Category Archives: Reading

Pat the Puppy, Bunny and Cat

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Shhh….don’t tell Evan, but I let Madelyn read his copies of Pat the Puppy, Pat the Cat and Pat the Bunny books last week. These are some of Evan’s favorites, so I know he’d reach over and rescue them from Madelyn’s grip if he knew she liked them. And definitely don’t mention that the corner of one the books ended up in Madelyn’s mouth. It will be our secret.

These have been some of Evan’s favorites for years. He knows every word in each of them and heaven help me if I can only find Pat the Puppy when he is in the mood for Pat the Bunny. Tears. Tears I tell you. I try to make sure all of our Pat books are together on the shelf to reduce the risk of a pre-bedtime meltdown. Have any of you read the Pat the Pony or Tickle the Pig books in this series (if you can call it a series)? I’ve seen them on Amazon but I haven’t read them yet. They might be good additions to our collection. 

Another Kiddie Favorite

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When I decided to start featuring my kids’ favorite books on Mondays, I scanned the bookshelves and looked for the books that are the most worn. Ratty corners and finger-smudged pages are sure signs that a book is well loved. All of our Eric Carle books have been read time and time again, but I think one of our favorites is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? It is the perfect book at the end of a long day. I can read it without thinking, my kiddos both love the colorful pictures and Evan likes that he knows what is coming up next. Is it a favorite in your house, too? 

The Pout Pout Fish

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Here is another favorite from my kiddos’ bookshelf: The Pout-Pout Fish. My sister-in-law gave it to Evan quite some time ago and it became our go-to, must-read bedtime story for about five months straight. The main little line, "I’m a pout pout fish with a pout pout face so I spread the dreary wearies all over the place," is so catchy and Evan loved that he could "read" it with us. The line definitely will get stuck in your head, but not in a way that will make you crazy. The story line is really sweet and in the end the fish realizes that he isn’t a pout pout fish, he is a kiss kiss fish and starts spreading cheery cheeries all over the place. After I read the last line, I kiss Evan all over his face and head and he breaks into giggles…or wipes of my kisses, depending on his mood! 

From my Kitchen

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My kitchen bookshelves are full of amazing cookbooks. I love reading my cookbooks as much as I like cooking from them. I know there are wonderful websites full of recipes, but I'm still old school when it comes to cookbooks. 

One of my favorites to flip through is Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make. The photography is amazing and the cupcakes are adorable.  

Last winter I whipped up the penguin cupcakes in the book for Evan's preschool class to go along with the penguin-theme week they had. All in all I thought they turned out pretty well for my first time attempting such cupcake artistry. I layered the serving tray with coconut and threw in a few Swedish fish to top off the display.

Of course, as I was building the cupcakes I realized the teachers probably would not appreciate the aftermath of 12 toddlers hyped up on a cupcake, donut and donut hole. 

 

Let's just say there were no afternoon naps in the class that day, but the teachers didn't hold it against me too long. I'm definitely turning to the book again for some creative treats for my kiddos' birthdays this year. 

 

If I Could Keep You Little

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If I Could Keep You Little… by Marianne Richmond is one of my favorite new books sitting on our bookshelves. A friend showed me her copy just before Christmas and I knew I had to buy it for my kiddos. If I Could Keep You Little reminds me that while I often mourn how quickly my little ones are growing, each new stage brings new excitement. The back cover sums it up with, “If I could keep you little, I’d keep you close to me. But then I’d miss you growing into who you’re meant to be.”

I love that the book is for boys and girls. One of my favorite lines in it is, “If I could keep you little, I’d tell you stories every night. But then I’d miss you reading the words you’ve learned by sight.” I also love, “If I could keep you little, I’d fly you with my feet. But then I’d miss you seeing sky and clouds from your seat.”

The book makes me want to create my own scrapbook version of the theme, which is going on my someday list of projects to tackle.

Some of my lines and photos for my scrapbook…

If I could keep you little, I’d snuggle you all day.

But then I’d miss seeing how much you love to play.


 
If I could keep you little, I’d carry you everywhere.

 

But then I’d miss seeing you roll from here to there.

I sometimes have to remind myself that while I miss who my kids were, I love who they have become. They are meant to grow and change and take on lives of their own. I’m lucky to get to share in their journey and I am trying to make it as wonderful for them as it is for me.  

Reading: Someday

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I received Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter Reynolds as a gift when Miss Madelyn was born and it has become my favorite children’s book of all time. It is the sweetest book about a mother and a daughter, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it made me a bit weepy the first 20 times I read it. Okay–and about 30 times after that. I’ve been reading it to my baby girl, but it also makes me think of my mom and my grandmother. Publisher’s Weekly called the book an "understated yet emotion-charged expression of a mother’s love and hopes for her child." Oh how I love it! Now, I need to head over to the book store and read every other children’s book by Alison McGhee. I also need to pick up extra copies of Someday as it is my new go-to gift for any friend who is having a baby girl.

Reading: Goodnight Nobody

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I should have been reading any one of the many baby sleep books that are lining my shelves, but instead, I treated myself to Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner and I am so glad I did! I love when I come across just the right book for where I’m at in my life right now.

I know I would have liked this book even if I had read it when it first came out in 2005. But that was back before I had kids. Before I experienced walking onto a new playground and learning that some mommy circles feel like high school all over again. Before I schlepped through my neighborhood hanging reward posters when my little guy lost his special bear. Before I cried real tears of joy when I finally found that ratty old bear. Before I became the type of person, like the main character in the novel, that would hand over everything I own except my child’s lovey if I were mugged. Now that I am knee-deep in mommyhood and living in the suburbs, I appreciate the main character in Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner so much more than I would have before my own many readings of Goodnight Moon. 

In addition to all the little mommy-isms I could relate to, I liked the plot and the humor. A quick run down of the book from the back cover: "When a fellow mother is murdered, Kate finds that the unsolved mystery is the most exciting thing to happen in Upchurch, Connecticut, since her neighbors broke ground for a guesthouse and cracked their septic tank. Even though the local police chief warns her that crime-fighting’s a job best left to the professionals, Kate launches an unofficial investigation — from 8:45 to 11:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when her kids are in nursery school."

Now, let me add that I always worry just a little bit when I share that I loved a book. I get visions of folks I know reading it and then thinking I have really bad taste. But, I will say it again—I did love this read. I also like Weiner’s blog: http://jenniferweiner.blogspot.com/. I can’t wait to read her latest novel, Fly Away Home. But first I need to finish some of those books that promise to teach me how to get my kiddos to sleep. 

 

Reading: Goodnight Nobody

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I should have been reading any one of the many baby sleep books that are lining my shelves, but instead, I treated myself to Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner and I am so glad I did! I love when I come across just the right book for where I’m at in my life right now.

I know I would have liked this book even if I had read it when it first came out in 2005. But that was back before I had kids. Before I experienced walking onto a new playground and learning that some mommy circles feel like high school all over again. Before I schlepped through my neighborhood hanging reward posters when my little guy lost his special bear. Before I cried real tears of joy when I finally found that ratty old bear. Before I became the type of person, like the main character in the novel, that would hand over everything I own except my child’s lovey if I were mugged. Now that I am knee-deep in mommyhood and living in the suburbs, I appreciate the main character in Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner so much more than I would have before my own many readings of Goodnight Moon. 

In addition to all the little mommy-isms I could relate to, I liked the plot and the humor. A quick run down of the book from the back cover: "When a fellow mother is murdered, Kate finds that the unsolved mystery is the most exciting thing to happen in Upchurch, Connecticut, since her neighbors broke ground for a guesthouse and cracked their septic tank. Even though the local police chief warns her that crime-fighting’s a job best left to the professionals, Kate launches an unofficial investigation — from 8:45 to 11:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when her kids are in nursery school."

Now, let me add that I always worry just a little bit when I share that I loved a book. I get visions of folks I know reading it and then thinking I have really bad taste. But, I will say it again—I did love this read. I also like Weiner’s blog: http://jenniferweiner.blogspot.com/. I can’t wait to read her latest novel, Fly Away Home. But first I need to finish some of those books that promise to teach me how to get my kiddos to sleep. 

 

Reading: What is on Your Nightstand?

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Right now I’m loving Alice McDermott’s novel After This. Her descriptions are so beautiful. I hope to finish it tomorrow, so I’ll talk about it more later. But, I want to know, what are you reading right now and what is on your to-read list? I just added Tinkers by Paul Harding to mine after reading this article about Harding’s path to getting published. I’m also looking forward to Allison Winn Scotch’s latest novel that comes out soon. She is giving away another chance to win a copy on her blog.