Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle
Brown Bear Brown Bear ... again!
Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle has become a firm favourite in our household over the last few weeks. The babies, aged six months, love the words and looking at the brightly coloured pictures. They are engrossed in the story from start to finish, sometimes looking at the pages but often looking at me as I say the words. It is a wonderful experience sharing this book together over and over again. We have enjoyed this story so many times that we actually no longer need the book and recite the text at any time, in any place and for any occasion. Twice through it is the perfect length for a complicated nappy change and once through is enough to calm and sooth the most tired and tearful of babies. Here in the Nairn Henley household, we love this book!
It can be used to learn the names of simple animals, for counting all the animals that have been seen. It can be used to learn animal noises and the colours of the rainbow too. We often complement the text by singing I Can Sing A Rainbow afterwards. Esther tries really hard to join in the singing which is just sooo cute!
I really recommend this book as a first try if you are not confident at reading aloud. The text has an easy rhythm and lends itself to being read aloud. The babies soon learn the rhythm of the text and the intonation of my voice. They can almost anticipate what is coming next and always giggle in the same places though I know they do not recognise the actual words.
A final tip that makes the enjoyment of this story even greater for my two is that instead of seeing just children at the end our monkey specifically sees Esther and William, and they love hearing their names in the text.
I hope that you will try out this book for yourself if you have little ones like mine, I am certain that they will love it and you will find many uses for many ages so that it can be enjoyed time and time again.
This link will take you to a video where you can hear me reciting the text to William and singing a rainbow with Esther.
Today I subscribed to a new blog and on it I found an inspirational post that filled me with emotion. I hope that you like it too and if you do why not visit SkyBlueSea for yourself and tell her about it.
Positive Friends
My friend Mary is an amazing bubbling force of energy. Occasionally she will e-mail me stuff like this.
Today waiting in my inbox was this, and it just made me smile. Sorry I don’t know where it originated, but I hope it inspires.
“Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.
Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.
And, there on television, she said it was “exciting.”
Regarding body changes, she said there were many,occurring every day…like her breasts.
They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.
The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words! Maya Angelou said this:
“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”
“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
“I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.”
“I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as “making a life.”
“I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.”
“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.”
“I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.”
“I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.”
“I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a
friendly pat on the back.”
“I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never
forget how you made them feel.”
Another gem from the Sticky Fingers Gallery archive – Seasons. I have chosen to focus on Winter and to do so through a lesson that I have taught to all my classes through the years on colur mixing and silhouettes. This winter art lesson encourages children to really look at the shapes and the colours in the world around them.
If you are a Mummy or Daddy of twins, please read this post and if you can, please reply.
Esther and William are now nearly 7 months old. They are good babies on the whole though William can be quite easy to upset and hard to settle sometimes. At the moment they are both teething and we are 2 days in to their first ever cold. I am trying so hard to be a good Mum but even with the support of my work from home partner I am still finding it incredibly hard. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for making things easier?
This week is particularly bad because of the illness and teething but I often find myself exhausted with too much to do and wondering what I can do to make this work.
I love my children dearly and I want to do right by them but increasingly I am feeling that I just don’t know how.
We have had a hard start to parenting, David and I. The twins’ arrived early after major abdominal surgery for me, from which I am not sure I have ever really recovered physically or emotionally. 59 days in NICU also took their toll and though it is wonderful having our babies home now it has been lonely through the winter months as we have tried our best to protect them from infection and diseaase. And winter is not over yet!
I know I am sounding desperate and I don’t mean to. I know that after 5 cycles of IVF I really am the luckiest girl in the world to have two beautiful babies, a boy and a girl, our family could be complete. I am grateful and I count my blessings every day but I do not feel that I am appreciating the babies or motherhood as I should. I don’t feel that I ever have the time.
I envy mothers of single babies and think how much easier life must be with one. How you can meet one child’s needs, hug them as soon as they cry and hold them as long as they need. I feel that I am cutting myself in two and always feel that one babies’ needs are not being met. William is so ill at the moment he should be in my arms all the time but Esther needs me too and she does not complain so quiet and good natured is she, but I am aware and I feel torn. Why can I not be a good enough mother for two?
And I am not alone by any means. David is home most days but he is trying to run his business. I feel so guilty taking up his time but we need him every day, he feels guilty if he does not help, but he is also impatient to be focusing on his work.
On a good day I am fine alone and I enjoy being Mummy, on a difficult day I struggle but I still enjoy the challenges that being a Mummy brings, on a bad day it is awful and I often end up in tears.
Today is one of those days. Even David, the calm one, is frustrated today as he is getting nothing done. He wants me to get help. With the babies, with the house, help?
It is 21.45 and we have only just got both babies to sleep. We have had dinner but I cannot easily get in or out of the lounge because of baby stuff, David is still working at his computer and I am about to drink yet another cold cup of tea. My airing cupboard is full of damp washing that needs sorting and the bathroom is full of more washing to do. We are not unpacked from last weekend away and the babies are being fed from packets and jars. I am about to eat my fifth cereal bar of the day. Trying to lose weight is just not going to work!
I thought long and hard about posting this. I am hoping that someone will read it who will know what we should do.
I want to enjoy my children. Have time to play with them. I want to wake up from a whole nights sleep feeling like I could take on the world. I used to feel like that once.
We do have good days. We have good moments in most days but dark dark shadows loom over them. We laugh together, we play, we read and we sing. We cuddle and we chat. I know that I am a good Mum, a potentially excellent one I am just scared that right now I am losing my way.
When I was pregnant I imagined the singing, the stories, wearing a baby round the house, walks to the park, coffee with friends, baby groups and classes, making friends with other new Mums …
As it is I will go to bed in a minute, the house still a mess, the washing undone, I will wake through the night to feed and in the morning this will start all over again and before we know it it will be bath time. I will probably have spoken to no one apart from increasingly short exchanges with David about how we need help!
If you are reading this and you are a parent of twins please please let me know how you make it work because I want to make this family a happy one. Please point us in the right direction.
My Top 5 Mummy Buys is a Blog Hop started by the brilliant Bod for Tea, as a Mum in my mid 30s I was a huge Bod fan as a child, as a Mummy I am a fan of … Continue reading →
My musical tastes have evolved through the years but instead of changing completely my love of music has grown stronger and my repertoire wider. This is something not everyone understands and so depending on who you are you may only know part of my musical taste – the chosen few will know the full extent of my listening pleasures. From Robbie to Kylie to Buddy – The Killers, The Cure, The Chemical Brothers – Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, Connie Francis – West Side Story, Wizard of Oz, Les Mis – Goldie, Groove Armada, Massive Attack and Basement Jaxx. I love them all and want my children to sample each and everyone of them … and more …
The music I loved in my own childhood was heavily influenced by my parents. In particular one mix tape that we listened to over and over in the car featuring Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka and more … It was badly recorded and over recorded and we knew where all the breaks in the songs came and what song came next. I loved 50s and 60s music as a child and I still do. I definitely want my children to understand the history and significance of rock and roll.
As a child of the 80s there was a time I am afraid to say when I loved all things Stock, Aitken and Waterman, especially Kylie. I still do have a secret thing for Kylie and have already introduced my daughter to such classics as Never Too Late and Wouldn’t Change A Thing. Thank you You Tube!
Around this time my cousins also introduced me to INXS, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, alongside Wham! Another branch on my tree of music was born. Many of my dips and dives into different artists and bands have been influenced by Paul and Glen (the cousins) – Wet Wet Wet, AHa!!, George Michael and much much more.
As a young teenage I loved James, EMF, The Farm, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses and The Cure amongst others. I also love Madonna and began to get into Rave! At Youth Club I loved Guns n Roses but would equally love dancing to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch! Oh the memories!
As an older teenager my heart was firmly attached to dance music particularly house but also drum and bass whilst frequenting Cream at University! I spent many mispent nights at Cream, Gatecrasher and many other, smaller, better, underground clubs across Europe. I danced right through to my late 20s, until I was 30. During this time I saw The Prodigy and Moby live many times and just LOVED them!
Alongside dance though I also loved alternative music particularly Tori Amos, Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Leftfield, Radiohead, The Verve, REM, Ocean Colour Scene, The Levellers, Bjork and there was still an allegiance to rock / grunge – U2, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Faith No More, Foo Fighters. I also liked Def Leppard at some point and Metallica too.
And then came Brit Pop – Oasis or Blur – I unashamedly loved BOTH! And I still do! I also love Dodgy. I love Dodgy!!
More recently I have fallen in love with The Killers and The White Stripes with thanks to David for these.
I could go on and on and on about music and there will always be something or someone that I would have forgotten to mention.
Here are some songs though that I would not want my children to miss – in no particular order and again there will be omissions that I will kick myself for later!
Put Your Head On My Shoulder – Paul Anka
Grace – U2 (contributing factor to Esther’s middle name)
If You’re Thinking Of Me – Dodgy
No Regrets – Robbie Williams
Hotel Yorba – The White Stripes (David was singing this to me when I first realised we would get married, way back in 2007, just weeks after we had met)
Take Me to the Place Where the White Boys Dance – The Killers (listened to on journeys to and fro NICU)
Wires – Athlete (a tale of a premature baby)
At My Most Beautiful – REM (Thinking this will be the song that I walk down the aisle to!)
I’ll Stop the World – The Cure (Mine and David’s song)
Groove Is In The Heart – DeeLite
At the River – Groove Armada
Cherish – Madonna
Movin’ On Up – Primal Scream
Waterfall – The Stone Roses
Champagne Supernova – Oasis
This is a Low – Blur
Leftism – Leftfield (whole album)
Blue Lines – Massive Attack (whole album)
… there are just so many more …
I can feel a muscial evening coming on very soon. How I love mornings when you wake up to find your CD collection spread out all over the floor where you have been playing song after song in a haze of memory and music. I want my children to have that. I want my children to grab music, embrace it and let it feed their soul, fuel their lives and be the soundtrack to their memories.
Music and life go hand in hand and help everyone tell their story.
I am sure that music will play a huge part in my children knowing mine.
I am following Kate Takes 5’s Listography. I am going to share with you information about me and my life through a framework of lists, beginning with – My Top 5 Good Things About Having Kids. As I write this … Continue reading →
You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be — I had a mother who read to me. — Strickland Gillilan (1869-1954)
