The Dundee Writer

Discipline: Part 1

2011-11-10T13:01:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about the word discipline a lot lately, and I think it's worthy of a series of posts.

It started because I felt that we were in need of some major shake-ups in terms of the tools we are using at home with the kids. Nothing was working anymore and we were all feeling frustrated.

The main issue we were having is that J's emotions were really ramping up and he was having trouble reigning them in. The smallest task or correction was becoming an all-out fall-out.

I also felt like our expectations and the consequences we turned to were consistently inconsistent.

After reading a lot, and talking to other parents, I created a Color Wheel based on a system that I know a lot of teachers use in the classroom.

I'll attach it in case you'd like to download a copy and try it. Here's how we use it:

The Color Wheel is printed out and hanging on our refrigerator with a big letter J magnet.

Each day, J begins the day on Green. Green means Go! It means smooth sailing, keep it up. No matter what happened the day before, J gets to put himself on Green every morning.

If J makes some really great choices, or handles a tough situation very well, he gets to move himself to Blue. Blue is his favorite color. Blue means take a second and commend yourself, you are doing awesome! (It truly amazes me how excited J gets when we recognize his good behavior and give him the nod to move to Blue!)

On the other hand, if J's choices are on the path to trouble, he moves himself to Yellow. Yellow means slow down, check yourself. Take a breath or two and focus on what you should do to get yourself back on Green. (I really like to use this space to encourage him to get back on Green, rather than as a warning that he's almost on Red.)

To my surprise, this has been working really well and we have very rarely had to use the 4th quadrant on the circle: Red. Red means, of course, stop. Time for a time-out and most likely a consequence. Our typical go-to consequences are losing TV, a favorite toy, or a sweet treat for that day.

It's not fool-proof and sometimes we forget to use the chart, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I think it's very age-appropriate and hopefully will be so for at least the first few elementary years. It reminds me a bit of the old star sticker charts we had on the fridge as kids.

And speaking of sticker charts, a friend of mine has slightly older children, and they have found an iPhone app to be the new best thing for keeping tabs on their boys' responsibilities and behavior. It's the iRewardChart and you can find it here.

Parents can keep track of chores as well as actions like sharing, using nice manners, etc. You then also set a reward system: a certain number of stars equals a pay out of say $2, an extra TV show, a sweet treat, etc. Our friends' kids check in with Dad at the end of the day and tally up their stars.

And, no clutter on the fridge!

What do you think? Can you see yourself trying either of these ideas? Do you have a great system already in place? Please share!

Next up in my series on discipline is how this reflecting ended up turning on me! Setting up expectations for others kind of made me realize I'm not being held to a whole lot myself. Figures, doesn't it?! Just as I'm feeling good about coming up with a creative solution for a parenting issue, I realize... it's not just about the kids!

Oh, and during my many hours of web browsing on this topic, I came across this clip of Jerry Seinfeld on Conan O'Brien, discussing his favorite discipline tactics. Funny!

Elephant and Piggie!!!

2011-10-31T16:43:00.000-04:00

Any of you with children under the age of say 10, are no doubt familiar with Mo Willems' mischievous book character Pigeon, who made his debut in the hilarious book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! in 2003.

Mo Willems

In a word, Pigeon is a sensation. He's the face of his creator's Twitter feed, made the news last week debuting his own app -- aptly named Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App!--, and manages to sneak himself into the many other books Willems has penned with different casts of characters. And, let me tell you, some of these other characters have quite a following too, much to Pigeon's dismay, and are just as much superstars as he.

Take Knuffle Bunny, for example. That bestseller has hit the stage as a touring musical!

There's Leonardo, the terrible monster; Edwina, the non-extinct dinosaur; Wilbur, the naked mole rat, and last but not least there's...

ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE!!!!

This adorable duo delights and entertains emerging and early readers in a series of books that are simple, but incredibly fun and engaging. Elephant and Piggie are best friends, though they have quite different personalities. Elephant is the shy, bashful and realistic of the two. Piggie is excitable, optimistic and genuinely happy.

What's important about their difference in personalities is that it provides the avenue for conflict and resolution within the stories. Elephant and Piggie face situations very differently, and come up with solutions very differently, but what is ultimately emphasized each time is their friendship and their goal of being happy and having fun together.

I can't say enough about how fantastic this series is. At 4 and 1/2, J loves these books and a coworker's grandson who is in the 3rd grade loves them just as much.

I can honestly (and excitedly!) say that I know they are going to play a big role in his learning to read. I'm sensing that he will learn to read this year. Just a couple days ago, he found one of the books that we haven't read yet and asked me what it was. I told him it was called I Am Invited to a Party! and he smiled and took it to the sofa where he began "reading" it. A few minutes later, he brought me the book and showed me a two-page spread on which Elephant and Piggie were jumping up and down, shouting "Party!", and J said, "Look Mom, they are saying party, party, party, party." He's using a combination of letter recognition and visual clues to help him read...books, signs, computer screens, etc. And these books are right on in terms of engaging him and giving him the confidence to keep making these attempts.

A few of our other favorites:

Watch Me Throw the Ball!

I Broke My Trunk!

Are You Ready to Play Outside?

I Love My New Toy!

and the newest installment, just out this month...

Happy Pig Day!

Willems also maintains a fantastic blog, as well as an interactive, riotous website for kids who can't get enough Pigeon, called Pigeon Presents!

If you aren't familiar, you've got to check it out. With just a click of the mouse, kids can help naked mole rat get dressed, watch Elephant and Piggie do a dance routine, or select delectable toppings for Pigeon's favorite food: hot dogs.

I hope you'll check out some of the links as well as some of the books if you aren't already familiar. What other suggestions do you have for early readers?

Fall into a Good Book

2011-10-12T11:18:00.004-04:00

Fall is such a beautiful time and such a busy time. There are apples to pick, costumes to create, yummy foods to bake, and parties to attend.

For librarians and book lovers, it's also a great time for new books, especially new picture books!

So here I'll share some great books for the season. Some are old, some are new, and some are my family's favorites.

What's in the Witch's Kitchen? by Nick Sharratt Silly, gross lift-the-flap fun!

The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri Lovely illustrations and simple text for babies and toddlers, but interesting enough for preschoolers.

Leaves by David Ezra Stein This one is so sweet and captivates the innocence with which kids view the world. It received starred reviews from PW and Booklist when it was published in 2007.

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert The bright, classic and detailed illustrations in this book will inspire you to get outside and examine the leaves in your neighborhood or local park.

Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell If you plan on visiting a pumpkin patch or apple orchard this fall, read this one before you go. A great introduction to the idea of farms and harvests for little ones.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro Another silly Halloween-themed read.

I hope you get a chance to visit the library or bookstore in between enjoying the beautiful fall weather. If you read any of these, I hope you'll share what you think or share with us your favorite fall stories.

::milestones::

2011-09-07T14:47:00.001-04:00

Some kids pick flowers for their moms. Mine picks up stones.

Whether we are taking a walk around the block or exploring a nature trail, our pockets come home a little heavier with rocks and stones J hand selects for us.

Some C and I drop and leave outside. (How many concrete bits do we really need?)

But others we save.

Both C and I have held on to some of these stones. We cherish them for what they symbolize:

:: our little nature lover

:: hand-picked gifts for mama and daddy

:: his idea of what is beautiful

I'm reminded of these stones as J cheerfully greeted another milestone today.

As I stood outside his classroom door today, my jaw dropped as he bustled in, said hello to his teacher, and hung his backpack up. When he wandered past the door again, I leaped in and asked for a goodbye kiss.

I asked for the kiss that last year he would never let me leave without.

~~~

Thanks again to Stephanie of Adventures in Babywearing for sharing this idea for back-to-school pictures.

Back to School

2011-09-03T18:37:00.001-04:00

I'm prepping J big time right now as he starts back to school on Tuesday. He's playing it tough, but I can tell he is nervous. I've been trying to build excitement and interest with this great new picture book from Laura Ljungkvist called Follow the Line to School. The artwork is really cool; it's very interactive; has a sort of "I Spy" quality to it, and it's hopefully helping to alleviate some of those back to school jitters.

I was also lucky enough to run into his preschool teacher at the library a week ago and got the inside scoop that for the first month of school, his class will be doing a unit on dinosaurs. As you know from my previous post, dinosaurs are somewhat of a staple in our home. Knowing a little about what to expect seems to be helping him too. Oh, how I remember those first-day nerves. I'm trying to strike a balance between addressing his nervousness but staying positive and almost sort of casual about it. Maybe the less I make it into a big deal, the less it will be a big deal to him?

For those of you with older children, back to school means back to routines: earlier bedtimes, homework, and possibly a reinforcement of rules that have gone lax over the summer. If this has you stressed (as I'm sure it will have me next year), take a look at this Back to School Contract. Stephanie, known as Ooph on Twitter, covered all the bases here. I'm bookmarking this for the future.

Wish us luck on Tuesday! Check back for a first day of school pic of J. I was inspired by another Stephanie's series of back to school pics of her kids. I love these First Day Pics on Adventures in Babywearing! Plan to try it with J bright and early on Tuesday morning.

Dinos for Dummies

2011-08-28T15:21:00.001-04:00

Taking advantage of the back-to-school sales, I bought J a composition notebook to encourage him to spend more time doodling or writing his letters and numbers. So far, it's been pretty successful--much more so than giving him blank computer paper or construction paper and asking him to write.

Last week as we were drawing, we were talking about his favorite subject (aside from LEGOs): dinosaurs. J was recapping the latest episode of 'Dino Dan'--about a baby dinosaur who hatches from an egg and then chases the dog. I took the pencil and paper and this is what I drew.

And this is the conversation that followed:

J: What's that?

Me: A baby Pterodactyl.

J: There's no such thing as a Pterodactyl.

Me: Yes, there is. It's one of the bird-like dinosaurs.

J: No, Mom. There's no such thing called a Pterodactyl.

Me: Well, then what is this?

J: Well... there is a pterosaur called a Pterodactyl-US, but not a Pterodactyl.

Me: Oh. Then this is a baby Pterodactylus.

J: Cool.

Well, excuuuuse me, Mr. Walking Dinosaur Encyclopedia!

And based on what I found after a quick Google search, the little stinker is right. I was shamed not only by my 4 year-old but also by this wikipedia entry that says that use of the word pterodactyl is strongly discouraged and is usually used erroneously by journalists. Damn! No wonder J was so emphatic about it!

Lest you fall victim as well to being uninformed about the modern advances in the field of paleontology, here's a round-up of some of our favorite dinosaur books:

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton This was our first dino book and an excellent starting point for babies and toddlers.

Let's Look at Dinosaurs by Frances Barry Also nice for toddlers, or preschoolers. Lift the flap to find out which dinosaur is hiding on each page.

Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea Not exactly a reference source on dinosaurs, but incredibly fun! Dinosaur can overcome a bowl of spaghetti and even bath time, but will he triumph over bedtime? Roar, roar, roar!

Dinothesaurus by Douglas Florian These dinosaur poems are clever, funny, and informative. The author includes a Glossarysaurus at the end of the book for older or more curious readers. The illustrations are fantastic. They have a child-like quality, but also contain incredible detail and texture. According to Florian, "the illustrations for this book were done with gonache, collage, colored pencils, stencils, dinosaur dust, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags".

For more book suggestions, check out my Goodreads page.

What topics are your children experts in?

Tell Me a Story

2011-08-25T09:32:00.000-04:00

From a child to a parent, there may not be another request that warms the heart more than this one. In that one sentence, there is such simplicity and trust. Take me on an adventure. Let's use our imaginations together. There are no rules. There are no expectations.

I have to remind myself often of the latter. Although I am a children's librarian, I am not a born storyteller. I can build interest and excitement in a great picture book or even a mediocre one, but inventing a story--and delivering it simultaneously--is not my forte. My husband, however, is great at it. Even I occasionally ask him to tell me a story. I love the way he weaves a few little details from our lives into an otherwise fictional tale.

Telling a story is really a gift to the listener, isn't it? A gift of time and thoughtfulness and sharing. There is something magical about sitting back and just listening. There is an openness. Knowing this is not pre-planned or written down in a book somewhere. It is new and personal and alive.

Telling stories or reciting stories is also a precursor to reading. So when J asks me to tell him a story, I am reminded of what a fantastic opportunity it is to continue fostering a love of reading.

Last week at the playground, C and J randomly brought the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff to life in their play. All J needed was to see that the play structure at Sharon Woods had a bridge before he asked C to play the troll living beneath it. I watched, smiling, as J tried to tiptoe across the bridge without waking the troll. Suddenly C leaped out and boomed, who's that tripping across my bridge? J laughed and then listened intently as C instructed that in order to cross to safety, he had to correctly answer three questions.

Watching them, I was so proud. Unexpectedly proud.

I had expected to see them run around and chase each other. I expected them to play hide and seek. I expected them to have fun and run off some of that 4 year-old energy.

But I didn't expect them to share such a creative learning experience. Role-playing, vocabulary, storytelling. It was all there. Things that are usually tied to books, storytime, or rainy day pretend play.

The inner planner in me was surprised to watch this all come about so naturally and effortlessly. It didn't take any planning. It was simple, but it was fun!

And I'm going to remember that the next time J says, Mama, tell me a story.

~~~

Do you have a favorite moment witnessing your child telling stories, or incorporating books and literacy into her play? Please share!

~thank you~

2011-08-19T22:59:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to those of you who voted, tweeted and facebooked about the KidsLinked Best Parent Blogger contest. I hope to live up to the role in the coming months!

I'm very, very humbled by this experience. When I started this blog I didn't even imagine anyone reading it except maybe my husband. Seriously! It just seemed like a great creative outlet and a way to wrap my head around the idea of possibly sharing my writing. It has turned out to be a hobby I really enjoy and has enabled me to connect with people I otherwise wouldn't have--both locally and nationally.

I also would like to again thank KidsLinked and encourage you to check them out if you haven't already. I think it's wonderful that they choose to put on a contest like this to celebrate and recognize bloggers in the Columbus area. There is a great crop of bloggers in Columbus who are an incredible resource. Not only do they help alleviate in readers that sinking "am I alone?" feeling by writing from personal experience, but they also promote our city and provide an avenue for discussions, connections and friendships to form among Columbus residents.

Why not take a moment and thank your favorite blogger for a post or a share or a link that you appreciated? I think they'd love to hear from you.

In Celebration of Bloggers!

2011-08-12T14:30:00.002-04:00

Hello friends!

Well, this is reeeeallly not my thing, but since there are prizes (for me AND you) involved, I'm going to step outside of my comfort zone.

I 'm honored to say that I have at least one devoted reader who lovingly nominated me for a Best Mom Blogger Award here in Columbus. So sweet, right?!

I'll include instructions at the end of this post in case you'd like to take 30 seconds and vote for me. I'm in among some amazing folks and feel so special just to have been nominated. (So cliche, I know, but it's actually true!)

What's cool about this blogger celebration (aside from the awesome prizes) is that it's sponsored by a local organization called KidsLinked, with whom I wasn't familiar until now. Am I the last to know about them?! I'm really impressed with the way they have organized kid-friendly events and activities, parenting resources and advice, as well as coupons and deals! Check them out.

The other cool thing is that KidsLinked is throwing a big Parent EXPO / Blogger Event at KDB Easton next Thursday. And you are invited! There will be food, games, kid-friendly vendors and giveaways. Check out the Facebook page for details and to RSVP. Giveaway donors include COSI, Fort Rapids and Tiny Turtle Photography.

So, in closing, thanks for your readership and support. It's hard to believe I am coming up on a 3 year anniversary with you all.

If you'd like to, voting can be done here, and apparently you can vote twice a day if you are so inclined! Voting ends Monday, August 15th.

Thank you!

Summer Reading

2011-08-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

Though there's still almost a month of summer left, we are already thinking back-to-school and there are even Halloween decorations displayed at stores!

The kiddies have been little fishes this summer, spending lots of days at the pool. We've also been eating lots of ice cream, catching fireflies, and of course reading lots of books.

Here is a sampling of some favorites:

Sister by Rosamund Lupton--excellent storytelling; a suspenseful murder mystery; read it in a day. I gave this to my mom as well as a couple of friends who all agree it's terrific and slightly terrifying!

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson--Amnesia sets in every night when Christine sleeps. She wakes each day not knowing who or where she is. When she starts keeping a journal at the suggestion of her doctor, she begins to make some nerve-wracking progress while sensing that she should not completely trust her husband.

Archie and the Pirates by Marc Rosenthal--really fun adventure story that J loved for a few weeks this summer. Archie is a monkey who wakes up on a deserted island. When pirates capture his new best friend, he puts a hilarious plan into action.

My Dad, My Hero by Ethan Long--I picked this up at the library right around Father's Day and it lay next to J's bed for weeks and weeks, being read every night. Like many 4 year-olds, he's pretty into superheroes right now, and loved this silly book. (It's pretty clever!)

What are you reading?

Repurposed Baby Food Jars

2011-05-31T08:05:00.001-04:00

We're going through lots of baby food jars over here and I hate to just recycle such nice glass jars. I've been hanging on to them for a few months now, debating what to use them for.

When I hosted a baby shower in February I thought it would be cute to use them as vases and line a few down the middle of my table with a gerbera daisy in each one. (Whoops, I forgot to do that!)

Anyway, I've decided to use them for end-of-the-year teacher gifts. But, first, I wanted to pretty them up.

What you'll need:

glass jars and lids
Goo Gone
decorative paper
ribbon in a coordinating color
scissors
multipurpose craft glue (I like Aleene's Tacky glue)
thin paintbrush, for applying the glue
decoupage sealer (I used Aleene's Collage Pauge--Glossy)
foam brush, for applying the decoupage

What to do:

1. Wash jars and lids, removing any labels or stickers
2. If necessary, use Goo Gone to remove adhesive residue
3. With a pencil, trace the lid on the back of your decorative paper
4. Cut out
5. Apply thin layer of glue to top of lid and spread evenly with paintbrush; press and hold paper to lid for a few seconds
6. Cut length of ribbon to fit around side of lid; apply glue to lid; press and hold
7. Let glue set for at least several hours or overnight
8. Apply decoupage sealer with foam brush, lightly coating the edges and top of lid
9. Let dry overnight

And now to fill them!

J and I had fun making a homemade sugar scrub for his teachers. Here's the recipe we used:

1 c. sugar
5 T. olive oil
Squirt clear dishsoap
6 drops favorite essential oil

Once the ingredients were combined, I found that I needed to add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to get a moist enough consistency. I tripled the recipe and it filled 4 baby food jars.

Then I created a label in Word and printed it out on clear adhesive-backed paper. Without the label, I think these would look cute with a piece of twine tied around the neck and a gift tag dangling down.

For the teacher gifts, I'm pairing this with another little gift, which I'll try to post about later. For now, enjoy these last few days of school!

Mad About Making Tees with Etsy Iron-ons

2011-04-15T09:22:00.002-04:00

A couple of years ago my friend Margaret turned me on to this Etsy shop: Ella Ba' Della's Handmade Appliques.

Lately, I can't stay away from it. Her designs are adorable, the fabric selection is fantastic, and the prices are very reasonable.

You can purchase appliques as pictured in her shop, or browse her extensive fabric selection and come up with your own combinations. I think I really love these because I don't just feel like I'm making a purchase, I also feel a part of the creative and crafty process.

Love these sweet spring designs. I also have some on tap to make for summer: a shark for J and bright red cherries for N.

This is as easy as you can get, people. Peel the backing off and press and hold with your iron for 10 seconds. Voila!

They wash up pretty well, too. I've used Liquid Stitch to touch up a couple whose edges peeled up a bit. Washing inside-out helps too.

I also bought some Fray Block for another project and have been swiping that around the edges of the appliques once I've ironed them on. Not sure if it's necessary, but I figure it can't hurt.

Those of you who are handier with a needle and thread--or better yet, a sewing machine--could also stitch the edges for stronger bonding and a cute embellishment.

And, of course, they aren't just for clothes. Onesies, baby blankets, bibs, tote bags...lots of possibilities. I purchased these love birds because I thought they would look perfect on a throw pillow.

Last share: doesn't my guy look so dapper in his iron-on Irish tie?!!

Do you have any crafts or projects to share?

Any new favorite Etsy shops that you're stalking?

Green Reads

2011-04-13T09:13:00.002-04:00

March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion, and now the April showers are here. Time to start thinking about Earth Day, Easter Eggs, and gardening. Who's got Spring Fever?

If you're looking for ideas or inspiration to get outside or to make some greener changes in your life this spring, look no further. Here are some new books we've been enjoying.

First up, a fantastic book that celebrates Earth Day as well as National Poetry Month:

The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme At a Time by Jan Peck

All of your favorite nursery rhymes have gone green! Clever twists on Jack & Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and Yankee Doodle will have you rhyming and recycling in no time! My favorite is This Little Piggy, in which the littlest piggy cries "Re-re-recycle all the way home".

Think Mother Goose is just for babies? C is reading these aloud to his class of 5th graders and they are enjoying them too. Maybe they'll be inspired to write their own. Check out poetry.org for more ideas on how to celebrate poetry this month.

Next up, one for curious kids who wonder how things work or are always asking "Why?":

How Things Work in the Yard by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Concepts of science, simple machines, and biology found in your own backyard are illustrated and explained in a non-textbook way. Simple enough for preschoolers but also interesting and humorous so that elementary school-age kids will enjoy. The book is bound and illustrated in a sort of field guide-notebook sort of way. Would make a nice gift for a budding naturalist or scientist.

And, for the crafters:

ReMake It! Recycling Projects From the Stuff You Usually Scrap by Tiffany Threadgould

Cool projects; varying skill levels. Bottlecap Checker game, tissue box photo frame, cargo pants yoga mat bag, iPod case, and more. I like the magazine page envelopes and the newspaper gift bag myself!

Lastly, my friend Cheryl shared this link with me for an Easter Egg garland--an adorable and virtually free craft using paint chips and string. I am making one (or more!) today.

eBooks for Babies?

2011-04-03T08:49:00.000-04:00

I was pretty floored when I read this article earlier this week. I've been stewing on it for a few days and today posted my thoughts in the comments section. The topic is using digital media with children, including babies and toddlers, in order to help them learn to read.

With the incredible boom of options in ebooks and digital media, this is a very important topic to discuss. Technology has a huge role in the way kids learn, and has made enormous strides in terms of access to information since I was in school. SMARTboards, Skype, and YouTube offer great enhancements to classroom learning.

But.

I don't want to sound like a dinosaur, but why do pre-readers need to read books on a computer?

As I stated in my comments (pasted below), I am not a technophobe or a book "purist". I read eBooks. But for babies and toddlers? For them, reading is more about the experience: cuddling with mom or dad or an older sibling and getting some one-on-one time; having the chance to touch and manipulate the book for themselves; being able to flip back to their favorite page or to an image that caught their eye.

In his article, Dr. Gentry does emphasize that reading with babies and toddlers should be a pleasant experince that focuses on the above, and offers suggestions on how to do this using digital media. Robin Raskin writes a blog about raising children in a digital world. Clearly there are parents buying in to the idea that technology can give their kids and educational jumpstart. Hello, Baby Einstein and Leap Frog. And I'm not saying it's all bad.

But.

I may be in the minority, but I do have qualms about the quantity and quality of digital media in our kids' lives. (Remember my recent post about the texting language seeping into homework assignments?) My thought is: kids get enough screen time. When you sit down and read with your child, read an actual book.

I'm really interested in what others think about this. Join the discussion?

My comments on "Digital Media and the Future of Beginning Reading: Brilliant Babies--at the Computer--Reading Words!"

I appreciate the information in this article, and the intent to encourage parents to read with their children no matter what their age. Not only are books so vital for our children's emerging language and reading skills as well as their intellectual and social development, but so too is that "cuddle time" we get while reading to or with our children.

However, I am honestly surprised to see a literacy expert advocating ebooks in place of printed books, especially for babies and toddlers. I realize you are not suggesting we use the computer for every reading experience we initiate with our child, but I am skeptical of the effects of even occasional "screen time" on young children.

I am a children's librarian and one of the most important aspects of my job is to assist parents and caregivers in getting their children ready to read and ready for school. We inform parents how to promote and recognize emerging "reading skills" in their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. As simple as it sounds, one of these skills is manipulating a book: understanding how to hold a book, turn the pages, and a recognition that the book proceeds from front to back.

In addition, many children, and all babies, are tactile learners. They need to touch and feel and explore with their hands (and even their mouths!) to make discoveries and connections in the world around them.

These are important literacy building blocks that computers cannot facilitate.

I am not anti-computer, a techno-phobe, or anything like that. I spend a great deal of time on the computer. I read ebooks and own a Kindle. My 4 year-old watches TV.

But, I don't agree with babies and toddlers being lumped into the "under 5" demographic that gets an hour of screen time or more each day. An hour a day is fine, and probably a bit on the low side, for a 3, 4 or 5 year-old, but I think that is huge for an infant or toddler.

Technology replaces and enhances many things very well. But, for a young child it just doesn't do justice to a touch-and-feel or pop-up book. I hate to think of the delight of these reading experiences being replaced with a flat screen. I appreciate that we all want the best for our children, but I hope if parents introduce digital media with their young children, they do so sparingly.

Thank you for broaching the topic and providing a forum for discussion.

Bison

2011-03-20T17:41:00.002-04:00

Deviating from my "typical" type of posts (do I have typical posts?) to share a family-friendly outing for fellow Cbus-ers.

Local readers may be interested to know that Battelle Darby Creek is the new home to 6 female bison. They come from The Wilds and seem to be thriving in their beautiful new prairie habitat.

We made our first trip to this park last Sunday and had a very enjoyable walk. The 1-mile path is wide and easy and pets were permitted. There are two playgrounds at the trailhead. A park volunteer was on hand at the bison viewing area, taking questions and sharing information. The park is apparently also home to coyote, fox, and of course many birds.

Bring your camera!

8/23/11 UPDATE: The Metro Parks Facebook page recently posted some tips about bison viewing. During the heat, early morning is best, or after a rain.

Also, if you take your kids, you may want to swing by the library afterwards to learn more about bison. We always leave nature parks with more questions! The non-fiction area of the library is definitely becoming J's favorite--books about animals, insects, dinosaurs, volcanoes and planets abound!

We are also reading this cute new picture book right now about a buffalo. I need to look up the difference between buffalo and bison...again. I can never seem to get that straight!

Rainy Day Soup

2011-03-04T18:51:00.000-05:00

After a week or two respite of Spring-like weather, we are back to cold, blustery winter weather and yet another sinus infection (which may be explained by these huge fluctuations in weather). I've been almost recovering from this sinus infection since Christmas. It's getting old. I'm feeling a little down.

So, today went a little something like this:

woke up (from a dead sleep with a pounding headache and sinus congestion) to the sound of J playing TRIOs, role-playing an elaborate Batman vs. Joker storyline, complete with the Joker's evil cackle (at the top of his lungs)

blow nose; cough; take Sudafed and guzzle water

shush J by wincing and pointing to my head

play LEGOs with J

put together a new birthday toy for N that (thankfully) has a volume control switch

blow nose; shush J

apply warm compress to face, but peel it back every 10 seconds to make sure N is not trying to eat LEGOs

repeat for the next 4 hours and pray I can muster enough energy to tire J out to the point that he'll agree to a nap

...

As I write this, the kids are napping (at the same time!) and I am lounging under blankets, watching it rain buckets from a bleak gray sky. Blah.

But the good news is that I pulled myself together enough to make a delicious hearty soup that I hope will help. When you're sick, you always want mom's chicken noodle soup, but this is right up there as well. It's my aunt's recipe for a vegetable minestrone, and I'm not sure where she got it. She brought us a pot of it the week we brought J home from the hospital, and it's been one of my go-to comfort foods ever since. It has a very savory flavor because it's made with bacon. Yes, bacon! Unusual, but trust me--it's good. And I'm not one of those people who thinks that everything tastes better with bacon on it. :)

Aunt Kathy's Minestrone

1/4 lb. bacon, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 large onion, diced
1 t. parsley
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
32 oz. carton beef broth
16 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 can green beans with liquid
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
grated Parmesan to top

Brown bacon, garlic and onion in large soup pot. Add spices and broth. Stir in tomatoes and kidney beans. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans and tomato sauce. Cook 1 hour on medium, or till vegetables are tender. Add macaroni. Cook 30 minutes. Season and serve with grated Parmesan.

one.

2011-02-26T23:16:00.002-05:00

{one year}

passes so quickly

begins full of hope and promise

is just a fraction of a lifetime

can bring change, change and more change

cannot be slowed down or sped up

reminds you of the past

inspires you to dream about the future

is the result of a million happy, troubled, hilarious, difficult and miraculous moments

makes you want to go back and do it all over again

begs to be remembered

will always be cherished

concludes with gratitude and celebration

passes so quickly

P O M P O M S !

2011-02-17T22:02:00.002-05:00

Hi there friends! We are making tissue paper pom poms today, in preparation for a baby shower I'm hosting this weekend. I love these as bright, fluffy party decor. The instructions and video tutorials that I found online still left me to do a bit of trial and error, so I thought I'd share what ended up working for me.

Most of the blogs and web sites I came across all referenced Martha Stewart's instructions.

I started out as they suggest, with 8 sheets of tissue paper, sized 20 x 30. Accordion fold to a width of about 1- to 1 1/2 inches, so it looks something like this:

I wanted small pom poms so at this point, I cut the folded tissue paper in half. If you want large pom poms, don't halve it. Next, secure the tissue paper in the center, as pictured below. I used a chenille stem (any color; it doesn't show when finished). Other tutorials suggest using a staple or a piece of floral wire. If you plan to hang your pom pom, now is the time to attach string or fishing wire to the chenille stem.

Then shape the two ends of the tissue paper. I rounded mine:

Flip your bundle of tissue and fan out one half, like this:

Now, pull one layer of tissue up, towards yourself, as pictured below.

Do this with 4 layers of tissue. Then, flip it over and pull the remaining 4 layers. As you pull these 4 layers towards yourself, you'll be pulling them away from the first set of layers, forming a half circle.

Halfway finished, your pom pom looks like a tree! Swivel it around and do the same thing to the other side. (Note: Pull gently. I found that Hallmark tissue paper was more durable during this process. When I used Target brand tissue paper for another set, it kept tearing. You couldn't tell once it was all finished, but it stressed me out. :) )

Once you've pulled apart all the layers, you have a nice full pom pom, that looks like a flower (or if you're using green, it looks like a head of cabbage!) It may need a little tweaking and fluffing to get it filled out evenly.

A variation on this process makes your pom pom more appropriate as a centerpiece. Instead of pulling 4 layers of tissue up and 4 down, you could pull all 8 up on both sides, forming a half circle. This pom pom will be very full, and will lay nicely on your table since it's flat on the bottom.

My coworker has a favorite saying: Clear as mud? If this seems that way to you, you may want to check out some YouTube videos that demonstrate the process. This one was helpful, although the people talking and shouting in the background were quite distracting.

OK, that wraps up my first ever tutorial post! The combination of these scattered around my kitchen and the 60 degree temperatures we're having is making me think SPRING!!!

Goal: Cook More

2011-02-07T09:01:00.001-05:00

One of my recent goals is to cook more frequently and be a better meal planner. Working three nights a week means I'm often eating PB&J in the car or heating up a quick frozen dinner on my 15 minute break. It's not the healthiest and I usually come home at 9:00 hungry. And, it leaves C and the kids up to their own devices. Which is okay; C is a good cook, but without a plan and a recipe, he usually resorts to frozen chicken nuggets or Marie Callender's chicken pot pies.

So, my best friend must have sensed what we were going through, because look what she made me for Christmas.

It's a kitchen-coordinated piece of stationery paper with the days of the week typed on to it. Slid into an 8x10 picture frame and paired with a dry erase marker, it makes a perfect meal planner. It's large enough that it has a presence on my countertop, meaning that I constantly notice it and am reminded to stay on track. At the end of the week, I wipe it clean with a paper towel and make a new plan without wasting any paper. As of today, we are rounding out 3 weeks of successful meal planning. It feels great!

I wish I could give credit where it's due...my friend got the idea from a blog somewhere out there, but can't remember where. So, whoever you are, I'm grateful!

What are your favorite resources for recipes? I'd be doomed without my subscription to Everyday Food!

{hand}writing

2011-01-23T15:27:00.004-05:00

Dear Reader,

According to the Tiny Prints blog, today is National Handwriting Day! As someone who's a little obsessed with handwriting and letter writing, I couldn't let the day pass without mention. I plan to take a few minutes and write a friend a letter. I have one consistent "pen pal" in my life. My friend Katie, who is quite the jet-setter and has lived in quite a few different places around the world, most recently Guatemala. Now that she is back in Columbus for graduate school, we're no longer writing each other letters. But, that's silly! There doesn't have to be a great distance to cross in order to warrant writing a letter, right?!

Many have speculated on the demise of letter writing, and with it the dying art of calligraphy or even handwriting itself. The use of email, texting, iPads, Twitter, eReaders, netbooks and tablets means that we are spending less and less time actually writing. And kids are having less time in school devoted to penmanship and cursive writing. This was the focus of the Tiny Prints blog post from yesterday.

I remember being about 8 years old and just laboring over my cursive handwriting at the kitchen table, trying to craft elegant and uniform letters. Even then I was a handwriting nerd. I loved it. What I loathed, though, was that paper we had to use. Remember the extra extra wide ruled paper that was grayish in color and so thin that one little eraser mark made the paper tear? Ugh! We didn't have nuns cracking us over the knuckles with rulers over our penmanship, but still, we took it pretty seriously.

Apparently, kids are not getting this heavy handed (ha!) instruction anymore. What do you think? Is it just no longer relevant? I understand that there are more important things that need to be accomplished during the school day, but it does make me a little sad. Working with kids in the library's Homework Help Center or helping my husband grade papers, I've seen the illegible chicken scratch of kids today. With the safety net of spell check, their spelling is atrocious too. And don't even get me started on how they use "u" in place of "you". I'm not talking about texting; I'm talking IN THEIR HOMEWORK!

But, I digress. And I'm getting a little negative. This was a happy post about making someone's day brighter with a handwritten note. I hope you'll take a moment to jot something down in your own hand.

Sincerely,

Katie

{two months}

2011-01-17T15:05:00.005-05:00

OK, I knew it had been awhile, but had not realized it's been two months since my last post! It makes sense though. The holidays. There's my explanation in one word. If that's all you want to read, that's perfectly fine. But, if you'd like a more wordy explanation for my absence, read on.

In the last two months, I:

crept a little further into my 30s
celebrated my baby turning 4
read a lot--perhaps I can't really say that I read a lot, but considering the slump I had been in this fall, for me to have read 3 books in the last 2 months is pretty significant. Do you use Goodreads? I've rated and reviewed the books there. But, to sum up, I read and liked Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Faithful Place, and The Hunger Games. I liked Tana French's Faithful Place so much that I forced it upon my husband and my mom, and immediately went out and got another of her books: The Likeness. That's next up, I think. Although, I do also have to start A Short History of Women for book group.
shopped, baked, and gift-wrapped in preparation for Christmas (little N's first!)
started wearing a hat!!! (This is noteworthy because I have never worn a hat. Honestly. I look awful in hats. That is, I look awful in every hat in the world except for the one that my fabulous husband found on Etsy.)
shoveled a lot of snow (while wearing my new hat)
lost my grandfather
spent a great deal of time among family; some happy times and some very sad times
witnessed some old family traditions be abandoned
made some goals for myself and our family--in case you'd like to try to help me stick to and follow through on these goals, I'll share a few in some later posts.

And how are you?

That's a Wrap!

2010-11-13T21:12:00.000-05:00

The gift-giving season will soon be upon us. I'm already doing quite well on my shopping, thank you very much! I always like to tackle a crafty project to give as gifts and I have some fun ideas on that this year. Hopefully, things will go as planned and I can share that as well.

But for now, I'll share a gift wrap idea that my friend Margaret gave me:

Reuse your child's artwork!

I love this idea for so many reasons:

No guilt about throwing away the multitude of paintings and drawings that we don't have room to keep.*

By not purchasing wrapping paper, I'll save money.

It's an opportunity to reduce and reuse.

It adds a personal touch to a gift.

And, it's a special way to showcase your little artist's work. He or she will be thanked for the present and complimented on its one-of-a-kind wrapping!

~~~

*Of course I'll keep the really special ones. :) I've also been religiously photographing the art creations J brings home from preschool. At the end of the school year, I'll create a Shutterfly book of them as a keepsake.

Oops: A Follow-Up to Babywearing Pride

2010-10-14T10:30:00.002-04:00

I have to share this as a follow-up to my post earlier this week on babywearing.

I was wearing N at the park yesterday while J and I were gathering acorns. I had noticed an older lady (with granddaughter) looking our way a few times. My immediate thought was that she was staring at N in my Gorgeous Baby pouch sling and passing judgement.

This had happened to me before. When N was just a few weeks old, J and I were out for a much-needed walk with N in the mei-tai when a nosy neighbor stopped me and lectured me on how she had seen "such bad things about those on the news". I politely responded that everything was fine and that I felt confident wearing her and that she was happy.

The lady stepped closer, peered in at N and continued to stare until she saw N make a little twitch. To which she replied, "Oh good, she is breathing." To which I replied, "Come on, J, let's get on with our walk."

So, yesterday afternoon, on the way to her car, I was not surprised when the staring lady approached us and said, "Be careful with those..."

My babywearing-defense radar went crazy and I opened my mouth to kindly but firmly refuse her unsolicited 'advice' when she continued, "We took some home the other day and they had worms and grubs inside."

Oh. She meant be careful with the acorns.

Oops.

Now I refer to her as the lady-who-kept-me-from-bringing-grubs (I'm not even exactly sure what these are, but what a hideous word!) into-my-house instead of the staring-lady-who-doesn't-get-babywearing-and-isn't-afraid-to-say-so.

That nickname, however, still applies to the neighbor.

Happy Babywearing!

is there a better time of year than fall?

2010-10-13T21:39:00.003-04:00

No, there is not! :) And here's why I think so:

The richness of the colors...

The crispness in the air combined with the warmth of the sun...

The delicious smells and tastes...

This little guy's infectious anticipation and enjoyment of our annual trip to Lynd's Fruit Farm for apple picking and a hayride through the orchards

And, best of all, the family time that we are so anxious to carve out and cherish so much...

We were thrilled to have my parents along with us on our Fall Fun Day last weekend. It makes our hearts swell to see how immensely they relish in the company of J and N. I feel guilty for not capturing any of their special moments on camera that day, but am thankful that my mom was able to snap a rare family photo of the four of us.

I hope you are enjoying this lovely time of year as much as we are.

7 months and counting...

2010-10-11T07:52:00.005-04:00

I use slings and carriers with my baby because...

I love having her safe in my arms and near my heart.

I love that she is content here.

I love seeing my husband get that extra cuddle time.

I love that she has an exciting view of the world around her.

{Post inspired by Stephanie's call to action. Visit Adventures in Babywearing.}

Many Moons

2010-09-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

I have a special picture book review today. It might take some work to find it at your local library or bookstore because it was written many moons ago, in 1943, but it'd be worth it:

Many Moons by James Thurber, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin

I picked this book up for two reasons:

1) It's written by James Thurber, a humorist who grew up in and began his writing career in Columbus, OH. I would have loved to have met him. He traveled in the same circles as Dorothy Parker and E.B. White, had a career at The New Yorker... Oh, I just love it.

2) It won the Caldecott medal in 1944. My favorite book award is the Caldecott. I love picture book art. The illustrations are often what draw me to a book in the first place.

So, I curled up in bed last night and read this fantastic fantasy-fairy-tale of a picture book after the kids were in bed. I savored every word. I honestly felt myself smiling as I read it. It's light and fun, but also sweet and a little sentimental. It has a nice message about the innocence and creativity of children. You could even say that it's sort of a cautionary tale about over-thinking things and the difficulty in making a choice when you're presented with too many options.

As I read this tale (about a young princess who has taken ill and tells her father that the only way she'll get better is by having the moon), I once again had the feeling that kids' books today lack description. They lack language--beautiful language.

Without being wordy, Thurber incorporates lovely detail into this story.

For example, Princess Lenore is 10 years old, going on 11. A minor detail, yes, but what kid wouldn't pick up on that and identify with it? My 3 year-old is offended if we don't remember to tack on the "and a half" when we tell someone his age. And, his birthday is three months away, but he is already in a birthday-excitement-frenzy.

There's just a little extra something that "10 years old, going on 11" adds to the tone of the story as well as to the character.

I also enjoyed the fact that Thurber introduces each new character. They don't just pop in; they are introduced and have a backstory.

Many Moons is definitely an "escape" read. Each little detail, paired with the narrative and the illustrations sweep readers in. So refreshing! Check it out.

And, for those of you who are local, have you ever visited the Thurber House? I'm disappointed that I haven't yet, but I'll get there.

MOO!

2010-09-22T11:01:00.001-04:00

For my birthday last year my parents got me the coolest gift. A mosaic photo frame from moo.com. It's hard to believe almost a year has gone by and I've not posted about it.

MOO is a site that takes your photos/designs and prints them on a variety of products, one of which are the mini-cards. These cards are approximately 1 inch by 3 inches and are the perfect size for storing in your bag (inside the handy MOO holder) and whipping out to share when asked for recent pics of your kids. But, they also fit into a mosaic-style picture frame to make really cool, interchangeable wall art.

Right now I'm having trouble deciding which of my cards I want displayed, so I've been playing around with different themes and layouts... I could go with calming scenery stills:

...or showcase the many {silly} faces of my kiddos:

I also think it could be fun to scan in J's artwork and create a mini-card mosaic of his masterpieces! Like these watercolors he painted this week:

I really like that idea, actually! Arranging the tiles would seem to him like putting together a puzzle, only there is no "right way" to do it, so the process would be completely open-ended and creative. Then, there's the added bonus that the images he's manipulating are his own creations. And, once he's older he would have ownership over swapping new images in and out of the frame--creating sort of a fluid, fluctuating portfolio!

What do you think? How would you MOO?

{And, whether you're new to MOO or not, check out their blog for inspiration!}

Good Grief

2010-09-14T14:12:00.006-04:00

I've found myself missing my mother-in-law a lot lately. All of us who have experienced loss know that it is so hard to wrap your mind around the fact that someone is gone. For good.

If I see a purpleish-bronze PT Cruiser I automatically look at the driver to see if it's her. It's strange how ingrained these things are. Strange and very jarring at times, but I think it's also probably a comfort to us. It's comforting to know that we can remember so easily, or in this case, forget so easily that someone is no longer with us.

Here are a few things that always make me remember her. (And I hope this does not read like a eulogy.)

Books. Fran loved to read, and I think my career as a librarian gave me an automatic "in" with her. We read some of the same books, and she usually liked my recommendations. I remember when she borrowed my childhood copy of The Secret Garden, she couldn't believe she had never read it before. She liked to read outside her comfort zone; she'd go from Stephen King to historical fiction, from Harry Potter to some inspirational book about Catholicism. She also loved David Sedaris and went to see him speak the same night C and I went. It was a little awkward to laugh at his readings, knowing that my MIL was a few rows back!

Coffee. C and I were lamenting our home-brewed coffee recently, as it's just as savory as the cups we've been splurging on at some of our local coffee shops. C's mom drank coffee practically all day. She always got her pot ready the night before and set the timer. C remembers weekends as a kid when he'd go out to the kitchen, pour his mom a cup, and bring it in to her in bed. Even way back then he was a gentleman!

The Sunday Ads. What goes better with coffee than lounging on the sofa on Sunday morning, flipping through the ads? We used to go to Fran's a lot on Sundays for church and then breakfast and then camp out in the living room leafing through the newspaper.

This ring. Isn't it kind of neat? The family recently went through some of her jewelry, selecting pieces that were significant to us. I chose this. It's kind of fun to jiggle it around and try to line the little beads up in different configurations. If you sometimes get restless or fidgety like I do, then this is the right jewelry! I know that she bought it at one of the summer art shows, which she loved to shop.

And the summer art shows remind me one of the more "memorable" Christmas gifts she gave me. A leather fanny pack. It was beautifully made and probably pretty expensive, but...not my bag. Literally.

But, of course the passage of time can make things seem funnier than they were at the moment. Although I was raised in a strict it's-the-thought-that-counts environment, at that moment I was thinking, "has she ever seen me wear a bag like this? Does she still not know me after all these years?" Now, it's a funny story that gets an eye-roll and a smile before everyone starts up telling of their own worst gifts.

Maybe like worst gifts, we endure grief because we're going to come out better on the other side. With greater compassion. More understanding. More ready to laugh things off. And more hopeful that we'll remember it all.

For the Love of Pete! {the Cat}

2010-09-04T15:21:00.007-04:00

Have those of you with young kids seen the picture book Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin? Pete the Cat loves his white shoes, and we love Pete the Cat!

If you have a toddler, preschooler, or young elementary student, you'll want to check it out. Jazzy rhythm, cool illustrations, and a feel-good moral. Plus, there's this really cool YouTube video of the author doing a live reading. We are having fun watching it at our house.

I hope to be posting about some other exciting new picture books that have been getting repeated readings over here. Blogging has taken a backseat to the back-to-school frenzy!

Who's Schooling Who?

2010-08-12T11:32:00.006-04:00

We have a big black lab named Maggie and although she's a pretty good dog, "heeling" is not her strong suit. In fact, it's not one of her suits at all. She simply doesn't do it. Whether her leash is extended the full 16 feet or if it's reeled in nice and tight, she is barreling forward with not an ounce of concern for our shoulder joints. Typically on our walks we get that look from people, the one that suggests, "who is walking who?".

Well, right now we are in a school frenzy. C is gearing up for his 7th year of teaching and we are also researching, touring, and talking up preschool for J. It seems like every misbehavior comes with a school-related warning or reprimand:

"You need to wash your hands so that when you are at school you won't spread your germs."

"Let's practice listening because when you are at school you'll have to listen to your teacher."

"Teachers don't let their students come to school without shoes."

And some recent events here have caused me to wonder, "Who's schooling who?" Here are a few examples that have stopped me up short:

With a dad who's a teacher, J has picked up on the phrase "my students". "Mama, at school, what do you think my students will want to play?" "Don't worry, I will share things with my students." Oh, what are his poor classmates in for?
Prepping J for a preschool tour this morning I said, "We are going to look around at the preschool and see what kind of things they have there. You'll have to also be quiet and patient for a little bit while Mommy and Daddy talk to the teacher." He dryly replied, "You will need to be quiet and patient too because I might have to talk to the teacher."
During the visit, C and I nodded as the director discussed the behavior, mindsets, and learning styles of 3 year-olds as it all sounded very familiar and we were reassured in our thinking that J is right on target and a very bright boy. We were no sooner back home and in the door, though, and he was acting up, giving me sarcastic answers, and while in a self-imposed time-out, peed and pooped his pants.
Lastly, like the naive parents we are, we spontaneously decided to reward J's patience during the visit with a trip to Tim Horton's for some tim bits. Of course after he finished his two, he asked for more. C told him that was all we had and that two was a lot. J's face darkened and he said, "No, it's not. Two is two. Next time I want five."

As one of my coworkers would say, "What a trip!"

Speaking of trips, on our recent trip to Cincinnati, J appointed himself our navigator and frequently tried to grab maps out of our hands because he "knew the way". He'd also ask us questions about the animals and fish we saw at the zoo or the aquarium. We'd answer as best we could and he would promptly disagree with us and then impart his own knowledge on us.

No matter my opinions on Reggio Emilia philosophy, the Montessori Way, development-based or academic-based preschools, I think C and I are in for some schooling the J Way.

::winner::

2010-07-31T10:35:00.003-04:00

The winner of The Elephant Keeper is... Emily H.

Thanks to those who entered. You should all go get a copy from your library. If you need more insight into the story to sell you on it, here is an essay from the author on his inspiration behind the novel.

In His Own Words
Christopher Nicholson, author of
THE ELEPHANT KEEPER

Exactly where The Elephant Keeper spilled from isn’t easy to say, but its origins seem to lay a long way back. If it is, to some extent, a celebration of the English countryside, it must be significant that I was brought up right on the edges of London; that, if I walked up a nearby hill, I could look in one direction over the vast expanse of the city, dark and, in those days, still subject to dense smog, while the other direction offered a view of unbroken green breached only by the spire of a distant church. The novel also emerges from a fascination with the exotic, and as a little boy I used to fantasize about zoo animals roaming the English countryside. In my bedroom I had a long procession of carved elephants, and downstairs, on the hall chest, lay a curving ivory tusk, half a meter long, fashioned into a paper-knife and engraved with the Nicholson coat of arms. I still have this grotesque object.

In 1984 I visited Nepal to walk round the Annapurna mountain bloc, and afterwards traveled to the Chitwan National Park, where I rode on an elephant for the first time. It was during this period that I made a series of radio documentaries for the BBC on the relationship between humans and animals; this work helped develop my thoughts on the differences between human and animal language. About the same time, I happened to visit the stately home of Longleat, in south-west England, where a safari park had been started, and I remember how excited I was at the sight of giraffes grazing in the park, which was landscaped in the mid 18th century. They looked perfectly matched to their surroundings. Although there were no elephants at Longleat, it was easy to imagine that there might have been; and maybe this thought eventually gave rise to that part of The Elephant Keeper set on a country estate.

During my twenties and thirties I began to collect old natural history books, especially those of the 19th and late 18th centuries - which I loved (and still love) for their eccentric illustrations and wonderfully romantic language. When I began to write the novel, one of my aims was simply to enjoy swimming in some 18th century language. The first draft was written in a whirl & probably took no more than six months, but there was a lot of reworking and rewriting. I carried out a good deal of library research into obscure 18th century texts on such matters as veterinary science, horse-breeding, gout, and I visited a number of 18th century estates for descriptive detail. The great country house and deer park at Petworth, in southern England, had some influence on the deer park in the novel. I also spent time with two elephant keepers at a zoo that held, in addition to several female elephants, a very large male. Male elephants are dangerous creatures; this one was not only ill-tempered but half-mad. I learnt a lot about the phenomenon of ‘must’ or ‘musth’, in which male elephants are attacked by a kind of frenzy; I used this in the novel.

GIVEAWAY: The Elephant Keeper

2010-07-17T10:33:00.003-04:00

Once again Harper Collins Publishers are offering my readers a giveaway! This time it's a copy of The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson.

I wasn't familiar with the title, which is now being released in paperback, but there are a lot of positive comments surrounding it. The highly talented poet Nikki Giovanni said The Elephant Keeper is "the best book I've read in the last twenty years or so". High praise indeed!

The story is set in Bristol, England in 1766 as two baby elephants arrive from India nearly dead. An unassuming stable boy, Tom, finds himself their new caretaker and thus begins a remarkable bond.

My copy is en route and I'm anxious to read it.

To be entered in the giveaway, leave a comment sharing your favorite novel featuring an animal as one of the main characters. Charlotte's Web tops my list, which would also include Seabiscuit and Water for Elephants.

Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents. A winner will be chosen on Saturday, July 31, 2010.

Tweet this post for a second entry into the giveaway. Copy and paste the message below (and leave me a comment to say you did so):

Book giveaway from @k8ie: The Elephant Keeper http://www.dundeewriter.blogspot.com

How does your garden grow?

2010-07-16T21:41:00.008-04:00

The latest lunchtime routine in our house is for J to have a PB & J picnic in the living room, watching DVR'ed Sesame Street, while I get some "me" time (or, more often, some baby time!).

Today's episode featured Mother Goose's Mary Mary (quite contrary) who planted a flourishing garden surrounding Oscar the Grouch's trash can abode. Aside from drawing smiles and compliments, the garden also provided opportunities for learning: reciting the nursery rhyme as well as discussing what gardens need in order to bloom.

It reminded me of this article I read recently in School Library Journal, discussing a new initiative in schools to incorporate gardening into the curriculum. According to a recent study from the U.K., gardening in schools encourages a healthy, active lifestyle, teaches teamwork and responsibility, and amazingly also "help[s] increase scientific knowledge and understanding, as well as improve[s] literacy and numeracy".

An independent research organization surveyed 1300 teachers and conducted in-depth observations of 10 schools to evaluate the impact of gardening in school. Results of the studies were incredibly positive. Teachers felt that gardening provided an opportunity to give their lessons a hands-on, real-world perspective, which "improved students' readiness to learn, encouraged them to take greater control of their own learning, and helped them become more active in seeking knowledge and solving problems".

I hope this kind of creative curriculum development is a growing (ha ha) trend in American education. Certainly, there is much more discussion these days about meeting kids where they are: experimenting with various teaching methods to aid students who may not learn in a traditional classroom setting. It seems that our public schools are taking cues from the success of more non-traditional forms of education like Reggio Emilia and Montessori.

One teacher interviewed in the study noted that gardening provided a positive contrast from the traditional teaching environment, which can be "frustrating for those who have difficulty focusing or other barriers to learning".

An inspiring book on this topic, and one that my husband uses with his middle schoolers each year, is Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. It is a simple, yet moving story of how a community garden in a low-income neighborhood changes many individuals' lives. I highly recommend it--actually, all of Fleischman's books are gems. He's one of those authors who write with such beautiful simplicity that his characters and stories remain prominently with

you for a long time.

I hope you are enjoying some great summer reads as well as sampling some tastes of the season from a local garden. If you have thoughts on gardening, especially with children, please share!

To Kill a Mockingbird Anniversary

2010-07-08T13:04:00.004-04:00

To Kill A Mockingbird 50th Anniversary

Thanks to my friends at Harper Perennial for reminding me that Sunday, July 11 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. They are making a big celebration out of it here, including the publication of a special 50th anniversary edition. I couldn't let this pass by without a mention. What a special and spectacular book. And what about Gregory Peck in the movie? So powerful. I think To Kill a Mockingbird may be the only instance in the history of turning books into movies that the movie actually does the book justice.

I'm not sure how old I was when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird, but I think I was probably in middle school or junior high. I remember it being summertime, so the sweltering Alabama heat in the novel was made all the more tangible for me. Having read this book at a relatively young age, it was a real eye-opener. It was the beginning of reading not just for fun and pleasure, but to become immersed in settings, cultures, and mindsets different from my own.

Recently, I've read a couple of books that reminded me in various ways of To Kill a Mockingbird. First, Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. The main character Liesel's foster father Hans is a German Atticus Finch. Set during World War II, the novel explores the racial persecution of the Jews in a unique manner--through German characters who are opposed to Hitler. Hans is a sturdy rock for his family to trust in, as their world is turned upside-down by war, fear, and injustice. He is an incredible model of patience and tolerance; the word 'noble' best describes his character. Atticus and Hans will always be memorable characters in my mind because of the tenderness they show their children, which is an often rare virtue bestowed on men in literature.

Two other books are being compared to To Kill a Mockingbird for the way they narrate stories about racial segregation in the South during the 1960s. One is the phenomenal book by Kathryn Stockett, The Help, and the other is Minrose Gwin's The Queen of Palmyra (of which I previously blogged a review).

What are your emotions and memories associated with reading To Kill a Mockingbird? I'd love to read your comments here. What other books do you consider to be as powerful? Are there any current books you think will be in the spotlight 50 years from now?

Winner

2010-05-22T21:05:00.002-04:00

Commenter #1 on the previous post has random.org to thank for her new copy of What He's Poised to Do. Cheryl, you're the giveaway winner!

Letters with Character

2010-05-11T12:42:00.002-04:00

So, lately this blog has become primarily a book blog! I don't mind, do you? I think most of my readers are...readers! Anyway, I'm here today with some more book news and another giveaway!

Yesterday, I learned of a new campaign from Harper Perennial that combines two of my very favorite things: letters (or letter-writing) and books! To celebrate publication of Ben Greenman's What He's Poised to Do, Harper Perennial launched Letters With Character: An Interactive Literary Environment. The idea is to write a letter to a fictional book character. Anyone from literature that you'd love to introduce yourself to, or that you have a bone to pick with, or just have some things to say to. Isn't that a cool idea? I know there's a fair share of book characters who really stuck with me after I finished their story and I think this would be a really cool exercise.

So, read on for all the details on how to submit your letter to the project. And, if you leave me a comment telling me what character you'd write to, I'll enter you in a chance to win a copy of Greenman's book. (Big thanks to Amy at Harper Perennial for offering to give both me and one lucky reader a copy of this book of short stories!) Deadline for the giveaway is midnight on Friday, May 21, 2010.

OK, read the full project description below. I'm off to think about who I'd write to (kids lit counts too!) ;-)

Harper Perennial presents

LETTERS WITH CHARACTER

An Interactive Literary Environment

On the occasion of the publication of Ben Greenman’s What He’s Poised to Do (Harper Perennial, On Sale: June 15, 2010) we invite you to celebrate the art of correspondence and WRITE A LETTER TO A FAMOUS FICTIONAL CHARACTER

Before there was any fiction at all, there were letters. For centuries, letters were the only way for people in different locations to communicate with each other. But letters have also become a rich and complex element of the best literary fiction. The acclaimed author Ben Greenman explores how letters function in life, as well as how they function in fiction in his new collection of inter-linked stories What He's Poised to Do.

"Ben Greenman's masterwork of stories inspired by letters offers
fresh insight into the mysteries of intimacy."

--Simon Van Booy.

On the occasion of the book's publication, and in celebration of the art of the letter as a form of fiction, Harper Perennial invites you to participate in its Letters With Character campaign, and to write a letter to a fictional character. The letters can be funny, sad, demanding, fanciful, declarative, or trivial. They can be about a novel, a short story, or a children's book, works both literary or popular. There is only one requirement: They must be written by a real person and must also address an unreal one.

The best, most interesting, strangest, and most moving letters will be collected on LettersWithCharacter.blogspot.com.Visit the site to see a selection of those that have already been written: a romantic appeal to Captain Ahab, a moving consideration of middle age addressed to a Garcia Marquez heroine, a hilarious challenge to Agatha Christie's famed detective Hercule Poirot.

And feel free to submit your own letters to LettersWithCharacter@gmail.com

Review: The Queen of Palmyra

2010-05-04T14:57:00.005-04:00

The Queen of Palmyra is a dark, beautiful new novel exploring the segregated society of Mississippi in 1963 through the eyes of an eleven year-old girl. With the tensions and emotions of the civil rights movement as a backdrop, author Minrose Gwin situates her main character Florence in the middle of racial conflict, constructing a story that is quite tense and emotional itself.

In the summer of her eleventh year, Florence Forrest is trying to make sense of the battery of contradictory information coming at her from the influential people in her life. Her liberal, educated mother, who drags Florence along on her late night trips to the bootlegger. Her stoic "traditional" father, who has his own secret nighttime activities which her mother opposes. Her kind grandparents who disapprove of their daughter's choice in marrying her high school sweetheart. Zenie, her grandparents' longtime maid. And, the force to be reckoned with: Eva Greene.

After spending "a year on the lam", moving from city to city as her father sought and failed to hold onto jobs, Florence and her parents have now returned to Millwood, Mississippi. Her father secures a job as a burial insurance salesman and her mother creates an at-home business baking cakes. Florence lost touch with her classmates after the move, and is virtually friendless. When not helping her mother with cakes, Florence spends considerable time at her grandparents' house, under the care of Zenie. However, when her mother flees her family, Florence spends most of her time at Zenie's house, in the black part of town called Shake Rag. It is here that Florence meets the dynamic, exotic, and life-changing Eva Greene, Zenie's niece, a college student visiting for the summer.

Together, Zenie and Eva become almost stand-in mothers for Florence, attempting to teach her how the world really is, while also tutoring her lagging academic progress. As she moves uncomfortably between her two worlds, never really fitting in to either one, Florence slowly recognizes the growing conflict surrounding her father's mysterious late night meetings, and the pivotal role that Eva plays in this conflict.

The isolation, anxiety and escapism of the novel come to a violent climax that takes years for Florence to fully understand. Readers won't realize it until later, but the novel opens with a bit of explanation for why she was so slow to realize the truth:

I need you to understand how ordinary it all was. At night the phone would ring after supper. My father would say a few quiet words into the receiver. Sometimes he spoke in numbers. A three he would say. Or a four. When he put down the phone he'd turn and look right at me. There would be a strange pleasure in his look, a gladness. he would ask me to perform this one small task; he'd tell me to go fetch him his box. (1)

And after her adult realization of what her father was and what transpired that summer, Florence has a heartbreaking understanding of why it took her so long:

How he did that thing I couldn't see, didn't see. A willed, necessary blindness. True stories happen, and then you tell them. But what you tell depends on what you see. And what you see depends on what you know. (381)

It's a beautiful description of what Florence experienced, and a very moving portion of the book. Florence's emotional and intellectual selves certainly undergo major shifts during that crucial summer, but huge developments are also made years later as she is standing in front of her English grammar students. This is what makes The Queen of Palmyra a true and unique coming-of-age story, one almost on par with To Kill a Mockingbird.

{This review is based on the uncorrected proof . Quotations and page numbers may differ from the final published version.}

Tug-of-War

2010-05-01T23:05:00.006-04:00

I'm a mother of two now. And a neglectful blogger, though I can't imagine a better reason than this happy girl!

But, as a matter of fact, this blog is not the only thing suffering my neglect these days. The dog. The dishes. The laundry. The pile of books to read. The husband. And, at any given moment one or the other or both of my kids. (It is so weird to put an 's' at the end of that word!) I've come to the realization that mothering more than one child means that no matter what you are doing, you are pissing off one or the other of your children. And, you can just forget about yourself completely! You know the saying, "You can't please all the people all the time"? Well, it should be revised to, "You can't please all the people...EVER"!!!

It's like a continual game of tug-of-war. Take today:

C heard about a bike ride test-driving some new mountain bikes and he leapt at the chance. So, he's happy. J on the other hand, has recently learned that the word 'weekend' means Daddy is home, which typically equates to a trip to Starbucks for a a chocolate milk and a donut, and spends the morning randomly crying out, "Why Daddy is on the bike path? I want him." He is not happy.

I am not happy because I awoke to a kitchen full of dirty dishes. With a three year-old asking for Captain Crunch (which we don't even have) and a two month-old cradled in my arms, there's no chance that I can clean it up a bit before getting breakfast going. So I unhappily move the dirty dishes around, clear a 6-inch by 6-inch space off the kitchen table and set down a bowl of yogurt for J. Immediately, he drops a glob of yogurt on his shirt. He is not happy. The shirt must come off. Any slight stain or even a drop of water necessitates a wardrobe change for this kid.

Now N is not happy because the first of her many nursing sessions of the day has been interrupted by big brother.

Fast forward an hour and a half. N is still nursing and J has exhausted his capability for independent play. "Where are we going? Want to go somewhere?" C won't be home for another hour and he took the good car.

J's second favorite thing after going places is snacking. So, he launches into whining that he wants "a snack". No hint as to what he wants. He expects me to go into a detailed and complete list of everything we have, which he will briefly consider before saying, "No. Something else."

When none of our slim pickings will do, he remembers that if he pees on the potty he can have three chocolate chips. N protests as I plop her into her swing and herd J into the bathroom.

After that's taken care of, C comes home and offers to make lunch. J's exuberant mood at going potty turns on a dime and he shouts that he doesn't want lunch, he wants "a snack". C and I give him exaggerated and forceful "Shhh's" because N is finally napping.

Napping is another battleground. I savor the hour and a half that J naps. He's much happier after a nap, but is in denial of that fact. So, he begs and fights and stalls and we end up cajoling and making bargains. Today, no amount of cajoling on C's part could get J to sleep. I tried to nap while they bickered about glasses of milk, trips to the potty, and what time J could get up. In the end, C drifted off and J ended up playing in the basement while I changed an explosive poo diaper. Pretty clear here who's happy and who's not, right?

Rather than taking you through the continuing give and take of our afternoon, suffice it to say that it involved car naps, J sporadically singing, "I'm wearing a Pull-Up!", and canceling our dinner plans with friends.

Lest you think I am a horrible, grumpy, ungrateful mother, I assure you that there are moments of pure joy throughout our days. My favorite right now are the times that N is content on my lap looking up at me when she catches sight of J and breaks into a wide, crinkly-nose smile. J's face lights up as he grins right back and says something sweet and cute like, "Mama, look! Her happy face! I think she really likes me!"

It doesn't get much better than that.

Writer Mama News

2010-04-09T13:29:00.002-04:00

I'm pleased to share with you some news from Writer Mama, Christina Katz. Remember when she stopped by here during her marathon blog tour last year? Turns out that experience led right into Christina's next project. The 31 blog posts from that tour, and their ensuing questions and comments have been compiled into her newest book, Author Mama. Read about it below, and check out the amazing deal she's offering to early readers during the month of April.

Her first book, Writer Mama, is chock-full of the necessary info and advice on beginning a writing career. Author Mama is sure to be just as informative, helpful and motivating.

I'm anxious to read my copy, especially because the lovely Christina Katz dedicated it to the bloggers who participated in her blog tour... myself included! How cool is that?! Check out what Christina has to say about it:

Have you ever considered writing a book?

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to become a published author?

What would the process be like?

What are the steps?

What do publishers do for authors?

How long would it take from start to finish?

Can you make any decent money?

Should you self-publish or traditionally publish?

Now you can find out the answers to these questions and more when you order a copy of my new e-book, Author Mama, right here.

In Author Mama, I share my personal experience walking through the traditional book-deal process and book-writing experience and offer tips along the way, addressing common myths and challenging writers to get ready for the marathon that is writing a book.

During the month of April 2010, be a first reader of Author Mama at the introductory price of $5.99. I will personally deliver your e-book to you. Simply click on the Paypal purchase button and follow the instructions. Upon completion of your payment, Author Mama will be sent to your e-mail inbox.

Author Mama is a 135-page e-book in Beta, or trial, version. The Alpha, or updated, version is coming May 1, 2010. Everyone who purchases the Beta version at the low-low price of $5.99 and fills out and submits a feedback form (sent to you with the e-book) will receive the Alpha version automatically upon publication in May.

I appreciate your willingness to participate in my first e-book launch. I hope you enjoy reading Author Mama! Visit http://christinakatz.com/purchase-author-mama/ to get your copy.

We Have a Winner

2010-04-09T09:13:00.002-04:00

Thanks, all, for participating in the giveaway for It All Changed in an Instant. Commenter #8 (Sasha) was the lucky winner.

Thanks, too, to HarperPerennial for setting me up with a copy of the book to give away. There will be more in the near future, so please hang around!

Book Giveaway!

2010-03-26T14:33:00.004-04:00

Sorry, I promised a book giveaway months ago and here it finally is!

It All Changed in an Instant is a collection of six-word memoirs, penned by authors known and unknown. Some of the more famous who stepped up to this daunting task include: Sarah Silverman, Neil Patrick Harris, Suze Orman, and Tony Hawk. The biographical blurbs are honest, open and run the spectrum of serious to hilarious to poignant and inspiring. All wrapped up into one book, it's an easy, enjoyable read and fun to just flip through and read aloud with someone.

Here are a few that made me laugh:

The miserable childhood leads to royalties. Frank McCourt

Normal person becomes psychotic on Twitter. Robin Slick

She left me for the librarian. Chris Clark

And a few that gave me pause:

Never second guessed my own instincts. Shepard Fairey

I've done it all except hear. Marlee Matlin

With deep roots, branches soar skywards. Jonathan Blum

Only I define who I am. Montel Williams

Former boss: "Writing's your worst skill!" Amy Tan

Leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. I'll draw a winner in two weeks: Friday, April 9th.

Oh, and you can submit your own six-word memoirs at www.SmithMag.net

Book Review: The Believers

2010-03-21T21:49:00.005-04:00

With biting wit and beautifully intelligent prose, Zoe Heller has created an unforgettable cast of characters in The Believers. The story encompasses the Litvinoff family, headed by Joel and Audrey after forty years of marriage. Joel is a high-profile New York lawyer who suffers a stroke in the courtroom and is left comatose. Audrey handles the shock, as she does everything in life, with a cool composure and a stinging British tongue. Their children: Rosa, Karla and Lenny are each in the midst of their own personal dramas. Rosa, a political activist, is trying to reconcile her leftist views with a newfound desire to embrace her roots in Judaism, much to her mother's horror. Karla, a social worker, and her husband Mike are just beginning the adoption process when she finds herself falling in love with the man who runs the newspaper shop at the hospital. Lenny, the beloved adopted son, doted on by Audrey, is struggling yet again with heroin addiction.

Heller's writing slices open the complicated roles and relationships among the family when a secret about Joel's past is uncovered. Character development is definitely the strong suit here, as readers get to know the Litvinoffs in the context of their familial roles, which contrast, often very sharply, with the personas we see develop in other social contexts throughout the novel. The family dynamic and its many confrontations often give the reader the feeling they are witnessing a train wreck, unable to avert their eyes. As the novel progresses, Heller brings to light the many dichotomies present in the Litvinoffs' lives: liberal vs. conservative; atheism vs. religiousness; rich vs. poor, while also exploring where each individual falls on the continuum of ideals such as honesty, trust, faithfulness, love and self-respect.

Though critics have said that The Believers is filled with unlovable--even unlikable--characters, it is a very real book about family. And that, I believe, is worthwhile.

Next up for review, I have several choices:

Mornings with Mailer

It All Changed in an Instant

The Queen of Palmyra

Stay tuned!

No-Sew Fabric Crafts

2010-02-06T15:13:00.004-05:00

Maybe I'm nesting, because I've been feeling crafty lately. Either that, or my subconscious knows I won't have any craft time for awhile!! I've been making some more flannel pieces for J's board and also for a friend's birthday gift.

I was really surprised to see what flannel board sets are going for on Etsy. Some seemed kinda pricey!

I want to keep making some more flannels, particularly the train pieces from Donald Crews' Freight Train, and also some firemen and firetrucks. Maybe some seasonal stuff too, like shamrocks and leprechauns and Easter eggs.

I'm thinking my next no-sew crafts will come from this book I found at the library: 100+ No-Sew Fabric Crafts for Kids. It has the cutest things in it--and all the templates to make them. All the projects are meant to be done using Fast2Fuse fabric. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? I've never heard of it, but apparently it's very simple to use.

Suggestions? Inspirations?

Car Seat Quandary

2010-02-04T14:10:00.001-05:00

Cultivating Confidence

2010-01-31T12:42:00.004-05:00

Confidence isn't a trait I've thought much about in relation to my three-year-old. I imagined that would come into play more when he starts school or joins a sports team. But, then I saw this article on PBS Parents and something clicked. Without fully realizing it, I've been noticing some changes in J lately that basically boil down to confidence. (Read the article here.)

If you follow me on Twitter, you've seen the updates about what a boisterous, energetic and happy guy we have. He's articulate, very social, and wakes up most days asking where we are going to go.

Seeking a way to release some of this energy, I signed him up for a trial class at The Little Gym. He's always running, jumping, climbing, bouncing and dancing all over the house and the furniture, so I knew this was right up his alley. Surprisingly, though, he cried and clung to me for the first half of the class. It's the preschool class, so parents were supposed to sit outside and watch through the glass wall. I wasn't granted that luxury though, and spent 30 minutes on the floor of the gym with him clutching and clawing at my neck every time a teacher approached him and asked if he was ready to join in.

At about the halfway point, he shut off the waterworks just like that and said he was ready to do some climbing and jumping. I walked him over and, sure enough, he was more than ready to let loose! He ran and tumbled and danced his face red over the next half hour.

This is where that article comes in. One of the pointers is: Let Your Kids Grow in Their Own Time. The author goes on to say that nothing hurts confidence more than being pushed to do something you're not ready to do.

So, I guess I did a good thing by letting J sit with me, observe, and then make his own decision on when and if to join in. I didn't push him, but I didn't pack him up and leave either; I left the choices to him.

With that experience, I think both of us got a little boost to our self-confidence! He's been talking about gym class a lot and says he wants to go back. I had the encouragement of seeing one of my parental decisions being very successful. Which will give me the confidence to follow another piece of the article's advice: Trust Your Own Intuition.

I'll leave you with a little song from The Sound of Music that popped into my head as I was writing this:

I have confidence in sunshine,

I have confidence in rain.

I have confidence that Spring will come again;

Besides which, you see, I have confidence in me!

Happy~Ness

2010-01-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

A blogger I read and admire, Abigail Green of Diary of a New Mom, has tagged me with the "Sweet Friend" Award and asked me to post 10 Things That Make Me Happy. How could I refuse? A new year began 26 days ago and here is my first post! But, I think it's a perfect "first of the year" post.

1. My Family--I'd be crazy not to put my family at the top of my list. They are by far the biggest source of happiness in my life. Although I've posted my fair share of mama woes and toddler troubles, I've never experienced such happiness and awe as I do when I'm with J. My husband is happy and funny, a great partner; my parents live near and are supportive; my younger brothers, though they don't always "get" my life as a wife, mother, professional, are around and involved; AND, I have four living grandparents! Life has been good to me in the family department, and I do realize it often.

2. Reading--I've always been a reader, and although it's harder and harder these days to find the time, thankfully I still am. I just finished The Help, which I loved and will be recommending for quite some time. Currently, I'm reading two books for the two book groups I'm involved in: Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult and Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. (I bet you can guess which one is for the retirement community book group!)

Next on my to-read list is probably The Happiness Project, which fits in perfectly with this meme. The author summarizes it as "a memoir of the year I spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy". Check out her blog, which is one of the happiness experiments she conducted while writing the book. It's energizing and inspiring.

I love to write and talk about books, and I have another book giveaway (or two) coming up soon. Please stay tuned for those!

3. Nature--Nature was a big part of my upbringing. My parents "made" us spend lots of time outside, took us to metro parks all the time, and planned vacations around nature attractions and activities. I feel happy and enjoy myself when I'm outdoors. My mood is also strongly affected by the environment and the weather. (I probably have undiagnosed SAD, but how could you not?)

4. Concerts, Live Theatre, Performances--If we made more money we would be more frequent patrons of the arts, but as it is I think we do pretty well. Last week we took J to his first symphony, one geared towards kids, which he loved. In high school, I went on the Stratford trip, where we traveled to (ahem) Stratford-on-Avon, Canada for the annual Shakespeare Festival. That was a really amazing experience. A couple of my favorite concerts are U2 and David Gray.

5. Traveling--I've taken some great trips around the country, the highlights being a) honeymoon to Bar Harbor, Maine, home of Acadia National Park; b) a year into our marriage, C and I trekked across the country to the Southwest in a little stick shift Saturn--these were some amazing adventures, one of which was my profound desire to knock C over the edge of the Grand Canyon once we finally got there; and c) a high school road trip with my best friend, her brother and her uncle traveling throughout New England and into the amazing cities of Montreal and Toronto.

6. Music--All kinds. Lately, my favorite musical interests are J's. He's BIG on singing, making up songs, dancing, playing instruments and asking who we're listening to on the radio. I think he has some kind of music lessons in his future, which makes me very excited and happy, as I have no musical talents whatsoever!

7. Writing--A favorite past-time that's taken a back seat lately. The entries in the pregnancy journal are much shorter this time around! But, any kind of writing makes me happy, especially blogging and letter writing. And, the extra happy bonus about letter writing is getting mail in return!

8. Good Food--I'm just gonna be totally honest here: food makes me happy! Pregnant or not, I like good food!

9. Photography--I could probably add "wanna-be photographer" to my blog header. I'm not sure exactly how good I'd be at it, but it is something I enjoy. And, I can appreciate the qualities of good photography. Looking at photos makes me really happy. We have so many albums around the house that I often pick one up and flip through, however quickly, just for that warm fuzzy reminiscent feeling I get.

10. Friends--Last but not least, my friends make me happy. I hope you all know that! Whether you are close personal friends, blogger friends, Twitter friends, you all add happiness to my life. With that, I'll tag a few friends with this "Sweet Friend" award and encourage you to blog your own 10 things:

Jenny of Write the Journey

Cheryl of Herland Notebook

Amanda of Made in a Treehouse

Three {3}

2009-12-17T22:47:00.006-05:00

"A man and a woman had a little baby.

Yes, they did.

They had three in the family.

And that's a magic number."

Today J is 3!

Three years have passed since C's and my marriage grew into a family. A threesome. We've had three wonderful years as a trio. Soon, we'll be a foursome. I cannot even imagine how the joy and love will compound in us then, but I'm thrilled and anxious to find out.

~~~

{I celebrated my guy's special day by arranging the trio of J's photos, taken by Jessi of Everyday Studios. I love how his eyes and his smiles brighten our sunny kitchen even more.}

{Song lyrics: "Three is a Magic Number"; Schoolhouse Rock. C and I have always loved the cover by Blind Melon.}

Books NOT Read...

2009-12-09T20:48:00.001-05:00

So, bed rest has given me a slight opportunity to catch up on some starred Twitter posts and blog posts. @bostonbibliophl recently tweeted a post that caught my eye--What books have you NOT read this year? Despite our best intentions, despite the hype and great recommendations that many books get, I think we all end the year not having read a book or two that we thought we would. And, as someone who loves to gift books, what a great way to get some gift ideas. Check out the discussion she generated at her blog, Boston Bibliophile.

It struck me that this year-end topic could be adapted to a little meme, and with a to-read list as long as mine I've definitely got some material! I'm going to focus my list on books I did not read just for lack of time. These aren't books I've changed my mind about or books I started and didn't finish. I do hope to get to them next year!

First up, and probably the most popular response on @bostonbibliophl's post is:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

A few others:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

And, for readers young and old, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Please share your Have-Reads and Have-Not-Reads!

Hello?

2009-12-01T18:38:00.003-05:00

What a crazy unplanned hiatus! I wonder if I have any readers left out there anymore, or if you've all given up on me! I can certainly understand if so.

Not that any of you are interested in excuses, but I am juggling my second pregnancy (which currently has me on bedrest), an incredibly active toddler-going-on-preschooler, and three part-time jobs.

Blogging just hasn't fit into the equation lately. I'm hopeful that it will work its way back in at some point. I think I'm just lacking the time to follow-up or reflect on any bits of inspiration. Until you hit a wall, you don't often realize how much energy and creativity it takes to write and blog, you know?

But, I do miss it, which I guess is an important (and hopeful) piece. I miss reading comments and posting comments too. So, I'll try to get back out there, and would love to see some comments from anyone who's still around. Maybe you'll help spark the idea for my next post and get me back in the groove.

The sooner the better too--I hope my bedrest won't last forever, but would love to make good use of it! ;)

Masha Hamilton discussion AND GIVEAWAY!

2009-09-13T22:55:00.018-04:00

I'm thrilled to announce that we're being treated to a stop on a special blog tour celebrating the new book from Masha Hamilton, 31 Hours! She's teamed up with her publisher, Unbridled Books, asking bloggers to publish one of her essays and host a blog discussion. Read on... and please participate!

Masha Hamilton is an accomplished author, spent years as a foreign correspondent, and is a major advocate for world literacy programs. (Check out her Afghan Women's Writing Project!)

One of her books, The Camel Bookmobile, had been on my to-read list for quite some time and I was just able to read it last week. It's a beautiful work of fiction, inspired by time Hamilton and her daughter spent in Kenya observing the workings and challenges of a mobile library.

Hamilton's newest book was just released last Tuesday, 9/8/09. Entitled 31 Hours, it looks to be a tense and heart-wrenching tale.

In the middle of the night in New York City, a woman jolts awake, realizing she hasn’t heard from her 21-year-old son in weeks, and knowing beyond doubt that something is wrong.

What we know is that the young man, Jonas, is isolated in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, pondering his recent conversion to Islam and the training he received last year in Pakistan. Alone now, cut off from all dissuasion, Jonas is listening to the passing subways and preparing himself for the once unthinkable action he has been instructed to undertake in exactly 31 hours…

The following essay is the perfect introduction to the novel and one of its central themes. I hope you'll join me in reading it and discussing it here. To further entice you, I'm planning a giveaway related to this post later in the week!

Parenting the Nearly-Grown

by Masha Hamilton

“Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents, and everyone is writing a book.” Roman philosopher and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 B.C.

Not long after the second of my three children was born, I sat at the kitchen table late one evening talking to my dad about parental responsibility. It’s a big topic and we were covering lots of philosophical ground, but what I remember most is my pronouncement that my primary job could be boiled down quite simply and starkly: I had to keep safe these beings released into my charge. I needed to keep them alive.

These were the musings of a new parent, of course. The circumstances, too, should be considered; the first child had been born in Jerusalem during the intefadeh, and the second was born as I was reporting from Moscow during the collapse of Communism. In both situations, I repeatedly came face-to-face with life’s fragility.

But even in calmer times, even after the birth of my third child, I never lost the feeling that my main duty was to pass them on into adulthood as unscathed as possible, as healthy in every way as they could be.

It sounds pretty simple, on the face of it. We perform many jobs as parents: nurturers, playmates, cheerleaders, short-order cooks, nurses, disciplinarians, detectives, spiritual leaders. Keeping them safe should not be the hardest, not with the help of baby monitors, plastic devices to cover electrical outlets, pads for sharp corners, child-proof medicine bottles, the list goes on.

And in fact, we passed through well, with just the usual rounds of stitches, one violent dog attack, a rabies scare and a few months when my youngest fell so often and got so many bumps on his forehead that my husband and I joked someone was surely going to call child services on us.

Now, though, my youngest is 14, and as they’ve grown, I recognize my job has been transformed. It is to give them trust and space so they can develop confidence in their ability to make their own lives. And yet the two oldest, at ages 19 and 20, are in a period of time that seems almost like a parentheses in their lives. They are certainly not children, but nor are they quite adults. Meanwhile, I say and think all the usual things parents have been saying and thinking since—well, perhaps ever since Cicero, whose words I keep taped to my office wall: it’s rougher out there than it was in my time. More chaotic. More violent. More dangerous.

And everyone is writing a book.

It was, in fact, into my latest novel, 31 Hours, that I channeled my fears. Among other things, the novel offered a chance to explore what it means to be the parent of someone on the cusp of adulthood but not yet there. The mother in 31 Hours, Carol, is strong and independent, free of empty nest syndrome, but her maternal intuition is strong and she’s concerned about her 21-year-old son’s growing emotional distance, the way he seems tense and depressed. Her fears are amorphous and hard to convey; nevertheless, as she lies awake in the dark, she decides to trust the hunch that something is wrong, and to spend the next day trying to track her son Jonas down and “mother him until he shrugs her off.”

There are many themes in the novel, but one question it asks—one pertinent to all parents and one I’m still trying to answer for myself—is this: after years of being vigilant and protecting our kids, what should we do—and what are we allowed to do—to keep them safe once they are nearly, but not quite, grown?

~~~~~

photo credit: Briana Orr

they say patience is a virtue

2009-09-09T21:21:00.007-04:00

I've been thinking about patience lately. Diary of a New Mom had a great post last week about patience. While reading it, I realized that we parents make patience into a pretty big deal with our kids. We strongly encourage it. We talk to them about sharing and waiting their turn.

But, then the "RIGHT NOW" mindset of young kids sometimes gets us frazzled and we snap, "Would you just be patient and wait a minute?!!"

What a model of patience. And, of course, it's not all the time. There are many times, numerous times every hour, that I am very patient. But, maybe when they say that patience is a virtue, they mean that your patience shouldn't come and go. It should be constant, and in that, lies the virtue. There's an aspiring challenge, right?

Tonight we were running errands as a family and J was cranky at being dragged across the city with the setting sun shining into his eyes. I'll sum it up by saying there was whining involved, a few tears, a high speed chase through a furniture store, and then the paramount patience-tester:

Why? Why Mama? Why Daddy? Why?

Oh, the whys! Not the whys! Or, if the whys, then why not just one why? Why a series of whys with no end in sight? Why do whys build on each other the way a mouse's requests do if you give a mouse a cookie?

So, during the stressed out drive home, C asks me if it's our patience we need to work on or if this is all just normal. He sheepishly asked if it's terrible to use an exasperated tone with a two year-old. Yikes! I don't know!! It can't be, can it? It would be unrealistic to think otherwise, wouldn't it? I mean, sure we shouldn't expect a mountain of patience out of the little guy. But, does that mean that the burden falls completely on us, or is this one of those gray areas... a phase that we have to endure for the time being (as best and as patiently as we can)?

I read somewhere recently that the phrase "multi-tasking" was only just born in the last 10-15 years. It seems that concept, just that word, is sabotaging people's patience levels. We don't have the patience to work on one thing at a time. And, when you stop and think about it, isn't it during those multi-tasking times that you become such an easy target to crack? One too many whys and you flip. (Check out this NPR story that says you just might not be as good a multi-tasker as you think you are.)

So, not only is it my goal to work on my patience level, but to also unmulti-task as much as I can, especially when I'm playing with or caring for J. Having my mind and attention cluttered with one less thing might just give me the energy and insight to deal with one more round of whys. And that's something I'm not even going to question!

{photo credit}

painting!

2009-09-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

If he could, I think J would LOVE to reenact the story of I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! He's been painting up a storm during the last few weeks, a real flurry of watercolor artwork that in the past he hadn't been so interested in. I'm content to watch him mix colors and experiment with the different brushes...

but, he prefers Daddy and me not to be just bystanders. Which is fun, but I am not much of an illustrator. Rainbows and flowers and shapes and then I'm pretty much out of material. C is good, though. He makes these cute cartoon-y characters and animals.

I think J's watercolors look so pretty, almost like suncatchers, hanging on our sliding glass door.

C and J dove right in when I suggested we try the salty watercolor project I saw on The Artful Parent. It was very cool!

J's creation:

And, C's creation:

And, now for a confession. Am I a bad mother because just this week I *allowed* J to finger paint for the first time? He's 2 and a half! How could I have denied him this classic toddlerhood fun all this time?! Well, I just expected it to be such an ordeal. Long, involved set-up. A big mess. Paint flying onto the walls and into my hair and onto the dog. A big cleanup. A bath. Another load of laundry.

But...(oh, you knew it was coming)

It was FUN! At one point, J stopped, looked over at me and said, "Isn't this crazy?! No brushes!!!" The poor guy. Look what he's been missing. I did cheat a little and had J use his watercolor paint set. We didn't go all out with the big bottles of tempera I have downstairs. I had to ease into this, mamas!

Anyone else want to enlighten us with some fun easy kiddo crafts? Or, do you have a crafty confession--something you've not yet attempted with your kids even though you know they'd probably love it? Don't worry--no judgement! Maybe just some encouragement.

gardens, forgotten and secret

2009-09-05T19:13:00.001-04:00

Did any young girl not enjoy reading The Secret Garden at least once during her childhood?

It was required reading in my 4th grade class, and for some reason my parents bought me my own copy of the book. (Although avid readers and frequent library users, my parents didn't often purchase books.) I've treasured it and still have it on my bookcase at home.

Last week I finished reading Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden and was reminded of the beauty, excitement, and escape I experienced when reading The Secret Garden. Morton's story is beautiful and imaginative; the characters and the setting inhabited my thoughts constantly; and I really hated to part with it, even though its mysteriousness made it quite a page-turner.

The Forgotten Garden is a generational saga that spans the life of its main character, Nell, a girl who at the age of 4 was abandoned on a ship leaving England for Australia. On her eighteenth birthday, her "father", overcome with guilt at having kept her true identity secret all this time, tells Nell the truth. She is never the same. Over the course of her adult life, she delves into discovering who she is, and although she makes significant progress, discovering her true identity is a task left to her granddaughter, Cassandra, upon Nell's death.

As the chapters weave in and out of the present day, readers are transported with Nell and Cassandra to the brooding, almost cursed, Blackhurst Manor and the secrets of the Blackhurst family--and their impact on Nell's personal history--are slowly revealed.

It's clear that Frances Hogsdon Burnett's The Secret Garden was an inspiration to Morton in the creation of this story. (Burnett is even given a cameo appearance in the novel at a garden party.) I'm looking forward to rereading The Secret Garden here very soon.

The only thing that could make reading either of these stories even more enjoyable is having the option to read while lounging in a forgotten or secret garden of your discovery.

theme songs

2009-08-31T21:00:00.000-04:00

Isn't it amazing the way that hearing a song can sometimes take you back to a particular time or place, and you get that eerie deja vu feeling passing over you real quick? I love that. Certain scents do that to me too.

This summer I put together a mix CD for our vacation drive up to Presque Isle. I used to be absolutely crazy for mix tapes, and I guess I'm not completely over them yet. In high school, my friends and I made them for each other all the time.

This CD was mostly current stuff that C and I are into right now: Adele, Beck, Feist, Kings of Leon, to name a few. (By the way, if you've not heard Adele, she's got an incredible voice and sings with such a sense of worldliness and experience for only being 19... my favorite track is "Cold Shoulder".)

So, for old times sake, I decided to throw in a couple favorite classics of ours, and wouldn't you know, J completely dug them and requests them every time we're in the car!

The first throwback on our vacation mix was Michael Penn's "No Myth". It was so cool when C and I randomly figured out that it was one of both of our favorites from the 80s/early 90s. Now I think we like it even more because of J's big grin when it comes on as he says, "Is this 'No Miff'?"

The other one is a little embarrassing. One that my dad used to sing a lot when we were kids and we just thought it was crazy nonsense. As a teen, I realized it was a real song when a friend had it on a mix tape. Harry Nilsson's "Coconut". I know, it's crazy!! But, let me tell ya, what's really crazy is when J is playing independently and he thinks no one is watching and he starts to sing:

put the lime in the coconut...
drink it all up...
then say, Doc-tah!!! (and he mimes holding a phone up to his ear)

Needless to say, my dad is mighty proud. I told him the other day that J got his funny genes from him. "Fine by me", he said with a wink.

Over the last year, we've really noticed that J seems particularly drawn to music. He'll stop what he's doing if he hears an interesting song on the radio or a tv commercial. He loves all instruments. He sings constantly as he plays, and also turns just about anything into an instrument.

I think we'd be crazy not to foster J's musical inclinations. No pressure or anything, but just get him exposed to lots of types and encourage him to be creative and have fun with it. I registered the two of us for Music Together, and I'm really excited to start classes in a couple of weeks. Their premise is right up our alley:

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

What songs are stuck in your heads these days?

Babies

2009-08-11T19:13:00.007-04:00

This weekend while mowing the lawn, C found a rabbit nest. Right smack in the middle of our backyard. The only reason he noticed it was that a teeny tiny brown cottontail shot out of the nest across the yard when the mower came close. Thankfully, the mower did not come too close and the nest was undisturbed. He scooped him up and the three of us ooohed and ahhhed over him for a few moments until we saw another one scamper out of the nest! C scooped that one up too, and then carefully nestled them back in among at least three other brothers and sisters, and abandoned the mowing.

It filled us with anxiety to think that they might be abandoned or that there was more that we should do to protect them from stray cats and the occasional hawk. But, a google search led me to a couple web sites that completely backed up our actions:

> handle them with gloves so as not to leave your scent on them (mothers may reject babies that pick up scents other than their own);

> do not relocate the nest (we debated on moving it to a less conspicuous spot, but decided not to, so that mama would be able to find it);

> nestle them back down under their nest and keep pets away.

According to what I read, rabbits are the "absent parents" of the animal world. Fathers are not involved in the care of babies at all. Mothers nurse their young 5 minutes a day, leave the nest during the day, and return at night. The baby bunnies leave the nest at quite a young age, only 2 weeks (!) and are completely independent by 3 or 4 weeks.

Please keep your fingers crossed that these little guys are doing alright and will soon be off on their own!

kiddie art

2009-08-05T21:42:00.002-04:00

I love easy crafts! And, I love to find tons of easy crafts all in one place! The Artful Parent turned me on to the fantastic books of MaryAnn Kohl awhile ago. We've done some of her projects and had a lot of fun.

But, check out this great website I found a couple weeks ago. First Palette provides tips and ideas to get those creative juices flowing and inspire kids (and adults) to create artwork together! A few were familiar but there are lots of ideas that are new and unique. They look interesting and fun without a huge mess or hassle. The crafts are broken down by age or by theme: nature, food art, alphabet/numbers, world and travel, etc. Each craft also includes a link to an Earth-friendly tip.

The site includes instructions on some "classic" art projects: like dioramas, leaf prints and rubbings, and vegetable prints. And lots of funky ones like a Sand Cake, Seed Mosaic, and Jingle Bell Painting! Two crafts really jumped out at the librarian in me. They'd be perfect activities to follow up on a couple of J's favorite books.

First, the Alphabet Coconut Tree looks like lots of fun to make. And, could there be a better story extender for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom?!! Read it and try it. Cement that Letter Knowledge into your kiddos' brains! "A told B, and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree"

This other craft looks silly and fun, just like the book I'd pair it with. I think J will get a total kick out of coloring and illustrating a Body Flip Book. (Actually, I think my husband and I will have just as much fun with it.) Design a book filled with wacky wardrobes, cut your pages into thirds, and flip to see the crazy combinations. When we try this one, I might use a photo of J's face on each page to add to the silliness.

Doesn't it remind you of that book Ribbit! which could hardly be found on bookshelves last year? J got an autographed copy for Christmas and at first I don't think he quite got it... I think he thought, "where is the story in this book?" But, soon he started to see the hilarity in the way this poor frog (or frogs?) is costumed.

Oh, I almost forgot. Another great thing about First Palette is that they love to see what their crafts have inspired your kids to make. So, if you give one a try, you can also upload a photo of your work to be displayed on the site! Please stop back here too, and let me know to look for it.

Do you have any great arts and crafts resources to share?

Angry Reads!

2009-07-26T21:05:00.009-04:00

As promised, here's a new Read Your Way Through post. My bookish attempt to counteract:

Tantrums

Anger

and Frustration, oh my!

Although my smart little J is sensitive, perceptive, loving, and a well-spoken 2 year-old, he's struggling with how to express his feelings of frustration.

"No" has been present in his vocabulary for over a year now, but the volume at which it is said is really cranked up these days. If what we want to hear is "Yeah, I want to", instead the response we get is "But, I don't want to".

Shoes and socks are now dangerous projectiles. Warnings are ignored; and, time-outs are less effective now--they almost seem to rev up his anger, causing further outbursts and stress.

Turning to books for advice, tactics, and insight into this behavior has reminded me to:
~take extra note of his good behavior
~focus on being compassionate and calm even as the shoes are flying into the front seat of the car on our way home from a playdate
~spend less time and energy enforcing time-outs, instead focusing on modeling "cool-down" tactics and teaching words to express frustration

Here's a handful of books I've found helpful without being preachy. J enjoys them too, just as any other "regular" story about trucks or trains or animals.

Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban
This one's great because it isn't corny, it gets J to laugh at Mouse's situation, it shows how NOT to deal with anger, and then it models a fantastic cool-down technique--taking deep breaths.

So simple! Now, when I see J revving up, I go straight to "Remember Mouse? When he was mad, he took some deep breaths and then felt much better. Why don't you try?" I do it with him and then when he's calmed a bit, I jokingly remind him of how Mouse got so hopping mad that he fell into a "mucky mud puddle". He thinks that phrase is hilarious.

Feet Are Not for Kicking by Elizabeth Verdick

While I'm happy to say that kicking isn't an issue in our house, I know it can be an outlet for frustration and anger. This book is cute because it's a simple board book that reminds you of all the fun stuff you can do with your feet: running, jumping, kicking a pile of leaves. If you have a younger toddler struggling with hitting and kicking, I think this would be helpful.

When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

When Sophie gets really angry, you can see it in her eyes! The illustrations make sure of that--there's a two-page spread of just Sophie's angry face!

Instead of lashing out, Sophie takes off running to vent her frustration and clear her head. Obviously an older child, Sophie and her particular situation and solution don't resonate all that well with J. But, I like this Caldecott Honor book because of the color and vibrancy with which it depicts anger, frustration, and eventually: THE CALM.

~~~

Lastly, I'll leave you with some lyrics from the great Jim Gill. (Give him a guitar and a room full of kids and he'll have them laughing, singing, dancing and doing whatever he tells them to in no time!) He has a cute song called Hands Are for Clapping, which J likes to dance along to. Besides being fun, this song gives me ammunition when I need to remind J that hands are not for hitting!

Hands are for clapping
Clapping to this song
Hands are for clapping
Let's all clap along

Toes are for tapping...

Knees are for slapping...

Fingers are for snapping...

Teeth are for brushing....

And, books are for reading! Enjoy these reads.

power struggle

2009-07-15T23:35:00.005-04:00

Hello world! I'm still here...but feeling swamped and sunk thanks to this little pair:

a certain toddler's tantrums (new Read Your Way Through post coming soon)

How can a child be so loveable and melt-your-heart-sweet one moment and then so utterly rotten the next? I mean, he can literally turn on a dime! Take today, for example. We had a nice brunch out with a friend. J climbed into the booster seat of his own accord and then proceeded to sit still while I buckled him in. He colored before his food came, he drank his milk without blowing bubbles, and ate his meal without throwing anything on the floor. Of course, he used his shirt as a napkin and interrupted us constantly, but, hey, I can deal. At one point, he even stopped my friend mid-sentence and said sweetly, "Am I being patient?"

Yes, yes he WAS.

That is, until moments later when we went into Target for 4 things. Just 4 desperately-needed things. A quick errand for Mama and then it was on to the park. But, no. The patient toddler was suddenly replaced by the angry, LOUD toddler. The toddler who hits his mama as she races down the aisle for the 4 things on her list. The toddler who, at odd random intervals, removes a shoe or a sock and hurls them out of the cart and into the aisles or on top of the shelves of diapers that his mama is scouring while trying to figure out unit price in her head amidst the screaming of said toddler. The toddler whose behavior elicits one of three reactions among the other shoppers:

The first, and any mother's favorite: sympathetic smiles. These are from parents or grandparents or just kind people who can see that I am hurrying on my way and doing my best to remain calm despite my embarrassment.

The second: glares or eye-rolling. These people would probably like to stop me and say, "Maybe you should leave and come back another time when he is either calm or you can come without him." I do not get that option. It's totally unfair. Leaving Target during a temper tantrum doesn't reprimand or correct J's behavior. It just inconveniences me. And I'm already inconvenienced by having to deal with a tantrum while buying diapers and other items to care for the child who is throwing the tantrum!

The third and worst reaction: snickering. Yes, snickering! I've not experienced that one until today. I didn't know it was possible to pause in your shopping, observe a child hitting, kicking, screaming, and then audibly snicker and giggle. Did they think J's behavior was funny? Were they laughing at me, stuck in this crappy situation? "The nerve!", as my mom would say. Well, I shot that guy a glare, but then decided not to look at any of the other shoppers on the way to the checkout in case they were smirking too.

The other thing bogging me down lately is the hectic and completely opposite work schedule that C and I have. Let me tell ya, doing the Toddler Stop Drop and Roll day after day gets old. But, I hate to complain because it is what it is and it is what we chose. We are lucky--and we tell ourselves this often--that we each get quality time with J. We made smart decisions to make this lifestyle work for us. We have very accomodating jobs. Nevertheless, I guess I'm going through a little phase where I either want what I don't have or I want what isn't possible.

And, sometimes that's enough to make me want to have a tantrum. Thanks for bearing with me.

much-needed vacation

2009-06-24T13:48:00.005-04:00

Presque Isle, Erie, PA

The Erie Zoo & Botanical Garden

This zoo felt like a storybook zoo. It was somewhat tucked away in a neighborhood. The entrance was nice, not extravagant or flashy, parking was free in a little lot across the street, and it just gave off a welcoming, old-timey vibe. I liked it! We were mesmerized by the giraffes for some time.

I guess you'd call this male bonding. A lesson in skipping stones.

I love J's posture in the next image. I felt like I captured his energy--and a special moment, flinging all his hopes and joys into the water like wishes.

Anybody know the significance of all the frog and fish statues in Erie? I didn't get around to asking about them or trying to look them up. They were everywhere. This one has been decoupaged with pages and covers from old books. He sat outside the library/Erie Maritime Museum.

Parts of Erie have an older feel. We hit this light a lot, and I really just liked looking at the one single traffic light and the buildings around.

You've got to look closely at this next image, of these amazing whirligig lighthouse displays at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (The TREC). Although it's free like all state park nature centers, that term just doesn't cut in when describing this facility. It's not dark and dingy and full of taxidermied wildlife. It's a LEED building; it harnesses wind power; and there's an IMAX theatre inside that holds a 4-story Big Green Screen.

At the base of this lighthouse model was a wheel, and when turned, every whirligig in the display was set in motion. It was really impressive to see them all moving in sync, and they were very finely crafted and detailed whirligigs to start with. My grandfather used to make whirligigs, and recently he's started making a few more. I think one was of a man canoeing, and the other was the 'classic' Mallard. I hope to convince him to take a shot at making us one with that features J's favorite bird, the Downy Woodpecker!

Happy Summer, readers! Where are you vacationing to?

disastrous news for ohio libraries

2009-06-23T14:17:00.006-04:00

THE BASICS: Governor Strickland has recommended the elimination of $200+ million from the Public Library Fund over the next two years.

WHAT IT MEANS: This proposal by the Governor cuts Columbus Metropolitan Library's state funding by 50%. These proposed 11 + million dollar cuts will be devastating: closing branches, halting new books and materials, and shutting down programs and services that are so vital to our community!

Please help! Tell the Ohio government to find another solution.

Email all your legislators at once by visiting CML's homepage.

Call the Governor's office at 614-466-3555.

For more information, please visit the Ohio Library Council website.

Tell everyone you know. WE ONLY HAVE DAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Here's what I had to say. I hope you'll participate and encourage others too.

I am writing to express my utmost concern about the Governor's proposed cuts to library funding. The news of it comes as quite a shock, as well as a disappointment from a Governor I had confidence in.

Of course, in tough economic times, we need to look for ways to cut back, but we expect that the Ohio government recognize the immense value and importance that our libraries hold for us. As you know, for many years Ohio has topped the Hennen Library Rankings, and was just recently named a 5 star library by Library Journal. What better way to live up to that ranking, and more importantly to the communities the libraries serve, than to conserve money and resources for Ohio libraries.

Libraries have already received a 20% cut in funding; a 50% cut will have drastic consequences to our libraries and our communities: branches will close and services will be cut.

These cuts would have devastating consequences to our libraries when our community needs them more than ever. Libraries are busier than ever. Children, teachers, parents, students, job-seekers flood Ohio libraries every day to take advantage of the information, resources, and sense of community that our libraries promote.

This is the time to rally around the truly exceptional and truly meaningful services available to Ohioans. Libraries are just that. There is an engraving above the door to the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus that simply reads: 'Open To All'. Please reject this proposal and keep that statement true; save our libraries from closing many of their doors.

quick tag

2009-06-13T15:25:00.009-04:00

a bloggy friend tagged me with this quick little meme, and i thought i'd churn it out to leave you with some fun before we head out on vacation. apparently, the categories have been narrowed from 8 responses down to 4, which i fully support. (some of these tag games are so fun, but also sooooo loooong!)

4 things i'm looking forward to

::finishing the book i'm currently reading (water for elephants--it is so good!)

::taking pictures of J's feet as he walks in the sand on vacation

::taking J to his first baseball game tomorrow

::remodeling our bathroom (someday)

4 things i did yesterday

::went to the zoo

::took a nap

::ate a piece of pattycake vegan bakery's chocolate-raspberry cake

::laughed A LOT, especially when J and the two boys we were babysitting did this:

4 things i wish i could do

::travel more often

::sew

::get a weekly massage

::live near water

4 tv shows i watch

::the office

::30 rock

::castle

::i want to start watching 'a place of our own' on pbs

4 places i'd like to travel

::paris

::vienna

::ireland

::yellowstone national park

4 places i've lived

::columbus, ohio is actually the only place i've lived, so the next 3 are places i'd love to live

::camden, maine

::santa fe, new mexico

::portland, or

OK, your turn! If you're reading this, you're tagged!

Karma Wilson Winners!

2009-06-13T12:48:00.004-04:00

Thanks to all who entered my giveaway. It's clear there are a lot of Karma Wilson fans out there, and I wish I could have awarded each of you!

The lucky winner of Bear Feels Scared is Cheryl and the winner of Mama Always Comes Home is Stacy! Congrats mamas!

gadgety cuteness

2009-05-31T20:28:00.003-04:00

Did you notice the cute new gadgets in the sidebar? Aren't they fun? Don't you want them too?

The Twitter badge is from the very talented Julie Green of up up. Grab one for yourself--there are four adorable color palettes. Also, stop by her Etsy shop. She has all kinds of papery goodness.

Cathe Holden's blog, Just Something I Made, has gobs of free blog gadgets, like the Comments Make Me Smile one I just added.

Don't you love when crafty people are also generous people? :)

Now, don't ignore the gadgety cuteness! Follow me on Twitter, leave me a comment, grab yourself a gadget, and leave the other gals a comment too!

~ sunday to sunday ~

2009-05-31T15:39:00.010-04:00

Anticipating summer and feeling relaxed and peaceful on this gorgeous day, I'll let these pictures mainly speak for themselves, and for what we've been up to the last week.

Homestead Park -- Hilliard's home to an historic Ohio barn as well as an old blue train caboose; also many playgrounds, walking paths, and a cute covered bridge:

Gonna catch that train...

Early summer blooms:

Pretty sights from a morning walk on Memorial Day at Heritage Park , formerly the Rosedale Farm, home to the Everal family in the late 1800s :

The Everal Barn

Knock knock, anybody home at the Carriage House?

I liked the look of this old latched coal chute on the front of the chimney.

We weren't the only family out enjoying the lovely morning

Not the greatest gardeners, we spent a lot of time this week on our prettiest landscaping project yet -- still a work in progress.

Hope yours was a beautiful week, too, with another one to come!

good news for people who love...

2009-05-26T00:01:00.005-04:00

PICTURE BOOKS! GIVEAWAYS! AND... KARMA WILSON!

It's hard to believe it was just a few years ago, in 2002, that Karma Wilson had her very first book published, Bear Snores On. It was quite a hit and spurred an impressive writing career that has delivered some really great literature to kids, parents, teachers and librarians.

A few of my personal favorites are: Baby Cakes--a great gift for babies or mamas-to-be; Beautiful Babies--a new touch-and-feel board book; Hilda Must be Dancing; Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo; and Sleepyhead--a very sweet bedtime rhyme.

This talented, generous author is offering two of my lucky readers an autographed, hardback book! I have one copy of:

of which, School Library Journal said:

A gentle and reassuring picture book... The consistently tender illustrations follow the text's well-crafted rhymes as different animal mothers leave their offspring for a brief period and then return. Mama Bird (in a flowered headscarf) feeds her babies, then tucks them beneath a quilt in their nest before digging up more worms; Mama Cat leaves her kittens in the barn to have a sip of cream in the house; Mama Dog runs out to play with her boy. Each example ends with the refrain: "Mama always comes home." Presented with a delicate and loving touch, this book embodies the power of thoughtful text supported by insightful pictures. A good choice for parents and children dealing with separation anxiety.

as well as one autographed copy of:

To be entered in this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post before Wednesday, June 10, 2009. If you'd like to earn a second entry into the drawing, mention this giveaway (with a link) on Twitter. Then, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know you tweeted it.

Good luck!

Midweek Peek

2009-05-13T20:21:00.008-04:00

Just checking in to see how everyone is enjoying their week. At our house, we are obsessed with puzzles and engulfed in multiple daily readings of this cute little book C & J gave me for Mother's Day: I Love My Mommy Because... by Laurel Porter-Gaylord

It's a somewhat older title (1991, I think), but really adorable and enjoyable. It's the perfect read for this time of year...with Mother's Day having just passed and all the new life springing from the flowers, plants, birds and bunnies surrounding us.

During J's naptimes this week, I've been heading out to our deck to sit in the breezy shade and read a sweet, gentle non-fiction book entitled Remember the Sweet Things by Ellen Greene.

Greene writes with candor and humor about her list of "sweet things"--the kind, loving, and goofy things her husband did for her during their 20 years of marriage. The book is much more than just a recounting of the list. It reads much like a memoir. Something about it--the setting, the tone, the characters-- reminds me of Richard Russo's Empire Falls. But, maybe it's just that Greene likens her husband to Paul Newman, who played the cantankerous Max Roby in the HBO film. Anyway, it's such a nice premise and a timely read, as C and just celebrated our wedding anniversary.

Well, speaking of sweet things, I'll leave you with the news that I've got another giveaway coming up! It was my hope to do it as an accompaniment to Children's Book Week but I didn't get my act together in time. Hopefully, I can launch it later this week, so stay tuned!!

Children's Book Week

2009-05-11T08:30:00.003-04:00

Now in its ninetieth year, Children's Book Week runs May 11-17. It began as the dream of Franklin K. Matthiews, librarian of Boy Scouts of America, who hoped to encourage higher standards among childrens books. And judging from this year's Children's Book Award Finalists, I'd say Matthiews' dream came true.

A few of this year's nominees:

Donut Chef by Bob Staake

A fun, yummy read with great rhyme.

Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems

Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain

Paper Towns by John Green

Possibly my favorite teen read of 2008 (along with The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks).

To celebrate Children's Book Week, I encourage you to engage in a little conversation with a child about a favorite book, author or illustrator (either of theirs or yours).

It'd be great if you'd take it a step further: read that book with the child and chat about it afterwards.

Display the book in a special place this week.

Print out this Children's Book Week downloadable bookmark, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino.

How will you celebrate?

********************5/12/09 UPDATE*************************

The 2009 Children's Choice Book Award winners announced!

I'm a little disappointed that Paper Towns didn't win, but if kids and teens are voting, I guess it'd be hard to beat out the Twilight saga. Congratulations to the winners as well as the nominees!

:: connect the dots ::

2009-05-08T08:12:00.010-04:00

Here's a fun random post with a kind of connect-the-dots logic to it.

Last week, C and I celebrated our ninth (!) wedding anniversary and spent a fun and casual night out in Short North Columbus. We had dinner at Marcella's, which I had been dying to try, and is absolutely positively my new favorite restaurant. Italian tapas, great wines, and a killer dessert menu!

After a nice leisurely meal that did not involve me rummaging through my bag to find a toy or a crayon or a sticker or a lollipop, we strolled the Short North checking out the shops and the galleries. At one of the galleries, and I hate to say that I forget which one it was, we came across some wooden carpets, like this one. Apparently, they are made in Israel. They're vinyl-backed and fold up accordion-style. Several coats of a laquer are applied so that the design is protected and it can be easily cleaned. Beautiful, don't you think?

Next, we stumbled upon this really cool boutique called Tigertree. Wow, I seriously coveted just about every item in there. Particularly, the gorgeous Orla Kiely wallets and totes in this fabric.

Also, the shop had tons of little trinkets, bags, notecards, and accessories done by an artist named Shinzi Katoh. The shopkeeper told us he's a Japanese picture book artist. C and I loved his style and have since been scrolling through his online shop. I want to get some of this tape and do something crafty with it. Take a look at his shop--it's endless!

While obsessing over this new-to-me artist, I read that he's one of the premiere Zakka artists. What is Zakka? Maybe some of you hipsters already know, but the word was new to me. I Googled it and found this helpful page on Squidoo:

In Japan, all the 'small, various products used in everyday life' are commonly called 'zakka,' a term which encompasses household goods, daily necessities and sundries. However, zakka has also come to represent a style of art and craft that is simple, charming, and of Japanese esthetic. Most items in the zakka style are handmade, but there are commercial companies that mass produce items using the style. The Japanese dictionary describes zakka as "general merchandise", "miscellaneous goods", "sundries", "sundry goods" including interior goods, kitchen goods or even cosmetic product.

I think that's such a cool concept. And, it's the concept that is the basis for an amazing blog I discovered this week. Zakka Life features a craft project of the week, as well as helpful book reviews of fun and crafty new books. Several crafts have been posted recently with Mother's Day being the theme. I liked this tea cup card. It could be a gift card holder. It could adorn a breakfast-in-bed serving tray. Use it as a place card if you're hosting a Mother's Day brunch.

My best friend's mom has been like a second mother to me all my life and she is soooo into tea! I think I'll be making one of these this weekend to send to her as just a cute "thinking of you on Mother's Day" token.

And, Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas and mamas-to-be out there. I hope you get a chance to enjoy some of your favorite things and reflect on the amazing things that being a mother brings.

XOXO

OMG & LOL!

2009-04-30T22:58:00.010-04:00

These days everything is about social media. Twitter. Facebook. Flickr. YouTube. Online gaming. And, supposedly, it's especially true with teens and pre-teens.

In a recent presentation to our library staff, Beth Gallaway (aka the Information Goddess) cited a statistic that teens spend an average of 80 minutes per day chatting and texting.

Surprising? Maybe. It certainly surprised me when this sly, proud face greeted me the other morning.

I was eating breakfast and thought J was playing trains, per his usual morning routine. Not so. He apparently took a cue from my typical morning routine and powered up the computer. He knelt on our office swivel chair from IKEA, hands hovering above the keyboard, only looking up for a brief second when I entered the room.

"Hey", I said. "What are you doing, buddy?"

"E-mail."

"E-mail?"

"Yeah. I typin' to Lulu."

Lulu is a friend's two year-old daughter.

Wow. Just two years old and this little guy is already sneaking time on the computer with the intent to talk to a girl. Am I in for it or what?!!

I will say though, in his (and my!) defense, his #1 favorite thing to do on the computer when I let him sit on my lap is look through our virtual photo albums, calling out who and what he sees and basically reminiscing. His second favorite thing to do is pore over the keyboard identifying the letters and telling me what they're for.

"A "J" for my name! A "H" for hen! A "D" for Daddy! A "Z" for Zebra! A "P" for Papa!"

And, of course, "A "L" for Lulu!"

And that warms my heart. My love-of-reading, literacy-promoting heart. Even when he's reminding me to blog and tweet in moderation, he still makes me proud.

TTYL,
Katie

summertime heat and summertime eats

2009-04-26T17:55:00.008-04:00

That's right! Two weeks ago it was cool April showers and now, in typical Ohio fashion, it feels like the dog days of summer. For several days now we've had bright sunshine and warm temperatures in the mid-80's! I do really love Spring, however, so I'm hoping we'll get a return to some of the more typical weather before the inevitable summer heat wave.

But, the warm weather does mean that C has fired up the charcoal grill twice this week, and boy, have we missed grilled food!

And, remember how I have a thing for food photography? Well, I just couldn't pass up photographing this salad before digging in. I thought the color of the tomatoes, carrots and almonds really popped against the deep green baby spinach. And, aside from being pretty, it was pretty darn tasty! I'll go ahead and jot down the ingredients here, even though no one comes to this blog for food fixes!

My Simple Sweet & Savory Salad

baby spinach

shredded carrot

chopped celery

pint grape tomatoes

dried cranberries

sliced almonds

crumbled feta cheese

We topped it with sliced grilled chicken, and drizzled it with a homemade mustard vinaigrette, courtesy of Everyday Food Magazine's cookbook Great Food Fast. That recipe:

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

whisk till combined, then add coarse salt and black pepper to taste

Voila! A quick, no-heat-in-the-kitchen meal.

Tenacity

2009-04-26T00:07:00.003-04:00

The word "tenacity" came to C's mind as we watched our little guy climb the slide with happy determination tonight. Other words that come to mind:

fearlessness

spunk

purpose

freedom

motivation

delight

presence

and above all,

LOVE.

Got Books?

2009-04-24T12:32:00.004-04:00

Check out this video of a Biblioburro in Columbia. Yes, it's a donkey bookmobile!

What an amazing effort to get books--a variety of books--into the hands, minds, and imaginations of the children here. I don't even know what else to say. It definitely gives me pause as a user and employee of the #1 rated library in the nation.

Sepia Sweetness

2009-04-12T19:47:00.002-04:00

Hoping yours was a peaceful Easter, and wishing you a bright cheery Spring!

Top 10 Picture Books

2009-03-31T16:27:00.005-04:00

Here are my picks for Fuse's Top 100 Picture Books Poll over at School Library Journal. There are still a few hours left to participate! Choose your top 10 picture books and Elizabeth will award points to each. In April, after she's worked out all the numbers, she'll reveal the Top 100!

1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Just an incredibly timeless, enjoyable and imaginative book.

1 here the Wild Things Are by Maurice Senda

It's my guess that tis one of the bestselling children's books of all time. It's somethingyone can identify with, and after all these years, the illustrations still stand out as remarkabl

2. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

2. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Possibly my favorite picture book of all time. Really demonstrates reading as being a conversation.

Most likely my favorite picture book ever. I love the depth and vibrancy of the illustrations. The simplicity of the text is contrasted by the detail of the pictures and of the story. It makes for such a complete and rewarding reading experience.

3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This is the cumulative tale gold standard. Not many books have endings that can compete with the thrill and beauty of this one.

4. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

A classic. Who doesn't own this and love it?

a Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.

5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
This ones got story, rhythm, rhyming, repetition, humor, and fun art by Lois Ehlert.

Crazy-fun rhythm, letter knowledge and great artwork from Lois Ehlert.

6. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

6. We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Reading can get you up and out of your seat! Check out the author's dramatic reading.

Fn and exciting, rhythm and rhyming, repetition, and on top of that it gets you up andng. Perfect example to show that books are often meant to be read aloud, experienced and played with

7. Mae Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

7. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

A classic that's based on a true and heartwarming story. Can't get much better than that!

on't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

8. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

I picked this for its originality and innovation. There've been a lot of knock-offs in the last few years, but they just don't measure up. There's something special about this begging, whining pigeon! (And, the author's blog is lots of fun, too!)

9. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

I'd count this as another classic. Really cool illustrations. Great imagination. Humor. And it spans a wide reader age range. And, it's a forthcoming movie!!

10. No, David! by David Shannon

Yet another great original concept, full of orneriness that all kids (and parents) can identify with.

**************************************************

What picture book gems would be included in your Top 10?

Read Your Way Through...Picky Eating

2009-03-30T14:46:00.004-04:00

Boo Boo by Oliver Dunrea

A small curious gosling loves to eat...almost anything. Boo Boo sets a good example to youngsters as he's willing to try new things.

Crunch Munch by Jonathan London; illustrated by Michael Rex

With crunches and munches, slops and slurps, kids will love participating in this story that rhythmically shows how various animals eat. Parents will appreciate that it ends with the question, "How do you eat?", giving an opportunity to sneak in a reminder or a little discussion about food and nutrition!

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal; illustrated by Jen Corace

Are meals and eating habits stressing you out? This delightful book brings some much-needed humor to the topic. Poor Little Pea must finish a plateful of candy before his favorite dessert -- fresh veggies!

To Market, to Market by Anne Miranda; illustrated by Janet Stevens

This book is useful for introducing new vocabulary to young kids: a "Spring lamb", a "live trout", okra, etc. It's got a catchy rhyme that takes off from the nursery rhyme "to market, to market, to buy a fat pig; home again, home again, jiggity-jig". The humor and outlandish illustrations of this one make for a very fun read.

"Eat!" Cried Little Pig by Jonathan London; illustrated by Delphine Durand

"Eat" is the first word Little Pig learns, and appropriately so, because he loves nothing more than eating! From the mishing and mashing, the slopping and slurping, to the huge mess he makes of himself, kids and parents will enjoy the rhyming and raucous example of mealtime in this book.

~~~~~

So, there it is. Happy Reading and Happy Eating! Please feel free to share some of your favorites on this favorite topic of mine! ;)

Dawes Arboretum

2009-03-22T22:34:00.006-04:00

Today we enjoyed a lovely Spring day at Dawes Arboretum: 1,800 acres, beautiful scenery, elegant landscapes, walking and hiking trails, 15,000 living plants, and many species of wildlife.

Clockwise from top:

we do not use the timer setting on our camera often enough!
Dawes Lake
The Japanese Garden and pond
The Cypress Swamp
trees that looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book
J scouting salamanders (the salamanders had just migrated days ago to the swamp to begin their breeding season and were extremely well camouflaged, much to J's disappointment)
goldfish in the pond at the Japanese Garden
Conifer Glen, where we felt as if we were strolling through the setting of a Jane Austen novel
my silly boys imprisoned at the Japanese Garden!

Writer Mama Winner

2009-03-17T13:46:00.009-04:00

With big thanks to all who visited and commented yesterday, I'd like to announce that the winner of Day 16's Writer Mama Giveaway is...

BonnieRose! Congratulations! You can thank Random.org for selecting the number 4! Please send me an email at katiesweb@gmail.com with your mailing address so that Christina can get a signed copy of Writer Mama on it's way to you!

Thanks again to everyone who participated in a very helpful discussion about organization. It was really enjoyable to read all of your comments, and I hope you'll stop back to The Dundee Writer again. Christina's got some talented and inspiring followers! Keep following her Writer Mama Blog Tour -- there are more chances to win!

The Writer Mama is Here!

2009-03-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Day 16 of the Writer Mama Blog Tour!

I'm honored to have been selected to host Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama, today. If you haven't read Writer Mama, it's a must. (Read on to see how you can win a copy!) This little book, just shy of 300 pages, packs a punch! Christina guides readers through the writing process with wisdom and advice, humor and clarity, confidence and encouragement.

One point from the book that really resonated with me was the idea of hats. (Yes, hats!) As mamas, we are used to wearing different hats as our children grow: disciplinarian, cheerleader, nutritionist, storyteller. Christina realized that the same is true of writers. As your writing career grows, you've got to be your own disciplinarian and cheerleader while also trying on the hats of: accountant, researcher, editor, marketer.

Christina's daily posts throughout this blog tour not only express this concept but also explore how to succeed in each of those roles throughout the book-writing process. And, today it continues with advice on first drafts. Enjoy!

The Writer Mama Two-Year Anniversary Blog Tour Giveaway! (Catch up on the past posts here: http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/)

Post #16: The Nonfiction Book Writing Process: The First Draft

I can’t presume to know what works best for everyone when it comes time to draft your first book. But I have written a couple first drafts of nonfiction books and I have also been privy to the processes of other successful authors.

I say “successful authors” intentionally because the fact is not all books that are contracted make it across the publication finish line. Now, I imagine no writer wants to talk about this but we must. The fact is: when it comes to following through on a book contract, some writers won’t deliver. My editor, Jane Friedman at Writer’s Digest once shared with me that she kept a “book graveyard” on her bulletin board for books that were conceived but not delivered.

Feel free to shudder. What a discouraging experience! I hope it never happens to you.

Suffice it to say, you don’t want to be that writer who doesn’t deliver and you can avoid it by setting yourself up for success. Here are some of the ways I’ve seen success happen:

Don’t disappear

Keep in touch with your editor from the verbal offer all the way through the delivery of the partial first draft. Editors typically ask for a partial draft to assess that the book is on track, as agreed, and to have an opportunity to offer editorial direction before the book is complete. This is a good thing. Listen to your editor and try to find the wisdom in her suggestions. I can tell you from my experience that this collaborative attitude will create a better book.

Steer the ship

Even though you keep in touch with your editor, be careful not to imagine that she is overly consumed with your book’s progress. She isn’t. It’s quite likely that your editor is juggling many book projects on top of additional, and likely increasing responsibilities related to the overall success of the publishing company. With the economy being what it is, don’t be surprised if your editor’s job is in a precarious position. She may still be your editor by the time your book is done. Then again, she may not. Don’t worry, book projects get handed off from editor to editor. Once you get past a certain development point with your manuscript, your editor might hand you off to another editor so she can focus on acquisitions and new book development. Hang steady and roll with it. Your responsibility is to complete your book to the best of your ability no matter what is going on at your book’s publishing house.

Refine the focus

The more clear and refined your book proposal table of contents, the easier it is going to be for you, as the writer, to write the book in an orderly manner. Don’t forget that most nonfiction books require tons of research, interviewing, and compressing of information, so even if you have a solid TOC, you’ve still got your work cut out for you. If you didn’t refine your TOC, your book will likely benefit if you pause before you start drafting to refine it to the best of your ability. Be sure and run your revised TOC by your editor before you dive in and start writing.

Proceed in an orderly fashion

Sure, you want to take advantage of content discoveries as you go along in the book writing process. But you’ll be in a better position to capitalize on those discoveries the more organized you are. I proceeded in a much more orderly fashion on my second book by creating a file system just for my book research separate from all of my other projects. That way when I got my hands on new research, I could either file it according to chapter or put it in a pile to file later. This way, all of my research was always in one place and close at hand.

Remember that a nonfiction book is not typically “personal experience,” unless it’s a memoir. Most nonfiction books respond to many issues and questions, even after the central thrust of the book has been determined. The more you consider the reader’s questions and concerns as you write the book, the better you can address them in the book.

To say how to best succeed at book drafting, I would repeat my oft-repeated advice that writers are partnering with others, not hoping to be discovered by others. Your job is still your job, even after you sign the contract. I suspect that the writers who didn’t deliver on their manuscripts may have assumed that after landing the book deal, they were home free. But now you know, that once you get to this point, the really hard work has really just begun.

Today's Book Drawing: To enter to win a signed, numbered copy of Writer Mama, answer the following question in this blog's comments:

How organized of a writer are you? Do you have an orderly writing practice that works for you?

Thanks for participating! Only US residents, or folks with a US mailing address can participate in the drawing. Please only enter once per day.

Where will the drawing be tomorrow? Visit http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/ to continue reading the rest of the Writer Mama story throughout March 2009!

********************************************************************************

Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids by Christina Katz (Writer's Digest Books 2007)

Kids change your life, but they don't necessarily have to end your career. Stay-at-home moms will love this handy guide to rearing a successful writing career while raising their children. The busy mom's guide to writing life, this book gives stay-at-moms the encouragement and advice they need including everything from getting started and finding ideas to actually finding time to do the work - something not easy to do with the pitter-patter of little feet. With advice on how to network and form a a business, this nurturing guide covers everything a writer mama needs to succeed at her second job.

today's beauties

2009-03-15T19:29:00.010-04:00

Haven't done this reflection in awhile...

Driving in the car and a song comes on the radio that makes the perfect soundtrack to the mood you're in, the scenery you're admiring, and the activities of the people you're passing.
A brand-new journal with crisp clean pages.
Taking a day (or, okay, most of a day) to unplug and unwind outdoors, soaking up some fresh Spring air.

What are you enjoying or admiring these days?

all a-twitter!

2009-03-10T14:11:00.007-04:00

Happy Almost Spring! We're in Daylight Savings time; temperatures are rising; birds are chirping; and it seems everyone is all a-twitter!

Are you on twitter? When I first heard about it, I thought to myself, "Do we really need another venue to make ourselves seem more self-absorbed? Do people I know and/or don't know need (or even want) to know what I'm doing at random moments throughout the day?" But, I gave it a fair shot for the sake of a work project and what do ya know, this girl is hooked! It's an easy and fun way to connect with friends and co-workers. It's become a great way to discover events around the city. It's a free advertising tool for your blog, and an extra way to chat, share links, etc with other bloggers. I even get occasional updates and glimpses into the lives of biggies like @halseanderson and @realjohngreen!!

Check it out. You may be surprised to find out who's tweeting. Everybody's doing it; why aren't you? ;) The Library of Congress, School Library Journal, The Columbus Dispatch, President Obama, The Today Show, CNN, and countless other radio, news, social, and community organizations. And those are just the "serious" ones! There are also plenty of tweeps out there doing it for fun and laughs. (Not convinced? Read this article. And this one. And, lastly, this one.)

So, aside from being all a-twitter about twitter, I'm also feeling so giddy and excited about my latest blog news. As you know from some of my posts, as well as my blog header, I'm a wanna-be writer. :) For now, it's mostly this blog and book reviews and product reviews, but I do dream of being a published author one day. A major source of advice, information, and encouragement is Christina Katz, who blogs at The Writer Mama, and is the author of several books on the business of writing, one of which is so perfectly titled The Writer Mama: How to Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. So clever!

Well, the book was a great jumping off point for me, and one impetus that brought me to blogging. After reading the book, I checked her web site, found the blog, subscribed to her newsletter and found a couple other great "writer mama" blogs from her blogroll. A few months down the line, I stumbled across her on twitter, which makes it very easy to see what she's up to and get much-needed reminders to write!

So, the news. I've taken a very roundabout way to get here, but here we are. During the month of March, Christina is celebrating her blog's 2 year anniversary, and she's doing it up big with a blog tour and giveaway -- every day in the month of March. And, drumroll please, she'll be stopping by this very blog on Day 16!!! I'm thrilled to have been selected to participate. You'll be thrilled too because on Day 16 (Monday, March 16, 2009) you'll have the chance to win a copy of The Writer Mama!

Hope you'll check back! tweet, tweet!

Take Another Looky

2009-03-08T21:43:00.005-04:00

Remember Lookybook? I've posted about it before because it's such a cool concept. Although it doesn't appear that they've added any new titles in awhile, it's still worth the occasional look.

During some down time at work last week, I showed the site to one of my young little customers who was hanging around the desk chatting with me. She pulled up a stool and spent a good 15 or 20 minutes clicking through the books, reading to me. It was a great experience. She got some reading practice; she was able to read a book, like the one below, that the library does not currently own; and, it revealed a new dimension in which she could explore books and authors!

Take a peek at I Get Around by Deborah Miner. Cute and active two-page spreads chronicle Rover's day doing his favorite things. It's an enjoyable read for toddlers and preschoolers and boosts early literacy skills such as Print Awareness and Phonological Awareness.

Read Your Way Through... My New Favorites

2009-02-28T12:15:00.006-05:00

I know I promised a different topic for my next installment of Read Your Way Through, but I haven't had much planning time lately. So, here's a look at some new children's books that have made their way into my favorites on Goodreads.

(Also, this post is dedicated to Cheryl who is abroad with limited access to beloved new picture books! ;))
~~~

Antoinette Portis crafts a wonderful story of curiosity in A Penguin Story. These penguins only know the white ice, the black night and the blue sea, but Edna can just feel that there is something more. She's not deterred when her friends and family aren't interested in joining in on her quest, and how rewarding it ends up being!

Not All Animals Are Blue by Beatrice Boutignon immediately captured my interest with its unique presentation. Text on the left corresponds with illustrations on the right, as readers are encouraged to linger on the artwork, noting similarities and differences between the animals pictured. Sort of a "one of these things is not like the other" concept, yet done in a way that more inclines the reader to imagine a story behind each animal.

Birds by Kevin Henkes is funny, poetic, imaginative and so vividly illustrated. A wonderful new accomplishment from the husband-wife/author-illustrator team of Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek.

How Many Baby Pandas? by Sandra Markle

Part counting tale, part juvenile non-fiction, this book is full of adorable photographs of pandas as well as interesting facts. It documents a panda baby boom at the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center, where, in 2005, giant pandas gave birth to 16 cubs, including two sets of twins!

The nice thing about this book is that it can be read as a simple counting story for younger children, but would also be quite useful and interesting for older kids learning about pandas.

The next installment of Read Your Way Through will actually be a "Click" Your Way Through, as I showcase a cute new title available on Lookybook! Happy reading!

It's a ... Giveaway!!!

2009-02-24T12:22:00.004-05:00

I hope you're as excited as I am! It's my first bloggy giveaway, and a pretty fab one for moms, dads, and parents-to-be in the Central Ohio area.

With big thanks to founder Kendra, I have a pair of tickets to give away to the 2009 Baby Bonanza! The EXPO will be held at the Aladdin Shrine Center on Saturday, March 14, 2009 from 10a-4p.

Baby Bonanza is geared toward families with children aged 0-6 and promises "everything from pregnancy to preschool". It offers exhibitors, educational seminars, entertainment, unique baby and toddler products, door prizes, even diaper derby baby races! Check out the full line-up at babybonanza.net.

So, for the giveaway: check out the Baby Bonanza web site and then post a comment here sharing what exhibitor, seminar, or activity you'd most like to attend. Be sure to leave your email address within the comment should you be the lucky winner!

Also, for a bonus entry into the giveaway, tweet about it with a link to either my blog or this post. Then stop back here to leave an additional comment letting me know you tweeted!

Have fun, and thanks for playing!

GIVEAWAY WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009!

A Faux February?

2009-02-16T20:30:00.012-05:00

Doesn't February suck? It's the shortest month of the year, but never feels like it.

Cold.

Gray.

Snow, or worse, melting dirty slush.

Flus and viruses abound. (Is SAD contagious too?)

Cabin fever.

Continuous snacking and drinking hot cocoa like it's water.

Grumpy, bordering on depressed.

Long days of boringness,

begging for Spring,

cursing Punxsutawney Phil for consistently seeing his shadow.

Well, this February is shaping up quite differently, and not too shabby. A huge snow at the end of January hit Columbus and a week later bursts of warmer air and bright sunshine. My little guy's been seeing a lot of his shadow, too. Which seems counter-intuitive to me... why does seeing your shadow imply that more winter weather is ahead, when clearly bright sunshiney days do nothing but instill hope and excitement that the longer days of Spring and Summer are quickly approaching?

Regardless, we've been enjoying daily walks around the neighborhood, even a hike at a local metro park where J proudly spotted ducks and geese perched on the iced-over pond.

Then, a crazy fall-like windstorm sweeps in complete with rain and hail and tornado watches.

Add to this mix my absolute giddiness for Valentine's Day, some fun crafty playdates, a new energizing and exciting diet (which C. is teaming up with me on), and these 28 days are whipping by in a whirl of busy-ness and (gasp!) happy-ness! Is this really February?

How's February been treating you? Love it or leave it?

lovey-dovey

2009-02-06T20:53:00.010-05:00

A few things here that make me smile and feel all ooey-gooey, lovey-dovey. Both because they'd make adorable Valentine's gifts and because they're helping to cheer me up this week with their happy loved-themed prettiness.

So, Valentine's Day is always about the sweets, particularly chocolate, right? Who wouldn't fall head over heels for some homemade treats rather than the heart-shaped box of mystery chocolates that you can pick up anywhere?

Pretty & delicious vegantine cupcakes from the cupcake mint

peanut butter chocolate chip cookie heaven cookies from pattycake vegan bakery

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L O V E alphabet boxes from A Little Hut

For a long-distance Valentine...

by Ms. Starry Art

And, of course, I can't post about Valentine's Day without mention of jewelry

I love this beaded heart ring from Natasha Kahn Designs for its simplicity and femininity

A Very Special Valentine

2009-02-01T23:24:00.007-05:00

I think there's some connection between being a mother of a toddler and getting crazily excited and decked out for holidays...

This year, I'm really feeling the love as Valentine's Day approaches. J and I decorated the sliding glass doors with vinyl cling hearts. I purchased a cutesy love birds hangy-decoration-thingy for the front door. I've been scouring books and web sites looking for Valentine's Day crafts. I bought pink muffin cup papers and 5 mini jars of pink, red, heart-themed sprinkles in the anticipation of baking some heart-shaped cutouts! (I even caught myself looking at pink and red bejeweled socks in the dollar bins at Target, but snapped out of that one very quickly.)

All this, and it's only February 1st!!!!

With all these ideas and preparations underway, I thought I'd best get a move on with a Valentine gift or two. The always-up-to-something-cute Jessi at everyday studios posted the cutest, most perfect, most inspiring gift idea -- a love-themed photo book from Shutterfly. As I clicked through the pics of her adorable boys, I knew a book like this would be treasured by J's grandparents. So, I spent a couple hours working on one of our own tonight while J slept and C watched the Superbowl, and here's the finished product:

View Project at Shutterfly

Read Your Way Through...Winter!

2009-01-28T13:47:00.009-05:00

OK, here's the first installment of the new blog series, appropriately about winter since we've been facing one heck of a snowstorm here in Columbus the last few days. These are books that I adore for their illustrations and each of their individual readability.

First up: Oh! (words by Kevin Henkes pictures by Laura Dronzek)

The snow has fallen all night long and now we're invited out to play with all the animals! "The rabbit wants to play. Hop, hop, hop, shy little rabbit." The illustrations so vibrantly capture the brightness and whiteness of the snow. The text is simple, almost poetic, and conveys the wonder and delight that a big snowfall brings. Read this one on a cold winter evening while drinking hot cocoa.

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Next: Polar Bear Night (by Lauren Thompson pictures by Stephen Savage)

Little polar bear goes out on a late night adventure in the snow. The stillness of these illustrations remind me of how quiet and calm the world is after a snowfall. Everything is covered in a glistening white and ordinary things look extra special and beautiful. I also love how the book ends, with polar bear returning "home", which is snuggled up with Mama.

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Don't Wake Up the Bear! (by Marjorie Dennis Murray illustrated by Patricia Wittmann)

When I first flipped through this book, I thought it looked way long and too wordy for our youngster. But, my husband has a way of really making it work and J patiently enjoys it. It's a fun cumulative tale of all the animals who creep into bear's den to snuggle up against his warmth. Everyone is resting peacefully until a tiny mouse attempts to ward off a giant ACHOO!

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Continuing on the bear/hibernation theme is one of our favorites, both for the stoy and the illustrations: Old Bear (by Kevin Henkes)

Take a peek at the colorful and wonderful dreams of bear as he sleeps through the winter. Read this one on a day when you've really just had enough of the winter blahs. J's favorite dream is the one in which it's summer: the sky opens up and it rains blueberries!

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And finally, an older book I just discovered: Millions of Snowflakes (by Mary McKenna Siddals illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles)

It's a copyright of 1998 but the illustrations' washed-out colors and blurred edges remind me of books of my childhood. In this sweet story, a young girl and her dog delight in each little snowflake that falls. It's a simple counting book as well, and the text has a nice rhythm and rhyme that doesn't seem forced. "Three little snowflakes melt on my tongue. I eat them up. Yum! Yum! Yum!"

"Four little snowflakes tickle my chin. I laugh. I jump. I run. I spin."

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Well, that's it. I hope you're inspired to check out a book or two and that you enjoy them as we have. Next up on the Read Your Way Through series is either going to be Bedtime or Eating (more specifically Picky Toddler Eating). Two biggies for most parents, right?! :)

Battle Ready

2009-01-26T14:31:00.008-05:00

We've officially had a 2 year-old on our hands for a little over a month, and let me tell you, it was as if a switch went off on his 2nd birthday and J became an independent, bossy, disagreeable toddler! No, of course all his sweetness isn't lost, but some days he's just a whirlwind of orneriness and combativeness. As the picture indicates, I think he's donned his battle armor and is prepared to duke it out with Mama & Daddy.

So, likewise, we've been forced to create our own little arsenal, stepping up a notch from the stern looks, threats, and soft-spoken mini-lectures. I've recruited family, friends, the pediatrician, books and web sites to help me figure out the best course of action.

Babycenter recently (and coincidentally) emailed me the discipline tool kit for toddlers, which suggests distraction, substitution, offering choices, reducing the amount of times you say "No", and trying to respect the situations in which your toddler says "No". (Yeah, that last one is interesting, huh...)

Among the many parenting, childhood development and discipline books out there, I have found one to be remarkably eye-opening, exciting and helpful. Beyond Time Out: From Chaos to Calm by Beth Grosshans. I wouldn't say that our home has become complete chaos, but the book was featured in PW and I decided it wouldn't hurt to look at it since time-outs haven't been especially working for us. I don't completely buy in to the author's way of thinking (WARNING: she does somewhat knock attachment parenting, co-sleeping and Pleaser parents who tend to talk things out w/their kids all the time), but the book has definitely armed me with some effective parenting tools and taught me a lot about the insticts, motives, and needs of young children. In fact, once I finish the book I could see myself writing an entire post just on the things I have come away with.

Aside from these pointers, I'm just trying to ratchet up the patience! What's working for you?

Flannel Making Frenzy!

2009-01-23T05:54:00.002-05:00

Here's a peek at the flannel board pieces I've been working on for the last week or so. These little guys were so much fun to make! I used Clip Art to print out templates in order to get the basic shapes down since I am so NOT able to draw freehand. I enjoyed embellishing them a bit to make them more colorful and expressive. I ran out of blue and green felt awhile ago and finally got around to getting some more at JoAnn's last week. This time I was so excited to find the eco felt (I think that's what it's called.) It's made from recycled plastic bottles. It's a little stiffer than the felt I'm used to using, but for this purpose stiffer is better. I used Tacky glue to bond the pieces together, but I've just discovered Felt glue (also at JoAnn's) and think I may need to give that a try. It looks less messy and it also dries clear.

We've since been reenacting a lot of Brown Bear, Brown Bear (but morphed into our own version based on the animals we have). J also plays with the pieces away from the flannel board -- driving the car on the floor, zooming the airplane through the air, and (my favorite) tucking an animal into his chest so that he can pet it, talk to it, and feed it. Fun fun!

New Blog Series Coming!

2009-01-21T14:51:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to get the word out that I'm gearing up to start a new blog series! I hope you'll find it helpful, but also fun...and maybe it will open things up to discussion a bit. I'm really excited by the idea to bring together some of the things I love and am passionate about: kids, motherhood (parenting), books, information-gathering, and story-swapping.

The series will be called Read Your Way Through ____. The blank being some aspect of parenting, toddlerhood, or child-rearing that we are apt to confront at some point. My basic intent to offer reviews and recommendations of books to get you and your child through the sweet, fun, chaotic, silly, special and challenging moments. The focus will most likely be picture books, but who knows... I am quite the "How To" non-fiction reader so I'll no doubt have some "adult" recommendations too, as they apply. Maybe I'll get crazy and throw in a web site every now and then, too!

In my planning, I've arranged a selection of stages, traits and milestones that is pretty lengthy and quite varied, with the intent of keeping things somewhat universal and relevant to many of our lives. Of course, I welcome topic suggestions too.

Stay tuned!

Maisy in my mailbox!

2009-01-13T09:10:00.004-05:00

So, I've posted before about my love for Lucy Cousins and Maisy, but a couple of months ago my love grew...

J is quite taken with Maisy and her friends, and often incorporates them into his pretend play. Touched by his connection to these characters, I decided to write Ms. Cousins to express our enjoyment and gratitude of her books. They capture J's attention, introduce new vocabulary words, and nudge him forward on his path to reading. Maisy and her friends do things together that are so applicable to a toddler's life and yet, at the same time, introduce them to new ideas.

Well, the lovely Lucy Cousins responded to my letter! This card arrived in our mailbox one day before Christmas with no return address and postage stamps from the UK! I confess I was giddy when I realized what it was. I'm grateful that my letter meant something to her and that she took the time to write a few kind words to me. And, drawing J his own personal little Maisy waving hello - how amazing is that?!?

I highly recommend writing to an author or illustrator who is meaningful to you. Whether you receieve a response or not, it feels good to take a moment and let someone know that you appreciate their work.

Green Goodness

2009-01-06T14:12:00.005-05:00

Lots of New Year's Resolutions have been flying around the past week, and I'm actually not typically one for making them. I mean, I am perfectly willing and able to set goals and make changes, but I've never really subscribed to the idea that you have to come up with a zillion ways to change/improve yourself right at the mark of a new year. Who needs that kind of stress and anxiety-inducement right after the holidays?

However, this year I actually made a couple. And, I'm inspired by Amy's challenge at Crunchy Domestic Goddess to blog about a few of my "green" goals for 2009.

She began her post by taking stock of the green goals she accomplished in 2008 and that seems a good place to start. We made a few small changes at our house that really stuck:

C. planted a small vegetable garden this summer.

I read a lot of books about green living, gaining invaluable amounts of information and ideas. (My favorite "green" book of the year was Healthy Child, Healthy World.)

I switched to Seventh Generation laundry detergent (powedered) and dish detergent.

I rid the house of toxic cleaners and have kept a pretty clean house for the last year with mostly just soap, baking soda, vinegar, and hot water!

In 2009, I plan to keep on keepin' on with these new routines, but also make some other changes that will hopefully have an even greater impact. In no particular order, here goes:

Plant a bigger vegetable garden - tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, maybe a lettuce or two and also create an herb garden

Shop more farmer's markets. This goal will require some help from C. because I work every Saturday. But I know he enjoys shopping these markets, so I think he's up for the challenge. It'll just be a matter of planning ahead a little better.

Install a rainwater collection barrel. I'm really impressed with these guys, the Rain Brothers, who are local. They make rain barrels out of recycled plastic. And, what's really cool is that they make deliveries by bicycle whenever possible!

Set up a clothesline - just like Mom used to do!

Lastly, this isn't really a goal, but is something I've just begun to explore. I was invited to join an online community called Moms Meet, a collaboration between KIWI magazine and Earth's Best.

"What is Moms Meet," you ask? This page on their web site explains just that. Its purpose is to be an "online resource empowering parents looking to lead a greener lifestyle". The "Moms Meet" aspect involves setting up a community of moms (or dads, I assume) and sharing and discussing information/tips on green living. It seems the project is just in the kick-off stages, so that's about all I know at this point. I'll update as I learn more.

So, how about you? Any recommendations, tips, resolutions of your own?

Join the Green Goal Challenge here.

Top 5

2009-01-02T11:46:00.007-05:00

Here's a handful of the books we've been reading over and over again since Christmas. All of them were gifts and J (and Mama) couldn't be happier. I am so pleased with the little library he has built up in his mere 2 years, and even more pleased that he is such a bookworm! It's very clear that much of his knowledge and creativity and silliness is due in large part to the amount of reading we've done together.

The other wonderful thing about the books we own is the fact that so many of them are gifts from other people. It means more, especially to me, that our collection isn't just due to the fact that I am an amazon.com-addicted librarian. It's so special that family and friends have chosen books that make them think of J. So, I make it a point to help J to remember the connections between his books and the givers. I really believe that there's often a correlation between the gift-giver and the book...kind of like that idea that pet owners often look like their dogs!

Hug by Jez Alborough

Poor Bobo! Everywhere he goes, animals are hugging! Where is his hug? Mama and Baby Elephant escort him through the jungle to find the very best kind of hug.

J pores over the pages in this book and consistently looks concerned when we reach the page where Bobo is crying. (So sweet.) He also points at the word 'hug' on each page, runs his finger underneath it like he's seen me do, and says cheerfully, "Hug!" This is a GREAT book. Incorporates all kinds of Ready to Read skills.

Ribbit! by Bender and Bender

This hilarious book came from J's great-aunt, also a book lover. How cool that the Ohio-grown authors dedicated/autographed it to our little guy?! The crazy mix-and-match costumed frogs make the book appealing to a wide audience.

Jungle Gym by Stephen Krensky

J's Papa gave this book to him on Christmas. It's a cute rhyming, touch-and-feel counting book. Some time ago, Papa made a game out of teaching J silly little exercises, so this was a very fitting gift. Like the animals in the book, J and his Papa do push-ups, jumping jacks, and stretches. Goofy.

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins

Another silly rhyming book, this one was given to J from Nina. It's an oldie from 1969, and the rhythm is very Dr. Seuss-esque. When we were growing up, my brothers and I had this book and my mom remembers reading it over and over again. Apparently, when she saw it at the bookstore she could immediately recall most of the text and just knew J needed a copy. Here's a funny excerpt that J has been reenacting randomly while playing.

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
This 2005 Caldecott Medal winner is just too fun to pass up. Kitten is so adorable, as is the adventure she goes on as she tries to reach that big bowl of milk in the sky.

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Which books did you give or receive this holiday season? Or, do you have any current favorites, whether they're gifts or not?