Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Swinging In
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Eat Your Veggies
Phoebe has never been what I'd call an "enthusiastic eater". But the other night, as I was getting ready to clear the table, Phoebe asked for more corn. (To clarify, this gourmet corn was leftover frozen mixed veggie blend, purchased for cents.) Never one to deny that little bird "more" of any kind of sustenance (unless that sustenance is chocolate or sugar-laden), I handed her our very fancy plastic serving bowl and the serving spoon.
When I handed her the bowl, there was at least half a cup of veggies in it. When the spoon became too cumbersome, she simply slurped out the remaining nibblets. Unbelievable. I even think she was sad when the veggies were all gone!
It goes to show you... kids love simple foods!
When I handed her the bowl, there was at least half a cup of veggies in it. When the spoon became too cumbersome, she simply slurped out the remaining nibblets. Unbelievable. I even think she was sad when the veggies were all gone!
It goes to show you... kids love simple foods!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Library Bag Favorites
We've been making twice-monthly trips to the library for, well, a long time. I discovered that our library has an incredible children's area, and I can place requests from any library in our county's system and have them waiting for me within a day or two. We've made some really wonderful discoveries at our local library. Since several of my friends reading this have toddlers and preschoolers, I thought I'd share some of our favorite finds. I'll try to remember to update this as we get ready to return to the library every couple of weeks! All of these books are Phoebe (and often Nora) tested... I cannot vouch for how well these will entertain other children, but we have certainly loved them!
The Franklin Series, by Paulette Bourgeois
There is a television program that is based on these books, and it probably is what sparked Phoebe's interest to begin with. She had seen it a few times, and was delighted to see that there were books about Franklin the turtle. These stories are absolutely charming; as a Mom, I approve heartily. They address sweet, preschooler issues (Franklin's Blanket was my personal favorite), but they're done intelligently. I generally don't mind reading them as many times as they're requested - and they're requested often!
Mole and the Baby Bird, by Marjorie Newman
The illustrations in this book are what sold it for me. This was part of our baby bird library trip, and it's a sweet little story about a mole who rescues a baby bird... but then doesn't want to let him go. The story is good, but the illustrations are really, really wonderful. It's a lovely book for cuddling up at nighttime.
Hattie and the Fox, by Mem Fox
This is a fantastic, repetitive story with all manner of barnyard animals. Mem Fox is one of my favorite authors for young children (we also loved Koala Lou), and I used her often in my classroom. It has a surprising ending that made me giggle out loud; Phoebe loves naming the animals and helping make their noises.
Farmer Duck, by Martin Waddell
A lazy farmer bosses his duck around, who ends up doing all the work. Duck gets mad, his friends get even... Farmer learns a lesson. Phoebe found the duck hilarious... a duck doing farmwork was something unexpected for her, and she was captivated from the beginning. I personally think the illustrations are fantastically done - the detail is great. (Farmer is in bed with bonbons... and a hairy chest.) And Phoebe loved all the other animals, too!
Where is the Green Sheep?, by Mem Fox
I've already said that I love Mem Fox, and this book just confirmed it! This is a very simple book - and repetitive - but Phoebe and I both love it! The illustrations are simple and captivating, and Phoebe can "read" the book with me. It was a fun surprise find at the library; I don't even mind that Phoebe wants to read it a couple of times a day!
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
I remember loving this book as a little girl, but I wasn't sure if Phoebe would be ready for this longer and more subtle book. It's definitely lengthy, but Phoebe quickly loved it. She also understood more of the storyline than I expected, and immediately wanted to read it again when it was finished. This story is charming and timeless. Virginia Burton also writes some other wonderful books that I'll absolutely bringing home in our next library bag.
Whatever the Weather, an Eyewitness Readers book (Level 1)
I'm trying to introduce nonfiction to Phoebe, and this book is perfect for her age and interest! It combines photographs with drawn illustrations, and although it's a nonfiction, it reads like a story about a boy watching the weather from his window. I've also been thrilled with the other books in this series that I've checked out, although I can't remember their titles now that they're checked back in!
No Roses for Harry, by Gene Zion
We loved Harry the Dirty Dog, but I didn't know that there were other Harry books until our last trip to the library. This story is a riot. In short, Harry is gifted a rose sweater from grandma that he rather dislikes. The story chronicles Harry's attempts to "lose" the sweater. Utterly delightful!
We try to get to the library at least once every two weeks, so I'd love to hear about any books you've loved to add to our library bag!
The Franklin Series, by Paulette Bourgeois
There is a television program that is based on these books, and it probably is what sparked Phoebe's interest to begin with. She had seen it a few times, and was delighted to see that there were books about Franklin the turtle. These stories are absolutely charming; as a Mom, I approve heartily. They address sweet, preschooler issues (Franklin's Blanket was my personal favorite), but they're done intelligently. I generally don't mind reading them as many times as they're requested - and they're requested often!
Mole and the Baby Bird, by Marjorie Newman
The illustrations in this book are what sold it for me. This was part of our baby bird library trip, and it's a sweet little story about a mole who rescues a baby bird... but then doesn't want to let him go. The story is good, but the illustrations are really, really wonderful. It's a lovely book for cuddling up at nighttime.
Hattie and the Fox, by Mem Fox
This is a fantastic, repetitive story with all manner of barnyard animals. Mem Fox is one of my favorite authors for young children (we also loved Koala Lou), and I used her often in my classroom. It has a surprising ending that made me giggle out loud; Phoebe loves naming the animals and helping make their noises.
Farmer Duck, by Martin Waddell
A lazy farmer bosses his duck around, who ends up doing all the work. Duck gets mad, his friends get even... Farmer learns a lesson. Phoebe found the duck hilarious... a duck doing farmwork was something unexpected for her, and she was captivated from the beginning. I personally think the illustrations are fantastically done - the detail is great. (Farmer is in bed with bonbons... and a hairy chest.) And Phoebe loved all the other animals, too!
Where is the Green Sheep?, by Mem Fox
I've already said that I love Mem Fox, and this book just confirmed it! This is a very simple book - and repetitive - but Phoebe and I both love it! The illustrations are simple and captivating, and Phoebe can "read" the book with me. It was a fun surprise find at the library; I don't even mind that Phoebe wants to read it a couple of times a day!
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
I remember loving this book as a little girl, but I wasn't sure if Phoebe would be ready for this longer and more subtle book. It's definitely lengthy, but Phoebe quickly loved it. She also understood more of the storyline than I expected, and immediately wanted to read it again when it was finished. This story is charming and timeless. Virginia Burton also writes some other wonderful books that I'll absolutely bringing home in our next library bag.
Whatever the Weather, an Eyewitness Readers book (Level 1)
I'm trying to introduce nonfiction to Phoebe, and this book is perfect for her age and interest! It combines photographs with drawn illustrations, and although it's a nonfiction, it reads like a story about a boy watching the weather from his window. I've also been thrilled with the other books in this series that I've checked out, although I can't remember their titles now that they're checked back in!
No Roses for Harry, by Gene Zion
We loved Harry the Dirty Dog, but I didn't know that there were other Harry books until our last trip to the library. This story is a riot. In short, Harry is gifted a rose sweater from grandma that he rather dislikes. The story chronicles Harry's attempts to "lose" the sweater. Utterly delightful!
We try to get to the library at least once every two weeks, so I'd love to hear about any books you've loved to add to our library bag!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Nora at 8 Months
Our little Norabelle is eight months old today! Last week at VBS, the nursery workers couldn't get over how ridiculously happy she is -- even when she skipped her morning nap! We're glad to know we're not the only ones who think she's the happiest baby on the block. Really, Nora is generally all smiles unless she's hungry or it's 6:15 and she's just trying to make it to her meal. What a great delight it is to be her mommy! At eight months, Nora is:
- Sleeping about twelve hours at night and about four hours during the day for naps. Sometimes she ends up taking two naps that are two hours in length each, while some days she takes a shorter (1 1/2 hours) morning nap and a longer afternoon nap. If we're out and about, she has a really hard time napping. This is just another reason we're trying to limit our days out of the house.
- Eating everything in sight. She takes four to six ounces of formula about every four hours, and she eats solid foods at her first three meals. I cannot think of a single food that Nora will not eat; she seems to love it all right now! We also give her small bites of table food while we are eating, and this is great fun for her. Nora especially loves her Cheerios and small bites of fruit. She wasn't so certain about today's black bean soup...
- Trying so hard to crawl. She hasn't figured out how to get up on her knees, and this is incredibly frustrating for her. She can scoot around short distances (forward and backward) and does a 360 degree spin move while on her tummy. She seems to prefer sitting up to being on her tummy, since not being able to crawl is so frustrating.
- Putting everything in her mouth. Everything. Somehow, she picks fuzz off our living room rug and tries to eat it. Gross.
- Toothless. I can see her little bottom teeth working their way up the gums, but she's still got a ways to go before they poke through. We're not in any rush! (Phoebe's first teeth didn't come in until 10 months)
- Not very talkative. She loves to do her best dinosaur impression often, and will screech and squeal... but so far, we aren't hearing much babbling.
- Loving to play little games. Anything repetetive that gets a clap and a "yay" is a winner for Nora! She loves to knock down blocks, give high fives, try to push the button on my watch, peekaboo... little things like that.
- In love with her big sister. And her mommy. And her daddy. When she sees one of us, her smile gets so huge that we think her face might pop off!
- Fanatical about tickles. She LOVES to be tickled. And once that giggle gets going, it's hard to stop.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Ruby Slippers
There is no place like home. Really. After four days of being gone for what seemed like all day long, I am thrilled to report that we have nothing of consequence on our schedules for the next several days. Vacation Bible School wore me out and tossed our schedules out the window, so I'm ready for a tiny shred of normal around here.
When Phoebe was small (and there wasn't a Nora around), I tried to get out of the house daily. We both enjoyed our little outings, and it somehow simplified our days. I felt overwhelmed at "entertaining" my busy Phoebegirl, so that was some time that she could ride around in the shopping cart or the stroller and be, well, entertained. Days spent entirely at home seemed interminably long.
But with the arrival of Nora, going out became a chore. But something else happened, too. I started to be content here, at home. I didn't feel a daily need to "escape" our walls and do something; there was plenty to do and explore and learn at home. And I found out that we were all happier when I started staying home more, too.
Phoebe was happier because she knew what to expect. We've generally figured out a routine that works for us, and we generally stick to it. Boundaries are clear for her, and so are the expectations. Meals and naps and independent play and structured play and all that is predictable for her, and I feel like kids really thrive on predictability. Nora's happier because she gets her naps and meals on time when we're at home. When we're away from home? The naps don't so much happen. And Michael's happier for a lot of reasons: I'm not spending money, the house is more "kept", the kids are happier, and most importantly (to him), I'm happier.
And I'm happier because of all of the above... but also because I feel like God has really done a work in my heart here. I'm taking delight - a lot of the time - in the dishes, or in a freshly scrubbed toilet. I'm investing daily in my husband's well-being and my children's lives by doing small things that, prayerfully, add up to big things. God's giving me a new vision for home these days, and it's a work that this former education and career-junkie can only attribute to the Lord.
"...and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." Titus 2:4-5
There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.
When Phoebe was small (and there wasn't a Nora around), I tried to get out of the house daily. We both enjoyed our little outings, and it somehow simplified our days. I felt overwhelmed at "entertaining" my busy Phoebegirl, so that was some time that she could ride around in the shopping cart or the stroller and be, well, entertained. Days spent entirely at home seemed interminably long.
But with the arrival of Nora, going out became a chore. But something else happened, too. I started to be content here, at home. I didn't feel a daily need to "escape" our walls and do something; there was plenty to do and explore and learn at home. And I found out that we were all happier when I started staying home more, too.
Phoebe was happier because she knew what to expect. We've generally figured out a routine that works for us, and we generally stick to it. Boundaries are clear for her, and so are the expectations. Meals and naps and independent play and structured play and all that is predictable for her, and I feel like kids really thrive on predictability. Nora's happier because she gets her naps and meals on time when we're at home. When we're away from home? The naps don't so much happen. And Michael's happier for a lot of reasons: I'm not spending money, the house is more "kept", the kids are happier, and most importantly (to him), I'm happier.
And I'm happier because of all of the above... but also because I feel like God has really done a work in my heart here. I'm taking delight - a lot of the time - in the dishes, or in a freshly scrubbed toilet. I'm investing daily in my husband's well-being and my children's lives by doing small things that, prayerfully, add up to big things. God's giving me a new vision for home these days, and it's a work that this former education and career-junkie can only attribute to the Lord.
"...and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." Titus 2:4-5
There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Happy Birthday, Fave!
Happy Birthday, Aunt Fave! We love you and wish we could celebrate with you today!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Gone Camping
I'm spending my week this week as a "camp counselor" for Son Rock Kids Camp at our church this week. Although Michael and I usually work with the kindergarten girls each week, I decided to change things up a bit and work with third grade girls. What a fun switch! My attitude about VBS was less than stellar up until about 9:30 yesterday morning; however, I'm so thankful that I decided to work this year. However, my brain is totally shot.
Also, when the calendar turned to June, the heat wave officially struck. It is hot, y'all. And the thought of cooking (and adding heat into this house) makes me want to go jump in somebody's backyard pool. So in honor of summer and crazy weeks, I'm sharing with you my new favorite slow cooker recipe. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's delicious.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, serves 4
(adapted from Cooking Light)
You need:
Mix first 9 ingredients together in your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. Before serving, stir in remaining seasonings. (Adjust heat to your taste.) Serve over hot cooked rice (we used brown rice) and top with sour cream and green onions. You could also mix everything together, including the rice...but we figured it would be hard enough to get Phoebe to eat this as it was. But actually, Phoebe (who generally doesn't like beans), ate this obediently and joyfully. Michael and I both thought it was delicious!
Also, since I'm pretty much exhausted in the afternoons, we've scrapped our afternoon walk for running around in the backyard. Popsicles and baby pools, anyone?
Happy summer, y'all!
Also, when the calendar turned to June, the heat wave officially struck. It is hot, y'all. And the thought of cooking (and adding heat into this house) makes me want to go jump in somebody's backyard pool. So in honor of summer and crazy weeks, I'm sharing with you my new favorite slow cooker recipe. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's delicious.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, serves 4
(adapted from Cooking Light)
You need:
- 3 cups of water
- 1 cup dried red beans
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning
- 1/2 package of turkey smoked sausage, thinly sliced (you could use andouille here, I'm sure it would taste better, but this sausage is still great!)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups of cooked rice
- sour cream
- chopped green onions
Mix first 9 ingredients together in your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. Before serving, stir in remaining seasonings. (Adjust heat to your taste.) Serve over hot cooked rice (we used brown rice) and top with sour cream and green onions. You could also mix everything together, including the rice...but we figured it would be hard enough to get Phoebe to eat this as it was. But actually, Phoebe (who generally doesn't like beans), ate this obediently and joyfully. Michael and I both thought it was delicious!
Also, since I'm pretty much exhausted in the afternoons, we've scrapped our afternoon walk for running around in the backyard. Popsicles and baby pools, anyone?
Happy summer, y'all!
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