Storytime!

Just got back from the storytime at Winter Park Public Library, grateful for the free indoor fun that it offers my active 19-month old and I. To me, a great storytime for this age includes easy-to-follow stories with big pictures, songs, dancing, and hand motions. Sound effects like animal noises and stomping are big winners too. I think the WPPL (Winter Park, FL) dishes these out in the right doses to get toddlers interested and having fun. Plus, there's the big finale of either bubbles or playing with a big basket full of animal puppets. That spells 'instant party' to Samantha.

Yes, I know there are music, movement, and gym classes where kids can learn and explore. I'd love to try one with Samantha sometime. However, for families tightening their budgets or who like the flexibility of only coming when their schedule permits, library storytimes are big winners for interaction with other kids and a variety of learning situations. Not all storytimes are created equally though, so it's worth going to all the storytimes in your area to see which one your child likes the best.

A big bonus is a library that has a play area or cozy reading corner in the childrens' section for pre- or post-storytime activities. It's easy for kids to pick out books from the shelves and want to read with Mommy or Daddy when there's an easy environment to relax in.

Cuddles at the end of the day

Especially as my daughter has been running headlong, giggling and squealing into full-fledged toddlerhood, I've been treasuring the few quiet, cuddly moments we get in her full-steam-ahead days. Sam's not one to sit in your lap for long periods of time or cuddle up to you more than a minute or so because there's so much that she wants to see and do.

As a mommy who has a higher desire for snuggling than our daughter does at this point in time, I really love the end part of our bedtime routine. Here's a little window into this precious time of my day.

After the tooth brushing, bath, jammies, book and prayer with Daddy, I carry Sam upstairs and cuddle her into my lap for one last story. She's already calmed by the familiarity of the beginning of her routine and listens intently to my soft reading voice. Sometimes if I'm lucky, she even leans into my cheek and lets out a sweet little girl sigh.

"Samantha, it's time for bed." I give her a little affectionate squeeze, scoop her up into my arms, then turn on her ocean sounds machine and close the blinds and curtains. Gently I sway back and forth with Sam leaning her head on my shoulder and start singing our bedtime song, the first verse of an old hymn that I love, "Great is Thy Faithfulness". I love holding my warm sweet-smelling girl when she's so still at the end of the day, and with my song thanking God for another day with her. It's a tender mommy-moment for me.

While the sound of Samantha chewing on her bunny in my ear while I sing isn't so appealing, and often right after I lie Sam tranquilly down in her crib she's standing up and jabbering away, I'll take these precious minutes at the end of the day just as they are, thanks.

What moments of your day with your child(ren) do you treasure and store up memories about?