A Little of This and That in May

I think most people will agree with me that May is, in general, a busy month. And it definitely was for us this year. There were end-of-the-school-year activities, holidays, birthdays, family get-togethers, and summer kick-offs. This month found us:

Listening . . . to all fourteen of my piano students play in the spring recital. I think this was maybe the best recital I've ever had. All of them played well, but some of them really hit it out of the park and completely impressed me.

Enjoying . . . the best Mother's Day of my life. Read more about it here.

Experiencing . . . some volatile spring weather. It hasn't really been dangerous like other parts of the country (thank goodness), but more than half the month was cool and rainy and stormy. Not what I usually expect in May.

Obsessing . . . over golf. Not me, but all of the boys. They've been practicing in the front yard and down in the basement. They loved watching the movie, The Greatest Game Ever Played. We took them miniature golfing, and even Clark did the entire course two times. Mike even started a new diet called the "I'd Rather Be Golfing Diet."

Laughing . . . or, if I'm being honest, sometimes yelling at Clark. This kid's personality is just bursting out of him, and half of the time it's delightful, but the other half makes me want to rip out my hair. He has pulled the plants out of the flower pots so many times, I've lost count, but how do you convince a two-year-old to stop?

Reading . . . on my new kindle! I've been holding out for a long time, but I finally conceded that there might be a few situations when a kindle would actually come in handy and perhaps even be more convenient than a real book. I promise I'm still on Team Paper Pages though.

Attempting . . . our anniversary trip to Lava Hot Springs for the second time. And . . . success! No stomach bug, and we enjoyed every minute of the drive, the bed and breakfast, the food, the river, and the hot springs. (We stayed at Lion's Gate Manor, if you're curious, and I would highly recommend it.)

Acquiring . . . a library card for Max. He has been begging for one for months, and finally one evening, we just did it. He acts very much like it's his ticket to life, and I can't say I disagree with him.

Listening . . . to Clark sing. Maybe it's because none of the other boys were early singers, but I just think it's the cutest thing ever. His favorite songs are "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and, embarrassingly, Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off."

Celebrating . . . Aaron's last day of school. It was truly an excellent year for him, and I'm proud of the good student he has become.

Feeding . . . Clark. He wants to eat all the time, and I am not okay with being a 24-hour snack bar. We've been setting some boundaries, but the kid is so independent, he often just helps himself.

Going . . . on a field trip to the farm for the last day of preschool. Out of all the preschool co-ops I've been a part of, I think this year might have been my favorite one. There was just a great connection between this little group of kids. I hope they continue to be friends.

Blabbing . . . with Suzanne about A Man Called Ove. We had some technical difficulties, and then even once we recorded it, most people were not able to view the video, but I think we finally got it straightened out. You can watch it here.

Neglecting . . . our garden. Not intentionally, but every weekend seemed to pass without planting anything. We're still hoping to get in a few things, but I guess we'll have to buy bigger plants to make up for the lost time.

Jumping . . . into the pool. And we plan on doing it again and again and again, all summer long.

Buying . . . plane tickets for a big trip this summer. I'm not quite ready share the details (although, if you know me in real life, I've probably talked to you about it), mostly because, as of a few days ago, I'm feeling so nervous and anxious about it, and that's putting a serious damper on my original enthusiasm.

Blowing . . . out birthday candles. Clark turned two at the end of the month, and with it, the last vestiges of babyhood disappeared. We now have a full-blown kid on our hands, and really, even with all his mischievous antics, we all just adore him so much.

Spending . . . Memorial Day with family. First, my brother and his family. Then, several of Mike's siblings. Good times.

Launching . . . Mike's birthday kayak on its maiden voyage. As much as I didn't want him to buy it, I think we actually will enjoy using it.

Relishing . . . the start of summer break. We've been making summer goals (which I'll write more about) and starting our own summer reading program (which I'll write more about), and basically, I've just been trying to soak up every minute. I live for summer.

For more of our daily activities, follow along on Instagram. What were YOU up to in May?

Nine Classic Board Books My Toddler Asks for Again and Again

I always fall into a pit of despair when my kids hit their eight-month birthdays. At that point, they're mobile, which means they have the necessary skills to get into a ridiculous amount of danger and trouble in a short amount of time, and they think they can do it all on just one nap.

If it were only that though, I don't think I would be as dramatic as calling it a pit of a despair. A pit, maybe. But not of despair.

But coinciding with this eight-month mark, they also stop listening to books, except to rip them to shreds with their chubby little fingers. And that, no question, is despair-worthy.

Luckily, something miraculous begins to happen soon after their first birthdays and slowly gains momentum as they approach eighteen months. All of a sudden, they like books again. They sit on my lap and listen contentedly. They point to pictures. They make animal sounds. They ask for the book again . . . and again.

Clark has been no exception to this pattern, but that doesn't make it any less miraculous. The whole family is enjoying his requests of "read book please." It's kind of fantastic to have five willing readers now instead of just two. I'm telling you, this kid is spoiled.

Because we are doing a lot of reading now, I wanted to share some of Clark's current favorites.

But first, a disclaimer. This list is made up almost entirely of classic children's books. If you're looking for new recommendations, you'll have to look somewhere else. Clark, of course, doesn't know that these books have been around for ten, twenty-five, fifty years. He just knows that he likes them, and I kind of love seeing him gravitate towards them just like his older brothers did. Many of them have been reviewed here before, but I'm mentioning them again so I can capture a bit of Clark right now (and maybe remind you of some of your beloved favorites, too).

 
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Since I already warned you this would be a list full of classics, I might as well start out with one of the most iconic children's books of the twentieth century. I'm sure their are readers out there who don't love it (there always are), but from my viewpoint, this story about a gluttonous caterpillar who gorges himself for a week is pretty much universally loved. At least it is in our house. Clark loves pointing out all of his favorite foods, and I love nibbling his neck while the caterpillar nibbles a strawberry.

2. At the Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Shadow Book by Roger Priddy
This book has a lot of flaps, and if you're like me, then you probably try to avoid such books, but hear me out. Each page contains probably ten to twelve silhouettes of different animals. Open each flap, and you find a photograph of the actual animal. I love this book (and the other ones in the series) for several reasons: 1) The silhouettes add a fun little guessing game element to the book, 2) It features quite a wide range of animals, and 3) The photographs make it feel more real. I was a little overly protective of the book when we first got it when Aaron was a toddler, but I've loosened up a bit with each child, and it's held up remarkably well.

3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illus. Eric Carle
When Aaron was born, one of my good friends gave me a box set of Brown Bear, Polar Bear, and Panda Bear. Believe it or not, four kids later, those same board books are still kicking at our house, but only just. They have been read so many times, the edges are scuffed and worn soft, the binding is coming apart, and we all can recite them in our sleep. When Bradley was Clark's age, he loved this book so much, Mike made him a Brown Bear cake for his second birthday. Clark's favorite page is the last one where all of the animals are shown together. He likes to point to the correct picture when I say, "Find the blue horse" or "Find the red bird." I keep hoping it will help him learn his colors, but so far it hasn't worked.

4. Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Little Fish takes readers on a tour of his ocean home and introduces them to all his fishy friends. Lucy Cousins' broad strokes and bold colors are eye-catching of course, but other than that, it's a pretty average story. And yet, all of my kids have loved it. It might have to do with all of the little things we've added over the years: chomping their tummies when we get to the "scary fish," changing voices when we read "fat" and "thin" fish, and giving three quick kisses on the cheek when we find Little Fish's favorite fish. Or it might just be because of those illustrations because really, who can resist Lucy Cousins?

5. Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, illus. Judy Horacek
Most of the books on this list are family favorites, but Mike has firmly told me that he doesn't really love this one. No matter. I bought it for Clark for Christmas anyway, and he loves it.  The reader spends the entire book looking for the green sheep. He finds the sun sheep and the rain sheep and the moon sheep and the star sheep, but where is the green sheep? (Clark always answers, "I don't know.") The lilting text is perfectly repetitive, and the sheep are silly and unexpected. Mike might not be a convert, but the rest of us are.

6. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illus. James Dean
I don't think you can call Pete the Cat "a classic" (although it is very popular), and it's also not a board book, so it probably shouldn't be on this list at all except that Clark loves it, and that's what I'm really trying to showcase here. It had been quite awhile since I'd sung the "I love my white shoes" song to any of my kids, but it came right back to me. I have mixed feelings about Pete the Cat though. We've loved this one since it first came out in 2010. And the ones that followed (Rocking in My School Shoes and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons) are not bad either. But then, as so often happens with popular books, someone decided it would be a great idea to make a whole line of early readers based on Pete the Cat, and they don't have the same personality as this one. So I guess what I'm saying is, if you haven't read any Pete the Cat before, don't think that you can just go to the library and pick up the first one you see and it will be a winner.

7. Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
I guess it's probably fairly obvious from the featured books on this list that Clark is a fan of animals. This one though is more than just a collection of animals thrown together. It's a simple story about a kid (I always assume it's a boy, but I think that's just because I only have boys) who asks the zoo to send him a pet. He gets all sorts of animals shipped to him, but for one reason or another (too fierce, too grumpy, etc.), they're just not quite right for him. Fortunately though, the zoo finally finds the perfect pet.

8. Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
For years, I said that Hippos Go Berserk was my favorite Sandra Boynton board book. But then I got Clark Blue Hat, Green Hat for Easter, and the first read-through prompted the most delightful, unadulterated giggles I have ever heard, and I switched loyalties just like that. Seriously though, if you think that a book with only a handful of words and approximately six pages can't be funny, then you clearly have never read this book about a turkey who just can't seem to get his clothes on correctly. For a toddler whose daily life is a struggle of the same, it is hilarious.

9. The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
One of Clark's early words was "spidey," which made me remember this book . . . and also realize that I hadn't seen it around our house in a very long time. After a thorough search, I decided it really was missing and promptly bought a replacement copy. It only took one time through for Clark to be a devoted fan of this story about a spider who can't be bothered by all the other farm animals because she is so busy spinning her web.

Which classic board books have your kids loved?

For more favorite board books, click here.

KidPages: 6 Board Books for a 1-Year-Old

Last week, Clark had his first birthday. Talk about fast. Sometimes I catch myself looking for Clark-the-baby, and I realize with a start that he's Clark-the-toddler now. He wrestles with his brothers and laughs hysterically at their slapstick humor. He has opinions on what he will or will not eat. He thinks he is capable of doing anything he sets his mind to.

He is not yet to the stage where he will sit quietly on my lap and listen to a stackful of stories (but I'm trusting that, just like with the other boys, it will come). However, he already seems to have an attachment to books. He loves to sit on the floor and page through them. He likes to pick them up and carry them around. Sometimes he even sits for a few moments and lets me point things out to him (those are the times that give me the most hope for the future).

In honor of his birthday, I thought I'd share six of our favorite board books. I'm using the classification "board book" rather loosely to encompass any book with sturdier pages, even if they're not an eighth of an inch thick. I wish I could say these are all destroy-proof books, but they're not (do such books exist? Even the Indestructibles don't stand much of a chance against the mighty skills and tenacity of a one-year-old). However, I feel pretty confident in saying that these books will be well-received by even the hardest-to-please little ones.

1. Simms Taback's Farm Animals, Simms Taback
Even though I'm specifically mentioning Farm Animals here because it's the one I just bought Clark for his birthday, we love all of these giant fold-out books. (The first one we read in this series was City Animals, which came out when Aaron was just a baby.)  Each page is a "Who am I" guessing game. At first you can only see a quarter of the picture, along with the first clue ("I have a snout"). Then the page unfolds to reveal more of the picture and the second clue ("I have a curly tail"). Finally, it unfolds the rest of the way to reveal the entire, large-scale picture. I'm not a fan of books that are so mammoth in size a child can barely hold them up. But I love this one because you get the big pictures that are the main advantage of a big book, but then it all folds down into something quite manageable.

2. I Say, You Say Colors!, Tad Carpenter
I should start with the disclaimer that soon after I checked out this book from the library, I heard a loud rrrrrip from the living room and found Clark with the first flap in his hands. (Of course we were one of the very first patrons to check it out.) So this one doesn't win sturdy points for sure. But I love the bright illustrations. And I think it's a fun one to read aloud: "I say apples, you say . . . RED!" (P.S. There are several more books in this series.)

3. In My Jungle, Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich
Okay, I admit it. I don't love this book for the words or the pictures or the size or the length. In those respects, it's nothing special. The one and only reason it made it onto this list is because I'm a sucker for the finger puppet that pokes out through the middle of each page. I like wiggling it around and making it talk to Clark. And the good news is that if you also fall prey to the cuteness of the finger puppet, then there are many more books in this series for you to check out!

4. Animal Spots and Stripes, Britta Teckentrup
A lot of Britta Teckentrup's books fall into the board book category, and I love pretty much all of them. Clark got this one for Easter, and I love the way the cutout page opens up to reveal either the spots or the stripes, but I also considered getting Odd One Out or Run Home, Little Mouse or Up and Down. I'm telling you, you just can't go wrong with Britta Teckentrup.

5. I Spy Pets, Edward Gibbs
This is I Spy for the very youngest reader. Each page shows you a small part of the animal through a cutout circle while giving you a couple of hints: "I spy with my little eye . . . something with bumpy skin. (I like to snap up insects.)" Then the next page reveals the entire animal: "I'm a Chameleon." (As you can see, the pets featured in this book are not limited to just your standard cat and dog.) Also, find me a child who doesn't delight in peering through a hole in a book. (And if you like this one, then be sure to check out the other books in the series.)

6. Swing!, Rufus Butler Seder
Even Mike can't resist this book. It uses a technique called scanimation so that as you open up the page, it looks like the figure is moving: hitting a ball or riding a bike or doing a cartwheel. I don't really know how it works (it has something to do with a striped layer over the top that, when moved across the page, shows you different parts of the image), but the effect is mesmerizing. Each sequence looks very realistic. (If you want to know more about the process or see more of his books, check out Rufus Butler Seder's website.)

Those are some of our current favorites. What are some of yours?

P.S. For more of our favorite board books, check out these posts from the past:

• Three Bradley Favorites
• Birthday Backfire
• Three New(ish) Board Books

A Little of This and That

Last Monday, Clark took his first step. There's a part of me that wants to push him back down (he is my baby, after all), but there's another part that just can't help but encourage it. There is something so thrilling about those first toddling steps. I just want to see them again and again.

If you had asked me three months ago if I thought he would be my earliest walker, I would have adamantly told you no. But turns out . . . he's the earliest. (I checked my kids' baby calendars, and they do not lie.)

That baby is full of surprises. And he does things on his own terms. For weeks, I was trying to teach him how to clap, and he just acted bored. Then early one morning, I woke up and who was lying in the middle of the bed clapping over and over again like it was no big deal? Clark. What a stinker.

In other news, we spent Friday and Saturday at Mike's family's cabin with some of our dearest friends. Mike sent the kids across the stream on a zip line, we squished roasted marshmallows between soft gingersnaps (a definite upgrade from graham crackers), and we basked in the warm spring sunshine.

Then on Saturday evening, I attended the women's session of General Conference with my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and niece. It was so fantastic to be surrounded by other girls and women who are trying to pattern their lives after the Savior's--just like I am. I am looking forward to the rest of the sessions this coming Saturday and Sunday.

Spring break begins this week, and I'd like to think of something fun to do, but I'm also just so excited to have Aaron home with us during the day that I think we'll just do a lot of playing and relaxing and reading (we're almost done with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz--it's been a big hit).

Speaking of books, I'm still slogging my way through Middlemarch (unfortunately, it does feel like a slog about half the time, and so I seem to listen to it in spurts). I just started The Penderwicks in Spring, and as soon as I read the names of those four sisters (Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty) I had this comforting feeling of coming home. The other book I'm excited about is Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin. The Happiness Project and Happier at Home are two of my favorite books, and so when her latest book was released, I did something I rarely do: I bought it. I'm kind of a stickler for only purchasing books I've already read because I only want to fill our home with books we love. But I made an exception this time because I don't have to read it to know I will love it. (Also, my friend just alerted me to the brand-new Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast--just what I needed, another podcast to listen to (is it any wonder I can't get through Middlemarch?!))

I'm also looking for ways to make this Easter season more meaningful for my kids. We do so much to lead up to Christmas, and I would love it if Easter had a similar feeling of anticipation attached to it. Of course we dye Easter eggs and do Easter baskets (and they're from us, not the Easter bunny), but I want to do daily things that will help them feel the wonder and magnificence of the Resurrection. If you have any great ideas, I'd love to hear them!

And finally, today's your lucky day: hot off the presses is Sunlit Pages' companion instagram account. Here I'll be sharing our favorite picture books, library finds, and what I'm currently reading (or finishing--stay tuned for the momentous completion of Middlemarch). Plus, whatever else I feel like sharing. I hope you'll follow along.

Skills Overload

I'm not shy about admitting that I have a least favorite stage of early childhood.

It runs from approximately eight to eighteen months. It is the stage of constant motion and no sense; tantrums and whining; and BIG messes. It requires constant supervision. It is an exhausting time of life (and not just for the child).

I thought Clark was going to give me a few months of leeway. For weeks he has had little interest in moving (believe me, there's plenty of entertainment around these parts without moving a single inch). In fact, he was perfectly content to just sit on the floor surrounded by a half dozen toys (and since the other three boys all learned to crawl before they could sit up, it was a stage I was fully relishing).

 

And then . . . Clark learned to do practically everything in the span of a single week.

I'm still reeling.

Last week, Clark learned how to:

• go from lying down to sitting up all by himself
• roll over with the rapidity of a steamroller
• spin around in circles
• chow down on finger foods
• pivot from sitting to hands/feet and back to sitting
• pull himself to standing
• perfect the downward dog position
• scoot forward and backward
• cough-cry and blink his eyes whenever he's upset
• only be satisfied with cords, paper, and iPhones as play toys
• crawl on hands and knees

None of my other boys ever learned so much so fast. In true fourth-child fashion, Clark caught us all off guard and pulled a fast one ("You think you know everything about babies? Well, watch this!"). Seriously, when he started crawling on Saturday (like, the real hands-and-knees deal), all I could do was gape. We thought we still had weeks, if not months, before we had to worry about the troubles that come with a baby in motion, so we have literally been scrambling to baby-proof the house.

Oh, and did I mention that Clark decided to learn all these things on little to no sleep? He went from napping 4-6 hours during the day to a whopping hour (or less).

When I put him in his crib, it's as if he doesn't know what to do with all his new-found energy and skills. He sit up; he lays down; he stands up; he falls down; he rolls around; and he cries and complains the entire time. One afternoon last week, I peeked in on him after he finally quieted down and found this:

 

Unfortunately I didn't feel like I could leave him in that position, so I laid him back down, and he woke up (of course).  

So say hello to the new Clark. I think he just lost his status as favorite child.

The Third Time's NOT the Charm

Mike's and my excitement over our Australia trip has been laced with anxiety over how to do it with a baby. Traveling internationally is intimidating enough just as an adult, but add in a six-month old, and it raises the stakes . . . by a lot.

We've been doing what we could to prepare. I tried out a number of baby carriers to find one that was comfortable for me and for Clark (I ended up going with the Ergo Baby because my friend let me borrow hers, but I also really, really loved the Boba). I refrained from sleep training Clark (haha) because who wants to take a baby on a 14-hour flight if that baby refuses to sleep anywhere but his crib? Not me. And a few weeks ago, I decided the fate of this trip might come down to whether or not Clark would take a binky.

Now let me give you a little history:

With each of my children, I have diligently tried to get them to like a binky (or pacifier, dummy, soother, or whatever you call them in your neck of the woods). Their reactions have varied from absolute disgust to grudging tolerance, but by five months old, each one was officially done with it.

Clark has followed the exact same pattern as his older brothers. He only ever liked the ugly green one they gave us in the hospital, and when we lost that in September (and the replacement didn't suit him), we just let it go entirely.

But earlier this month, as nightmares of trying to calm a fussy baby in a crowded jet filled my mind, I had the sudden inspiration, I'll just get him to like a binky! That will solve all of our problems.

And so I went to Target and bought every style of binky they had. (Mike was quick to point out that when you buy one package of binkies, it's nothing, but when you buy five . . . well, it can add up rather quickly.)

To (hopefully) save money, I only opened one package at a time. I hoped I would find the style he liked early on and be able to return the rest and recoup some of my investment.

With unwarranted optimism, I sterilized the first set and put one in Clark's mouth. I don't know what I expected but certainly not the tongue-thrusting revulsion I got. I mean, he didn't even try! Chomp--thrust! Chomp--thrust! (And a scrunched up grimace for added effect.) He gave me very clear signals, but I persisted.

Two days later, I sterilized the next style.

Same reaction.

Three days after that, I sterilized package #3.

It was at this point that Mike (who, I have to say, was skeptical (and rather unsupportive) from the very beginning) said, "It's not going to work, Amy. You might as well give up."

And it was true. Clark was flat out rejecting every. single. one. He wasn't even attempting to suck on any of them. It didn't matter if he was happy and calm or distraught and crying. There was absolutely no way I could interpret the forceful expulsion from his mouth as a mild dislike for the style: "Sorry, Mom, if only the nipple were a little firmer or I had some air holes on the side or there was a little dinosaur on the front . . . then I would like it." No, I'm afraid there was never even a hint to encourage me.

So my plan didn't work. But I still think about it longingly every day. There are so many times when it would be so nice to just pop it in and have him suck on it contentedly.

For now, I'll just look enviously at your binky-loving baby, and in a couple of years, when you're desperately trying to wean your toddler from his binky, then it will be my turn to gloat. Just a little.

P.S. The happy ending to this story is that Clark was awesome on our flight to Sydney. I think I only wished for a binky once for all of two minutes during the entire 14-hour flight.