“This week your child was introduced to a new unit called “Feast.” Here is an activity that you can do at home to incorporate the Key Language learned during class. The great part is that the activity involves a sweet book called “Gratitude Soup,” a magical story that will warm you and your children. As the main character of this book cooks her soup, she reflects on what she is thankful for, and she realizes that a feeling of gratitude is exponential. In other words, once you start thinking about all those things in life for which you are grateful, you think of more and more and more.

So read the book with your child and then together create your own “gratitude soup.” Then role play using “Are you hungry? I am hungry! Let’s cook dinner! Let’s make soup.” Ask your child to name a few things in his life that make him grateful. What goes in your soup? My son began with “Trains, dinosaurs…”, but then as he began listing things, he moved onto the people in his life. This is a heart warming activity to expand on Sponge classroom learning and have fun at home.”

-Marnie

We’re enrolling now now for our Spring 2013 session.

Classes run from February 4-June 16th.  We’ve got a full schedule with lots of weekday and weekend options in Mount Baker, Bellevue and Woodinville.

We still have a few weeks left in our Fall/Winter session which runs through the end of January.  It’s the perfect time to try out a class and meet your teacher.

We’re thrilled to have a post by Elise Harte, international foodie, mom, and our marketing guru!

My kids have thankfully inherited my passion for travel.  We are no sooner touching down at SeaTac (or driving home from a road trip) then we start thinking about where we would like to go next.  Last week we were enjoying a walk through Pike Place Market, which in our family means an hour or 2 of snacking, when my son remarked that he felt as if we’d just spent the morning traveling around the world. Then it hit me, when we don’t have the time, or the budget, to hop on a plane, we are so blessed to live in such a culturally rich, and culinary diverse city, that the world is literally right down the street! Here are some of our family favorites.

We usually start downstairs from the market at The Spanish Table (1426 Western Ave). They have a huge selection of groceries and wine from Spain and Portugal.  Last time I found some Pimente d’Espelette to make a delicious Romesco sauce, and my son bought a Spanish flamenco guitar CD since he recently started taking guitar lessons.

Next door we never miss Paris Grocery (1418 Western Ave), a specialty wine and cheese shop, a la francaise.  I always stock up on their pates. Their selection of groceries makes me nostalgic for my college year abroad in Cannes!

We usually then climb the 3000 steps (not really, but it feels like it) up to the Market (to work off the snacks we are about to indulge in), and our first stop is always El Mercado Latino for some empanadas (my kids recommends the chicken with corn and olives).  They have groceries from all over Mexico and Latin America, and we always stock up on tamarind candies and other mystery sweets that we sample as we continue down the lanes.

Seattle is certainly not lacking in great French bakeries, but the macaroons at Le Panier would even make Thomas Keller swoon .

Finally, Mee Sum Pastry makes delicious red bean buns and giant hum bao (BBQ pork buns), which we usually chase down with a fresh boba smoothie (or bubble tea) .

So the next time the travel bug hits, leave the passports at home and plan a global culinary adventure down at Pike Place!