The day that Apple announced FaceTime, I felt giddy. The Future, which held so many crazy possibilities, was soon going to be my pocket. Of all the things I imagined using it for, I failed to see it as a chance to read stories to my grandson even when we are hundreds of miles apart.
 
We FaceTime several times a week, but my favorite days are when he shouts, “Read me a story!” I’ll go up to the book shelf where we keep the children’s books, and he’ll request one of his favorites. Turning the camera lens so he can see the book instead of me, I’ll read. Though I miss out on getting to snuggle him on my lap while we read, I instead get to watch his face. I get to see him as he worries whether the baby bird will find his mother or points out the funny things the hen is buying in as she makes a pizza. Just as if we were together, he finishes lines he knows by heart. And each time I say, “The END!”, he says the same four words: “Read me another one!”
 
Not only do we get to enjoy story time together, but it gives his mother a chance to focus on his sister, or get dinner started without simultaneously wrangling two toddlers. And it makes it all the sweeter when we are together, and I get to read the stories and snuggle at the same time.

This site contains affiliate links to products I have personally chosen to share. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Every penny helps support this site and allows me to visit my grandchildren, so thank you for your support!

Baths have to happen, and it’s not hard to make them a highlight of the day’s routine. More than fun, though, good bath toys help children increase their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination with actions like pouring, squirting, and squeezing. As they see what floats and what sinks, they begin to understand how and why things happen. Best of all, good bath toys encourage them to use their imagination, an important first step in developing the creative thinking skills which lead to problem solving.
 
A few simple bath toys will make everyone look forward to bath time at your house. You don’t have to go out and buy anything. Bath toys are lurking in your kitchen drawers: measuring cups, a turkey baster and a funnel are perfectly designed for water play. If you want to keep your kitchen supplies in the kitchen, look for used bath toys at garage sales or thrift shops. 

This site contains affiliate links to products I have personally chosen to share. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Every penny helps support this site and allows me to visit my grandchildren, so thank you for your support!