The Little Angel

The Little Angel

Right into our house one day,

A dear little angel came;

I ran to him and said, softly,

"Little angel, what is your name?"

He said not a word in answer.

But smiled a beautiful smile;

Then I said : "May I go home with you?

Shall you go in a little while? "

But mamma said: "Dear little angel.

Don't leave us! Oh, always stay!

We will all of us love you dearly!

Sweet angel, oh, don't go away!"

So he stayed, and lie stayed, and we loved him,

As we could not have loved another;

Do you want to know what his name is?

His name is - my little brother!

Melodies for Childhood.

Little Whimpy

LITTLE WHIMPY.

Whimpy, little Whimpy,

Cried so much one day,

His grandma couldn't stand it.

And his mother ran away;

His sister climbed the hay-mow.

His father went to town.

And cook flew to the neighbor's

In her shabby kitchen-gown.

Whimpy, little Whimpy,

Stood out in the sun.

And cried until the chickens

And the ducks began to run;

Old Towser in his kennel.

Growled in an angry tone,

Til en burst his chain, and Whimpy

Was left there, all alone.

Whimpy, little Whimpy,

Cried, and cried, and cried.

Soon the sunlight vanished,

Flowers began to hide;

Birdies stopped their singing,

Frogs began to croak.

Darkness came! and Whimpy

Found crying was no joke.

Whimpy, little Whimpy,

Never'll forget the day

When his grandma couldn't stand it,

And his mother ran away.

He was waiting by the window,

When they all came home to tea,

And a gladder boy than Whimpy

You never need hope to see.

by Mary Mapes Dodge

A Housekeeper's Troubles

A HOUSEKEEPER'S TROUBLES.

Dollie's wet her

Feet to get her

Posies, in the morning dew;

Sure to be sick -

Cold or colic -

Like as not the measles too.

There is Freddy,

Always ready

Into awful 'fairs to fall:

Bad as Rosy -

Doodness knows, I

Don't know how to manage 't all!

Jack or Norah 's

Telled a story!

One or fuver ate ma's cake!

While there's silly,

Greedy Willy

Got a drefful stomach-ache!

Naughty Bessie

Tored her dress; she

Wants an aver one, I s'pose;

I tell you what,

It tates a lot

Of work to teep my dolls in tose!

Stop, Stop, Pretty Water!

STOP, STOP, PRETTY WATER!

Stop, stop, pretty water!"

Said Mary, one clay,

To a frolicsome brook

That was running away;

"You run on so fast!

I wish you would stay;

My boat and my flowers

You will carry away.

"But I will run after;

Mother says that I may;

For I would know where

You are running away."

So Mary ran on,

But I have heard say

That she never could find

Where the brook ran away.

by Eliza Lee Follen.

One of my pet peeves...

       One of my pet peeves is sleeping in polyester sheets. Children's bed sheets should always be cotton because these sheets let the body's temperature fluctuate naturally! 

       The perspiration from a child's sensitive skin will also be absorbed quickly through a cotton sheet.
       Cotton is also natural! For those children with allergies, cotton is by far the superior choice. 

Tips About Cleaning Cotton Bed Sheets:

• Don't launder or dry cotton sheets with towels. Towels will transfer more lint onto the cotton surfaces and may cause irritants to those who are allergic.
• Use a mild detergent to launder sheets with. 
• Launder sheets in warm water not hot water. Hot water wears them down faster and doesn't necessarily get them any cleaner. If your concerned about getting them super clean, put them alone in a cycle and set the washer to rinse them twice.
• Add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle for the removal of detergent.
• If possible, dry your sheets outside on a line in a sunny place.
• A set of cotton sheets should last a very long time if the thread count is high and they are properly washed and dried.
• When purchasing sheets for a child's bed, you will need to buy three sets. This provides for the parent the opportunity to keep sheets on the bed on washing day and also to have a set for those little emergencies that happen when children are young.
• Store all sets of bed sheets together inside of a extra pillowcase and you will never need to hunt for them after an emergency in the middle of the night.

You may wish to convert your child's top bed sheet into a

fitted sheet at the bottom half in order to keep kids tucked

in and comfortable on cool nights. Here Leah Day shows

you how to do it. If you don't have a machine take it to 

a seamstress or grandparent who does.

The Importance of Space for Play & Rest

       If your like most home owners in America today, you dream of those open floor plans and you spend much of your income to acquire them either prior to planning a home or by flipping an older home. However beautiful these open floor plans may be, these spaces insure that your children will be playing at all hours of the day in your lap, so to speak. 

       Children need three kinds of spaces in order to grow up confident and secure in their home environments. These are:

1. Public spaces are for social engagement, learning and family time.
2. Private spaces are for self soothing activities, comfortable rest and quiet playtime.
3. Outdoor spaces are for adventure, discovering nature, robust health and active athletic pursuits.

       None of these space necessarily need to be gigantic. It is more important that there are a variety of space types than that each space be enormous. Also, some of these spaces need not be owned by the family. For instance, a nearby park or YMCA could easily be used as active, outdoor options for those families living in tighter quarters.

       The most obvious way for home owners or apartment dwellers to make private space available for their children, is to find creative ways of interpreting their children's bedroom furnishings. First, and foremost, get those beds off of the floor and find practical storage in areas where things can be picked up easily. This kind of arrangement in a room will make it easier to play constructively during nap hours or quiet time. 

       Also, parents need a break from noise and chaos. You will have more energy to play with your kids, if you have a quiet place for them to be alone or active apart from public areas at different times of the day. These strategies when incorporated into a child's daily routine actually help them to focus more during study time. This is why educators in public schools move children from space to space, breaking up their daily routines. They don't just do this for practical reasons; they do it also for academic and psychological purposes as well. If parents design multiple opportunities for their offspring to play differently, experience a variety of environments and afford one to two opportunities to rest by themselves in a day, their children's overall behaviors will improve. 

       No person likes to be camped out in the same place day after day without stimulating activities and experiences and no person can rest completely if they are not given privacy at some point in their day as well. Think about what you would like and then find a way to give the same environmental considerations to the younger people of your own home.

More Bunk Bed Ideas:

• 100 Cool Ideas! Bunk Beds for Girls and Bunk Beds for Boys 
• Loft Bed Construction, DIY
• Smartest Ideas for Space Saving Furniture
• Easy Double Bunk Beds
• Space Saving Furniture: Murphy Beds

Mr. Big Toe

Mr. Big Toe

Mr. Big Toe

is a rogue, do you know

He tries to poke through

The tip of Ted's shoe?

And always, it's shocking,

He's half through

his stocking!