Bears Hugs

Emily has been noticing bears a lot lately. She'll point them out in all of her books. Whenever she sees one, she hugs herself. It's so cute when she gives herself a "bear hug." She's been especially enjoying these two books:

Bear at Home by Stella Blackstone; illustrated by Debbie Harter.
The bright, cheerful colors and bold illustrations got Em's attention. The illustrations are whimsical but realistic. Bear gives us a tour of his home, showing off toys and books and goes through his day, cleaning up, taking a bath and going to bed. His mischievous black-and-white cat keeps him company.

Bear's Birthday by Stella Blackstone; illustrated by Debbie Harter.
Bear has a birthday party and invites nine of his friends. They celebrate with musical chairs, hide-and-seek and of course, cake and presents! It's also a counting down from 10 book as our friend kitty plays with all the balloons and they disappear one by one. We are looking forward to finding the other books in this Bear series.

Pajama Party

Today Emily and I went to a Pajama Party. The kids (and some of the moms) came in their pjs and had a blast playing (or in Emily's case, reading--makes this storytime mom proud). The moms chatted and we all noshed. A very fun playdate.

It was even more special because it was part of a MOMS Club service project. The group has collected new pajamas and books for needy children to donate to the Pajama Program.  This program was started to provide new pjs and books for children in crisis. Many of these children have never been snuggled at night, been read a bedtime book or own pjs. 

Bedtime is such a special time to snuggle and let our little ones know they are cherished. We read to them to connect, to help them dream, for so many reasons. This program helps children who rarely get those things. It's a program I had never heard of and touched my heart, so I wanted to share. More information about the Pajama Program can be found at www.pajamaprogram.org. If you need a smile, check out some of the pictures of the children who have received their very own pjs and books. What a difference simple things can make.

If you know about other literacy charities for children, feel free to email me or post in the comments. I'd love to hear more about them.

Clever Little Bear

Right now Emily's favorite thing to do is to read books. Sit down within 5 feet of in the same room as her and she will insist you read to her. She'll either go to the reading chair with a book and grunt imploringly (and insistently) to come and read. Or she'll hold a book and streeeetch her arms with the book toward you. (I am convinced this is meant to draw you toward her with the magnetism of the book and the force of her considerable charm.) Or she'll bring a book to you and drop it in your lap with a sweet and inquiring look. How can anyone resist this? 

Here's one we've been reading often: Number One, Tickle Your Tum by John Prater. It's a counting/rhyming book that is perfect for the toddler who is starting to mimic. The picture on "Number eight stand up straight" reminds me of Emily when she first started to stand. The last page is her favorite because big bear gives clever little bear a hug. She points at this and hugs herself. This would be a great choice for even older toddlers, since there are actions to imitate, like walking in a line, and jumping. The illustrations are simple and appealing. We are looking forward to finding other Baby Bear Books by Prater.

It's Official.

Emily is a walker. As I was saying in a previous post, we thought, this is it, any day now. It wasn't until about 10 days ago that she started to take a few controlled steps. Luckily both Mommy and Daddy were there to see it the first time she did this! Then a week ago, bam! 10 steps in a row. There's no stopping her now. I've spent the last week chasing her. Now she even pivots and changes directions! It's so fun to see how excited and proud she is.


My husband and I asked each other, "You took a video, right?" "Uh, no, I thought you did!" Oops. So, here's a video of our walking pro, day 10.

Hugs and Kisses

Emily loves to give hugs and kisses. She, of course, gives the best ones to Mommy and Daddy. When she snuggles in, it's the best feeling ever! Even her slobbery open-mouthed kisses are wet and wonderful.

She also likes to spread the joy. She collects her stuffed animals and dolls and hugs each one. Then she gives them to me to hold and hug.

The sweetest though is when Daddy comes home. He'll pick her up to hug and kiss and then give me a kiss, too. She will then firmly turn both of our faces toward each other and urge us to kiss again. Lots of hugging and kissing going on at our house!

Here are two sweet books about love.

I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak; Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. This book in rhyme is about all the things to love:  "your happy side, your sad side, your silly side, your mad side." I am sure I love it more than she does, but it's a great excuse to sit and cuddle. Her favorite parts are putting her bare feet on top of his and hugging herself when he hugs his bear.

How Do I Love You? by Marion Dane Bauer; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church is a companion book. Her Daddy and I gave this to Emily on her 1st Birthday. It's a beautifully lyrical story in rhyme with delightfully joyful illustrations. It's a more sophisticated book that I can imagine reading to her for years to come. It's pure poetry with lines like "I love you as the waking bear loves the smell of spring." The last verse sums it up: "I love all that you will be and everything you are." Awww. Excuse me while I go find a tissue.

My Little Bunny

I was having a salad today at lunch and Emily insisted on having some. So I handed her a leaf to try. I didn't think she'd like it, but I've been wrong before. After all, she loved tuna for the longest time. She took it happily and nibbled away, taking dainty bites. She reminded me of a little bunny. After each nibble, she took the piece out of her mouth to make room for the next. She went through four big leaves like this, eating not a bit, but enjoying every second.

Here's a picture of my little bunny from a year ago.

Easter 2011

See how she's grown!

Easter 2012