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Friday, September 30, 2011

Bilingual Fall Calendars {Printables}

You all have made a lot of requests for printables and lesson plans. I have a long list of ideas in my head, some of them jotted down on bits of paper floating around my house. I'm excited about sharing with you some of the resources that I have created for my own children. This has actually turned into a major undertaking, because normally I just snag pictures here and there to use with my kids with little to no thought about copyrights and such.

But I am extremely pleased with my first set of printables. I am especially grateful to Maree Truelove whose clipart I used for this set of seasonal calendars.

Because we use them everyday in school, I have created a bilingual set of calendars and calendar-related printables. And to tie them into the season, I have centered them around a fall theme.

Since September is already over, this pack will be free to download through this weekend only (October 2nd). Afterwards, it will be available for purchase. Enjoy!


UPDATE: Wow! I'm not sure I expected so many of you to race over here and download these. I hope you enjoy them and are able to use them contructively with your children. This bilingual calendar pack is now available for purchase in my TpT shop.


Con mucho cariño...


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Cultural Craft: Rainsticks

As part of our cultural studies, we are currently studying Chile. We've been more or less following this schedule for our lessons, though we are doing it as a lapbook. For our craft, I chose to have the kids make rainsticks based on this Crayola lesson plan. I wanted to share it with you so you could see the steps. We all totally loved this craft project.

This post contains affiliate links.

A Brief History of the Rainstick

The rainstick is thought to have been created in either Chile or Peru by the desert peoples. It was believed to draw the attention of the rain spirits. In Chile, the rainsticks are made from dried, hollowed pieces of cactus. The spines are broken off and then hammered back into the tube, which is then filled with small stones, shells, and other items.

Supplies for Making Your Own Rainstick



Directions for DIY Rainsticks



:: Place one end of your cardboard tube on a piece of cardstock or construction paper. Trace around the open end of your cardboard tube.



:: Next draw a larger circle around the small circle now on your paper. (A compass works best for this part.)



:: Cut some small slits inwards, but not past the inner circle



:: Put glue around the edge of your tube by dipping a Q-tip into liquid glue, or just use your finger to smear it on.



:: Fold the edges over and use a rubber band to temporarily hold them in place until the glue has dried.



:: Take a LONG piece of foil and twist it up into a long coil.
Place the coil inside your tube.



:: Gather dried rice and/or beans.



:: Add the rice/beans to your tube.
And seal the open end of your tube in the same manner as you did above.



:: Gather decorating supplies and let your kids' imagination go!
(Makers, glitter, cut paper pieces... whatever your child prefers.)



:: Make music!

Other Posts You May Enjoy


Monday, September 26, 2011

Take the Latino History Quiz {GIVEAWAY}

Do you know who is the the first Latino MLB player to reach 3,000 hits? Or who is the first Latino to serve in the U.S. Cabinet? Maybe you know the name of the Latino soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor earlier this year for his bravery in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

If nothing else, I know you can name three Hispanic entertainers who are commonly known by a single name (I came up with only two - ¡qué vergüenza!).

These are just a sampling of the questions in the Latino History Quiz over on MySanAntonio.com. I truly love quizes like these. I do! Even though I didn't know the answers to half the questions on there. But you know why I love these little quizes? Because I get to learn the answers. And some of them (along with their questions) are fascinating.

That's why last year, I was excited to giveaway a set of Brain Quest's Hispanic America. ¿Y sabes qué? I had so much fun, I'm going to do it again this year.

THE GIVEAWAY

So once again, in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, I am giving away one of these awesome sets (pictured above). To enter, all you have to do is correctly answer 4 of the 12 Brain Quest questions listed at the end of this post. I tried to pick ones that were a mix of easy and hard...(Mwuah-ha-ha!) AND ones that weren't part of last year's giveaway (Awww!).

• For an additional entry, follow MommyMaestra on Facebook. Be sure to leave a separate comment letting me know that you did!

• Like last year, anyone able to answer all 12 questions earns the title "Supreme Trivia Master."

The deadline to enter is September 30th, at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry or some other way to contact you or your entry will be invalid.) The winner must have a valid United States mailing address.

¡Buena suerte!



And now for the questions:

1) What is the oldest city in the United States?

2) On the holiday El Día de los Muertos, what kind of people do Mexicans honor?

3) In what country is Monte Verde, the site of a prehistoric human settlement 12,500 years old?

4) Which nation's flag includes the Victorious Arch of Carabobo?

5) Name the largest island in the Caribbean.

6) What is the Spanish title of the 1970s Carlos Santana hit that asks, "Hey, how's it going?"

7) En español, a student is an estudiante. What is a teacher? (I will be highly offended if any of you miss this one.)

8) Is a gaucho a South American cowboy or a Spanish vegetable soup?

9)  Name the native country of the rock en español songwriter and singer Juanes. (Ay! Ladies, please, I can hear your screaming from here.)

10) In the Spanish novel of Don Quixote, what is the name of Don Quixote's sidekick?

11)  Atahualpa was a ruler of Mesoamerica. Was he the emperor of the Aztecs or Incas?

12) Where did Ellen Ochoa go, where no Latina had gone before?

Bonus: Salgo means "I go out." How do you say, "I will go out?"





Thursday, September 22, 2011

Multilingual Mania's 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Student Writing Contest

Last year, the contest had many touching and thoughtful submissions. Let's help make this year's even bigger. To learn more about this great contest, visit Multilingual Mania.

Con mucho cariño...

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

College Bound Latinos


I have frequently talked with my friend, Angelica Perez, the publisher of New Latina, about education. We are both absurdly passionate about the subject. She is a creative genius, and I was very excited when she came up with the idea to start a group specifically for Latino families with children approaching high school graduation and who wanted to find the resources and opportunities available for college. She began by creating an open group on Facebook, an "E-Mentoring Group," and we've shared some fantastic resources there. But in order to make it more accessible to Latino parents and students, she's moved it a step further and opened a fan page, College Bound Latinos.

I would encourage you to check out the page, especially if you have older children entering high school. And if you have family or friends with kids preparing for college, please share this resource with them, as well. Let's get our kids excited about higher education and into the Universities.

Con mucho cariño...

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Met!



I want to go to New York this weekend. Want to know why?

This coming Saturday, September 24th, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will be holding the special event, ¡Fiesta! Celebrating Hispanic and Latin American Cultures. The all-day, Museum-wide festival celebrates the richness of Hispanic and Latin American art and cultures. Take the whole family and enjoy gallery experiences, performances, art-making activities for all ages—and more! The event will run from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The event will begin on the front steps with a procession led by performers from the band Mariachi Real de México into the Great Hall of the Museum. From there visitors can join a number of different Family Programs taking place throughout the day, including intergenerational How Did They Do That? demonstrations focusing on both Spanish armor and Andean featherwork; Storytime in Nolen Library featuring books written in Spanish and in Spanish and English; and artist-led Drop-in Drawing workshops for all ages in the Vélez Blanco Patio, the Met's Spanish courtyard.

In addition to these activities, there will also be an Early Music Foundation Performance of 17th-century Spanish music and dance at 12:30 p.m., which will be set against the Museum's dramatic Spanish Choir Screen in the Medieval Galleries, and a Salsa Dance Workshop at 2:30 p.m. with dancers and an instructor from Ballet Hispanico. At 3:30 p.m., Mariachi Real de México will lead a second procession, this time from the Great Hall to the Museum's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium for Mexico in the Heart, a two-hour musical performance led by Jeff Nevin, featuring soprano Mónica Abrego, tenor Jose Luis Duval, The Villalobos Brothers, Mariachi Academy of New York, and Ballet Folklorico Raíces de México.

While you are there, you should stop in and see their Andean Tunic exhibit that features around 30 beautiful tunics! A great way to study South American culture and traditional costume. Make it a field trip!

Also, learn more about their programs for Spanish-speaking families. (How exciting is that?)

Now, how many of you live in the New York area?
 
Con mucho cariño....

Friday, September 16, 2011

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage With Stamps




To read more about this collection, visit the National Postal Museum.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Mommy Maestra Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month


YAY! Today we kick off the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month here in the United States. I like to think of MommyMaestra as a blog dedicated to Hispanic Heritage Year-Round. Last year, I listed some resources for celebrating this month that are still valuable today. Below, I've linked to those you might find of most interest, as well as a few new ones.

Just to give you a brief history of this observance: Hispanic Heritage Month finds its roots in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson first established Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later, President Reagan expanded it to a month-long celebration. Now each year, from September 15th through October 15th, our country recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States, and celebrates Hispanic heritage and culture.

These dates were chosen because eight Latin American countries actually celebrate their independence days during this month:

• September 15th — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
• September 16th — Mexico
• September 18th — Chile
• September 21st — Belize

If you are looking for ways to celebrate this month with your children take a look at:

10 Ways to Educate Kids About Hispanic Heritage Month - My most recent article on Mamiverse shares how you can explore new countries from the comfort of home.

Lesson Plans and Activities for Hispanic Heritage Month - Some of my favorite sites and pages for parents and teachers.

National Hispanic Heritage Month - The "official" website of the US government for HHM. They share some good links to exhibits, programs, and lesson plans.

Inspiring Latinos Your Children Should Know - If you are looking to expose your kids to some positive Latino role models, here's a great list to start them off.

Teach Your Children the Complete Story: A Kid's Guide to Latino History - For older children ages 7 and up, Valerie Petrillo's book is fun and educational and should be in every history teacher's classroom.



Con mucho cariño...

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Using Board Games to Supplement Your Lessons


Do you use board games to supplement your lessons? We do. There are so many games on the market now teaching everything from fractions to geography that you can find one to use with almost any subject.

I find these games to be valuable tools because they make learning fun, and they serve to reward my kids for their hard work. My son was surprised and delighted to discover that games were a part of our school week (this is his first year homeschooling).

For example, one of their favorites is Dora's Candyland, which I use to reinforce their Spanish lessons. But we also use Boggle Jr. with our spelling curriculum, Yahtzee with math, and Pictionary with reading, and many others.

Learning Resources has some great games. I like to keep an eye on their sale section where I can find some super deals up to 70% off from time to time. But Amazon also carries many educational games at discounted prices.

Do you use games to supplement your child's education?

Con mucho cariño...

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

ClicClicClic: An Interactive Reading Site for Spanish-Speakers


This may just be the coolest interactive Spanish site for reading that I have seen yet. ClicClicClic is a project of Barcelona University, and features a number of interactive stories for children. The stories are divided into two categories: Iván y Navi, for children ages 3-6 who will need help from their parents; and El mundo al revés, for children ages 6-8.

These digital stories are incredible! I don't know how they make things like this, but I can almost guarantee that both children and their parents will love these stories - and the site as a whole.

Parents have the option of turning off the volume so that the kids can simply read the stories on their own, or leaving it on so that the children can enjoy story time. Such a clever and creative site!

Con mucho cariño....

Monday, September 12, 2011

Using Common Sense to Establish a New Diet

photo by whologwhy
A few weeks ago, we had Nutrition Week here on MommyMaestra. Because this issue has such a strong connection to our children's academic success, I plan to continue addressing this topic from time to time. Life Coach, Ira Franco, has been kind enough to submit the following article to help parents who are looking for tips on establishing a new diet for their children and family.
Common Sense, Take Advantage of It!
Common sense is the least common of the senses. Contradictory, I know, but have you ever stopped to think how true that phrase is? All human beings have common sense and some people have developed it more than others. We apply it in different areas of our lives including our work, family, education—the options are endless. If we can acknowledge its presence and importance we should begin to make use of it. Common sense is a very important tool in our lives. It allows us to distinguish between different things; it helps us select options that match our lifestyles; it allows us to reflect on, differentiate, and choose the good from the bad, the positive from the negative; but more than anything else, common sense leaves decisions up to us individually.

In today's world we cannot deny that communication and access to information is within everyone’s reach twenty-four hours a day. We no longer have to go to the city library to read an article or to get details for projects from books. With computers we now have direct access to any topic that interests us. Therefore, nutrition is a topic that is also accessible to us all. All of us at some point have read articles about diets, calories, the benefits of exercise, and more. But we have to ask ourselves, have we made use of our common sense?

Have you ever wonder why all diets work? My opinion is that diets work because during that period of time when someone is establishing a new diet, the mind becomes conscious of what is being eaten. Throughout the process, we choose foods correctly and we concentrate on moving forward. But what we must try is to find the way to internalize and make those changes habits that will become permanent parts of our daily lives. This is where common sense comes into the picture. First of all, we should measure the serving size of what we eat. We must not deprive ourselves – or our children - of anything. On the contrary, we can eat everything, but we must be aware of the quantity and quality of the food we are ingesting. Second of all, in relation to exercise we must move our bodies whenever we can. Go for a walk, use the stairs, or park your car far away from the store so you have to walk through the parking lot. Third of all, we have to recognize the benefits of exercise, both mentally and physically speaking; we burn calories and at the same time remove toxins. Finally, it is important to be surrounded by family and friends that can help during the process. We must communicate our needs and have our wishes respected. We must acknowledge that the process is long. Therefore, we must accept that establishing a new diet is a long process for the purpose of changing an unhealthy lifestyle.

Do I use my common sense?

Do I recognize the benefits of making good decisions for myself? My family?

Can we achieve these benefits? If not, what is stopping us?

We should take some time in responding to these questions, and I am sure that each of us can find an adequate and effective way of using our common sense more and more each day. Common sense can guide us in making the correct and effective decisions for a full and healthy life.


To learn more about Ira or to ask her a question, you may visit her site at IraFranco.com.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Celebrate Museum Day With Free Admission!

Have I mentioned how much I love field trips? They are one of the best ways to get your kids excited about learning and can be a truly valuable tool for getting them to remember information.

Last month, during our first week of school, we piled in the car and drove, drove, drove, to go museum hopping. We started off at the Port O'Plymouth Museum in Eastern North Carolina, where we learned all about the Battle of Plymouth, the second largest Civil War battle fought in North Carolina. My daughter surprised me by taking copious notes and sketching many of the artifacts we saw.

Afterwards, we went on down to the God's Creation Wildlife Museum, which is a small, but beautifully kept museum featuring wildlife from the U.S. and Africa. My children were fascinated by the animals on display, and enjoyed learning about the conservation efforts that existed to protect many of the species, such as the African White Rhino shown below. This mount was actually a fiberglass replica made from an animal that the museum's owner had darted - for transport or health check, I forget which - while in Africa.



So naturally, I am pretty excited about Museum Day, which takes place on Saturday, September 24th. It is the annual celebration hosted by Smithsonian Magazine who started the event in the spirit of all the Smithsonian Museums who offer free admission daily. And I believe in the idea that all people should have access to a museum at least once, so that they may discover how truly fascinating history can be.


On Saturday, the 24th, museums all over the country will grant free access to anyone with a Museum Day Ticket, which may be downloaded here.

To find out if a museum near you is participating in the event, go here and enter your location, or simply search by state.

Don't forget to come back and share your trip with us!

Un abrazo...

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Curriculum Review: Artistic Pursuits


This year I decided to begin formal art lessons for my kids. I wanted a program that introduced them to the Masters and great works of art. And at the Richmond Homeschool Convention in June, I hit the jackpot when I discovered ARTistic Pursuits.

This fabulous art program introduces children to the world of art through hands on art projects that reinforce art-related concepts. Each lesson covers a topic through a short descriptive text and an example of art. The lessons end with a project so that the student may practice the technique. For example, in Lesson 1, the student is introduced to the topic of composition. The kids are shown the painting, The Courtyard of a House in Delft, by Pieter De Hooch. Then the teacher asks the children questions about the painting to help them begin to understand composition (i.e., How many doorways do you look through in this painting?). The final project is for the child to compose their own picture using an ebony pencil and some sketch paper.

You can purchase the whole art pack with the lesson plan book and the art materials you'll be needing. Or you can do what I did and just purchase the lesson plan book. I have most of the art materials at home, and can run up to Michaels if I don't.

I'm just so delighted with Artistic Pursuits and the art materials that we have discovered through it. I know that I made a great choice purchasing this curriculum because the other day I woke up to find my kids sitting at the dining room table quietly painting their own watercolor pictures. The lesson from the day before had introduced us all to watercolor crayons. We LOVE them! Here are a few examples:


Watercolor crayons that I picked up at Michaels. You just draw, color, and then paint away!


My son's subject matter? Star Wars. No-brainer here.


No, my daughter isn't being strangled by a man wearing black. That is a chimpanzee doll with velcro hands that she loves to hang about her neck as she parades around the house with her royal crown and scepter.


And we've been reading the Jungle Book...


We even made our own hurricanes, then labeled the parts.


It looked like so much fun, I couldn't resist trying my hand at it!
 If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the lesson book, you can find them cheaper on Amazon and some homeschool supply sites. The books are divided by age/grades. We've just started with Grade K-2 Book One.

This curriculum is in English only.

Con mucho cariño...

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Mommy Maestra and Why I Blog

When I started writing Mommy Maestra last year, I did it because I wanted to reach out to other Latino homeschoolers. I also wanted to share a lot of the resources that I was stumbling upon, many of which I couldn't even use because my kids were not old enough or fluent enough in Spanish yet to use. I blog because I care about education, and Latinos, and children. And if I can help a parent get involved in their child's education, then that is my way of giving back to the cultura that has given me so very, very much.

Since the day I first hit "Publish," this blog has really grown and taken on a life of its own. My readers are like 100% female (Hola? Any muchachos out there?), but that's where the similarity ends. Some of you are homeschooling, some are thinking about homeschooling, and many of you have children in public or private school and are simply looking for ways to supplement their education. At least half of you are looking for resources in Spanish, while others want English, and some want a mix of both. Some of you have young children, others have older kids, and some of you are teachers with LOTS of niños! I think the biggest surprise was finding out how half of you are Latinas, while the other half are not (though many are married to Latinos).

So I find the hard part is that I have a lot of different information to pass on. I have to try and balance the Spanish and the English, the preschool with the middle school information. I have mamis writing to me on a regular basis asking me questions about homeschooling: how to start, how to tell the family, what are my state's laws, etc. And I try to answer each one of you as best I can.

¡Ay, caramba! It is a lot of responsibility. But I appreciate your trust. It never fails to move me whenever I receive a message from one of you expressing your thanks or telling me that you are considering homeschooling as a result of following this blog. I know that homeschooling is not for everyone, but for some it is the best choice - if they can just find the confidence to try it.

Sometimes I get very nervous thinking of all the expectations my readers have of me. I worry about your children and wonder if I am giving you good advice. I try to find products and websites and books and anything else that you will find helpful. And there are so many things I think of that would be helpful to mamis with kids, I have a hard time limiting myself to just the ones pertaining to education.

And, because I am a perfectionist and an overachiever, I am always looking for ways improve the blog, be a better blogger. I try to read about the latest gadgets and the best practices. Most of the former I can't afford, and I do my best with the latter. I toy with the idea of going to conferences like BlogHer, Type-A, and yada-yada, but the truth is: I am a homeschooling mami. I don't have the money or the time (or a babysitter) to attend most of these. I'm not a big party-er, so that doesn't bother me, but the A-student in me sometimes wishes I could go and sit in on a panel/talk/presentation. Just because I am nerdy that way.

So I'm thinking about going to the Blogalicious conference next month. It is only a few hours away from me and I want to go because this is a conference created specifically to celebrate diversity in social media. This translates into bloggers like me, who write about culture and language. I attended last year and had a blast. It was my first me-only trip in 6 years! I felt like a girl at college again. And for me that is BIG. I sat at the talks carefully taking notes, writing fast and furious with my little pen and notebook, while mis amigas sat around me typing into their iPads and laptops. While others hoped to win goody-baskets filled with lotions and pampering products, I squealed when I won the book "Waiting for Superman" because I'm obsessed with education. When I somehow won an iPod shuffle, I looked at it in confusion, then gave it to my step dad for Christmas. (I had no clue what to do with it anyway.)

But you know, I had the best time. ¿Por qué? Because it was something for me. As a mom, I don't do that very often. Do something just for myself. Something that I enjoy and is all my own. I like learning. I am an eternal student. And when my kids asked me why I wanted to go to this conference, my response was, "Because it is so exciting! There's so much to learn!"

And that, dear reader, is the best lesson and motivation for learning that a parent can give a child. You have to practice what you preach.

I don't know for sure if I'll be going to this year's Blogalicious conference, but if it works out, I know I'll be happy sitting in that seat, scribbling statistics and tips in my notebook.

I wonder, do you, mama, have something that is all your own? Do you show your children that it is important to have interests and to be passionate about something?

Con mucho cariño...

Disclaimer: Sharing my blogging story qualifies me to win a ticket to Blogalicious. So now you know why I blog... if you didn't already have it figured out!

Hispanic Heritage Month Art & Writing Contests

Hispanic Heritage Month starts next week! Are you excited? Does your familia have big plans to celebrate? We're working on a few things here that I hope to share with you soon. In the mean time, if you are looking for something to do in honor of HHM, check out these art and writing contests.


LA students in K-12 can enter the Poster Competition. Contest theme: "Celebrating a Culture of Hope and Progress." Deadline: Sept 16th.


Chicago Public Schools is hosting an essay contest for students in 9th- 12th grades. Topic: Carlos Santana, contemporary Mexican American rock, salsa, and jazz fusion guitarist, once said, "The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace." Describe a person of Hispanic descent who, in your opinion, most exemplifies these words. Deadline: October 3rd.


And here are two art and writing contests open to students in Florida. Deadline: Sept 23rd.

Con mucho cariño...

Monday, September 5, 2011

A Study of Hurricanes


It has been a long week.

The arrival of Irene on Saturday the 27th, brought with her wind and rain that seemed to go on forever. Although she was only a Category 1 by the time she made landfall, the storm was so SLOW to pass through North Carolina, that the damage was made that much worse.

Although our small place survived with only one tree down in the pasture and a bit of a leaky roof, many of my friends and neighbors did not fare so well. I could not get over the number of BIG trees that toppled around town in the late afternoon. Most of them finally succumbing to the winds after the ground could no longer hold them because it was completely sodden. Someone said we had 18 hours of torrential rain. I'm not sure, but I do know that it seemed endless.

We actually spent the day holed up in the center at the park where my husband works. I did not want to be left alone with the kids, and he had to go in to work to keep an eye on all the animals. So after a sleepless night (for me), off we all went. I spent the day watching all the trees in and around the park bending and shaking as the North wind blew them with a powerful blast. I had prepared an emergency kit and had stocked my car ahead of time with pillows and sleeping bags, movies and food, books and games. So my kids were quite happy throughout the day and were unaffected by the weather raging outside.

When we arrived home that night, it was to a dark and quiet house. And it was the same every night after that until we finally regained power on Thursday afternoon. The first few days were spend helping clean up the park, and then I decided that enough time had been wasted and so I proceeded to check out every book in the library on hurricanes. After all, if life gives you lemons, then the only thing to do is to make limonada!

We were fascinated to learn how hurricanes form, where they are found, the three parts of a hurricane (can you name all three?), and finally, how one dies. Studying explained so much - especially as to why Vermont suffered so badly. Here are some of the things that we discovered:

Hurricanes always form in tropic waters. These warmer waters provide the energy for the storms as the water evaporates more easily. A hurricane is "born" when air is heated by warm ocean waters and creates two or more thunderstorms over the ocean that come together and begin to rotate.

They can have three names: in the Atlantic they are called "hurricanes," in the Indian Ocean they are called "Cyclones," and in the Northern Pacific Ocean, they are called "Typhoons."

North of the equator, hurricanes always spin counterclockwise, but south of the equator, they all spin clockwise! This is due to the Coriolis effect.


The three parts of a hurricane are: the eye, the eye wall, and the spiral rainbands.

Take a look at this small printable book on hurricanes from Enchanted Learning.

We also talked about how meteorologists name hurricanes, alternating boy and girl names.

And, of course, we talked about how a hurricane dies. These powerful storms are hungry, and in order to continue to grow, they must be continually fed by the warm waters below. When it moves over land and loses its source of moisture, the hurricane falls apart dumping incredible amounts of water - which is why Vermont was so badly affected even though they have no coast!

Take a look at these awesome books on hurricanes:

Hurricane Book & CD (Read Along Book & CD) by David Wiesner

Eye of the Storm: A Book About Hurricanes (Amazing Science: Weather) by Thomas, Rick, Shea and Denise

Kingfisher Knowledge: Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Other Natural Disasters by Andrew Langley

El Autobus Magico Dentro De Un Huracan  by Joanna Cole

Thank you all for your prayers and kind words this past week. They have meant so much to me.

Un abrazo a todos,

~Monica