A Monster Mother's Day

Yesterday was really great.  But I didn't get breakfast in bed. (Frowny Face)

Don't feel sorry for me, though! - I had lunch AND dinner in bed instead!! LOL

After church, the kids told me I could go take a nap, read a book, or do whatever I wanted - I just had to stay out of the kitchen for the whole day.  They served me food at meal times and, for the rest of the day/evening, I just relaxed and lounged with my variety puzzles magazine and pinterest boards.  It was HEAVENLY.

What's cool, though, is that this queenly treatment wasn't my only Mother's Day this week!  I had another earlier this week.

Last Monday morning, when I hadn't really gotten enough sleep the night before, I was trying to sleep in.  So, of course, bright and early, my 5-yr-old comes in and puts his nose really close to mine to wake me. (He's very quiet, but somehow this works every time!)  I pretended not to wake up (please tell me I'm not the only mom who does this!!) and he eventually gave up and crawled in beside me and went back to sleep.  Ahhhhhhhh....  it was so nice and snuggly...

for about 5 minutes.  My 4-yr-old, who's not nearly so subtle, came in next and poked me sharply in the cheek saying "Wakey time, Mom!"  No feigning sleep with this one - he's persistent, to say the least, so instead I convinced him that his poor big brother :) was still very sleepy and that he might just want to climb in and sleep a while longer with us.  He did climb in, if a little reluctantly, and we tried to sleep.

After the ...
Elbow in my stomach
Knee in my armpit
Hair in my ear
and Surprise Head Butt,

little man exclaimed, sooooo sadly, "But Mom, we just can't sleep!"  (Funny since his brother was lying there snoring.)
"Really?" I asked.  "What's wrong?"
Putting on his most pitiful look - and I mean seriously, undeniably sad - and wrapping his arms around my neck, he nearly mourned out loud, "You forgot to read us a story last night."  Oh, the heartbreak!

I tried not to laugh, hugged him and his brother (who had of course been awakened by the great LAMENT,) and told them to run and choose a story.  And while they were off about it, I had one of "those" moments.  I was so grateful for my family, for my children, for my relationship with them and opportunity to serve and teach them.  I was even grateful that it was "wakey time."  I thought what a great thing it is to be a mom and how EVERY day is like mother's day if I let it be.

And, after sitting there theorizing that I'd probably have to read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" yet again, I knew it was providential - a little love note from God - when, instead, they brought my favorite "mommy love" story to snuggle down and read together.

"Happy Mother's Day to me," I thought!!

So, readers, I'd love to hear about your Mother's Day and also your favorite "mommy love" stories.  Please feel free to comment!

Winner Announced

Congratulations to our winner of the May Day Giveaway - Liz C!!
The winner was selected using random.org (in conjunction with raffelcopter.) Thank you to everyone who participated and especially those who contributed comments to this new blog.  I think we're off to a good start, and I hope you'll join me again soon to share more ideas.  I loved doing the giveaway!  Watch for another real soon!!

Happy May Day

and welcome to the new, more interactive, FeltBoardStories.com

I am so happy to launch this new version of Felt Board Stories.com – It’s a transition that I’ve been mulling over for quite some time, and I finally took the plunge!  My hope for using this blog format is so that this site will become more of a growing, practical resource for storytelling and learning through story time.  I will try to share, as often as I can, stories, experiences, articles, videos, pictures, and tutorials – all aimed at helping us all - me and you, my Felt Friends - connect with our children through STORY TIME!

I’m not sure how great a “blogger” I will turn out to be, but with your frequent comments and suggestions, I am ready to embark on this new adventure!

And, I am told, I can’t go wrong if I start with a GIVEAWAY!! (Smiles Broadly) – But more about that in a minute… 

First, I want to tell you a little about one of our family's favorite spring-time activities!  As some of you know, Spring came quite early to Texas this year, and the weather has been amazing!  At Easter, instead of Easter baskets, my kiddos actually got their goodies in butterfly nets!  Since then, we've discovered a little niche in the tree in our back yard where at least a mill-y-un (as spoken by my 5 year old) flutterbys (that's my 4 year old) seem to perch.  It's in a spot right by our bright flowering vine and it is a butterfly catcher's dream!

There is little in the world that fills my heart with as much joy as chasing butterflies with my littles.  They are so full of energy and awe!  And, it’s easy, in those moments, to see that even I still have that same wonder and amazement at God’s creation, whenever I choose to remember it!  It's so freeing and joyous to be with them as we laugh, and hide, and tiptoe, and run, and smile together. 

And, as it turns out, these experiences have opened a door of storytime teaching opportunity!! Even though it's raining outside today (pouty face), I could still use the memory of these recent days to make real world connections and do some "butterfly chasing" in another way!   We looked out in our back yard and wondered together where the butterflies might be today.  Then we snuggled up in my fat chair and read together this sweet, touching little story about butterflies, and spring, and brothers...  I hope you will share, (maybe after catching butterflies together!) with your own littles, this sweet story, from the German, by W.H. Weick and C. Grebner*, copyright 1886:

There were once three little butterfly brothers, one white, one red, and one yellow.  They played in the sunshine, and danced among the flowers in the garden, and they never grew tired because they were so happy. One day there came a heavy rain, and it wet their wings.  They flew away home, but when they got there they found the door locked and the key gone.  So they had to stay out of doors in the rain, and they grew wetter and wetter. By and by they flew to the red and yellow striped tulip, and said:  ``Friend Tulip, will you open your flower-cup and let us in till the storm is over?'' The tulip answered:  ``The red and yellow butterflies may enter, because they are like me, but the white one may not come in.'' But the red and yellow butterflies said:  ``If our white brother may not find shelter in your flowercup, why, then, we'll stay outside in the rain with him.'' It rained harder and harder, and the poor little butterflies grew wetter and wetter, so they flew to the white lily and said:  ``Good Lily, will you open your bud a little so we may creep in out of the rain?'' The lily answered:  ``The white butterfly may come in, because he is like me, but the red and yellow ones must stay outside in the storm.'' Then the little white butterfly said:  ``If you won't receive my red and yellow brothers, why, then, I'll stay out in the rain with them.  We would rather be wet than be parted.'' So the three little butterfiies flew away. But the sun, who was behind a cloud, heard it all, and he knew what good little brothers the butterflies were, and how they had held together in spite of the wet.  So he pushed his face through the clouds, and chased away the rain, and shone brightly on the garden. He dried the wings of the three little butterflies, and warmed their bodies.  They ceased to sorrow, and danced among the flowers till evening, then they flew away home, and found the door wide open.

*It sure took some work to find an actual author or authors to whom I should attribute this story – it’s printed in many places – and I’m still not sure, so please forgive me if I’m wrong, and correct me if you do know!)

And now, on that sweet note, and after a quick "Thank You" to Sarah C for getting me thinking about butterflies in the first place, we’re ready for our MAY DAY GIVEAWAY!!  One lucky reader will win:

A Story Time Felts Exclusive - Who Ate the Food? Set:

                            Set includes twenty-one colorful figures and two stories will help your child understand
                     the life cycle of a butterfly. Figures can also be used to tell the story, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." 

So, keep scrolling down to learn how to join in the giveaway! Sarah C, you get an extra entry for suggesting the giveaway!!  Good luck, and I'll let you know in one week who the winner is!!