“Daddy, is it OK if I have one moneyness? Thank you!”
— the kid asks for and receives a penny

Though the kid can’t read yet, she loves books and storytelling. Her mom reads her stories on a continual basis, reading and re-reading the kid’s favorites.

As a matter of fact, the kid actually has many of her favorite books memorized. Check out the above video where the kid ‘reads’ a current fave, Top Cat, to see what I mean.

“Sorry Wubie, you’re not fancy.”

– Lucy explaining why he was not invited to her party

Lucy loves to create plays of her favorite books. Lately she has been Alice in Wonderland. She got a pinafore recently and it is now her favorite dress up item. She asks every morning ‘is my pinafore ready?’

She knows the book well and quotes bits from it. Often when we are in the garden we pretend the flowers are saying “no weeds!” to us.

She runs around chasing the white rabbit. She even has her own white rabbit!

“It’s glistening with happiness…with a silver blanket!”
— Lucy talking

A Borders bookstore near us is closing up shop. I dropped by to look around and found some neat bookshelves. Both were made of metal (like Iron Maiden) and had wheels, so I was sold on the feature set. When I saw the pricing, it was a basically a no-brainer, so I ended up grabbing ‘em both.

After getting my shelf fix I ended up returning with Jill and the kid. Jill grabbed a few books and Lucy got a Sally Cat doll.

If we had more room I totally would have snagged some of the 8 foot tall wooden bookshelves. However, I resisted the urge by promising myself that once we get into a bigger place I’ll be able to build my own bookstore-like shelves.

Pics taken with iPod Touch.

“1 – 2 – 3…no peaking dolly!”
— Lucy plays hide and seek with her doll

Lucy loves books and the telling of stories. Today she put on a special show: while her mom read “Mog’s Christmas” aloud, Lucy acted out the story with the help of a few props. Both girls did a great job—even Wubie plunked himself down on the couch to watch the show.

Wubie and I both hope to see more “shows” in the future!

One of our favorite bedtime stories is The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren (also author of Pippi Longstocking.) The little old gnome checks in on each of the animals on the farm, and talks to them in Tomten language, a quiet little language animals can understand. It is very reassuring and helps her go to sleep.

Around December every year we put up an advent calendar. This year in addition to the paper ones, we used the knitted cap and mitten one I had lost last year. It is big enough for a little present in each sock or hat.

On the first or second day, a Tomten appeared next to the mitten of the day. Lucy was very happy to see him, and quickly decided that he was the one responsible for the little gift in each mitten or cap that arrived with a new day.

When Christmas was over and his hard advent work was done, and most of the gnomes  and elves around the house went back into boxes with the Christmas decorations, the Tomten stayed out. (Here he is seen enjoying a tea party with some other small household residents.)

He has become the Tomten for our house, protecting the animals and people within. He has even become the postmaster for any tiny letters or parcels which may arrive.

He is a busy, hardworking little Tomten. His hat is starting to come off from being played with, and having sweaters put on him. We are trying our best to treat him gently.

He has moved into a little wooden cottage, and there is a new friend gnome girl recently arrived to keep him company.

Hopefully he will be happy in his new quarters and protect our home for many moons to come.

We went to the Dickens Fair today, first time for Mike and Lucy, and we all had fun. Mike liked the ‘time travel’ aspect, and that the participants were so into it; Lucy liked the variety of activities for kids (especially the carousel), and any time there was music and dancing. I always love the bookstore, the costumes, the humorous stage shows, and the tea. My dad mentioned at Thanksgiving that he had once gone in costume. So it is a longstanding and now revitalized family tradition.

(here she is up on stage with Mother Goose.)

Before we popped in I browsed a victorian dictionary to familiarize us with standards and language of the day (the fair is set in Victorian London, at the time of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.) It was interesting to learn that many of our common expressions started out as Victorian slang. Everything old is new again!

It is always fun to visit London even as remotely and tangentially as this. The victoriana website’s graphics reminded me of our old favorite London Walks, if ever you are in London or near abouts these historical walks are not to be missed!

carolers at the tea shoppe

I had been going with my mom every year since they started it up again, til recently when madame came along. We (Mommy & I) would always hit up Cuthbert’s tea shoppe first, then come back around again for the special 4 o’clock tea.

This time we missed out on the tea, which is one of the best teas in the bay area.  If you want to go, make a mad dash to Cuthbert’s the moment you walk in, and make reservations for their special 4 o’clock tea. New this year, you can also make tea reservations online up to the day before. You may also pay in advance, which is helpful as they only take cash at the Fair.

crafts for kids

One more tip if you are going with kids…the carousel line is much shorter later in the day. The ride has only 5 animals and lasts pretty long, so your wait will be longer than an ordinary carousel. It has a safari theme and the ride presenter acts out their safari, which is certainly unique! The kids were enraptured, hanging on his every word. Lucy rode it twice!

“I’m a new dolly!”
— Lucy, after washing her feet

Every so often it gets a little quiet and I start to wonder what madame is up to. One day my mommy-radar was tingling and this is what I found…

which reminded me of this…

(That’s Edith climbing to get Mr. Bear’s new clock from Edith and Mr. Bear. )

When I popped onto the scene Lucy assured me of her great climbing ability, and I did let her finish getting the toys and climb down by herself.

She has used the chair to get things like cookies from high places…last week I found her quietly reaching for cookies on top of the micro by using the chair…but adding the stool to it is a new trick.

I think I will keep those cats at a more accessible level from now on…and keep listening for when it is too quiet.

Lucy playing (large version) from Jill C on Vimeo.

We were reading one of Lucy’s fave books, Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs, when Lucy decided it was about time to write her letter to Father Christmas.

We got out her letter-writing kit, and with some prompting, she dictated to me:

Dear Father Christmas,

I like your reindeer. I would like a train set. And Wubert would like a dry towel.

(The dry towel being for after he got out of the tub and was a “soggy moggy.”)

I left the room for a moment, and when I came back, she had started to write another letter in her own hand. So I left her to it.

She used all the stamps on her letter, just in case.

A bit later I wandered back in to see Wubert in the midst of creating his own letter. I suspect he did not want a dry towel after all…and was making his wishes known.

We sent the letters out the next day. We’ll keep an eye on the post and report any interesting mail.

Seeing Lucy sitting on the floor reading at my house reminded me of a couple of my favorite pictures of myself when I was about her age, way back in the olden days of 1971. I think Lucy wins the fashion competition, but our sitting/reading styles are quite similar!

Auntie Laura