Toddler Story Time in the Triangle

As a stay-at-home mom of one, I often have to find ways to "fill" our days.  Staying home every day quickly gets boring and causes cabin fever so we try to get out as often as possible.  Since my son was 6 months old we started regular weekly trips to the public library.  We attended their Baby Story Time program and checked out a variety of board books and picture books.  We still go weekly to check out books, and he is obsessed.  He loves books, he loves being read to, and he loves story time.  Since the public libraries take 3 months off from their story time programs each year, we spent some time this summer checking out some of the other story time offerings in the area.

It seems like story time would be a pretty easy activity to pull off, but as usual the more qualified and research-based programs are the better ones.  Liking books and leading a toddler story time are two completely different things.  I kinda believe there's no excuse for a poor story time as the internet is full of story time specific ideas and suggestions from qualified librarians, but it appears as though others don't share that sentiment.

Let's go through the story times that I have now attended with my son:

1. Public library story time:
To begin with, there are over 20 public library locations in Wake County.  Smaller libraries are "community" libraries and larger ones are "regional libraries".  We have attended story time at two of these locations: the Cary Community Library and the Eva Perry Regional Library.  Libraries offer story time multiple times per week (often 5-6 days) with multiple age groups and a variety of times.  They are also free (duh) which means technically you are getting the most bang for your buck.  The quality of the toddler story times is affected by the librarian responsible for that day/time, but once you find one you like, going weekly to that session means you know what you are getting.  The Wake Library story times incorporate reading, writing, singing, talking, and playing and clear expectations are set by the librarians at the start.  The toddler story time is about 25 minutes.  There are usually 2 books, a letter of the day, a felt board activity, and lots of songs.  There might also be bubbles, scarves, shakers, puppet shows, and a hand stamp at the end.  (The hand stamp is my son's favorite part.)
My rating: *****

2. Barnes and Noble toddler story time:
There are multiple locations for B&N as well but we have only been to the Cary one.  I don't know why, but the group of people that typically attend this story time make it almost impossible to enjoy.  Part of the problem is the set up (benches in the front row and people sitting on the floor behind with very little space altogether) and part of it could be that there are no expectations set or that the programing is weak.  Regardless, there are constantly children more or less trashing the story time area (without any adult interference) and multiple adults having LOUD sidebar conversations making it hard to even hear the stories.  The B&N story time usually begins with a sales pitch (insert eye-roll here) which I guess makes up for the fact that it is free.  There are 2 books read (sometimes chosen by corporate, sometimes chosen by the store) but I am yet to attend one that is actually a good toddler book.  Often they are too long, or confusing, or just not toddler friendly.  Since they do a toddler and a preschool story time separately, I don't feel bad asserting this judgement.   They always sing songs- usually classics like Old MacDonald and Head and Shoulders.  Afterwards there is a usually a coloring page to do but honestly by about halfway through the 30 minutes, most of the attendees are at the train table anyways.
My rating: **

3. NC Museum of Natural Sciences story time:
Several times a week the Science Museum holds a story time (geared for children of all ages).  Admission to the museum and the story time program is free but you will probably have to pay for parking.  Each week has a different theme of which a related book is read.  Then they talk about how that theme relates to specific animals and bring out several actual live animals which older kids can usually touch.  There are stadium style benches to sit on and the program has always been interesting and engaging for my toddler (despite me not letting him touch the animals).  There is no fluff, but it is an educational program that incorporates a book.  During the school year, it is often very empty meaning your kid can really enjoy the animals.
My rating: ****

4. Quail Ridge Books story time:
This is technically called a preschool story time, geared for 2-5 year old, but we saw children of all ages there.  (Full disclosure: the first time we went here, it was NOT good, but there was a "fill-in" person doing it while the usual person was on vacation.)  The woman who does the story time is a retired children's librarian and it shows.  She chose books that were age appropriate, incorporated music/movement and even passed out jingle bells for some of the songs.  The seating can get a little cramped, but everyone is on equal footing on the floor.  There was no sales pitch, despite being a book store and it is a free program with free parking.
My rating: ****

5. Read With Me (children's bookstore) story time:
We have only been to this story time once and will have to give it at least another try before I stick to this review.  The bookstore itself is super cute with a great variety of children's books for all ages.  They do story time 2x a week and advertise it for children 6 and under.  The time we went two 8 year olds were sharing a "story" they had written and illustrated (which was just descriptions of 10+ characters).  It was cute, but definitely not what I had in mind and certainly didn't hold my son's attention.  Afterwards, you could pay $5 to do a craft.  We didn't stay as it appeared like the "craft" was just playing with playdough (I could have totally been wrong, but that's what it sounded like) which didn't seem worth the $5 to me, especially since we had already had to pay for parking.
My rating: *

Things Change

At the beginning of this year, I wrote about about how important it was to be civically involved in politics.  I was disheartened by the Trump presidency and frustrated with the state of America. (And then haven't posted anything since.)

I spent a LOT of time every day staying up-to-date on current events, writing and calling my senators, until the constant news cycle finally wore me down.  For about a month, I switched to only looking at news and social media for an hour a day before I was finally able to go back to my normal media consumption.

Since then, things have gotten (dare I say) way worse.  It feels like every day brings with it its own s***show.  Many of my friends have continued to become more involved- posting articles, doing research, attending protests, planning lessons for their students, having conversations, etc. in an effort to do their small part to bring about a positive change.

I however, am not.

I want to care, I even want the same things as them, but honestly, I just really don't give a flip anymore.

Instead, my brain is constantly filled with all of the things that have been happening on a personal level- which have nothing to do with race, politics, or government.

The book I have read more than any other (about 25x) is The Giver by Lois Lowry.  I have whole passages of that book memorized from frequently reading it out loud and I often think of it as complicated events unfold in my life.

The book opens: It was almost December and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.  No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened was that deep sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen.  
That section ends with this: There was a little shudder of nervousness when he thought about it, about what might happen.  
Apprehensive, Jonas decided.  That's what I am.  

Whenever I see people, it is now blatantly obvious that I am pregnant.  People I don't know at all or acquaintances I barely know, love to comment on said pregnancy and make lovely small talk about said baby.  None of these people mean anything other than positivity and good will, but it is beginning to grate on me.  When they ask how I'm doing (mostly expecting an answer about how the summer heat sucks or it's hard work chasing my toddler) my brain quotes The Giver to me.  How am I feeling?  Scared.  Sad.  Angry.  Worried.  And believe me, frightened.  Filled with a deep sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen.

I am not living in a deep dark place right now (and I'm going to therapy like a good little self-aware person), but I just have a hard time not building up those emotions when perfect strangers tell me how my life is going to be with 2 boys 2 and under.  They have no idea what my life is going to look like as it certainly isn't going to be "normal."

My life right now is a waiting game.  A waiting game with no clear end in sight.  Part of me wishes we had no idea something was wrong.  The pregnancy feels normal- he kicks me, my whole body hurts, I have to pee all the time, I have heartburn, and so on.  Wouldn't it be great if I could spend these months dreaming of my perfect little family with 2 darling boys and all the fun we would have?  Instead I'm googling medical terms and procedures and trying to wrap my head around the possibility that my little man may not even get to ever meet his baby brother.  Whenever one of those well-meaning people comments on how hard pregnancy is with "but it's so worth it in the end!" my brain wants to retort, but is it really?  Is the heartache and pain that might come with this one "worth it"?  What does that even mean?  What if I don't get that cute little bundle of joy?

So do I care about racism and fascism and terrorism and nuclear weapons and a revolving door of advisors and inadequate leadership? Of course.  Just forgive me for not being more forthright and vocal about those things right now.  I'm sure in some ways it makes me "just as bad" for staying silent and not joining the rallying cry, but I am fighting a smaller battle.  One with my own tears and fears.

What's Next

On November 10 of last year, I reflected on how the 2016 presidential election had made me feel.  I requested that we all begin moving forward by doing 4 things:
1. Listen (to your fellow humans).
2. Don't tolerate, accept, participate in, condone, or ignore hate.
3. Remember that there are still people in need.
4. If you are a teacher or parent, remember that you are preparing the next generation of voters and take that responsibility seriously.

The campaign was over.  It was time to move forward.  I had high hopes.  And while I understand that the win of DJT was VERY hard for some people, at some point, we have to accept the way our republic works.

But then it didn't get better.  The "more presidential" version of PEOTUS didn't appear.  He continued to be divisive, petty, and brash.  Russia's involvement became a real, legitimate concern after the intelligence community came forward.  PEOTUS's conflicts of interest were not resolved or eliminated and the tax returns still haven't appeared.  He attacked a respected civil rights leader on Twitter.

And then the cabinet appointments were announced.  One of the more reasonable arguments I had heard in favor of DJT during the campaign was that there was little to worry about as he would surround himself with good, smart people, and that's what mattered.  (Plus, you know, he would #draintheswamp and all that.)

I do not consider myself political.  I hate watching the news, and often don't.  I try to stay just informed enough that I would not be considered ignorant.  I have never participated in the political system other than to be a regular (and hopefully informed) voter.  I have not campaigned for a candidate, or attended a rally, or been super passionate about politics or American government at all.

But then it all finally got to me.  I watched Betsy DeVos's (Secretary of Education) Senate confirmation hearing because what I knew about her I found concerning.  And as I watched, my blood began to boil.  I went from being disappointed and irritated to enraged.

I disagree with the general "school voucher" argument, but I could accept that position as just the Republican/conservative education stance.  THAT was the least of the concerns I had with this woman taking over the DoE post.  It was so bad (proficiency/growth, grizzly bears, IDEA- an overwhelming lack of knowledge).

So bad in fact that I called my senator the next day.  Something even a month ago I couldn't have imagined myself doing.

This Friday I watched the inauguration.  The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach returned as I listened to our new POTUS paint a dystopian view of America.  Again, as I tried to make sense of it alone I was reminded throughout the coverage that this was not going to go away.  I began browsing social media and was taken aback by what I saw.  People who had kept pretty quiet on social media about their DJT support during the campaign and even after the election were suddenly posting and liking some of the most unbelievably racist, hateful, and untrue things.  They were claiming the moral high ground and supporting falsehoods.  They felt (I am assuming) vindicated in their beliefs by this new president.

By the end of the day Friday I was just plain mad.  Mad enough that if I hadn't had a family obligation on Saturday I think I would have joined my friends at the Women's March in Raleigh.  Instead, on Saturday I watched (and cheered from home) as dozens of my friends stood together all across the country and peacefully protested.  It made me feel so much more patriotic than the inauguration festivities had.

Then the Trump administration really got going and suddenly that dystopian analogy didn't seem so far-fetched.

So I'm getting political.

I'm not sure what that completely looks like yet, but it is going to be happening.

I still don't consider myself a strong member of either party, but I can assure you I will be working against the supporters of the 45th President.

Today, I went to church and prayed.  Then I followed all of my national representatives on social media.  I added them to the contacts in my phone.  I signed up for swingleft.org (turns out my District is a swing district in 2018) and I signed up for 10 Actions in 100 Days (the first of which I plan to do this week).

I'm not putting up with this.  I'm not burying my head in the sand anymore and pretending like it will all be ok.  I'm not listening to these ridiculous arguments based on lies (call them "alternative facts" all you want) and I'm not supporting hate, pettiness, belittling, or bullying on either side.

I'm not done yet.  I'm just getting started.

 #whatsnext

Looking Back on 2016

In 2010 I decided to take a leap of courage and open an Etsy shop.  I had no real expectations or goals.  I was warned that just because someone could buy it didn’t mean they would and not to get disappointed if I didn’t make any sales.  

In less than a week I had sales.  

I continued for 2 more years, often sacrificing sleep in order to get orders shipped out, lessons made, and papers graded.  I closed in the fall of 2012, deciding I liked my day job more.  We often discussed how maybe I could start again if I wanted to once my teaching days were over and I was being a full-time mom.  

This summer that time came, where the baby was on a consistent schedule and I was feeling the need to do something more with my time.  

Little Mama Bee opened at the very end of July and took off in no time.  I took everything I had learned the first time and used it to improve and better my shop this time.  

I am so grateful to every customer and supporter I have had over this past year, allowing me to be an entrepreneur and helping me turn this little crafter into a businesswoman.  I’ve made over 150 sales to 37 states.  

I have lots of exciting things planned for 2017 and look forward to sharing them with you!

November 10, 2016

My first year teaching I had the bright-eyed innocence of a recent college grad sent to change the world. I had 3 ELA classes ranging in size from 12 to 32.  My first block class was a diverse group but most of whom were on the lower end of the socio-economic scale.
I began a lesson one day on parts of speech by writing a (random) sentence on the board.

The big brown dog barked angrily at the old man.

"Can anyone tell me the adjectives in this sentence?" I asked, trying to gauge what prior knowledge they might hopefully have.*

I called on some student (I don't remember who) who began, "uh, big... brown-"
"THAT'S RACIST!" another student yelled.
I was blown away and super confused. "Wait. What is racist?" Maybe he was yelling at/about someone else that I had missed.
"Brown! He said brown! That's racist!" the student (who was Hispanic) continued to shout.

I remember trying very hard in that moment to convey that in general, colors were not racist. I tried to explain what racist meant and that it was a serious accusation, not one to throw around lightly.  I remember feeling unsuccessful at explaining racism (and parts of speech) by the end of that class.  (I also used a different sentence in my lesson the rest of the day.)

A few weeks later Obama was elected. I was still getting used to my student population and my role as a teacher. That morning when the students were released from the gym, where they were held before homeroom, they came down the hallway completely different than ever before.  There was a lot of chanting "OBAMA" and a lot of almost fights (mostly between white and black students). I later discovered just how little the average middle school understood about politics and elections in America as a boy explained to me how his "mama's getting a job today cause Obama is the president- hope and change!" When I tried to explain that the inauguration wouldn't be for several weeks and that this change would be a slow one, he wrote me off. Nope- Obama won!

Source

Eight years later I sat in my house the day after an election and tried to make sense of it on my own (my 11 month old wasn't much help). I voted for Hillary. I'm pretty moderate in my politics and try to do my research before voting. This year I couldn't rationalize Donald Trump.  I couldn't support his blatantly offensive and inflammatory rhetoric so, for me there was little to no choice. I couldn't bring myself to vote 3rd party, so despite my reservations about Clinton, she got my vote.

Yesterday I had a hard time. I was very surprised that Trump won.  Generally I don't have a huge issue with Republican leadership.  I do however, have a great concern for what his election means.

I have been following Shaun King's twitter account today. (If you haven't looked at it, I encourage you to do so.) It is filled with story after story of how people are using this election to justify and exercise their hate. Many of these stories are from schools around the country. It is heart breaking.  But just like I had students 8 years ago excited by the promise of hope and change, I know there are just as many students excited by the new prospect of change.  I spoke to several of my former colleagues last night who told me "today was hard." I didn't get specifics, but I can imagine that they had students confused and afraid. They also had students like the one who (actually) said on Tuesday, "Trump better win because then that's a Christian on the board of politics and not a Muslim worshipper like Hillary."



Right now, we are stuck with the results.  I do agree that whining is unproductive.
Moving forward, this is what I would like to see us focus on: 

1.  LISTEN

I saw this tweet Tuesday night and it made me pause.

Source

We need to really start listening to each other. I don't care who you voted for or didn't for that matter, but if you have something you want or need to say, I want to listen.  I may not agree with you.  But I don't want to make assumptions or accusations.  I think we could all benefit from more listening.  True communication happens when both sides listen.  Right now there are people who don't care, who are happy, who are confused, who are angry, who are sad, and who are afraid. Find out directly from the people in your life how they are feeling and work to really listen to them.  Fill your social media feed with voices that provide a window into how others different from you feel, not just those who mirror your own views.

2.    DON'T TOLERATE, ACCEPT, PARTICIPATE IN, CONDONE, OR IGNORE HATE. 

This one is hard.  Especially if you are trying to listen.  Calling people racists isn't going to solve anything. But allowing bigotry and hatred to win isn't going to solve anything either. Its sometimes a very fine line.  If in doubt, don't post it. If in doubt, aim to treat others how you want to be treated.


3. Remember that THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE IN NEED.

People recovering from Hurricane Matthew. People in Aleppo.  People.  If you can help, do so.

4.     If you are a teacher or a parent, remember that YOU ARE PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF VOTERS and take that responsibility seriously.

Read as much as you can.  Provide children with books that empower, encourage, and educate.  Do not be afraid of history.  Educate yourself and the children entrusted to you about the history of our country, especially the ugly stuff.  We truly cannot move forward if we do not understand where we have been.


I still have a lot of emotions about this election. 

If you want to talk, I will listen.




*Teaching parts of speech is garbage and pretty useless in this way.

I Voted, but Not Early

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  It is a pretty low stress day.  You don't have to really go anywhere.  The only expectation is to EAT.  Preparations happen the day before and only require a trip to one store.  The food is amazing, you get to hang out with people you love, and it's just nice.

Thanksgiving is also a holiday that people work hard at making sure others do not spend alone.  No one wants to be alone on a holiday, especially one that celebrates family.  Almost everything is closed (at least for most of the day) so it isn't like there are a lot of other things to do on that day.

Some people celebrate (usually for logistical reasons) early.  I get it (you do what you gotta do), but then what do you actually DO on Thanksgiving day?  It seems so sad to me.  I mean sure it's a day off of work, but it just isn't the same.  The day itself is important and people just celebrate ON the actual day.



And that's how I feel about early voting.

I am a registered Democrat (which means little to nothing in how I actually vote for each race) and a regular voter.  The DNC sent at least FIVE people to my house over the last week to encourage me to vote.  They were pushing early voting, which I get, but I told every one that I VOTE ON ELECTION DAY.  I know it makes more sense to vote early and is way more practical (which is totally right up my alley).  But just like I like to celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November, I like to vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  I love voting.  I love that I have that right.  And I have no problem waiting in a line (although hopefully due to the record turnouts for early voting, there was zero line at my polling place today).

I hope everyone exercised their civic duty today (or in the days prior).  I hope you researched your candidates (especially for local races) and wore your sticker* proudly.  Here's to America and to democracy! Cheers!



*Anybody know who I can talk to to get NC some of those Future Voter stickers for the kids? I seen them online from other states and was sad that Little Man couldn't have one.

10 Traditional Books for Baby Showers

Now that I have Little Man my library check out list is very different. And suddenly I know 4 people due in 2017.  Let the "babies season" of my life begin!  Of course, babies mean baby showers!  Lots of baby shower invites are asking for a book instead of a card as a way to help build the new baby's library (which I love) so I thought I would do a few posts on my favorite baby shower books.
 
[All of the links in this post are affiliate links (which means I get a tiny commission if you click on them and buy something at no additional cost to you.) As always, I only represent brands/companies I truly use and love, and I SO appreciate your support!]

This first post is all traditional books- probably all of which you read as a kid.  There is a reason they are now considered classic and of course stand the test of time.  Basically you can't go wrong with any of these!

1. Books by Margaret Wise Brown

 Margaret Wise Brown died over 50 years ago but her dozens of books are still immensely popular.  She tried to write stories the way children wanted to hear them. The two most famous ones were illustrated by Clement Hurd and feature bunnies.  Both are available in picture book or board book format.

Goodnight Moon (hardback) $18.99
Goodnight Moon (board book) $8.99

Runaway Bunny (hardcover)
Runaway Bunny (board book)

 

2. Books by Dr. Seuss

Is anything more classic than a Dr. Seuss book?  The simple rhymes, tongue twisters, and silly humor make his books a favorite of young and old.

The Cat in the Hat (hardcover) $9.99

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (hardcover) $8.99
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (board book) $7.99

Hop on Pop (hardcover) $8.99
Hop on Pop (board book) $4.99

 

 

 3. Books by P.D. Eastman

Eastman's books are often confused for Dr. Seuss books, but since he studied under Seuss, it is no surprise!  His books have their own unique style but are perfect for kids and often great for early readers.

Go, Dog, Go! (hardcover) $8.99
Go, Dog, Go! (board book) $4.99








Are You My Mother (hardcover) $8.99
Are You My Mother (board book) $4.99

 

 

 

 4. Books by/illustrated by Eric Carle

Eric Carle has one of the most easily recognizable illustration styles.  His classic Very Hungry Caterpillar was published over 50 years ago and still a popular choice.  Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See was a collaboration with Bill Martin Jr. and also a well known choice.


Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (hardcover) $17.99
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (board book) $7.95


The Very Hungry Caterpillar (hardcover) $21.99
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (board book) $10.99

 

 

 

 

5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

This book is a powerful testament to the power of imagination.  Rereading it as an adult it is easy to get bogged down in the strangeness of it, but kids love it.

Where the Wild Things Are (hardcover) $18.99

6. Corduroy by Don Freeman

Possibly one of the cutest teddy bears of all time comes to life in a department store to find his missing button.

Corduroy (hardcover) $16.99
Corduroy (board book) $7.99 

 

 7. Curious George by H. A. Rey

You can't possibly forget Curious George and the mischief he gets in once coming home with the man in the yellow hat.  The first book explains George's origin story.

Curious George (hardcover) $17.99

8. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

Little kids love trains and the mantra of perseverance in this book is so well known.  A great, uplifting choice!

The Little Engine that Could (hardcover) $8.99

9. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

My mother's favorite color is purple so this book was one I clearly remember from my own childhood.  Harold creates his one adventure armed with a purple crayon before ending up back in bed.

Harold and the Purple Crayon (hardcover) $16.99
Harold and the Purple Crayon (board book) $7.99

10. Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

You can't go wrong with the classic Pooh.  The animals in the Hundred Acre Woods are hard to beat.

Winnie-the-Pooh (hardcover) $19.99

What other books are your old standbys for baby showers?