Book Review: Dear Zoo

Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My 2-year-old daughter loves animals and flap-books, so it's really no surprise that she fell in love with this little board book.

The story is repetitive, which can be a little tedious for the reader, but it's also very easy for the listening non-reader to follow along and start "reading" on their own. It's been in my daughter's library for half a year now, but it's still the most requested book at bedtime. And more importantly, it's become her go-to book when she just wants to sit and "read" by herself for a while.




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Book Review: The Monster at the End of this Book

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my husband's favorite books from childhood, so he had to pick up a copy for Peep's personal collection. I was never a big Grover fan. Not that I had anything against the blue fur ball, I was just more into the Fraggles than the Muppets when I was younger. But Emma loves the Sesame Street gang, and I'm always up for a new book, so I had no problem adding this one to our bedtime book list.

I laughed out loud. It was just so silly, so panic!!!!! ridden, and so - well - Grover, that I couldn't help myself.

Peep thinks it's hilarious, too. I've taken to reading it in a panicky, ridiculous sort of voice that garners additional giggles, and she's just starting to get into the fun, adding fake scared faces and dramatic "Oooh nooooos!" at select moments. It's just so much fun to read, and it's created such wonderfully silly moments in our house that I couldn't give it anything less than a perfect rating.




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Book Review: FISH!

3 out of 5 stars

So the writing won't win authors Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen any prizes, but the philosophy behind this book has worked rather brilliantly for Seattle's Pike Place Market, where fish fly from the ice and into the arms of amused, energetic patrons, who are happy to pay for the entertainment. Oh, and the fish.

It was a recommended read from my boss, who is looking for ways to improve our working environment, but I actually found it applies to my personal life as well. The book is equal parts management philosophy and self-help. And its concepts are simple, straightforward: choose your attitude, play, be present, and make someone's day.


Be Present. I struggle with that. As a working mom and wife with too many hobbies and interests, I'm always trying to multitask - which really only means that nothing ever gets my full attention. Not the meals I cook, the books I read, or the projects I start. Not my career or education; not my husband or daughter. Everything ends up being half-assed because at any given time, I only have one eye on the ball.

So I'm going to make an effort this year to be present. To STOP my wandering attention. To FOCUS on what I love and who I love. And to BE PRESENT for the moments that make up this beautiful life of mine.

Book Review: The Time Traveller's Wife

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
(Originally read June 28, 2006)

Clare and Henry rank with Mr. and Mrs. Max DeWinter as my favorite couple of all time, and this is by far the best book I've read all year. The love between Clare and Henry is so real and so strong, and it somehow develops naturally, despite the strange time-travelling disorder that brings them together.

Audrey Niffenegger impressed me with her organization -- I can't imagine how she kept track of all the pasts, presents, and futures! (which makes me wonder how she wrote the story -- linearly or as it's presented in the book?) -- but where she really shines is in the language. She's funny, subtle, and it brings the characters to the forefront. The time traveling is such a foreign concept, so weird and different that it could easily overshadow everything else, becoming a distraction. But Niffenegger manages to make Henry's exits and entrances simple. The reader is aware these leaps are happening, but is so caught up in the relationships and interactions that the time travel almost takes a backseat.

My favorite passage was one of the shortest entries: Wednesday, July 12, 1995 (Clare is 24, Henry is 32), on page 103. So much was communicated in so few lines...

Overall, I cried much more than I laughed, but I didn't want the story to end. I'll be keeping an eye out for other novels by Niffenegger. Meanwhile, I'm going to hit the bookstore and get a hardcover copy -- this book is definitely a keeper.

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Easter Egg Huntin'

Peep was too little to go looking for eggs on her first Easter, but she was excited to go hunting this go-round! And she was quite the trooper, despite a rising fever and a not-so-restful nap.

Carl and I disagree on the whole Easter Bunny/Santa Claus/Tooth Fairy thing - he's a firm believer that these fictional characters add to the magic of childhood. I think childhood's magical enough without them.

Luckily, we have at least one more year to discuss and decide how we want to introduce these figures to Emma. In the meantime, we're thankful for the extra time with family!

One Year

One Year Old.

It's official. My baby isn't a baby anymore. My sweet, observant infant grew to a cheerful, active crawler, and is now a swift & spunky walker runner. At 1 you are energetic beyond belief and very inquisitive - always examining and testing things to see how they work. You have an incredible understanding of the whole action & reaction concept, and your father and I are constantly impressed by how quickly you learn.

You get those smarts from Dada, but your sass is from me. You have a whole range of 'looks' you give - everything from a daring What will you do if I touch this? to a doe-eyed Pretty pleeeeeease, Mama? When you're frustrated with something, you make the most grown-up faces - furrowed brow, cheeks sucked in, jaw set. On more than one occasion, I'm sure you've tried using The Force to get your way. And I can't say for sure that it didn't work.
 
You march in place when you're happy and give the biggest, most awesome squeals when chased or tickled. We sing a lot - you love it and have started to sing along to your favorites. You also love Dora the Explorer, Elmo, pushing your stroller around the house, running, playing outside, dogs, and your cousins. When you're upset or not feeling well, you prefer to be held and snuggled and read to (I'll Teach My Dog a Lot of Words and What Am I especially). You've just started discovering the wonder of books and all they hold. It makes me giddy. I have planned our entire reading list until you're in middle school. No joke.

You went through a brief period in which you didn't like strangers. Very brief. Now, you run to greet people in our neighborhood, at school, at the mall without fear. When they're bigger than you, you stand at their feet, arms stretched high, begging for them to pick you up. When they're your size, you wave hello and wait for them to return the greeting. And woe to the babe who doesn't return your greeting. You have no issues invading someone's personal space and yelling HI! to get their attention. Apparently you've already learned social etiquette and get quite peeved when it's not followed.

As friendly as you are, you also appreciate your space. There are times, particularly in the mornings, when you just want to be left alone. You will pick out a toy or two to concentrate on, claim a spot in the living room, and entertain yourself for up to an hour. This is another trait you inherited from me. And even though I get it, I can't help but marvel at the calm that takes over. When you're still like that, I can see you five years from now enjoying a quiet read, or 15 years from now studying for a test. It gives me a glimpse at the little girl you'll soon become. And it excites me and breaks my heart all at once.

Happy birthday, my sweet little Peep.

Love, Mama

Book Review: And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
(Last read March 31, 2004)

In the book world, Agatha Christie is to mystery what Stephen King is to horror. It’s simply not possible to discuss good mystery stories without bringing her name into the conversation, and chances are some of her memorable characters, such as Hercule Poirot or Jane Marple, also would be mentioned. But And Then There Were None -- also published as Ten Little Indians -- was Christie’s masterpiece.

When I was in middle school, I bought a copy of And Then There Were None from a library fundraising drive. It was yellow, dog-eared, and some of the pages had come loose because most of the spine’s glue had lost its stickiness, but the words were still legible, and the book’s decrepit state certainly didn’t take anything away from the story’s genius. I read it three times in a row, cover to cover, determined to figure out who the murderer was, who had killed those people on Indian Island.

I had all kinds of theories, one I was absolutely certain of, but always thought Christie gave it the best ending by giving it no ending at all. Of course, the reason I never knew who the killer was is because my copy, with the deteriorating spine and loose pages, lacked the final chapter! So, nine years later, I read a different copy, whose pages are all accounted for and whose spine still has its integrity, only to learn that the theory I spent so many years refining, what I thought was as good as fact ... couldn’t be further from the truth.

She's a tricky one, that Agatha Christie!




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Eleven Months

Eleven Months Old.

Emma could've been a March baby. 

At our appointment March 9, I was only 1 cm dilated and 10% effaced at that point, so the midwife sent us home, satisfied with where things were.  At our next appointment not even a week later, however, I was 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced with Emma's head at -2 station. Braxton Hicks contractions hit a few days later, so I spent a lot of time relaxing with my feet up and drinking lots of water. The midwife thinks that helped us make it to April; she had predicted a March 25 due date.

But we're not celebrating Emma's first birthday just yet - she made it past the midwife's prediction.

Likes: Animals! Especially dog-dogs, ducks, lions, and Elmo. Doors! Mostly closing them on your parents and laughing maniacally. Sippy cups - now with straws - and feeding yourself. Books, bubbles & bath time (our nightly routine). Playing outside - especially running free or being chased in Abuela & Baboo's backyard.

Dislikes: SWINGS - man do they scare you. When it rains and you can't play outside. Being in the dark by yourself (like when you close yourself in the pantry). When your parents won't let you climb onto the coffee table, kitchen island, or dining room table. Most vegetables all of a sudden - what gives?

I'm preparing for next month's party - we're only inviting close family to keep things from getting too out of hand, but that still means we'll be cramming more than 10 people into our little duplex. Carl & I are making cupcakes and chicken, beef, and veggie kabobs; doing some serious cleaning; and getting a few decorations Emma will appreciate (Dora, of course).

I'm prepared for all that. I'm totally unprepared to be mother to a 1 year old, though. How did this happen?

Valentine's Day Cookie Madness

Oh, cookies, how I love thee. Let me count the ways...

The ladies at Emma's daycare are always helping her make awesome crafts and goodies to bring home for Carl and I to enjoy. So even though I don't typically go all-out for Valentine's Day, I wanted to make them a little something they could take home and enjoy.

So after some digging around for recipes, we decided to make three cookies - white chocolate craisin, mint chocolate chip, and sugar cookies - to share with all the ladies at the day care, and gave some extras to those who have cared for Emma this past year.

Happy love day!

Ten Months

Ten Months Old.

For my birthday, I wished for you to slow down - you're growing too fast.

Obviously, that didn't work.

At this point you're learning new things so quickly, I don't even know where to begin. You went from creeping to crawling to cruising to walking in the course of a month. What am I supposed to do with that?! Mama can't keep up!


Independent. This is still your most obvious trait. Walking gives you freedom - freedom to go where you want to go and explore what you want to explore. When Mama and Dada let you, anyway. Those fascists put up a baby gate - the nerve! There was a time when you were content to hold our hands while traveling from here to there. No more! Holding hands is so last year, Mama.

Curious. About everything. Phones, animals, noises, what's in the dishwasher, what's under the sofa, what's outside the window, how does this so-called-child-proof lock work? You get into everything because you want to know everything. You've always been persistent, but it's your curiosity that drives you to try, try, try. I'll never tire of watching you discover and learn things. I just hope you never lose the interest in doing so.

Stubborn. You know what you want and you aren't afraid to go get it. Now if only everyone else would get outta your way! Last month I must've done something to piss you off, because you refused to say Mama until this week. I tried bribing you to change your mind, but you'd look at me sternly - furrowed brows, set lip - and give me an emphatic no! instead. I know where you get it. And so does Abuela, who thinks it's hilarious.

Sweet. You say hi to everyone - at school, at the grocery store, at the mall - and you want them to say hi back. You wave bye-bye. You blow kisses. You're concerned when your friends at school cry. You're concerned when Mama cries. You give me pats on the back as though to say It's OK, we're in this together, and my heart melts.

Sickfest 2010 has carried well into 2011, but you still manage to keep a relatively cheerful disposition. We're all looking forward to spring. In two short months you'll be 1 year old. And then you'll be 5 years old and then 10 years old and then 16 years old, and my brain just can't handle anything beyond that. So how's about we give this whole slowing down thing another try, huh?

First Steps

The little Peep has been pulling herself up and coasting from object to object at day care and at home. Around the house, she's taken to moving the bar stools from our kitchen island around. But today she finally let go of all that and took her first step toward mobile independence. Carl and I were in the middle of a heated argument about nothing important, and Emma, sensing our attention wasn't on her for a whole couple of seconds, did what she could to redirect us - she walked from me to Carl.

Then for good measure - and to ensure neither of us would ever remember what it was we were arguing about - she made sure she had our undivided attention and walked from Carl back to me.

The kid's got impeccable timing.

Book Review: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
(Last read January 13, 2005)

Classics are classics for a reason. Lewis Carroll creates, on the surface, a child's fantasy land, populated with memorable creatures and characters -- each just as extraordinary and odd as the next. I wish my college professors had seen this story fit to dissect, for I'd love to delve into what I believe is Carroll's distaste for structure and authority, absolute contempt for conformity, and bleak opinion of humankind, especially where its imagination is concerned.

Alice's search for normality in an imaginary rabbit hole (or through a mirror) is no different than our own searches. We cling to things that appear familiar; because they are familiar, they must be safe. But we can only hold on to those things for so long, because sooner or later we find that things aren't really as they appear (babies turn into pigs, flowers can be painted red, and just because you're bigger than a house does not mean you're bigger than a dog). And until we deal with the reality, we're left to wander "wonderland" indefinitely -- playing games that don't make sense, being threatened by people with no real authority, and looking for things we'll never find.



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Nine Months

Nine Months Old.

Don't let this sweet face fool you. She throws a mean tantrum. 

Granted, the tantrums come partially because no one in this house has been 100% healthy or 100% rested since Thanksgiving. Yes, the winter sickfest continues - not a single day has gone by in which I haven't had to change my clothes at least once because of this little thing. We had an epic day last week in which I changed five times - five times - and Carl changed three times. In addition to all the outfits that had to be washed, we also cleaned all of our bedding, all of Em's bedding, and the glidder seat cushions. Gross. So gross.

Likes: Brushing your teeth (and now that we have that little yellow guard, you're not gagging yourself with the brush, which Mama likes!), and spices (vanilla, cinnamon, thyme, basil, oregano, and maple are all hits)

Dislikes: TEETHING. BEING SICK. And deja vu. :P

Spring cannot get here soon enough.