Bucket of Books

I just discovered this post in my draft box from weeks ago...I often have drafts in my head of blogs to write but don't actually get to the computer. This one I started and then promptly forgot. Ironic, especially once you read it. But it's the kind of post that's the reason why I wanted to blog in the first place. To note milestones in Emily's life, especially about reading. So, even though it's old, here it is!

My husband has been keeping a "sentence a day" journal about the things Emily is doing. I got the idea from a blog I read and he decided to do it. Sometimes he writes down things I tell him she did, other times it's things he's noticed. It's a neat record of all those little things and milestones we think we'll remember but know we really won't.

One of the things I meant to blog about during the six-week-blog-drought-of-2011 happened on Oct. 26th. Emily was almost 9 months old. We keep a bucket of board books in the living room. Typically, when we read, she would sit for a couple minutes, maybe for a whole book, maybe not. Usually she grabbed for it, try to put it into her mouth. Sometimes she'd help turn pages back and forth. She had the attention span that you'd expect at her age.

This afternoon, I pulled her onto my lap to read from the bucket of books. This time, she listened to the whole thing. She helped turn the page and sometimes touched it, but didn't try to mouth it. When we were done, she leaned into the bucket and chose another to read. We read that one in the same way and she chose another.

We did this for at least 20 minutes! I could not believe it. Especially since she sat and really looked at the pages and seemed to be listening. She wasn't just picking books up to feel them or move on to the next. We cuddled for 20 minutes and read together. It was such a sweet afternoon to have with her. I knew even then that this would not happen again for a while. It was an unexpected gift.

1st Christmas

Emily's first Christmas was so much fun! She didn't quite get the concept of ripping the wrapping paper, but her eyes would light up when she saw the gifts underneath. She especially loved pulling the tissue paper out of bags.

She also liked to eat them, of course.

Here are some of the gifts she received.  This one was a fun surprise. Check out the fine print! (It says "storytime-mom.blogspot.com 11/30/2011" referring to this post.)

Yep, my mom's a blogger!

She loves bathtime. She and I play with "Henrietta Hen" in the tub, along with her other toys. Now Henrietta has a friend.

Lucy Ladybug

And, some of the books...

Notice the ducky one, it's for the bath! I couldn't resist. She likes it.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

It's been a wonderfully busy two days celebrating Christmas. We went to my sister's on Christmas Eve to spend a couple hours with her family. Then we were off to another family's home, where Santa made a surprise visit.

Hello, Santa!

Christmas Day was another intimate family gathering of oh, about 65 people. For dinner. You think I jest. Not so! Every year we joke that this year someone will be eating outside. Hasn't happened yet, but it was a near thing. And this is not a big house. It takes 10 minutes to go from one end of the house to the other, but only because of the throng of people in the way. It's a constant game of musical chairs. When you stand up, you forfeit that chair. It's happy chaos.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate with just the three of us for Emily's first Christmas. It's the only year that she won't mind, and we'll be able to have a leisurely, quiet day. We'll put a fire in the fireplace and not take off our jammies unless we want to. We'll take our time letting Emily open the presents. After all the happy chaos, I am looking forward to some peace.

Goodnight all.

Christmas Lullabies

Emily and I sit in a overstuffed chair with the houselights dimmed. We watch the lights twinkle on the tree as she has her bedtime bottle. We listen to songs like "Silent Night," "Ave Maria" and "O Holy Night." I stroke her hair and cradle her close. Such peace and blessing and quiet joy...

Storybook Advent Calendar

This will be Emily's first Christmas and we've been having fun putting the decorations up. The trick has been which ones to put out and where so that she doesn't get into more than the spirit of the holiday, if you get my drift. I am looking forward to her eye's lighting up as she sees the tree, lights, and brightly wrapped presents.

I've been thinking a bit about traditions. What traditions to start? This year is a bit of a dress rehearsal, since she won't really remember much in particular and everything will be wonderful and new.

One tradition I definitely want to do next year is something I just heard about from a friend of mine, over at Librarian Pirate. She shared this wonderful idea of a book advent calendar. You can see her post here. She got the idea from another blogger~It's fun how we can all share ideas with the wonderful world of the internet.

Anyway, it's too late in the game for me to do it this year, but I am sooo going to do this next year. Gives me a whole year to plan! (She's making her list of books, and checking them twice...) I am tempted to do it for the 12 Days of Christmas this year, but I know I won't... Instead I'll buy her at least one book to open for Christmas morning.


Do you have any favorite Christmas books to share?

Winter Family Read Aloud

Today Emily and I visited the Naperville Public Library and signed up for their new Family Read Aloud program "Paws to Read" which started today. We have the whole month to do at least 8 things suggested on their list. Then we can get another log for January and for February.  It's a wide range of ideas meant for children through 5th grade and their families. What a cool way to do things together as a family! (And who doesn't like to win fun prizes, too?)

Here are some of the great ideas~
Watch a movie based on a children's book
Read a non-fiction book together about a favorite topic
Read to your pet, neighbor's pet, or stuffed animal

Given Emily's age, for starters, we plan to~
Read together out loud or silently
Attend a library program
Listen to a children's music CD

You can read more about it and get great suggestions for read alouds on their awesome new kid's blog.

This is a free program for Naperville residents, but if you live near, but not in Naperville, you can sign up your whole family for $5. If you are not nearby, check out your local library. They often have reading programs or activities during the winter months. And if you are snowed in this winter, pull out whatever books, games, music, recipes or other activities you have on hand and spend time with your family. You'll be glad you did.

What literacy activities do you like to do with your family?

I'm back

Wow, six weeks without a post! I knew blogging was hard when I decided to start this, but I thought I was up to the challenge. I planned to blog 6 or 7 days a week, or maybe 5, er, how 'bout 3 times? Sheesh!

All I can say for myself is --  it's been busy.

Emily has been busy crawling, exploring, teething, climbing, reading, playing, standing, cruising, laughing, singing, babbling...  You know, Normal Baby Stuff.

Mom has been busy chasing, baby proofing, chasing, laundry, cleaning, chasing, reading, laughing, laundry, not sleeping, enjoying my daughter... You know, Normal Mom Stuff.

I will say, in my defense, that with all the exploring going on, it's all but impossible to be on the computer for more than 5 minutes at a time while she is awake. (She wants to eat the computer for one thing.) And since she flat out refuses to take a nap in her crib, I can only do this (and a million other things) at night when she sleeps. Yes, I know, welcome to the world of momhood! I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, these are my reasons for not blogging recently. Nothing earth shattering. Just me learning to be a mom and juggling all the new things that come along. Making memories rather than recording them.

But now I am back. For how long or how often I can't say. If you don't see me for a while, I am off playing with my daughter.

Road Trip Part II

If you are just finding this, read part one of our road trip misadventure here. In a nutshell, on a recent trip to Door County, our family hit one crazy detour after another. We finally found ourselves in the middle of the night staring open mouthed at a tree blocking our path, just feet from our destination.

My husband and I both tend to stay fairly calm in unusual situations. Despite our initial numbed disbelief at the sight of the tree (after 7 hours of driving), my husband jumps into action. He tries to see if he can move the tree out of the way just enough to get our car through. It was a birch tree, so while big, it doesn't have a massive trunk. When he can't drag it in one piece, he starts breaking off limbs. This might work!

Branch after branch comes off as he works by the light of our headlights. I watch him do the heavy lifting in the warm car (I am not dumb) and pray that our daughter stays asleep. I am mentally calculating how to bundle her up (without waking her) and schlep her over the tree into the unknown darkness. Meanwhile, he keeps at it. At one point, I get out to help, with no luck. The trunk will not budge.

Off he goes with a dinky flashlight to find the entrance to the driveway while I stay in the car. Sure enough, the entrance is within sight. He waves and then he's down the driveway to see how far it goes. And to see if it is safe for us to go that way on foot.

This all sounds like a great plan, until he is gone for what seems a long time. I start to worry. Who knows what is down that path? What if he stumbles on another tree? Or worse, a downed power line?  I try not to think of even worse things, the kind of things that creep in at 3:00 am on a dark country road. With no phone. Did I mention it's pitch black? I'm giving him five more minutes and then I'm going to...what? What can I do, with my daughter in the back seat? He's laying in a ditch from a downed power line and I am going to bring Emily along to help? Or leave her in the car?? He better get back here quick before I lose it. Calm under pressure, that's me.

Just in time I see a light shining from the direction of the cabin. Here he comes in his parent's car! I feel like the calvary has just shown up. Relief. What a good idea! I can put Emily in their car and we can get ours in the morning. Then I see him get out of the car -- with a handsaw! He's going to show the tree who's boss.

10 minutes later, I drive our car past the tree into the sanctuary of the cabin. At last. His parents are there to help us into the house, where we discover -- there's no electricity! No heat, water, or phone service. (It was out for two days due to a huge windstorm that hit Door County.) Still, there's a warm bed and sleep. Ahhh.

The name of the cabin? "The Refuge."

Road Trip

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Door County, Wisconsin.We spent lots of time relaxing, wandering around in nature, and enjoying time with family.

While we knew the trip would be memorable, we never expected the trip there to be quite so eventful.

Since this was the first long car trip for our 8-month-old, we decided to leave at bedtime and drive while she slept. We knew we would get in late, but it would be worth it for a peaceful trip for everyone. (Besides, Grandma and Papa would happily take the little rooster in the early morning and we could go back to bed.)

Sounded reasonable. It didn't even bother us overly much that we left 2 hours later than planned.

Until we hit five detours.

The first detour -- construction. Who closes an entire freeway? An exit, yes. But the whole road?  45 minutes later we're back on the freeway. Ok, no big deal, we're on vacation...What's one detour?

We continue on our way until -- the road in front of us is roadblocked. No warning, no explanation, no detour sign, no idea if there was a way around it. This is the main highway, people! After a few dumbfounded minutes of staring at the roadblock, we find an alternate road and we're on our away again. 

An hour later, just as we had almost forgotten the two previous detours, we innocently turn a corner and -- "What is that?...Slow down...is that--crime tape?" Yellow tape blocks our path. Hmmm... is the universe trying to tell us something?

We detour (again) until our way is blocked (again), this time by a fallen tree. We turn around and find our way blocked by another tree. We finally navigate out of the maze and go doggedly on, laughing at the craziness of the night. Eventually we turn with relief onto the final road, ready to fall gratefully into bed. The detours have cost us two hours, but we are now finally 300 feet from the driveway.

Our path is blocked by a fallen tree. Seriously!?!?

What, you thought the story was over? Well, so did we! In case you don't fully appreciate the scope of situation, let me describe the scene.

It's 3:00 am on a pitch-black unfamiliar (dead-end) country road. The GPS says it's 300 feet to our destination, but we can't actually see the driveway or the cabin. Who knows how far the cabin is set back from the road. It is freezing cold and windy. The whole area is without power and we are low on gas. We have an 8 month old in the back seat who we are sure is going to wake up at any moment. Our phone isn't getting a signal. We've just driven 7 hours and a TREE is BLOCKING our PATH.

My husband and I just stared. Are. You. Kidding. Me?!? What are we going to do??

You'll have to read tomorrow's post to find out!

Appleport Lane to County Road ZZ

We recently returned from a lovely vacation in Door County. During our last vacation, I started a tradition of vacation ABC's. You can read more about that here. It was a fun way to spend the time on a long car trip. When Emily gets older it will be a fun way to encourage letter knowledge and narrative skills. Best of all, it will be a way to remember our trip.

Here are the ABC's of our trip.

A is for Appleport Lane (where our cabin was)
B is for "Bobblehead girl" -- Emily bouncing while eating dinner
C is for Cabin -- "The Refuge"
D is for Detours (five!)
E is for Emily learning to crawl
F is for Fishboils, Farmer's Market (Seaquist) and fall foliage
G is for Goats at Al Johnsons
H is for Hugs, lots from Emily
I is for Imagination--The miniature gnome home at the library

Gnome home at the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Library

J is for Junkyard Trail (long story)
K is for Kindle by candlelight
L is for Liberty Grove Library, Loon sighting
M is for Mission Grill--Mom and Dad's Night Out
N is for Nature walks
O is for On the swing at the water's edge with Grandma and Papa
P is for the Piggly Wiggly (love that name!) and Pioneer Living -- no electricity, water or phones for 2 days
Q is for sQueals of delight all week long and even more when we got home
R is for the Rickety Pier
S is for Sand Beach Park
T is for the Trolls at Al Johnsons
U is for Under Grandma's chair for a dulcimer concert (best seat in the house!)
V is for Vacation in Sister Bay, Door County
W is for the Wind Storm of the Century & Wild turkeys on crossing the road
X is for eXtra special time with Grandma and Papa
Y is for Yummy cherry pie
Z is for County Road ZZ

On the porch with Grandma

Do you like my ring, Papa?

You Are My Sunshine

I've been thinking about my mom. It's her birthday today and she would have been 84. It's been 18 years since she died and while time does heal, the years also bring more milestones in my life where she was absent. My graduation from college, first job, first home, all sorts of things that a daughter likes to show off to her mom. The big ones are the saddest~she never met my husband, danced at our wedding, or saw the birth of our child. I know she is here in spirit, but my heart aches that she and Emily will never know each other.

My earliest memory of my mom is her singing the lullaby "You Are My Sunshine" to me. I remember being comforted in her arms when I was sad or sick or too tired to sleep while she sang. I remember listening to the words and feeling special and loved.

My mom usually had a sunny personality. So the words, "You make me happy, when skies are gray" seem an appropriate way to remember her today. She wouldn't want me to be sad. And if she could, she would delight in rocking her granddaughter to sleep with the same song.

It's a song I sing to Emily. I hope to pass on the same memories of comfort and love to her as I received from my mother. Someday, she'll know that her grandmother sang it to me. That will be one way at least she will know her.

Sharing

Today on facebook, I stumbled on two articles that I thought worth sharing.

The first is about what libraries have to offer.
"Evolving Libraries say 'Check us out now.'"


The second is about getting kids to read.
"How to get your kid to be a fantastic reader."

Enjoy.

Emily Reading

Today Emily read a book by herself!

Ok, so she didn't read it the way we would, but it was still a sweet moment.

We have small toy boxes scattered throughout the house. When I set her down next to one, she likes to explore what's inside. This morning she pulled the soft cloth book off the top and "read" it for several minutes. Instead of just feeling it and stuffing it in her mouth as usual, she set in on her lap (right side up), turned the first page, and studied it. Then she turned the next page, played with one of the flaps, and turned the next page. And so on, until she finished the book. We were amazed. It really did look like she was reading it.

While we scrabbled unsuccessfully for the camera in time, we did get this video of her later.  Isn't she cute? 

Lapsit

Today, Emily and I went to Lapsit, a storytime for babies at the Naperville Public Library. This program for the under 2 crowd is a wonderful way to engage children at this age, and the staff at Naperville always do a fantastic job. The 20 minute program consists of lots of fingerplays, songs and one or two short board books. Afterward, everyone is invited to stay in the room to read or meet other families.
While this was not Emily's first storytime, it was definitely the one she was most animated at. She squealed in delight throughout. It was hard to tell what her favorite thing was: seeing other babies, bouncing on my lap as I did silly things with my fingers, or seeing the baby doll that Miss Jill used as her prop.
One of the books was especially cute.

Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson (illustrated by Sam Williams) is a board book in rhyme that in encourages lots of kisses and hugs. It has a nice rhythm, perfect for bouncing baby while reading. I'll be looking to check this one out to read again at home next chance we get.




Does your library have a program for babies? Many do. It's a great way to bond with your child. And it's never too soon to start encouraging a love of books.

Sleepytime

Sleep has been on my mind a lot this week. I should say a lot more than usual. We have spent the week helping Emily sleep in her crib in her room instead of in the co-sleeper next to our bed. I have to say I loved having her in our room. I could watch her sleep and reach her quickly when she needed comfort or to nurse. And waking up next to her with her huge smile was absolutely wonderful. But it was time.

She handled it all fairly well, until she started teething and/or getting a cold. I am sooo tempted to bring her back to our room, but am holding firm. Instead, she gets lots of naps in my arms.

Of course, we also cuddle together with books. Here are two sleepytime books that we own and enjoy reading together over and again.

Peter Rabbit Sleepy Time
A lift-the-flap board book with soft colors and quiet words. It's fun to use the flaps to cover up the sleeping animals. Some of the flaps are doors, trees, or even Jemima Puddle-duck's wing. When Emily gets older I imagine she'll enjoy guessing who is under each flap and thinking about them enjoying their rest.

Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Claire Freedman; illustrated by Tina Macnaughton.
Safari animals get ready for bed after a long day of playing. A story in rhyme, the words are soothing. The illustrations are too, with soft warm sunsets moving toward dusk and a moonlit evening. The cover is even somewhat soft, so it's a great cuddle-up-and-read book. It's an oversized board book, so it's also good for a small group.

Vacation Pics

I took some pictures on vacation with my new camera. I finally learned how to get them from the camera to the computer and onto the blog. Welcome to the digital age. It's easy to take way too many pictures! Here are a few.

In the children's room...

...at the local library.

Read me a story, Papa!

I like the bird songs, Grandma.

Vacation ABC's

There is a long tradition of playing games with children on long trips. It's a fun way to keep them occupied and help pass the time. As a child we played "My father owns a grocery store, and in it he sells___" Or we looked for the alphabet on signs and license plates.

Emily is too little for any kind of meaningful game; her rings and a toy keep her content. She was more interested in the train window than anything outside of it. But I needed something to keep from getting stir crazy. So, we played a game that I plan to make a tradition~Vacation ABC's.

As she sat on my lap I went through the alphabet recalling things from our vacation. She enjoyed the sound of my voice as I reminisced about the trip. Who knows how many words she understood, but all babies are sponges when it comes to language and new experiences.

When she gets older she will be able to contribute to the game, first with naming a word that goes with the alphabet. Later she'll add her memories and talk about them in more depth. This will be a meaningful way to capture memories of the trip. She will also develop her letter knowledge and narrative skills, both key skills in early literacy.

Here is the result of our first vacation ABC's.

A-Asparagus, growing wild on the hobby farm
B-Basil, tasting it for the first time
C-Chugga, chugga, choo-choo
D- Dog, meeting Minnie the dachshund
E-Emily's first vacation
F-Flora, Miss Flora McFlimsey (by Mariana), one of Grandma's favorite books as a girl
G-Giraffe toy
H-Hummingbirds, watching grandma make sugar water
I-Ice cream at Central Dairy Creamery
J-"Jiggety-jiggety, jumping jacks..."
K-Kicking and splashing in the bath
L-Lion's Club Park
M-Missouri on vacation
N-Napping with Grandpa
O-Outside, in the garden watching Grandma, taking walks, exploring the wild flowers
P-Piano, playing with Grandma
Q-Queens, being treated like them!
R-Reading with Grandma
S-Sunday School
T-Traveling by train for the first time
U-Union Station to meet Daddy
V- Vanilla ice cream, Yum!
W-Wooden objects, watching Papa make them in his shop
X-X-tra special trip to visit the grandparents
Z-Zinnias on the table

Train Ride

I haven't blogged in a while because Emily and I have been on vacation. We had a grand adventure together--traveling by train to visit her grandparents.
It was quite the trip--three trains there and two back, but we managed fine. She is still portable and not yet crawling, so she was mostly content to explore the world from my arms.
Still, it's a long time to be in one place, even walking the cars to and fro. So, we did a lot of lap games.
Here are a few that we did together.

"This little train went up the track."
(Tickle her from toes to hip)
"It went choooo-choooo." (tickle her tummy)
"And then it went right back."
(Tickle from hip to toes.)

Bouncing her~"Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga, chooo-chooo!"

Clapping out the rhythm~
"Jiggety, jiggety, jumping jacks
This little train sped down the tracks
It went to Missouri, then came back.
Jiggety, jiggety, jumping jacks."

Nom Nom Nom

Like many babies, Miss E loves to put things in her mouth. It's one of her favorite ways to explore the world. She especially likes brightly colored things. The bolder they are, the better they must taste.

This strong desire to taste everything makes reading a challenge. She watches me turn the pages, fascinated. Then her excitement builds and she urgently wants to put the corner in her mouth. And then the other corner. And the next.

Should I let her or shouldn't I?

I want reading to be an enjoyable experience and right now, this is one way she enjoys it. But if I let her, the book would be a sodden pulp in record time. What might be OK with her own books, wouldn't be with library books. But I don't want to tell her "No" constantly while trying to read to her. Plus, she is quite talented in getting desired objects into her mouth, despite my best efforts to thwart her.

I've come up with a solution that works a lot of the time. Perhaps experienced parents already knew this trick, but I was quite excited when it worked. It's amazingly simple. When we sit down to read, she gets a toy.

It might be her plastic giraffe or her teething ring. Sometimes it's her red bug. Lately she always has a death grip on a plastic ring or two. She "eats" the toy and watches me turn the pages of the book. Sometimes she bangs her ring on the page to show she likes it. It still takes some coaxing sometimes, but she is less likely to drop the toy to try to eat the book.

There are other solutions too, such as reading fabric books, or indestructibles. Putting her down on the floor with her toys as I read aloud works too.

When we hit this phase, I was beginning to worry that we wouldn't be able to cuddle and read together. Now, it's a fun experience again for both of us.

Celebrate Library Card Sign Up Month!

Library's have lots of cool weeks and celebrations. September is "National Library Card Sign Up Month."

Did you know many public libraries have no age restriction on getting a child a library card? Some let you do it at birth, others when the child can sign his name. (The guidelines are different for every library.) Some even have promotional things to make it even more exciting, like getting a picture taken with a very first library card.

Why is a library card so important? Books and reading open up worlds of knowledge, information and imagination. Libraries are places to engage us, educate us and even entertain us. It really is amazing what you can find and do at the library. And sure, you can go to the library and do many of these things without a library card. But the card is a ticket to more.

The public library has countless books to choose from. Even the smallest library can get books from other libraries through inter-library loan. These books can supplement even the best stocked personal library. Providing an abundance of books for children encourages them to want to read.


Some libraries do fun things as an incentive to sign up in September. Check out your local library this month and see all the wonderful things a library card can bring you and your family.

If your library is doing somethings special this month to celebrate, please comment and add a link.

Get your library cards today!

40 Favorites

In honor of my 40th birthday, I am taking a trip down memory lane. Here's a list of 40 of my favorite children's books, in no particular order. They are books I loved as a child or that I discovered later as a child-at-heart. I wonder if any will be on my daughter's list of favorites when she is my age?

 

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak     
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert D. San Souci
The Bearer of Gifts by Stephen Kenneth
The Hero and the Crown series by Robin McKinley
The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
Witch's Sister series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper
Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Alfred Hitchcock's The Three Investigators series by various authors
Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
Little Witch by Anna Elizabeth Bennett
The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
Julius by Syd Hoff
The Fire Cat by Esther Holden Averill
Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Krauss
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Eyes of the Amaryllis by Natalie Babbitt
I Love You, Stinkyface by Lisa McCourt
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by James Howe
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
So You Want to be a Wizard? series by Diane Duane
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. La Fevers
The Loathsome Dragon by Davis Weisner
When the Tripods Came series by John Christopher



* FYI The links are the official websites of the authors.

Baby Signing

A few years ago, I knew a child who had several older siblings and did not seem to want to talk. It may have been that she wanted to get it just right before saying things or that she felt that she couldn't get a word in edgewise! Or it may have been simply that she was more comfortable communicating with her body and facial expressions than with her voice. She was in no way delayed but her reticence to communicate verbally brought much frustration to her and her family. So her mom started teaching her baby sign language, something she had never done with her older children. The change was amazing. Suddenly, the little one had a way to communicate that she could master until she was ready for words.

I Have Ten Fingers

"I have ten little fingers and they all belong to me.
I can make them do things, would you like to see?"~ traditional fingerplay

A friend told me once when Emily was very small, "Wait until she discovers her hands!" She was right. One day, Emily suddenly found her hands to be immensely fascinating. This was more than sucking on them. She twisted her hand one way and then another, with intense scrutiny and awe.

She is past that stage now, but is still learning how to make them do what she wants. Someday she'll blow kisses and wave, but for now she is content to grab a toy and put it in her mouth. (Success!)

Ten Little Fingers by Annie Kubler is an oversized board book of the fingerplay. (Published by Child's Play, it also  won the platinum award for best book by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.) It's illustrated with giggly children doing each of the actions. The story can be read, and done with the actions. It can also be sung, with the music on the back cover. (I've also done this fingerplay as part of storytime because it ends with hands folded quietly and held just so.)
Fingerplays are great to help children learn listening skills and to follow directions. They love to model and feel a sense of accomplishment when they can do simple movements.While Emily isn't ready to do them yet, she is just as fascinated with my hands as she was with hers.

Do you have a favorite fingerplay?

Tickles, Giggles, and Bouncy Rhymes

It's a joyful day when you hear your child laugh for the first time. Once you hear it, you want to hear it over and over. And then the quest is on, to find what else will make her laugh.

Emily loves bouncy rides. One of my favorites is to the tune of "The Mulberry Bush." I put her on my lap and gently bounce.
"This is the way the baby rides,
Baby rides, baby rides
This the way the baby rides
Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy."

Sometimes it's surprising what will make her laugh. I also do "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as a bouncy rhyme and she thinks it's ridiculously funny. (Who would have thought?!)

A new one she likes is a tickle rhyme~
"There once was a bumblebee under the barn
(circle finger in air closer and closer to baby)
carrying dinner under his arm
and when he got there he went "Bzzzzzz!" (tickle baby)

Bouncy and tickle rhymes are great ways to have some together time when we are sitting on the porch enjoying the weather or when she is tired of playing with toys and wants to be held. I like variety, so when I was on my quest to find more lap games, I discovered this CD.

'Round and 'Round the Garden: Music in My First Year! is one of several collections by John M. Feierabend and Luann Saunders. It has over 60 rhymes and songs for playing with baby. According to the insert, they have been collected "from the memories of our parents and grandparents, in hopes that these treasures will be preserved for future generations." In addition to bouncy and tickle rhymes, there are "wiggles" (done while wiggling baby's toes or fingers), tapping and clapping songs, and lullabies. While your voice is the most exciting to baby, having a CD is a great way to learn the words and melodies. Or you can have laptime and play along with the CD. I was reminded of some old classics and found some new favorites.

How do you make your little one laugh? Any lap games to share?

Books We Read Today -- In the Garden

Yesterday my daughter and I had fun in the garden. Actually, at 6 months old, Emily had fun watching me plant flowers and prune bushes as she chewed on her toys. Whenever we go outside I can tell she is listening and watching intently. Is it a bird she hears? A bug whizzing by her? Someday she will be old enough to explore the garden with its flowers, insects, and mud. Until then, we can both enjoy some books on gardening, bugs, and birds.

 The Little Composter by Jan Gerardi.
I had to smile when I saw this book. We compost at our house, but I never expected to see a board book about it! This is a clever lift-the-flap book with a simple story in rhyme. (See the melon, lift the flap, and see the rind.) The perfect book to illustrate composting for your little gardener. Part of the Teenie Greenies series.

In My Nest by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich.
Look closely at the illustration at the right and you'll see it looks just like a nest with a bird in it. The pages are cut out to give the illusion of a nest and the bird is a finger puppet! This is sure to get the attention of a child, and yet it is not gimmicky. It is a wonderful way for a child to explore in a tactile way until you can do it with a real nest.  There are other similar books in this series, such as In My Pond, and In My Den.

 I Like Bugs (a touch-and-feel board book) by Lorena Siminovich
At first glance, this is a very simple book. It's about bugs and counting to five. That's it. Three beetles, four bees.... Simple. But the illustrations make it something fascinating to explore. Done in collage and texture, it has a 3-D feel to it. A lot of thought was put into the illustrations, too. Most of the illustrations match the number on the page. You'd expect four bees to be on page number four, but there are also four flowers and even four leaves on each flower. It makes reading the same book over and over that much more exciting to both parent and child.

If You're Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands

Sometimes I clap out the ABC song or a nursery rhyme. Emily usually looks at me fascinated when I do this. But then something else catches her attention and we are on to the next thing. Today, she smiled and was watching intently. As soon as I stopped, she gave her squeal that means "Do it again!" So, I did.

A Walk in the Garden

Today we went to Cantigny Park. With its formal gardens, ponds and fountains, it has something to offer every nature lover. We enjoy taking a stroll to see all the flowers. I can imagine when she is older, running through the sprinklers and wanting to smell every flower. Now she is content to smell the fresh air and take a nap in the stroller.

Tiger Storytime

Friday I had the pleasure of doing a storytime for the MOMS Club that I belong to. It was open to children of all ages, so I planned it for preschoolers. The theme was tigers, so the books either had a tiger or some of tiger's friends. Here are some of the books and songs I chose.

Starry Safari by Linda Ashman; illustrated by Jeff Mack.

Bold, fun pictures, and text in rhyme, this book follows the adventure of a child in a jeep. With lots of action and the chance to make animal noises, children will bump along on safari and learn a few new words along the way.This book is a fun choice to expose children to new vocabulary. The surprise ending encourages imagination and active play.

The Top Shelf --Books for Adults

Most of the books I will share on this blog will be for children. Occasionally I will post "The Top Shelf," adult books that pertain to early literacy, reading, play, etc. This will depend on how often I actually have a chance to read a book on this topic, but I am optimistic. I'd like this blog to be a place for people to come and find easy, fun ways to encourage a love of reading in children. When I find a good book that assists in that, I'll share it. Here's the first.

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Read It! Play It! with Babies and Toddlers. (Building literacy through reading and play!) by Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim; Illustrated by Joan Auclair. (c) 2006; 103 pgs.
The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, it is an independent review guide to children's media (books, toys, video, etc.). According to the back cover, Joanne Oppenheim is the author of more than 50 books for and about children and is a first and second grade teacher. Stephanie Oppenheim is a child development expert and co-author of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.

About Storytime Mom--the Mom and the Blog

As a child I loved the library and books.

As a librarian, I fell in love with books all over again and wanted to share them with everyone.

As a new Mom, I am learning first hand how busy life can be with a baby.

My hope for this blog is to share with you books, songs, and activities that you can do with your child. They are meant to be fun and easy.

Doing little things every day will create memories for your children, and instill a love of reading and learning.

I called my blog "Storytime Mom" because that is what I am. As a librarian, I conducted storytimes as a fun way to interact with children and get them excited about reading and learning. As a Mom, I continue to do those things with my own daughter. But I am here to encourage you that YOU can be a storytime Mom or Dad (or Aunt, or Grandfather...), too.

Storytimes at your library are fantastic experiences for you and your children. Take advantage of these free activities. Engage in them with your children. Interact with them and model for them.

At home, in the car, at the park, at the grocery store, wherever you are, take the opportunity to engage your children with literacy-rich activities.

As parents we are our children's first teachers. We have an awesome responsibility to give them the building blocks for learning. Please don't take this as another way to be overwhelmed or pressured. We are their first teachers, but unless we actually are teachers, it is not our job to teach children to read. It is our job to foster reading readiness and partner with teachers.

I want my child to be able to happily communicate. I want her to love books, reading, learning and exploring. I want to give her the best foundation possible, but I don't want to pressure her into reading before she is ready.

By engaging in early literacy activities --really just reading, singing, talking, playing and writing-- in developmentally appropriate ways, we give our children the foundation and building blocks for their future. But more importantly we create fun and meaningful memories to last a lifetime.

I hope this blog will give you some ideas on how to incorporate early literacy practices into your busy lives. Thanks for sharing this journey with us.

Books We Read Today -- Snuggletime

Hide-and-Seek Baby by Fiona Watt; Illustrated by Catherine-Anne MacKinnon.
This is a sweet board book to share. Baby plays with a soft blanket and asks, "Where are my toes?" She lifts the blanket, and exclaims, "Here they are!" There are plenty of opportunities to play with your child with this one. Peekaboo, naming parts of the body, and tickling are just a few. Drawn in pastels, this is part of the "Snuggletime Touchy-Feely" series by Usborne. Each page has a soft spot where the blanket is and on the last page the blanket can be lifted.

Busy Baby  by Fiona Watt; Illustrated by Catherine-Anne MacKinnon. ("Snuggletime" series; board book)
Baby has his trusty blanket (which can be felt or lifted) as he goes about his busy day. His friends bear, duck and rabbit are back for the fun. Your toddler may mimic the repeated refrain, "I'm busy." If you have an equally busy toddler, you might try reading this while he (or she) is busy playing. It's not essential that a child sit on your lap to listen to a book. Children are often taking in just as much (sometimes more) when they are active. So while he plays with his blocks or trucks, try reading. He just might join you for a page or two.

Pease Porridge Hot

"Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in a pot, nine days old.
Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot, nine days old." ~Traditional

Today was a big day for Emily.

We've been going along, "playing the rice cereal game," as my husband calls it, for some time. She was always game to play it. (You are putting something in my mouth, not taking it out!? Yay.) She finally got the hang of eating it, without 98% of it on her face. So recently we switched to oatmeal cereal. This was suddenly exciting. She liked oatmeal. Really liked it. She'd figured out this eating thing, and was all in. We've got a good eater on our hands, I thought to myself. (How naive.)

Today it was time to start a new food. Her first vegetable. What to pick...peas are sweet, right? Let's start with that. Instead of oatmeal, we'll go with rice again. Rice and peas sounded better than peas and oatmeal, to me. (This is foreshadowing, take note.)

She sat in her high chair, with an expectant smile. So sweet, so trusting.

In goes the rice. Hmm, not quite so enthusiastic, but so far, so good.

Then the peas. She gives me a started, huh? but decides it's worth a try for a few more bites.

That was short lived when she gives me a look of astonished distaste. "What are feeding me, mom?!" It was the astonished part that really got me. I so wish I had a camera.

"Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, ...Some like it hot..." Some like it NOT.

Time for Sleep

Only one week into blogging and I'm already behind in posting! Ah, the joys of having a six month old. That probably sounded a tad sarcastic, but it has been mostly joyful ~ the grandparents were here for a lovely weekend visit. Emily, of course, basked in their attention. While they were here, my husband and I went on our first real date since our daughter's arrival. After a delicious and quiet dinner at Macaroni Grill we realized there was a time not that long ago that we would have gone dancing afterwards. Instead, we opted for a nap. Bliss.

Sleep has been a bit elusive for Miss E in the last few weeks. She'll have a great night (which for her is 6-8 hours, eat, then 3-4 more) and then have a night where she wakes up every hour. Yes, that's right, every hour. (Even as I write this, she has just awoken after a whole 30 minutes. I know it's a phase, but momma's tired.)

Not surprisingly, lullabies have been on my mind.

I have always loved the melody of "Brahm's Lullaby." I never knew the words. Several of my nieces have been sung to sleep by me with the words, "Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my sweet baby, go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep my fair child. Go to sleep...." you get the idea. (Hey, it worked.)

With a new baby on the way, I thought I should finally learn the real words. I discovered there are many versions of the lullaby. So making up my own wasn't that far off, right? (Except real artists did it much better.) My favorite is by Jewel from her album Lullaby. When I can find the piece of paper that I've put the lyrics on, Emily get's to hear this version. Otherwise she gets whatever I can think of that makes sense in the moment--which may not make much sense at all when it is 3 am. (Poor kid.)

Another discovery was the song "Hush" by Sara Hickman. Written by Sylvia Long, it is a beautiful adaptation of "Hush Little Baby." It can be found on her album Newborn. Instead of "If that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring," it's "If that hummingbird won't fly, Mama's gonna show you the evening sky." And later, "When that storybook's been read, Mama's gonna bring you your warm bedspread." This was one of the first songs I sang to her as we got to know one another, rocking in the dark.

Now it is time for sleep. "Lullaby, and good night."

Books We Read Today

Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger? by Betsy Snyder
I'm partial to tigers, so this one caught my eye right away. It's a touch-and-feel board book with a variety of textures. It's amazing what can be done with books these days. The ostrich has feathers and the walrus whiskers! It's a silly story, with rhymes and lots of room for actions and noises. The illustrations are lovely--collage style with nice detail. We will be sure to return to this one when my daughter gets the idea of touching the book beyond trying to eat it. (Trying to eating everything is a recurring theme in our house.)

Mary Engelbreit's Funny Mother Goose 
I love Mary Engelbreit, so this was a natural choice to check out. It includes 6 "funny rhymes to share"~ Jack and Jill, Pat-a-cake, Old King Cole, Ring Around the Rosebush, Curly Locks, and Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling. Part of the charm of ME, in my opinion, is her ability to make things both old-fashioned and modern. For me this was spot on for a set of nursery rhymes. This board book will be appreciated more when my daughter is a bit older, but for now she just likes to be read to. It never hurts to have books you like to read. Especially when you'll read it over and over and over and over...

At the Beach by Salina Yoon
A "first-words" board book, this has clever cut outs to give a 3-D feel to the pictures. This one has really captured my daughter's attention. It has bright, bold and shimmery colors. I used to think, how do you read a one-word-per-page book (over and over) and not think, BORING!? I've found it helps when the child is very excited by those simple words and pictures. Pointing out different things on the page each time you read it helps too, at this stage. First time through, it's a shovel. Second time, a green shovel, third time, ask "What do you do with a shovel?" and so on. Until it really is time for another book! This one is perfect for babies and toddlers.

Rubber Ducky Club

"But the one little duck with the feathers on his back, he led the others with a quack, quack, quack..." --From the song, six little ducks, traditional.


This summer my little one joined the Rubber Ducky Club, a Summer Reading Program for babies. "But, babies can't read," you say. True, but they can participate in early literacy activities. It is never too early to do fun, easy, literacy-rich things with your child.

This 8 week program, provided by the Naperville Public Library, was a super fun way to play and read with my daughter. The reading log suggested 12 simple activities for parents to do at home with their child, incorporating the 6 early literacy skills that encourage reading readiness. Some examples included singing the alphabet song while flipping through an alphabet book, and reciting or singing a nursery rhyme with actions.

This became a family affair. My husband declared a letter of the day and walked around the house pointing out anything and everything that started with B (and again with E, and T... He really got into it.) Emily would listen intently, thrilled that Daddy was walking around with her and talking to her. It didn't matter that she had no idea what a thermostat was or that the purple plastic thing she was trying to eat was supposed to be an elephant. But she was gaining the building blocks of language while having fun with her father. 

Midway, she received her own rubber ducky. At the end, she earned a book. This is what I chose for her:

Hey Diddle Diddle! published by Child's Play; illustrated by Annie Kubler. The traditional nursery rhyme is rendered in watercolor with adorable babies dressed in costume acting out the rhyme. The music is printed on the back cover.

The summer program is now over, but we'll continue to do the activities throughout the year, until it is time to sign up again. Your library just might do something like this for your child and you might not have to wait until next summer -- some do winter programs. And even if they don't, your family can still have fun with simple games to play with your baby.

What games do you play with your baby?

Magazines for Babies?

Anyone who has cared for babies knows they love to put things in their mouths. And they will grab everything in sight. So magazines and babies don't usually go together. Not when you want to be able to read the magazine after the baby!

But there actually are magazines for babies and toddlers. Here are two that I checked out from the library.

Babybug
According to the publisher's website www.cricketmag.com, it is meant for children 6 months - 3 years. The pages are thicker and hardier than regular paper. It is not as durable as a boardbook, but made for little hands. It's about 6 x 6 and a dozen pages. Just like a magazine for mom, there are several short stories in each issue. It includes rhymes, poetry, and counting. There are even recurring characters, Kim and her rabbit, Carrots. Parents can go to www.babybugmagkids.com for more ideas on reading with kids. Other than a pull-out to purchase their line of magazines, this is advertising-free.

Wild Animal Baby
Published by the National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org, they intend it for ages 2-4. The pages are thicker than a typical magazine but not as durable as Babybug, so I would read this with my 6 month old only when she is in a quiet mood. It is the same size as Babybug and filled with photographs and other fun illustrations. It regularly features a simple I Spy, action rhymes, alphabet games and a simple craft. You can check out a sample issue online. The website has a section for parents for additional activities that go along with the current issue, including patterns, crafts and coloring pages. The mag is also an ad-free zone.  For screen-time conscious parents, there is a regular feature, "Wild Animal Baby Explorers," which is also a tv show on PBS. Wild Animal Baby is a 2011 Parent's Choice Award Winner.

Children want to do the same things we do, so having magazines just for them is a fun option. They will enjoy them for the same reason we do. Short stories, variety, and lots of eye-appeal.

Are there magazines you share with your little ones?

This is the Way We Sing Our Song

    “Children learn by repetition. Infants and young children have the most active brains. The more stimulation they receive from their environment--what they see, hear, touch, taste, and smell--the more connections are made between brain cells.... It is repetition that keeps these connections between brain cells and makes them strong. So at home or in the car, do these rhymes and songs over and over again.”                     -Saroj Ghoting, early literacy expert

I am a terrible singer. I forget lyrics, I don't have a good memory or voice for music. I hope that my daughter picks up her father's musicality, not mine. But the thing is, kids don't care. They love the sound of music and singing.

One of the things I do with my daughter every day is sing. It's often the same song(s), but that's okay. Children thrive on repetition.

Here is one of our favorites.
(Head and Shoulders)
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes and
Eyes and Ears and Mouth and Nose
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Knees and Toes"

I touch or tickle the parts of her body as I sing it. At 6 months, she stills gets so excited when we sing this song. I know she recognizes it. This simple song will grow with us. Right now it is a fun way to bond. As she learns words and then coordination, she will be proud to be able to do it herself.  This is also great fun with a group of children. Have them try to do this as fast as possible. They love it!

Another of our daily songs is
This is the Way We... (fill in the blank.)
To the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush."
"This is the way we [wash our ears]
[Wash our ears, wash our ears]
This is the way we [wash our ears]
So early in the morning [or evening, or late in afternoon]"

I've adapted this to practically every situation possible from changing diapers or clothes to bath time. It's very versatile.The repetition of the melody and many of the words helps with language development. It also works to quiet a fussy baby.

So no matter what kind of voice you have, sing a song with your kids today. Be silly about it, make up words, sing the same songs over and again. Put on a CD or ask them to sing to you. And if you think you don't know any songs, you can always try "This is the way we sing our song..."

Do you have any songs to share?

Books We Read Today

Go, Baby, Go! by Jorge Uzon
Babies and toddlers love photographs, especially of faces. It is one of the first things babies connect with. This book makes me want to have a  book of my daughter's photos for her. Hmmm... I can see a family project in our future. This is a day-in-the-life of a busy toddler.



  
  

I Love You Baby from Head to Toe! by Karen Pandell; illustrated by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
This lovely book is done in crayon and colored pencil. It's quite lyrical. Seemingly simple, it has a subtle complexity. (For example, "Baby's skin is as smooth as petals.") There's lots to explore on each page, but it isn't busy. Great for a quiet snuggle. As board books go, it is a bit larger, so it would work for a small group.

Where is Baby? by Sally Rippin
Simple board book with bright, bold colors (which are easy for little babies to see). Each page asks "Where is baby?" with answers in rhyme. For the older toddler, you can also search for the three little friends of the three babies--frog, parrot and bear.

Guess How Much I Love You

"The best time to start reading aloud to a baby is the day it is born.  The lilting rhythm of a simple bedtime book on that first thrilling, exhausting day is soothing for the tremulous parents and the new child and adds to the bonding between them.  It gives them something to "talk about" together."

From Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children

Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox.

I remember the night we brought our daughter home. We had survived all the wonderful craziness of bringing a newborn into the world, plus to make it really memorable, the blizzard of the century. There is such a joy holding a little one, so brand new, so trusting. Of course, I had to read her a bedtime book once we were settled in.

We read one of my favorites:

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
I love the voice of the little one in this book and the Dad who understands perfectly what Little Nutbrown Hare needs to hear.

We own two versions. One is a board book, a sturdier version of the original. The second is Emily's favorite, a shorter, softbound one that has a heart chain to grasp (really, eat) and a push button that makes a kissing noise and "I love you." But our voice saying "I love you," is all they need to hear. The day they are born, and every day after.