theme songs

Isn't it amazing the way that hearing a song can sometimes take you back to a particular time or place, and you get that eerie deja vu feeling passing over you real quick? I love that. Certain scents do that to me too.

This summer I put together a mix CD for our vacation drive up to Presque Isle. I used to be absolutely crazy for mix tapes, and I guess I'm not completely over them yet. In high school, my friends and I made them for each other all the time.

This CD was mostly current stuff that C and I are into right now: Adele, Beck, Feist, Kings of Leon, to name a few. (By the way, if you've not heard Adele, she's got an incredible voice and sings with such a sense of worldliness and experience for only being 19... my favorite track is "Cold Shoulder".)

So, for old times sake, I decided to throw in a couple favorite classics of ours, and wouldn't you know, J completely dug them and requests them every time we're in the car!

The first throwback on our vacation mix was Michael Penn's "No Myth". It was so cool when C and I randomly figured out that it was one of both of our favorites from the 80s/early 90s. Now I think we like it even more because of J's big grin when it comes on as he says, "Is this 'No Miff'?"

The other one is a little embarrassing. One that my dad used to sing a lot when we were kids and we just thought it was crazy nonsense. As a teen, I realized it was a real song when a friend had it on a mix tape. Harry Nilsson's "Coconut". I know, it's crazy!! But, let me tell ya, what's really crazy is when J is playing independently and he thinks no one is watching and he starts to sing:

put the lime in the coconut...
drink it all up...
then say, Doc-tah!!! (and he mimes holding a phone up to his ear)

Needless to say, my dad is mighty proud. I told him the other day that J got his funny genes from him. "Fine by me", he said with a wink.

Over the last year, we've really noticed that J seems particularly drawn to music. He'll stop what he's doing if he hears an interesting song on the radio or a tv commercial. He loves all instruments. He sings constantly as he plays, and also turns just about anything into an instrument.

I think we'd be crazy not to foster J's musical inclinations. No pressure or anything, but just get him exposed to lots of types and encourage him to be creative and have fun with it. I registered the two of us for Music Together, and I'm really excited to start classes in a couple of weeks. Their premise is right up our alley:

Music Together classes are based on the recognition that all children are musical. All children can learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence in the music of our culture, provided that their early environment supports such learning.

What songs are stuck in your heads these days?

Babies

This weekend while mowing the lawn, C found a rabbit nest. Right smack in the middle of our backyard. The only reason he noticed it was that a teeny tiny brown cottontail shot out of the nest across the yard when the mower came close. Thankfully, the mower did not come too close and the nest was undisturbed. He scooped him up and the three of us ooohed and ahhhed over him for a few moments until we saw another one scamper out of the nest! C scooped that one up too, and then carefully nestled them back in among at least three other brothers and sisters, and abandoned the mowing.

It filled us with anxiety to think that they might be abandoned or that there was more that we should do to protect them from stray cats and the occasional hawk. But, a google search led me to a couple web sites that completely backed up our actions:

> handle them with gloves so as not to leave your scent on them (mothers may reject babies that pick up scents other than their own);

> do not relocate the nest (we debated on moving it to a less conspicuous spot, but decided not to, so that mama would be able to find it);

> nestle them back down under their nest and keep pets away.

According to what I read, rabbits are the "absent parents" of the animal world. Fathers are not involved in the care of babies at all. Mothers nurse their young 5 minutes a day, leave the nest during the day, and return at night. The baby bunnies leave the nest at quite a young age, only 2 weeks (!) and are completely independent by 3 or 4 weeks.

Please keep your fingers crossed that these little guys are doing alright and will soon be off on their own!

kiddie art

I love easy crafts! And, I love to find tons of easy crafts all in one place! The Artful Parent turned me on to the fantastic books of MaryAnn Kohl awhile ago. We've done some of her projects and had a lot of fun.

But, check out this great website I found a couple weeks ago. First Palette provides tips and ideas to get those creative juices flowing and inspire kids (and adults) to create artwork together! A few were familiar but there are lots of ideas that are new and unique. They look interesting and fun without a huge mess or hassle. The crafts are broken down by age or by theme: nature, food art, alphabet/numbers, world and travel, etc. Each craft also includes a link to an Earth-friendly tip.

The site includes instructions on some "classic" art projects: like dioramas, leaf prints and rubbings, and vegetable prints. And lots of funky ones like a Sand Cake, Seed Mosaic, and Jingle Bell Painting! Two crafts really jumped out at the librarian in me. They'd be perfect activities to follow up on a couple of J's favorite books.

First, the Alphabet Coconut Tree looks like lots of fun to make. And, could there be a better story extender for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom?!! Read it and try it. Cement that Letter Knowledge into your kiddos' brains! "A told B, and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree"

This other craft looks silly and fun, just like the book I'd pair it with. I think J will get a total kick out of coloring and illustrating a Body Flip Book. (Actually, I think my husband and I will have just as much fun with it.) Design a book filled with wacky wardrobes, cut your pages into thirds, and flip to see the crazy combinations. When we try this one, I might use a photo of J's face on each page to add to the silliness.

Doesn't it remind you of that book Ribbit! which could hardly be found on bookshelves last year? J got an autographed copy for Christmas and at first I don't think he quite got it... I think he thought, "where is the story in this book?" But, soon he started to see the hilarity in the way this poor frog (or frogs?) is costumed.

Oh, I almost forgot. Another great thing about First Palette is that they love to see what their crafts have inspired your kids to make. So, if you give one a try, you can also upload a photo of your work to be displayed on the site! Please stop back here too, and let me know to look for it.

Do you have any great arts and crafts resources to share?

Angry Reads!

As promised, here's a new Read Your Way Through post. My bookish attempt to counteract:

• Tantrums


• Anger


• and Frustration, oh my!

Although my smart little J is sensitive, perceptive, loving, and a well-spoken 2 year-old, he's struggling with how to express his feelings of frustration.

"No" has been present in his vocabulary for over a year now, but the volume at which it is said is really cranked up these days. If what we want to hear is "Yeah, I want to", instead the response we get is "But, I don't want to".

Shoes and socks are now dangerous projectiles. Warnings are ignored; and, time-outs are less effective now--they almost seem to rev up his anger, causing further outbursts and stress.

Turning to books for advice, tactics, and insight into this behavior has reminded me to:
~take extra note of his good behavior
~focus on being compassionate and calm even as the shoes are flying into the front seat of the car on our way home from a playdate
~spend less time and energy enforcing time-outs, instead focusing on modeling "cool-down" tactics and teaching words to express frustration

Here's a handful of books I've found helpful without being preachy. J enjoys them too, just as any other "regular" story about trucks or trains or animals.


Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban
This one's great because it isn't corny, it gets J to laugh at Mouse's situation, it shows how NOT to deal with anger, and then it models a fantastic cool-down technique--taking deep breaths.

So simple! Now, when I see J revving up, I go straight to "Remember Mouse? When he was mad, he took some deep breaths and then felt much better. Why don't you try?" I do it with him and then when he's calmed a bit, I jokingly remind him of how Mouse got so hopping mad that he fell into a "mucky mud puddle". He thinks that phrase is hilarious.



Feet Are Not for Kicking by Elizabeth Verdick


While I'm happy to say that kicking isn't an issue in our house, I know it can be an outlet for frustration and anger. This book is cute because it's a simple board book that reminds you of all the fun stuff you can do with your feet: running, jumping, kicking a pile of leaves. If you have a younger toddler struggling with hitting and kicking, I think this would be helpful.



When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang

When Sophie gets really angry, you can see it in her eyes! The illustrations make sure of that--there's a two-page spread of just Sophie's angry face!

Instead of lashing out, Sophie takes off running to vent her frustration and clear her head. Obviously an older child, Sophie and her particular situation and solution don't resonate all that well with J. But, I like this Caldecott Honor book because of the color and vibrancy with which it depicts anger, frustration, and eventually: THE CALM.

~~~

Lastly, I'll leave you with some lyrics from the great Jim Gill. (Give him a guitar and a room full of kids and he'll have them laughing, singing, dancing and doing whatever he tells them to in no time!) He has a cute song called Hands Are for Clapping, which J likes to dance along to. Besides being fun, this song gives me ammunition when I need to remind J that hands are not for hitting!

Hands are for clapping
Clapping to this song
Hands are for clapping
Let's all clap along

Toes are for tapping...

Knees are for slapping...

Fingers are for snapping...

Teeth are for brushing....

And, books are for reading! Enjoy these reads.

power struggle

Hello world! I'm still here...but feeling swamped and sunk thanks to this little pair:

a certain toddler's tantrums (new Read Your Way Through post coming soon)

How can a child be so loveable and melt-your-heart-sweet one moment and then so utterly rotten the next? I mean, he can literally turn on a dime! Take today, for example. We had a nice brunch out with a friend. J climbed into the booster seat of his own accord and then proceeded to sit still while I buckled him in. He colored before his food came, he drank his milk without blowing bubbles, and ate his meal without throwing anything on the floor. Of course, he used his shirt as a napkin and interrupted us constantly, but, hey, I can deal. At one point, he even stopped my friend mid-sentence and said sweetly, "Am I being patient?"

Yes, yes he WAS.

That is, until moments later when we went into Target for 4 things. Just 4 desperately-needed things. A quick errand for Mama and then it was on to the park. But, no. The patient toddler was suddenly replaced by the angry, LOUD toddler. The toddler who hits his mama as she races down the aisle for the 4 things on her list. The toddler who, at odd random intervals, removes a shoe or a sock and hurls them out of the cart and into the aisles or on top of the shelves of diapers that his mama is scouring while trying to figure out unit price in her head amidst the screaming of said toddler. The toddler whose behavior elicits one of three reactions among the other shoppers:

The first, and any mother's favorite: sympathetic smiles. These are from parents or grandparents or just kind people who can see that I am hurrying on my way and doing my best to remain calm despite my embarrassment.

The second: glares or eye-rolling. These people would probably like to stop me and say, "Maybe you should leave and come back another time when he is either calm or you can come without him." I do not get that option. It's totally unfair. Leaving Target during a temper tantrum doesn't reprimand or correct J's behavior. It just inconveniences me. And I'm already inconvenienced by having to deal with a tantrum while buying diapers and other items to care for the child who is throwing the tantrum!

The third and worst reaction: snickering. Yes, snickering! I've not experienced that one until today. I didn't know it was possible to pause in your shopping, observe a child hitting, kicking, screaming, and then audibly snicker and giggle. Did they think J's behavior was funny? Were they laughing at me, stuck in this crappy situation? "The nerve!", as my mom would say. Well, I shot that guy a glare, but then decided not to look at any of the other shoppers on the way to the checkout in case they were smirking too.

The other thing bogging me down lately is the hectic and completely opposite work schedule that C and I have. Let me tell ya, doing the Toddler Stop Drop and Roll day after day gets old. But, I hate to complain because it is what it is and it is what we chose. We are lucky--and we tell ourselves this often--that we each get quality time with J. We made smart decisions to make this lifestyle work for us. We have very accomodating jobs. Nevertheless, I guess I'm going through a little phase where I either want what I don't have or I want what isn't possible.

And, sometimes that's enough to make me want to have a tantrum. Thanks for bearing with me.

much-needed vacation

Presque Isle, Erie, PA

The Erie Zoo & Botanical Garden

This zoo felt like a storybook zoo. It was somewhat tucked away in a neighborhood. The entrance was nice, not extravagant or flashy, parking was free in a little lot across the street, and it just gave off a welcoming, old-timey vibe. I liked it! We were mesmerized by the giraffes for some time.

I guess you'd call this male bonding. A lesson in skipping stones.

I love J's posture in the next image. I felt like I captured his energy--and a special moment, flinging all his hopes and joys into the water like wishes.

Anybody know the significance of all the frog and fish statues in Erie? I didn't get around to asking about them or trying to look them up. They were everywhere. This one has been decoupaged with pages and covers from old books. He sat outside the library/Erie Maritime Museum.

Parts of Erie have an older feel. We hit this light a lot, and I really just liked looking at the one single traffic light and the buildings around.

You've got to look closely at this next image, of these amazing whirligig lighthouse displays at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center (The TREC). Although it's free like all state park nature centers, that term just doesn't cut in when describing this facility. It's not dark and dingy and full of taxidermied wildlife. It's a LEED building; it harnesses wind power; and there's an IMAX theatre inside that holds a 4-story Big Green Screen.

At the base of this lighthouse model was a wheel, and when turned, every whirligig in the display was set in motion. It was really impressive to see them all moving in sync, and they were very finely crafted and detailed whirligigs to start with. My grandfather used to make whirligigs, and recently he's started making a few more. I think one was of a man canoeing, and the other was the 'classic' Mallard. I hope to convince him to take a shot at making us one with that features J's favorite bird, the Downy Woodpecker!

Happy Summer, readers! Where are you vacationing to?

disastrous news for ohio libraries

THE BASICS: Governor Strickland has recommended the elimination of $200+ million from the Public Library Fund over the next two years.

WHAT IT MEANS: This proposal by the Governor cuts Columbus Metropolitan Library's state funding by 50%. These proposed 11 + million dollar cuts will be devastating: closing branches, halting new books and materials, and shutting down programs and services that are so vital to our community!

Please help! Tell the Ohio government to find another solution.

Email all your legislators at once by visiting CML's homepage.

Call the Governor's office at 614-466-3555.

For more information, please visit the Ohio Library Council website.

Tell everyone you know. WE ONLY HAVE DAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Here's what I had to say. I hope you'll participate and encourage others too.

I am writing to express my utmost concern about the Governor's proposed cuts to library funding. The news of it comes as quite a shock, as well as a disappointment from a Governor I had confidence in.

Of course, in tough economic times, we need to look for ways to cut back, but we expect that the Ohio government recognize the immense value and importance that our libraries hold for us. As you know, for many years Ohio has topped the Hennen Library Rankings, and was just recently named a 5 star library by Library Journal. What better way to live up to that ranking, and more importantly to the communities the libraries serve, than to conserve money and resources for Ohio libraries.

Libraries have already received a 20% cut in funding; a 50% cut will have drastic consequences to our libraries and our communities: branches will close and services will be cut.

These cuts would have devastating consequences to our libraries when our community needs them more than ever. Libraries are busier than ever. Children, teachers, parents, students, job-seekers flood Ohio libraries every day to take advantage of the information, resources, and sense of community that our libraries promote.

This is the time to rally around the truly exceptional and truly meaningful services available to Ohioans. Libraries are just that. There is an engraving above the door to the Columbus Metropolitan Library in downtown Columbus that simply reads: 'Open To All'. Please reject this proposal and keep that statement true; save our libraries from closing many of their doors.

quick tag

a bloggy friend tagged me with this quick little meme, and i thought i'd churn it out to leave you with some fun before we head out on vacation. apparently, the categories have been narrowed from 8 responses down to 4, which i fully support. (some of these tag games are so fun, but also sooooo loooong!)


4 things i'm looking forward to


::finishing the book i'm currently reading (water for elephants--it is so good!)

::taking pictures of J's feet as he walks in the sand on vacation

::taking J to his first baseball game tomorrow

::remodeling our bathroom (someday)



4 things i did yesterday


::went to the zoo

::took a nap

::ate a piece of pattycake vegan bakery's chocolate-raspberry cake

::laughed A LOT, especially when J and the two boys we were babysitting did this:




4 things i wish i could do

::travel more often

::sew

::get a weekly massage

::live near water


4 tv shows i watch

::the office

::30 rock

::castle

::i want to start watching 'a place of our own' on pbs


4 places i'd like to travel

::paris

::vienna

::ireland

::yellowstone national park


4 places i've lived

::columbus, ohio is actually the only place i've lived, so the next 3 are places i'd love to live

::camden, maine

::santa fe, new mexico

::portland, or


OK, your turn! If you're reading this, you're tagged!

Karma Wilson Winners!

Thanks to all who entered my giveaway. It's clear there are a lot of Karma Wilson fans out there, and I wish I could have awarded each of you!


The lucky winner of Bear Feels Scared is Cheryl and the winner of Mama Always Comes Home is Stacy! Congrats mamas!

gadgety cuteness

Did you notice the cute new gadgets in the sidebar? Aren't they fun? Don't you want them too?

The Twitter badge is from the very talented Julie Green of up up. Grab one for yourself--there are four adorable color palettes. Also, stop by her Etsy shop. She has all kinds of papery goodness.

Cathe Holden's blog, Just Something I Made, has gobs of free blog gadgets, like the Comments Make Me Smile one I just added.

Don't you love when crafty people are also generous people? :)

Now, don't ignore the gadgety cuteness! Follow me on Twitter, leave me a comment, grab yourself a gadget, and leave the other gals a comment too!

~ sunday to sunday ~

Anticipating summer and feeling relaxed and peaceful on this gorgeous day, I'll let these pictures mainly speak for themselves, and for what we've been up to the last week.

Homestead Park -- Hilliard's home to an historic Ohio barn as well as an old blue train caboose; also many playgrounds, walking paths, and a cute covered bridge:

Gonna catch that train...

Early summer blooms:

Pretty sights from a morning walk on Memorial Day at Heritage Park , formerly the Rosedale Farm, home to the Everal family in the late 1800s :

The Everal Barn

Knock knock, anybody home at the Carriage House?

I liked the look of this old latched coal chute on the front of the chimney.

We weren't the only family out enjoying the lovely morning

Not the greatest gardeners, we spent a lot of time this week on our prettiest landscaping project yet -- still a work in progress.

Hope yours was a beautiful week, too, with another one to come!

good news for people who love...

PICTURE BOOKS! GIVEAWAYS! AND... KARMA WILSON!

It's hard to believe it was just a few years ago, in 2002, that Karma Wilson had her very first book published, Bear Snores On. It was quite a hit and spurred an impressive writing career that has delivered some really great literature to kids, parents, teachers and librarians.


A few of my personal favorites are: Baby Cakes--a great gift for babies or mamas-to-be; Beautiful Babies--a new touch-and-feel board book; Hilda Must be Dancing; Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo; and Sleepyhead--a very sweet bedtime rhyme.


This talented, generous author is offering two of my lucky readers an autographed, hardback book! I have one copy of:




of which, School Library Journal said:

A gentle and reassuring picture book... The consistently tender illustrations follow the text's well-crafted rhymes as different animal mothers leave their offspring for a brief period and then return. Mama Bird (in a flowered headscarf) feeds her babies, then tucks them beneath a quilt in their nest before digging up more worms; Mama Cat leaves her kittens in the barn to have a sip of cream in the house; Mama Dog runs out to play with her boy. Each example ends with the refrain: "Mama always comes home." Presented with a delicate and loving touch, this book embodies the power of thoughtful text supported by insightful pictures. A good choice for parents and children dealing with separation anxiety.


as well as one autographed copy of:

To be entered in this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post before Wednesday, June 10, 2009. If you'd like to earn a second entry into the drawing, mention this giveaway (with a link) on Twitter. Then, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know you tweeted it.

Good luck!

Midweek Peek

Just checking in to see how everyone is enjoying their week. At our house, we are obsessed with puzzles and engulfed in multiple daily readings of this cute little book C & J gave me for Mother's Day: I Love My Mommy Because... by Laurel Porter-Gaylord


It's a somewhat older title (1991, I think), but really adorable and enjoyable. It's the perfect read for this time of year...with Mother's Day having just passed and all the new life springing from the flowers, plants, birds and bunnies surrounding us.


During J's naptimes this week, I've been heading out to our deck to sit in the breezy shade and read a sweet, gentle non-fiction book entitled Remember the Sweet Things by Ellen Greene.

Greene writes with candor and humor about her list of "sweet things"--the kind, loving, and goofy things her husband did for her during their 20 years of marriage. The book is much more than just a recounting of the list. It reads much like a memoir. Something about it--the setting, the tone, the characters-- reminds me of Richard Russo's Empire Falls. But, maybe it's just that Greene likens her husband to Paul Newman, who played the cantankerous Max Roby in the HBO film. Anyway, it's such a nice premise and a timely read, as C and just celebrated our wedding anniversary.

Well, speaking of sweet things, I'll leave you with the news that I've got another giveaway coming up! It was my hope to do it as an accompaniment to Children's Book Week but I didn't get my act together in time. Hopefully, I can launch it later this week, so stay tuned!!

Children's Book Week

Now in its ninetieth year, Children's Book Week runs May 11-17. It began as the dream of Franklin K. Matthiews, librarian of Boy Scouts of America, who hoped to encourage higher standards among childrens books. And judging from this year's Children's Book Award Finalists, I'd say Matthiews' dream came true.



A few of this year's nominees:

Donut Chef by Bob Staake

A fun, yummy read with great rhyme.

Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems

Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain

Paper Towns by John Green

Possibly my favorite teen read of 2008 (along with The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks).

To celebrate Children's Book Week, I encourage you to engage in a little conversation with a child about a favorite book, author or illustrator (either of theirs or yours).

It'd be great if you'd take it a step further: read that book with the child and chat about it afterwards.

Display the book in a special place this week.

Print out this Children's Book Week downloadable bookmark, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino.

How will you celebrate?

********************5/12/09 UPDATE*************************

The 2009 Children's Choice Book Award winners announced!

I'm a little disappointed that Paper Towns didn't win, but if kids and teens are voting, I guess it'd be hard to beat out the Twilight saga. Congratulations to the winners as well as the nominees!

:: connect the dots ::

Here's a fun random post with a kind of connect-the-dots logic to it.

Last week, C and I celebrated our ninth (!) wedding anniversary and spent a fun and casual night out in Short North Columbus. We had dinner at Marcella's, which I had been dying to try, and is absolutely positively my new favorite restaurant. Italian tapas, great wines, and a killer dessert menu!

After a nice leisurely meal that did not involve me rummaging through my bag to find a toy or a crayon or a sticker or a lollipop, we strolled the Short North checking out the shops and the galleries. At one of the galleries, and I hate to say that I forget which one it was, we came across some wooden carpets, like this one. Apparently, they are made in Israel. They're vinyl-backed and fold up accordion-style. Several coats of a laquer are applied so that the design is protected and it can be easily cleaned. Beautiful, don't you think?

Next, we stumbled upon this really cool boutique called Tigertree. Wow, I seriously coveted just about every item in there. Particularly, the gorgeous Orla Kiely wallets and totes in this fabric.

Also, the shop had tons of little trinkets, bags, notecards, and accessories done by an artist named Shinzi Katoh. The shopkeeper told us he's a Japanese picture book artist. C and I loved his style and have since been scrolling through his online shop. I want to get some of this tape and do something crafty with it. Take a look at his shop--it's endless!

While obsessing over this new-to-me artist, I read that he's one of the premiere Zakka artists. What is Zakka? Maybe some of you hipsters already know, but the word was new to me. I Googled it and found this helpful page on Squidoo:

In Japan, all the 'small, various products used in everyday life' are commonly called 'zakka,' a term which encompasses household goods, daily necessities and sundries. However, zakka has also come to represent a style of art and craft that is simple, charming, and of Japanese esthetic. Most items in the zakka style are handmade, but there are commercial companies that mass produce items using the style. The Japanese dictionary describes zakka as "general merchandise", "miscellaneous goods", "sundries", "sundry goods" including interior goods, kitchen goods or even cosmetic product.

I think that's such a cool concept. And, it's the concept that is the basis for an amazing blog I discovered this week. Zakka Life features a craft project of the week, as well as helpful book reviews of fun and crafty new books. Several crafts have been posted recently with Mother's Day being the theme. I liked this tea cup card. It could be a gift card holder. It could adorn a breakfast-in-bed serving tray. Use it as a place card if you're hosting a Mother's Day brunch.


My best friend's mom has been like a second mother to me all my life and she is soooo into tea! I think I'll be making one of these this weekend to send to her as just a cute "thinking of you on Mother's Day" token.

And, Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas and mamas-to-be out there. I hope you get a chance to enjoy some of your favorite things and reflect on the amazing things that being a mother brings.

XOXO

OMG & LOL!

These days everything is about social media. Twitter. Facebook. Flickr. YouTube. Online gaming. And, supposedly, it's especially true with teens and pre-teens.

In a recent presentation to our library staff, Beth Gallaway (aka the Information Goddess) cited a statistic that teens spend an average of 80 minutes per day chatting and texting.

Surprising? Maybe. It certainly surprised me when this sly, proud face greeted me the other morning.

I was eating breakfast and thought J was playing trains, per his usual morning routine. Not so. He apparently took a cue from my typical morning routine and powered up the computer. He knelt on our office swivel chair from IKEA, hands hovering above the keyboard, only looking up for a brief second when I entered the room.

"Hey", I said. "What are you doing, buddy?"

"E-mail."

"E-mail?"

"Yeah. I typin' to Lulu."

Lulu is a friend's two year-old daughter.

Wow. Just two years old and this little guy is already sneaking time on the computer with the intent to talk to a girl. Am I in for it or what?!!

I will say though, in his (and my!) defense, his #1 favorite thing to do on the computer when I let him sit on my lap is look through our virtual photo albums, calling out who and what he sees and basically reminiscing. His second favorite thing to do is pore over the keyboard identifying the letters and telling me what they're for.

"A "J" for my name! A "H" for hen! A "D" for Daddy! A "Z" for Zebra! A "P" for Papa!"

And, of course, "A "L" for Lulu!"

And that warms my heart. My love-of-reading, literacy-promoting heart. Even when he's reminding me to blog and tweet in moderation, he still makes me proud.

TTYL,
Katie

summertime heat and summertime eats

That's right! Two weeks ago it was cool April showers and now, in typical Ohio fashion, it feels like the dog days of summer. For several days now we've had bright sunshine and warm temperatures in the mid-80's! I do really love Spring, however, so I'm hoping we'll get a return to some of the more typical weather before the inevitable summer heat wave.

But, the warm weather does mean that C has fired up the charcoal grill twice this week, and boy, have we missed grilled food!

And, remember how I have a thing for food photography? Well, I just couldn't pass up photographing this salad before digging in. I thought the color of the tomatoes, carrots and almonds really popped against the deep green baby spinach. And, aside from being pretty, it was pretty darn tasty! I'll go ahead and jot down the ingredients here, even though no one comes to this blog for food fixes!

My Simple Sweet & Savory Salad

baby spinach

shredded carrot

chopped celery

pint grape tomatoes

dried cranberries

sliced almonds

crumbled feta cheese

We topped it with sliced grilled chicken, and drizzled it with a homemade mustard vinaigrette, courtesy of Everyday Food Magazine's cookbook Great Food Fast. That recipe:

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

whisk till combined, then add coarse salt and black pepper to taste

Voila! A quick, no-heat-in-the-kitchen meal.

Tenacity

The word "tenacity" came to C's mind as we watched our little guy climb the slide with happy determination tonight. Other words that come to mind:

fearlessness

spunk

purpose

freedom

motivation

delight

presence

and above all,

LOVE.

Got Books?

Check out this video of a Biblioburro in Columbia. Yes, it's a donkey bookmobile!

What an amazing effort to get books--a variety of books--into the hands, minds, and imaginations of the children here. I don't even know what else to say. It definitely gives me pause as a user and employee of the #1 rated library in the nation.

Sepia Sweetness

Hoping yours was a peaceful Easter, and wishing you a bright cheery Spring!