"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.