Puff Paint

In this week's craft for 2s and 3s, and in the past for other groups (and in the future, I'm sure) we've been using our own "puff paint" to create the illusion of fluffy snow.  Many have asked the secret of this very cool product.  It's simple.  It's just shaving cream and Elmer's glue.  The tricky part is the proportion of each, but I tend to like a mixture that has more shaving cream and less glue which tends to stay puffier and looks more like whipped cream when dry.  I would say it is roughly 2 parts shaving cream to 1 part glue by volume. The greater the proportion of glue, the harder and more compact the end result will be, so many recommend equal parts glue to shaving cream.  Experiment!  Add food coloring or powdered tempura paint.  Add glitter because glitter makes everything better!  Have fun.

Winter Storytime Week 2: Winter in the Woods

Are we getting back on track with storytimes? I hope so.  This is Week 2 of our Winter Storytime session, we have 2 more weeks for our disaster-shortened session.  This week's theme is Winter in the Woods.

This Week's Books:

No, by Claudia Rueda
Who is Sleeping, by A Rookie Reader
Here Comes Jack Frost, by Kazuno Kohara
Time to Sleep, by Denise Fleming
Stranger in the Woods, by Carl R. Sams, and Jean Stoick
Let's Go Home, Little Bear, by Martin Waddell, ill. by Barbara Firth

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1. Here is the cave
And here is the bear
When the snow starts to fall
He hides in there
Snow covers the cave
Like a fuzzy white rug
Inside the bear sleeps
All cozy and snug

2.(to the tune of Where is Thumbkin)
Where is the bear
Where is the bear
Here I am
Here I am
How are you this winter?
Very very sleepy
Go to bed
Go to bed
(do with racoon, skunk, bat, chipmunk, snake, etc.)

This Week's Art/Craft: A winter tree hanging with puffy "paint" and pine cones

Storytime Week 1 1/2: Thanksgiving

On Monday, 11/21 I'll do a storytime for my regular Monday 2's, but if anyone is reading this blog and is a regular storytime attendee, please feel free to come as well.

Ms. Eileen and I have decided to do storytimes until the week of December 12. Note the schedule on the right side of this page. Most storytime sessions will NOT meet this week...Thanksgiving week...HOWEVER, I can't bear to go yet another week without seeing my storytime friends, so I'll do a Monday morning 10:00 group. Again, this is the usual scheduled Monday 2 year old group, but I'll leave it open to any Thursday attendee as well.

So, for this one time only storytime we'll focus on Thanksgiving. Boy, don't we have a lot to be thankful for!

This Week's Books:
Thank You Thanksgiving, by David Milgrim
Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks, Margaret Sutherland, ill, by Sonja Lamut
Thanks for Thanksgiving, by Julie Markes, ill. by Doris Barrette
Albuquerque Turkey, by B. G. Ford, ill, by Lucinda McQueen
What is Thanksgiving, by Harriet Ziefer, ill. by Claire Schumacher

This Week's Action Rhymes:
1 The turkey's tail is wide and big
He swings it when he walks
His neck is long, his chin is red
He gobbles when he talks!

 2 One fine Thanksgiving Day
Two little turkeys came out to play
One turkey says, "We'll play hide-and-seek,
I'll go hide, and you don't peek"

Will he hide high, will he hide low
Will he hide far, I don't know
Will he hide left, will he hide right
Or will he hide back out of sight?

The other little turkey then looks around
But his turkey friend can't be found
Did he hide high, did he hide low
Did he hide far, I don't know
Did he hide left, did he hide right
Or did he hide back out of sight

"Aha, I found you! Come on out!"
"Gooble Gooble Gooble!" both turkeys shout.

A Flannel Board Game:
Turkey wore his red feather, red feather, red feather.
Turkey wore his red feather, all day long!
(Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple)
Last line: Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers, rainbow feathers. Turkey wore his rainbow feathers, all Thanksgiving long!

This Week's Art/Craft: A turkey hat!

Storytimes Start on Monday!

Oh my goodness...what a few weeks it's been; what with the storm, the power outtage, the flood, the repairs, and my lingering illness and asthma acting up big time, it seems like forever since we've had a storytime. Happily, on Monday Nov. 14 we will be open and ready for storytime. Unfortunately, we won't be able to be in the storytime room, but we'll meet upstairs. Our theme for this week is Mother Goose and I'll share traditional Mother Goose rhymes as well as some modern books that use the rhymes as a starting point. We'll make Humpty Dumpty stick puppets and sing some songs, and play a flannel board game or two. I'll post a more detailed list later, but for now plan on storytimes all this week! YAY!

FYI, I'm still a little breathy...so I may ask some parents to help read...would that be okay with you?

Ms. Patty

Library Still Closed

It's Monday, November 7 and our library is still closed. Heavy sigh. Sob. The damage is being repaired but currently we are without working toilets and thus we can't be open to the public. Nancy Wood, fearless director, is unclear when we will open, we are at the mercy of plumbers, sheet-rockers and such. Still, hope remains high that we will be open this week at some point.

In the meantime continue to enjoy any materials you have out and know that they are not accumulating fines.

As to storytime, we will resume at some point. I promise.
Ms. Patty

Oh My Goodness!

Well, today is Sunday, November 6 and, at my home in Glastonbury, we just got power last night. What about you? Seems like Marlborough did better with this storm than with Irene. Hopefully all of us will back to civilized living soon; We can turn on lights, drink clean water, wash with hot water...ah, luxury. It certainly makes me think of those around the world who live without these basic things every day.


As if the storm didn't wreak enough havoc, Richmond Memorial Library, is still suffering the ill-effects of water damage. Yes, again! Remember last winter?! So, we're replacing sheetrock and drying out shelving and walls. My fingers are crossed that we open as scheduled tomorrow, Monday November 7.


What about storytimes? Well, of course we will extend the storytime sessions to give everyone 5 classes. Normally, on Sundays, I post about the storytime theme for the week (for my 2s and 3s), however today I'm not sure what exactly is happening, so IF the library is open tomorrow there WILL be storytime with a relaxed theme. If the library is open don't forget the DROP-IN STORYTIME AT 1:00.

I hope to see all you soon! I miss storytime!
Ms. Patty