with the daughter of the farmer, a former student of Gary's at Sodus Central School.  She welcomed us in her cutie-pie cowgirl boots and piled us all in her truck to make the trek out to the fields.

"Look over there!  More berries!"

Searching for the "perfect berry"

Strawberry picking is one of my fondest memories as a child.  As school began to wind down, my mom would pick a date and we would travel to a strawberry farm.  I remember searching the PennySaver to find a farm that allowed "U-Pick."  We wanted to have the experience.  Of course the literal fruit of our labor was delicious, but it was about being together, finding the perfect berry, and of course the excitement of eating a berry right off the bush!

Strawberry selfie

I am so happy I have been able to continue this tradition with my kids.  Some years it is not strawberries, but perhaps cherries or apples.  We are lucky to live in an area that has an abundance of fruit farms.  PJ doesn't even like strawberries, but he enjoys the time out in the fields.  Isaac loves the taste of all fruit and berries, so he is in heaven when we pick!  And this was Evelyn's first time - as you will see, she very much enjoyed it!

Strawberries 2014

Julie teaching PJ about different types of berries

The boys learned the "perfect way to pick" from the expert!

She was smitten with her double stacked quarts!

Do you see the little hand sneaking into the quart?

Now to get busy in the kitchen with my berries...

Sweet & Smoky Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet & Smoky Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potatoes have always been one of my favorite foods.  My grandmother used to make this amazing Sweet Potato dish we had on Thanksgiving each year.  It was full of maple syrup, marshmallows, and brown sugar.  My sister and I would fight over the perfect toasted marshmallow on the top of the gooey sweet potatoes.  Luckily, now, my mother-in-law continues this tradition at Thanksgiving for me.  It is such a nostalgic recipe.

BUT - Sweet Potatoes covered in syrup and marshmallows isn't to be enjoyed everyday.  I was looking for a way to continue my passion for this root vegetable, but in a healthy way - ENTER: Sweet & Smoky Sweet Potato Fries!

These fries are baked, not fried (should i call them Sweet & Smoky Sweet Potato Baked Sticks?).  The addition of clover honey adds a good sugar and sweetness and Tastefully Simple's Sweet & Smoky BBQ Seasoning has the perfect blend of sweet and salty.

1. Wash and slice Sweet Potatoes into thin 1/4-1/2 strips.  Too thin and they will burn, too fat and they won't get very crispy.  I like the "shoe-string" look of fries, but feel free to go crazy with whatever peeler you have!

2. Place 1 large or 2 small, cut, Sweet Potatoes, 1/4 cup of honey, & 1 capful of Sweet & Smoky BBQ seasoning in a gallon sized bag.  Shake and coat the fries.

                           

3. Lay on a lined, sprayed baking sheet.  Try not to have the fries touch to ensure even baking.  For a little extra sweetness, give one more shake of seasoning

4. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.  

5. Serve with a side of honey & enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this simple and DELISH recipe!  Would love to hear from you!

Sweet & Smoky Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 Large or 2 small Sweet Potatoes

1/4 cup of Clover Honey

2 Tablespoons Tastefully Simple Sweet & Smoky BBQ Seasoning

Directions:

Preheat over to 425.  Slice potatoes to 1/4-1/2 thickness.  Place in gallon zip lock baggie.  Add honey and seasoning.  Shake to coat.  Spread fries on lined, sprayed baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.  Serve with additional honey if desired.

Pack Family Camping 2014

My <3 of camping has been restored!  And, surprisingly, I was tenting when it happened!  I am sure the GORGEOUS weather we had had something to do with it...but camping with friends is such a fun experience!

This past weekend we went camping with Cub Scout Pack 126 at Canandaigua KOA.  It was a perfect weekend balanced with down time and fun activities.  This was Evelyn's first time camping and she adjusted to the new environment like she had been doing it her whole life - granted - we did camp a lot when I was pregnant with her...

The food, of course, is always a highlight when camping.  Our menu included some of the typical favs:

~Breakfast~

- Pancakes

- Sausage

- Bacon

- Fruit

- Cathy's Camping Eggs (see recipe below)

~Lunch~

- cold cut sandwiches

- chips

- cheese & crackers

Grilled Zucchinni with Ultimate Steak
Seasoning on it!

                                            ~Dinner~

- Hamburgers

- Zwiegles Hotdogs

- Salt Potatoes

- Simply Vegetarian Bean Salad

- Grilled Zucchinni

- Chips & Dip

~Desserts~

S'Mores!

The boys had a great time exploring the ropes course that was at the campground and hanging out in the tree house, too!  There was also a jumping pillow to bounce around on.

                      

 

A fishing derby was a success for some scouts and others were just getting their lines wet with the idea of fishing - a great learning experience for all!

              

                                                   

                                                   

 Water wars and a leather craft also filled up the Saturday.

So many wonderful memories that our children made!  It makes my <3 smile as I watch them explore life.  Of course, there are always limits to test and lessons to be learned, but what a fabulous experience for us all!

The Lorax

As a Speech-Language Pathologist in a Junior and Senior High School, I always try to associate my lessons with functional life activities and/or academic materials.

I have been doing a lesson on The Lorax by Dr. Seuss for many years - way before it became popular again with the movie.  I love Dr. Seuss.  There is some craziness there - don't get me wrong - he was such an amazing author.  I tell my JH/SH students that the reason WHY we read from Dr. Seuss isn't because I think that is where their reading level is; sure it was cute, fun story to read when they were young.  But, no, if you truly listen to Dr. Seuss, every book he wrote had an adult meaning.  It is our job as young adults and adults to analyze his works and recognize the underlying meaning he was presenting.

**FUN FACT** - Did you know that Dr. Seuss used to write 

Political Cartoons before he was a children's author?

In my classroom of 12:1:3 students, we have been enjoying the book The Lorax.  I am partnering with the music teacher, to teach them a song about the book and create a dance, too!  They are being exposed to vocabulary related to The Lorax in the individual, small group, and large group sessions and during music class. Each student has created piece of our Lorax Sensory Tray.  We are using the sensory tray to create Sensory Sentences that have verbs and to retell the story.

Some students I work with use iPads to communicate with.  Below is a picture of the vocabulary for the story that I programmed in.  The cool thing is, I can take a screen shot of what I programmed (on ProLoQuo2Go), email it to myself, and create paper communication boards or visual vocabulary lists for the rest of the class!

Below is the sensory tray and how we created each item.  I raided the art teacher's craft closet to create the pieces - Very crude representations - but I liked that.  We were using our imaginations!!  In my mind, education is about the PROCESS not the PRODUCT.

Swomee Swans - Feathers with Pony Beads
The Lorax - Free hand drawing on foam
Truffula Trees - Sticks with pipe-cleaners on top.  Used play-doh to mold bottom to help stand
Brown Bar-Ba-Loots - Cotton Balls colored brown
Thneed factory - an upside down cup stuffed with yarn
Humming Fish - ribbon cut in the shape of fish
The Onceler - Soft, green fabric to represent his arms
The boy & seed - a puzzle piece and a hole-punch circle




Here is a worksheet I made using Boardmaker to create a verb Truffula Tree.  Here is a PDF of it. On the Smartboard the I used the word randomizer to select a verb.  Then the students had to find the verb and use a Bingo Dabber to mark the verb.  Of course, we practiced using the verbs in sentences!

                                      

Also, we worked on context clues within sentences to find the missing word.  I modified the story and used my document camera to take pictures of the illustrations for our modified book.  I then used Boardmaker, again, to create picture symbol sentences.  The students had a pile of picture symbol vocabulary words to help them as a word bank.  We continued to use this book as we discussed the story and referred back to it as needed. Get the book here.

As a final project, the music teacher and I did a dramatic, musical reading of the story as a presentation to family and staff.  We used our modified story as the basis and each student had a musical instrument to play when the character was discussed.  Then we performed our song "Let it Grow" complete with a dance!  Snack of brown-bar-loots (teddy grahams) and humming fish (gold fish) were served following the show.

All in all - it was a great way to incorporate language, music, and fun!!

Would love to hear from others who do similar types of lessons or incorporate music into your students' learning.

Weekend Fun!

It was a busy weekend - so busy, that I am only writing about my weekend on Tuesday! :)

Saturday morning, I was up early with the kiddos and we hit up some neighborhood garage sales.  Love the beauty of garage sales.  It works on some many skills:

- delayed gratification
- sharing
- money skills
- communication skills

I remember going to yard sales when PJ was about 3 years old and the seller mentioned how hard it must be to take him to the sales.  I simply smiled and nodded, but inside, I was shouting, NO - it actually isn't!  I use the time to work on skills.  I use the time to teach him wants/needs, the value of money, purposeful buying, having a conversation with an adult.  I love how my kiddos love yard sales!  

This weekend, PJ bought a super cute desk to go under his loft.  He used his OWN money from his allowance.  A desk is something he has been wanting, so I was so proud that he was OK exchanging his money for his purchase!  He even said, "Wow! I got a great deal!"


After the sales, we had another big event - Isaac's birthday party with his friends.  We went to KANGO PlayCenter - however, this center is closing on 6/27.  I am super sad, bc it is our fav place to go on rainy summer days.  The kids had a blast crawling through the jungle gym, roller skating, jumping on the bounce houses, and playing the video games! 

Much to the dismay of my family, Isaac is turning into a Dallas Cowboys fan.  So, we allowed him to have a cake made, of course, by Special Kakery - the BEST place to get homemade cakes in Rochester!!!

Throughout Saturday, too, we were having 2 of our 9 Cottonwood trees cut down.  Isaac's allergies continue and the 9 Cottonwood trees are quite a nuisance in addition to the fact that they are super close to our house and cottonwoods are very brittle trees.  So we had a guy come and he cut down 2 this weekend and 2 more next weekend.  Don't worry- we will plant other trees to replace them - just not ones that will make Isaac sick!!

On Sunday, Isaac and his Uncle Timmy and FUTURE Aunt Kara went to see The Amazing Spiderman.  This was Isaac's gift from them and he was super excited to go!

So, since they were gone, PJ, Evelyn, and I took some time to just chill outside in the beautiful weather.  We played on the swing set and had a water gun fight - Evie doesn't like water guns!!!  She was quite scared by them!

Finally, Sunday evening, we took a field trip to every home-owner's fav place - Lowes - to buy some flowers for the front flower beds and a new trimmer for Gary.  The boys love Lowes - it's almost like a playground - they sit on the tractors, they check out the windows and doors, and love to look at all the different types of lights - I know - cheap outing - but it was fun!!!  I even saw some cute wood-shop crafts we might do this summer!

It was a busy, but fun weekend at the White House - What did you do?