How to bake a train wreck...

Step One: make a complete mess of your kitchen while baking the cake.

Step Two: Carefully remove the cake from the fully greased and floured pan you so diligently prepped.

Step Three: Make sure your children are out of earshot before you let your cake pan know exactly how you feel about the nine ruined train cars you've pried from its clutches.

Step Four: Be grateful that at least the train engine is intact...

if you don't look too hard.

In case you were wondering, here's what the cake is supposed to look like. My talented SIL made a train cake for each of her boys' birthdays (using the exact same pan!).

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton

I'll admit it - I haven't read this one yet. Our library is not great about getting in the latest children's books. But it looks hilarious, and after my own woman vs. train incident today, it sounded like a perfect pick.

For a summary and review, check out Brimful Curiosities. I don't know how that lady gets her hands on all the new releases, but she always has excellent reviews and suggestions.

Ride the Math Train!

Inspired by Katherine Marie's domino robots, I created an addition train for E this evening.

Each car held two dominoes, perfect for adding together vertically. (C'mon, you know you're jealous of my mad drawing skills!)

It actually took me longer to draw the train then it did for E to finish the problems. You can almost see her little wheels turning...

The Boxcar Children Books by Gertrude Warner

It's a week for classics! Do you remember these? I believe this was my first introduction to reading chapter books on my own. I must have been six or seven years old, but I still remember the story of four orphaned siblings and their adventures while living in a boxcar. The books are wholesome, exciting, and a perfect introduction to chapter books.

I just ordered the set of four for E. I plan on reading the first one outloud to her at bedtime and letting her enjoy devouring the rest on her own.



I'm linking up to:
- ABC & 123's Show & Tell

MYO Awesome Spelling Train

You'll forgive me as I toot my own horn (aren't I witty?) but I think this spelling train I made E turned out absolutely adorable. Using some scrapbook paper, I created a shape train, leaving pockets in each of the cars.  To go in those pockets, I labeled 26 popsicle sticks with the letters of the alphabet, topping them off with animal alphabet graphics I found online.

Four letters slip into the box cars, allowing E to spell different words and play around with rhymes.

Holes I punched in each box reveal the letter there as well.

Let the literacy fun begin!

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

You knew I'd be featuring this book at some point this week! Of course everyone has heard of the story, but have you ever read the full, original version? Because of its title - and its famous catchphrase "I think I can!" - I always thought this book was about the power of positive thinking. But the true title of the book should be The Little Engine that Would. It's basically the story of the Good Samaritan: Toys on a broken down train plead with a series of passersby to stop and help them deliver good things to the children on the other side of the mountain. Train after capable train refuse for one reason or another. Finally, the little engine, who wasn't sure if she even could climb the mountain, agrees.

E has always loved this book, and while I often created my own abridged version for her, I appreciate the moral of helping others against insurmountable odds. Sometimes, you just can't beat a classic.

I'm linking up to:
- Made by You Monday @ Skip to My Lou

Shape Train

Our theme this week is TRAINS! Those of you with little boys would probably be happy if you never saw another toy train - let alone another episode of Thomas or Dinosaur Train - again. But I have girls and while we are drowning in princesses, trains are a rare treat.

This simple train craft is easy to make and reinforces both shapes and color recognition. Simply grab what you already have on-hand: a few sheets of construction paper, scissors, and God's gift to teachers and moms everywhere: a glue stick.

My glue-obsessed girls did a great job building their trains from three rectangles, one square, one triangle, and seven circles.

Of course, that's not the only thing A glued...

and no project of hers is complete without first being turned upside down, scribbled upon, and then torn apart.

My eldest independent-thinker used extra scraps to turn hers into a bustling train, puffing smoke as it races along.

Freight Train by Donald Crews

This Caldecott honor book is perfect for teaching colors to train-loving toddlers. The sparse text on each page describe one of the train cars: "Green cattle car," "blue gondola car," etc. The illustrations are simple, utilizing only six basic colors and shades of black.

This is a great one to buy as a board book for babies and younger toddlers. There are also Spanish editions, for those of you who wish to introduce a new language to your little ones.

I'm linking up to:
- Show & Tell at ABC & 123
- stART @ A Mommy's Adventures