12/21/2025
Christmas in Oregon just hits different.🌲❤️
I’m back home visiting my parents in Salem, Oregon, and I couldn’t resist bringing along a holiday favorite: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas in Oregon”. This book is a cozy, Oregon-themed twist on the classic poem—packed with familiar scenes, like the capital in Salem and the Oregon Duck Football stadium in Eugene. 🦆
And since I’m posting this with the Oregon coast behind me… here are three fun facts about this stretch of coastline: 🌊
🐧 It’s puffin country. In late spring and summer, spots like Haystack Rock (Cannon Beach) can have tufted puffins nesting on the sea stack—one of the cutest wildlife sightings on the coast.
⛱️ The whole coast is basically “public.” Oregon has strong protections that keep most oceanfront beaches publicly accessible, which is why you can walk long stretches without “private beach” signs.
🦀 Tidepools are tiny oceans. At low tide (especially during king tides in winter), you can find sea stars, anemones, crabs, and urchins in rocky coves—like a real-life aquarium you can walk through.
Happy Holidays, wherever you celebrate! 🎉
12/17/2025
Happy Wright Brothers Day (Dec. 17)! ✈️
📖 “Who Were the Wright Brothers?” (from the Who Was? series) tells the true story of Wilbur and Orville Wright—two brothers who loved to tinker, test ideas, and solve problems. Kids will learn how they went from curious kids (and even running a bike shop!) to experimenting with flying machines, facing setbacks, and eventually making the first successful powered flight.
Fun Facts about the Wright Brothers: ⭐️
✈️ They weren’t college scientists — they were self-taught inventors who ran a bicycle shop, and that work helped them understand balance, control, and mechanics (all key for flying).
✈️ They cracked the “control” problem first — before worrying about speed or power, they focused on how a pilot could steer and stay stable in the air. That’s a huge reason they succeeded when others struggled.
✈️ Their first powered flight was super short — on December 17, 1903, their first flight lasted only about 12 seconds and went roughly 120 feet… but it proved humans could fly under power and control.
📚 The Who Was? series is great because it turns real history into easy-to-read chapters, with simple explanations and illustrations that help kids stay engaged. It’s a perfect “first biography” series for kids who want to learn about real people and big moments in history—without it feeling like a textbook.
❓Question to ask your child: What would you invent if you could build anything?
11/17/2025
✨ Big News… I am officially making long-form content on YouTube!
🎥 My first video drops today @ 4 PM (Central)!
I started with the series: Reading with River—a calm, kid-friendly space where I share book picks, gentle learning, and cozy vibes (with my buddy River the cat nearby 🐾).
📚 Here’s what you’ll find on my channel:
• Reading with River🐱- book recommendations directed at caregivers and educators, promoting early reading, compassion and a love for learning.
• Story Time How-To 🙌🏼 - bite-sized finger plays, songs, rhymes, and movement ideas for caregivers, educators, and librarians.
• Kid-Ready History🗿- quick, easy history facts for parents to share with kids—always paired with a children’s book.
• Cat-Walk Chronicles🐈 - how I travel with my cat River: her adventures + my tips & tricks for stress-free cat travel.
• My Book ✍️ - behind the scenes of If Monuments Could Talk: Notre-Dame and my indie author journey.
• Tons of Shorts 📱- fast book recs, especially nonfiction & history for kids.
🎥 First long-form video drops today - link in bio!
💬 Tell me what you want to see next.
📌 Save this to check out the playlists later.
👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, share and subscribe! 🔔
11/17/2025
Happy ! 🥾🌍
Carl Honoré’s Slow Adventures: Enjoy Every Moment whisks kids to trails across the world—Inca paths, canyon corridors, stone-circle strolls—but the real magic is this: you can slow-hike almost anywhere, including your own block. 🌻
Try these neighborhood hike ideas:
🥾 Instead of ancient paths, do a history hunt: look for old trees, plaques, or sidewalk dates. Get to know your neighborhood, town or city!
🥾 Instead of a canyon walk, do a sound safari: pause on a quiet street and list 5 sounds from near to far. What can you hear? What do you think the sounds are? Are they cars, trains, planes, birds, babies laughing?
🥾 Instead of a volcano trail, do a texture trail: collect different items and explore their textures—bark, brick, gravel—describe them with adjectives like “sharp”, “smooth”, or “bumpy”.
🥾 Instead of exploring the coast, as about the wind: feel the breeze and notice how leaves, flags, or hair move. Is it cold, wet, or warm?
Taking kid-friendly hikes can be interactive and engaging, even in your own neighborhood. Exploring the world outside your door is a sensory-oriented experience. ☀️
📖 Why this book works: although the hikes explored in this book are in far-off places, it inspires adventure and outdoor wonder in your own backyard. Hiking at nearby parks, schoolyards, even your sidewalk can spark joy and learning!
11/11/2025
🇺🇸⭐️ Happy Veterans Day 🇺🇸⭐️
Today I am reminded of so many men and women who sacrificed their freedoms so that we may have ours. 🫶🏻
One individual I recently learned about is Jose de la Luz Saenz who served during World War I in the Intelligence Division. Because he could speak Spanish, English, French and German, he assisted in translating codes and messages. ✏️
Although he wasn’t treated with equality back home in the United States, he served his nation with pride and dignity.
When he returned home, he spent his life fighting for Latinx rights, war veterans of Mexican origin, and equal rights for all. 🇺🇸
A true American hero. ❤️💙
11/17/2025
11/17/2025
11/11/2025