Dave has kindly taken Jessicat to Keynsham park, so I have an hour to myself with which to catch up with paperwork and update the blog. As Jess woke us at 3am last night (bad dream? too hot?), I am not feeling too sparky today, but I did want to update the blog to list the title of some of the books we are currently enjoying.
Ouch! I need a plaster! - Nick Sharratt. Jessicat enjoys the rollicking rhythm and likes to point to the appropriate part of the body that is injured as we turn the pages.
What's in the parcel Postman Pat? -Author not identified. Since I learnt that the National Literacy Trust use Postman Pat in some of their teaching/materials, I'm a lot keener. And reading the books and watching the TV programmes with Jessicat, I can see that they do spark off a lot of discussion about everyday objects and routines.
Is It Bedtime Wibbly Pig? - Mick Inkpen.
Lulu Loves the Library - Anna McQuinn. Sweet little story about a young girl's enjoyment of a trip to the library and the cafe with her mummy; just the right amount of detail for Jess to savour at the moment.
Say Hello to the Snowy Animals - Ian Whybrow. Jess enjoys this book, but not as much as the Wobble Bear series.
Elephant and the Bad Baby - Elfrida Vipont. A longer story than Jessicat is used to, but it seems to hold her concentration (whilst she is eating anyway). And given that we are at the stage of saying "what's the magic word?", it seems strangely apt.
Polly's Puffin - Sarah Garland. At first glance, her pictures can seem a bit wishy-washy and too vague to appeal to a toddler. But they are great; Jess loves to identify the detail and there is something very human in the way Sarah Garland depicts exasperated, tired parents and excited children. Always reminds me of the last picture of The Baby's Catalogue by the Ahlbergs.
Emergency Vehicles - Felicity Brooks. A winning combination of flaps to lift and detailed pictures of ambulances etc.
Harry Goes to Bed - Lydia Monks.
Tomorrow is our third wedding anniversary! We are hoping to fit in a meal at Cafe Rouge and a trip to the cinema. I can't wait!
Monday 25 August 2008
Saturday 9 August 2008
Some bargains...
Managed to pick up a couple of excellent paper back picture books for Jessicat this morning, from Asda, at the unbelievable price of £1 each. They are:
Not So Loud, Oliver - Tony Maddox. A very sweet little story, with nice illustrations, and lots of animals to identify in each picture. One caveat - the storyline bears a striking resemblance to Cock a Moo Moo by Juliet Dallas-Conte.
Flora's Blanket - Debi Gliori. A writer/illustrator that we are familiar with and enjoy very much.
A day of never-ending rain put paid to our hopes of attending the Balloon Fiesta. Instead, we mooched around supermarkets (terrible if you need to do a shop and control Jess; lots of fun if you can follow her as she runs around, aiming for the toys, magazines and the flowers) and had a day of playing indoors - doing crayons, stickers, imaginative role play etc. I surprised myself by really getting into the spirit of it and enjoying myself.
Not So Loud, Oliver - Tony Maddox. A very sweet little story, with nice illustrations, and lots of animals to identify in each picture. One caveat - the storyline bears a striking resemblance to Cock a Moo Moo by Juliet Dallas-Conte.
Flora's Blanket - Debi Gliori. A writer/illustrator that we are familiar with and enjoy very much.
A day of never-ending rain put paid to our hopes of attending the Balloon Fiesta. Instead, we mooched around supermarkets (terrible if you need to do a shop and control Jess; lots of fun if you can follow her as she runs around, aiming for the toys, magazines and the flowers) and had a day of playing indoors - doing crayons, stickers, imaginative role play etc. I surprised myself by really getting into the spirit of it and enjoying myself.
Monday 4 August 2008
Saturday 2 August 2008
Lots of frustrations and lots of joys
The heading just about sums up our experiences of being parents at the moment. It is tiring and frustrating sometimes coping with Jessicat's oppositional behaviour. I do get annoyed with her constantly throwing her cup of juice onto the floor, running in the opposite direction from the way we want to go, and screaming if she does not get her own way. But, strangely, we are having the best times ever together as well. Her responsiveness to and enthusiasm about the world around her are infectious. She makes connections and I have to be constantly on my toes trying to work out what she means. For example, when she sees a picture of a windmill, she often shouts "Teletubbies" (one of her favourite programmes that just happens to feature a windmill in its title sequence. D'oh!)
Books featuring other toddlers or children going about their normal, day to day activities continue to be popular. Jess is really enjoying the Tom and Pippo series (Helen Oxenbury), which feature the perfect amount of text per page for her taste, and very simple storylines around subjects such as going out for a walk, or asking your parents to read to you. No gimmicks, no flaps, no noises, just lovely pictures and a simple narrative to share. Jessicat is also enjoying a Wobble Bear book (and loves to call out "yellow" when prompted), and adores looking at her Usborne Look and Say books. So, we have lots of reading sessions together throughout the day; from first thing in the morning snuggled up in the bed together and chanting nursery rhymes to last thing at night with a cup of milk. Magic.
Jessicat loves:
watching Peppa Pig on TV
Pinching crisps and chocolates from her parents
Playing seasides and shops in the back garden
Stickers
Being tickled and "rough play"
Going to the park
Stroking cats
Picking flowers
Jessicat hates:
the big bath (scared by the transition from baby bath to normal bath; we are hoping a non-slip mat and some bath crayons do the trick)
Thunder
Doing as she's told(!)
Strange people coming up close and saying hello to her
Books featuring other toddlers or children going about their normal, day to day activities continue to be popular. Jess is really enjoying the Tom and Pippo series (Helen Oxenbury), which feature the perfect amount of text per page for her taste, and very simple storylines around subjects such as going out for a walk, or asking your parents to read to you. No gimmicks, no flaps, no noises, just lovely pictures and a simple narrative to share. Jessicat is also enjoying a Wobble Bear book (and loves to call out "yellow" when prompted), and adores looking at her Usborne Look and Say books. So, we have lots of reading sessions together throughout the day; from first thing in the morning snuggled up in the bed together and chanting nursery rhymes to last thing at night with a cup of milk. Magic.
Jessicat loves:
watching Peppa Pig on TV
Pinching crisps and chocolates from her parents
Playing seasides and shops in the back garden
Stickers
Being tickled and "rough play"
Going to the park
Stroking cats
Picking flowers
Jessicat hates:
the big bath (scared by the transition from baby bath to normal bath; we are hoping a non-slip mat and some bath crayons do the trick)
Thunder
Doing as she's told(!)
Strange people coming up close and saying hello to her
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