here's one way to publish your own book

The other week we made a cardboard Washing Machine. It's pretty kick ass if I do say so myself.

While we were making the thing, I ended up with several scraps of cardboard box which I gave to Lovie to do with as she pleased. She was excited when I gave the pieces to her but then said, "What do you want me to do with them?"

I told her she could do whatever she wanted--she could color on them, cut them, make play food (cookie), make a book, whatever.

"A book?" She was quite interested.

I folded one of the scrap pieces in half and told her we could put paper inside and that the cardboard would be the outside of the book which she could color and design herself.

This is what happened:

See the squiggly lines in green above the blob? Yeah, that's her "story". She even read the thing to me, flipping the pages and telling me an actual story! It's called "Kashie's Seasons." It's about a girl, Kashie (probably should be spelled Kayshie), who lived Once Upon a Time and who loved going outside and loved the different seasons. One day she got sad though but then she went outside and she was happy again.

Or something.

Seriously though, how awesome is that?! And SO EASY to do (held the paper in there with [pink] tape). She literally "wrote" on each page and drew a corresponding image! I should have her read it to me again so I can "translate" it for the future when she may not be able to read her "writing" because this is one of those things that I will save forever.

how to beat the damn heat

...go to the library and spend three hours there reading and coloring and reading and having an awesome, one-on-one time without having to deal with annoying bugs and sweat dripping from your entire body.

33 words: Reading challenge

The sound of the saw is steady, competent, unhurried, stirring the dying

light so that at each stroke her face seems to wake a little into an expression

of listening and of waiting

As soon as I saw this weekends Trifecta Challenge, I knew what book to go to: William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying. One of my favoritest books ever.

so glad you're back!

Forever now, we've been reading to Lovie any chance we could.

It started right after we found out she was a girl and I picked up a book that soon became my favorite: I Love You So...  I read that book every night whilst Lovie curled up inside of me. And, a couple weeks after she was born (after we got into a groove with her schedule and whatnot), we started reading to her again and soon, it became part of her bedtime routine.

Shortly after learning to walk and turning one, Lovie even started requesting we read to her:

can you believe how little she once was? WOW was she cute. still is but WOW.

Which, of course, we obliged.

Happily.

Joyfully.

Life is amazing with a little one sitting in your lap listening to you read, looking at pages, etc. Amazing and beautiful and perfect.


Shortly after Lovie turned two, bedtimes became a struggle and she lost interest in us reading to her. We implemented a new routine which allowed her to do what she wanted for a couple minutes before bedtime and soon, bedtimes became less of a struggle again.

But we weren't reading.

Occasionally she'd ask us to read on the weekends but for the most part, books just sat on the shelf.

It made me sad; I really missed reading to her.


The past couple of weeks, something has changed with Lovie again. Now, she'll ask, "Can I sit in your lap and you read to me?"

"Of course, baby!" I say, scooping her up and into my lap.

She's such a big girl now. She now sits there and "reads" (or sings) along with me. She now asks questions and points to different things in the book in such a Big-Girl-no-longer-baby way.

And I love it.

Life is amazing with a little one sitting in your lap listening to you read, looking at pages, etc. Amazing and beautiful and perfect.

Welcome back!

Do you believe in Magic?

I do.

Especially if it’s 1-2-3 Magic- the book about “Effective Discipline for Children 2-12.”

*To be crystal clear- these are my own words, my own thoughts. I’m in no way, shape, or form affiliated with the writer of, nor the actual book or publishing company, etc of 1-2-3 Magic. They don’t know me. They don’t know I’m writing this. They didn’t give me the book to review. They don’t know me from Adam. I’m nobody to them.*

I have a 2 year old (end of December). At her 18 month checkup, her pediatrician suggested we pick up 1-2-3 Magic for an approach to disciplining our Lovie. She’s always been pretty much ahead of the game with all of her milestones and he said we could start implementing some of the ideas from the book if we felt we needed to, despite the age stated.

We didn’t get the book right away but we didn’t really need to; Lovie’s always been a pretty easy baby. Or else we’re extremely patient? If you know me at all, it’s not that I’m patient.

After getting the book when she was about 20 months old, I read it pretty quickly. It’s not long and it’s a quick read. I love all the examples provided and I love that there is reasoning as to why something might or might not be working.

Still, we didn’t really have any use to put it into practice. So the book sat and Lovie turned two. And, just like that, she was starting to test us more. But still, she listened to what we were saying and, since we were both always on the same page and very consistent, we never had to really put her into a time out or discipline her more than stating that something was dangerous. Yes, really. She’s that good of a kid. Yes, I know how crazy lucky we got it. Thanks, though.

But then bedtime would roll around and … by the time we’d leave her room, I was exhausted.

I began to dread putting her to bed. It usually wasn’t too bad if it was just me putting her to bed because I didn’t stand for (all) the stalling she did, but regardless, it got to the point where I would just walk out of the room quickly after saying my good nights and I love yous, and she’d be left screaming and jumping up and down and crying out for me. And the nights Daddy was there in time for bedtime, he would stay in the room to settle her down but usually, an hour later, she’d call out for one of us or shriek with glee as she continued to practice her jumping. (There were several times where I actually went to bed and fell asleep before her. And I have to get her up at 5:30 in the morning during the week so her lack of getting a good night’s sleep was causing major havoc in our morning routine, too.)

I was spent. And I started dreading… dreading… bedtime.

I’m not sure what it was- maybe out of sheer desperation- but I decided to pick up 1-2-3 Magic again one day, remembering that the author touched on bedtime. I quickly skimmed over to the bedtime routine and read the section, “Going to Bed- And Staying There!” several times.

I tagged the pages I wanted the husband to read and told him we would be taking the plunge that night and to just follow my lead.

We were all sitting on the couch watching Nick Jr. and it was nearing 7PM- Lovie’s bedtime Sunday through Thursday. The show Olivia was on and I told Lovie that when it was over, it would be time to brush her teeth- something I tell her every night.  I also sounded the alarm on my cell phone. Lovie looked at me like WTF? And I told her that the next time she heard that Beeping sound, it would mean that we had to stop whatever we were doing and go to bed.

When the show was over, I turned off the TV. Lovie started with the usual whining and begging for another Olivia and refusing to brush her teeth. I explained again that Olivia was over, that we’d watch again tomorrow, and that it was now time to brush her teeth and get ready for bed. She started playing with some cars or something. We kept repeating it was time to start getting ready for bed and eventually got her into the bathroom to  finally brushed her teeth.

Then we went into her room and, like normal, Daddy sat on the floor near her two large stuffed bears, I sat on the chair next to her bed. Lovie started opening books or something. I sounded the alarm again and reminded her that the next time she heard it, it meant it was time for bed. I told her we could read, sing, play, drink water, go to the bathroom until the Beep Beep Beep but once it sounded, she had to go to bed.

She just looked at me. Daddy just looked at me.

“Do you want to read a book?”

“No!”

“Do you want me to sing?”

No answer. So I started to sing (thankfully- I love singing bedtime songs normally with her in my arms but I didn’t want to push the issue).

Lovie played with some blocks and kind of ignored her dad and me. I reminded her again that when the Beeping sounded it was bedtime, and asked if she was sure she didn’t want daddy to read a book. She got a book and brought it to her dad to read.

A minute after they read, the alarm sounded. It was 7:15PM.

We all jumped a little. I really should put a clock in her room.

Lovie and Daddy looked at me. I grabbed my cell phone from the bookshelf and stood up and looked at my husband and, with my eyes and mind, told him to stand up, too. He obliged.

I scooped up Lovie and gave her a million kisses and told her it was bedtime. She turned into a floppy, out-of-water fish. Daddy snuck in a couple kisses and I laid her in her crib. (Yes, she's still in a crib. There's more info in the book about if your child is in a regular bed and gets up out of bed- info that we will most definitely practice should Lovie do this once she moves out of the crib.)

She immediately stood up and asked for water and I, laying her back down, told her she could have more in the morning and reminded her the Beeping sounded and it was now bedtime.

“Sweet dreams, baby girl. I love you. Night Night,” I said with my hand on her belly gently.

I then … walked out of the room and into the living room to look at the clock on the cable box. It was 7:17.

I turned back around and saw my husband standing beside me. We just looked at each other, saying nothing.

“Really?” I finally said. “It’s that easy?”

Husband looked at me, shrugged his shoulders, and went on his computer. I stood there for another couple minutes and listened. I heard nothing coming from down the hall where Lovie’s room is. Nothing.  I went back to the husband and said, “Why haven’t we done this sooner?”

Again, he just shrugged.

Since that very first night, it’s been the same thing (I extend the alarm a half hour on weekends) every single night. Except, after a full week of doing this, the whole routine started going even smoother because once she became used to the alarm, she started wanting to sit with us before it sounds as we read and sing (which for us is so ... blissful, really). She doesn't flop around when I scoop her up for hugs and kisses before laying her down; there's no more jumping in the bed; there's no more shouting out for us once we leave the room.

This shit is MAGICAL.

A month ago, it would take HOURS before she’d fall asleep.

A month ago, I’d leave her room wanting to scream and pull my hair out.

Bedtime has been dreadful this year (literally- it’s like a switch went off in her in January)- up till I studied the Bedtime section of the 1-2-3 Magic book a couple weeks ago.

And now... It’s Magical. Bedtime is magical! It’s enjoyable. It’s relaxing. It’s the way it should be.

* To be crystal clear- these are my own words, my own thoughts. I’m in no way, shape, or form affiliated with the writer of, nor the actual book or publishing company, etc of 1-2-3 Magic. They don’t know me. They don’t know I’m writing this. They didn’t give me the book to review. They don’t know me from Adam. I’m nobody to them.*

TILTW: 4/21-4/27

* I'm addicted to the internet. Yesterday, about an hour after getting into work, my computer freaked the F out. Turns out I had a virus. Man, was that embarrassing. And a LONG day without much internet access. I had to actually ... work. *shudder*

* 1-2-3 Magic is awesome. We've implemented some new things into Lovie's bedtime routine as a result of this book and ... so far so good! *love*

* I think I have to low carb again. Ugh. I'm trying so friggin hard to eat better but... I'm just friggin hungry. And I'm pretty sure it's the carbs. I've pretty much cut out all sugar, but I'm still eating some carby foods and DAMMIT WHY CAN'T I JUST LOVE SALADS?!? *fark!*

* Making "to do" lists do work. Posting them on your blog is a great way to try to stick to the list, too. Try it. I composed one back in January- for things I wanted to accomplish before turning 40. Let's see how it's going, shall we (comments from today are in red)?

* finish Lovie's 1 year book (up to 9 months now) and 2 year book

* go down two pant sizes (not even close to this- ugh)

* get new wedding/anniversary bands for our 5 year wedding anniversary in June (we'll have been together 12 years) (this is happening but hasn't yet since it's not June so can't cross off yet)

* start being more active again- walking when i can, taking the stairs (haha. no... hahahahahaha. ugh)

* do something ALONE at least once a month- even if it's running out to Target (this has happened a couple times! and even though i was home alone while the hubs and Lovie were out, it was still ... nice!)

* get out to a dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with the hubs alone (it's our favorite and we haven't been since days before Lovie's birth)

* take a weekend trip to NYC to visit my BFF/cousin - alone - to celebrate our 40th birthdays (she's 6 months older than me) (should be booking this trip today as a matter of fact- WOOT!)

* start knitting again- and reading more (reading more when i can but that knitting thing? not sure when the hell that will happen)

* start writing more again (this is ongoing here on the blog- though not much fiction)

* and, again, the number one thing to do before turning 40 is get myself healthier (this is ongoing. i've already gotten a physical, gotten a mammogram and i'm trying to eat better.)

Booktasticle Listicle

Books are awesome. Period.

The written word is awesome. Period.

If you have kids, books should be everywhere in your home. Period. Please don't argue with me on this one. Just don't.

Some of Lovie's favorites (that she reads or requests I read):

Bark, George- This book was gifted to us by a woman who works in my department. It's a silly book about a dog named George who moos, meows, quacks, etc instead of barks when his owner asks him to bark. The owner takes George to the vet to get to the bottom of the situation. It's silly, it's repetitive, Lovie loves it.

You're My Little Love Bug- This books was gifted to us by an aunt of mine. It's a board book which is great for little hands, and its tale is sweet and fun to read. There's a heart shaped opening on the last page where you can slide in an image of your little Love Bug. I enjoy reading this one and Lovie does now, too.

Christmastime is Here!- I picked this one up during this past Christmas season to talk about the holiday with Lovie before it came. Lovie took to this one and asked that we read it several times a day. I had to hide it (on top of her bookshelf) after Christmas because I just couldn't take it anymore. It's a Fisher Price flap book and I picked up another one after her obsession with this one- and she adores it just as much. These are MUST haves for toddlers in my opinion.

Potty- I picked this one up during at Target run just a couple months ago when the thought of potty training started to seep into my thoughts. Lovie took to this one right away and loves when we read it and talks about wanting to wear undies all the time, as a result. Too bad the book didn't actually do the training part.

I Love You So...- This book... I just cannot say enough good things about this book. I've written about it before and it's a book that I will be sure to hold on to forever. I bought it the day I found out Lovie was a girl and I cried the first several times I read it to her while she was still baking away. It's not a short book, but the pictures and the flow is nice and easy- and it's just my all time favorite books for my Lovie.

Some of My favorites:

As I Lay Dying- I had to read this one a good 20 years ago in one of my fiction writing classes in college. And I quickly fell in love. There's just so much about it- particularly the way it's written, the way the story is told that always makes me say this is my number 1 favorite book. Ever.

The Help- I love this book. I just really love this book. It makes me smile, it pisses me off, it makes me teary. It's just an all around fantastic read.

Running with Scissors- This is another one that I just absolutely love. It's funny, it's crazy, it's bold, it's sarcastic, it's brave. Love it and love Augusten Burroughs.

Little Bee- Oh boy. This isn't a book I care to ever read again but it's one that will stay with me in a kind of haunting way forever, I'm guessing. Oh the tears shed whilst reading this book.

Room- Thinking of this one, again, moves me. I guess that's what a good book, to/for me, does: it moves me. And if it moves me, if it touches me, it stays with me.

Christmastime is here!

I've been reading to Lovie before she was even born and when I saw this neat thing on The Pinterest about wrapping books and having your child open one to read every night during the Christmas season, I was like NEATO! But then it quickly dawned on me: I don't have 24 Christmas-related books, nor do I have the funds to go out and get a ton of Christmas-related books.  But, I have picked up a few and started to introduce them to Lovie after Thanksgiving.

First up was My Little Polar Bear because it wasn't really Christmas-related and we weren't even into December yet. It's a cute (and short) story, but I think I like it more than Lovie does.

Next up was what this post is all about- Christmastime is Here! A Fisher Price Little People lift the flap book.

This books is AWESOME. Lovie, 24 days shy of age 2, cannot get enough of this book. Every night before bed we read to her and last night we each had to read this one twice. She just loves looking at what's under all the flaps- and half the time it cracks her up!

So if you're looking for a Christmas-y book for your toddler, you really must seek this one out (I got it from TJ Maxx for like $7 or something). It's not religious or anything; it's just fun and cute.

And since this is about toddlers and Christmas, check out what I just picked up at the grocery store during my lunch break:

Don't you wish you could be 2 again?!?

I wasn't compensated in any way, shape, or form for my opinions stated within this post. Neither of these companies know that I even exist.

So much.

The other day, I posted about how I was inspired by Pinterest and wanted to create a print for Lovie's room from a quote from my favorite book of hers. It's the first book I purchased for her and it was bought just an hour or so after finding out she was going to be a girl.

Here's a post from my pregnancy blog regarding the book:

8/26/2009: After the beautiful appointment yesterday, Daddy and I went to register - or at least start to register. It was actually a lot of fun because it was a brand new experience for us both to be surrounded by everything baby.

After an hour or so we gave up (for now) and handed in the zapper (which your dad thoroughly enjoyed managing), I bought a book to start reading to you, and we headed out to dinner. The book is one that I'm sure we'll spend many times reading together because it truly is a wonderful story: I Love You So... by Marianne Richmond.

I'm not going to lie: by the end of the story, I was in tears. I had a real hard time finishing the story and one day you'll understand. They were good tears, my sweet baby girl. Wonderful tears. Because the fact is that while we haven't yet met in person quite yet, I really do love you so...

All my love,
Momma

Sappy, yes? YES!

But that's me, I guess.

Anyway, I'm not even sure how many times I've read this book.

circa April 2010

But it's definitely so many times that I've memorized it and Lovie's been bringing the book to me to read since before she was a year old (though this video is from a couple weeks after turning 1):

She's "read" it on her own many times, and now... now she will actually ask me to read specifically that book to her. She doesn't just bring the book to me like she did when she was first starting to walk (and talk- kinda)!

I'm guessing this isn't a big deal to most folks, but to me it's huge. Since she was a month old or so, we've established a bedtime routine that always included reading books because reading to a child, even an itty bitty baby, to me, is SO important. I couldn't tell you WHY exactly I feel so strongly about it, but I do. I digress though, sorry. Well, about a month ago, she started to fight the bedtime routine and I was at a loss for several days until finally I thought to see if she was wanting some sort of change. So I started to ask her to pick out a book instead of just reading. This helped matters immensely.

For the past week or two, she always asks for the Choo-Choo book (a Thomas the Train book that plays sounds when you press a button). But she also always tries stalling going to bed and will start pulling out several other books so in order to control that a bit (mean mommy), I ask her to pick out another book to let daddy read (when/if he's there) or for me to read. And the other day? When I asked her what other book she wanted me to read after the Choo-Choo book?? She says to me, "So much."

But she said it in a way that sounded like one word: "Somuch."

I didn't pick it up right away and thought that she was saying "Thomas" for the Choo-Choo book again and said, "Thomas? You want me to read the Choo Choo book again?"

"No," she said. "Somuch."

I sat there and looked at her and tried really hard to think about what she was saying.  And as I thought about it and said nothing, she went to get the I Love You So... book.

"So much?" I repeated with much enthusiasm as I was smacked in the face with what she was saying.

A big smile invaded Lovie's face. "Somuch," she repeated, handing me the book.

I nearly cried. Sincerely, I nearly cried.

"I love you," I said, picking her up. "How much?"

"So much," we said at the same time.

"How much is so?" I said.
"Way, way" we both said as I nearly died, "more than you know."  (her "more than you know" came out as a "eh-ah-eh-oh")

The Reader

My Lovie has been loving books for a very long time. When she was about 9 months old or so, she started "asking" me to read books by bringing me books and laying on me as I read them. By about 11 months old or so, she started to get upset when I would get near the last page of books because, up to that point, I would read the book once and move on to another or just stop reading all together... so once when she started freaking out at the end of the story, I quickly started over from the beginning and voila! She was content again. Then when she started to talk around a year old, she started bringing me books and really asking me to read to her. And now at 15 months old (tomorrow!!), she's really starting to "read" books by herself. It's pretty cool. And when I ask her what she's reading, she'll actually start "reading" and pointing, etc.

She's such a cool little chica. And she's all mine. : )  So often she leaves me seriously wondering how in the world I can be so seriously blessed.

Guess how much

If you don't have a Borders card, you should. Particularly if you have kids. Nothing steams me more than finding a parent who doesn't read to their child. Like my own brother, for example.

Gross.

So to help celebrate my brother's youngest sons 1st birthday coming up next month, I'm sending him a book. TO READ. And since the near-1 year old can't read, maybe his momma or papa will. Even though they actually pride themselves as being non-readers.

Tools.

Anyway... because I'm a Borders member and signed up to get emails - something else I'd highly encourage - I got a 40% off coupon good until tomorrow. So during my lunch break I headed over to Borders and picked up three sale priced board books (I didn't see this marked anywhere but apparently they are buy 2 get 1 free so score for me!!) for my Lovie and my brothers and the full price book that I chose to have the 40% coupon be applied to is one I've been wanting to get for a while: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney.



If you haven't read it, you should.

If you have a child you should get it for them. Now. And then read it to them over and over again and you'll create a memory for a lifetime.

Want proof?

Well that same brother I mentioned above has an older son who will be 18 tomorrow. Without going into the sordid details, my brother and nephew haven't been in contact with one another for YEARS now.

Disgusting, I know.

I lived with my brother and said nephew when the boy was 4 until he was almost 9 (long story left for another day- maybe). I read to him every single night. And every single night, before going to bed we would tell each other, "I love you." And, because of Guess How Much I Love You (really, you must read it and get it for your child), we extended that to "I love you to the moon and back and more." (My nephew added "and more.")

And even though said nephew will be 18 tomorrow, my Facebook message today wishes him a Happy Birthday and it also says, "I love you- to the moon and back and more." Actually it says "I love you TTMABAM" because it's 2010 and that's what you do to long phrases.

So there you have it: Proof that every parent (or person desperately wanting to be a parent and/or acting as a parent) should read to their child.

Guess what I'll be reading to Lovie tonight? Hint: Not Goodnight Moon! ;)



2 more hours, baby doll...