Another numbers hit

Ten Little Bears by Kathleen Hague was a big hit today. With the little ones, the rhymes hint as to what number comes next - so it is a huge help to those who do not know how to count backwards. Loved it so much, I'm bringing it home for the girls tonight.

Numbers numbers numbers

So we did numbers for babies and numbers for big kids today. I was inspired by V's kindergarten teacher - she is teaching the children sign language. So I took it upon myself to learn along with V. This week, I taught the babies how to count in sign language and supplemented with Karen Katz's Counting Kisses and Ten Tiny Tickles.

For the big kids, I love singing Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, and even though Christelow's book is great, the children just love the jumping part. So we Little Quack by Lauren Thompson and Ten Go Tango by Arthur Dorros. I love Little Quack's counting bar at the bottom and for one on one sharing, it is wonderful. Ten Go Tango's pix are just hilarious. The children especially loved the fancy outfits.

School approaching

Now with V going to Kindergarten, we've been reading books about school. She doesn't seem nervous out all - social situations are her strength. I don't think she realizes yet that this is a learning institution and not her platform for fashion and such. Where did my little diva come from? I am so not fashionable, or as my husband likes to repeat constantly, I am not as hip as I think I am. Whatev. So Jamie Lee Curtis' I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem is a great one b/c V tends to be very hard on herself if she does something embarrassing or "wrong". V is exemplified in "I'm gonna like me / wearing flowers and plaid./ I have my own style / I don't follow some fad." Perfect. Curtis' It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work my Control Panel is also great - reminding me that she is going through so many changes that it is hard for her to control herself. And Nancy White Carlstrom is always a classic. Her Jessie Bear series has flown out of every library I've ever worked. I like It's Your First Day of School, Annie Claire because Annie Claire has all of the worries that every child has - what if no one likes me, or I spill milk, or I am not as smart as the other kids. And best of all, what if you miss me? Projecting her own feelings of missing her mother, onto her mother, is typical of this age. And her mother's response that they will both have to get used to school because it is new is a great answer. Reminding Annie Claire that she is not alone in this next step. It is new for both of them. And no matter what, near or far, her love will go with her. Perfect. That message of love going with you wherever you go is in The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, without being sacchrinely sweet.

S, at six months, is discovering books but she likes the soft ones that she can chew. Anything with sparkles or shine. Baby Girl (Bright Baby) by Roger Priddy often makes the car trips because it has a shaker and a teether and has held up since V was a baby. So has Animals by Teether Cloth Rattles. These pages are soft and the animals are in bold colors. Scout will just gnaw an anything soft and so finding this for your teether makes them look literary at such a young age. Haha.

Big and small storytime

We had a big and small storytime today - talked about BIG and small animals. I loved Big and Little by Steve Jenkins. He writes some of my very favorite books about animals. I love his title Acutal Size - so many children will never get the opportunity to get up close and personal with those animals and to see how big or small they are in real life is amazing. Big and Little does the size of the animals in scale, so it gives a great idea of how large an animal is if they know the size of the smaller one (eg tiger and cat). Jenkins is a genius. We followed it by Little Gorilla by Ruth Bornstein - a very cute title that I had never seen and I just fell in love with it. Because V now has a little sister, she is always asking to be a baby again. This title encourages children that we still love them when they get bigger. I am bringing this one home for the weekend - with Hurricane Irene coming and all. Lastly we read Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen, a wonderful tale with a suprising ending. Out of a donkey, a pig, a sheep, a cow and a mouse, who do you think sank the boat?

I also need to bring home some titles on storms. This is V's new fear. Storms. Hurricane Irene on every channel is not helping our cause here. I think we may need to read about wind and rain and thunder and lightning so that V can get a good idea about them. The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola is in my stack as will be Cloudy with a Chance Meatballs by Judy Barrett, Just You and Me by Sam McBratney, and When the Wind Stops by Charlotte Zolotow.

The Baby Cook

So, Mom bought me the Beaba. And not just the Beaba, but the whole she-bang. The cooker, the freezer capsules, lunch plates, cookbook - everything. So last night, with the direst of television on, I decided to bake an apple pie and break out the Beaba. After all, why should I ever want to sleep? I cut up the sweet potato for S, put it in the Beaba (note to company who makes the Beaba, minimal instructions are great, but I could've used a little more explanation about filling the steamer cup and then putting it in the reservoir, I was a little confused. But honestly, when I got it, I got it... The sweet potatoes were perfectly steamed and then I just dumped the water in a cup to save and add as necessary to the steamed potatoes I was processing - no extra dishes, no annoying food processor. It was amazing!! I made one sweet potato and it was delish. I can see this as a great addition to my kitchen gadgets. I cannot wait for Donaldson's to have their Butternut Squash in the store. And next I am going to try doing it with zucchini and carrots. I love the carrots with the green stems still on - I think they are sweeter. And apples. Oh, yummy apples.

Time and Tiffanys

When we were in Mich, I asked Vail where beauty originates. I'm trying to get her to realize that beauty is not clothing or hair, but who you are. She answered Tiffanys. Made me realize that perhaps I need to go about talking to her about beauty in a different way. This weekend Aunt Debs remarked that she tried to focus on telling Vail how smart or clever she was - not beautiful. I think that is a good start. Praise something other than beauty for a while... hopefully she'll learn that beauty is within...

Stationery card

Banner Girl Birthday Invitation

To view our collection of birthday card designs, click here.

View the entire collection of cards.

Monitor

Sent Scout to school today with a 24 hour heart monitor. Poor little thing - all of the children in her class wanted to pull the wires. I just hope as she gets older that this isn't something that will make her fear being around others. Children can be so curious. And can be so cruel. I hope that her heart doesn't require this all the time, but if one day it does, I pray she finds true friends that don't see it as an issue.

Siblings

I hope that when Scout grows up, she's as chill as she is as a baby. So that she can temper her sister's drama. Today Vail had a fit because Scout pulled her hair. I feel for Vail, being four, getting used to be the only, and now there is this new baby sister in the house. She feels so displaced and I don't know what else to try to do to help her feel any better at all. There just seems to be nothing...

We read Peter Rabbit last night. What is it about Beatrix Potter that is so timeless. Vail wants to know more about little Benjamin Bunny b/c Peter mentions him. And she declared last night at the end of the book that Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail are so sweet. Yes, Vail, they are. B/c they are "good little bunnies".

books books books

Finished The Friendship Bread last night. Loved it. There are so many friends that we have right now that could use a little TLC. Just like Julia and Madeline, I want to give a little somethin' somethin' to my friends...

We're headed to DC this weekend and I don't want to leave starter in the car to get all nasty. So I am going to start it on Sunday, then bake it the day before we leave for Mich so that we can have some yummy bread on the way. I'm hoping its yummy ... bet it is. Then when we return, I'll just do the starter again and go from there. Should be fun and delish. http://thefriendshipbreadkitchen.com/

But maybe I could keep it in my purse... and it would be fine... maybe...

Vail was huge on Maisy's First Clock by Lucy Cousins. She really really wants to learn about clocks and this was a perfect intro. Now she understands the big hand and the little hand a little more. Funny thing is that she tells me yesterday, when she had to time out in her room for 5 minutes, that she counted on her clock. I was so impressed. Last night I realized that her clock had stopped yesterday morning... silly girl.

So I began The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels last night when I finished The Friendship Bread. I've devoured Ree's cookbook. Love her blog. Cherished Charlie the Ranch Dog (and I'm sure I'll be purchasing it for at least two or three children between now and new years, my own children included b/c Vail had me read it so many times, I had her bring it to school to have them read it before returning to the library). I was so taken that I looked at the clock and realized that my alarm would be going off in less than five hours and I hadn't prepped bottles, laid out clothing, emptied the dishwasher, or folded laundry. There is something to be said for a real love story ... with recipes...