Parenting has kicked my ass today. Between the nine-year old who won't eat anything remotely healthy for him and the four-year old who decided today was a good day to act exactly like a four-year old, I need some peace and a corner to go cry in. I anticipated days like today when I decided to become a full-time stay at home mom/homeschooler. But when a day like this actually shows up, it's such a slap in the face.
Luckily both of them are safely tucked into bed, and I don't think I said anything to them that I will regret tomorrow. Now all that's left is to find my ereader in this mess of a house and escape into someone else's world. Oh, and drink at least one nice glass of wine.
Despite my frustration, I still made it through another bedtime story, Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer. It's a book that we've read several times over the past year or so, and each time Juliana "gets" a little more of it. Tonight she caught on to the fact that Olivia might not have actually saved the circus, just imagined it instead. She still doesn't get that Olivia completely frustrates the adults around her. She'll figure that out someday.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Curious George by H.A. Rey
When the "story alarm" went off this evening, Juliana already had her book picked out and was ready to go. She gave me an exaggerated yawn and stretch, and said she was tired. She was ready for her story and bed. I'm loving this!
She had chosen Curious George by H.A. Rey. It's a book that we've had for a long time, but I don't think we've ever read it all the way through. A familiar little monkey with an eternal smile, getting into trouble one way or another. I can see why my four year old would love him! Still, the original story is full of things that could not be written into today's children's books. At one point he smokes a pipe *gasp* and my sweet little modern day girl had no idea what it was! The telephone attached to a cord is not completely unfamiliar, as her grandparents have one. However, her future children may have lots of questions about that one.
I was glad to know that she understands that walking on telephone wires is "very dangerous", and that she would never attempt to fly assisted by helium balloons. It was another sweet story time with good discussion and warm snuggles. Another treasured memory.
She had chosen Curious George by H.A. Rey. It's a book that we've had for a long time, but I don't think we've ever read it all the way through. A familiar little monkey with an eternal smile, getting into trouble one way or another. I can see why my four year old would love him! Still, the original story is full of things that could not be written into today's children's books. At one point he smokes a pipe *gasp* and my sweet little modern day girl had no idea what it was! The telephone attached to a cord is not completely unfamiliar, as her grandparents have one. However, her future children may have lots of questions about that one.
I was glad to know that she understands that walking on telephone wires is "very dangerous", and that she would never attempt to fly assisted by helium balloons. It was another sweet story time with good discussion and warm snuggles. Another treasured memory.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Donald Duck: Private Eye
The new year finds us so busy! It's been tougher than I thought to make sure we get a story in every night. However, I refuse to give up! One setback cannot make me quit, which is what normally happens. I still have the alarm set for 8:45pm. As we get back to school tomorrow, I hope our routine will be more set and the bedtime stories more natural for us.
I've taken to letting Juliana pick one book per night. Tonight she picked one of her "early readers" that goes something like "This is my dog. He is a brown dog...." Not exactly the stuff of imagination or sweet dreams. But I hate to discourage her interest in learning to read, so we did that one first and then I had her pick another.
I had to smile when she brought me my old Walt Disney Story Land book. Published in 1974, it is the one book I own that bears testament to my childhood. It's pages are marked and you can see where I practiced writing my name in several spots. It is one of the few books that actually makes my heart give a little tug because I remember it so fondly. Inside it's covers are 55 stories, all based on Walt Disney films and characters. Juliana picked Donald Duck, as she knows who he is.
The story itself is pretty basic, but had enough mystery to keep her involved. She really enjoyed looking at my scribbles and attempts to write my name more than the story itself. I'm so glad my mom put it up when I was growing out of childhood, for it is a treasure to me and to my little girl. Someday she can pass it down to her own kids. Along with the books of hers that I save, of course.
I've taken to letting Juliana pick one book per night. Tonight she picked one of her "early readers" that goes something like "This is my dog. He is a brown dog...." Not exactly the stuff of imagination or sweet dreams. But I hate to discourage her interest in learning to read, so we did that one first and then I had her pick another.
I had to smile when she brought me my old Walt Disney Story Land book. Published in 1974, it is the one book I own that bears testament to my childhood. It's pages are marked and you can see where I practiced writing my name in several spots. It is one of the few books that actually makes my heart give a little tug because I remember it so fondly. Inside it's covers are 55 stories, all based on Walt Disney films and characters. Juliana picked Donald Duck, as she knows who he is.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff
If you read Juliana If You Give a Pig a Pancake, she will realize that she has the stuffed pig that's on the cover. She will then spend 5 minutes tearing her pile of stuffed animals apart to find the pig...And so begins our bedtime story tonight. I found it amusing that she wanted to know why the little girl that follows the little pig around looks so tired on the last page. "Just like Mommy" she says. Little does she know...
My life is a lot like the "If You Give..." books. One teeny-tiny little project can turn my house from nearly-perfectly-clean, to F3 tornado hit it in less than an hour. I am forever trying to keep order and still participate in the fun. I've found I can't do both. So F3 tornado damage it is.
The (near) nightly stories are having a great impact on our evenings. Juliana went to bed more easily than she has in a long time. Routine, I know, is a comfort to children, and to most adults. By witnessing the small changes that this one fifteen minute block of time is having on her, I am encouraged to start making more routines in our day. Next up: daily park trips! I'm becoming a better mommy, one routine at a time.
My life is a lot like the "If You Give..." books. One teeny-tiny little project can turn my house from nearly-perfectly-clean, to F3 tornado hit it in less than an hour. I am forever trying to keep order and still participate in the fun. I've found I can't do both. So F3 tornado damage it is.
The (near) nightly stories are having a great impact on our evenings. Juliana went to bed more easily than she has in a long time. Routine, I know, is a comfort to children, and to most adults. By witnessing the small changes that this one fifteen minute block of time is having on her, I am encouraged to start making more routines in our day. Next up: daily park trips! I'm becoming a better mommy, one routine at a time.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
Foiled again! I wanted to truly start my "year" last night to have a solid beginning to the New Year. Only my audience fell asleep at 7:30, well before her bedtime. Too much excitement from the night before, perhaps? Ah well, I am determined not to be deterred from my goal of reading every night, at least as often as possible.
Tonight's selection was Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon. I'm pretty sure I purchased this over a year ago simply because I love the title. It's such a beautiful name, and not one that I would have normally picked for a bat. So, Juliana and I snuggled in her new chair together and enjoyed a lovely story about family and what it means.
I sort of understand Stellaluna, having two families myself. I can understand the desire to change certain qualities about myself when I'm with one family so that I may better fit in. Sometimes it's easier to do things "their" way even when it's not in my nature to behave that way. Sometimes I learn more about myself by these interactions, and sometimes my families learn more about me. Mostly, though, I feel lucky with my wealth of family. Like Stellaluna, I love both families tremendously and hold them both dear.
Tonight's selection was Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon. I'm pretty sure I purchased this over a year ago simply because I love the title. It's such a beautiful name, and not one that I would have normally picked for a bat. So, Juliana and I snuggled in her new chair together and enjoyed a lovely story about family and what it means.
I sort of understand Stellaluna, having two families myself. I can understand the desire to change certain qualities about myself when I'm with one family so that I may better fit in. Sometimes it's easier to do things "their" way even when it's not in my nature to behave that way. Sometimes I learn more about myself by these interactions, and sometimes my families learn more about me. Mostly, though, I feel lucky with my wealth of family. Like Stellaluna, I love both families tremendously and hold them both dear.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Bread and Jam for Frances
So, my alarm goes off signaling story time (yes I've set an alarm), and Juliana immediately says "I don't want to read tonight". Not because she doesn't like the stories, but because she doesn't want to go to bed yet. This is the first time in a very long time that we've had any sort of "routine" about bed. While I was still working, I had a very loose bedtime mentality. Even now, six months into stay-at-home-motherhood, I am learning what works (and doesn't) for my kids. I realized tonight that we need more of a routine than "Story-Goodnight Kiss- Bed".
I have been a mother for over nine years now, and yet there are days when I feel like a novice. Like tonight, I kept thinking that if I had started from day one with a solid bedtime ritual, both kids would now be sweetly dreaming in their own beds, instead of arguing in my bed about who sleeps where. Nine years of doing what works rather than what's best has put me in a position to re-evaluate everything we do. Luckily, I'm not naive enough to try and change everything at once. I am confident that small changes over time will eventually give me my bed, and my post 9pm sanity, back. Until then, there's wine to take the edge off.
Our book tonight was Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban with pictures by Lillian Hoban. Now, in this book I see another one of my parental failures. Frances will only eat bread and jam (quite like my Max with food), and her mother sneakily gets her to try new foods by only giving her bread and jam. Why didn't I think of that with Max??? Because he would have been happy with one thing night after night.
It's a sweet book, but again-- so long! The description of how one of Frances' classmates eats took a whole page and a half. And I was so grateful that Juliana didn't inquire as to what "veal" actually is. More than anything, I am finding that I can learn as much from story time as Juliana does. Like how to be a better parent.
I have been a mother for over nine years now, and yet there are days when I feel like a novice. Like tonight, I kept thinking that if I had started from day one with a solid bedtime ritual, both kids would now be sweetly dreaming in their own beds, instead of arguing in my bed about who sleeps where. Nine years of doing what works rather than what's best has put me in a position to re-evaluate everything we do. Luckily, I'm not naive enough to try and change everything at once. I am confident that small changes over time will eventually give me my bed, and my post 9pm sanity, back. Until then, there's wine to take the edge off.
Our book tonight was Bread and Jam for Frances, by Russell Hoban with pictures by Lillian Hoban. Now, in this book I see another one of my parental failures. Frances will only eat bread and jam (quite like my Max with food), and her mother sneakily gets her to try new foods by only giving her bread and jam. Why didn't I think of that with Max??? Because he would have been happy with one thing night after night.
It's a sweet book, but again-- so long! The description of how one of Frances' classmates eats took a whole page and a half. And I was so grateful that Juliana didn't inquire as to what "veal" actually is. More than anything, I am finding that I can learn as much from story time as Juliana does. Like how to be a better parent.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Katy No-Pocket
I have no idea why I love the holidays as much as I do. I normally dislike anything that disrupts my routine, messes up my house or takes days to recover from. As evidenced by the lack of posts over the past five days, we had a wonderful Christmas.
While I'm not totally recovered (and neither is my house), I was finally able to get back to the business of reading. Luckily, Juliana got some new books to add to our list. Some are more modern (Angelina Ballerina), but my grandparents bought her some that I recognize from my childhood. Of course, these are the ones I gravitate towards when we're picking out our bedtime reads. So, in addition to another princess Christmas story, I read Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne, illustrated by H.A. Rey.
This story was first published in 1944, and it has that sort of simplicity that is lacking in a lot of children's books today. However, it is also longer that a lot of today's books. Juliana got quite antsy about half way through, but the ending caught her attention. I do think that she will enjoy it more the more we read it. I also like the message of the story, which seems to be aimed at parents-- you have to do it your own way and not like all the other parents. Amen to that!
While I'm not totally recovered (and neither is my house), I was finally able to get back to the business of reading. Luckily, Juliana got some new books to add to our list. Some are more modern (Angelina Ballerina), but my grandparents bought her some that I recognize from my childhood. Of course, these are the ones I gravitate towards when we're picking out our bedtime reads. So, in addition to another princess Christmas story, I read Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne, illustrated by H.A. Rey.
This story was first published in 1944, and it has that sort of simplicity that is lacking in a lot of children's books today. However, it is also longer that a lot of today's books. Juliana got quite antsy about half way through, but the ending caught her attention. I do think that she will enjoy it more the more we read it. I also like the message of the story, which seems to be aimed at parents-- you have to do it your own way and not like all the other parents. Amen to that!
 |
| Our New Reading Spot! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)