Winter reading: for the littles

We missed our visit to celebrate Solstice with our DC friends last week thanks to a nasty last-minute cold that swept through our household (and infected most of our extended family -- sorry, guys). Luckily, we were feeling much better by Christmas and had a blast at home (and we hope that you did, too.)

We did manage to celebrate the longest night of the year with a roaring fire and some winter-themed books. Here are a few of our favorites.

Northern Lullaby by Nancy White Carlstrom: This book was a random thrift store find and a fast favorite. It's one of the ones we come back to again and again year round but love especially to read by the fire on chilly nights. The illustrations of Native Alaskan imagery and the spare prose are haunting -- in the best way. We've read it so many times that I can recite most of the book from memory, and do, some nights, while putting Anouk to bed. "Goodnight, Sister Owl! Quiet your cry."

Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft: This book is perfect for the scientific-minded kid who wonders what different animals do during the long, cold months of winter. From butterflies, who migrate, to woodchucks, who hibernate, to bats, some of which hang around all year, this book features drawings of habitats and clear, concise answers to questions about how real animals live in the wild.

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt: Sort of a flip side to Animals in Winter, White Snow, Bright Snow tells of how different types of people -- postman, policeman, schoolchildren, farmer and his wife -- deal with an impending snowstorm. They get new boots, they stock up on cough syrup, and (because this book was originally published in the 1940s) they do old-fashioned-type things like mix up mustard plasters to ward off chest colds. The language is clear and vivid and descriptive: "Automobiles looked like big fat raisins buried in snowdrifts. Houses crouched together, their windows peeking out from under great white eyebrows." And I love the vintage illustrations of village life in winter. 

Trouble with Trolls by Jan Brett: A favorite from my own childhood -- my sister K. and I were obsessed with this book growing up. I think we love it so much because the heroine, Treva, doesn't need any help in outsmarting a band of mountain trolls to protect her dog, Tuffi -- she does it through a lot of quick thinking and hard work. Another reason might be the beautiful illustrations of the snowy Norwegian landscape and traditional clothing (K. visited Norway a week after A. was born and brought her back an authentic "Trouble with Trolls" dress -- she wore it in our Christmas card photo on the beach this year).

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats: A little boy named Peter steps out of his apartment building and spends the day exploring the snowy city streets. He finds a stick, makes snow tracks, and puts a snowball in his pocket to try to keep the fun from ending. The Snowy Day won the Caldecott medal in 1963, and has the honor of being one of the first childrens' books to feature an African-American child as the main character. (To read a little more about the story behind this groundbreaking book, click here).

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen: Another childhood favorite, about a girl and her father, who go off in search of a Great Horned Owl on a cold winter's night. Along the way they are watched by quiet animals -- deer, fox, fieldmouse -- moving through the dark woods. The enture story is illsutrated from an "owls-eye view" from above, a neat trick that helped Owl Moon win the 1988 Caldecott.

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Have you and your kids read any of these books? What did you think of them? Do you have any wintertime book recommendations you'd like to share? We are always on the lookout for new favorites.

From us to you

It took us four hours spread across three separate days to do our Christmas card photoshoot this year. And for all that, we ended up with a grand total of ONE shot in which the light was right, we were all looking at the camera, and nobody was crying. 

Still, I can't help being a little in love with some of our outtakes, so I'm posting them here.  Even though they aren't cardworthy, they still make me smile. Yes, even this shot of A.'s "missing-my-Santa-hat" meltdown of epic proportions: 

So for your viewing pleasure, I give you our perfectly imperfect Christmas. 

Merry Yule! And since we'll be out of town for Solstice celebrations this weekend and I probably won't have time to post again before the big day, Merry Christmas, too! Here's to a heap of those perfectly imperfect moments that always turn into the best kind of memories. 

Three last minute Christmas crafts (and a cookie recipe for good measure)

If you're like me (and you blithely declared you were going to hand-make all of your Christmas presents this year and are now feeling the burn of a deadline looming), you're looking for a few easy, low-maintenance kid-crafts to keep the wee ones occupied while you pull together those last few holiday loose ends.

Voila -- I give you three Christmas crafts that will keep even the littlest hands busy (and out of the way of grown-up projects). Bonus: they all look pretty festive around the house!

1. Baking soda clay ornaments




There are several recipes for baking soda clay floating around the internet; we used this one. Unbaked, the clay is a thick, playdough-esque consistency. Once it comes out of the oven, it is a beautiful matte white, and looks gorgeous painted or plain. We invited friends Z., A., and Miss Molly over to make ornaments with us and used cookie cutters to cut shapes, and rubber stamps and our imaginations to embellish them.

After we'd taken them out of the oven, our ornaments still needed to air-dry overnight, and so Anouk painted them with tempera paint the next day while I wrapped presents. We used a few of our favorites for gift tags, and the rest we hung on our tree, where I am sure to get misty-eyed at the sight of them for years to come.

2. Pinecone pom-pom trees

Anouk and I made these adorable trees when we visited Z., A., and Miss Molly at their house. Mini pom-poms + craft glue + pinecones = kitschy retro decor. We put the glue on paper plates for little fingers to dip the poms into and sat back to watch to see how each kid would interpret the idea of holiday decor. (Anouk's friend A. put one pom right at the top of each "tree" and that was it. So minimalist -- I love it!)

3. Cut-paper stars

These stars are a fun alternative to the traditional cut-paper snowflakes. They are also deceptively easy to make -- it only takes a few folds and one cut. Big kids can find instructions here (or a video tutorial here) and make a bunch on their own; I made a quick batch for Anne after breakfast yesterday morning and coloring them kept her entertained for a solid hour. Strung on a little bit of baker's twine, they make a festive homemade garland.

Aaaaaand, speaking of being in love with things, there's this Christmas cookie recipe, which produces the most perfect, easiest to handle/decorate sugar cookies on the planet. They lift up easily, they don't tear, they don't spread while baking, and they taste perfectly scrumptious. Highly recommended, if you've got cookie plans on the docket for this weekend.

T-minus five days...

Pocahontas Pancakes and Waffle Shop

Sunday, James suggested that we take a break from watching the news, from errand running and go out to brunch. It seemed like the perfect idea; a little break and some togetherness was just exactly what was needed. We headed down to the Oceanfront, to Pocahontas Pancakes, at the corner of 35th and Atlantic.

Pocahontas Pancakes is a little bit of a landmark. It's been around since the 1970s, and in 2002, the Food Network featured it in their "Best Of" series, naming it the best pancake house in Virginia Beach.  A conclusion that we definitely agree with after eating here.

From a kid-friendly standpoint, Pocahontas Pancakes is the perfect mix of food and atmosphere. It's cheery and bright and welcoming -- not to mention bustling enough that nobody seems to notice a happy toddler making a joyful noise over chocolate milk. But unlike a lot of kid-friendly joints, the food is good enough to satisfy even the most sophisticated and grown-up diners. Baby A. had a kid-sized serving of the signature pancakes, I ordered the famous pecan waffles, and J. (the contrarian) went for eggs. We shared bits from our plates with each other and agreed that everything was perfectly delicious.

It was a little rainy and overcast, but that didn't stop us from crossing the street to walk the boardwalk for a while after we left the pancake house. We stopped to visit the Virginia Beach police memorial, which put me in mind of a Mr. Rogers quote I've been saying over and over to myself a lot while watching the news this weekend:

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.

Here's to the helpers, and all of the caring people out there. Stay safe, everyone. x

Family Day at the Chrysler Museum

The Chrysler Museum will be closing its doors for renovations on Dec. 30th. Some museum exhibits will still be open to the public in other locations, but the museum itself won't open again until early 2014. As such, we wanted to be sure to take advantage of the last Second-Saturday Family Day because it's going to be a long time before we get the chance again. (I keep thinking about how A. will be almost three by the time the museum reopens and it blows my mind). On Saturday afternoon, we met up with friends in the gorgeously decorated Huber Court and decided to have one last hurrah.

The Chrysler has several family-friendly events throughout the month, but Family Day is our  favorite, hands down. There are crafts, music, and stories. As usual, admission to the museum is free (although donations are appreciated). It's a great bargain and wonderful resource for art lovers.

This Saturdays theme was Build It! Accordingly, we stopped by craft tables in the courtyard to build miniature houses and Sculpey snowmen. While we waited for Anouk's snowman to dry, we heard a few stories in one of the galleries, and then roamed around some of the exhibits, including the amazing Diamond Dust and Anouk's old favorite by Pinaree Sanpitak. This time, she wasn't a bit scared of the chiming stupas, but she did try to lay down and snooze on a few, thanks to missing her nap (will she even still be taking daily naps by the time the museum reopens?)

Of course we also stopped by the beautiful poinsettia tree for some holiday pictures. None of which were very blogworthy (see above: nap, missing), but would make perfect additions to awkwardfamilyphotos.com. You'll just have to trust me on this.

This storyteller was amazing...every single eye person in the room, kid and adult, was rapt.

People are always saying, when they hear we're from DC, that we must miss the wonderful museums in the city. But the truth is, we don't, so much, and the Chrysler is one of the big reasons why. It's a fabulous, carefully curated place with wonderful staff and we're going to miss it. Goodbye for now, Chrysler! Although we're excited to see you in all your glory when you reopen.

The Chrysler will be open Wednesday through Sunday through the end of the month, with a big sendoff party on Dec. 26th! More info about that here and other events here.

Holiday Train Show at Selden Arcade

Last week, J. and I took Anouk to the holiday train show at Selden Arcade and she's been "choo-choo"ing ever since. Is there a developmental milestone in the baby books that says all kids have to fall head over heels for trains?

You can check out our review of the show (and find more information!) over at My Active Child.

Children's Museum of Virginia

Ever since we moved to Hampton Roads, we've had people telling us that we simply have to visit the Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. You know how sometimes EVERYONE tells you you just have to do something and then you do and it's not awesome? Our visit to the Children's Museum last Sunday was the opposite of that.

In fact, there was SO much to see and do that we spent nearly three hours at the museum and didn't even make it to the second floor. Over an hour of that time was spent in the bubble room; another good chunk was devoted to the train room. Each exhibit was so enthralling to Baby A. that when it was time to move on to the next one, she had a meltdown of major proportions. (No! No! Fun! HELP ME!) It seems strange to have a tantruming toddler be an indicator of a good time, but you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Greatest hits from our visit? The bubble room, where J. spent a long time trying to perfect the art of the human-sized bubble, the toddler play area, where A. and I lounged in the nest with the big blue egg pillows, and the replica HRT bus, where we spun the steering wheel and joined a crowd in as many refrains of the "Wheels on the Bus" as we could think of. There were no misses.

Anouk was so sorry to leave that I was afraid we were going to be arrested for kidnapping on our way out.

Yeah. It's that awesome.

Right now the Children's Museum, Porstmouth Art and Cultural Center, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum are offering a Winter Wonderland Holiday Pass: $12 admission to all three sites, valid through December 31. It's an amazing deal and one we made sure to take advantage of! More details here.