Here is the final product which she decorated adding Muno’s eye and mouth. It looked like Muno but blue not orange according to Ezri. Muno is an orange character from the children’s program Yo Gabba Gabba. He has one eye and a mouth with just two teeth.
Stirring up the latkes.
Christmas morning before opening presents. The only thing Ezri asked for this year was a stuffed Donald Duck. The first present she opened was shoes she loved that were unfortunately too small. She noticed this gift was not Donald. The next present when asked what she thought it might be, “Maybe Donald Duck or grande shoes.” This present was shaped like a book which only made it funnier.
We are listening to a recorded book of Charlie Brown’s Christmas. Ezri loaned me her new frog hat to wear.
Christmas morning brunch.
Bacon frog tongue by Ezri. We are trying to discourage playing with food but I found the “I am a frog!” maneuver charming. Good thing we only eat bacon at Christmas so she won’t be repeating it often.
Ezri’s sitter Jenny gave Ezri a tiara. “Jenny got me this because she thought I would love it. And I DO LOVE IT!”
Ezri wearing her “super incredible big sister” medal.
Lighting candles with Eric.
Holding her nose because one candle was smoking.
Enjoying a model train display at Morton Arboretum
I am adding this just for you, Michele. Ezri repeatedly asked for a Donald Duck and we did not know why. But, since it was the only thing she asked for and could be had for $16 with free prime shipping from amazon – Santa delivered.
Donald was acquired and is loved.
Book Angels
This year for Anderson’s Bookshop Book Angels we were running late, so they were out of needy people Ezri or Ivan’s age to shop for. We adapted and bought for school-age children. Ezri selected Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books which I think have staying power for kids through age 7 (Heck, I like them at almost 36). So, Ezri got Happy Pig Day! to give and Ivan went with We Are in A Book! We also got a copy of DK’s Alien Robots Kit because combining Aliens and Robots is just neat. Ezri did ask if she could keep the book she chose to donate. We talked about gifting and she agreed to give the book to someone who did not have Elephant & Piggie books at their house.
Hanukkah Reading
Hanukkah Hop by Erica Silverman
Jaunty rhyming text as Rachel and her family host one hopping, Hanukkah party.
A Blue’s Clues Chanukah
A favorite TV character goes to his friend Orange Kitten’s house for a Hanukkah party. Ezri seemed surprised that Joe did not know what a dreidel was.
Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah by Susan L. Roth
Collage illustration of mice doing the things in the classic song. Ezri likes the page that shows the sheet music. In a slight sleep deprived haze, I reversed the lyrics and sang, “latkes to play with and dreidels to eat.” Ezri now requests the song “the silly way.” She laughs and pretends to be eating a dreidel. Two-year-old holiday humor at its finest!
Hanukkah by Trudi Trueit
This book is a rebus reader replacing words in the text with small photos like candles, menorah, and gelt. Ezri enjoyed saying the items in the photos. The simple holiday explanation was right at her level.
About a week ago we had our first snow. Ezri looked out at the dusting of snow and said, “Now Meghan and I can go sledding!” I thought we better go out and play in the snow fast because it might all melt by afternoon.
It took me way too long to realize that Ezri wanted to tuck Baby Cory in her jacket and wear her in the snow because that is exactly what I do with Ivan on our outside adventures.
Here’s me with Ivan in my coat.
Here’s Ezri making a snow angel with Baby Cory in her coat.
Here she is getting ready to go out. There wasn’t much snow and I was not sure Ezri needed her snow pants, but she insisted. Since she wanted to roll around in the dusting of snow, turns out the 2 year-old was right.
We also did some snow writing and drawing with sticks.
It’s an easy clean-up project since it will just melt away later!
This drawing was of a castle where a princess and a queen lived and a forest where a dragon and three bears lived together in a cave.
You could tell that, right? The castle is in the hose loop and the forest is outside of it.
Ezri can not yet write letters yet, but she does recognize her name when it’s written in upper-case block letters. “E-Z-R-I that spells me.”
It was a fun snowy morning and not too cold to really spend some time outside. We looked at animal tracks (mostly domestic feline), played on the slide, and snow stomped.
This year we had to pull up Ezri’s step stool so she could help.
Ezri is enamored of the idea that the cats might knock ornaments off and play with them. She even pretended to be kitty Ezri and batted at the low hanging tigger ornament.
“I am the company expert and the stirring expert in the family.” Ezri speaks on her ability to keep the cook company in the kitchen and help stir during meal preparations.
“You use the big potty. Mama, you have a big bum. I have a little bum.”
While we were playing with a black cat doll I crocheted and gave to Eric years ago I said, “I could make you a crocheted animal.”
Ezri shook her head and said, “I just want to be a Ezri.”
pause
“Oh, no, I just meant I could make a crocheted animal FOR you.”
Ezri: I am going to ride a unicycle!
Me: Really?
Ezri: You are the unicycle.
Me: I see.
Luckily, the unicycle was available to give Ezri a ride.
Me: Remember, Ezri, your dad has a hurt foot so don’t step on his foot and hurt him.
Ezri: I am not going to hurt your foot, daddy. I am going to hurt your knee.
Before dinner Ezri said, “I would like a orange for appletizer.” pause “I would like a orangetizer, please.”
“Put that baby down! I want you, mama.” Sometimes being the big sister is rough.
I asked Ezri what she had for dinner and she said,
“Turtlelini”
She recognized this was a pun and preceded to laugh her head off. “Turtle-turtle-turtle-lini.”
Ezri is big into rhyming lately. She likes to say a rhyming word for what she is talking about. Example:
Ezri says, “I want to read a blook.” I will ask, “Do you want to read a book?” She will reply, “No, a blook I want to read a blook.” I will ask, “What’s a blook?” She will laugh. Again she finds this hilarious – just like turtle-lini. I find it cute or if it goes on long enough irritating as all get out. Though as a trained literacy professional, I recognize that rhyming is all part of developing phonological awareness – one of the most important pre-reading skills. Still, Ezri, there’s no such thing as a blook.
While waiting for our meal to come Ezri pointed at a picture of an ice cream sundae and said, “I want one of these for dessert.” Eric told her we would be having dessert at home and dessert would be after bathtime. Ezri asked the next logical question, “Does this restaurant have a bathtub?”
“You can’t wear your shoe while my doll naps there.” One of the dollhouse dolls has decided to sleep in my shoe. I wonder how long it will be off limits.
This owl shirt is the first article of clothing I bought for my baby while she was in utero. I was round and pregnant and feeling like my first child was imminent and should not go naked.
Here is Ezri wearing the owl in 2009 on her dad’s lap.
photo = Ezri is getting better at getting her cereal in her mouth these days.
Kitten Red Yellow Blue by Peter Catalanotto
Mrs. Tuttle’s cat has 16 calico kittens and everyone in the neighborhood wants one. Mrs. Tuttle gives each a different colored collar and sends them off. The tan kitten bags with Doug at the grocery store. The rust colored kitten works with the plumber. The book explores a variety of colors and occupations. The illustrations are clever and full of humor. Ezri likes finding the kitten on each page (they are not hidden) and talking about what the kittens are doing. At the end all the kittens return home to surprise their mama with a party. I am not sure precisely what it is that makes Ezri love this title above others, but this week it is the runaway naptime favorite. I see the author has similar titles exploring numbers and the alphabet, though those titles lack kittens. We will have to check them out see if she likes them.
High Five Magazine
This is the publication for preschoolers from the folks that brought you Highlights magazine.
It makes sense that the magazine format works for Ezri. It has 4 page stories interspersed with games like Hidden Pictures and extremely simple mazes. Some authors have recurring pieces with recurring characters that appear in each issue, so Ezri can enter the story already having some knowledge. She likes the new adventures of Tex and Indi and their b&w cat named Cow. We also enjoy the bilingual story which incorporates some Spanish and shows Ezri that Spanish occurs in more places than just her class on Tuesdays.
