18/52
eloise: You’re three months shy of 3. You go from loving me, to stomping away from me within seconds. You are joyful and frustrating. Your back molars are coming in and it’s made for some tough nights sleep. You are ridiculously silly and dramatic. You lay your head on my shoulder and tell me that I’m your favorite. And my goodness, you are mine as well.
-joining Jodi for The 52 project!
When I taught preschool, I always looked forward to April because of Poem in Your Pocket Day (April 30th) and the fact that the whole month is an excuse to read poetry with it being National Poetry Month. I’d drag out all of my childhood poetry books and I’d get my kids excited with verse after verse of my favorite poems and learning many new ones each year. So, naturally, I’ve been waiting to share more poetry with Ellie but didn’t think she was quite old enough to really delve into it. However, a couple months ago, Jeff asked me if I had Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. He wanted to read Ellie a couple poems while she took a bath. I thought why not, and brought him my tattered copy. Well, she was hooked from her first poem. Every night since, she requests poems in the bath. This week, I requested several poetry books from the library to add to my small collection. We’ve been reading all week and even listening to some.
I’ve listed some of my favorite children’s collections of poetry here. If you have any to add to my list, please let me know. I’d love to add to our collection.
Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein
Zoo by Ogden Nash
The New Kid on The Block by jack Prelutsky
Caroline Kennedy’s Poems to Learn By Heart and Family of Poems
Poetry Speaks to Children (this one comes with a c.d.!)
Don’t Step on The Sky – A handful of Haiku by Miriam Chaikin
In Spring by Jane Belk Moncure
Here’s A Little Poem by Jane Yolen
(and I have to mention that Natalie Merchant has a fantastic c.d. , where she’s turned many old poems into beautiful songs. A favorite of ours here is The Adventures of Isabel).
And for a special surprise today, I made Ellie a “Poem in Her Pocket” set of her favorite poem, Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too by Shel Silverstein.
Happy Poetry reading to you friends!!
Finally getting to posting about the weekend. A rainy, rather chilly weekend, but a fun weekend none the less. We headed up to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for the morning. It was neat to see the way Ellie interacted with the exhibits this time, wanting to know more, wanting to press buttons and explore different things. We met up with friends to have lunch and then headed home for the afternoon. Sunday we took a chilly, windy walk on the beach and discovered the beach littered in these strange papery things. Curious to figure out what the heck they were, I discovered they were sail jellyfish that had washed ashore. Very strange, stinky and interesting.
The end of the weekend ended with a very over-tired toddler. She’s dropping naps every so often and then seeming to need them very badly the next day. Our routines have been a bit off these days, but hoping this week, we will find our rhythm again.
Hoping your weekend was a lovely one.
I’m thinking we may have a handle on the rat and mite situation here. We’ve had pest control here and tree guys will be here tomorrow to trim back possible “pest” homes. Plus, we’ve been keeping ourselves covered in tea tree oil and peppermint to deter any bugs. And my house is as spotless as its ever been, so that’s a plus as well. Funny enough though, I’m feeling bad about the rat traps and the trimming of trees (one tree has to come down because it’s leaning on a neighbor’s wall causing it to break). Especially with all of this happening during April and around Earth Day. So yesterday we tried to envelope ourselves in nature and enjoy some nature crafting as well. We spent the morning at the park under a tree, with earthy books and pen and paper. I got the chance to paint a bit while Ellie played and then in the afternoon we made clay beads by pressing our bits of nature into them. It was a quiet, nice Earth Day. Something we both needed. How did you spend Earth Day?
So I’m feeling much better after my dental surgery last week. But, we’ve been dealing with a much more horrendous issue at hand. Rats! Rats, and even worse, their mites. It’s been quite the nightmarish week, discovering rats under the house and getting bitten by mites. The house has been stripped of everything. The laundry has been non stop and everything smells of chemicals, in a house that’s been fine with my more natural products up till now. Of course all of this has my anxiety soaring, but luckily I have a husband who keeps me calm and parents not too far away, to get away from it all for a while. We’re having more pest control people coming over this coming week as well as tree trimmers (to make sure the rats aren’t climbing trees to the roof. It’s been a bit crazy here and I didn’t even think I wanted to write about it in this space, because, come on… gross… rats and bugs…. but, I try to keep it as real as possible and this is as real as it gets unfortunately.
We did have a little bit of fun though this weekend. We got out of the house on Saturday and spent the morning at the Earth Day festival up in Ojai. So I’ll leave you with those happy photos and spare you anymore buggy or ratty details…
16/52
eloise: Happiness is a strawberry popsicle on a warm spring day.
-joining jodi for the 52 project!
On Thursday I had dental surgery and so unfortunately I was down throughout the weekend. Jeff and Ellie had colds as well, so we all laid very low. Lots of movies and books and quiet park outings. My parents helped us out too (when Ellie just couldn’t stand to be indoors any more). I’m still recovering , so planning to take it easy this week as well.
Hoping you had a nicer weekend than I. And wishing you a wonderful start to your week!
15/52
eloise: this week I had to go in for another dental surgery. It was a tough beginning to the week, you were maybe feeling my anxiety and in turn there were a lot of emotions and tantrums. But Dada and Grandma and Grandpa took good care of you and I’m loving all of your sweet cuddles. I’m hoping next week, we will be back to making clover chain crowns for your stuffed animals. xoxo.
-joining Jodi for the 52 project!
We had such a lovely Easter celebration this past weekend. We celebrated with family on Saturday because of work schedules and such and it was a truly lovely day having all my family in one place. Jeff cooked an amazing roast, I made several different types of salads and we had all the Easter usuals as well, (deviled eggs, pie etc). The Easter Bunny somehow knew to come a day earlier for Ellie. He hid eggs all over the house and outside. And he brought a beautiful basket filled with lovely handmade (some mama made) toys and goodies. It was a good thing he did come Saturday, because Ellie came down with a fever on Sunday and was down most of the day.
I had made Ellie this little Lambie Pie a few months ago. She loved getting it in her basket. And the egg was something we had picked up on a whim in the craft store a few weeks back. I thought it would be fun to create a “story egg” each year for her. I wood burned and then painted a pictorial story of Jack and The Beanstalk (her favorite these days).
The Easter Bunny hid a few eggs inside the house (a tradition of Jeff’s family) and he also hid some outside as well (traditionally the way my family did Easter). A few eggs had little bunny shaped crackers in them and a couple of mama made peg dolls too. The rest were eggs that Ellie and I had dyed with some vegetable dyes earlier in the week and then a few I had made with watercolor and ink the night before.
Ellie’s play table was set up with a few new items as well. An adorable bunny set from TansyDolls and then her mama and dada sheep that came in her basket, for a little lamb she already had, made by Feathered Nest Studio. (Thank you ladies!!)
We all ended the afternoon with a really nice, but chilly walk on the beach. Hope you all had a lovely Easter, Passover and/or Spring weekend!
14/52
eloise: My little Easter Bunny! You enjoyed our Easter/Spring celebration very much!! Such joy and magic!
-joining jodi for the 52 project!
summerplayshouse 