Archive for January, 2007

Books we read, January 29th

Tuesday, January 30th, 2007

With Ken and me both sick with pneumonia, our morning routine has been a bit lax and we read no books in the morning. In the evening we read:

Books we read, January 28th

Monday, January 29th, 2007

We started the day with Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine, a good first-thing-in-the-morning book that describes the somewhat wild clothes that Ella Sarah wants to wear and the reactions of her parents and older sister. Ella Sarah sticks to her guns and ends up appropriately attired for the event that happens at the end. We also read Hippos Go Beserk! by Sandra Boynton.

At naptime, we read A Tune Up for Toby twice and througout the rest of the day, we read:

At bedtime we read:

  • Going on a Field Trip, a Read and Roll book;
  • A Tune-Up for Toby, a Read and Roll book;
  • Which Way to School, a Read and Roll book; and
  • Benny’s Bus (no author).

There was definitely a theme to our bedtime reading ;+)

Books we read, January 27th

Monday, January 29th, 2007

We started our day with My Beautiful Child by Lisa Desimini and illustrated by Matt Mahurin, a beautiful book with a lovely story that Amanda gave us in May 2004 and Where’s That Cat? by Eve Merriam. Once downstairs, we read:

  • Mealtime for Zoo Animals by Caroline Arnold, which offers photographs of zoo animals and text that tells what they eat;
  • Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, a book with opposites and juxtapositions and bright illustrations;  and
  • Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, twice before 9:00 am. We read this book a few months ago but it didn’t seem to appeal at the time but the story about the little girl who lacks the words to tell her daddy what has happened to her toy now resonates.

After Kindermusik, Reid and I went to the Centrepointe Library – it’s bigger, newer and in a better neighbourhood than our library. They have a family storytime that Reid and I have tried twice but each time she has wanted to leave within the first couple of pages. I don’t know why. She sits for circle time at daycare and loves books when we read at home and when Shannon reads at Kindermusik. It’s not a big deal, just a puzzle to me. We chose a whole bunch of books – two bags full – and three videos and checked out. There is a fountain in the lobby that Reid wanted to look at closely. I was only barely standing upright. I thought that the antibiotics were making headway against my pneumonia but between Kindermusik and the library, I knew that I was far from better. Reid had all of the energy a two year-old should have and I was far below the level of what I needed. Reid was insisting I tell her about the rocks and water and the ins and outs of them. I was ready to stomp my feet and cry to get her to leave. Instead, I explained enough to get her moving and we went to the car. We ate hamburgers from McDonald’s on the way home so that we were ready for our nap as soon as we got home.

 Over the afternoon and evening, we read:

 

What we read, January 26th

Monday, January 29th, 2007

We started the day with Ken reading The Count’s Poem by Ray Sipherd.

Later we read:

  • One Day, Daddy by Frances Thomas, twice, once by Ken and once by me;
  • Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton, a new addition to the series that meets expectations;
  • Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, Reid and I continued to enjoy that spunky duck’s daring to try the bicycle;
  • Mon gateau d’anniversaire by Olivia George, in which it turns out that getting what you want is not as good as getting a cake that your mom makes;
  • Count! by Denise Fleming; and
  • Jasper the Cat (no author), a book we have been reading for a couple of years now.

At bedtime, I read:

  • Going on a Field Trip, a Read and Roll book;
  • A Tune-Up for Toby, a Read and Roll book;
  • Which Way to School, a Read and Roll book;
  • all of the stories in Munschworks 2, The Second Munsch Treasury, including:
    • Pigs, about which I am not sure given the words the little girl uses but I like the message of not underestimating others;
    • Mortimer, and who can resist the “Clang, clang, rattle bing, bang;
    • Purple, Green and Yellow, I’m not sure about reading a story about a girl who colours people with markers but if Munsch wrote it, I read it;
    • Murmel, Murmel, Murmel, a story I definitely like because the little girl is strong and the truck driver is the hero; and
    • Something Good, which is a bit far-fetched but shows that Daddies know that their daughters are indeed “good”.

I couln’t believe that Reid sat still for all of the stories and I thought some of them were maybe over her head but sit she did. After we read all of these stories, we took another trip to the bathroom and Reid settled down to sleep.

You did it! and I don’t think so, Vern

Monday, January 29th, 2007

Reid has been providing lots of positive feedback lately, to herself and to Ken and me. It is cute to hear her “I did it!” when she gets on the toilet all by herself. But it’s a bit funny to hear her say, “Mama, you did it!” with a great big smile when I something like open a jar lid. Reid is a positive force in our lives, of that there is no doubt.

 Reid is also aware of people’s roles in life. As we left daycare on Friday, I told her that I needed her help to pick up some groceries. Reid giggled and said that she was going to get groceries by herself. I offered to help but she said “no” and giggled again. After we exchanged a few, “I don’t think so” and “Det groceries by self” with lots of laughter, Reid said, “Daddy det groceries” and dissolved into giggles. I laughed because Reid’s sense of the absurd is so strongly developed. Had she said, “I don’t think so, Vern,” it wouldn’t have been any clearer. She knows that Daddy doesn’t like going into the grocery stores. He is still scarred by all those hours working in grocery stores while going to school. It’s a good thing she sees both of us doing most other chores, though I am not sure she has ever seen me do laundry.

What we read, January 25th

Friday, January 26th, 2007

We read Caillou Sounds by Frances Morgan and Jemima Puddleduck by Beatrix Potter in the tub this morning. I wonder how long Reid will enjoy bath tub books. These two are so simple that there is much to talk about and they’re never the same twice.

The latest Scholastic Book order at daycare came in. We managed to limit ourselves to only eight but three were packaged as a set. There’s no question where our money goes.

We read:

  • D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine, an alphabet book that introduces concepts and artifacts relating to the Chinese New Year. There is also a recipe for “New Year’s Dumpling Delight” that I think that we will try;
  • Skidamarink: The “I love you” song illustrated by Jacqueline East that features winter images of bears being loving, from a mother taking a child’s temperature and a father singing and playing the piano with a child;
  • World’s Greatest Mom (no author), from our collection; and
  • The Cow who Clucked by Denise Fleming, a library book that must soon go back but will be visiting our house again soon.

Books we read, January 24th

Friday, January 26th, 2007

I’m sure that one of use read something to Reid but I am afraid that the excitement of me going to the Emergency Room and being diagnosed with pneumonia has blocked my memory. Ken was alone with Reid until nearly seven and they always spend time reading but he doesn’t record the books and I have to watch them like a hawk to know what he is reading. I don’t think he feels too much like he is being stalked ;+)

What we read, January 23rd

Friday, January 26th, 2007

We often start the day by reading to Reid while she uses the potty. It helps her relax to do what she needs to do and makes for a nice transition between sleeping and rushing to get ready for daycare. I read The Shy Little Kitten by Cathleen Shurr and then jumped in the shower. Ken read and then started The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch before being shutdown with a “No, Daddy” and got a little bit further with The Count’s Poem by Ray Sipherd. She did allow him to read Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton. I think she’s heard this one most days in the last week. I need to rotate the bathroom collection.

We also read:

  • Best Father of All by Peter Horn, with lots of pond animals and insects;
  • Farmer Will by Jane Cowen-Fletcher, a book that I picked up at a close-out bookstore when Reid was tiny. It has beautiful watercolour illustrations and is a real tribute to a child’s imagination;
  • Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems and Reid and I looked for the “clues” in the illustration as to what happens to Knuffle Bunny once we found out that she was in the washing machine;
  • The Farm (no author) (twice) that Reid likes for the googly-eyes that one of the characters on each page shares. I’m a bit of a snob as I wrote about the inaccuracies already but Reid likes it and the pictures offer lots to discuss; and
  • Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr and illustrated by Eric Carle I don’t think that it reads as well as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? perhaps because the animals aren’t familiar enough for Reid to predict but as we read it, I guess she’ll learn them. It’s about endangered animals and so that will us something to discuss in years to come.

Books we read, January 22nd

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

We got back to more of our normal routine today. We read:

A  number of the books above were hiding in our basement just waiting for Reid to be bigger enough to follow their stories. I brought them up on Sunday. I will have to set aside some board books that are too simple for her, soon. But not yet.

Books we read, January 19th through 21st

Monday, January 22nd, 2007

With Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger here until Saturday, Reid had books read to her whenever she even hinted that she might want a book read to her. Unfortunately for the purposes of this book diary, I have been feeling crumby and so haven’t done a very good job at recording what was read. Today, the cleaners came and and put the books I had piled up according to the day we read them onto the shelves. Normally, seeing the books lined up on the shelf makes me happy. Darn them and their tidy tendencies.I have some pretty vivd memories of Grandma Joyce reading Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstain many times over. I am not sure what inspires Reid to choose this book but she often does and she listens intently to the story of Sister Bear and her loose tooth and Brother Bear and his check up and cavity to be filled.

I did note that we also read the following: