she likes to move it move it

E loves to dance and while we were in Tampa I took her the new children's museum. On the second floor they have a mini disco where you can select songs and go crazy, as she likes to say. They have a very limited selection of songs but Emma really enjoyed MC Hammer's Cant Touch This and the Safety Dance.
She went b a n a n a s!

Book of the week-Where's Walrus

Where's Walrus by Stephen Savage is another brilliant wordless book that I feel children and adults will love. Its simple, yet bold and retro illustrations will surely engage the smallest of readers as they try to find a walrus that has escaped from the zoo. A fun play with the Where's Waldo books, here the Walrus is easy to find; but children will be amused as they watch the walrus try and elude the zoo keeper by attempting to blend into each situation with a mere change of his hat. Hilarious and highly interactive, this story is sweet and sure to entertain all.
Side note, E loves Say Hello to Zorro and has given it her stamp of approval.

M.I.A

Yes Ive been slacking but not because i want to. I have been sick and still am. I have a terrible head cold/allergies? I will probably go to doctor tomorrow to figure out what is going on. Anyway, I will post my book of the week later today. Sorry for the delay.

Easter push pops

These are just too cute and easy to make, I guess the main thing would be finding the push pop containers. You could just clean out ones that you buy at the supermarket. When I find a link to the containers I will post but for now check the how to at Love from the Oven.

disc a what?

Emma strikes her blue steel pose as she works the scale

yep, this was my morning. I'm sick, my throat, nose and ears are killing me and I was up every two hours in pain. But I woke up at 630 and managed to get myself out of bed and on the 8 o'clock train into the city for her 2.5 year checkup. E was a nut at the doctors, I mean she was probably on her worst behavior ever! She had been up since 5am and just went all crazy chimp on me. Shaking her head, ripping the paper, jumping up and down. It is embarrassing when your doctor makes "those" eyes at your child, and we all know what "those" eyes are. I kept hearing the word discipline this morning and I feel as if it seems that I let Emma run a muck. I have tried disciplining her, spanking, threats, taking her favorite things aways but nothing instills fear in her. So I need to read more books and try a chart and promise her rewards such as stickers or tatoos, as if that will help. I wish someone would listen to me but apparently she is too young to diagnose anything and I just have to keep disciplining her, as well as socialize her and put her in dance classes. MMM, sounds so easy, right?!

sing a song a six pence

Emma really loves to sing. I mean she will sing with so much passion you can't help but laugh. She gets so physical and emotional. I fear I see a little budding artist in her. (Must steer her towards medicine and/or law.) Anyway, she loves to sing these songs in Spanish that I pretty much had to memorize in one night so I could sing her to sleep. She would request these songs and I had no idea what she was talking about until Connie showed me all the songs she had been singing with Emma during the day. In a way I feel cheated and bummed that someone else ignited the love of music in Emma, but I'm really grateful she did because I am not a singer. I don't even know the lyrics to Twinkle Twinkle, (well, now I do) so to have someone open my eyes to how important music is to a child, I am grateful.Emma's favorites are Pin Pon, Cucu, Sol Solicito,Rain Rain and Twinkle Little Star. She is too much and made my mom and dad really happy. Funny how one little being can inject life back into someone who has almost given up. Emma is handful but I'm madly in love with her.

Logan and Emma

this is my favorite pic of the two of them

matching shoes

They are like siblings, one minute they cant stand each other, the next they only want to be with one another. She misses him and I miss having family so close. Easter is coming soon and we are all ready for a week back home!

Peacocks

emma always likes to "bless" the earth

you can see in the back how one peacock opened its feathers.

Around the block from my rent's home there are a large group of peacocks and one morning the 4 of us went walking to see them. At this point Emma felt comfortable enough to break form the pack and start behaving like the ninja that she is. She does really love being outdoors and playing with animals and bugs.

some of my favorite people

I just love these pictures of Emma, Logan and my mom walking hand in hand. Emma hates holding hands and walking, so to see her actually behaving like a little lady made my day. And just to know that she was getting to enjoy family made it extra special. The weather in Tampa was divine!!! I'm quite bummed to be back in NY, enduring winter weather. Anyway...

emma in action

gotta check out the gangis

I know I have mentioned how I need a new point and shoot camera. There have been several occasions where I have only had my camera phone to capture a somewhat funny moment. Above are some of my favorite spur of the moment images.

book of the week, Say Hello to Zorro

I had a book all planned out for this week , but when I saw this book I just fell in love and I couldn't wait to share it. This book is just so wonderful, simple, yet full of emotion and humor. If you have ever introduced a new pet, be it a dog or a cat, into your family you will surely relate to this book by brilliant illustrator Carter Goodrich. Goodrich is a well known illustrator having worked on such animated films as Despicable Me, Monsters Inc and Ratatouille. He also has illustrated several covers for the "New Yorker". He has such a keen sense for capturing emotion in the smallest of gestures, and you will note just how expressive these little dogs' eyes are. This tale is one of unwanted companionship, change and adjustment. Mister Bud, a somewhat grumpy dog, who is set in his routine and quite content being the center of attention, gets his world turned upside down when his owners bring home Zorro, a sweet, at times bossy, pug. They are both told to "get along with each other" and this is always easier said than done. What follows is a sweet tale of two foes who slowly become friends and how change can at times be for the better. Having lived through something very similar with my two cats, I immediately gravitated towards this book. The illustrations are so joyful and the storyline quite relatable. This would also be a good book for helping an older child accept and share the spotlight with a new sibling. Now this book has yet to receive the the ninja stamp of approval but it has animals and moves fast so I think she and your wee ones will surely enjoy this book.

ahhh

yep, she's a nut

us on a good day

I want to scream and cry. What a rough night and morning. I really thought my newborn days were over. All morning I have been singing in my head "some days are better than others" to the tune of the Smith's "some girls are bigger than others". Sigh. Emma was up at 12: 17 am, 1am and 5:37am. I want to pull my hair out. I just want to have one uninterrupted night of sleep, especially since I was up at 3am that day.
So E proceeds to try and wake me up which is her new thing. Before last week she was really sweet and would let me sleep by quietly play around me but now she pulls my hand and starts saying "no quieres". This morning I wake up to a slurp followed by an "ah" and I look up to a full glass of wine looming over my head. E is just smiling and saying "gracias" and I quietly remove the glass from her hand. I was so tired last night that I didn't even get to enjoy my wine and hence how she got a hold of wine to begin with.
I roll over to try and sleep a little longer, but E is persistent and her new sure fire way of getting me up is by taking my hand and saying, "Mama , peepee". The minute I get up she smiles and says "good morning". I know more than half of the time she is just saying this to get me up but I was pleasantly surprised to see she actually needed to use the potty. What follows is a great example of why sleep is important and needed to function rationally. I left her on the potty to try and get 10 more mns of sleep and not 2 mns later I hear E in the hallway saying "oh oh , yuck yuck" and yep, there it is, small piles of soft yuck yuck in the hallway, on the seat and bathroom floor and down her leg. sigh...I realize I aint gonna be getting those last 10mns of sleep. Once I go in her room to clean her, I notice how she has destroyed her Chick and Pug book and I cannot understand why she would do such a thing, especially since it is one of her favorite books. All the pages are ripped out and I want to cry. I then go to the bathroom and I hear scratching on her wall and I come back to find that that she has scribbles all over her wall AGAIN. I lose it and I yell at her and explain that we don't do this and that I'm sad. She then comes over to me and makes her sad face and kisses me on the lips, as if that small gesture will fix things....and though I do melt inside, I proceed to tell her in a stern voice that we do not rip up books or write on the walls in a last ditch attempt that something I am saying will sink into her little head.
Finally, on my way to the car my coffee spills and I realize as I'm buckling Emma into her seat that she is not wearing a coat and it is 35 degrees and snowing. I really do start crying at this point because I feel like the worst mother...how could I leave the house without bundling her up? I was relieved to find that I had an extra coat of hers in the car and quickly cover her up. God I hope this day gets better.

hit the ground running

such a little jet setter!

We just got back from visiting my parents in Tampa and it went so fast. The weather was divine and I was happy to be home and to be reminded of what great parents I have, not perfect, but they do love me.
I've hit the ground running and am soooo tired and will post a new book later tonight...I went to Inkwood books and piked up several amazing books that I cant wait to share with you!!!
Thanks to Angie who won a copy of Chick n Pug!!!

First book give away! Ends Friday March 18.

image by Isaac Salazar

This week's book is Wombat Walkabout and as a way of me celebrating having reached a lucky 13 followers, I will be doing my first book giveaway. The rules are simple. You just have to become a follower, if you are not already, and leave a comment telling me which of the books I have talked about is one you would love to have and why. I would ideally like to have at least 10 comments and I will pick one at random, but please do not be discouraged if you are the only one..that just means you will be lucky winner! So spread the word to all your book loving friends and thank you all for having taken the time to look at my blog. I really do appreciate your time!
Side note, if you have left a comment on any of my book posts, I will also add those to the pool.
Good luck!

"We shouldn't teach great books; we should teach a love of reading"

- B. F. Skinner

Book of the week, Wombat Walkabout

da ninj gives this book her stamp of approval.

Wombat Walkabout, written by Carol Diggory Shields and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is a sweet tale about six wolly wombats, Jen, Jack, Theodore, Pru, Clive and Lee, each with their own distinct fashion accessory, who go on a "walkabout" in the Australian outback. These round little creatures let their curiosity get to them as they stop to discover some interesting things found only in the Australia. Your child will learn what exactly a wattle tree, billabongs, gum nut and a kookaburra are. There is even a glossary that will help parents and children keep track of the new vocabulary.
This book will not only expand your child's vocabulary but it will help teach them about observation and subtraction. You will have to have a keen eye to find the dingo lurking on each page as he follows the wombats on their journey. You will see how one by one the wombats start disappearing, but fear not, this book has a happy ending. The illustrations are just so cheerful and the text is written in a rhyming fashion that if your child enjoys the sing song aspect of 5 Little Monkeys, I am sure you and your child will love Wombat Walkabout. A fun read aloud book for all!

Last minute St. Patrick's Day ideas

I have never been one to celebrate or get into this holiday but I have come across some very nice craft ideas that are sure to put a smile on your wee ones or loved ones. These are so cute, budget friendly and super easy to do. All you will need is a printer, some paper, glue, scissors, you know, the usual tools.

adorable breakfast idea at thoughtfully simple with free printable sign.

sweet and free toppers at Home and Gardens

lovely gift bags at One Charming Party with free printables as well. You just need to buy some cello bags or use a Ziploc or even a small brown paper bag-get creative!

funny way to give some candy, found at Beth Proudfoot

sweet clover boutonnieres found at the one and only Martha


fun way to present some healthy snacks, also from Martha

and finally a great set of free printables at love the day

Lucky 13-book giveaway

Emma has to read Chick n Pug, Chicken Thief, Sleeping Bear, Mr. Wani and Wombat Walkabout every night!

I am a little excited to have now 13 followers. I know it is small but I do cherish all of those who take the time to look at miss E's adventures. In honor of getting to lucky 13, something I never ever thought would ever happen, tomorrow for my book of the week I will be doing my first book giveaway as a thank you. All you need to do is become a follower, if you are not yet, and leave a comment telling my which of the books I have talked about is your favorite and why. It seems you have a pretty good chance...1 in 13. I will post more details tomorrow.

M.I.A

I love how she fell asleep with her hand in the "cookie" jar.

I know I have been absent for a whole week and that I didn't even do a weekly book pic.
Last week was rough. Aside from having technical difficulties and being swamped at work, Emma decided it would be funny if she would wake up at 3am, every day! Plus my heart is a little heavy with some personal family issues. I just wasn't feeling it. I apologize and will do my best to shake off this funk and fatigue. E and I will leave for Tampa this Weds night. She is super excited to go on a plane and for some reason really wants to see my brother. She will just keep repeating his name over and over.

Sunday

top and shorts, Gap
tights, Zutano
boots, Stride Rite
focused on Sesame street, all her papa

I love this top. It has a French bull dog and it says "Bonjour" on the front

and it lists its outfit on the back, all in French. When Emma saw this shirt she got so excited and said "Chick and Pug" because the dog reminds her of the pug in her current favorite book.


from the side...still focused.
trench, Gap

I think I have a Suri in the making.

It was a lazy Sunday, we just went to get some groceries. The weather was rainy but warm enough to just wear a trench. I decided to let Emma sport her new trench coat and I was slightly shocked to see that she can now wear 4T! Anyway, I thought she looked super chic in her outfit.

Things that make me smile

This picture of me and my father. It is my all time FAVORITE picture of us. It has come with me wherever I go, when I lived in Paris and Mexico and when finally I moved to NY. I remember this day, the restaurant we were at and how happy I was to just be together has a family. My father was always working so for us to go out and have a meal as a family was always a special occasion.

Stockholm syndrome

When I saw this photo I just laughed because it reminds me so much of poor Gato and Emma. They really have a special relationship. She treats him like he is her personal punching bag and he takes it. My friend Claudia pointed out that he must be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. I actually believe she has a point. She will use him as her pillow, make him be not only her Bullseye, but the Bullseye for all her stuffed animals. She pulls his tail and paw while laughing this slightly maniacal laugh. One night she opened the door wide enough for him to come in and then closed it but before the door shut she looked up at me and gave me this devilish grin. It pretty much was the closing scene from the movie The Godfather.

Anyway, they are attached at the hip, he never scratches her in fact he always seeks her out. At times I feel they communicate in their own special language. They are buddies and while that makes me happy, I wish she would be more gentle with him.

how I made the Mickey Mouse cupcakes

So easy to do. I got the inspiration from here.

First make whatever cupcake flavor you wish. I made mine from a mix because I was pressed for time and wanted to focus on decorating them more.

Then you want to crumble some type of cookie into a fine dust almost. I found these wafers so easy to crush and they are not sweet so they wont compete with the frosting.

then slather on some frosting. I used chocolate to help the cookie crumbs blend.

and finally you attach the ears. Mini Oreos work the best! You just insert a toothpick through the cookie and

voila!

I will definitely be making these in the future...perhaps her birthday.