Teaching My Little Bookworm inspired me to go looking for a recipe for homemade recipe for puffy paint. I can't wait to try it!

What You Need:
For Each Color:
1 Cup of Flour
1 Cup of Salt
1 Cup of Water
Powdered Tempra Paint - Amount varies based on desired color
1 Squeeze Bottle for Each Color
Mixing Bowls and Spoons for Each Color

Here's How:
1. Mix the flour, salt, water, and tempera powder together in a bowl.
2. Stir until the mixture is thick and drips in thick, puffy drops from your spoon.
3. Pour or spoon paint into squeeze bottles.
4. Have students apply the puffy paint onto paper. When dry, the paint will remain puffy and will appear raised.

Tips:
1. As students work, if the paint begins to separate in the bottles, shake the bottles to mix the paint again.
2. You may refrigerate the puffy paint for storage for a few days. Check it for spoilage before using. As always, do not allow children to put puffy paints in their mouths or around their faces. 3. Wash off hands promptly.

While we were at the library the other day, I picked up the pamphlet "Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!" 100 Books for Every Preschooler. The books were broken down into groups. I'll highlight the ones we've already read. As we read more, I'll come back and highlight those too. More books to read, yahoo!


Especially for Babies
Black on White by Tana Hoban
Dots, Spots, Speckles and Stripes by Tana Hoban
The Everything Book by Denise Fleming
Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet
Good Night, Baby by Clara Vulliamy
Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown
Max's Breakfast by Rosemary Wells


Rhythm, Rhyme, and Good Sounds
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
Here Comes Mother Goose by Iona Opie
I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
Jamberry by Bruce Degen
"More More More" Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams
My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats
Pat-A-Cake and Other Play Rhymes by Joanna Cole
Rain by Manya Stojic
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw
Tomie dePaloa's Mother Goose by Tomie dePaola
Tortillas and Lullabies/Tortilla y cancioncitas by Lynn Reiser
Tortillitas para Mama and Other Nursery Rhymes by Margot Griego


Simple Concepts
1 Hunter by Pat Hutchins
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Color Farm by Lois Ehlert
Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Wals
One Guinea Pig is Not Enough by Kate Duke
Spot's Big Book of Colors, Shapes and Numbers by Eric Hill
Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang


Let's Hear It for the ABC's
ABC I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson
Alphabatics by Suse MacDonald
Ape in a Cape by Fritz Eichenberg
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
Kippers A to Z by Mick Inkpen


Pattern Stories
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodinka
The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy
The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James MArshall
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
Titch by Pat Hutchins
The Very Hungry Catepillar by Eric Carle
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen


City Sights, City People
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
Biscuit Visits the Big City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Listen to the City by Rachel Isadora
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Night on Neighborhood Street by Eloise Greenfield
Parade by Donald Crews
Round Trip by Ann Jonas


Sleep Tight, Sweet Dreams
Asleep, Asleep by Mirra Ginsbug
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Good-Night Owl! by Pat Hutchins
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen
Time for Bed by Mem Fox



Favorites and Classics
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Curious George by H.A. Rey
George and Martha by James Marshall
I Like Me! by Nancy Carlson
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt
Olivia by Ian Falconer
Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
The Story of Ferninand by Munro Leaf
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza


Very Begining Readers
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Mine's The Best by Crosby Bonsall


Starting School
Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner by Amy Schwartz
David Goes to School by David Shannon
Edwards Unready for School by Rosemary Wells
Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! by Nancy Carlson
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Off to School, Baby Duck! by Amy Hest
School Bus by Donald Crews
Timothy Goes to School by Rosemary Wells
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

ABC and 123 is hosting a giveaway from Baby Love Blankies. The blankets look so warm and lovable and the I Spy bags adorable! I have had making I Spy bags on my list of things to do FOREVER! How wonderful would it be if I could win them and cross something off my list. I know Dill Pickles would love the Thomas the Tank Engine or Dinosaurs bags. Those are his favorite things right now. Sweet Pickles loves anything that his big brother loves so I know they will be well loved and fought over. :)

Teaching My Little Bookworm is hosting a "Pre-School Activities in a Bag" giveaway. I've wanted to buy one of these books for a while, but it would be wonderful to win one instead! Click here for your chance to win.

The Bookworm's Booklist recently posted the top 30 picture books according to School Library Journal. She is asking other bloggers to copy and paste the top 30 from her blog and then highlight all of the books we've read to Dill and Sweet Pickles. We've read the books in red. The Squishy Pickles plan on participating the in Chicago Public Library's Summer Reading Program and it looks like we already have a great start to our summer reading list.



#1: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)

#2: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)

#3: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1979)

#4: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962)

#5: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (2003)

#6: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941)

#7: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)

#8: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)

#9: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928)

#10: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (2004)

#11: The Story of Ferdinand by Monroe Leaf, ill. Robert Lawson (1936)

#12: Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)

#13: Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1948)

#14: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith(1989)

#15: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)

#16: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (1987)

#17: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)

#18: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (1970)

#19: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)

#20: George and Martha by James Marshall (1972)

#21: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (1999)

#22: The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone, ill. by Mike Smollin (1971)

#23: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)

#24: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, ill. Lois Ehlert (1989)

#25: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942)

#26: Corduroy by Donald Freeman (1976)

#27: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)

#28: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, ill. Ray Cruz(1972)

#29: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1969)

#30: Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr., ill. Eric Carle (1967)

Sweet Pickles enjoys his big boy reading time.

Dill Pickles read his first book out loud tonight! He was so proud of himself. The book was "Blue Hat, Green Hat" by Sandra Boynton. We used to read this book all of the time, but then it was pushed to the back of the bookcase. The Pickles took a trip to Wisconsin Dells for a few days so I grabbed a few books that we hadn't read in a while. Blue Hat, Green Hat was one of them. I read the book maybe 4 times in the past few days. This afternoon Dill Pickles wanted to read it before nap time. I wanted to challenge him, so I told him to read it to me. Dill did ok, but he needed some help. Tonight before bed, Dill wanted to read it again, but he said he wanted Daddy Pickles to listen. So I got Daddy Pickles and Dill pickles read the whole book by himself! No, he didn't read the words, but he it's a very repetitive book and he looked at the pictures. I hope this is the beginning of a life long love of reading!

Land Of Lincoln Readers is the theme of our library's 2009 summer reading program. Registration begins on the 10th and I plan on registering Dill and Sweet Pickles. Since they are under the age of 9, they must have 25 picture books read to them by the end of the program to earn a reader's t-shirt. I don't think we'll have a problem reading 25 books. I'm sure we'll tackle that in the first week! We love reading around here. Dill Pickles is really into dinosaurs lately so we have a few dino books checked out from the library. We read them each at least once a day.

Another big thank you to Katie from Katie's Literature Lounge. She hosted a giveaway for the new book "Abigail Spells" by Anna Alter. If you've been to the Pickles house you will know that the living room floor is often covered in book! Dill Pickles love to read books and Sweet Pickles has just started becoming really interested in books. We love books in this house and can't wait until it arrives. I usually never win anything and in one weekend I've won two giveaways- how exciting!!

A big thank you to Allie from No Time for Flashcards. She hosted a Melissa and Doug Chunky Number Puzzle give away. I posted my comments and we were chosen in the random drawing. Dill and Sweet Pickles are going to be so excited to have another puzzle. We already have the Melissa and Doug Chunky Alphabet puzzle and the boys love it so I know this one will be a hit as well!

The Squishy Pickles welcome you! Quite a name, I know. I've been wanting to start a blog for the longest time, but I just couldn't come up with a name. The other night my son Dill Pickles and I were reading the book "Five Little Piggies" by David Martin and in the story little piggie was making roast beef and added some squishy pickles. Dill Pickles began laughing hysterically and I decided that The Squishy Pickles would make a wonderful blog name. I happen to love eating pickles as well.

I follow a lot of other blogs written by moms and they often have contests or or fun things to do, but you must post about it on your blog. I just didn't feel right posting it on my other blog. That blog is mainly for my family members so that they can see pictures of my boys Dill Pickles and Sweet Pickles. So instead I've created a blog just for that purpose. I'm sure they'll be other stuff here too.

Let me tell you a little about The Pickles Family. Mama Pickles stays home with her two wonderful little boys. Before these little joys entered my life I was a special education teacher for 8 years. Once Dill Pickles and Sweet Pickles are older and in school I'm thinking about returning to teaching myself. I miss it a lot, but I wouldn't trade my days at home with the boys for the world. Daddy Pickles is a fire fighter and a nurse. He's a busy guy. Dill Pickles is 2.8 years old and always on the move. Sweet Pickles will be 13 months in a few days and he is never more than a few steps away from his older brother.

That's it for now. Grab a jar of your favorite pickles and take a bite. I hope they're nice and crunchy. Or squishy if you prefer.