Olivia's Pick--8 February 2009

"I'm going to do some writing, Mama." Olivia said this to me a few days ago, as she picked up notebook and pen and headed to the kitchen table.

"Oh really?" I asked. "What are you writing?"

"Well," she mused, opening her notebook and carefully uncapping her pen, "I'm writing a poem."

"That's wonderful," I said. "I love poetry, don't you? Are you a poet?"

"No," she said. "Actually, I'm Olivia."

This week is a prolific one for Olivia, the writer and the logician.

For some enviable inspiration on how to encourage your young writer, check out The Write Start.

Olivia's Pick--1 February 2009

Blueberry pancakes. Oatmeal raisin cookies. Bundt cakes. Muffins. This week, Olivia has proudly taken on the mantle of Assistant Baker in this Mama's kitchen. Whatever I'm cooking up, she wants in. And the messier, the better.

Of course, I'm careful to steer her away from the hot stove or oven. But, as we've both discovered, there's much for her to do in an active kitchen. She stirs. She cradles smooth, rosy eggs in her tiny, perfect hands. She adds sugar and flour. She stirs some more. Perched on a chair, she helps me rinse blueberries. Sprinkled with flour, we explore texture, mixture, temperature. Her perfect curiosity is a delight to entertain--and encourage. And her sense of accomplishment, when we share a cookie she helped bake is simply beyond compare.

Every minute in her 2 1/2-year-old life is a learning experience. What a privilege, to bear witness.

Olivia's Pick--25 January 2009

This weeks's pick is much to this Mama's dismay. My 2 1/2 -year-old, potty-trained little angel has a new and troubling affinity: The pacifier.

Now, I've been told by other Mama's that this phase of regression is normal, and passing. I've been told that it was brought on by the birth of so many sweet babies into families we're close to--none of these babies sweeter than my little tough guy nephew. Seriously, you should see his cheeks.

But I've got to tell you, this new "I'm a baby" phase, complete with wanting a pacifier she never used in the first place, well, it kind of freaks me out.

At present, I'm trying not to make a big deal out of it. We don't have any pacifiers in the house, other than those attached by ribbons to her baby dolls. And I've been encouraging her desire to pretend and play, including indulging her when she asks me to "hold her like a baby," which involves me cradling all 37 inches of her in my arms.

But the pacifier? Really?

I'm hoping that, as other Mamas have predicted, this too shall pass.

I'll let you know.

Olivia's Pick--18 January 2009

It's a strange thing to admit, since I haven't made my home in this part of the country for well over a decade, but I think, based on the big tears she's crying this morning as we finish packing, Olivia's pick this week is Ohio.

I know. Weird, right?

But she's had so much fun here--despite the extremity-numbing cold--that I felt I needed to acknowledge it.

So, here's a very short, incomplete list of some noteworthy Ohio places, institutions or otherwise remarkable locations:

Toledo Museum of Art
Coastal Ohio--Lake Erie
OSU--The state's beloved university (and my baby brother's alma mater)
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame--Like Olivia says, "it's rock & roll, sweetheart!"
The Great Lakes Theater Festival

To be sure, Ohio is the butt of many of my jokes. So I'm taking my cue from Olivia this week, and employing a softer approach. I'm embracing my roots, appreciating my history. And I'm starting right away.

Well, as soon as I get back East, anyway.

Olivia's Pick--10 January 2009

Another mid-winter visit to the Midwest to play, bake, read and explore with her extended family is, as Olivia would say, "definitely" her favorite thing going this week. And cousins, well, they're the best of the best, especially when you're a kid. So this week, Olivia's Pick is her cousins and all of the fun time she gets to spend with them.

And I have no doubt she's having a blast because every time I peek in to see how she's doing, she looks at me and says "Go away, Mom."

Olivia's Pick--3 January 2009

My little artist expanding her oeuvre before my very eyes, thanks to Santa's well-honed gift-giving skills. Olivia has moved her art off of the kitchen table and onto her brand new wooden easel from the fabulous Melissa and Doug. In addition to painting, this easel's capabilities have encouraged her to experiment with new mediums, including chalk and dry erase markers. Paint on paper, however, still seems to be her preferred form of artistic expression. By next Christmas, she might be ready for canvas!

Thanks, Santa!

Olivia's Pick--27 December 2008

Giddy and exhausted in our post-holiday denouement, we decided to treat Olivia to her first cinematic experience. We bundled up and headed over to the multiplex, a palace of animated and confectionery wonders in which Olivia had never previously set foot.

She was smitten immediately, giggling with joy as we stepped onto the first of several escalators that would lift us to our destination: the swashbuckling epic film of love, honor, hope and rodents. The Tale of Despereaux.

It is a carefully crafted, lyrically told and gorgeously animated story that held the entire audience (which was largely populated by preschoolers) rapt. Devoid of raunchy, inappropriate jokes that seem so ubiquitous in "children's" movies these days, this film is a real gem that will capture the imagination of the entire family.

And when this full length feature was over and the credits began to roll, Olivia looked up at me and said--you guessed it--"Again?"