Family Picture Day

So, rookie mom mistake: scheduling a family photo shoot for three hours before throwing a big party. The stress made me and my hair a little grouchy. (I'm going with blaming stress, not my personality, or my hair.) And Baby A, usually full of social charisma, may have picked up on  this grouchy vibe of mine, and so she was like, "Whatever, mom, it's my birthday, and I'm going to seriously study the grass for 90% of the photo shoot, even if the lovely, pregnant photographer makes banshee noises and stands on her head." Mostly true. Still, she was (predictably) adorable. And for that 10% that she looked up from the grass, Anna was the magical fairy-godmother-princess-ninja of photography, and LOOK HOW CUTE!

You'll see Baby A is reading a couple of her favorites, first, That's not my teddy... (Usborne) with the 54" teddy (Costco) that is hers, and then Pienen Oma Sanakirja (Kirjalito, My Little Dictionary).

She paused from reading to clap sometimes. That's how good the books are, I guess.

Thanks, Anna! 


P.S. We don't really have the same name. My name is pronounced kinda like the ona of onomatopoeia.

Little By Little

I'm always a little surprised when Baby A learns something that I've been trying to teach her. She's very bright, but I wonder how, between all the independent walking, milk-drinking, eating, drawer-emptying, and babbling, she has any time to listen to me. Katie left a comment (I love comments!!) and asked for tips on making reading time with a 4-month-old less squirmy and more sweet, and while I know I don't have anything to tell her that she doesn't already know, I enjoyed thinking about how babies work: little by little, led by love.

Some pointers:

Read frequently, with Baby's interest as your guide. If it's hard to leave a 6-page book half-read, free your wriggling baby but finish it out loud to yourself. (I've found that when Baby A wriggles away and grabs a different book or toy, but I keep reading the original, she comes back to my lap to finish it.) Baby's attention span will increase over time, but it will also go through spurts of being extra short or extra long. 

Make reading time cuddle time... or don't. I've said before that reading is a wonderful bonding activity, and that positive experiences foster a love of reading--still true. But there may be phases where the timing doesn't line up perfectly for a cuddly, attentive reading session. Just read anyway, while Baby is in the bath (fully supervised), is being fed, or is kicking in excitement over the fan.

Read favorites repeatedly. Babies bond with the familiar, and learn by recognizing patterns. (Baby A pointed to identify something I asked about for the first time last week! We've read that particular book and I've asked that particular question a bajillion times, and now I know she's paying attention and learning!)

Read what you enjoy to Baby, because your voice and attention are what Baby cares about. Baby may not remember what the story is about, or even know what a story is, but Baby does remember your body language and voice tones.

Before you know it, Baby will be reading to their Baby, so don't let worry or unmet expectations get in the way of the little moments now. In other words, take what you can get and give what you can give!

Little by little, led by love.

First Birthday Party of the World's Cutest Baby

Or rather, the world's cutest toddler. 

Yesterday, she was walking down the sidewalk in our apartment yard. When she got too far, I called her back, several times. She turned around, waved bye-bye, and kept walking away. 

Our past and our future flashed through my mind as I ran after her. 

But you came to see her party.

decorations:

 

 

Guests wrote birthday wishes on the back of  photos of her (about one from each month) on a banner, which i will dissemble to make a scrapbook. We watched a video of clips and pictures of her from birth to now. We listened to the Raffi Pandora station (best invention ever).

 

 

 

 

food:

Babies could eat refried beans, cheese, gucamole and maybe tortilla. Grown-ups could eat everything. To drink: chocolate, strawberry, or plain milk; lemon water, out of assorted lidded paper cups with straws.

Gifts:

Kids made drums out of empty formula cans by removing the wrapper (Up & Up brand cans without the wrapper are silver!) and decorating them with paper, stickers, and markers. I left the scooper inside, because it makes a fun sound when you beat the drum, or it could be used as a mallet. Favors: maracas, bird warbler, and horns.

  The cake:

(Everything was make-your-own)

sliced strawberries, strawberry sauce [pureed strawberries with sugar and a little lemon juice], real whipped cream, Costco shortcakes (on Ikea cake stand)

She cleared her plate.

 Then, she played with her friends.

  

And rested a little with her 54" bear.

 

After the party, she went for a dip, the first swim of the summer!

I think she had a fun day.

And we ended the day with her goodnight song, like we have since she was born. Sometimes, she's still my little baby.

A Day for Karoliinas

Today is my named day, for my middle name. I love my middle name: Karoliina. I'm named after my wonderful paternal grandmother Carolyn. And Karoliina means full, so my name all together means full of grace. 

You can find out your name day by typing in the Finnish, Swedish, Greek, or Catholic version of your name here. 

To celebrate my name day, I'm reading my Karoliina books.

This most adorable series is by Laura Vaipio, illustrated by Virpi Pekkala. Published in the mid-80s, my godparents sent them to me when I was four. I remember enjoying them very much. What stands out to me now is the level of independence expected from Karoliina. She usually gets scared, but then finds a way to adapt herself to the situation.

The publishing company suggests it for ages 2-6 years, and that seems about right. The text is lengthier than many other books for children under five. 

My favorite is Karoliina ja Uni-Leijona (Karoliina and Dream-Lion). The Dream-Lion is a friendly flying lion, who brings the Sandman around so he can help children to Dreamland.

Are you named Madeline, or Ella, or Eloise, or Max, or Arthur, or Frances? Or any other name starred in an adorable series?

May Your Daughters Be Surgically Altered

What is the worst children's book ever?

My vote is the one about Mommy getting plastic surgery.

Yeah, that's real: My Beautiful Mommy by Doctor Michael Salzhauer (a plastic surgeon with good intentions whom I can not relate to), illustrated by Vic Guiza. 
You illustrated a midriff-baring mommy and a super-hero-broad-shouldered surgeon? Really, Vic? 
I read it in horror at a bookstore a few years ago. I had all these brilliant and insightful thoughts about the portrayal of gender roles in books, and then my brain kind of melted, and all I could think about was the ridiculousness of this book. A mother gets a tummy tuck, boob job, and nose job--but don't worry, even though she's bruised up, she'll feel better... and end up beautiful. 'Cause she wasn't beautiful before, but the doctor fixed her, and when you--ugly red-headed girl--when you grow up, the doctor will fix you, too. It doesn't say that last part, but the rest is an accurate summary, and no, I do not recommend this book.

*Don't get me wrong, I'm not adamantly against plastic surgery, but a tuck, lift and nose? I have a hard time believing it's worth it to have weeks of painful recovery, risk blood clotting and infection, and pay a fortune to look thinner than a Barbie at what appears to be age twenty-nine.

Just thought you needed something funny and just a little mean on a Thursday.  


What's the worst (in kind of a funny way) children's book you've ever read?

Dinosaurs!

We recently visited The Museum of Ancient Life, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it is the largest dinosaur museum in the world. There are replicas with real fossil parts of prehistoric giants like Tyrannosaurus Rex and Brachiosaurus. I really like the ocean room with Archelon (giant ancient sea turtle). Baby A liked playing in the sand, where she and her aunt M brushed to expose "fossils". 

We had to get a picture with Stegasaurus, because in antcipation of our visit, Baby A got her first painting, a stegosaurus, at the Provo Library Children's Book Festival that morning (more on that another day!) Aunt M showed off her smarts by explaining the bones of Triceratops with fancy words like "scapula" and showing us the nasal cavity. I learned fun facts, like that Tyrannosaurus Rex means tyrant king, and Segnosaurus means slow lizard. (I think any insults I must use will be in the form of dinosaur names from now on...speed up, you segnosaurus!) My mom got Baby A her first puzzle from the gift shop. Since Baby A's going-home-from-the-hospital outfit was dinosaurs, and just because dinosaurs are awesome, I am trying to convince her to be really into them. Luckily, there are plenty of picture books to feed that fire! I will have to do more than one review on dinosaur books, but if you can't wait, I liked the list on this educational resource site. On our last library visit, I checked out three of the How Do Dinosaurs [...] books by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague (click to watch an excellent interview). 

2007

2003

2009

Basically, they delightfully encourage good behavior by substituting dinosaurs for a boy in common situations like recess, dinnertime, and a doctor visit. Each book includes illustrations of actual dinosaurs, so fanatics can learn the difference in supposed appearance of Tuojiangosaurus and Gallimimus. Different dinosaurs and parents are featured on each page, because it is not a linear story. I just wish some of the dinosaurs had been girls. Early school-aged children would enjoy this series. In bookstores now is How Do Dinosaurs Laugh Out Loud? (2011) with funny rhymes, liftable flaps, and stickers.


In draft are many other delightful dinosaur book suggestions. Do you love dinosaurs, too?

Tulips, Twolips

I told you before I was going to the Tulip Festival, and I thought you'd like to see what a beautiful afternoon it was:

coy pond- Baby A's favorite, and where her left shoe had a near-death experience

little wood bridges crossed a rambling stream

a grapevine tunnel led to a secret garden

Baby A exploring rows of tulips

water cascaded down these hillside steps, a statue at the top and a pool at the bottom

funny face, waterfalls in the distance

Baby A prefers to do the pushing

And now that you're all garden-inspired, some books to read aloud with your twolips:

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, catches the enthusiasm of a daughter preparing  a surprise windowsill garden. It is simple enough to read to a baby, but has words such as "trowel" and "geranium", and concepts such as anticipation and the transplanting process, that make it adaptable to older audiences, perhaps best for ages 4-7. An early reader would enjoy reading this, studying the lifelike face and bright flower illustrations. Published in 1994, the only dated aspect is the characters' attire, (which I find nostalgic.)

Eve Bunting also wrote Butterfly House (1999), illustrated by Greg Shed. A longer, lyrical picture book, it seems like a memoir of her grandpa helping her raise a butterfly, and watching butterflies in her garden (although, I think it is completely fictional). The illustrations are soft and sun-drenched, reflecting the sentiment of the text. A guide to raising a butterfly is included in the back of the book. I picture a grandparent reading this book to a 9-11-year-old before raising a butterfly themselves.

Happy Mother's Day!

I prefer to think of all women as mothers in their own way. Mother is a verb.

–verb (used with object)

15.

to be the mother of; give origin or rise to.

16.

to acknowledge oneself the author of; assume as one's own.

17.

to care for or protect like a mother; act maternally toward.

—Synonyms
17.  tend, nurse, mind, raise.

(dictionary.com) 

At the age of 8, my teacher asked me (and the whole class), "What is your big dream?" 

  

My big dream is in the nursery. 

And I'm so grateful for my nurser, my tender, my protector--my mother. She gave me rise. 

To all women, rearers of children, nurturers of humanity, or protectors of animals... thank you for mothering the world in your way. No one can replace you.

There are a lot of picture books related to mothers loving children and children loving babies (there are definitely enough picture book customers in that niche market), but for myself, I chose 

I Love You As Much... by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Henri Sorensen.
A mother's love is expressed to her baby by animals around the world, and by a human mother. Reading the brief and lovely poem and turning pages of vibrant, yet calm illustrations while cuddling Baby A is pleasant and peaceful.

For Baby A's birthday, I'll be reading

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (check out his web site for audio and visual of his 50+ books, adorable mail children sent him and more). My eyes mist every time I read this sweet story of a mother-child journey in the forever kind of love.

What are you reading? What book reminds you of your mother?

 

Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really, Want

from Young Writer's Conference

I've been working really hard (is it work if you do it for fun?) to write with intention, provide helpful content, and to make this place pleasant, aesthetically. I think I've come a long way, and have a lot of room to improve. Help me, will you? I'd like your feedback on layout/appearance, what I write about, and how I write about it. There's no need to hold back; I'm an editor, I can take any constructive criticism. Watch for the polls there on the right.


Here are some questions, if you are feeling particularly critical (in the literature sense) today:

Is there anything that...
makes your eyes glaze over in boredom? 
you've come back to see again because you liked it? 
you'd recommend to a friend?
bugs you? 
makes you laugh? 
you'd like to see here?

I hope to see you in the comments!

Thanks! You're the best.

May Day!

May is the loveliest month, with the grass greening, the trees and gardens in full bloom, the sunlight stretching a little longer, and a general buzz of revival. A couple of weeks ago one of my trees was literally abuzz with a hundred bees in the blossoms. But May Day left me a little grumpy, because it snowed. Again. It's melted now, and I'm going to the Tulip Festival today, so I'm just going to pretend that today is May Day, and I invite you to join my delusion. 

From here, which has a nice pictured history of Vappu, May Day in Finland

 

My favorite children's story about May Day is "The May Queen" by Alison L. Randall. Eleven-year-old Hetty, in England, is excited for her school's May Day festival, but her emotions get complicated as she worries about her plainness. That's a ridiculously vague review, because I want you to read it. It's so short, I can't review it without spoiling it. I got to see/read it before it was published while I was an editorial intern at the Friend. You can see it in the May 2009 issue here, and then (on the right side of the page) click Download > PDF. That will show you how it is laid out in the magazine with the adorable illustrations.

All stories in the Friend are based on people's real-life experiences, and there is a variety of material produced each month for children ages 3-11. Even though Baby A is only going on one, I think I'll order it soon and read parts of it to her (and all of it to myself). Plus, their web site is so fun! You can play games, print coloring pages, listen to audio or read PDFs of the magazine, and watch little video clips. Yeah, I'm a fan.

But back to May--it is National Picture Book Week! How exciting! Tell me your favorite picture books, NOW! Too strong? Please, tell me your faves?

One more picture, just for fun:

Isn't that hauntingly beautiful? I saw it all over, but grabbed it here.