Life Lately

This picture pretty much sums of life lately... The laundry continues to pile up on the bed. Dishes pile up in the sink. Will is busy with school. I'm busy with work and restyling my blog. L is busy being a two-year-old. Sleep has become an afterthought. We've been working on finding some semblance of peace to keep us sane. Sometimes it feels like I only see my husband in fleeting moments. As soon as we wake he leaves, as soon as he comes home, I'm out the door. Something's gotta give. But for now, our only commitment is to the hope of a some shut eye. Even if it has to be on three loads of laundry.

Summer Skies

When the summer starts to stretch into August, blue skies start to become cluttered with sunflowers. Reaching up and out, tall and proud, flexing their fingers these golden sun worshipers, declaring their love of light. When a breeze blows through off the plains, they shake and sway, entranced in dance.

I look up, they look away.

 Summer skies in Kansas.

Two

And then she was two.

Today is L's second birthday. Since I worked today, we celebrated before I left with a big girl birthday brunch of blueberry pancakes, watermelon juice, and cupcakes. She opened her presents from us... a few books and a tea set. Tea parties ensued for the remainder of the day.

When we were sitting down for our celebration I couldn't help but watch her. Each week she changes, grows so fast. She can sing and dance and play independently and run and hop and twirl and talk and hug and kiss.

When you have a child you don't think you can love anything more than that one little being. It's a love unimaginable. And in the stillness of the night when you stop into their room to watch that wonder of your world, your heart aches a little. It aches from swelling with each little breath. With love. That much more than the moment before.

And so she grows...

Happy 4th

Land of the free and the home of the brave.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

image source: Neo-Traditionalist

Memorial Day Hello

Happy Memorial Day!

How was everyone's weekend? Go anywhere exciting? Read any good books?

My sister-in-law is visiting us for the holiday, so we've been enjoying some family pool time, gardening, and outside play.  Definitely have relished the two days in a row off work.  With that said, the library was closed yesterday and today for the Memorial Day weekend, so there will be no storytime post today.  Storytime posts will resume next week and throughout June and July. Also, be sure to keep an eye out this week for a new Reading Together post and the first edition of The Summer Book Hook, weekly themed reading lists to help keep kids hooked on reading throughout the summer.

Thank you to the troops who have severed or are currently serving our country.

Wishing you a day of summer hats and swimsuits, ice cream and sunshine!

image source: ice cream

Summer Kicks

Saw this post on How to Make Summer City Shoes over at Joy the Baker on Friday.

Made a kid sneaker version for L on Saturday.

She wore them all day Sunday.

It was a glitterific glam weekend.

Here's how I made L's new groovy blues...

Materials needed: Canvas shoes for toddlers/kids, duct tape, glitter, Mod Podge, a paint brush, scissors, and a container to make the glitterness.

First, remove the shoe laces; then, duct tape the sides of the soles.

To make the glitterpodge, I used little less than 1/2 cup Mod Podge with 1/4 cup glitter. If making toddler shoes, you'll have some left over and it should be more than enough for older kid kicks.

Like in Joy the Baker's how-to, I painted on the first coat thin. Waited 30 mins. The second I globbed it on. Waited 30 mins. Then the third was only touch ups.

In between coats, they dried in some afternoon sunshine.

Side Note: I did take the duct tape off before the shoes had completely dried. I guess I was worried I had applied too much of the glitterpodge on the taped off soles and if I had waited until completely dry, the tape might have torn the glitterpodge off the shoe canvas.

Did this entire craft during L's afternoon nap.

Ready to kick it this summer. Park and poolside.

Might just have to make a pair for myself...

To Mom:

When I look back and think about who was the major motivator behind getting me to read when I was young, it was you.  A journey that if I remember correctly, wasn't always a walk in the park. But there were always an abundance of books in our home and the encouragement to nurture whatever our interests may have been with an emphasis on the importance of reading. Now that I'm a mother, I can only hope to be that source of support for my daughter. Now that I work in a library, I can only hope to be that source of support for each child that walks through that door.

I know you've been itching for book recommendations lately, (especially after reading The Hunger Games), so this Mother's Day I put together a few recommendations as a reference for when you're looking for your next good read.  It isn't much, but I know if I could give you anything that you'd really enjoy... This would be it.

To you:

A Mother's Day Reading List:

1. The Guensey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Borrows

2. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells

3. Divergent by: Veronica Roth

4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

6. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt (I stayed up all night reading this book)

7. The Scorpio Races by: Maggie Stiefvater

8. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

9. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

10. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

 

Happy Reading!

Happy Mother's Day!

 

Love, Becca

 

 

 

Obsession II

While Elmo and Maisy Mouse continue to be the craze with L, there's a new character (and friends!) in town, who's popularity seems to be outdoing the former obsessions.

The character is none other than the beloved chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff, he's Winnie the Pooh.

A few weeks ago I started singing the Winnie the Pooh theme song (we sing frequently throughout each day) and after she kept asking for "Pooh song!", "Pooh song!". So, I checked out a CD from the library with the theme song and a picture book of Winnie the Pooh and now every time she visits the library she asks, "Pooh Book?", "Pooh Book?". If I had been keeping tabs on the total "Pooh song" and "Pooh book" requests, I'm pretty sure it' would be in the triple digits. Her interest hit an all time peak when my mom sent my old Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Rabbit stuffed animals from when I was a girl to L.

She's in love.

When she's old enough, I'm really looking forward to when I can read her The World of Pooh: The Complete Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. If you're looking for a great read-aloud bedtime book, it doesn't get much better than a visit to the Hundred Acre Woods.

Until that time, below is a list of our favorite books and more featuring that loveable silly ol' bear:

Winnie the Pooh and Some Bees by A.A. Milne, adapted by Stephen Krensky, illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard

This book and the following two titles are easy reader book,  adapted from A.A. Milne's original tales. Perfect for listeners 2-3 & up or the beginning reader.

Eeyore Has a Birthday by A.A. Milne, adapted by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard

Pooh Goes Visiting

Other books in this easy reader series include: Pooh Invents a New Game and Tigger Comes to the Forest

Pooh Goes Visiting (Mini Board Book)

And if the adapted easy readers are still a little too long for your child, we really enjoy the Mini Board Book editions like the one above. We found this one at our local used bookstore, The Dusty Bookshelf for a dollar. It's the perfect size to slip into a diaper bag or take in the car.

I Love My Mama by The Walt Disney Company, Isabel Gaines

An easy reader book, Disney-ified. Also a good Mother's Day book pick.

Winnie the Pooh's Colors inspired by A.A.Milne, illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard

Extremely simple picture books for all ages. We also enjoy reading Winnie the Pooh's 1, 2, 3 and Winnie the Pooh's Opposites.

The World of Christopher Robin by A.A. Milne, illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard

My co-worker suggested reading A.A.Milne's poetry to L since she is so ecstatic about Pooh. Her favorite is "Hoppity".

The Essential Guide of Winnie the Pooh by DK Publishing

Large picture book with facts about Pooh and friends. L mostly likes this book for skimming through the pictures.

Songs and Story: Dinsey Winnie the Pooh CD

A few Pooh favorites and a read-aloud of "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree".

The Best of Pooh & Heffalumps Too CD

All the old school Pooh songs like "Little Black Rain Cloud" and "Rumbly in My Tumbly" and the Winnie the Pooh theme song included.

More Pooh Fun!!!

The Pooh Party Book inspired by the four Pooh books by A.A. Milne by Virginia H. Ellison, illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard

I strongly encourage you to check your library to see if they have the next two books, The Pooh Party Book and The Pooh Get-Well Book. They are just so wonderful in every way and a great resource for activities to do with kids of all ages.

The Pooh Party Book is broken up into 5 party categories: "An Eeyore Birthday Party", "A Spring Party", "A Picnic, Swimming, and Exposition Party", "A Honey-Tasting Party for Pooh", and "A Woozle-Wizzle Snow Party". Each party theme includes everything from the tablecloth and napkin styles, to things to eat and drink (like Wafflewitches with Apple Nut Salad, Jam Tea for Six, Honey Bread, and Thistle Snow Ice Cream Soda) to things to make and games to play.

The Pooh Get-Well Book; Recipes and Activites to Help You Recover from Wheezles and Sneezles inspired by the four Pooh books by A.A. Milne by Virginia H. Ellison, illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard

The Pooh Get-Well Book is broken up into categories "Teazles: Puzzles, Poems, and Other Fun with Words", "Strengthening Things to Drink and Eat (like Toddy for a Cough and Hot Clove Oranges!)", and "Pleazles: To Make and Play While Getting Well". Do you remember being a home sick as a kid? It was painfully boring. Sometimes I didn't know what was worse... going to school or staying home sick. My favorite part about this book is the "Pleazles" section which includes bed rest activities like raindrop races, bird-watching from bed, toothpick doodles, and games and coloring sheets to photocopy from the back of the book.

This morning I tracked down and purchased both The Pooh Party Book and The Pooh Get-Well Book to add to our home library. It's too delicious not to.

And if you haven’t had enough of Pooh... Pooh for adults:

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

I read The Tao of Pooh while I was in college and really enjoyed it. It's charming, easy to read, and a unique way to reflect on the morals of Taoism.

The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff

I have not read the The Te of Piglet, but I have been meaning to. I've heard it is equally as enjoyable as The Tao of Pooh.

image sources:the world of pooh, winnie the pooh and some bees, eeyore has a birthday, pooh goes visiting, mini board book, i love you mama, winnie the pooh's colors, the world of christopher robin, the essential guide of winnie the pooh, songs and story, the best of winnie the pooh, pooh party book, pooh get well book, Tao of pooh and te of piglet,

Evolution

A minor glitch on Monday night resulted in a full blown Sturdy for Common Things crash. There was nothing but a blank, painfully bright, white page.

Luckily most of the content was saved on my brother's server. But for those hours in between the recovery I was heart broken.

But the great thing about

 

Seeing Things

Hot mess.

Rainy day finger paints.

Swing time.

Old library card.

Ominous.

Joy.

What was mine, now is yours. Old Pooh, but new to you.

"The Bing", a Poetree poem by Gavin Firestone, Age 5.

KU Relays shot put event. The center of downtown.

Wild at the wheel.

"5 Reasons to Keep Chickens" by Nicola Davies

Friends.

Just a little this and that in April.

You have any plans for the weekend?

What have you been reading?

I've been re-reading my new favorite, Outside Your Window: A Child's First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld. Trying to decide which poem(s) to share for Sunday's storytime.

Also been reading a few children's fiction books in verse including Summerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli, Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, and All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg.

What else...

The Poetree has been growing. It was also recently featured on Library as Incubator Project. How neat is that?

Been daydreaming about summertime. Have my eye on a few non-budget friendly swimsuits. Like this.

Le sigh.

Anywho...

Hope you have a wonderful weekend wherever you are!!!

Porch Reading