Here’s a lovely poem about The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson with a couple of mp3 renditions. MP3 of The Wind 2nd MP3 of The Wind The Wind   I saw you toss the kites on high And blow the birds about the sky; And all around I heard you pass, Like ladies’ skirts across the grass– O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind,...

Reduplications are words or phrases that contain a duplicated element.  An example is the phrase "riffraff".  The two parts of the word are almost the same (i.e. "riff" and "raff"), but they have a small change (the vowels).  When you have a rhyming reduplication, the duplicated element rhymes with the original element in the phrase. ...

MP3 of Hope is the thing with feathers "Hope" is the thing with feathers By Emily Dickinson "Hope" is the thing with feathers- That perches in the soul- And sings the tune without the words- And never stops-at all- And sweetest-in the Gale-is heard- ...

French Pronunciation is a site that helps you improve your French pronunciation.  You can listen to recordings of the sounds you find difficult to pronounce and then practice along with them.

To increase your family’s intake of fruit and veggies in school or at work, here’s a simple trick… Cut an apple or orange and place a rubber band around it. Then place it in a baggy or container. It keeps the fruit fresh and juicy on the inside, yet it’s easy to eat. Enjoy! –Mama Lisa

Here’s a great list of 100 Ways to Be Kind to Your Child.  Because kindness starts at home! Love, Mama Lisa

Here’s an Irish Blessing just in time for St. Patrick’s Day… Irish Blessing   May your pockets be heavy And your heart be light.   May good luck pursue you Each morning and night. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! -Mama Lisa

"Easy peasy" is an expression people say when something is very easy to do.  My daughter just recited a longer version of it which I had never heard: "Easy, peasy, lemon, squeezy." (listen here) She couldn’t believe that I, Mama Lisa, had never heard the full expression before! It seems to come from a British commercial from the...

MP3 of Love Is Enough Love Is Enough By William Morris Love is enough: though the World be a-waning, And the woods have no voice but the voice of complaining, Though the sky be too dark for dim eyes to discover The gold-cups and daisies fair...

Here’s the poem, Poet To His Love by Maxwell Bodenheim (1892-1954) with an mp3 recording… MP3 of Poet to His Love 2nd Recording of Poet to His Love Poet to His Love An old silver church in a forest Is my love for you. The trees around it ...

Sometimes, life is grand because of that one perfect moment, like in the poem below… MP3 of Jenny kiss’d Me Jenny kiss’d Me By Leigh Hunt Jenny kiss’d me when we met, Jumping from the chair she sat in; Time, you...

All kids should watch this video below for inspiration… it’s a good answer the question, "Why should I do well in school?"

The other day I was adding the Spanish hand clapping rhyme "Chocolate" to our collection, and my daughter heard me play this video of it below… My daughter pointed out that it has the same "tune" as the American handclapping rhyme "Double Double This This". You can hear that one in the video below… In both versions...

Here’s a fun little skunk joke with a recording… MP3 of Two Little Skunks Two Little Skunks There were two little skunks Named "In" and "Out." One day In was out And Out was in. The mother skunk asked ...

Each language has its own unique words that don’t exist in other languages.  Here are two links to blog posts about words that exist in other languages, but not in English.  The 1st one includes an infographic… 21 Emotions for Which There are No Words in English 25 Handy Words That Simply Don’t Exist In English Here are...

The poem, Perseverance or Try Again by William Hickson appeared as a song in his book "The Singing Master" in 1836.  It’s believed he coined the proverb "If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again": ‘Tis a lesson you should heed– Try, try, try again; ...

Cinnamon Ornaments smell great!  They’re very easy to make and are a nice early Christmas gift to give.  I made ours in somewhat neutral shapes so people could keep them hanging around the house for the yummy smell after Christmas.  We made stars, crescent moons, hearts and trees.  Below you can find the recipe for...

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas when tradesmen and servants were traditionally given tips or gifts for their service.  Here’s what Rebecca wrote about it from the UK… The ‘Christmas box’ was traditionally for those who serviced your house; bin men, milkmen & coal men! Well, in the last century....