LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Click here to listen to: Red vs. Green (our third holiday story)
View the blog post with activities for the story: Red vs. Green activites

Click here to listen to: Inky's Christmas (our second holiday story)View the blog post with activities for the story: All Things Inky


Click here to listen to: Chilly's Christmas (our first holiday story)
View the blog post with activities for the story: Chilly's Christmas Activities

Snowflakes falling from the sky. Each one is unique just like every child and every masterpiece they make.  We encourage you to share their unique masterpieces with us by sending us photos to nightlightstories@gmail.com.

Happy Holidays to one and all!

Episode 28: Red vs. Green

Click here to listen to: Red vs. Green

 

Hi All,

Happy Holidays from the Night Light Stories household! We have been busy decorating the house, visiting with our family, making cookies and gingerbread houses, and trying to soak in all the sights, sounds, and smells around us!  Our son has been checking each morning for snow out the window. It hasn't happened yet, to his disappointment, but with all this cold weather, we don't think he'll have to wait long!

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! In our story there are many

juicy words that are fun to use and say.

competition: a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage.
deflect: turn from a true course or straight line.
frolic: playful behavior or action.
inspiration: something inspired, as an idea.
intercept: to take posession of (a ball or puck) during an attempted pass by an opposing team.

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. Jack Frost told the team that they “stink, stank stunk”. Since he is the coach, part of his job is to motivate his team. He should have said things that were “inspiring” to them. Make a list of things Jack Frost could have said to his team. For example, pointing out some positive things players were doing that could help them to improve.

2. Design a team jersey for the Mistletoes or the Blarney Stones.

3. Design a team logo for the Mistletoes and/or the Blarney Stones.

For example, the Boston Bruins logo is:

4. The Mistletoes were using candy canes as hockey sticks. Looking around your house, what else could be used as a hockey stick?  What else could be used as a puck?

5. While the Elves are in their locker room, the Leprechauns are in their own locker room. Compare the moods of the locker rooms by illustrating each one. How do the leprechauns’ faces look? How do the elves’ faces look?

6. There are 10 players, 2 goalies, and 3 referees on the ice in a hockey game. Using any of these numbers, create a few number story problems to solve. For example: There are 10 players trying to get the puck, 2 of the players' garland laces break and they fall. How many players are left trying to get the puck?

7. Make a list of all the Christmas references you hear in the story.

8. The elves pull “lucky charms” off the tree. Create something that is your lucky charm?

9. Write lyrics and create a tune for a song from Bobby's favorite rockband, "Twisted Tinsel".

10. Visit the NHL for kids website and play an interactive hockey game! 

11. Do you know the rules for hockey? Learn all about hockey at this website! 

12. Believe in yourself! Make a list of all the things you believe in.

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What were some problems the Mistletoes were having in the first and second quarter?
3. How did Bobby inspire the Mistletoes and himself to get back out there for the third period?
4. Where is the Winter Holiday Hockey Classic being played?
5. Why do the Misteltoes' think the Leprechauns have all the luck?

The Announcers Box

In our story, we have two announcers recapping the third period for you.  These announcers, "Rick Gingerbret" and "Don Cheery" are based on some famous hockey announcers that Mr. Chris grew up listening to in Buffalo.  The real announcer, Rick Jeanneret, is known for some great calls and some of them are used in the story as an homage.  Listen to Rick Jeanneret's Top 10 calls! 

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Papa G of Massachusetts

Uncle Markie of Massachusetts

Nani B of New York

Cavin D of West Virginia

Shawn D of New Hampshire

We hope your day SPARKLED!

As always, we look forward to the many stories we can share together!

Happy Holidays!



LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Have you heard our holiday stories?  

Click the links below to listen!

Click here to listen to: Chilly's Christmas

Click here to listen to: Inky's Christmas

Click here to listen to: Sled Ride

This time of year, there are many  luminous houses, trees, and decorations to be seen all around.  Driving to the store or home from an activity when it is starting to get dark out is always so much fun this time of year! We love to search for the brightest houses and the most creative decorations.  Please feel free to share your luminous decorations with us at nightlightstories@gmail.com or on the Facebook Fan Page! 

As always, we look forward to the many words we can share together!

Creating a Winter Wonderland!

"We need to make a Christmas scene for our wall." This quote from our son prompted the project we did today! It was a lot of fun, a little bit educational, and used some of our million craft materials that we have in our box!  So, what did we do?  We decorated the wall, of course!

First, we measured the wall to find out how much paper we needed. We decided to use pillows to measure rather than a ruler.  It was good practice using non-standard forms of measurement. 

We found the wall was four pillows long. We laid the pillows out on the butcher paper so we could cut the right amount to fit on the wall.

Of course, then he had to see how many pillows he was. He was two and three quarter pillows long!

We cut the butcher paper together to practice scissor skills and then we hung it up on the wall.

We decided to add a white hillside.

Then we decorated the mural with pictures we cut out from old Christmas cards we had saved, Styrofoam stickers, paper snowmen, google eyes, and any other treasures we could find in our craft box!

We colored, glued, and decorated!

My favorite thing that our five year old created on the mural was a reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh. Notice Santa riding in the pink sleigh!

Our finished product was colorful 

and had a touch of all of us on it. 

Most of all, it was great teamwork!

We would love to see your holiday creations that you make as a family!  Send them to nightlightstories@gmail.com or post them on our Facebook Fan Page!

As always, we look forward to the many family projects we can share together!

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Did you know there are different types of learning?  Our own children  definitely learn best when they play games and work with their hands.  What type of learner is your child?  You can find out by taking a 10 question quiz at the Family Education website.  Mr. Chris and I found a more detailed quiz for adults if you would like to find out your own personal learning style.   We would love to hear what you come up with.  You can send your learning style to nightlightstories@gmail.com!

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Click here to listen to our newest story: Agent Tissue has an Issue

Working in a joint effort with someone can make things go by more quickly and efficiently.  Sometimes, depending on your helper,  it can take more time. However, the memories made are well worth the extra time!  We would love for you to share your joint efforts with us. 
You can send them to nightlightstories@gmail.com or on our Facebook Fan Page. 

Lighting the Way With Words

Even though she is trying to remain incognito, we would like to send out a special bright birthday wish to our little girl!  We are so honored we get to watch you grow into such a fun little person! Your strength, determination, and humor keep us on our toes and inspire us daily! 

Happy Birthday big girl!

Episode 27: Agent Tissue has an Issue

Click here to download: Agent Tissue has an Issue


Hi All,


It is that time of year! The cold weather settles in along with all the coughs, sneezes and sore throats.  We are constantly reminding our kids to cover their mouths, cough or sneeze into their elbows, use a tissue to blow their noses, NOT to use their sleeves or the bottom of my shirt to wipe their runny noses, and to wash their hands!

Every child needs these constant reminders. One strategy that we’ve found helpful is to take pictures of the kids practicing these things, and then post them around the the house as quick visual reminders. We post a few pictures of the kids washing their hands by the bathroom sink, and we post other visuals, like a picture of one of them coughing into a sleeve, in a central location near eye level (like on the fridge) so we can point to them easily as a quick reminder.  

We like to use them as the models, so they can take some ownership of the task at hand, which is keeping the house and themselves as healthy as possible.  Feel free to grab those pictures, and use them in your own house as reminders. Here are some examples of our visuals we posted:

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! In our story there are many

juicy words that are fun to use and say.

device: a thing made for a particular purpose.

dissolve: to separate into parts or elements.

pursue: to follow in order to capture.

rickety: shaky

  JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1.  An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words.  In the story ACHOO stands for "American Central Health Organization-Olfactory" division.   ACHOO is an acronym.  You can often make acronyms to help you remember your school work. For example, to remember all the Great Lakes, you can use the acronym HOMES. What other acronyms do you know or can you create?

2. Create your own visual reminders or print ours out and post them around your house in the appropriate areas.

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. Who did Agent Tissue say he worked for?  

2. What was Agent Tissue on a mission to find?

3. Where did the boys search for the "runner"?

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Paige U of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Wil E of Virginia

Erika E of Virginia

Chloe of West Virginia

Dominic of West Virginia

Kiara of West Virginia

Prescott of West Virginia

Maggie B of West Virginia

A special thanks to our good friends, Kim and Dawn, at the Musing Mommies podcast 
for providing that bumper for us! You can download their 
podcast "for moms, by moms" over at http://www.musingmommies.com/.  

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Our daughter loves to dance, especially hula! She enjoys creating different stories with her hands and swaying her hips along with the rhythm of the music. She also finds the rustling sound of the grass skirt  very amusing.  What type of dance is your favorite?  Share with us at nightlightstories@gmail.com or on our Facebook Fan Page.  

As always, we look forward to the many words we can share together!

Rock on!

Thank you all for such thoughtful and fun entries!

Congratulations to BRENDA!  

She is a grandmother to FIVE grandkids who are 7, 4, 2, 1, and 3 months old! We hope you and your grandkids enjoy dancing to the CD!  

Wrapping Up October

Hi All,

October has been a busy month at the Night Light Stories household.  I often use the strategy of making daily lists of all the things I would like to accomplish. Then I check off each thing I do as I finish them.  So, I thought I would make a list here too of all the things that we have available for you! 

1.  Our new spooooooooky story, The Heebie Jeebies, is available for download here or on iTunes.

2.  Quick Halloween activitiy ideas are on the BLOG POST for the "Heebie Jeebies".

3.  Last year's not-so-spooooooky story, The Patchwork Pumpkin (PART 1 and PART 2),is available for download here or on iTunes. Will Millie get to carve a pumpkin with her Dad? Listen to the story to find out!

4.  Leave a comment on the blog to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of the new Imagination Mover's CD, "In a Big Warehouse"! Their website is full of fun games to play and songs to dance to! You can visit them here!

To enter for a chance to win these last few days of the contest, take a look at this picture.  Leave a comment about what you think I said to our daughter right before I snapped this picture.  Be creative, silly, and fun! 

 The contest will run until October 31st at Midnight.

If you do not win, no problem! On the side bar of the Night Light Stories website there is a link to the Imagination Mover’s store. If you buy a CD and put “NIGHT LIGHT STORIES” in the comment section when checking out, the Movers will sign their names on the CD for you.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 FROM NIGHT LIGHT STORIES!

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS:Halloween style!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Our spoooooooooky story:
Click here to listen to: The Heebie Jeebies


Our not-so spoooooooky story:
Click here to listen to: The Patchwork Pumpkin Part 1
Click here to listen to: The Patchwork Pumpkin Part 2



Click here to leave a comment to enter for a chance to win:
A signed copy of the Imagination Movers' new CD, "In A Big Warehouse".

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Have you heard all of our October Stories?
Click here to listen to: The Heebie Jeebies
Click here to listen to: The Patchwork Pumpkin Part 1
Click here to listen to: The Patchwork Pumpkin Part 2

Click here to leave a comment to enter for a chance to win:
A signed copy of the Imagination Movers' new CD, "In A Big Warehouse".

This time of year is full of fun activities, brilliant colors, and crisp weather.  The foliage on the trees begins to change colors fast as the temperatures drop.  The Night Light Stories household has been observing the trees in our yard to watch the change in the foliage.  We are creating a "tree journal" to note the change in the color of one of our trees. We take a picture each day of our tree and note any change from the day before.  We also note the temperature, amount of leaves, and precipitation.   In a month, we should see a huge difference!

We would love to see how the foliage looks in your area.  Send it to nightlightstories@gmail.com or post it on our Facebook Fan Page.  Be sure to note where the picture is from! 

We look forward to the many words and colors we can share together.

Episode 26:The Heebie Jeebies

Click here to download: THE HEEBIE JEEBIES


Click here to leave a comment to enter for a chance to win:
A signed copy of the Imagination Movers' new CD, "In A Big Warehouse".


Hi All,


Happy Fall from the Night Light Stories household.  Personally, this is my favorite time of year. The leaves turning bright reds, oranges and yellows;  the crisp, cool air; eating warm apple pie made with fresh picked apples, and of course watching football on Sundays!  We also really enjoy decorating for the season with pumpkins, scare crows and skeletons!   Some of the decorations we’ve been seeing around the mountain are a little bit spooky.   Mr. Chris and I were talking about how the kids would see the haunted houses and we wondered if they would be scared?  Sometimes its fun to be scared and that’s how the Heebie Jeebies was born.  


Just a quick warning,  this story is read by Mr. Chris in a deep, spooky voice, so if you scare easily, this might be a good one to skip.  But, if you’re the type who enjoys feeling your pulse quicken when you get scared, then sit back, turn off the lights, gather around with people who make you feel safe, and as you listen to the story, ask yourself the following, “What are some ways to stop yourself from getting The Heebie Jeebies?”

LISTENER FEEDBACK

If you like what you hear at Night Light Stories, please go to iTunes and leave a review. More positive reviews make it easier for others to find Night Light Stories in the iTunes Store. Don't forget you can also find us on Twitter at nightlight08 and our Facebook Fan Page. Stay tuned for more Night Light Stories, Lighting the Way With Words, and updates on the book. Thanks so much for your continued support!

CONTEST CORNER

A way the Night Light Stories keeps the Heebie Jeebies at bay is by listening to some positive, fun and creative music while having a dance party in our well lit kitchen. We slip and slide all around the floor and create all sorts of crazy dance moves. You should see Mr. Chris go!

So, since this works for us, we thought it could work for you too. We just so happen to have a really upbeat CD to give away. The CD is of one of our favorite children music bands; the Imagination Movers. We wanted to give you a chance to win an autographed copy of their newest CD, “In A Big Warehouse”.

To enter, first visit the Imagination Movers website and explore all around. Dance to some songs, check out the pictures, play a few games and read their bios. Then, come to the Night Light Stories website and leave a comment about what you found most interesting, fun, or inviting about this intriguing foursome. You can also leave us a comment on the Facebook Fan Page, Twitter at nightlight 08 or email us at nightlightstories@gmail.com. The contest will run until October 31st at Midnight.

If you do not win, no problem! On the side bar of the Night Light Stories website there is a link to the Imagination Mover’s store. If you buy a CD and put “NIGHT LIGHT STORIES” in the comment section when checking out, the Movers will sign their names on the CD for you.

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! In our story there are many juicy words that are fun to use and say.

clutch: to try to seize or grasp
illumination: a supply of light
prowl: to go about stealthily, as in search of prey
tingle: to have a sensation of slight prickles

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. Write your own spooky story.  Who are your main characters? Where is your setting?  What are the problems in the story? What are the solutions?


2. List THREE strategies the child in bed uses to keep from getting the Heebie Jeebies. Add THREE new strategies you could use to keep yourself from getting the Heebie Jeebies. 

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. What made the narrator clutch at his blanket?


2. Who told the narrator a spooky tale before bed?


3. Why does counting sheep not work for the narrator?

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Cori M of New Hampshire

Nana D of Massachusetts

Aunt Kathleen of Valencia, Spain

Aunt Sue of New York

Jason G

Happy Halloween from Night Light Stories! 
As always, we look forward to the many scary stories we can share together.

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Click here to listen to: The Hike

We find our children are elated to try new things!  When are you elated?  Show us your visual definition of elated by sending your picture to nightlightstories@gmail.com or post it on the Facebook Fan Page.

We look forward the the many words we can share together!

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Click here to listen to our newest story: Stitches


Do you know how to download and listen to a story from the Night Light Stories website? Click on the link to watch the video tutorial Mr. Chris made:  http://youtu.be/YVvdbvTN4sc

Is there anything more sweet than dimples in a baby's hands, feet, elbows, or cheeks?Share your dimples with us at nightlightstories@gmail.com or on our Facebook Fan Page! I wonder how many dimples we can gather?   

As always, I look forward to the many dimples, I mean words we can share together.

LIGHTING THE WAY WITH WORDS

Have you heard our newest story? Click here to listen to: Stitches

Have you ever had a contusion?  Please feel free to share your own stories or pictures of bumps, bruises, casts, and stitches with us in the comment section, at nightlightstories@gmail.com, or on our Facebook Fan Page. 

As always, we look forward to the many words we can share together.

Episode 25: STITCHES

Click here to listen to: Stitches

Hi All,

There is never a dull moment in the Night Light Stories household, that is for sure! Monday night was even more exciting than usual.  Our 5 year old hit his head on the bathroom sink which resulted in a trip to the ER and 5 stitches. He was so brave through it all. Mr. Chris and I were really proud of him!  From that experience our story was created.  Please feel free to share your own stories of bumps, bruises, casts, and stitches with us in the comment section, on our Facebook Fan Page, or at nightlightstories@gmail.com.  We hope you have a safe and enjoyable week!

LISTENER FEEDBACK

If you like what you hear at Night Light Stories, please go to iTunes and leave a review.  More positive reviews make it easier for others to find Night Light Stories in the iTunes Store. Don't forget you can also find us on Twitter at nightlight08 and our Facebook Fan Page.  Stay tuned for more Night Light Stories, Lighting the Way With Words, and updates on the book. Thanks so much for your continued support!

VORACIOUS VOCABULARY

What did you say? A word of the day! That is right! In our story there are many juicy words that are fun to use and say.

amiss: improper or wrong

consequence: the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier.

exotic: of foreign origin 

trickle:to flow or fall from drops, in a small gentle stream.

JUST ADD IMAGINATION!

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. The letters ER are an abbreviation for Emergency Room. Can you think of other words that have abbreviations? Make a list and see how many you can think of!

2.  The boy waited for the doctor for 23 minutes. Try to read, build blocks, play dolls or cars for 23 minutes to see how long that really is.

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. What made the little boy close his eyes when he got out of the shower?

2. Where did they have to go after he hit his head?

3. Would the boy have the stitches forever? What did the doctor say?

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES

We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Amanda M of New Hampshire

Debbie N of Virginia
Chele A of South Carolina
Saben of Maryland

As always, I look forward to watching the glow grow brighter with the many stories we can share together.