2011 Favorite Reads

Thank you so much, reader friends, for coming over and reading, and commenting and sharing! 

I hoped to improve and grow this blog over this last year. It's still small potatoes, and has plenty of room for improvement, but I'd like to celebrate with a positive spin: 

• followers increased by 800% in the last 12 months,
• pageviews per month increased by 800-1000%,
• I successfully posted regularly, averaging 2-3 posts/week, 
• I learned basic how-tos and etiquette, and
• I think I am finding my voice! 

And who do I have to thank? YOU! I'm having so much fun, and I hope you keep reading. Tell me what you'd like more of, and what you don't care about so much. I'd love to hear.

As prompted by a reflection post on my personal/family blog, here is a list of my favorite reads this year:

Grown-up books: The Help. I read most of the first of The Hunger Games until I lost it on a plane, but I like it so far. 

YA: Jade; Forbidden Sea. It's the only YA I read, but I hope to read more of this huge category next year.

Early reader chapter book: the first of Ivy + Bean. We'll talk more about this soon--a good Level 1-3 chapter book is hard to find, but I think this series is great!

Picture books/Board books: I have over 80 and [as you know] I love them, but off the top of my head:  

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1);  

Click, Clack, Moo;  

Päivä Muumilaaksossa (5);  

Pat the Bunny; 

Gossie,  

The Thingamabob (3);  

Press Here (4);  

Seven Hungry Babies (2);  

My Personal Penguin;  

Goodnight Moon;  

Pikkuveikko; 

Christmas in Noisy Village.

What have your favorite reads been this year? What's on your list for next year?

Happy 2012!

One-a-Day Books

I hope your December has been as lovely as mine.

Go get a chocolate orange and read this Why Books? article adapted from a speech by the witty and gifted Mo Willems. I came across it at Modern Home Modern Baby, and while I agree with Kate that books are the perfect Christmas gift, I'd add that buying a book (a paper book!) needs no excuse. All year! Anytime! For the kiddos! For charity! For you!


In fact, get one you can read every day right before you get your gummy vitamin, like Richard Scarry's A Story A Day: 365 Stories and Rhymes.

I have Kun ilta ehtii... Satu Vuoden Jokaiseski Illaksi (When Evening Comes... A Story for Every Evening). My Mummi (grandmother) sent it to me for my first birthday in 1986. That edition had only been out one year. I want to read it every day with Baby A in 2012. I'm sure I'll throw in a lecture to counter-act the racism and sexism, but that won't ruin the richness of the teeny tiny stories and poems from around the world full of optimism, laughter, and culture.

Why do you think there aren't more recently published one-a-day books? (Or are there?) Is it because there are so many books available, people read every day already? Or because it's not as profitable to print such large volumes for children, than to print 12 different 14-page books instead?

Take a look at more beautiful old 365 books. And enjoy the last 5 of 2011's 365!

Christmas Book + Movie Pairings That Might Not Be On Your List Yet

 

 

Virginia O'Hanlan 1895

Have you been watching the Macy's and Make-a-Wish Foundation version of Yes, Virginia since it came out in 2009? It's adorable! The book was made first, and is definitely on my collection list. The book and movie are based on the story of Virginia O'Hanlon writing to NYC's major newspaper, The Sun, in 1897, and has been popping in to pop culture since. 

Among others, there is a 1974 made-for-TV Emmy-winning movie Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus (which is also known if Finnish as Joulupukki on totta). You can watch it here!

The Happy Elf book and CD is by brilliant musician (and actor) Harry Connick, Jr. If you haven't heard of it, here is a synopsis.

Harry also produced and voiced in the movie version. The pace of the movie is a bit slow, but the soundtrack is full of jazz. It makes inclusions that many other movies/books overlook, such as elves of different body types and skin colors, and it sneaks in little details such as that a doll could be going to a girl or a boy. I think of it as a slightly elaborated Rudolph story, but instead of a red nose, Euby the elf is excessively cheerful. Try reading it and listening to the book and CD, or watching the DVD (or Netflix) with a child--probably a child over six, because of its pace and occasional language like "shut up"--and let me know what they think.

Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh and J.otto Seibold is a must-have in the category of heartwarming but funny Christmas books. An unusual and delightful dog has a major misunderstanding, but ends up rejuvenating Santa's Christmas as a stand-in reindeer. There's a movie by Matt Groening, but I think it's a little more for grown-ups with some over-young-heads adult humor snuck in.





I wonder, why do all these plots lean heavily on the premise that Santa (and thereby Christmas, apparently) are in jeopardy? Has there ever been a shortage of parents convincing children that there is an annual gift-giver who is full of love and cheerfulness?


How about you? Are you working in any new books or movies this year?

Aluminum Star Tree

Inspired by the Christmas tree series over at Nat the Fat Rat, I thought I'd share my tree thoughts. I wisely photographed the tree immediately after decorating it. Nearly all of the ornaments and tinsel have been haphazardly rearranged, and I stripped the few remaining four-year-old candy canes after so many were snuck off and half-eaten by a certain toddler.

I love my tree. I've had real trees, a non-evergreen tree, and for the second year, this four-foot artificial tree, but they have all been decorated after the same fashion as the gorgeous live tree at my parents' house: nostalgic, eclectic, and traditional. The oldest ornament is the paper bell picture I brought home from kindergarten in 1990. The newest is last year's clear bulb holding the tiny bow that was pasted (without my consent) on my twenty-minutes-old daughter in May 2011. Each year of my married life so far, we've asked a clear bulb to hold a souvenir of that year. 

When it comes time to decorate, Christmas music is turned on and grumpiness is turned off. The lights are pre-strung on my tree, much to my delight, so we twirl the silver (must be silver) tinsel,  then add the gold bulbs, the traditional Finnish sheep and pig, of course, and gifted ornaments, and candy canes. The trick to an unfussy tree is to not fuss with it too much, obviously, and to work in order of ornament category, which maximizes balance around the tree. Oh, and put the ugly things in the back. At the very top, a star of Bethlehem is fashioned from carboard covered in aluminum foil, a nod to my childhood Christmas when a store-bought star was not in the budget--thank goodness, because aluminum foil has just the right amount of luminosity and cheekiness.

P.S. Christmas books are a great gift for anyone, and Design Mom has a lovely top-20 list.

How to Dress a Toddler for Snow-Play

What is that saying? There is no bad weather, only bad clothes? 

The bundling-up of  toddler cheeks and fingers and toes was daunting, but nobody swore and nobody cried: success! Just in case you don't have a grandmother to knit perfect multi-colored mittens and socks of wool, or an aunt who sends you your adorable cousin's outgrown snow clothes, I pecked around the web for some good snow-play outfit alternatives for next year. (Or for this year on clearance!) But first, a photo guide to dressing in the most efficient order:

1. Start with a double-layered base. This should include a long-sleeve tee plus a light sweater, and leggings under pants (or fleece-lined jeans), and socks, of course. Gather all your gear. Only work with recently fed and napped toddlers for optimum efficiency.

2. Slip on cotton mittens. If you have a mitten-hating toddler, you can save this for last, but be warned that your toddler will be extra wiggly by then. This time, I got an uncharacteristic thumbs-up, and the mittens stayed put for a solid hour, by what I can only assume was Christmas magic.

3. Wrestle on wool mittens and socks. The double layer is warmer; the cotton prevents wooly itch. Ski-style gloves/mittens are a good choice, too. But every kid deserves wool socks, and the socks should be long enough for tucking pants into, obviously. The brighter the colors, the less likely they are to be lost in the snow.

4. Slip hands and feet through the arm and leg holes and zip halfway up. I don't have a picture, but I trust your imagination. 

5. Boot up! And remember, speed is your friend. You may be losing compliance at this point.

6. Sing your toddler's favorite song (e-i-e-i-ooo) while pulling this underhat on. Faster! (Now, look at those eyes!)

7. Regular hat! Hood! Zip! Yes, we're all done. Let's go outside!
Oh, and you should've done this all dressed yourself, (except gloves,) because further delays will not be tolerated by even the most patient of toddlers.

Baby A is wearing:
tee/cords/socks [Baby Gap]
leggings [H&M]
mittens [hand-me-down, unknown]
green jacket [hand-me-down, Circo]
wool socks and mittens [my Mummi]
boots [Jack and Lily (at Costco!)]
underhat [hand-me-down, unknown]
teal hat [Janie and Jack]
snowsuit [hand-me-down, Tutta]


Mind you, she has a lot of clothing, and sometimes I even coordinate it. But on a sunny snow day, you've gotta beat the melt and go with what you find first in the drawer. 

If you're stocking up, these are also adorable:
faux-fur mittens
hand-knit baby socks and socks and socks
boots with plaid that boys and girls can both wear
balaclavas because I can't find a thin, cotton underhat that keeps the chin, cheeks and neck covered
snowsuit: sleek; reversible Vikings; with elasticized cuffs to keep it from riding up the boot--has anyone seen one like this in the U.S.?

And here's a nod to Ezra Jack Keat's adorable snowsuit:

What do you wear in the snow?

The Real Story of Rudolph

As a round-faced (combo of squishy cheeks and serious bangs) five-year-old, I battled stage fright to sing a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer duet with my cousin Amanda. In front of an adoring crowd of sixty people from our church, we wore matching antler headbands.

I know, so cute.

But even then, I thought the story of Rudolph was incomplete. All the reindeer wouldn't play with Rudolph, and then he helped Santa, so they decided to be friends with him? After a couple of decades, or at least the Decembers of those decades, I have over-thought the lyrics enough to produce a fury of questions:

Is this song trying to teach children that in order to be accepted they just have to use a physical feature they feel insecure about to impress the ring leader? Or, is it more that people will like you if you save them from danger? Or save them from inconvenience? Why didn't Santa, or Mrs, Claus, or an elf, intervene if Rudolph was excluded over and over from playtime? And why would Rudolph even want to be friends with the reindeer who were so rude for so long?

I'm not alone in this. Jack Johnson would agree with me, I think. I heard his rendition of Rudolph (on my Pandora She & Him Holiday station--who doesn't have a crush on Zooey Deschanel?) 

So, I found Jack's Rudolph on YouTube just for you:

What do you think? That's the version I'm teaching Baby A, for sure.

Stranger in The Woods

Is it just me, or does that title send shivers down your spine? But I'm actually talking about the adorable and heart-warming photograph story, or as the authors put it, "a photographic fantasy":

Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick set up a snowman sprinkled with seeds and corn, and dubbed clever and lyrical words to the woodland animals' curiosity. "'Who-hoo's in the woods? Where? Where did the jays say? Where is he?' asked The Owl of Many Questions." The text is chirpy, and the excitement is so easy to relate to, if you have half as much snow as the Canadian kids in the book have. The back of the book even has a "Recipe for a Snowman". Building Baby A's first snowman is definitely on our to-do list this winter. Speaking of which, Stranger in the Woods is the book I chose for Baby A this year. It's not Christmas-y, just wintery, but I thought the photographs of animals and the brief, repetitive, fun text would draw her in. (If she were 3-8 years old, I definitely would have chosen the 25th Anniversary edition of The Polar Express.)

In other to-do news, our advent chain is nearly half gone. The point was not so much to give myself more things to accomplish, but to remind me to infuse the holiday season with family time and intentional joy. Here's what we've enjoyed so far:

give Baby A a Pikkujoulu book

make Christmas cards

hand-make gifts

decorate the tree

call grandparents

celebrate Itsenäisyyspäivä

make hot chocolate

hang a wreath

read a Christmas book

But there has been no sticking snow yet, for the snow angels and snowmen on our list. There is some rooftop snow--Baby A pointed to it and declared it to be ice cream! Oh, I wish.
Are you having a creamy white December? Have you been festive? What have you been reading?

Homeland: My Finnish-American Home

Yesterday, my little family celebrated Finland's Independence Day. I strung what are now vintage candle lights in the front window, hung my two small flags of Finland, tried (and failed) to make Finnish treats, and sat reverently by a real candle to sing Maamme. 

I just discovered this collection of Finnish books in English, if you're interested. We have several Mauri Kunnas books, This Is Finland (in Finnish), and a couple of the Moomin board books. (They were at my local bookstore; have you seen them at yours?) I've added Foxy: Finnish Folk Tales for Children to my read and review list. And obviously, I need to collect all of the Tove Jansson books, as Baby A and I are tireless fans of the Muumi/Moomin franchise. Indulge me, will you?

I have always considered myself to be 100% Finnish and 100% American (of the English/Welsch/Scott-Irish variety), and although my daughter is technically only a quarter Finnish, she's fully Finnish (and fully American) to me. 

There is a lot of discussion about mixed-race--and it is interesting to trace your racial history and to positively reinforce the blending of race in families by marriage or adoption--but I find it far more interesting to trace and reinforce the far more complex, fluid, and relevant phenomena of cultural blending.

What traditions do you find yourself mish-mashing? 

In my experience, children will take on any traditions with heart.