"The Lifeboat"

I had an opportunity last night to hear author Charlotte Rogan speak about her book, "The Lifeboat." Although I am ashamed to say I have not read the book -- I had to cover her talk for my job -- I am intrigued and would like to read it.

Rogan is a late-in-life published author -- this is her debut novel, and she is in her late 50s. She has found smashing success with this book, which was on the New York Times bestseller list, and I find her story quite interesting. For starters, she is a mom of multiples -- she has grown triplets, and started writing decades ago when her kids were small when her lawyer-husband was transferred to Texas. She didn't know many people initially, but used her lack of friends to turn to her passion for writing.

"The Lifeboat" is narrated by a young lady who is on trial for a crime committed on a lifeboat after a luxury liner sinks. The castaways spend 21 days on the sea, during which many questions and events unfold.

The inspiration for the story of “The Lifeboat” was found in one of her lawyer husband's law text. Rogan spotted a story about a 19th-century case where starving castaways, stranded on a lifeboat for weeks with little food, decide to kill and eat another passenger. They were rescued four days later and convicted of murder. Her book does not include the cannibalism aspect, but will appeal to fans of survival stories and anyone with a penchant for all-things-Titanic.

Rogan's speech definitely started a few wheels spinning in my head. If she can write with triplets, I'm sure I can write with twins!

Snow Books

We recently were expecting snow, so I decided that the twins needed a few "snow" stories for bedtime. I am a gal who likes a "theme," for sure! I scoured the bookshelves quickly and found this stash.

We have a bunch of books related to snow, snowmen and winter -- books that are not Christmas-related. I am one who doesn't say "boo hoo" to the snow season; January through March are some of the "warmest" months, in my opinion, because it means I have an excuse to spend time with my family; outside obligations are canceled and we are less distracted when the world is somewhat shut off. And I like to keep the house "cozy," as Big Girl calls it: When the Christmas decor is put away, the winter decor still stays up. It doesn't have to be stark and sterile in the home -- celebrate the entire season and leave some lights here or there, a stuffed snowman on a shelf and a snowflake item in plain view.

Snow-themed books fall into that wintry celebration. I thought I'd share a few of our favorites in this post today.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is new to our library; I didn't have it when Big Girl was tiny. The twins do like it a lot, so we have read it a few times. I love the illustration of the little boy making snow angels. So cute. Here's a great link to activities inspired by this book for tiny ones.

Welcome Winter is not a great book, but the little ones do like it. It has very little text, but is a sensory book with things to touch on each page, including "crinkly" snow -- that is Bunny Twin's favorite page and I often hear the snow crinkling over the baby monitor.

Katy and The Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton is a popular one in our bedtime ritual right now. I confess that I am so happy that the twins love this book! It is so adorable and vintage, with such retro illustrations that melt my heart. I would decorate a little boys room around the simple, sweet pictures of the tractor plow in this book. And the red/turquoise colors are just devine. Burton has written other wonderful classic books; my other favorite is titled The Little House.

Tomorrow, I will share another favorite snow book in a special post on Snow Days. I'm hoping a few of those are just around the corner.

Tractor Mac

When Big Girl was a little girl, we found a series of books about a character named Tractor Mac. The author lives right in here in CT, which made it special to us. And Big Girl loved country things and farm things, so Tractor Mac was right up her alley. We ended up buying a bunch of the books, here and there, and when the author made an appearance out our local library, we made sure to meet the author, Billy Steers! He gave a great program where he talked about how he came up with the ideas for his books and demonstrated how he draws the characters. It was very interesting.

Now I have a little boy who loves all vehicles, so the Tractor Mac picture books are being pulled out here and there. I like that the books focus on solving a problem and helping others, two things which are always good to teach your little ones.

When we stopped at The Big E last weekend, we were so excited to see that Billy Steers had a booth in the Connecticut building! (In the photo at the top, that's Big Girl watching Mr. Steers sign books. She's still a Tractor Mac lover at 10 years old!)

We quickly picked up a book we didn't have -- one that was perfect for my twin toddlers since it is a board book:

We are so thrilled that Tractor Mac is now available in a toddler version! The book is called "Farm Days" and it has simple text and bright illustrations which are so sweet and charming. And Mr. Steers personalized it for my kids and signed it with a little pig illustration.

And Mr. Steers had the "real" Tractor Mac with him in the building:

If you have a little one in your life who loves tractors and farms, go find some Tractor Mac for your own storytimes. Our favorite was always the book "Harvest Time," which is appropriate this time of year since it involves a pumpkin picking festival.

You can even get an app for your iPhone or iPad now! Check out the web page at www.TractorMac.com for more information on the books, as well as free printables.

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt

I have a thing for Southern novels. I've kind of mentioned it previously, but it bears repeating. I have a wish list for new Nookbooks which seems a mile long, and because it's hard to find time to sit down and read often, I don't purchase books until I need a new one.

One of the books on my list was "Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt" by Beth Hoffman. After I read "The Help" -- which I just adored! -- I wanted something similar and this book kept popping up in the "if you like this, you'll like this" lists. And my sister-in-law read it and recommended it. So I put it on my wish list and it has remained there in a sea of books.

Earlier this summer, I ran to our local KMart for a few things and there, in a discount book bin (which I had never noticed previously -- I'll be looking for that bin again!) was the book. It was $5 -- so much cheaper than the Nook version! (In fact, less than half price of the Nook version!)

Now, I've been trying to be a good girl and not purchase hard copies of novels for me as much, because they were contributing to my home's clutter. (Don't say visit the library because sometimes I do, but it can sometimes take me weeks to get through a book with means remembering to renew, renew, renew...) Unless I thought I would read a book more than once -- like a Laura Ingalls Wilder book! -- or they are given to me, or cost pennies second-hand, I really avoid buying hard copies. They are just so expensive! But $5 was such a steal that I couldn't pass it up. And I'm so glad I did, because I will definitely read it more than once.

I just LOVED this book. It's about a little girl, Cee Cee Honeycutt, who has a mom with severe mental illness and a father who has basically checked out of her life. Many things occur, which I will let you find out, but eventually she goes to live with her aunt in Savannah, Ga. There, she meets a quirky cast of female characters and tries to come to terms with her previously awful childhood.

It is a very sweet and lovely book, and the characters just melted my heart. I will definitely be reading it again! And I'm saving it for Big Girl. I think it is a book she will love, but because of some adult issues in it she'll have to wait a while to enjoy it.

This was author Beth Hoffman's first book. I can't wait for her second. She is working on it right now and it should be out early next year.

I'm working on getting through another Fannie Flagg book right now. I'm almost done, and I'll share a quick review when I'm finished.

Watermelon & Fireflies

I've been meaning to post all summer about this, but time got away from me! I'm a big fan of the blog Sugar Pie Farmhouse and its writer, known as Aunt Ruthie. It is a fabulous blog, with down home pictures and ideas. I just love it. I secretly wish Aunt Ruthie would post more often, but I'll take whatever I can get!

Aunt Ruthie has a sweet e-book called "Watermelon & Fireflies: 51 Farm Fresh Ideas for Celebrating the Good Ol' Summertime." The book is currently available at half-off it's regular price, but the deal expires tomorrow! So go over to this link to find out more and download your copy quick. (The information is toward the end of the blog post on the link.) This e-book will definitely make the rest of your summer fun, and you'll have it for next summer.

The book is full of ideas, recipes, lists and inspiration. I love it. Every page is a treasure!

I printed out my copy on cardstock and put in a pre-made plastic book with clear sleeves, which had the exact number of pages to keep my book in great shape for years to come.

Aunt Ruthie has said she has plans to create more seasonal e-books. I am looking forward to that :)

Finding a Treasure!

I took Big Girl to the library this week for a free program, and on the way out we stopped in its used bookstore. I love this little place because you can always find something for practically nothing, and the stock changes all the time because library patrons are always dropping off used books.

On this visit, we actually found a treasure: Big Girl stoops down and grabs a book out of a bin and says "Mom, look!"

There is was, The Little House Coookbook, in all its glory! And at the bargain price of only $2. This book has been on my wishlist for a while, but I wasn't willing to pay full price for it just yet. Now I don't have to because of my bargain-hunting ways.

After browsing through the pages, I am definitely glad to have this in my Little House library. The book is more than just a cookbook; it goes into great detail about food in the era, how they cooked it, and the recipes are true to the time, with substitutions for modern cooks -- I don't exactly have lard on hand, but I do have butter!

It has recipes for most dishes and meals mentioned in the books. There's Fried Salt Pork with Gravy -- remember how the Ingalls family seemed to eat salt pork constantly? I always wondered how they never died of heart attacks at 25 years old, but I guess they didn't eat all the other fat we do today. Big Girl and I were grocery shopping once and I came across a package of salt pork. The two of us stood in the meat aisle for a long time marveling at it. Weird, I know, but it was the first time I ever recalled seeing it anywhere.

The book even has a recipe for "Long Winter Bread," the bread that the family ate so they wouldn't starve. It even includes instructions on how to grind your wheat in a coffee grinder.

You can also find how to make Ma's green pumpkin pie, which Pa though was apple pie. And Vanity Cakes, which Ma made for the girl's country party with Nellie Oleson. There are dozens of recipes, and it would make a great companion while reading through the series -- you could cook and bake chapter by chapter. The cookbook also borrows Garth Williams charming illustrations and features excerpts from the book throughout its pages. I am so looking forward to reading through this one.

We also found this book:

I've actually had this book on my Amazon wishlist because I thought about getting it for Big Girl after reading the Little House books. It has a story about a pioneer family, and is interspersed with snippets about pioneer life. There are a lot of little things in this book that overlap with Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories. Big Girl didn't as excited about this one -- she's more into Greek mythology and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books right now -- but I'm holding on to it for myself. Who knows? Maybe in my old age, I'll be a Laura scholar and run Little House programs at schools and libraries. Or write a book.

 

This book was also $2, so I didn't mind splurging $4 on both books even though the budget is very, very tight for our family this month. I had four dollar bills in my pocket so it must have been a sign.

The moral of the story is this: Always take a minute to browse in a used book store. You never know what you will find!

My Favorite Gadget!

That's my Nook Color under that green leather cover.

The best present my husband ever gave me -- other than my children! -- was my Nook Color. I just love this gadget! I got it for Christmas, in 2010, and I love it.

I used to call it my "poor man's iPad," since several of my friends got iPads around that time, and the Nook Color is basically a tablet with a less expensive price tag. That said, I sometimes think I like it better than an iPad. It's small, it fits in my purse, and I can surf the Web, read a book, play a game, etc., with it. It's such a fun little gadget that I've used more than any other gadget I've ever gotten in my life. And my husband is a gadget person, so I've gotten various gadgets that haven't been used as much.

I thought it was funny when such a hullabaloo errupted when the Kindle Fire came out -- it was basically the same thing as a Nook Color. Both are e-readers/tablets. But one is made by Barnes & Noble, the other by giant Amazon, therefore the latter got hype like nothing existed prior.

Although I still like to own real books, I don't mind reading books on my Nook either -- especially books that I know I might not read again. My own complaint re: Nook books (and Kindle books too, when researching) is the price. I know we are paying for the intellectual property (the words and ideas) of the book -- and as a writer, I respect that -- it just seems that if you are buying a book and not getting a hard copy of it, it should be cheaper than the hard copy.

I have found a lot of free Nook books. And offers for free Nook books on Fridays. Some are not exactly enticing, but they are free to load on your device for when you are searching for something new.

Mom's Summer Reading

I don't have a lot of time to read. While my friends are devouring the "50 Shades" trilogy -- which doesn't appeal to me, in any way (and not because of the *ahem* sex, but the story itself) -- I was just hoping that I could read something this summer. It is hard to find the time to read anything of length anymore, with little ones buzzing around, and at night I'm just too tired to concentrate on words on a page without falling asleep!

I am a devoted reader of Sugar Pie Farmhouse and when Aunt Ruthie suggested this Fannie Flagg book, I was intrigued. And dowloaded it to my Nook immediately. We had a 5-day vacation looming, with no cable TV, and I thought it would give me time to read, possibly.

Now, I love to read. Books were the backbone of my youth. I have a master's in English lit. But like I said, finding time to read lately has been a challenge. And I have high standards now because my time is limited. It must suck me in. Must not be ridiculously unrealistic. Must not be depressing. And must make me happy. I am quite picky in my old age, when it comes to books. "Twilight" was not for me; I tried. And "50 Shades" just doesn't appeal to me.

So what does appeal to me? I will read just about anything by Alice Hoffman. And I loved, loved, loved "The Help." I love lighthearted things with quirky characters, and a small town feeling definitely adds to the charm. And I am often drawn to stories which take place in the South. This Fannie Flagg book seemed right up my alley. And it was!

"Standing in the Rainbow" was such a warm reminder the old days, of small towns, of family and neighbors and how simple things sometimes get so complicated as time goes on. It made me long for the past, in many ways, but it also reminded me of how I want life to be, too.
To say I loved this book was an understatement. I found any minute I could to read it. I loved it. And was sad when it ended. And looked up other related Fannie Flagg books to download when I got home. My next choice is this one. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done.

I'm thinking this may be a Fannie Flagg-sort-of-summer. I'm hoping to have the time to finish each and every one. How 'bout you?

Book Review: "Bathtime for Twins" & "Playtime for Twins"

Two new twins books are out! And they're BOARD BOOKS! I was so excited to see these books when I searched on Amazon.com. They were not out yet, so I requested review copies from Simon & Schuster to I can share them with you!

Why am I so excited for board books? Well, the twins are 2 and 1/2, so board books are something they can look at without destroying quickly. (I say quickly because if I leave them alone with board books in their cribs, they sometimes tear them apart :) These are even sturdier than most board books; they are made really well and solid and easy for little fingers to turn the pages.

The twins grabbed the books right out of my hands sat down to look at them!

Now, on to the books! Both books -- Playtime for Twins and Bathtime for Twins -- are written by Ellen Weiss and illustrated by Sam Williams. Both books have sing-song, rhyming text which is perfect to read to little ears. The words tell the mischievous side to multiples, as well as end with the bond a pair always shares.

From "Bathtime for Twins"

Williams' illustrations are very cute, and sort of gender generic -- I can't really tell if they are supposed to be two boys, or a boy and a girl. Weiss and Williams are experts with twins books -- the pair also teamed up for a few Ready-to-Read books about twins (one is Twins in the Park).

From "Playtime for Twins"

Both books are perfect for toddlers' bedtime stories or just to add to the book basket. This set would also be a great addition to a baby shower gift for a future MoM. They are already favorites in this house.

You can find more reviews on books

about twins on this blog at this link.

If you have any favorite twin books, please leave a comment!

Mom's Guide To.... Summer Reading

Summer is almost upon us, and Big Girl finishes school in less than a week. The big buzz word is always "summer reading," and our schools pass out reading logs to participate in our "Governor's Reading Challenge" each June. I can honestly saw I'm not sure what participating means, as we never hear the results of this "challenge." Last year, Big Girl's school gave an incentive for completing the log: The kids got to participate in a session of reading on blankets and beach towels, with a special snack, one September afternoon.

My oldest likes to read, so it's not hard to get her to pick up a book, or two. But like many kids, she sometimes gets distracted from the joy of reading, turning to a video game, or watching Disney Channel or playing Animal Jam online. This summer, I hope to find a better balance for her. To start, I'm going to treat her to some new books to get her started and hopefully inspired to read. I've asked her for some requests, but I'd also like to get her some classics she may like too.

And then there is the idea of incentives. I'm thinking of starting our own family incentive program for reading, including myself and reading to the babies. I'd like to finish a few books this summer. And although I read to the babies daily at bedtime, I'd like to squeeze in more reading time for them as well.

Of course, I need a plan and a goal, so I headed to Google to search for some ideas. I found this adorable reading log printable, which I'm considering adapting for my family summer reading plan:

Isn't this so happy and cute?

Source: simpleasthatblog.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Tip Junkie also has a summer printable reading kit, and Brown Paper Packages has a great post on how to create a summer reading program for your family. The mom used little cardstock circles which said "I've read 20 minutes" or "I've read a book" which kids can put in a little bucket with their name on it. At the end of the week, mom counts the circles and offers rewards -- a simple as an ice cream cone or a coupon to stay up late or even a date night with mom and dad.

If you don't want to set up your own personal summer reading program, there are many incentive programs available to get kids to read. The first place to look is at your local library.

Barnes & Noble also has a summer reading program where kids who read and complete a form can earn a free book.

TD Bank will give $10 to kids for reading this summer as well. The money will be deposited into a new or existing TD bank account in the child's name.

The blog Living on the Cheap has a great compilation of summer reading programs available.

I think I'll participate in a few outside ones as well as trying to inspire my family to read more often this summer. Since I try for some quiet time every afternoon, I'm thinking that's a good time to try to start a reading routine in our house. On days we are home, I will try and set aside a time to sit down with the kids and some books. I will also try to get Big Girl to read to her siblings, possibly during dinner prep when the twins need some attention. That would be a great addition to our routine. As for myself? I think I should possibly hop back on the exercise bike regularly with a book, to strengthen both body and mind!

I'm also hoping to get Big Girl hooked on several great books this summer. She wants to read more of Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" series, so that is definitely on the list. She really enjoyed one of the books in the "Mother-Daughter Book Club" series, by Heather Vogel Frederick, so adding a few more of those to our library will likely be an option as well.

And to keep the cost of books down, I'm sure we will visit the library a few times, as well as our library's used bookstore, where books are priced at practically pennies.

If you are not sure where to find ideas of books your children might like or should be reading at their level, there are a few places where you can check out reading lists online.

Reading Rockets has a summer reading list on this link, and About.com has a great compilation of several lists at this link.

Good luck with your family summer reading plans!

Feel free to add ideas and links in the comments!

Goodnight Books

Source: google.com via Jackie on Pinterest

I believe in bedtime stories. I read to Big Girl every night until just recently, when she started wanting to continue reading something she was also reading during the day. But I would read to her now if she asked -- we've completed many chapter books together and I love that time at night when I read to her. It's calm, it's quiet, and it's full of good stories and great memories.

I've continued the tradition with the twins, although admittedly it is much harder. I can't sit with them in my lap like I did with her. They are much more apt to leave my lap and wander. And they are still in their cribs, so I can't sit on one of their beds yet either. So I plop myself on the floor, between the two cribs, and they sit in their beds and watch and listen -- most of the time.

In many ways, reading at night is very routine to us. The routine started with Big Girl. Clean up faces and hands, change diapers, put PJs on, brush teeth, read three stories and tuck into bed. They know it, and they've known it for a while. They learn pretty quick.

And they already ask for certain characters, or certain book. Curious George and Clifford and Little Bear and shape books and color books and all the good ones that I don't mind repetitively reading night after night.
The last book of our bedtime story session is always, always, always Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I started that tradition with Big Girl, and it worked so well that I had to do it with the twins. (At one point in their short lives, it became apparent to Buddy Twin that this was always the last book before bed. When I read the first line in the book, he would start to cry in anticipation. He's OK with it now because this book is such a favorite. He gets very excited when he sees it and says "My Moon! My Moon!")

Reading the same book every night does not have to be boring. My husband and I may have the lines memorized by now, but it doesn't matter because so do the babies. I prompt them to fill in the last words of each page, which makes it a game. Sometimes, I "sing" the story to them. And although it's a little harder with two kids in two cribs, I try a tradition I started with Big Girl: On each two-page color spread in the book, we have to find the mouse. The mouse is always in a different spot. It's like a little game at storytime.

Of course, Goodnight Moon isn't the only bedtime book worth reading, even if it is tops in our house. Some of our other favorites include this one:

When the World is Ready for Bed by Gillian Shields has some really adorable watercolor illustrations by Anna Currey, and is a very easy, rhyming read that the kids love. We have the board book version. The story is about three little bunnies getting ready for bed and their routine, which is perfect to instill in little ones.

Source: chinaberry.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

We also like The Night Night Book by Marianne Richmond. The book is another rhyming story that says "night night" to many things, similar to Goodnight Moon.

Whatever book you choose as your signature "goodnight" story, it will surely became part of a child's memory. Big Girl still has her original copy of Goodnight Moon on her bookshelf because she will likely never part with it. I hope someday she reads it to her own children, as well as many other of our favorites, and continues the tradition we started 10 years ago.

Book Review: Hello Twins

When the babies were born, my cousin gave this book -- Hello Twins by Charlotte Voake -- to us. It definitely fills one of my twin picture books requirements: Boy/girl twins!

The book is perfect for parents of fraternal twins, particularly boy/girl fraternals, as it definitely addresses the fact that each twin is an individual. Each set of pages points out the differences between the siblings: Eating, playing, drawing, etc. are all tackled different by each twin. The author, who is a twin, wrote the book about when she and her brother were little.

"My mother has lots of stories about the naughty things we did. When people heard we were twins, they expected us to be very much alike... Nothing could be further from the truth!" the author wrote on the book jacket. I'm sure many parents of twins can relate to her statement!

But in the end, however, different, they still love each other just the way they are, and clearly have a bond not shared by singleton siblings.

The book does not have a lot of text, but it's easy to read. The simple illustrations of the mischievous twins are very cute. It's published by Candlewick Press, the same publishing house that released the book Take Two! which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

You can find more reviews on books about twins on this blog at this link. If you have any favorite twin books, please leave a comment!

Book Review: Twin to Twin

It's twin picture book time again! In a previous post about another twin book, I mentioned that I'm always on the lookout for some books about twins. Today's review is Twin to Twin, written by Margaret O'Hair and illustrated by Thierry Courtin, and published by Simon & Schuster.

The picture book is about boy/girl twins, which is always a favorite of mine since my twins are boy/girl. This book definitely celebrates the "double nature" of twins in house, both good and bad. Twins means twice the dirty diapers and toys and mess and work, but also twice the love and blessings.

The illustrations are very sweet, and the text is written in a very sing-songy, rhyming way, which is great to read aloud as a bedtime story. It's simple enough for a sibling to read to her brother-and-sister, something Big Girl likes to do, as well as short enough to put on a pile of bedtime stories.

I definitely recommend this as a baby shower gift, new baby gift, or even a "1st Birthday" gift to a set of twins!

You can find more reviews on books about twins on this blog at this link. If you have any favorite twin books, please leave a comment!

Book Review: I'm Having Twins



When I realized I was having twins, many of my thoughts were about my older daughter. How would she handle all this? How would she handle the thought of TWO siblings? Watching her Mom deal with a twin pregnancy and have to slow way down? The arrival of TWO babies at once?

She was turning 7 years old at the time, and clearly she was old enough to understand more than a 2- or 3-year old, however, she had also been an only child for a long time. Being the bookwarm that I am, I immediately started searching for a book about becoming a big sister of twins. Basically, there was one -- ONE!! With the proliferation of twins lately, I was kind of shocked about this. (Note to self: Write children's books about twin siblings? :)

I'm Having Twins is written by Paris Morris, an actual big sister of twins, who was 3 when her siblings were born and "wrote" the book (and its sequels) with the help of her parents. The book is more expensive than most paperback children's books, but the book is a decent quality, with really bright, lively, color illustrations in it. Although it is about a much younger girl than my daughter, my daughter did really like it and it helped get her excited about her future siblings.

The book addresses everything about the arrival of a sibling or two -- fear about sharing rooms and toys, picking out names, Mom's baby shower. The best part for me, however, was preparing Big Girl for one side effect of twin pregnancy: bed rest. Luckily, I was not on a doctor-ordered bed rest, although I did just physically have to rest a lot at the end. We did exactly what Paris and her mother did in the book -- read, play puzzles, etc., while resting in bed or on the couch. I was happy that she could see from the book that this was "normal" while waiting for the twins to come.

And I like the fact that in the book, little Paris keeps referring to the babies as "my" twins. I wanted my daughter to feel that same way -- that these babies were not just Mommy's and Daddy's special gifts, but hers as well. I think I can say that two years later, we have accomplished this.

This book had four sequels, but I never purchased them. The next book, My Twins are Coming Home, chronicles talks about dealing with the new babies staying in the hospital for a few weeks before coming home at different times -- a fact that many twin families often have to deal with more than singleton birth families. If we were in that situation, I was prepared to order that book! The other books are My Twins' First Birthday, My Twins' First Halloween and My Twins' First Christmas. The Halloween book is not available on Amazon.com.

Paris Morris, who also is the author of some "Paris" travel stories, also has a very cute Website where you can order books and print out adorable coloring pages for your future big siblings of twins. The real Paris is a teenager now, but her books are still teaching many lessons to big brothers and big sisters.

These books would make a wonderful gift to a future sibling of twins at a baby shower. I am happy that we have this in our library, and it will likely be a wonderful keepsake and memory for Big Girl after she grows up.

You can find more reviews on books about twins on this blog at this link. If you have any favorite twin books, please leave a comment!

Pie Love

A favorite pie book. A pie plate. My gram's rolling pin.


I have this "thing" about pie.

Not just eating it.

But pie as a complete symbol of what I consider the good life.

The good life for me is not about jet-setting and diamonds, but about small town loveliness and aprons and vintage dishes and my grandmother and Laura Ingalls Wilder and black-and-white TV and sittin' on the front porch sippin' iced tea... THAT sort of good life. When families ate dinner together every night without beeping phones, everyone had a newspaper delivered and read it religiously, when there were only three TV networks and everyone was on the same page with information about what was happening in the world or entertainment... THAT sort of good life. When we visit Vermont and I have pie warmed and crust blackened in American Flatbread's pizza oven with yummy Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream on the side, or when we drive north towards Stowe past a sign that says "Fresh Pies!" and my husband and oldest daughter scream "fresh pies!" every time we drive by it and I obsess over finding a sign that says "Fresh Pies" for my kitchen wall because it is a sweet memory of the country and Vermont and the simple life and my happy family... THAT sort of good life.

Homemade pie totally reminds me of that. So therefore I am addicted to the idea of pie. It's like a very comforting sort of food, isn't it? It's simple and not-so-simple, plain but sometimes fancy, with crimping and lattice tops and all that, and can cover sweet or savory aspects depending on what you put between the crust.

Now, I'm not a pie baker. But it is my goal to become a pie baker, and master all sorts of pie and the perfect, ultimate pie crust. But in the meantime, I just obsess over all-things-pie. If there's a book about pie, or a movie about pie, or a TV show about making pies, I am all over it.

Let's see... A few years ago I read American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads by Pascale Le Draoulec. This book was just so totally everything I love in a book -- the author drove all over the U.S. in search of pies and told the stories of the people who make them. It was an extended "CBS Sunday Morning" story over and over, page after page, and I loved it. Every chapter was a story about a different person with a different pie, and recipes were included. It was the ultimate pie book for me.

Last year my daughter and I read Pie by Sarah Weeks, which was about a girl name Alice whose aunt is incredibly famous for her pies and her pie crust. When she dies unexpectedly, and someone tries to steal her pie crust recipe, Alice must figure out the mystery of the thief as well as find that elusive recipe. The book was entertaining, and each chapter started with a pie recipe -- yummy reading -- but the end/epilogue was slightly off for me. All in all, my daughter and I enjoyed reading a chapter each night. (I'm hoping to pass on my pie love to her, although now she seems slightly loyal to the current cupcake trend.)

I just found another must-read pie book a few days ago -- I was reading Real Simple magazine when I this:

It was part of an article written by a woman named Beth Howard. Howard just published a book titled Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie, after explains how pie has changed her life, including 10 solid reasons. She's a girl after my own heart. I closed the magazine and downloaded her book on my Nook faster than you can say "rolling pin." I'll let you know what I think when I finish it.

Howard blogs at theworldneedsmorepie.com and lives in Iowa in the "American Gothic House" -- you know the famous painting of the old man and woman and a pitchfork? She lives in THAT house. And has a pie stand there. I just LOVE that.

Of course, no homage to pie could be complete with mentioning the movie "Waitress." Although it had some really dark moments, the film succeeded in pie love to me -- anything with pie has to make you totally want to eat pie, and "Waitress" mentions enought oddball, off-the-wall pies to make one drool. If you've never seen the movie, check out the trailer here.

Perhaps my favorite blog EVER because it incorporates both pie and the whole "good life" that I crave is Sugar Pie Farm House. It is just a devine ode to my vintage Mayberry-style of life and includes some pretty awesome pie recipes too. She has the best recipes for just about everything, and the most awesome pantry I've ever seen, ever...

Now back to my ode to make the perfect pie. Some day, I will... My grandmother's pie crust recipe, which was really great, included vinegar -- I was just watching a "Pioneer Woman" program on The Food Network (love her!!) and she uses vinegar in her pie crust. The recipe looked so simple that I think I'm going to begin my quest with that recipe, in homage to my gram. You can find her Perfect Pie Crust recipe on this link.

Now let me go get my apron on...

Pie, pie... do you love pie as much as I do?

My Love-Hate Relationship with The Duggars



Don't tell anyone: I own the Duggar book. I got it for free. Jim Bob would be proud.

I have a total love-hate relationship with The Duggars. I've been watching them on TV forever, and I DVR their current program, but they often totally annoy me. For starters, I do think it's kind of irresponsible and narcissistic that they have all those children and seem to pursue having more. Why? Because it seems to me as if the older daughters are essentially raising the younger ones, basically, and there is no way the parents can seriously spend enough time shaping each little mind individually or enjoy their children. It seems that they are not receiving the best education they deserve, homeschooled or not.  And it seems that they are very sheltered in many ways -- too many!

That said, I don't really have a huge problem with their Christian views, or how they dress, or how they eat. And frankly I think it's fantastic that they basically seem to be taking care of themselves, financially, without relying on government assistance -- the "Buy used, save the difference" motto is one from which we could learn a lesson in this economy. And their life story is pretty interesting. I did read the family's first book, The Duggars: 20 and Counting!, which was released in 2008 and features the family's early story, including the financial struggles they faced, how they organize and run their large family, recipes and shopping strategies, among other interesting facts. Who knew Jim Bob was robbed and tied up and left? Fascinating.

As a busy mom with two toddlers and a tween, I am always looking for tips and tricks to teach my children how to behave, how they can help out, etc., and the Duggar book definitely has several tidbits here and there. The whole "blanket training" thing is definately a tempting tool for my busy twins -- Mama Duggar basically has taught the kids to sit quietly on a blanket for 20 minutes or so and NOT MOVE. While I don't want to be a control freak, I do need to teach the twins this for social gatherings. Seriously. I started trying this but it is a lot of work, but I think if the Duggars don't give up, neither should I. (It's kind of the whole "if Supernanny can do it, so can I" mantra I sometimes get with my kids. It's all about reinforcement, right? Schedules and rules and consistency do work!)

Big Girl has seen their show, and I sometimes secretly hope that the Duggar children's work ethic will inspire her, and sometimes it does. She is definitely a helpful girl despite her more-modern-than-the-Duggars tendencies. She is one who wants to and strives to be a good girl. But do I want her to take care of my twins all day? No. Do I want her to wear long skirts and not know who The Beatles are?

H-E-double-hockey-sticks NO!!!

But basically the Duggar kids are respectful, help their parents out, love their family, and aren't talking back like all those tweens on the Disney channel, so I don't mind if she watches their show every now and then.

Big Girl and I watched the old "16 Kids and Counting" hourlong special recently. Sometimes the TLC network will re-run those old specials and they are fun to watch, especially considering how much the Duggar family has changed (and grown) since they were on TV. And on this particular night, Big Girl asked me to make Tatertot Casserole -- a famous Duggar recipe. I had to laugh at this because Big Girl is, well, extremely PICKY about what she eats. But if she'll eat Tatertot Casserole, and help cook that night, then I'm making it. (She also wants me to make the ice cream cake out of ice cream sandwiches. I'll consider it if she eats the Tatertot Casserole.)

My love-hate relationship requires that I read everything I come across about the family, including the Television Without Pity message boards about the show, which can get overly snarky. Too snarky, in some parts -- this poor family can't breathe without TWoP forums criticizing them. And despite my penchant for Duggar info, I don't think I'll read the second book the family published, because the description doesn't appeal to me. But I continue to watch the show. I'll wait to see if the only-married child Josh and his wife Anna -- for whom I really have a soft-spot in my heart! -- will follow his parents' lead and have a zillion children with names starting with the same letter, or if some of the Duggar girls will marry and leave parenting duties to their parents.

Because when it comes to the Duggars, it's like a lovable train wreck. I need to watch and see what happens. I know some day that 20th child will come, don't you? And what will the next chapter be after that? It will be fun to find out.

Book Review: The Easter Egg

A favorite Easter book of mine is Jan Brett's The Easter Egg. Jan Brett always creates the prettiest books; I could spend hours examining her illustrations. This book tells the tale of Hoppi, who wants to design the winning egg for the Easter Rabbit's contest. Along his little journey, he meets all his bunny friends who are designing the most elaborate eggs. I love Aunt Sassyfrass' chocolate egg, with its adorable edible details, including Peep-like chicks, and I have a softspot for Granny Ireney and her "story" eggs. (My husband's grandmother was Irene, making this is a perfect personal addition to this story for my family.)

Brett's illustrations are incredibly detailed, and often have little pictures off to the side which require a second glance. In this book, the drawings are framed with pussy willow branches... And those branches have a special surprise by the the end of the book! I won't ruin it for you. Check it out for yourself when you read it.

Jan Brett is a favorite in our house; Big Girl and I have spent many nights reading her books and looking at the pictures. We have also spent a lot of time looking at Brett's website, which has numerous links to printable coloring pictures and crafts with her illustrations.

For Easter, she has coloring pages with Easter eggs, or an Easter parade, or an illustration of Hoppi. There's also an Easter mural one can create with several coloring pictures -- if you need to keep your kids occupied this week while you get ready for the holiday, plop an Easter movie in the DVD player and pass out these pages; use them to create some holiday decorations for your house. You can also find some "Happy Spring" place mats to color for the Easter table, or better yet, if you have a "kids table" at your holiday celebration, put these down with a basket of crayons as an Easter dinner craft.

If you have a budding artist in your house as I do, Brett's website also has a few "How to Draw" videos by the artist herself.

Learn how to draw a chick:




Or a bunny:




I hope you enjoy Jan Brett's work as much as we do at The Peapod!

I'm a Prairie Head

A few books from my "Laura" collection.

I have a major love for Laura Ingalls Wilder. My obsession is so great that my friends poke fun at me. Of course, they are "Twi-Moms," so their vampire love and obsession with futuristic "Hunger Games" is hard to transfer to the adventures of a 19th-century pioneer girl. But I swear, give me an hour, and I will have you (or your daughters) convinced to try out a bit of my Laura.

My love of Laura Ingalls Wilder began in the '70s, when I started receiving the Little House books as gifts from my aunt and uncle. The yellow-edged paperback covers had those charming Garth Williams illustrations of Laura, her big sister Mary and her little sister Carrie. One by one, I read them all. I was just in the single digits then, so when Laura started courting future husband Almanzo, I was not as thrilled as I was with her adventures on the banks of Plum Creek scaring Nellie Oleson with leeches on her legs. But I did read Laura's grown-up adventures anyway. And started back at the beginning again. And read them again. And again. Many times. Over and over.

My original dog-eared copies of the "Little House" books.

By the time I reached adulthood, I have gotten rid of many of my childhood books. But all the Little House paperbacks still managed to remain on my bookshelf, and when I married my husband and moved to my own little house, Laura's books came with me. I didn't crack them open until my daughter was born, and one winter day I started revisiting those now-yellowed pages while my baby napped. Over several cups of coffee on winter afternoons, I was immediately sucked in again to Laura's world. How I loved these books! And what a different perspective I had now, as a wife and mother! Ma's ability to "keep house" on the dirty prairie, create meals from few ingredients at times, make holidays happy without money or stores and raise her daughter's to have a little spunk in a time when girls were not taught to have spunk. And there was Pa's endless upheaval of the family, dragging them all over frontierland, was somewhat annoying to me. I think Ma was a saint. And all those praire chores. God bless modern conveniences.

Despite this, the wisdom of these pioneer women totally shined through the drudgery of the lives. They were strong, brave role models. I knew I wanted my first daughter to know about Laura, so imagine my delight when I came across a series of books called "My First Little House," a series of picture books based on Laura's stories. I searched out every single one of them, and they soon became Big Girl's absolute favorite books. We read them over and over, and over and over, and she was hooked. We watched re-runs of the TV show. When she was a bit older, I read every book in the series to her, chapter by chapter, night after night, until we finished. I explained American history and social history, and we watched videos of places Laura lived and visited on YouTube. I re-read the biographies and researched online to explain to my daughter some of the difference between the books and Laura's real life. We made butter, just like Laura. She wore a "Laura" costume to her preschool Halloween party, much to the delight of her teachers and wore it again to school as she got older for "dress as your favorite book character" day.

I kept collecting books about Laura, including travel books and books featuring artifacts from her family's life. Big Girl could now see pictures to go with all those words. And soon she was reading the books herself. And reading them over and over.

We read The Long Winter during a particularly long, recent snowy winter. It really hit home for both of us, as we kept reading about the family starving and trying to figure it all out in our heads of what that actually would have been like, more than 100 years ago, to be hungry and cold constantly, to twist hay into "logs" to burn for heat while our hands cracked and bled, to shake snow from the bed coverings every morning, and numerous other real complications of 19th-century life.

When Wendy McClure's The Wilder Life was being released, I could hardly contain myself at idea that someone else was obsessed with Laura as much as I was. And as it turns out, there are many people like me, many people who hope to do the "Laura Tour" of all the homesite museums, or attend "Laurapalooza" in the summer. There are countless web sites, books, homeschooling blogs and many others who revisit Laura's pioneer life regularly and analyze what is true and what is fiction, and how it all fits in to our collected history.


-- one of my favorite quotes --



Source: homegrownhospitality.typepad.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Some may think my love of all-things-Laura is rather silly or old-fashioned, but I don't really care. There are so many lessons to learn from this writer, daughter, mother, pioneer. If you travel beyond the "Little House" books to her journalism work, a reader can really get a sense of who Laura really, truly was. She was a wise lady, who lived a great life, and I am so happy to have "known" her.

Whether you pick up the Little House books or not, encourage your daughter to give it a try. Or just encourage your daughter to find her own "Laura." Share something you love from your childhood with your child. It's all about how you sell it, right? If I was not as excited about Laura's life, my daughter may not have been as fascinated as she is with her. But enthusiasm goes a long way, and along the way, you and your child will share a special bond over a book, or two, or three.

Fellow Prairie Heads should note that Wendy McClure has a new e-book (Kindle & Nook) which comes out Tuesday! The book is Don't Trade the Baby for the Horse: And Other Ways to Make Your Life a Little Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book, which is affordably priced at $2.99, is actually an off-shoot of her recent book, The Wilder Life. I've already pre-ordered mine for my Nook.

And we are not done with Laura and Little House! Look for future Prairie Head posts on this blog.

Book Review: Take Two!

Since the twins were born, I have been collecting books on twins. While I haven't kept all of them -- bye bye twin pregnancy books! -- I do love picture books about twins, and we have a few really great ones, some of which I will show you here in future posts.

About a week ago, I received a copy of a new twin book, Take Two! A Celebration of Twins by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen.

The book, which is published by Candlewick Press, is a collection of poems categorized by different subjects: "Twins in the Waiting Womb," "Twinfants," "How to Be One" and "Famous Twins." There are numerous poems in each category, and it's likely there will one there to describe any set of twins you know, whether it's a mischievous duo or a loving pair, double trouble or double blessing.

The poems are as much for mom and dad as they are the twins themselves, and in this house, Big Girl got the biggest kick out of the book. I think she read it from cover to cover, but she's so proud of her twin siblings you would think she gave birth to them herself! She loved many of the poems in the 72-page hardcover book and read many out loud to all of us.

Here's one that definitely spoke to me!

Be Even More Careful

You wished for a singleton; now you've got two:

A single in pink and a single in blue.

You wished for a family; that's not a crime.

You wished for a family -- but not at one time.

The book is charmingly illustrated by Sophia Blackall with colorful, adorable, sweet illustrations of twins, in both boy/boy, girl/girl and boy/girl combinations, in all ages and stages. Moms and kids may recognize Blackall's artistic style -- she is also the illustrator of the Ivy & Bean books, which Big Girl has loved and read more than once.

Take Two! is not just poems and pictures, however; the authors chose to include little twin facts which are on the bottoms of several pages throughout the book. It was interesting to read many of them, including one particular snippet about a long-ago Russian woman with 16 sets of twins... Seriously? God bless her!

Take Two! would make a charming gift for new moms of twins, who might need a chuckle during those long days of feeding, bathing and diaper changes; or to give multiple-moms-to-be as the start to a nursery's twin library.