Little Miss Grace's Book List

Emily's Balloon - Komako Sakai

We found this book on a shelf in the library and were both instantly smitten. The images and story are so sweet and magical. This was one of the first books she ever read straight through. Usually she has to work her way through a book a few pages at a time, but this one had us both captivated. It inspired me to go on a hunt for Grace's first balloon. This book is way underrated.

http://www.amazon.com/Emilys-Balloon-Komako-Sakai/dp/0811852199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273718676&sr=8-1

How to Instill a Love of Reading in Your Toddler

Little Miss Grace loves to read. It is actually to the point of being obnoxious. She is constantly begging for us to read books. If I am sitting anywhere within her reach, she will inevitably wiggle her little booty into my lap while firmly holding my hand and pressing a book into it with a tiny "please." A few weeks ago she was shoving books in my face and grunting, so this is a major improvement. I know this stage won't last forever, so for the most part I am amusing my little bibliophile.

It could be genetics - both her parents are English Lit majors, after all. But I like to think we trained her at a young, impressionable age to love books. We have many pictures of her chewing on books, flipping through pages, and so on if you want proof.

Here is what I think has helped. Please feel free to comment and tell me what has worked/not worked for you!

1) Repeat the same books at first. We read a few books to her each day even when we got no response from her whatsoever. We also read the same rotation of books in the beginning so she got used to them and recognized them.

2) Show how books work. Explain the title page, beginning, and end and show how to turn pages. We taught LMG how to turn the page once it was read. This kept her entertained for a long time.

3) Preview new books with your baby and point out familiar parts. When introduced to a new book, LMG is uninterested at first, but after flipping through the book and previewing what is happening, she gets to anticipate and understand what is going on.

4) Repeat favorite books. Although boring for us, LMG loves rereading the same book over and over again. She is learning vocabulary from it and noticing new things each time. I imagine that with so many things that seem to change in the world, reading the same book over and over must be helpful for learning something very tangible.

5) Go to the library. If possible, go for story time. Have fun selecting books that are fun for both of you. If you don't like a book, it will likely show.

6) Pause for your child to fill in the blanks. After reading a book for the umpteenth time, chances are your child has parts of it memorized, so let your child start filling in the blanks. It is amazing to see how much has soaked in!

7) Leave the book in an easy to access place (even if this means picking up books 2-3 times a day. I think it's worth it!

Little Miss Grace will now go read books on her own for about 10-15 minutes a day. It is so fun to sneak in her room and watch her read to herself.

I realize every kid is different. This kid still cannot throw a ball even though we have tried to show her. But maybe she doesn't see enough of mom or dad throwing things around the house!

things to do with a 14 month old while stuck in a tiny apartment in the dead of winter

1. "jump" on the bed (in quotes because not all of us can actually jump yet)
2. flop down on a pile of pillows. this provides tons of giggles and must expend some energy
3. ride around in baskets meant for storing toys
4. ride the elevator to the basement. laundry has become the most exciting part of our week
5. make graham crackers from scratch. play with the dough along the way and don't worry when she eats the dough.
6. spin
7. funny faces
8. find belly buttons
9. dance party
10. pretend to feed dolls with sippy cup

Nursing & Baby Changing Stations in NYC

We went to F.A.O. Schwartz today because Cassie's grandma wanted to get her some blocks (what a nice lady, huh?). I always picture that store being a madhouse, but it was totally calm today. Then I realized I have only gone during the holiday rush. Now I think I might actually take Cassie back to play some more!

They have a changing room in the lower level baby toy section, which made me think about the coming cold months and how life is so much harder when you have to feed and change a baby indoors instead of at the nearest plot of grass. Hmm. Here is my list of diaper changing spots and quiet, nursing friendly areas in Manhattan:

1. Baby's R Us - Union Square area - On the second floor there is a "Mother's Room" with glider rockers, couches, and changing tables. The bathrooms also have changing tables.
2. Le Pain Quotidien - Bryant Park area - The bathroom has a changing table and the coffee area provides some space with reasonable quiet.
3. F.A.O. Schwartz - Midtown area - The lower level has a diaper changing section with changing pads and complimentary wipes. There is also a chair for nursing.
4. American Museum of Natural History - Upper West Side - has changing tables in both men's and women's rooms. You can access them without paying admission. I'm guessing the Children's Museum would be another good option to try.

Does anyone know of any other good places for breastfeeding and diaper changing in Manhattan?

Thrift Shopping in NYC

My mom and sis are still in town for a few more days. One of our favorite things to do is go to thrift stores. Every time I go home to CA for a visit, we go to the ultimate thrift store. It's a requirement - along with going to In 'N Out, getting Mexican food, and going to the beach. Nothing in New York compares to that one, but here are some of my favorite thrift shop routes in NYC:

1) Housing Works - The 17th St one consistently has good stuff. Almost all of the Housing Works have high quality, moderately priced items. Come to think of it, I'm gonna check their online auction now.

2) City Opera Thrift - This shop has a ton of women's clothing and often gets samples. They also tend to have some nice furniture and accessories.

3) Goodwill - 25/7th Ave, 79th/Broadway, 23rd/3rd. Goodwill has the best prices on books and also gets new Target merchandise.

I know there are a bunch of thrift shops on the Upper East Side, but have never found anything too exciting at any of them.

Am I missing any good ones?

Baked French Toast

For the third time in 10 months, Steve and I have gone out without Cassie. She got some quality time with her grandma and aunt and we got some time to troll around downtown. We went to a bunch of thrift shops and ended the afternoon at Nolita Cafe for bluegrass brunch. And there is where we had the best french toast EVER. Holy moly migoli. It's baked. It's actually brioche soaked in brandy, vanilla, half and half and egg. Then it's topped with brown sugar. We decided we are going to try replicating this and making it our traditional dish we eat on Christmas morning. Mmm.

It's not cold once you're in.

I know it sounds silly to say it hasn't felt like summer until today. I've eaten watermelon, gotten sunburned despite my best efforts, and have eaten my token Mr. Softee ice cream. But today was the day I finally felt that little kid feeling that only summer brings. You see, I got to go swimming. In a lake. I experienced the exhilaration of diving under the cold water and having the satisfaction of saying, "It's not cold once you're in." Ah yes, now it's summer.

That alone would have been wonderful. But it was also little Miss Grace's first real go at swimming. She's almost 10 months old now. To think we've been depriving her for so long! This little lady likes water. I should have known by the fact she is always making a beeline for the cats' water dish. It was so fun to see her enjoying herself so much and was even more special that Grandma and Auntie Woogie got to be there, too.

After the HarryMan state park, we went to Cold Spring (not Cold SpringS, for all you people who like to add an extra letter 's'. It's not Barnes & Nobles people!). I'm pretty sure we could have spent hours looking through the antique stores, but we got there at 4:00, so most of them were starting to close.

So, if you're looking for a great swimmin' hole near New York City, I highly recommend going to the Seven Lakes in Harriman State park. It's not far from NYC. Maybe 45 min? We got a little lost since thanks to the iphone and ended up at some summer camp getting directions from a camp counselor while being stared at by 10-15 tweeny campers. Anyway, it's easy to find if you're paying attention...And the water temp. was perfect - not cold once you're in! Just wanted to say it one more time before I go to bed.