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The Old Woman and The Wine Jar; An Aesop’s Fable

April 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment

An Old Woman found an empty cask that had once contained a fine old wine and that still retained the fragrant smell of it’s former contents.  She greedily placed it several times under her nose and, drawing it backwards and forwards, said, “Delicious!  How nice the Wine must have been when it leaves behind so sweet a perfume?”

The memory of a good deed lives on.

the old woman and the wine jar

Photo by Pixabay

How have you used this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fables, Old Woman & Wine Jar

The Lion, The Fox, And The Ass; an Aesop’s Fable

April 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment

The Lion, the Fox, and the Ass formed a party to go hunting.  After a successful hunt the three celebrated over a hearty meal.  The Lion asked the Ass to divide up the booty.  The Ass divided the proceeds into three equal parts and asked his friends to choose their portions.  The Lion, in great indignation, tore the Ass to pieces.  he then asked the Fox to divide the booty.  the Fox gathered almost everything into one pile, leaving only a tiny bit for himself.  “Oh, friend,” said the Lion, “who taught you to make so equitable a division?”

Happy is the man who learns from the misfortunes of others.

Lion & Fox Aesop's Fables

Image from Fotopedia

How would you use this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fable, Happiness, Lion Fox and Ass, Misfortunes

The Lion in Love; an Aesop’s Fable

March 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment

A Lion demanded the daughter of a Wood Cutter in marriage.  The father, unwilling to grant the request but afraid to refuse, decided on a plan.  He expressed his willingness to accept the Lion as the suitor of his daughter if the beast would allow the man to extract his teeth and cut off his claws, as the daughter was afraid of both.  The Lion cheerfully assented to the proposal and, returning with teeth and claws gone, he called upon the father to accept him as a son-in-law.  The Wood Cutter, no longer afraid, set upon the Lion with a club and drove him away into the forest.

Love can tame the wildest.

Lion in love

How would you use this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fables, Lion in Love

The Frogs Asking for a King; an Aesop’s Fable

March 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment

The Frogs petitioned Jupiter to appoint them a King to keep them organized and make them lead more honest lives.  Jupiter, who felt they needed no King, tried to appease them by casting down a huge log into the lake and declaring it their King.  The frogs, terrified by the splash the log made, hid themselves in the depths of the pool.  After a while, however, they noticed that their new ruler remained motionless, and they soon became brave enough to climb up and squat upon it.  After some time they began to think themselves ill served by the appointment of so tame a King, and they sent a second delegation to Jupiter, asking him to send another sovereign.  He then appointed an eel to govern them.  When the frogs discovered their second King’s easy good nature, they went a third time to Jupiter to beg that he choose a more suitable leader.  Jupiter displeased by their complaints, sent a heron, who devoured the frogs one by one.  The few who escaped asked Mercury to take a note to Jupiter asking for help; but Jupiter replied that they were being punished for their folly and that they should learn to leave well enough alone.

When you seek to change your condition, be sure you can better it!

The frogs ask for a king

Image from DiviantArt

How would you use this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fables, The Frogs Asking for a King

The Tortoise and the Eagle; an Aesop Fable

March 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment

A Tortoise, basking lazily in the sun, complained to the sea-birds how hard her life was because she could not fly.  An Eagle hovering nearby heard her grumbling and asked what reward she would give if he would take her aloft and float her in the air.  “I will give you,” the Tortoise said, ” all the riches of the Red Sea.” “Then I will teach you to fly,” said the Eagle; and, taking the Tortoise up in his claws he carried her almost to the clouds.  Suddenly he cried, “Now, then,” and ler her go, and the Tortoise fell onto a rock, smashing her shell to pieces.

Pride shall have a fall.

Eagle and the Tortoise

How would you use this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fables, The Tortoise and the Eagle

Top 10 Sandra Boynton Books

March 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment

I never heard of Sandra Boynton or board books until Harrison was born. Suddenly a few similar books started rising into the regular rotation of books that we would read at night time and I took notice. Half of the time it was because my son would request it, the other half was because it’s the book I really wanted to read to him that night. I really loved these books and they seemed so simple but the art and writing is just amazing. It captivated my boys and the books never became one that I dreaded having to read yet again. The amazing thing about the Sandra Boynton books is both of my sons had the same reaction to them. They both had their favorites but they both loved having these books read to them.

So, without further ados, here are my top 10 favorite Sandra Boynton books

1. Oh My, Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!

This book started my oldest sons complete and total love of all things Dinosaurs! He loved this book. He used to call “Me oh My” and at night time when we asked him what he wanted to read he would keep saying “My oh My” over and over again. It’s available at Amazon for $6.95 at Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! by Sandra Boynton.

2. Snuggle Puppy!

This book holds a very special place in my heart. I love it for two reasons. The first is pretty typical, the story/song is well written, it’s fun to read and the art is great. The second and most important reason is I LOVED listening to my wife enthusiastically sing this book to my children and loved hearing their giggles as it was sung to them. It’s really a fond memory and I have never actually told my wife that part of it. It’s available at Amazon for $6.95 at Snuggle Puppy! by Sandra Boynton.

3. But not the Hippopotamus

This is another book that I had a fun time reading. I guess I can’t really keep repeating that with every book I list since I enjoyed reading all of the books on this list but regardless, this one was a fun read. I loved how they giggled when I would say “But not the Hippopotamus” in a different goofy voice each time. It’s available at Amazon for $5.99 at But not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton.

4. Hippos Go Berserk

My younger son Sean, LOVES this book. He loves it enough that my older son started asking Sean to stop picking it as his night time book. The book starts with a lonely hippo that calls a few friends over for a party. The party gets out of hand, tons of Hippos arrive and go berserk and party all night. When the party is over, all the hippos leave and the story ends with the one Hippo being all alone again. Every time I read this book, Sean would put on this cute little sad face and ask why all the Hippo’s left him all alone. It was very sweet. It’s available for $7.99 at Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton.

5. Barnyard Dance

Like a lot of Sandra’s books, this one was written as a song but it has a very sing-songy feel to it. It’s about all the barnyard animals getting together and having a big dance. I always end up singing the book all the way through and tapping my feet as my boys sit on my lap. It’s available for $6.95 at Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton.

6. Moo, Baa, La La La!

This book is described on Amazon as “serious silliness” and that hits the nail on the head. It’s fun, it’s silly and like all the other books it’s a great read. It’s about farm animals and the kinds of noises they make with some purposeful errors thrown in for fun. It’s available for $5.99 at Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton.

7. Opposites

Another great book that teaches by showing two things that are the opposite of each other and describing them as such. It helped my sons understand the concept of size and did it in an enjoyable fashion. It’s available for $5.99 at Opposites by Sandra Boynton.

8. The Going to Bed Book

It’s funny because the book was about going to bed but for whatever reason my youngest son wanted to read it in the morning when sleep was the last thing on his mind more than he ever wanted to read it at night. Maybe he thought by not picking it at night he would somehow sneak by and not have to go to sleep but for whatever reason it was a favorite morning book of Sean’s. Both kids enjoyed it though and it is available for $5.99 on Amazon at The Going-To-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton.

9. Hey! Wake Up!

As funny as it was that Sean wanted to read the Going to Bed Book in the morning, he picked the Hey! Wake Up! book in the evenings before bed. I suspect it was wishful thinking but either way it was a great book. It’s available on Amazon for $6.95 at Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton.

10. Bob: And 6 More Christmas Stories

I love Christmas time and this past year, this was Sean’s favorite book to read leading up to the great event (the coming of Santa Claus). He loved reading about Bob the reindeer, a tiny little reindeer who is silly and fun. It only made the bottom of our list because it’s not a book we read year round but rather one we read one month a year. The book has 7 stories total and is available on Amazon for $8.99 at Bob: And 6 More Christmas Stories by Sandra Boynton.

We have just about every Sandra Boynton book that has been released and it was actually quite hard to limited ourselves to our favorite 10. I was pretty excited to listen to an interview on NPR about Sandra and to find out that she lives in Philadelphia. We are only an hour and a half out of Philly and love to go into the city when we can. It’s nice to know that an author that has meant so much to us lives in our back yard. It somehow makes her feel more relevant to our lives.

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Books and Reading Tagged With: barnyard dance, Board Books, Bob and 6 More Chirstmas stories, but not the hippopotamus, hey! wake up!, hippos goe berserk, moo baa la lal la, oh my oh my oh dinosaurs, opposites, Sandra Boynton, snuggle puppy, the going to bed book

The Farmer and His Sons; an Aesop’s Fable

March 1, 2011 | Leave a Comment

A Farmer who was close to death wanted to share his knowledge with his sons on the best way to keep up the farm.  He called them to his bedside and said, “My children, all that I have to leave you can be found in the vineyards.” The sons, thinking their father was referring to a hidden treasure, set to work with their spades and ploughs and overturned the soil again and again.  They found no treasure, but the vines, strengthened  by the thorough tillage, repaid their labor with an extraordinarily abundant crop.

Industry in itself is a treasure.

Vineyard similar to the one in the fable of the farmer and his sons

Image from Photopedia

How would you use this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fables, The Farmer and His Sons

The North Wind and the Sun; an Aesop’s Fable

February 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment

A dispute once arose between the North Wind and the Sun over who was stronger, and they agreed that whoever could first make a Traveler remove his coat should be declared the victor.  The North Wind tried first and blew with all his might, but the stronger he blew, the closer the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him.  At last the North Wind called upon the Sun to see what he could do.  The Sun broke out of the clouds and dispersed the cold and wind, and the Traveler, feeling the genial warmth as the Sun became hotter and hotter, sat down and cast his coat upon the ground.

Persuasion is better than force.  The sunshine of a kind and gentle manner will sooner lay upon a poor man’s heart than all the threats of blustering authority.

Fable of the Wind and the Sun

How would you use this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fable, The North Wind and the Sun

The Flies and the Honey Pot; An Aesop’s Fable

February 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment

After a jar of honey was upset in a housekeeper’s room, a number of Flies were attracted by its sweetness and ate greedily.  Their feet, however, became so smeared with the honey that they could not release themselves and were suffocated.  Just as they were dying, they exclaimed, “Oh, we are foolish creatures – for the sake of a little pleasure we have thrown away our lives!”

Pleasure sometimes brings pain.

This fable really hit home with me.  If you have been following my posts over the last couple of weeks you might now that I have been working very hard to lose weight and get into better shape.  I really enjoy good food and good craft beer but eating and drinking whatever you want comes at a cost.

The flies and the honepot

How would you use this this fable to teach your children?

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Aesops Fables Tagged With: Aesop, Fables, The Flies and the Honey Pot

When It’s Time to Pause.

February 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Rosie the Riviter as a single mom

Image by WILPF

It has been an extremely tiring week.  I had to work for 12 straight, full days so I am exhausted. And, as all parents know, work does not really stop when you leave the office.  There are tons still to do at home, albeit more enjoyable, with the family.  I hope and pray that I’ve been patient and understanding these past few days and that I have been an agreeable mom.  I hope that I have done better catching up at home than I have with all my other tasks.

I bumped into these two poems online and thought they were inspirational.  Well, they made me feel a bit better.  Here the are:

Ode to a Single Mom by Tamara Sue Appleman

She’s fixer of sinks and drier of tears; Anxious, yet valiant allayer of fears.
She works a full day Commutes home, and then she works another full-time job, again.

She’s master accountant. And counselor, too. She sets aside worries to listen to you.

There’s laundry and cooking and cleaning to do. Homework, then bathtime A story or two.

She’s finder of toys. And righter of wrongs. She’s busy. She’s tired. She’s lonely. She’s strong.

When the day is done, The kids safely in bed, No energy’s left for the thoughts in her head.

She turns them all off along with the lights. Crawls under covers – Gives in to the night.

Before the rise of the sun. She be up and back to it. There’s no other option. No one else to do it.

If you, too, know this woman (she goes by many names), Applaud her, she belongs to no ascribed hall of fame.

But a tacit sisterhood, Arduous like no other, Of extraordinary women. Also know as Single Mothers.

And another one by an anonymous author:

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Meyer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, “It’s OK honey, Mommy’s here.” when they keep crying and won’t stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON’T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at football or soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, “Did you see me?” they could say, “Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it for the World,” and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet like a tired 2-year old who wants ice cream before dinner.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn’t. For all the mothers who read “Goodnight, Moon” twice a night for a year. And then read it again. “Just one more time.”

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls ” Mom ?” in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they’d be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can’t find the words to reach them. For all the mothers who bite their lips sometimes until they bleed–when their 14 -year olds dye their hair green.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying? For all the mothers of the victims of all these school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the Survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children’s graves. This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation. And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, Mothers without.

…being a mom is tough but it is something I would never change.

I will be better next week.

Where do you find inspiration when you are felling down?

 

Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Books and Reading, Parenting, Random Musings Tagged With: Ode to a Single Mom, Poems, Single Mom, Tamara Sue Appleman

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