Search Results for: blog do you have a scaredy cat

Splat Says Thank You!

How do you know if your child understands the true meaning of Thanksgiving? Before digging into their Turkey Day spread, many families go around the dinner table and share moments of gratitude. Kids are then put on the spot and forced to share one thing they are thankful for while a gaggle of extended guests stare them down. The end result: Typically, a long stretch of silence followed by a string of “ums,” “ers,” “ahs,” and more silence. If you are lucky, you’ll hear a barely audible, “toys” or a regurgitation of whatever the person ahead of your shy child … Continue reading →

Dog + Donut = Delightful Read

If you give a dog a donut… you might end up with a nasty stain on your carpet. But in the wonderful world of children’s books, if you give a pooch a pastry with a hole in the middle, you get hours of reading fun. If You Give a Dog a Donut is lucky 13 for the famed writing/illustrating team of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. The duo is the mastermind behind the uber-popular and irresistibly delicious If You Give… series, which my 7-year-old daughter devours every chance she gets. In fact, we own the entire collection of If You … Continue reading →

A Dog Sitting Tale

My pets seethed at me this weekend. Snarls issued from the depth of my cat’s chest, before he retreated to the guest room and hid under the bed, refusing to emerge despite my cajoling. My dog paced around the house and seemed especially desperate for attention. What was the cause of such dramatics? Two basset hounds. A co-worker of my husband’s needed a dog sitter for the weekend, and my husband, knowing of my love for dogs, volunteered. Thus early on Saturday morning our friend arrived with his four-year-old hounds in tow. We introduced the dogs outside, in an attempt … Continue reading →

Helicopter Parent or Scaredy Cat?

I think I hold on too tightly. As the single parent of an only child I believe that I am overprotective and that I’m guilty of being a helicopter parent. I hover, I ask questions, I check up and insist she check in. Even at 18 I call her everyday to make sure she is up for work, she always is, but that doesn’t mean I stop calling. I want to know who her friends are, where she is going, who will be there, will there be an adult. What time will you be home? Who’s going with you? Wake … Continue reading →

Have a Merry Mary Engelbreit Christmas

Reading a Mary Engelbreit picture book is like wrapping yourself in a flannel blanket fresh from the dryer and snuggling into the down-filled cushions of Pottery Barn’s Charleston sofa with a cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows on a bitterly cold day. It’s certainly the feeling I got when reading the award-winning author’s newest release: A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate from A to Z. The heartwarming tale follows little Gregory Mouse as he navigates his way through an alphabet of Christmas favorites. My six-year-old immediately skipped to the “T” page since her name begins with the 20th letter of the … Continue reading →

Super Halloween Read: Scaredy-Cat, Splat!

Want to get a bunch of six year olds to laugh like hyenas? Two words: Mrs. Wimpydimple Those two words set-off an explosion of side-splitting laughter that echoed throughout my daughter’s school. Being guest reader has never been so rewarding. Thanks, Scaredy-Cat, Splat! I have a feeling that author Rob Scotton imagined a scenario very similar to the one I experienced in my daughter’s first grade class when he wrote the latest addition to his extremely popular SPLAT the SCAREDY-CAT series of children’s books. Still, nothing says “thanks for taking time off from work to read to 20 wiggly, squiggly, … Continue reading →

The Curious Case of the Cat in the Shower

Every time anyone enters the bathroom at our house, it’s cause for a big fuss. That’s because no matter what somebody’s doing in there, our cat Cole must have a part of it. If he hears someone in the bathroom, he rushes in (if the door’s open) and starts getting very vocal. Cole isn’t the most vocal of cats, but he’s not the least either. He chirps for attention, and if there’s a bird he can see out in the yard, the whole house knows it. But even when there’s prey he can see just beyond his reach, Cole is … Continue reading →

Taking Care of a Fearful Cat

I’ve learned a lot about different cat personalities in my new part-time job. I’ve met playful cats, shy cats, serious cats, stressed cats, and everything in between. I’ve also run into my share of fearful cats. My favorite so far has been the little grey cat who hid underneath her bed for four days straight. Eventually, we coaxed her out from under the covers for some petting. After that, she seemed to be over her fear and ready for some human company. It took at least two days before she would even peek out from underneath the blanket to look … Continue reading →

Fun Father’s Day Reads

Forget about the tacky tie, fluorescent golf balls, and the tennis racket-shaped bug zapper.  What Dad really wants this Father’s Day is some quality time with the TV remote, his trusty recliner and a plate of bacon. Of course, what Dad wants for the upcoming holiday and what his enthusiastic young offspring want for him may be vastly different.  Fortunately, the following Father’s Day reads may be the key to compromise.  Kids can cuddle up with Dad on his favorite chair and share quality time reading the delightful holiday-themed page turners… while Mom cooks a pile of pork products for a post-story time … Continue reading →

Halloween-Themed Weight Loss Plan for Brave Parents

Have you seen Hershey’s newest Halloween treat? The Screme Egg is a twist on the chocolate giant’s popular Easter sweet, the Cadbury Creme Egg. The shape is the same, as is the egg’s white filling, but the Halloween version features a green yolk-like center instead of yellow. If that doesn’t make you scream, perhaps the nutritional value will. A single Screme Egg contains 150 calories and five grams of fat. While that may not seem like a frightening amount, consider that the average adult can fit roughly four of the eggs in his or her mouth at one time. Add … Continue reading →