Thursday, August 26, 2021

Picture books we love to read aloud!

As a mama of two little girls (ages 3 and 6), teacher and former children's librarian, I love finding a good read-aloud picture book! 

What makes a great picture book?  That varies.  But I know we've found one when all four of us want to read it multiple times, sometimes twice or more in a row, during the week that we borrow it from the library.  

For myself and for my sister and for anyone else who is interested, here are our family favorite library books of the week: 

Brave Irene, by William Steig

Oh, how we love to root for Irene as she struggles through the snow to deliver the dress her mama made for the duchess.  And oh, how we love to curse the wind as it tosses Irene about.  And oh, how we love the tender relationship Irene has with her mama, who knows better than anyone what a precious girl Irene is.

Hush! A Thai Lullaby, by Minfong Ho

I remember reading this with E when she was even littler than M is now.  E and M both giggle as the baby slips out of her hammock, hangs like a monkey from the porch railing, etc., not sleeping at all while her mama asks the jungle creatures to hush while her baby sleeps.

Toot and Puddle, by Holly Hobbie

Toot wants to travel the world, but Puddle is extremely content - delighted, even - to stay home enjoying life at Woodcock Pocket.  The two friends are happy together and happy apart.  We had a neat family discussion about which we feel like more often, the adventurous Toot or homebody, Puddle.  "I'm in between," says E.

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

in thanks: Wednesday evening, January 13, 2021

 in thanks for...

* Dan at the kitchen table fiiiiiiiinnnallly setting up our budgeting ap

* two girls upstairs asleep in their beds after a full-of-sunshine-and-fresh-air-and-music day

* Elena growing up into the kind of kid I wanted to have someday: compassionate, sparky, creative, open to trying new things, cautious but bold, a thinker, affectionate, generally happy <3 <3 <3

* Mirielle being a gift every day, keeping us present and on our toes and in love

* ladies' hike at the farm with J. and A. on the calendar for this weekend

* fiddle class!  Cumberland Gap kicking my bum

* so much love in the mail for the girls from near and far 

* hand-me-downs from Alaska!  my absolute favorite box to arrive this holiday season

* yoga in the mornings and ice cream and novels at night

* the inner calm of this less harried life

* new leadership in Washington, D.C.

* healthy parents, family, friends

Friday, July 27, 2018

in thanks: july 28, 2018

{the I-just-turned-40-and-I'm-not-freaking-out edition}

In thanks for...

* my husband, who is here when I come home
* this house and the new windows that will be installed next weekend
* healthy impulses and the times I follow them
* shade from the huge oak trees
* getting to be a mom and a singer and a teacher all in the same lifetime
* my girls
* invitations to dinner and music with dear friends
* zinnias in a canning jar
* mama friends
* my moai
* hand-me-downs for the girls
* this blog and all the lifetimes it has recorded
* adventures yet to be had

Monday, May 09, 2016

Best Gifts for Baby - small town Alaska edition

Having a baby is life-changing.  They will all say it, and it will always be true.  One of the unexpected ways it changed our life was by introducing us to an entire new genre of things to buy and consume...  Ahhh, baby stuff.  The clothes, the gadgets, the appliances, the things with wheels and skis, the things that we use for only a month but that make life for baby (and us!) bearable and/or enjoyable for that time.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the best baby things we've been gifted, or that we gifted to ourselves:

1.  A secondhand Bob stroller - Found on craigslist during a trip to Kentucky, we used contributions from family and friends to buy it, and then brought it back home to Alaska.  We use this smooth ride many times a week: on our bumpy side road, on trails, occasionally on the beach, in town and even at the grocery.  Baby E is always comfy and I love the ease with which the stroller operates.

2.  Start Fresh cookbook, by Tyler Florence - My wise and very food savvy friend, Lisa, gave this to us at our Anchorage, AK, shower.  She said it was one of the most useful things she had received when she had her first little one.  It is an amazing cookbook!  It introduces new parents to cooking first pureed solids for baby and then advances along with baby -- through toddlerhood and beyond.  Simple, delicious, healthy and inspired.  We'll no doubt be using this cookbook for years.

3.  NoseFrida snotsucker - I didn't want to believe that such a thing even existed.  Then baby E got sick for the first time, with a fever and an awful runny nose that made nursing and sleeping impossible.  At that moment I realized how ridiculous the little blue snotsucker from the hospital was and vowed to get a NoseFrida from our local pharmacy.  It's amazing.  And disgusting.  And amazing.

4.  Knitted baby blankets, made of soft and washable wool - I write this with hesitation, because we received so many baby blankets that we didn't know what to do with all of them.  The ones we use most often?  Both handmade by loved ones, and each made of washable wool - so warm and practical.  In the winter, or in Alaska for most of the year, we always use a blanket for stroller walks and for car rides.  These are the best.

5.  Moby and Ergo baby carriers - We were gifted / handed-me-down at least seven different baby carriers.  The Moby, once I figured out how to use the crazy thing (Carma had to show me in person before I'd attempt it!) was best for when E was 1-4 months old.  She was snug and secure, and I was comfortable.  It is also very washable, which is a huge bonus for these first months.  When E could hold up her head, we began using the organic Ergo that I splurged and bought new.  I found it to be the most comfy for me and her, and from 11 mos on, I've been able to use it to wear her on my back, which she loves.  These carriers can be great thrift store or craigslist finds.

6.  Waleda Calendula Diaper Rash Cream - E rarely has bum trouble but when she does this stuff clears things right up.  The other brands we used do not compare.  And the one tube we were gifted has lasted an entire year with more to spare.

7. Homemade meals and "easy" food for the fridge - The day after E was born by unplanned C-section, my sister, Laura, came from L.A. to stay with us for a week.  She held and cooed over the baby, cooked, cleaned, was supportive in so many ways.  She filled our freezer with about 20 delicious and healthy freezer meals - mostly amazing soups that were easy to heat up.  One of Dan's coworkers organized dinner deliveries for us for two weeks or so after E's birth.  And at least two friends brought over entire coolers of fresh and delicious fruits (melon already cut!), cheese, vegetables, sandwich meat, bread, prunes.  In a small town where take-out options are pretty slim, these deliveries made a world of difference!  We felt so loved.

Friday, April 01, 2016

in thanks: April 1, 2016

in thanks for...

* baby girl E, with her brand new, oh-so-proud, scooching abilities
* my tender-hearted husband
* the Valentines gardenia that started to bloom earlier this week
* people (Kaitlyn!) who use their savvy and heart to grow community rather than corporate profits
* laughter with a room full of neighbors, and with just Dan
* a full belly
* sweet students
* yet another great book waiting to be read on my bedside table
* this house and the things it allows me to do: cook, care for E and her girlfriends, lie in the sun, see the trees and birds from many windows, cozy up by the fire, have family dance parties in the kitchen, sit on the porch in the morning sun, invite friends over to stay in the beautiful guest loft, etc.!
* Grandmom scheming some kind of knitted goody for E
* the gulls' return
* two clean cars
* the ways that being grateful can change my brain

Friday, March 25, 2016

Packing list for rustic cabin weekend getaway:

* sleeping bags and mats
* dinner(s), breakfast(s) and snacks
* cooking pots and utensils
* cups, plates, spoons, knife
* soap and scrubby for dishwashing
* hand sanitizer
* stove
* matches/lighter
* water
* baby meal time: bibs, spoon, food, water cup, portable high chair, snacks
* dog: food, leash, something to sleep on
* cards and farkle dice
* rain gear
* ice cleats
* warm gear: long johns, gloves, hats
* head lamps
* baby: diapers and wipes, sleeper, changes of clothes, wool suit and coat, boots, mittens, toys, passy (2), blanket, acetomenophen, butt cream
* toothbrushes and paste
* firewood and kindling
* toilet paper
* camera
* baby sled

Saturday, March 14, 2015

In thanks: March 14, 2015

Thanks, Mom, for the reminder to post!

In thanks for…

* Dan
* a lazy Saturday morning in bed with sunshine, a peeled-for-me tangelo and made-for-me fruity green tea, an engrossing book (Wild), watching/feeling baby dancing, and then blueberry pancakes when I finally emerged :)
* so much gorgeous sun
* guests from New England coming soon!!
* the beach
* all the beautiful families I've met in my work at the library
* Cori
* music tonight and any night
* weekends
* paying off Harvard
* our home
* exuberant 14th monthiversary flowers (woo-hoo!  keep 'em coming!)
* two whole days off from EVERYTHING
* date nights at Fred Meyer (taking a long chatting and sitting break on the big cushy sofa with huge ottoman)
* luxurious food in the fridge and in the fruit bowl

Thursday, May 29, 2014

introducing... hearth

Here's my newest undertaking! 
I have a business license and everything.  
Stay tuned for more info about my journey into the for-profit land...