Tuesday

One of Our Favorite Winter Activities

We love family projects at the kitchen table or cooking during the cold winter months. We have a new favorite soup (recipe below). But by far, our favorite group activity is something that has been around for centuries, doesn't cost a lot, and everyone can participate:

We love to read. Silently, alone, together, aloud, curled up on plum pillows, nestled next to the fireplace, sprawled on the floor or the bed.


I'm so blessed because my two oldest love books. They gobble them up and beg for more. My youngest loves to flip pages, tell her own version and look at the pictures. But they all love to be read to.

My husband is usually the family reader. We work our way thru books together, their attention rapt and begging for just one more page.

Some great books to read together:
The Chronicles of Narnia
Swiss Family Robinson
The Bible
Anne of Green Gables

We're currently working on a non-fiction, non-typical book that has all thinking...I'll tell you more about it later.

What are some other great books to read together as a family?

The next time you are looking for something to do together, make this pot of soup and crack open a good book!

Healthy Potato Corn Chowder:

Ingredients
1 can of corn
1 can of Campbell's Chicken broth
4 oz of Velveeta Cheese
1 pound of new potatoes
Small carton Fat free half and half
Bacon bits

Quarter and boil potatoes until tender. Add chicken broth. Stir in cubed cheese, 4 oz of half & half, corn. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, add salt, pepper to taste. (I mash some of the potatoes to thicken broth).

Top with a teaspoon of bacon bits.

Makes 6 servings, 300 calories each.

This post is sponsored by Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup who wants you to know that 32 feet of fresh egg noodles go into every can. For lots of fresh ideas about how to keep your kids entertained and the chance to win $500, check out Wintery Weather Fun at DivineCaroline.


27 comments:

Buttercup said...

We love to read here, too! Lately it's been our 7 year old reading to us though, so all our books have been at a much lower level than those, lol! Skippy Jon Jones has been our favourite! Our son just recently started on medication for ADHD, and because of that is now able to do the reading (that was his biggest struggle)...we're so very grateful it's coming together for him now that we don't care *what* he reads to us! It's just such a blessing that he's able to now! :)

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh I so agree. Teaching children the love of books is such a blessing for them throughout their whole life. Great soup recipe too. Hugs, Marty

Tammy said...

A book that we've read twice with our kids is the kids' version of Pilgrim's Progress. It's called "Little Pilgrim's Progress" and it's GREAT. Many good discussions followed. (Don't remember the author.)

extreme personal measures said...

I love that you have passed on the love of reading. I was lucky enough to pass onto two of my children. By the way, love, love, love your header. I thought WE were that family. LOL!

melissa said...

The Little House on the Prairie series was my favorite growing up!

Avivah @Oceans of Joy said...

We also loved the Narnia series and Little House on the Prairie! We've reads dozens of books out loud as a family that we've loved (so many great books - I prefer classic type literature for the quality and the underlying messages).

We have nine children and the oldest is 16, and they still enjoying gathering together to listen to me read aloud. And of course they all do plenty of reading to themselves!

Mollie said...

My dad read the entire Narnia series to me over a very long period of time when I was little. We would read together before bed and he would curl up next to me and I rested my head on his chest. Precious times! Mom and I read Little Women together. More sweet times together!

Rhonda said...

I love reading to my boys. Right now we are reading Shiloh. I hate reading good books with a few choice words that are inappropriate. I've got my marker ready to just cross those out. I can change a sentence pretty quick too.

I just wanted to tell you again Thank you so much for your He said, She said series. My husband watched all the videos which opened up communication about this again. May God bless you!

ginabad said...

Amelia, who's 7, INSISTS on only reading non-fiction books about animals, mostly sea creatures. But I have been successful in combining that with "You can be anything" (a peanuts book), or "Good Boy Fergus" (a book about a dog as naughty as our own).

Zoe, 4, loves grown up books, so I try to read out of that to her (Bible, poetry). Sometimes she listens, lol!
gina
mom-blog

Kristie Jackson said...

When I finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my little boys, I felt the same pang of disappointment I had as a little girl. I never wanted the book to end!

Thanks for these other recommendations!

The Peacock Pearl said...

our kids are 2, 4, 6, & 8 and they are currently reading through the chronicles of narnia with daddy. i'd like to get the little house books next. :)

Sharon said...

Read the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" books! They are great. We started reading them this summer after visiting with my BFF who has someone reading out loud in the car whenever they are out. They are great books and give the kids a little introduction into the Greek Gods. That helped our 15 yo who had a unit on the Odyssey in English this year.

Oh, and a movie based on the first book comes out on the 12th. My kids are so excited...even though we won't be going to see it anytime soon. :-)

Kasey said...

That is such a cute book shelf! That is wonderful that you all like to read so much.

Courtney @ splashing grace said...

love to read here too! We get a lot of our book suggestions from Honey for a Child's Heart

Rhonda said...

I believe my now 13yo son and I have read every "survival" book out there (Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Call it Courage, Sign of the Beaver, My Side of the Mountain, Island of the Blue Dolphin, blah, blah, blah, ad nauseum). The carnage in SFR was a bit much for me, but he loved the adventure and action.

Amanda said...

My husband doesn't enjoy reading like I do, so mostly when I read with my 2 year old, lately she has been into the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie... series of books (with different animals in each one).

Tiffany said...

I really think that reading is one of life's sweetest pleasures. My four year old daughter is following in my footsteps and that makes my heart so happy. We love to read aloud as well. I am currently reading Charlotte's Web with my daughter,and my 18 month old son eve listens in! I cannot get enough books, it is my guilty pleasure! I cannot imagine going through life without the ability to read.

Unknown said...

I agree 100% with the Chronicles of Narnia being an amazing family read! We read the series together last year and it was fantastic!

Right now we are reading a little series by AVI about mice. Ragweed, Poppy, Poppy and Rye etc. They are a great family read!

Anonymous said...

Growing up, my dad would read my brother and I short books forward and then again, backwards, words and all! We thought it was hysterical and too fun.

Mostly we read independantly, but our dad did also tell us bedtime stories that were modified for younger kids that were based on some of his favorite classics. Our favorite was his rendition of "The Hobbit," which we always told him he should publish (we hadn't heard of JRR Tolkien yet!).

Carri said...

I have never been an avid reader but am growing more and more fond of it. My daughter reads for an hour every night before bed. I find reading so calming and enjoyable.


Carri
htp://carribear0620.blogspot.com

Becky said...

My husband read the "Wizard of Oz" series to our children. It was their special "daddy" time and brings back great memories.

Heather said...

My dad read Heidi to me when I was about your (older) kids age and I loved it and our time together. I have the copy and should maybe reread it, cause I really just remember that her grandfather was awesome and they lived on a mountain.

Unknown said...

the Great Brain Series by Fitzgerald are the best!!! We have five kids and they all loved them. I read each of them aloud to them and they begged for more each time.

Kara said...

I once read The Princess Bride out loud on a family road trip - so much more detail than the movie, it was great! I can't guarantee that it's "family friendly" since we were all jr. high/high school age, but I'm 90% sure, as I don't remember my mom getting offended and she's definitely one to do that. :) I chuckled when I went to leave this comment and the first commenter was "buttercup"!

In Everything said...

We finished reading through the Little House on the Prairie series... the WHOLE series with our kids. It took almost a year for us but we have 3 kids under 4 when we started. They LOVED it!!

Then we've worked through EB white's works, Charlotte's Web, Trumpet of the Swan and now Stuart Little. Not sure where we'll go next, but thanks for the suggestions that you all have enjoyed;)

Lori said...

I'm making this tonight! Thanks for passing it on. :)

Cathy said...

I just started reading Little House in the Big Woods to my 6 1/2 yr old daughter and she loves it. She even stayed up (later than she was supposed to) last night to read more of it.