Great 8: Mommy Moments

I've been such a slacker-blogger lately!  I can try to blame my lack of posts on a more-mobile Maisy and a new tutoring client, but that's probably an excuse.  In any case, here are some top Mommy Moments from the past week, in no particular order (ordering takes time, and I have laundry to switch over and a 9-month-old due to awaken at any moment):

Mommy Moment #1: Snow Baby
First snow of the season last Saturday, so we bundled Maisy up in snow pants, winter jacket, mittens, hat, and shoes (don't own boots yet) to check out the heavy wet flakes. She looked just like the little boy from A Christmas Story. When we tried to set her down in the snow for a photo op we had to push snow up behind her to keep her from falling backwards.

Mommy Moment #2: We Dance
Maisy and I were playing on the floor and listening to some jazzy kiddie tunes the other day.  I found myself bobbing my head side to side in time to the music, and looked over to find Maisy doing the same thing.  Does Maisy dance like Mommy? Or, does Mommy dance like Maisy?

Mommy Moment #3: I Whistle
I dropped Maisy off at a friend's house today and took off for my new 1.5 hour a week position teaching Orton-Gillingham reading.  I suddenly realized I was contentedly whistling along to the Raffi song streaming from the speakers.  No baby in the car, no Raffi, right?  I flipped on the radio, but I'll be the first to admit that the whistling stopped when the Raffi stopped.

Mommy Moment #4: Perfect Timing
Maisy and I were due to be right on time to a doctor's appointment as I buckled her into her car seat.  Just as I clicked the last buckle into place, I sniffed.  Definitely poopy.  Needless to say, we didn't make it to our appointment on time.

Mommy Moment #5: Mega Playdate
Somewhere in the stay-at-home-mom bi-laws, I believe there is a requirement to host playdates for your children, no matter their ages. Of course, for the six moms and as many babies at the playdate I hosted on Wednesday, the moms did a lot more socializing than the babes.  Here's what I learned from hosting my first mega playdate: Six+ babies generate six times the toy mess.

Mommy Moment #6: And Then There Were Three
Teefers that is.  Maisy's third pearly white appeared early Tuesday morning.  So far, no intense teething fussiness.  Now I've probably jinxed myself.

Mommy Moment #7: Maisy's First Babysitter
Other than family and close adult friends.  Maisy's first "real" babysitter was a high school girl from church who knows Maisy from the church nursery.  Rick and I ate at the new Cadillac Ranch restaurant at the Mall of America and shopped a little before heading home to a sleeping baby.  Success!  For the record, neither of us rode the Cadillac Ranch's mechanical bull.

Mommy Moment #8: Double-Digit Woes
Maisy turns 10 months old in less than two weeks.  Double digits are approaching with shocking speed.  I know I'm lame, but how did she get so big so fast?  It really wasn't that long ago that I was waking up every 2 hours to feed her by night, and letting my tiny newborn take naps curled up on my chest by day.  Now here I am, counting her teeth, closing the basement door to keep her from toppling down, and realizing that my little baby is really not so little anymore.  When she was first born, we kept track of her age by hours, then by weeks, and now by months.  Even as I cheer on every new stage of development, I can't help but feel a little sadness with the passing of the time.

Mommy Moment #9: Holiday Cheer
To avoid going out on a melancholy note, I'll add a nine to my great eight.  I am SUPER excited for Christmas.  My Sunday School kiddos are preparing for their Advent Christmas program, my Awana kiddos are practicing Christmas songs for some in-church caroling next month, and I am loving it!  I think I'm as excited for Maisy's first Christmas as I used to get circling the toys I wanted in the JCPenney Christmas catalog each year.  Hopefully I'll sleep better as a mom than I did as a little girl, waiting wide awake at the top of the stairs in the pitch-black early morning of Christmas Day.

Two Highs and a Low

What a busy week! I'll try to sum it up with two high points and a low point from the past week or so.

High: Pumpkin Patching with Maisy

Last Saturday, Rick and I took Maisy to her first apple orchard and pumpkin patch. It was such a beautiful day! Maisy loved every minute of our excursion in spite of a nose that ran like a faucet from sun up to sun down. 

Our camera got a workout. When we first got there, I helped Maisy pose for a picture standing in front of a scarecrow measuring stick reading "how tall this fall." I think it'd be so fun to come back every year to watch her grow (good marketing!). We snapped pictures of Maisy "helping" us pick a giant bag of yummy apples, but my favorite pictures are of Maisy sitting among the pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. Those bright orange pumpkins got her SO excited that she grinned and bounced her arms up and down in that funny Maisy way. We planned on picking two or three, so of course we came home with four pumpkins that are now perched on our front stoop.

Gorgeous fall weather, happy baby, fun family time... definitely a high point!

High: Maisy's Baptism

We were blessed to have so many family and friends come to church and our home yesterday for Maisy's baptism. It had been a debate since before she was born whether or not we would baptize or dedicate her (in the Evangelical Covenant Church, parents can choose). I had been dedicated as a baby and baptized when I was older, but Rick, growing up Catholic, had been baptized as a baby. All complicating factors aside, I probably would have chosen dedication, but it was important to Rick's mom to baptize Maisy. So, after talking it over with our pastor so that I had a better understanding of it, we went the baptism route. 

I must say, it was very special. My brother Dan and sister Sheri are godparents, and the pews around us were filled with Maisy's grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends. Our church is relatively small, so each baby seems to be treasured even beyond the norm, and Maisy is known and recognized throughout the congregation. Maisy gazed right up into our pastor's eyes as he said "the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and give you peace," and I couldn't help but tear up.

After the baptism, family and friends piled into cars and came back to our house for a meal and to just hang out. My mom and I had worked ourselves into exhaustion baking, decorating, and otherwise preparing for the day, but it was worth it. The tables were decorated in fall decor, the food was good, and the kids were great. 

A fun afternoon of celebration with the people we love... another high point!

Low: Maisy's First Ear Infection

Booooooo... Our cheerful little girl became a fussy, needy, sleep-deprived baby last Sunday afternoon (the day after the pumpkin patch), but she had been struggling to sleep through the night since the Tuesday before. Monday morning I took her to our doctor and heard, "Oh yeah, that one's infected! Yep, that too." So that was that. Maisy has been taking amoxicillin - which she thinks is liquid candy - for a full week now. The first few days were ROUGH! No napping, so much crying, LOTS of amoxicillin-induced diarrhea... I couldn't get anything done around the house, yet I knew that I should because I was expecting so many visitors for the baptism. 

By Thursday, her ears and congestion seemed better and Maisy could play happily on her own again. By Friday, she was able to fall asleep without several attempts to rock and then sloooowly place her in her crib without a wakeful wail. On Saturday night, before the baptism, Maisy woke up at 11:00pm and stayed awake until 2 in the morning. 

On Sunday morning, just before we started singing the final song before her baptism, there was a rumble in the jungle. Rick and I looked at each other. "I felt that," he whispered intently. One song to go, but I had to get her diaper changed or risk a blowout in her pretty dress as we stood behind the baptismal font! I swooped her up, snatched the diaper bag, and dashed to the nursery. With a nursery volunteer keeping pace ("they're still singing, still singing, still singing, they're done!"), I whipped off Maisy's dirty diaper, slapped on a new one, skipped the tights, tied bows on her pretty pink shoes, and speed-walked back to the sanctuary with my heart racing. Our pastor stood behind the lectern, and as we walked up the aisle he smiled at us and said, "So glad to see you and Maisy, Jess." We made it!

Maisy was so good during the baptism and in the afternoon while most of our guests were still over. Late afternoon hit, and our fussy, needy, ear-tugging baby returned. We went to the doctor this morning and found out that her ear infection had resurfaced even though she'd been on amoxicillin for a week. Now we're on something totally different. All I can hope is that it won't cause her diarrhea the way the amoxicillin has. She had at least 7 dirty diapers yesterday, has already had at least 5 today, and the diaper rash that has emerged because of it makes her cry so hard every time I change her diaper. :( Poor baby! 

Two ear infections, sleep deprivation, and an amoxicillin-induced diaper rash... that's a low!!!

So there you have it. My two highs and a low. 


Right at this very moment, I can see Maisy is working on dirty diaper number 6 on her freshly bathed, rash-covered bottom. It's a good thing I had two big highs to outweigh this yucky low.

Great 8: Reasons I Love the Fall

In no particular order...

#1: Crunching leaves under my feet when I walk

#2: Surprisingly warm days - like unexpected gifts

#3: Jackets and blue jeans

#4: Peanuts and candy corn

#5: Honeycrisp apples

#6: Red and gold leaves standing out against bright blue skies

#7: Bundling up the baby on the way to the park, then peeling off layers on the walk home

#8: Picking out the perfect (plumply dumply) pumpkins

I had to edit this post because I forgot one of the key reasons I love the fall:

How could I forget Nebraska football???

Easy Fall Project: Make-Your-Own "Fall Leaves" Book

First off, let me tell you that I am not crafty. I don't sew. I don't knit. I lack the follow-through to be a good scrapbooker. Besides, I can barely stay inside the lines when I color! So when I say that this project is easy, you know that anyone can tackle it!

What You Need:
Any size plastic Ziploc bags (I used 6 quart-sized off-brand freezer bags because that's what I had)
Glue or clear packaging tape
Markers
Choice of: Hole-punch & thick ribbon or yarn OR clear packaging tape
Poster board, card stock, or other thick paper (I used business card paper that never did print right)

What to Do:
Go on a walk with your little one and pick up pretty leaves as you go. It was a gorgeous fall day! I picked up intact leaves in as many different colors as I could find - green, yellow, orange, red, brown. This is at least half the fun!

Cut the thick paper into squares - try one first to make sure it fits into the bag easily!

Use glue or clear packaging tape to stick each leaf to a page - one color per page. Glue worked fine for the colorful leaves, but the clear tape was needed for the drier brown leaf.

For the cover page, glue two or more colorful leaves to the page.

Use colorful markers to write the words. I have an 8-month-old, so I kept it simple. I wrote "Fall Leaves   by Mommy" on the cover, then "Green Leaf", "Yellow Leaf", etc. You can be creative!

Insert pages into bags & zip.

To attach the pages together, I had planned on punching two holes in the side and using a thick ribbon or yarn to tie them together. Turns out my hole puncher couldn't hack it, so I settled for plan B: Clear packaging tape. I've had this same clear packaging tape since the dawn of time, and let me tell you, it sure has come in handy!

Anyway, I used one piece of clear tape around the outside edge, then flipped through page-by-page and put tape on each page.

That's it! It's not the sturdiest little book, but it's cute and fun to read with my baby. And, of course, you can make books using any pictures, objects, or topics you want.

Here are pictures of the finished product:

Friday Faves: Online Multiplication Games

I've started back up with tutoring this fall. This time I'm tutoring a student with autism who struggles with multiplication and division. Since he has a long day of school before he comes my way, he needs to have at least one break during our hour-long sessions. He loves the computer, so I've decided to make that break a meaningful one by letting him choose from a list of online multiplication games. Here are just a few of the higher-quality games I've found:

#1: Arcademic Skill Builders
http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
This engaging website includes four multi-player multiplication games: Grand Prix Multiplication, Space Race Multiplication, Tug Team: Multiplication, and Penguin Jump Multiplication. For each one, you can start your own game and play against the computer or join another player's game to play against real people. For those motivated by competition (that would be me), Grand Prix Multiplication has a scoreboard where the fastest times are posted. Each of these games is a little unique and pretty fun to play, but Grand Prix is my favorite because of the scoreboard feature.

The Arcademic Skill Builders website also has one single player multiplication: Meteor Multiplication. This game is different from the others because you can set a maximum product for a student who only know their facts up to a certain point.

This is a fun website with fast-paced, arcade-style games. I'd play the games, and I don't even need the practice (although I didn't get on the Grand Prix scoreboard...yet!).

#2: Funbrain
http://www.funbrain.com
Funbrain is FULL of math games. If you've never visited the site before, the first place to check out for math practice is the Funbrain Math Arcade. Pick a game piece, choose a level of difficulty (1-8, basically corresponding to grade level), and head out onto a virtual game board. Each stop along the way is a different math arcade game, and math skills vary depending on the game and the difficulty. Kids really get into the math arcade. Many will choose to write down the code that allows them to pick up where they leave off if they exit the site before finishing.

More math games can be found in the "numbers" section of the Funbrain website. These games are not Flash games, but they tend to be more skill-specific. Many of the games let you choose an operation and select a difficulty level. For multiplication, the difficulty levels range from Easy (factors up to 5) and Medium (factors up to 9), to Hard and Super Brain (multi-digit multiplication). These games include: Math Baseball, MathCar Racing, Soccer Shootout, Tic Tac Squares, and Power Football. Another feature of these games is that you can choose to have the math facts written algebra-style (6 x __ = 12) or standard (6 x 2 = 12) depending on what you want your students to practice. The non-Flash games have a simpler style to them, but are more easily differentiated to your student's goals.

#3 Primary Games
http://primarygames.com/math
The Primary Games website has a wide variety of games, but it's a little confusing to separate the educational games from the just-for-fun games, in spite of labels such as "Math" and "Language Arts." Here a few multiplication-related games that seemed worthwhile:

Number Eaters - Think PacMan, except you are trying to eat the multiplication facts that add up to a certain product. Basic multiplication facts.

MathMan - Think PacMan (again), except you eat ?s that give you math facts to solve, and you have to eat the correct answer. Includes double digit facts, and not just multiplication.

The Multiplication Game - This is similar to Connect Four. This game requires some strategy in addition to knowledge of multiplication facts. More challenging, but fun!

Have your own favorite math game websites? Post below to share!

Friday Faves: All for Fall

The September air is crisp; the yellow school bus just cruised by a little while ago; Maisy and I are both sporting our blue jeans today; and the leaves on one of our trees is even changing color.  Fall is coming.  As much as I enjoy summer, I really love the fall.

With a coupon for 30 percent off a kids' Halloween book in hand, Maisy and I trouped off to Barnes & Noble today to find a fall-flavored book. Here's what we agreed on:

1. Plumply Dumply Pumpkin by Mary Serfozo
I love this book!  The language is fabulous and so fun to read aloud.  It's chock full of catchy rhymes like "Peter's looking for a pumpkin, a perfect plumply dumply pumpkin" and "Helps his dad carve into place a simply dimply, dumply face."

For you teachers out there, this book provides plenty of pumpkin-themed examples of rhyming, alliteration, "juicy" word choice, synonyms, and antonyms.

Cute story, clever language, and colors that catch Maisy's eye: This one is a keeper!





Back to school means back to Sunday School and Wednesday night children's ministries as well.  Since I teach PreK-K Sunday School and K-2 Awana on Wednesdays, I thought I'd include a book with interesting game ideas for kids.

2. 180 Faith-Charged Games for Children's Ministry

One reason I like this book is the table of contents. The first 100ish games in the book are related to Bible stories, and the table of contents makes it super easy to see if what I'm teaching this week has a game to fit. In addition to the Bible story games, the book has icebreaker games, team-building Games, and more. Each game has an energy-meter, a Bible verse, brief discussion questions, and a list of the "power tools" needed for that game.

A word of caution: I don't have all of the "power tools" needed for all the games, and I doubt you do. Also, some of the games get pretty competitive for the little people I work with to be able to handle. That's where improvisation comes in. Switch up the power tools if you need to. Get rid of the competitive elements if you prefer. Make it work for you. Regardless, this book is a nice starting point for finding activities to go along with your message.

The Music of Babies

A faint, racing heartbeat.

The first sound I heard from my baby was nothing short of miraculous. A matter of weeks after I held the positive pregnancy test heralding newly created life, I heard the life-changing music of my baby's tiny beating heart. I marched to the drumbeat of that first sound for months while I waited for the next song.

Months later, after hours of shocking contractions and desperate pushing, I heard the most beautiful, relief-filled, pain-erasing notes. I heard my brand new baby, out in the big world, crying loudly: "I'm here! I'm yours! Cuddle me! Feed me! Love me!" And I did. I wrapped my arms around her as she wailed, and I communicated silently back: "I'm here. I'm yours. I'll always love you."

The first night, in spite of being awake for over two days, my husband and I stayed awake listening to the music of our baby. We were held captive by every sigh, every suck, every whimper. Her hiccups had us whispering to each other across the dark hospital room: "She's so sweet. She's so perfect." 

Over the first two months, she spoke to us in grunts and dolphin noises. Grunting may not sound very musical, but to me it was. My baby's grunts were at once funny and beautiful. They murmured: "I'm here. I'm yours. Cuddle me, feed me, love me." And I did.

In no time, the grunting ceased, and my baby began to coo. Cooing meant contentment, and she was a very contented baby. The little vowel sounds never ceased to make me smile. 

Quickly, it seemed, the vowels attached to consonants, and my daughter began to speak the babbling language of babies. Her cries began with an adorable "Boooo-waaaaaa" that, accompanied by an amazing pouty lip, had me hiding a smile as I comforted her baby woes. Around this time, she looked me in the eye and chattered, and I chattered back. She woke us early in the morning as she lay in bed, chatting happily to the stars and moon that hung above her crib. She was truly the world's cutest alarm clock.

Along with the babbling stream of ma's and ba's and ga's came other sounds. She pushed air out of her lips to make little raspberry noises. Scritching and scratching became common sounds in our home as she discovered the interesting textures all around her.

One early morning at the family cabin she woke us up with "THUMP -rattlerattlerattle... THUMP -rattlerattlerattle." She was having a grand time kicking the hollow-sounding bottom of the Pack-n-Play and hearing her baby doll rattle away in response. (When my husband took the doll away, she communicated with a truly pitiful "Booooo-waaaaa" that she didn't appreciate having Daddy stop the fun just because it was 5 in the morning. Daddy gave the dolly back.)

And she laughed. The first time she laughed, her daddy was holding her while I danced a ridiculous version of the Hokey Pokey. My older brother got a bigger laugh when he spoke to her with his high-pitched chipmunky baby voice. One quick laugh turned into a giggle. Giggles turned into belly laughs. Belly laughs became squeals of delight. Baby laughter is the sweetest music. 

I know what's coming, and I look forward to it greedily. I watch and listen for her mamamama's to become that first crystal-clear, no-doubt-about-it Mama. I can only imagine the flow of words that will follow. Soon enough, too, she'll be off the floor, pattering around the house in barefoot beats of percussion.

Baby music fills our house from the first happy babbles of awake to the soft rhythmic breathing of asleep. It ripples around our house, singing: "I'm here! I'm yours! Cuddle me, feed me, love me!" And we do.

Friday Faves: Just the Essentials

This week, I've decided just to focus on baby essentials.  Keep in mind that I am not Consumer Reports (though I am an e-subscriber) and I haven't necessarily tried every option.  With that said, these are some of the essentials that worked for me.

Essential Disposable Diaper: Huggies Snug & Dry

Now, you should know that Maisy is a blowout baby.  When she was a peanut, I did loads and loads of laundry a day just keeping up with the onesies she blew threw.  I wouldn't even throw in a load of laundry in the morning - I'd just wait for the first blowout and take care of it then.  Blowouts decreased in frequency after Maisy began eating more solid foods, but they still happen occasionally (and are waaaay yuckier than before!!!).  

Anyway... as you might guess, finding the right diaper was important to us.

For the first few months, we were a Pampers Swaddlers kind of family.  We didn't like the Huggies Little Snugglers, so we stuck with the Pampers through Newborn, Size 1, and a very short-lived (holy growth spurt!!!) Size 2.  Then, we went on a diaper quest.  We tried Pampers Cruisers, Huggies Little Movers, Pampers Baby Dry, Luvs, the Target brand, the Walmart brand, and on, and on.  Well, not really.  That's pretty much all we tried.  Some diapers leaked #1.  They all leaked #2.

The best, by far, has been Huggies Snug & Dry.  It's the only diaper I've found with elastic in the back.  Elastic in the back is key with a blowout baby.  I'm not saying we're blowout-free, but it's a definite improvement.  

The other benefit to Snug & Dry diapers?  I have never failed to find a $3 off coupon at Target.com, coupons.com, etc.  So they're a pretty good deal, too!

Essential Swaddling Blanket - Newborn: Carter's Receiving Blankets

When we put Maisy down to sleep, we frequently swaddle her below her arms.  When she was itsy bitsy, we ALWAYS swaddled her before putting her down at night.  For one thing, it was February and chilly.  For another, she was so tiny she just seemed to need a little extra bundling at first.  When she had her fussy week (week 7), swaddling helped her to calm down, too.  

Our favorite swaddling blankets at first were these from Carter's.  They were thin, easily washable, and small enough that they were easy to put in the diaper bag if we wanted.  I still like these blankets because of how easy they are to transport.  If we're going somewhere and I think it might get chilly later, I toss one of these in the bag and go.  

Essential Swaddling Blanket - Bigger Baby: Koala Baby Thermal Blankets

Since Maisy's grown bigger, my favorite blanket for swaddling her has changed, too.  Now, I love these stretchy thermal blankets from Koala Baby.  They're big and stretchy enough to still tuck all around her to help keep her warm and cozied in.  

As a bonus, they made super cute backgrounds for picture taking, too.

Essential Pacifier: The Gerber Nuk

Nothing fancy about these classic Nuks.  Maisy started using a pacifier to fall asleep and soothe herself when she was still teeny tiny.  Now that she's older and grabbier, her Nuks have basically become toys to pop out of her mouth.  They only work as distractions now, and her thumb has become the ultimate soothe-myself-to-sleep tool. In the early months, though, the Nuk was king.  Maisy didn't need anything fancy.  The classic latex Nuks always worked best.

Essential Onesies: Carter's Bodysuits

Besides having the cutest patterns, Carter's onesies were my favorite.  For a fussy time, the ones with snaps in the front were best, because nothing had to go over the head of a crying infant.  For day-to-day use, though, the Carter's bodysuits suited us well. They seemed sized more accurately too.  For the record?  Gerber's onesies run waaaay small.  

I had a few more ideas in mind, but Maisy wants some attention now.  So long!

Quick Update #1

I'm heading out of town in an hour and I haven't packed.

Maisy's second tooth made an appearance yesterday and made her VERY fussy this morning, so I'm nervous about our solo 5-hour journey to my parents' house.

Maisy had a Baby Sprinkles Splish Splash Pool Party Bash on Tuesday (also her 7-month birthday) and it as AWESOME!  Her little buddy came over and splashed around with her.  Maisy played happily in the pool for seriously about an hour, and she probably could have gone longer too.

I waited all summer for that pool to go on clearance at Target, and it was so worth it.







No Friday Faves this week because I feel too rushed, yet compelled to post something.  If you miss it, think of my endorsement of that adorable little pool as this week's issue.

I've been wrapping up summer tutoring this week and I'm hoping that my next wave of clients is just around the corner.  I really enjoyed tutoring, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my ACT test-takers do on the test next Saturday.

My brother Jef (he insists on spelling it with one f) is the latest of my family members to begin a blog.  It's called Toilet Runner, probably because he loves to run, but he can never run too far from a toilet.  Love it.  My sister Jen has a Runner Mom blog now - she is Supermom to four adorable kiddos - and the quotes from her little ones are hilariously spot on.

I really shouldn't let Maisy nap too much longer if I want her to sleep in the car.  Sigh.  I'd better get packing.

"Friday" Faves: Books in Pairs

This week, I've picked a few different pairs of books to review - some are related to babies, some to mommies, and some to tutoring.

Books #1 & #2: Top 50 Skills for a Top Score - ACT English, Reading, and Science and Top 50 Skills for a Top Score - ACT Math

I don't necessarily use these books cover-to-cover for my tutoring clients, but I have found them to be worthy supplementary resources. They could be used a number of ways. The pretests contain one question for each skill introduced in the book. This is one quick method of pinpointing skill gaps. Often I cover the same skills when I teach subject-specific strategies and skills using the more all-inclusive materials from KAPLAN or Princeton Review. However, the specificity of the practice questions in these books are helpful for grasping single topics. 

Because of the student-friendly tone of the writing, I find that the skill pages make good homework assignments. Author Brian Leaf teaches each skill by giving a written 

                                   overview, explaining the corresponding question from the pretest, and then providing 

several ACT-format questions of varying difficulties. This can be especially helpful for math because often KAPLAN or Princeton Review will cover many skills without providing questions for immediate practice.

Actually, my favorite subject area covered in the Top 50 Skills books is the one that is not listed in the titles: Writing. Brian Leaf has made several exercises for the skills needed on the optional writing test, including one for creating an outline, writing an introduction, proofreading, etc. Each exercise expects the student to expand on two different ACT-style writing prompts using the writing skills he introduces.

All in all, these two books provide solid advice and ample skill-specific practice. I wouldn't necessarily use the books on their own, but I like them as supplements to my ACT prep instruction.

Books #3 & #4: Baby Faces & I Love Colors by Margaret Miller 

Maisy loves looking at these two books by Margaret Miller. The big bright baby faces have her looking, smiling, and reaching as soon as I turn a page. The words are simple and baby-friendly. It's fun to point out colors, facial expressions, and body parts ("Nose! Here's Maisy's nose!"). 

Oh, and the babies are cute, too. 

(Though not as cute as mine!)

Books #5 & #6: From Conception to Birth and The Happiest Baby on the Block

I wanted to pick two books that I read when I was pregnant with Maisy. What to Expect When You're Expecting was just too obvious of a choice, even though I did refer to it frequently. The best parts are the fruit comparisons ("it's an apple seed! now it's an orange seed! a banana! a cantaloupe! yikes!"). Anyway, I thought I'd pick two that are a bit less commonplace.

Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, talked about different theories of colic, then went on to explain his theory of a newborn baby's needs in terms of a missing fourth trimester. Basically, he said that brand new babies like it when you mimic the conditions of the womb. 

Karp describes the 5 "S's" - Swaddling, Side/Stomach, Shhhh, Swinging, and Sucking - and how to put them together as a "cure" for colic. Now, I can't claim that Maisy was a colicky baby, but she did go through her own version of peak fussiness around 7 or 8 weeks. (There's a cool line graph in the book that shows the average number of hours that newborns spend crying per day.) I can honestly say that when Maisy got on a crying jag, it was often the "S's" that could soothe her again. 

"Cure" may be a strong word, but this book and its 5 "S's" are worth a look.

From Conception to Birth was just plain cool. Week by week, Rick and I were amazed by these awesome images of fetal development. We couldn't believe all of the organs and systems that come into place at such an early stage. This book is proof, in words and pictures, that babies are miraculous. 

Simply awesome - moms and dads-to-be, check this one out!

Randomness: One Quick Question

A quick question for you moms out there: Do you feel a sort of sadness when it's time to put away one size of baby clothes and pull out the next?  

A Week of Baby Book Moments

What a week for Maisy!  I don't think she's had so many "firsts" occur in one week since the day she was born!

Maisy's First Wave

Last Wednesday, we were in the middle of a 9-day vacation that started with a night at the North Shore and continued at my family's lake cabin near Bemidji.  Maisy was a little sparkler all week long - smiling, giggling, squealing, babbling, and otherwise dazzling my parents and grandparents (and Rick and I are not immune to her charms either).

That Wednesday, Maisy went with my mom, grandma, and me to Summerhill Farms, a collection of cute shops with a yummy cafe.  We were eating lunch, Maisy in a borrowed high chair, when a tour bus pulled up and dozens of seniors made their way down the hill towards the patio where we sat.  Clearly, Maisy thought that the tourists had arrived for the sole purpose of smiling at her, so she beamed at all of them as they went by, flapping her arms excitedly.  But that wasn't her first wave.

A family with two cutie pie kiddos had settled in at a table across the way from us, and Maisy caught their eye.  The girl peekabooed like crazy, the boy giggled, and their mom waved... and Maisy waved back!  Really!  It was a whole arm wave, a definite eye-contact, grinning arm flap that could only be interpreted as a 6-month-old's wave.  Soooo adorable.  A baby book moment for sure.

Maisy Makes a Splash

A picture is worth a thousand words, so as soon as my mom sends me a picture of Maisy swimming in the lake in her bright pink, inflatable Sunshade Buggy, I'll post it.  Maisy had seen it before, and even floated in it briefly over the 4th, but she was pretty confused about what was all going on.  This time, as soon as her daddy started blowing it up, she got SUPER excited, literally squealing with delight.  

The water was chilly for most of the week, so she played in it on the floor and on the dock (supervised, of course).  She thought it was one awesome on-shore toy.  The baby boat only got launched on Saturday when the water finally warmed up to a comfortable temp.  I'm happy to report that she's a water baby - she smiled, she splashed, and she kicked her little feet in the water.  Next up, the Snoopy skis!

Maisy Rolls Over

All week long, while vacationing, my family and I could tell that Maisy was getting so much closer to rolling over.  Of course, she waited until Sunday when we had been home for all of 20 minutes to put on a show.  Thanks, Maisy, for rolling over for the first time (twice!) when both Daddy and I could watch you!  (And sorry for spooking you with our excited cheering!)

Maisy Discovers That Cheerios are Food

Rick and I had fed Maisy a Cheerio or two in the past just to see what she'd do with them (she reluctantly made a chewing motion, but mostly seemed very confused).  For a while, I think she just thought Cheerios were fun little toys.  She would chase them around her tray, picking them up, inspecting them, and eventually dropping them in her lap.  Sure, she would put everything else in her mouth EXCEPT the Cheerio.  

Then, on Monday, she took a Cheerio, brought it up to her lips, and popped her thumb in (Cheerio falls into lap).  Repeat - pick up O, bring to lips, pop goes the thumb, no O.  Again.  Then, miracle of miracles, she brought that tasty little O up to her lips and popped it in - victory for Maisy!  Now she's already a Cheerio eating champ.  She seems to like this new finger food business, but I must say that I think our pup Houdini loves it even more.   

Maisy Cuts a Tooth

It's just a sharp little white nothing protruding from Maisy's lower gums, but I know what it is: Maisy's first tooth, at last!  Her buddy down the street (just 7 hours older) has four already, and now Maisy has one itsy bitsy pearly white.  I know I am one lucky mommy, because she has just been as sparkly and happy as can be in spite of the teething that has apparently been going on behind the scenes.  

Between the waving, the splashing, the rolling, the Cheering, the teething, and some mighty intense babbling, I have to say that almost-7-months is a pretty exciting time to be a baby.

Friday Faves: Three Sparkly Picks

Sparkly Pick #1: Twinkle, Twinkle!

Amazing Baby's Twinkle Twinkle! is one of Maisy's favorite books right now. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" is one of several songs she loves listening to me sing. The song is made even better with the giant sparkly stars found in this book. 

The bold patterns and eye-catching stars spark Maisy's interest and have her leaning in to feel for herself. Maisy's favorite picture to pat is the smiling, round baby face on the last page of the book. A fun way to sing a familiar tune to your little one!

Sparkly Pick #2: Clorox Toilet Wand Kit

In my very first post I mention the guilt I feel for being a stay-at-home mom whose bathrooms do not sparkle at all times. I'm not going to go so far as to say this product was life-changing or that I now have the world's sparkliest bathrooms, but I will say that the Clorox Toilet Wand Kit makes me hate cleaning the bathrooms just a little bit less. 

The worst part of cleaning the bathrooms for me has always been cleaning the toilet with that same toilet brush I'd used over and over again. I'm sure there will be plenty of Green People who disagree with me out of principle, but I really appreciate being able to use the disposable wand head during one cleaning session and toss it out. Simple and convenient, even if it is a little silly, and it may indeed lead to more sparkly bathrooms in my future.

Sparkly Pick #3: SparkNotes.com

For a free student (and teacher) resource, SparkNotes.com really does shine. From "Anne of Green Gables" to "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," SparkNotes will hook you up with study guides that include everything from plot, characters, and themes to study questions and quizzes.

In addition to the study guides that you may already be familiar with, SparkNotes.com has practical advice for students, flashcards for ACT/SAT test prep, and No Fear Shakespeare. No Fear Shakespeare is cool in that it places classic Shakespearean works side-by-side with the Modern English translation. It's ideal for those who want to get the real Shakespeare experience but struggle with "getting it."

I'm not endorsing shortcuts here. I believe it's important to do the reading (most of the time). I just think that this website has an impressive array of imformation to help prepare you in advance and delve a bit deeper when you've finished. And it's so much more than brief summaries of a few classic books!

Great 8: Shakespeare a la Baby

If Shakespeare decided to chronicle our experiences as brand-new parents, his works might sound something like this:

8. Love's Labour's Last-too-long

7. Twelfth-time-up-to-Night

6. Julius Sneezer: A royal baby's first cold

5. The Comedy of Errors

4. Much Ado about Napping

3. To Binky or Not to Binky

2. Taming of the Chew

And, of course...

1. Osmello

'Fraidy Cat

Maisy's closing in on 6 and a half months old, and she still doesn't roll over. This isn't anything I lose sleep over. I know all babies are different. Maisy supported her head from a super early age; she can pick up a Cheerio with a pincer grasp; she's been imitating sounds and facial expressions since she was 4 months old; and she's been sitting since right before 5 months. So she doesn't roll over? Big deal.

Here's my theory about the rolling: She's a 'fraidy cat. Or should I say 'fraidy kitty? I have some evidence to back this up. First, though, here are a few reasons I've ruled out:

Ruled-Out Reason #1: Not enough tummy time
Like many babies who sleep on their backs, Maisy wasn't a huge fan of tummy time. We were persistent, though. We started early. We figured out the times of day that work best. We let her fuss a little as long as she wasn't all-out crying. We let her be when she was content. We gave her a variety of toys, mirrors, colorful blankets. We got down on her level. Really, we did tummy time.

The result was a baby who could do an awesome, long-lasting, straight-armed push-up since four months. However, she hated the feeling of flailing around on her tummy "swimming" with her arms and legs. She'll do a little more of that now, reaching after toys and using a leg for leverage, but mostly she's just a push-up rock star.

Ruled-Out Reason #2: She's not strong enough
This is like reason #1. And like I said above, she has some seriously great upper body and back strength. It's just that she doesn't let herself go. If she gets tired of her everlasting push-up, she carefully lets herself down. When she's ready, she pops back up again. Plenty strong.

Ruled-Out Reason #3: She's not motivated enough
Okay, I can't completely rule this one out. Maisy is a pretty contented baby, so sometimes on her tummy she'll just chill out or suck her thumb happily. But she likes playing with toys, and she reaches for them when she sits, when she's in her exersaucer, when she's in her car seat. And finally, more frequently now, on her tummy.

Evidence for a 'Fraidy Kitty
This morning, Maisy was happily and noisily sitting up and playing with some toys. I was washing dishes nearby. Apparently, she decided she wanted her little lion rattle toy which was just out of reach. Bam! Baby down! (Flat on her face.) And baby screaming! I swooped her into my lap and calmed her down.

Soon, I tried to tempt her with the lion rattle again. She really seemed to want that toy, but just the sight of it set her to sniffling again. Finally, she cautiously reached for it - and pulled back. Reach - pull back. Reach - pull back. When she felt safe enough, she reached for it and got it, happily shaking it. When she dropped it, I attempted to tempt her again, but no such luck. It was just too scary. My little cry-baby-'fraidy-kitty would not go after that mean old lion again.

This isn't the first time Maisy has landed sprawled out when reaching for a toy from a seated position. (It's really pretty funny, even though she rarely thinks so.) What I've noticed is that she does it less and less, in part because she's a bit more coordinated. Mostly, though, I think she's learned from her mistakes and figured out what her limit is. She just figures, "Whatever, Toy, I don't need you," and moves on to a different form of entertainment.

I think I have a cautious baby. She definitely doesn't get that from Daddy. And you know what? I'm okay with having a little 'fraidy kitty. Fewer ER visits are fine by me. As for the rolling, she'll roll if she needs to, and I don't doubt that she'll crawl, walk, and run eventually anyway. Probably not too much climbing, though, but I guess time will tell.

Friday Faves: Two Books, a Bear, and a Boppy

I know that it's Saturday, but if I promise to usually post my reviews on Fridays can I get away with calling these Friday Faves today?  It has a much better ring to it than Saturday Faves.  My goal - we'll see how it works out - is to post a few reviews of my favorite things on Fridays.  I'll tell you what works right now and why I think it's working.  I'll try to intermix the mommy stuff with the tutor stuff.  This week I review two books, a bear, and a Boppy.

Two Books

The first book, Baby Loves Peekaboo, is a Maisy must-have right now.  The pages are filled with babies (and babies love looking at babies) and stuffed animals, so there are plenty of fun pictures to point out and have Maisy shake her little fist at.  Each page has a "touch-and-feel" picture, so my 6-month-old enjoys rubbing her fingers over the different textures.

By far the best part of this book, though, are the big flaps that open to the right.  They're sturdy enough that they won't get torn too easily and big enough that Maisy can wrap her right hand around the flap and flip it open and closed, open and closed, open and closed, just listening for my "peekaboo!"  Maisy loves it because of all the colors, textures, and flaps; I love it because it seems like she really gets it (and that's so cool).


The next book, KAPLAN ACT: Strategies, Practice, and Review, is one of the guides I refer to most when preparing students for the ACT.  One of the top reasons I like this particular guide is because of the KAPLAN strategies.  They make so much sense!  From how to use a triage approach to how to fill in the answer grid, this book is filled with practical strategies for the test as a whole and for specific subjects.  The subject-specific strategies give students a structured way to approach each test question to maximize their chances of getting a higher score.

Aside from the strategies that make this guide stand out, the KAPLAN book includes skill refreshers, practice tests with detailed explanations, and a section that outlines what to do on the nights leading up to Test Day.  It's not perfect.  I have stumbled on a couple of errors.  Yet, as a whole, this is a good book to use when preparing students for the ACT.


A Bear
Meet Pancake Bear - at least that's what we call him.  My brother is responsible for the silly name, but it has stuck.  This is Maisy's little sleep buddy right now.  She holds the soft little bear in the crook of her left arm, pops her right thumb into her mouth, and she's off to dreamland.  It seems like the perfect size for Maisy's six-month self.  Big enough to clutch, but little enough for a good baby grip.  It's soft, it's cute, and it has the tags, because babies like tags, right?  


Of course, the irony is that Maisy doesn't really care much about the cute blue textured tags.  She goes straight for the real deal.  No one's going to trick her into going after any fake tags!  What do I care? She likes her Pancake Bear and it helps her (and us!) get some sleep.




A Boppy
A Boppy is a mom's best friend, especially in the first few months of breastfeeding fun.    What I've discovered, though, is that the Boppy has actually become more useful as Maisy has gotten a little older.  I still frequently use it for nursing.  It's comfortable and it's supportive.  


My favorite use for it now, though, is as a baby-catcher.  Maisy's been sitting up since she was five months old.  She loves sitting up because she can interact with her toys so easily.  The Boppy fits right around her, so if she tips right, left, or backwards, this pillow cushions her fall.  It's easily portable and has a washable slipcover, so it really does make the ideal baby-catcher while Maisy's learning to support herself and explore her world sitting up.

NOTAS: A Note-taking Strategy

The Need for a Study Skills Tutor

When I first pictured myself as a private tutor, I imagined teaching Reading.  Writing.  Math.  ACT or SAT Test Prep.  Yet three out of my four first clients needed help with study skills and organization.  Unexpected, but I had training and resources on my side, so I got to work.

Study skills cover topics ranging from note-taking, test-taking, textbook comprehension, time management, organization of materials, and broadly "how to study."  For the purposes of this post, I'll focus on note-taking.  

Often students are just not taught how to take notes in school, or if they are, they are given a glossy overview.  Many mainstream resources say, "Here's one way to take notes.  Here's another.  And here's another.  Oh, and here's how to do a formal outline, too."  Some methods are too bulky to be practical.  Some resources describe the methods only briefly and don't provide sufficient details or practice opportunities to be useful.  

So, I dug through textbooks, research articles, and websites (especially college sites) to craft a strategy for taking notes.  I ended up with a strategy I called NOTAS (the Spanish word for notes).  

Based in Research

I'm a psychology major who just completed a Master's thesis in Learning Disabilities - I believe in research.  My goal was to find a note-taking strategy that was simple, useful, and had research to back it up.  When I didn't find any one method that seemed satisfactory, I went a different route.  I combined three research-based methods into my own strategy: NOTAS.  Here's the research base:

Self-Regulated Strategy Development

I did my thesis, in part, on Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), so it was a natural choice for me to use the SRSD approach in my tutoring practice.  It's flexible, it's research-based, and I've seen it work.

The SRSD model of strategy instruction is a structured approach to teaching a strategy that has a great deal of research supporting its effectiveness, particularly for students with learning disabilities or ADHD.  Dozens of articles have been published on the topic.  I like the book called Strategy Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities by Reid and Leinemann.  I may go in depth in a later post, but here's the basic sequence (from Reid and Leinemann, 2006):

Stage 1: Develop prerequisite skills and activate background knowledge
Stage 2: Discuss the strategy and "sell it"
Stage 3: Model the strategy using a "think aloud" process to demonstrate your thought process
Stage 4: Memorize the strategy
Stage 5: Support the strategy
Stage 6: Independent performance

Strategic Note-Taking

When I found this research article about the effectiveness of strategic note-taking (Boyle & Weishaar, 2001), I thought I was all set.  I could use the SRSD approach to teach strategic note-taking and just tweak the form a little bit.  Here's the strategic note-taking form I originally modified for use with my clients.

I've never actually used the form, however.  I decided I wanted to teach my clients how to take notes without the use of a specific form, with just a blank sheet of paper.  So, I decided to combine elements of Strategic Note-Taking with the well-known Cornell Method for taking notes to create a new strategy.

The Cornell Method

You're probably familiar with the Cornell Method of note-taking.  Create two columns on your paper: a narrow left column and a wide right column.  Write notes in the right column, then jot down questions, phrases, or words in the left column that correspond to the notes on the right.  Writing in the left column serves as a review and makes a great study guide for later on.  Some versions of the Cornell Method include space at the bottom to write a summary of the notes.

Putting it Together: NOTAS

My note-taking strategy uses the mnemonic device NOTAS to help students remember the steps while they are mastering the strategy.  The steps of the strategy are similar to steps outlined in the Strategic Note-taking model; however, instead of requiring students to use special paper, NOTAS has students set up their paper in two columns like the Cornell Method.  I also teach my students to leave space for a brief summary at the bottom.  I teach NOTAS using the stages of the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model.

Here are the steps of NOTAS:

Name, date, topic, number

Older information

Take notes

Ask questions

Summarize within 24 hours

Here I have a copy of a handout I made to introduce NOTAS.  I print it double-sided so that on one side students see the steps and on the other side they see how to set up their paper.  This handout is meant to be a teaching tool, not a crutch.  The SRSD model has a memorization step in which every student should memorize the steps and why they are there so that they can use the strategy automatically.

The information below describes each step.

Before note-taking begins

Name, date, topic, number

Just like it sounds, in this step students prepare to take notes by writing their name, date, the topic they are taking notes on, and the page number.  I encourage students to get into the habit of writing all of these steps in case their notes get out of order later.

Older information

This step is all about priming.  I tell students to think about or jot down something they know about the topic before they begin taking notes.  The purpose of this step is to get their brains "warmed up."  I explain to my students that their brains will be better able to store and recall information if they can link it to something they already know about the topic.

During note-taking

Take notes

During the lecture or video, students take notes in the right column.  I encourage students to use note-taking shortcuts (like the ones we practiced) and an informal outline when they take notes.  I don't expect any amazing formal outlines here.  My goal is for the students to get information down, not waste resources on trying to recall how to outline.  An informal outline simply uses space, indentations, and symbols to separate main points from details and set ideas apart from one another.

After note-taking - WITHIN 24 HOURS

Ask questions

This is the step when students fill in the left column.  My students go through the right column of their notes and come up with questions that coincide with information in their notes.  At first, I may have them write out an entire question such as, "What was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life like growing up?"  Quickly, though, I aim to have my students shift to using shortcuts and phrases such as, "MLK, Jr.'s early life?"  I want students to get into the habit of doing this step, and I don't want them to get discouraged because they feel like it takes too long.  This step is critical.  Not only does it require students to revisit what they have learned shortly after class, but also it provides students with a study guide they can use for later review.

Summarize within 24 hours

For some students, I skip this step entirely.  For others, I introduce it and have them practice it for awhile, then decide to have them skip it.  For still others, this is an important step of the process.  Basically, I ask students to summarize in just two or three sentences what they have learned.  This should be "big picture" stuff, not details.  The idea is that students who understand the big picture have a better framework in which to learn the details.  

With that said, for some students this step (however short) may just seem too time-consuming and may discourage them from using this strategy altogether.  If I believe this to be the case, I give that student an "out" in hopes that they continue to use the note-taking strategy.  

Why Within 24 Hours?

I emphasize that students should write the questions/phrases and the summary within 24 hours of taking the notes to try to offset the memory loss that naturally occurs in learning and prevent them from having to relearn material later.

Developing Prerequisite Skills

The first step of the SRSD model requires teachers to ensure that students have the prerequisite skills they need.  Some of the prerequisite skills for the NOTAS strategy include:  Deciding what belongs in the notes, distinguishing main ideas and details, knowing and using note-taking shortcuts and abbreviations, making an informal outline, grouping information (for the Ask Questions step), and summarizing.  

Deciding what belongs in the notes and distinguishing main ideas and details should be discussed and practiced if needed, but these skills will be practiced on an ongoing basis as well.  I use this form to introduce and practice note-taking shortcuts.  I teach how to make an informal outline.  I use a skeleton copy of a notes sheet (just the right column filled in) to have students practice grouping information, asking questions, and summarizing.  If students can't do these prerequisite skills, the NOTAS strategy will not be useful, so assess these skills first before diving in.

Resources for Modeling, Supporting the Strategy, and Independent Practice

Since I generally tutor one-on-one, it would be ridiculous for me to stand up and lecture to one student so that they can practice taking notes.  However, it would be equally ridiculous if I didn't model how to do it or give them practice opportunities.  

The resources I use for modeling and practice are Teacher Tube and BrainPOP. BrainPOP is my favorite because it has short informational videos about a wide variety of topics.  BrainPOP also has quizzes and activities for each video, so if students are learning a test-taking strategy as well, or if you just want to assess how well they are learning the information, you don't need to create your own tests.  Rarely, a student may view BrainPOP as too "babyish" because it is animated.  I think it is plenty challenging for note-taking, and I almost always learn something new, but keep Teacher Tube in mind for students who are opposed to animation.  

Real Life

Finally, if school is in session, the student should move from practicing using BrainPOP or Teacher Tube to actually taking classroom notes.  Assign students to take notes in their real classes at school and bring them to tutoring sessions so that you can go over them together.  Remember that your goal is to teach your client to take notes in real life, not just in a tutoring bubble.  You may need to hit certain skills again or to adjust the strategy to work for your client.

Good luck, have fun, and email me at tutormommy.blogspot@gmail.com with your own ideas or questions!