So we've been taking D to some of the same parks, obviously, since he was born. One of which is Wheeler Park in Geneva - a big, beautiful park with a huge playground, great walking trails and of course, swings. Just thought you might want to see D's progression in the swings from Spring to Spring...at ages about 7 months, 18 months, and now 2.5! They aren't my favorite pictures of all time - but you can see how big my baby is getting, he's a little boy now...I can't believe it!
It's NOT rare that I love a children's book. However it IS rare that I find a book that I love so much that I wish I'd known it when I was a kid. Since this book was published in 2008...it's too bad for the 4 year old me. Mary Had a Little Lamp
You read it right...LAMP.
Yes - this ADORABLE book by Jack Lechner, and illustrated by one of my favorite children's book artists Bob Staake, is a hoot from the word go. It's rhyming and follows the rhyming pattern and ideas of the nursery rhyme we all know and love.
The first page: Mary had a little lamp, the bendy, gooseneck kind. And every where that Mary went she dragged the lamp behind.
Another children's book blogger I've recently discovered had this to say - which I think is incredibly fitting: How fun are these couplets going to be to read aloud with kids? They strike just the right note of rhythm and humor. This is a book that, as soon as I had finished it, I wanted to read it again. I can totally picture kids walking around quoting from it, in sing-song voices.
Mary drags this desk lamp with her everywhere - she even "took the lamp to school one day" as the original Mary did with her wooly friend. She takes it all kinds of places, but then eventually leaves it home from summer camp - - but you won't be disappointed in how Mary grows up and moves on at the end.
This is a NO DUH addition to our HUGE Amazon.com wish list - I highly suggest you add it to yours. D loves it - he loves the rhymes and even thinks it's laugh out loud funny. But I can see this as a hit with older kids too - especially with a back of the book that continues the "cute" theme with reviews from other nursery rhyme celebrities.
Love. I wonder how many times you can renew something from my library...
Well - just when you think D couldn't love anything more than "guys" - he has a new and probably more passionate obsession.
D loves TV - - there's no mistake about that. He will sit and watch cartoons as long as we'll let him. This can be a blessing and a curse simultaneously. But he's developed a LOVE for one show in particular, IMAGINATION MOVERS on Disney Channel.
I actually don't mind them. It's a group of 4 guys from New Orleans who sing, dance and solve problems...or should I say "idea emergencies". For some reason D can't get enough. We didn't go to the live concert when they were in Chicago because it was so expensive - but this was probably the biggest mistake of our lives. We DVR'd the Disney Channel's airing of a 30 minute segment of the concert - and we watch it on repeat. Literally. D also understands that we have episodes on our DVR and OnDemand - so we cannot tell him it's not on. He literally has had multiple times outs for temper tantrums when he had to be cut off from watching too many episodes in a sitting.
I like these guys though - I like their story. You can read about them or watch videos on YouTube of them being interviewed. They're family men, all but 1 has kids - and old friends that did this as a group idea. And the kicker is, they're extremely talented musicians. Dain has even said if you changed the words to the songs - they'd probably be a popular/respected group.
Here's the part of each show where they start solving the problem of the day. It's their "brainstorming" song. We listen to in on my iPod, sing it in the tub, and dance along when it's on screen. The best part is the end - Reach High, Think Big, Work Hard, Have Fun. D can do the motions - and even says it over and over like a mantra sometimes when trying to fall asleep.
As much as I like them and I like that D likes them - I can't justify letting him watch episodes all day every day...which is what he'd love to do.
We survived Easter. D loved it even more than last year - which I expected - but there are some things that he will understand more I think next year. 1. He wouldn't sit on an Easter Bunny's lap. Or really get near them. 2. He wanted to DRINK the egg dye instead of put eggs in it. 3. He liked picking up one egg at an egg hunt - but was pretty much done with it after one or two. 4. He didn't really understand the Easter Bunny bringing presents still - but that didn't stop us from getting him a gift :)
Here's some photos of the Easter weekend festivities:
One of our coloring activities Coloring eggs Getting ready for an egg hunt Looking at what might be inside One of my favorite pictures of all time - I don't know why I love it but I do - exhaustion before the hunt even started Easter morning - THE BATCAVE! - the best present ever! Finding an egg at Grandma Denise's on Easter With cousin Haven on Easter - looking cute!
