Right now, Oliver is in love with farm animals and his new John Deere farm tractor toy that plays Old McDonald Had a Farm. It’s been fun to watch him play with it ever since he learned how to “drive” toy vehicles by pushing them around on the ground. I swear he didn’t know how to do that two weeks ago. To embrace his newfound interest in farms, we checked out a bunch of books about farm animals from the library. Here are five picture books about farm animals causing a ruckus (plus a bonus book to whip those silly farm animals into shape!) that we are reading this week:
Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman
An illustrated chicken springs to life in this meta-story to help finish painting her barnyard scene but instead wreaks havoc when she accidentally knocks over a jar of blue paint! The story text is simple, but the watercolor artwork is breathtaking. (Goodreads | Indiebound)
Cock-a-Doodle Doo-Bop by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Matt Myers
Mel, the rooster, is one cool cat bird. He tries to change up his morning wakeup call to the Cock-a-Doodle Doo-Bop, but when the sun doesn’t rise to start a new day, the other farm animals band together to try to get Mel to change his tune. Oliver loves anything remotely sing-song, so he really enjoyed this one! (Goodreads | Indiebound)
Moo! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
When a cow discovers her farmer is putting his shiny, red car up for sale, she cannot resist taking it for a joyride. Even when there might be a bump in the road…literally! With silly illustrations and simple text using only the word “moo” to tell the story, Moo! is a riot. Oliver makes me reread this multiple times in a single sitting. Multiple times a day. (Goodreads | Indiebound)
The Cow Said Neigh!: A Farm Story by Rory Feek, illustrated by Bruno Robert
Okay, okay. So we didn’t check this one out from the library. This one came from our personal library because it is an absolute favorite! This is a silly story about farm animals wishing they were other farm animals, and it’s filled with clever rhyme and fun animal sounds. (Goodreads | Indiebound)
This Little Piggy: a Counting Book by Jarvis
Little ones learn to count to ten in this adaptation of This Little Piggy. When one little piggy goes to the market, the rest of their piggy friends follows. Soon little piggies all over the place are dancing for hours, eating all the potatoes, and diving into mud pools. (Goodreads | Indiebound)
Bonus Book!
Spinster Goose: Twisted Rhymes for Naughty Children by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
You have heard of Mother Goose, I’m sure. But, have you heard of her curmudgeonly sister, Spinster Goose? She teaches at a school filled with naughty children who snap their bubble gum and chew on chalk, but Spinster Goose has a method for dealing with these trouble-makers. I recommend for older children. Oliver wasn’t quite a fan of this one, but I certainly enjoyed the darker, alternative twist on traditional nursery rhymes. (Goodreads | Indiebound)
What are some of your favorite picture books featuring farm animals up to no good?
Blogging has been my hobby for two decades now. I mean that quite literally. And during these past twenty years, blogging evolved from inane ramblings on personal websites built on Geocities to polished content creation with the unstated intent to sell something to the readers. It could be a lifestyle. It could be a self-published book. It could be an online course on how to make money from blogging. Heck, it could even be Books & Tea (the former title of this blog for new readers).
I can admit that sometimes I get caught up in the appeal of influencer culture. My heart skipped beats the day I was approved to read an Advance Reader Copy of The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson. And then again when I was invited to participate in book tours. And I’m sure I damn near hyperventilated the day Adagio Teas offered me some of their teas in exchange for reviews on my site. So, it was inevitable that I tried to evolve with the medium; it was like I was chasing a high. I choked down article after article about SEO Optimization, branding, how to use social media to drive traffic, and building e-mail lists. Then, this blog, this outlet for creativity, became a job. A chore. A burden.
It’s cyclical and it usually goes like this:
I write and publish with a fervor.
I think to myself, I could make something of myself and this little blog, so I spend countless hours working my way through branding workbooks or researching blog monetization.
I devise weekly content calendars, but the moment I sit down to start writing posts, I freeze. The flame fueling the desire to write fizzles out.
I realize I’ve been procrastinating all along. The branding workbooks, the content calendars– all distractions.
I disappear from the blog, the youtube channel, and social media because seeing other peoples’ posts makes me feel guilty for avoiding writing. It makes me feel insecure that anything I have created or will go on to create will never be as good as what they create, so why bother?
I most recently had been stuck in phase five, but as frustrating as it is, step five is not inherently bad. I mean, the negative internal speak is terrible, but the break from creating and consuming content isn’t bad. It’s refreshing to step back from the undeclared competition of blogging, and it’s refreshing to stop reading about how other people define success in the blogosphere. It’s also during this time that I re-evaluate what I love about blogging, and why it’s been my hobby for more than half my life. It’s never been about popularity or money, so I don’t know why I keep putting pressure on myself to achieve that kind of success. It’s always been about writing, creativity, and community, and once that realization settles in, I can throw myself back into my hobby.
Lately, I’ve been focusing on creating a daily writing habit. That way, if I ever fall into a rut again, I have routine to fall back on. I am also trying to find my online community again. It used to be easy to define back when I considered myself a book blogger, but as you must have noticed by now, I’m not reading much these days (unless it’s a picture book!). Finally, I am rediscovering content I enjoy writing and content that serves a purpose here at By Golly, Ollie! Like, how do I write about tea without writing a “review”? Will readers be interested in what I have to write about “Silencing the Pressure to be the Blogger I’m Not?” How do I write about motherhood but assure readers this isn’t just another mommy blog? I suppose I will figure all of that out soon enough. Right now, I’m just happy to experiment with writing again.
Do you ever feel pressure to blog a certain way or do you find yourself ever trying to achieve other peoples’ definitions of blogging success, and how do you deal with it?
I know we are three days into the New Year already, but you know how it is with these wrap-up posts… I like to take a minute (or more realistically an hour that gets edited down to about 12 minutes) and reflect on the month and really focus on some of the more positive experiences because I’m obnoxious like that.
Really there was so much more than just these five favorites though. There always is, like:
++ The random 50-degree weather we experienced during the week of Christmas. Ollie and I stretched our legs outside, had lunch on the front porch, and played basketball with the little basketball hoop/soccer net he received for Christmas.
++ Trying to get caught up on Tea with Jann YouTube videos. (I mean, Jann, in general, is the kind of content creator and community builder I admire, so there is that, too).
++ Getting Oliver down for the night by 9:30, sometimes even sooner, so I can take some time to decompress before I go to sleep. Some parents are awesome at the whole bedtime routine and manage to get their child into bed before 8, and their kids sleep through the night, and that is just not us (sadly). I aspire to be one of those parents!
++ My mom bought me a handheld game of the Oregon Trail, which is pretty rad.
++ Getting to spend time with family during the holidays, but even more important, Oliver getting to spend time playing with his cousins.
And, now I think I can finally be done with 2019. What were some of your December favorites? Also, I hope you had a swell December and a Happy New Year, too!
Right about now, my Twitter feed is filling up with snarky tweets that #SumsUp2019. Was this year really so bad, or is it easy for people to focus on the things that didn’t go right at the year’s end? This year wasn’t always easy or enjoyable for me, but I think it is easier for me to find and reflect on all of the amazing things that happened this year as opposed to all of the bad things.
A New Start
2019 started with a new job– an accounting assistant position, which allows me to work remotely from home so I can raise my son. In 2018, when my maternity leave was coming to an end, I still hadn’t made any attempt to find childcare for Oliver. I didn’t realize it at the moment, but I was avoiding the task because the thought of leaving Oliver in the care of someone else terrified me. This anxiety was not unique to me; I think most mothers, especially first-time mothers, are scared to leave their child in the care of someone else. But, also floating around my subconscious was the knowledge that I would be returning to hour-long commutes (each way), and a job that would require me to work upwards of 60 hours a week, leaving little time to raise my son. The moment I said out loud I wanted to stay home and raise my son, I had two potential job offers on the table. It was the best position I could be in– one made possible with all of the incredible experience I received at my previous job and my husband’s support because this meant taking a drastic pay cut since I would only be working part-time hours.
Oliver
Because this new job lets me work from home, I had front row tickets to watching Oliver grow up this past year:
He tried solid foods for the first time, and now he loves spaghetti, avocados, watermelon, chicken and rice, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and yogurt.
I watched him roll over for the first time, and I watched him crawl for the first time.
I watched him take his first steps!
I heard him say his first words, which was “dada”, although now all he wants to say is “mama”.
He turned ONE.
Not everything has been easy on the child-rearing front though. We had some obstacles to overcome this year too, but again, the privilege of being able to work from home and raise him helped ease the anxiety.
Oliver was diagnosed with torticollis and plagiocephaly, so every Wednesday for three months, we spent an hour at physical therapy.
When physical therapy wasn’t enough to correct the plagiocephaly, we had to get an orthopedic helmet to correct his head shape. It was a commitment both in terms of time and finance, but the results were worth it.
Oliver was diagnosed with an egg allergy, and now we always have to have epi-pens nearby just in case.
Travel
Considering Jon and I are new parents, the fact that we were able to travel so often this year blows my mind! Sometimes we were even able to drop Oliver off with grandparents and steal away for much needed alone time!
Cleveland, Ohio
First, we took a long weekend and explored Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland probably isn’t on the top of anyone’s list for travel destinations, but it’s actually a cool city. We admired the view of Lake Erie. We watched a stand-up comedy show at Hilarities. We wandered through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And coincidentally, the MLB All-Star games were taking place that week, so there was a baseball convention going on that had a lot of free and family-friendly activities.
Motor City Comic-Con
Jon, Oliver, and I spent a day exploring the Motor City Comic Con, and we left determined to make this an annual family event going forward. We spent most of the time exploring Artist Alley, and we purchased so much art that we have yet to display in the house. But, highlights also include seeing the top, left portion of David Tennant’s face, fangirling over Felica Day from afar, and this photo opportunity featuring baby Hulk meeting the real Hulk!
The Renaissance Festival
Jon unknowingly made my 5th-grade dream come true. Back in fifth grade, my class was supposed to go to the Renaissance Festival; however, my family moved away right before the trip was supposed to happen (this was actually a recurring theme in my youth– missing out on field trips because my family moved. I also missed out on the 6th-grade field trip to Washington DC as well as the senior field trip to Washington DC). But, I digress.
Jon, Oliver, and I found ourselves up in Holly, Michigan, and transported back in time. The Renaissance Festival was somehow better than I imagined. We feasted on smoked turkey legs, watched a Scottish Strongman Competition, saw a knight in shining armor preparing for a joust, and sipped a bloody mary from a little eatery called Bloody Mary Queen of Scots, haha.
Munich, Germany
We also jet-set across the Atlantic and spent a week in Bavaria. We spent most of our time wandering around in Munich, Germany, drinking beer, participating in and recovering from Oktoberfest, and tasting foods at the outdoor, weekend markets.
Salzburg, Austria
We also rode the train down and spent a day in Salzburg, Austria, which is quite possibly the most beautiful city I have ever visited. The elaborate, Baroque architecture was exquisite, and the buildings were so tall that I literally felt dizzy looking up at them. I even admired the sprawling Alps from a castle that was constructed back in the 1100s!
New York City
Most recently, I spent a day in New York City exploring Manhattan and doing all of the touristy things I never thought I would have the opportunity to do, like walk around in Central Park, see the Statue of Liberty in person, eat a slice of New York pizza, and experience the sensory overload that is Time Square. I also connected with one of my longtime pals, Bianca; she’s one of the only friends from high school I keep in contact with.
Books & Tea (and other things)
This year was terrible in terms of reading. I started a bunch of chapter books, but I only ever finished reading three (that’s one more than when I posted the other day). And, since once upon a time I considered myself a book blogger, it’s embarrassing to admit that! A lot of the time, I claimed I didn’t have the time to read, but even when I did find the time to read, I just wanted to decompress in front of the TV. You guys, I watched like eight seasons of Grey’s Anatomy this year. I’m almost current with the series.I did read a LOT of children’s picture books though.
My tea consumption increased drastically though! So did my tea collection even though I was on a tea buying ban. Weird how that works, right? And because I was drinking so much tea, I took the leap and started a youtube channel focusing on tea this year! I realize though I’m still pretty slow at posting content to my channel; the filming and editing process is very time-consuming. I might spend an hour filming, and then several hours more editing all of the material down to a coherent video that’s only 12 minutes long. It’s still a very satisfying and very rewarding process, and I love the small community I’m involved with on Youtube as well.
But, as much as I love Books & Tea, I realized the identity no longer suited me, so I took the leap and upgraded to a dot com. I also started working toward a writing routine at the end of the year, and this has improved my productivity and interestingly, my creativity too. I’m really hoping I can keep up this new routine so that my blog flourishes in 2020!
How was your 2019? Share with me some of the highlights of your year in the comments!
Winter is officially here! Although, the weekly forecast might have you wondering if Jack Frost is taking a vacation this year. I can’t believe it was in the 50s on Christmas day here in Michigan! Normally, I love freezing temperatures and plush snowbanks, especially now that I don’t have to drive in inclement weather. It used to give me a purpose for embracing my inner hermit, but now that Oliver is a rambunctious toddler, I find we are going stir crazy from staying cooped up in the house. So, when thermometers rose into the 50s, Oliver and I made our great escape and walked to the library to read about winter instead. Here are five picture books about winter we are reading this week:
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
Follow a brother and sister as they walk to town, conversing with nature and greeting the signs of the approaching winter. Pak’s illustrations are dreamy and somehow capture the quiet muffled sounds snow makes. I adore this story!
Little brother, Sam, experiences his first snowstorm, and older sister, Stella, delights in answering his many questions about the transformed landscape while showing him how to best enjoy a snowy day. Whimsical watercolor illustrations capture the wonder and imagination of the two siblings.
I couldn’t resist sharing this favorite from my own childhood. An adaptation of a Ukranian folktale, the Mitten tells the story of white mitten lost in the snow, and all the woodland animals that burrow inside to make it their new home. The illustrations are rich in detail, and I remember poring over them when I was younger.
Could any wintertime picture book list be complete without this Caldecott Medal-winning classic? The Snowy Day follows Peter, full of wonder, as he explores his city, which has been transformed by a blanket of snow.
The Twelve Days of Winter by Deborah Lee Rose, Illustrated by Carey F. Armstrong-Ellis
My son, Oliver, hasn’t started school yet, nor am I a good singer, but that doesn’t interfere with his LOVE of this book. Following the format of the song, the Twelve Days of Christmas, the Twelve Days of Winter captures the passion for learning (and the chaos too) of an elementary classroom as students participate in wintertime activities. The illustrations are rich in detail and personality and beg to be explored by young readers!
Do you have any favorite books about wintertime? Tell me about them in the comments!
About the Blogger
My name is Jackie, and I am a millennial / mother / Michigander / blogger / wannabe runner / accountant / local library enthusiast / gamer, kinda. This is a personal blog, which means I’m not entirely certain what you’ll find here, but it will definitely not show up on the first page of Google search results.
By Golly, Ollie! 