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?"

Olivia's Pick--20 December 2008

There's a little hill just down the street from our house that, when blanketed with 10 inches of snow, transforms into a peak of sledding perfection. Neighborhood kids, bundled up to their eyes, can be seen tugging their brightly colored, plastic discs and toboggans toward the hill, long before the snow stops falling.

Of course, we took Olivia last year. We pulled her through the snow, avoiding the steepest part of the hill.

But this year, she was ready for the real deal. Layered in Thinsulate and making that "swish swish" noise as she walked, we trudged down the block. We could hear the laughter before we even arrived. She was mesmerized, watching the other, older kids go zooming down. I had thought she might be scared or slightly intimidated but now, she just looked excited.

We climbed onto our two-seater, no frills, red, plastic sled. "Let's go, Mama!" she yelled.

"Hang on," I said.

A small push and we were off! Her laughter rang out as we bumped and bounced down the slope. Giggling and cold, we skidded to a stop at the bottom of the hill.

She turned back, looked at me from behind layers of pink outerwear and said, "Again?"

Olivia's Pick--14 December 2008

Maurice Sendak's whimsical illustrations + E.T.A. Hoffman's original "Nutcracker" legend = Olivia's favorite new book. This story is the mother of all Nutcrackers, the inspirational blueprint Tchaikovsky used to create his ballet monopoly on Christmas.

Sendak's illustrations illuminate this fanciful and slightly haunting tale in such a delightful way that, upon closing the book for the evening, Olivia will inevitably look at me and say "again!"

Plus, we've added the complete ballet recording to her musical repertoire, layering her experience of this holiday classic. Next year, she'll be ready to see the ballet live!

Olivia's Pick--7 December 2008

Honestly, what is better than the magic of the Christmas season as seen through a child's eyes? Especially a two-and-a-half year-old child who doesn't remember her two previous Christmases!

The wide-eyed wonder on her face when we lit up our tree was priceless. And now, whenever we get in the car, she makes it her job to find and point out every decoration or bundle of lights visible from her car seat. She's even learned several Christmas carols.

I know that as her Mama, I face the challenge of teaching her the true meaning of Christmas, and helping her learn that giving feels better in your heart than getting ever could. And I am already trying to weave these ideas into the fabric of her mind.

But right now, this Christmas, she's still only two-and-a-half. And it only takes lighting up our Christmas tree to put a smile on her sweet face. She's experiencing the magic of Christmas for the first time (even if it is really her third time). And witnessing that is, frankly, one of the best gifts this Mama could receive.