March 13, 2007 by Barbara.

As I start to write this, I have to say that I am a bit surprised at the range of books that Reid chooses to have read to her in a day. There is a cloth book with no words other than the title plus an early chapter book and a bunch of books in between. We read:

• Snacktime, Maisy! by Lucy Cousins, a cloth book about Maisy making muffins, eating them and then cleaning up. Ken and I always emphasize the cleaning up part, what a great little mouse Maisy is;
• Winnie the Pooh, Very Best Friends by Ann Braybrooks, which mets Reid’s daily Winnie Pooh requirement without featuring the unpleasant Rabbit of the original stories;
• LittlePeople Number Circus (no author), a brightly illustrated book in which the people and animals all have the characteristic clumped-together feet of the modern LittlePeople;
• Reading Together at Home: Walking Through the Jungle by Julie Lacome, a book with great sounds and actions for mimicing the animals one encounters when walking through the jungle;
• My Daddy and Me by Amy E. Sklansky, a book I like for the pairings such as hugs and kisses and boots and rain but I wish there were more illustrations of daddies and daughters, rather than mostly daddies and sons;
• The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing, I love the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas and enjoy the spin offs even though they lack imagination;
• Mabel Murple by Sheree Fitch and Maryann Kovalski, about a little girl in a purple world - I’ll have to look for a book about a girl in a yellow world next;
• A number of books by Dr. Seuss:
• There’s a Wocket in my Pocket!;
• Hop on Pop;
• ABC; and
• The Cat in the Hat;

I am so happy to be reading Dr. Seuss books. They were among my favourites to read to my nieces and nephews.

• It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny by Marilyn Sadler, in which we learn that it is difficult to be a bunny but that it is better to be oneself rather than trying to be another. Reid likes the variety of animals that the bunny tries to be;
• Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman, a book that Ken thinks that he remembers as a kid. I think I do, too;
• Where’s Spot by Eric Hill, which makes Reid giggle as she identifies the animals that are hiding where Spot is not;
• It’s Quacking Time! by Martin Waddell, Reid likes the story of the duck family’s excitement over the new duckling;
• The Nosy Puppy, an early chapter book about a puppy and a hamster and the friendship they form. I didn’t realize that it was a chapter book when I ordered it but Reid wants it read to her anyway.

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March 13, 2007 by Barbara.

This post is inspired by the book *Beans on Toast* or maybe the restaurant *Greek on Wheels*

Reid was starting to fall asleep as we drove home after breakfast with Amanda on Saturday and so I called Ken and told him we needed to leave right away to go to Grandmama’s. Poor man had to leave home without lunch - it was 10:30 but he’d eaten breakfast about 6:30 and wouldn’t see food again until supper - but we managed to get on the road right quick. Of course, the excitement of picking up Daddy perked Reid up for a bit but soon enough, inspired by my shining example, she fell asleep. The two of ua slept about two hours (maybe more) and woke up at Grandmama’s. Aren’t we good company? Did I mention that I sat in the backseat with Reid. At least I didn’t sit behind Ken with my knees digging into his back.

We had a great visit with Grandmama. Reid and Grandmama have a mutual admiration society going and Ken and I are pretty fond of both of them, too. Reid coloured and played and was read to all without too much noise in the apartment. After a couple of hours, Reid and I went to play at the park. The merry-go-round was stuck in the snow but Reid was able to go on the slides, swings and teeter-totter. She climbed the slide-like thing with bumps on it. It’s such a cool piece of equipment - so logical given kids enjoyment of climbing slides.

We went back for supper and some more visiting. It reminded me of a visit when Reid was not yet eating much but ate happily off of the tablespoon she was able reach while Grandmama was holding her. Grandmama, who has some small experience with kids, said that we should let Reid get used to eating. Of course, Grandmama also lets Reid eat as much cheese as she wants or at least she does until we intervene. When you’re a great-grandmother, you can be indulgent.

After supper, Reid had a nurse for the road and then we headed out. We talked and sang until I decided to “fake” sleep to get Reid to fall asleep. I woke up as we drove through Ottawa and Reid woke up in our garage. Poor Ken. It turns out I can fake sleep so well that even I am tricked.

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March 13, 2007 by Barbara.

Have you noticed that boys stand up when they pee? Reid has. The kids bathrooms at daycare don’t have doors and there are two toilets in each. I suppose eventually she was bound to see someone standing. Reid first raised the subject with Ken, for obvious reasons, I suppose. (Though she doesn’t watch him, for the record.) He said that she sometimes stands in front of her potty chair and pretends. I have only seen her standing on the potty chair, which admittedly has a higher probability of success than standing in front of it. It’s a bit disconcerting to see her, though. Reid doesn’t talk like she wishes she could stand up to pee. We’ve discussed that it’s something boys do but not girls and that seems to be enough. Eventually she’ll realize how handy it is be able to stand but not yet.

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March 13, 2007 by Barbara.

At some point over the last few days, Reid stopped getting bigger and is now “too little” for a number of things. She is sometimes too little to climb the stairs, even when I offer to chase her. Just this morning she said “me too little walk” when I asked her if she was going to get out of bed or should I lift her. I’m curious to know what has brought this littleness on. It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that Dylan was revisiting *his* littleness now that he has Zachary in the house to help him remember how nice it is to be babied but Reid is a mystery. Perhaps someone at daycare has a new baby in the house or maybe Reid has paid more attention than I thought to the Caillou book we read that has Rosie too little to play a game (but this seems a stretch). Anyway, you’ll have to notice the next time you see Reid if she is still too little or if she is back to “my a big dirl now”.

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