Taking Our Tiny Scientist to the New York Aquarium

Yesterday we braved the pouring rain and howling wind and packed up Baby L and drove to the New York Aquarium. We brought along with all the books we could find about sea life, and read them on the way!



One great thing about this book...













...and this book....













are the audio recordings of the books on the CDs that come with them. We have four or five books from this series and all of them are equally as beautiful. Baby L, Daddy B, and I loved listening to the the CDs all the way to the aquarium, and we felt like experts on sea life by the time we arrived!

And then, one of the first things we saw when we got there...









He (or she?) looked just like the turtles in our book!

But Baby L's (and Mommy and Daddy's) FAVORITE thing of all at the aquarium was this guy:









I nearly bought a stuffed animal version of the walrus, but it was Baby L who said, "Put back!"(One of her favorite things to say these days--especially if it's a food she doesn't want to eat). I listened to her and I put back the toy walrus... we really do not need any more stuffed animals... but I kind of wish I had brought him home to cuddle with!

How to Survive the Longest Car Ride Ever with a Toddler

Baby L, Daddy B, Indigo, and I just got home from a SEVEN hour drive, coming back to Brooklyn from northern Vermont, and man am I tired!

Baby L hasn't slept in the car for quite a while now, so we figured we'd make the drive during the day when the two grown-ups had a little more energy. It was a good plan, I think. Much better than the seven hour drive in the middle of the night earlier this week, when Baby L didn't sleep much more than the last forty-five minutes. I think we learned our lesson from that one!

How to Survive:
1. Read lots and lots and lots of books to your child.
2. If there are two grown-ups, one person can sit in the back to entertain the little person. It makes life better for everybody!
3. Pack lots and lots of snacks that aren't too messy, and several bottles and sippy cups.
4. Allow your child to feed the dog her snacks, even though you usually don't.
5. Allow your child to watch TV shows on your iPhone, even though you usually don't. In fact, you don't even have a TV.
6. Don't stop unless you absolutely have to. If you absolutely have to, stop as soon as possible.
7. Three words: Music. Together. CD. (If you don't know what I'm talking about click here.)
8. Bring a big blanket so you and baby can hide under it from time to time.
9. Don't bring toys that make annoying sounds!
10. Don't plan on your child sleeping. It's probably not going to happen. But it might. If you are lucky. Really really lucky.

Music Together

Alee galloo galloo, alee galloo gallee, Allee, galloo galloo gallee. WHEEE! (Dance around, pick your baby up high and have fun).

About a month ago, Baby L and I started going to Music Together, a music class for babies and grown-ups. Our teacher, Jeff, began with this song, Allee Galloo, and we were sold. L and I already loved to dance around the apartment, but now we were in a whole room full of grown-ups and babies dancing around, singing, and clapping. L was in heaven!

Music Together is an early childhood music program with classes all over the United States. Maybe there's one near you? The basic idea is that all of the grown-ups sing, dance, and play instruments like shakers and drums. We model enthusiasm for music for the babies, and the babies learn to mimic and even invent their own singing, dancing, and instrument playing. Each "semester" the class uses a list of about twenty songs over and over, so that we get to know the songs really well. We sing them in class, and we have a CD and a songbook to listen to and read at home, and in the car.

Recently, our family just did a very long road trip with lots of little trips once we got there--from Brooklyn, to Underhill, VT, to Stowe, VT, to Monkton, VT, back to Underhill, then to Boston, MA, back to Brooklyn. For short trips around the neighborhood, Baby L usually just entertains herself in her carseat. But for this trip, we had to pull out all the stops. Daddy B and I took turns sitting in the back, playing with every toy we could find, playing every game we could think of, and nothing seemed to work. Until we put on the Music Together CD! L is such a music lover, she does a little dance as soon as she hears a familiar song. Why didn't we think of it sooner?

Road Trip Mix Tape!

I love a good road trip. Road trips include little traditions, routines, and rituals that I find comforting. Picking out books to read on the way (or some trashy celebrity magazines), digging out the bean-shaped neck pillow (I love my little neck pillow), and of course making a MIX TAPE (well, okay, it's an iTunes playlist).

This time, I not only made myself my own special mix of music for the road, but I also made Baby L a playlist.

Here's a sampling what Baby L's been going to hear on her way to Vermont, then Boston:

Elizabeth Mitchell (You Are My Flower, You Are My Sunshine, You Are My Little Bird)

Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman (Not For Kids Only)

Bob Marley (Legend)

The Beatles (The White Album, Abbey Road)

Nina Simone (Miscellaneous)

Louis Armstrong (Miscellaneous)

The Music Together Songbook

Ziggy Marley (B is for Bob)

Baby L loves to hear the same music again and again. She bangs her little hands against the carseat to play "drums," shakes her rattles and shakers, kicks her tiny feet, and sings at the top of her lungs "Ahhhhh!" to her favorite tunes.

Bon voyage!

Car Talk

Question: What does Baby L. like to do best in the car?

Answer: L. loves to look at herself in her carseat mirror. Babies love mirrors! Faces are one of the first categories of information that the brain begins to understand. Did you know there is actually an area of the brain devoted just to understanding faces? Baby L.'s mirror also has a colorful pattern border around the edges of it, and fun silky tags for her to grab onto, for developing her fine motor skills.

Question: When L. starts to get a little grumpy, what do you do about it?

Answer: I sing to her and tell stories! She especially likes songs with silly voices, or storytelling songs like Little Bunny Foo Foo. Literacy researchers agree that immersing children with stories and songs from the littlest age helps foster a love of literature and an understanding of text structure (how stories tend to go). Stories that contain dialogue, rich vocabulary, a problem/solution, and are told with expression and fluency are especially great. But if you can't come up with a good one on the spot, don't worry! Sometimes I just retell our day, step by step. "First we went... then we did..." The sound of my voice calms her down, and she's learning sequencing and all kinds of other important literacy-related skills.

Question: What about poosplosions?

Answer: Definitely pull off the highway, find a decent enough rest area, or at least a fast food restaurant (they always have changing tables) and spend some time cleaning up. I always pack a back-up set of clothes!

Car Ride With A Screaming Baby: A Poem in Two Voices

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Waaaaa! Waaaaaaaaa! ...Don't cry sweet baby.

Waaa! Waaaaaaaaaaa! ...It's okay sweet pea.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ...We're almost there, I promise.

WaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAA! ...Don't cry honey.

WAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa! ...Shhhhh...

Waaaaaa! Waaaaaaaa! ...Shhhhh...

Waa! Waa! Waa! Waa! ...Shhhhh...

Waa! Waa! Waaaaaaa! ...Okay baby, it's okay.

Waaaaaaaaaaa! WAA! ...Oh honey, don't cry!

Waaaa! Waaaaaaaaaa! ...I love you sweet little baby.

WAAA! Waaaaaaaaaa! ...You're my little sweetheart, yes you are.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ...Don't cry, sweety pie.

Waaaaaaaaa! WaaAA! ...Mommy loves you!

Waaa! Waaaaaaaaaaa! ...Babygirl, mama loves you!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! ...Mommy loves you, baby. Mommy loves you.

* Day 10 of the KidLitosphere Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month.