pickle nose and stinky toes

Don't Wake the Baby!

2011-10-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hey!
We'll be taking your window out today
The building manager came to say
Just a bit of decay, but don't dismay
We surely won't get carried away
A couple of hours and we'll call it a day
Get in, get done, and get out of your way......

Ding Dong....
The window replacement is coming along
But the time frame was just a wee bit wrong
We'll be done before long, we won't string you along
Surely the project won't take a year long
Back in the morning with a day-labor throng
We'll finish the job and then run along.

Knock Knock...
Seems we've run into a bit of a block
The windows we need are out of stock
They are now at the Port, but stuck at the dock
So we'll be back at eight o'clock
We'll throw in the window and seal it with caulk
Tight as a drum and strong as a rock.

Do I feel a breeze?
Sir, may I have a word with you please?
You may want to speak with your new trainees.
Not that I'm doubting their expertise
But they pulled out my window with the greatest of ease
While I stood in my room as bare as the bees.
I guess you could say I'm a bit displeased.

Son of a gun!
Guess what? You are the lucky one!
All three windows need to be done
Now, calm down...we all know it's no fun
But now that the work has really begun
You'll be the first to have it totally done
And your place will be fine, second to none!

Tap Tap...
OK, now you've done it, I'm gonna snap
I've lived with the bangs and the thunks and the raps
I've humored the bare nekked breeze and the flaps
I've even put up with the zaps and the claps
But listen up, and listen good, you old chap
You've woken the baby, she was taking a nap!

Library Story Time: "Bark, George" and "Mean Soup"

2011-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today was Tuesday Storytime for toddlers at the Viera/Suntree branch of the Brevard County Library System, and the theme of the day was Things That Aren't Really What They Seem.

I was pleased that there were lots of little action songs interspersed throughout the story time because Evie was having a fidgety day and was more interested in hopping, clapping, jumping, and twirling than sitting. She even had one of her "let me just lay on the ground and laugh like a maniac" episodes, and while the fidgeting is pretty universal in the toddler age group, the "evil laugh like I'm possessed" was a little creepy and bought her a trip to the hallway to practice eyes, ears, shhhh, after which she sat and listened well. Evie still tests her boundaries with Nana every once in a while, especially when Mom isn't around, but once she figures out that the rules haven't changed she straightens up pretty quickly.

The first book read was Bark, George, by Jules Feiffer.

First, we listened to the story. George is a dog whose Mom is trying to teach him to bark, but the only sounds that come out of his mouth are the sounds of other animals. When George's Mom takes him to the doctor, the doctor reaches into George's mouth and pulls out the animals that are really making the noises. Once all the other animals are out George is finally able to bark.

Next, the staff pulled out a bag with a picture of George on the front. The bag was stuffed with laminated animal picture cards and the children got to come up and stick their hand in "George" and pick out an animal card. They all had fun telling the name of the animal and the sound it makes.

Finally, the activity for the day also was associated with the book. Each child had an envelope with cut out pictures of George the dog and a few smaller animal pictures. They were given a glue stick and crayons, and after coloring the animals, they glued George to the front of the envelope and put the other animals inside, so they could take it with them and replay the activity at home.

This was a great participation exercise, and we enjoyed it very much, although I have to remember to keep my hands off and let Evie paste and color however she wants and not the way it is "supposed" to be!

The kids loved Bark, George, but my favorite book by far was Mean Soup, by Betsy Everitt.

Mean Soup centers around Horace who has had a very bad day at school, made even worse by having to be picked up by Miss Pearl who nearly kills three poodles on the way home. By the time he arrives at home, words can't even describe how angry Horace is, but his Mom knows just what to do...she enlists Horace's help in whipping up a batch of "Mean Soup," with water, salt, and a few special ingredients like screams, and growls, and fiery dragon's breath. By the end of the story Horace has learned how to vent his anger in a way that doesn't hurt anyone else, and Horace and his Mom have enjoyed some special time together. The pictures are big and colorful, and the book is a great way of introducing the concept of the child learning to control his feelings and emotions so that they don't control the child. Of course, I had the most fun making the growling and roaring sounds along with the book, which I am afraid almost bought ME a trip to the hallway with the librarian to practice eyes, ears, shhhh....

Both are great reads and it would probably be pretty easy to incorporate an activity lesson to go along with Mean Soup that introduces the concepts without even to have to use a stove or boiling water. After all, that is what imagination is for! You can check them out at the library, or here are a couple of links to Amazon if you'd like to buy them for your own home library. I did not see either of these books available in downloadable format from the library for those of you who have jumped on this wonderful opportunity. If you haven't heard that many libraries now have the ability to lend books electronically to apps like kindle or other e-reader or audible type devices, here is a link to my library's eLibrary Catalogue as an example.

Proudly linked to

69 Things To Do To Avoid Writing a List Post

2011-10-02T21:31:00.001-07:00

When my creative faculties seem to be blocked, I find that there is nothing more motivating than an overwhelming desire to avoid something that appears to be even more loathsome and repulsive. Procrastination is my muse, and today's activities were undoubtedly divinely inspired.

Today I....

Read today's assignment thoroughly, including all of the linked articles given as examples.
Sent 10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits to my daughter.
Read all the linked posts from 10 Steps to Writing the Perfect List Post.
Rolled my eyes while reading the posts about exercise.
Wondered if I could come up with better things to do when stuck for a blog topic than Darren.
Thought of the friends I know who probably would have spent $10 for one of those domain names.
Jumped on over to twitter to play with the 10 Twitter Tools that Help You Work Smarter.
Got annoyed with the guy who is sending endless tweets about his erotica reviews.
Deleted him.
Decided to make a list of all the Mom Loop twitterers I'm following.
Decided I should make a favorites folder for blog tips.
Did that, then went back and added all the links to the folder.
Received and acted upon an intuitive thought that I should put up the computer for the day.
Decided the weather was so nice that I should clean off my porch.
Went to Ace Hardware to buy an adapter to hook up my garden hose to my sink faucet.
Bought the wrong one.
Spent 30 minutes trying to hook it up anyway.
Cursed.
Went back to Ace Hardware with the aerator tip this time.
Bought the wrong one again.
Still attempedt to hook it up.
Created a "fountain park" atmosphere in the kitchen everytime the adaptor popped off.
Use a variety of expletives.
Gathered hose and all adaptors and threw them forcefully onto porch.
Slammed door.
Cursed some more.
Considered trying out some of the exercise tips I read about.
Took a nap instead.
Decided it was a good day for a picnic.
Went to Publix to buy picnic food.
Took Evie out to the playground with picnic food.
Carried food around because she didn't want to eat.
Decided we should put the food back and get bread to feed the ducks.
Marched to the pond with the bread singing "The Ants Go Marching One by One".
Discovered I could make duck call sounds by holding my fist up to my lips and blowing.
Experimented with that until the ducks swam over and the neighbors got annoyed.
Discovered that if we threw bread first to the right, then to the left, we could make the ducks race back and forth.
Did that while humming the theme song from "Rocky".
Finished the bread.
Followed Evie the two year old around the pond to the pool gate.
Attempted to convince her that I didn't bring the pool keys.
Allowed myself to be frisked for pool keys.
Stated it was time to go home.
Attempted to convince her that without pool keys we could not get past the gate.
Cajoled.
Pleaded.
Begged.
Counted.
Picked up screaming toddler and carried her back home.
Decided ice cream was a proper reward for carrying a screaming toddler.
Ate ice cream for dinner.
Thought about writing my list post, but remembered my intuitive thought.
Decided to work on my vision board instead.
Cut out pictures from magazines.
Used the entire glue stick that I had pasting pictures on to poster board.
Spent 30 minutes trying to find the other glue stick that Evie had been putting on her dolls as "chapstick".
Gave up and went to Walgreens for more glue sticks.
Ran into a friend at the checkout who was buying an entire bag of stuff for 45 cents because she is an avid couponer.
Decided that I should buy a Sunday paper and start couponing.
Spent 30 minutes in the parking lot talking to her about couponing.
Went home and worked on my vision board some more.
Lost the cap to the glue stick.
Experimented with various materials to keep the glue stick from drying out.
Decided on a piece of the plastic Walgreens bag as a glue stick cap.
Checked the receipt to see if I got the sale price on the glue sticks.
Thought about going back to the store to demand the $1.12 I was overcharged.
Decided it wasn't worth it.
Figured I'd better work on improving my blog since I'd probably be a lousy couponer if saving $1.12 didn't seem like that big a deal.
Pulled out the laptop and wrote 69 Things To Do To Avoid Writing a List Post!

69 Things To Do To Avoid Writing a List Post

2011-10-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Read today's assignment thoroughly, including all of the linked articles given as examples.
Sent 10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits to my daughter.
Read all the linked posts from 10 Steps to Writing the Perfect List Post.
Rolled my eyes while reading the posts about exercise.
Wondered if I could come up with better things to do when stuck for a blog topic than Darren.
Thought of the friends I know who probably would have spent $10 for one of those domain names.
Jumped on over to twitter to play with the 10 Twitter Tools that Help You Work Smarter.
Got annoyed with the guy who is sending endless tweets about his erotica reviews.
Deleted him.
Decided to make a list of all the Mom Loop twitterers I'm following.
Decided I should make a favorites folder for blog tips.
Did that, then went back and added all the links to the folder.
Received and acted upon an intuitive thought that I should put up the computer for the day.
Decided the weather was so nice that I should clean off my porch.
Went to Ace Hardware to buy an adapter to hook up my garden hose to my sink faucet.
Bought the wrong one.
Spent 30 minutes trying to hook it up anyway.
Cursed.
Went back to Ace Hardware with the aerator tip this time.
Bought the wrong one again.
Still attempedt to hook it up.
Created a "fountain park" atmosphere in the kitchen everytime the adaptor popped off.
Use a variety of expletives.
Gathered hose and all adaptors and threw them forcefully onto porch.
Slammed door.
Cursed some more.
Considered trying out some of the exercise tips I read about.
Took a nap instead.
Decided it was a good day for a picnic.
Went to Publix to buy picnic food.
Took Evie out to the playground with picnic food.
Carried food around because she didn't want to eat.
Decided we should put the food back and get bread to feed the ducks.
Marched to the pond with the bread singing "The Ants Go Marching One by One".
Discovered I could make duck call sounds by holding my fist up to my lips and blowing.
Experimented with that until the ducks swam over and the neighbors got annoyed.
Discovered that if we threw bread first to the right, then to the left, we could make the ducks race back and forth.
Did that while humming the theme song from "Rocky".
Finished the bread.
Followed Evie the two year old around the pond to the pool gate.
Attempted to convince her that I didn't bring the pool keys.
Allowed myself to be frisked for pool keys.
Stated it was time to go home.
Attempted to convince her that without pool keys we could not get past the gate.
Cajoled.
Pleaded.
Begged.
Counted.
Picked up screaming toddler and carried her back home.
Decided ice cream was a proper reward for carrying a screaming toddler.
Ate ice cream for dinner.
Thought about writing my list post, but remembered my intuitive thought.
Decided to work on my vision board instead.
Cut out pictures from magazines.
Used the entire glue stick that I had pasting pictures on to poster board.
Spent 30 minutes trying to find the other glue stick that Evie had been putting on her dolls as "chapstick".
Gave up and went to Walgreens for more glue sticks.
Ran into a friend at the checkout who was buying an entire bag of stuff for 45 cents because she is an avid couponer.
Decided that I should buy a Sunday paper and start couponing.
Spent 30 minutes in the parking lot talking to her about couponing.
Went home and worked on my vision board some more.
Lost the cap to the glue stick.
Experimented with various materials to keep the glue stick from drying out.
Decided on a piece of the plastic Walgreens bag as a glue stick cap.
Checked the receipt to see if I got the sale price on the glue sticks.
Thought about going back to the store to demand the $1.12 I was overcharged.
Decided it wasn't worth it.
Figured I'd better work on improving my blog since I'd probably be a lousy couponer if saving $1.12 didn't seem like that big a deal.
Pulled out the laptop and wrote 69 Things To Do To Avoid Writing a List Post!

"A Frog in the Bog"

2011-09-29T20:44:00.001-07:00

So, today was Thursday story time at the Suntree/Viera branch of the Brevard County Library system, and as seems to be the emerging trend, I appeared to be enjoying the books more than the toddlers. I really don't think it was fair that I had to move so the little kids could see, but I did anyway. They could have stood by the door so they could be first in the story room just like I did, but whatever...
The theme of the day was frogs, and my favorite book was A Frog in the Bog, by Karma Wilson. A Frog in the Bog has plenty of rhyming and a catchy meter, and when merged with a repetitious theme mimicking "there was an old lady who swallowed a fly", it had all of the elements necessary to catch and hold the attention of a two year old. Well... the two year old was still singing row, row, row your boat, but I was enthralled, and by end of the book I could almost remember that the fly had swallowed ONE tick, TWO fleas, THREE flies, FOUR slugs, and so on...

In the belly of the frog
On a half-sunk log
In the middle of the bog

Now, you know you want to say that over again, don't you? Go ahead, no one's watching, and I won't tell!
Of course, there is a HUGE plot twist that you never see coming, but I won't spoil the surprise, you'll have to either check it out from the library or pick it up on Amazon if you want the rest of the story.

*signs off*, murmuring "in the belly of the frog, on a half-sunk log, in the middle of the bog"

"A Frog in the Bog"

2011-09-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

What's This Thing In My Bed?

2011-09-27T20:21:00.001-07:00

What's this thing in my bed
Under the sheet?
It jumped on my leg
As I started to sleep.

It's skinny and long
With fur on each end,
And it's shell is quite hard,
It surely won't bend.

I don't want to look,
I am really quite scared.
I don't want to move
Until it's ensnared.

Oh, what shall I do
And where shall I go?
So I grabbed my left shoe
And dealt it a blow.

I turned on the light
And gazed at the bed.
Thank goodness, I'm saved!
The Q-tip is dead!

What's This Thing In My Bed?

2011-09-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

"Press Here"

2011-09-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

We hit the Suntree/Viera Library this morning for toddler story time, and I finally managed to pick up a volunteer application which I have been meaning to do for a month now. But I digress....back to story time.
The theme of the day was color, and after the mandatory "stand up and get your wiggles out" kind of song, we meandered through a rhyme about a fish that changes colors, the absolutely wonderful Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See (I was quite disappointed in myself when I failed to remember that the cat was purple), and then participated in the reading of Press Here by Hervé Tullet. Press Here engages the child's imagination by issuing simple directives such as "press here and turn the page" on a blank white page with a single bright yellow dot. After following the directions, the child is amazed to see that their action has magically changed the dot in size, color, number, or a myriad of other ways.
In and age when even a toddler has learned that she should be able to perform wizardry with the mere touch of a fingertip to a touchscreen, this delightful book is a great reminder that the combination of a child, a book, and imagination perform an enchanting alchemy that modern technology can't even begin to emulate.

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, check out this link....

And for Press Here, check out some great deals at Amazon. You won't be disappointed!

"Press Here"

2011-09-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

And for Press Here, check out some great deals at Amazon. You won't be disappointed!

Workin' It

2011-09-25T20:15:00.001-07:00

Toddlers in Tiaras
Got nothing on me
I've got a new purse
And it's something to see.

A little bit aqua

With pink, black and white

I'll work it today

Then I'll work it tonight.

A cool simple arm strap
To keep it close by
I'm stylin', I'm hip,
I'm fresh and I'm fly.

I know how to work it

Just watch and you'll see

Toddlers in Tiaras

Got nothing on me!

Workin' It

2011-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Toddlers in Tiaras
Got nothing on me
I've got a new purse
And it's something to see.

A little bit aqua

With pink, black and white

I'll work it today

Then I'll work it tonight.

A cool simple arm strap
To keep it close by
I'm stylin', I'm hip,
I'm fresh and I'm fly.

I know how to work it

Just watch and you'll see

Toddlers in Tiaras

Got nothing on me!

About Me

2011-09-24T20:40:00.001-07:00

My name is Laurie Croce, and I have decided to restart my life beginning at the age of say....2. That means that I get to have temper tantrums when I don't get my way but also that I get to dance and laugh and sing without caring what people think about me! I am under the tutelage of Miss Evalynne Rose, who knows exactly how to be 2 years old because, well, she is 2 years old. I am going to strive to follow in her footsteps, absorbing all the various nuances of a proper pout or an infectious giggle. I am mere clay in the hands of a master potter, why don't you come along and enjoy the ride?

Check out my the rest of my profile

About Me

2011-09-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Check out my the rest of my profile

Ever had a song you can't get out of your head?

2011-09-24T18:52:00.001-07:00

Well, if you have a child around and happen to play this song for them, you will never, ever, be able to stop it. And just an FYI, the 2 year old word to request this song is "eewo". It took me forever to figure out what she was trying to say, but now I know, it means please play "Steve the Superhero" song. Just in case, you know, you find yourself in the same situation.

Really and truly, I love this video and all of the really cool kid's music and video content on Eric Herman's YouTube music channel. You can check it out here.
He also has an awesome blog, called Cool Tunes for Kids, which is also well worth checking out because he not only has some of his own work, but is a great resource for other kids musicians and music sites.
I may be having more fun than Evie finding all of this stuff, but shhhh, don't tell anyone. It will be our little secret, and if you get addicted too, we can all form a support group. I've already decided that "Steve the Superhero" will be our theme song!

Ever had a song you can't get out of your head?

2011-09-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Sky Divers

2011-09-24T15:15:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Sunday afternoon lazing about on the deck of Sebastian Beach Inn last weekend and were delighted to be "invaded" by some adventurous folk from Skydive Sebastian. Evie had fallen asleep from all of the fun and fresh air, but woke up just in time to watch in amazement as the plane spilled out tiny spots that transformed into a colorful kaleidoscope of parachutes. I'm not sure what she was thinking when she finally grasped the metamorphosis of color into actual people falling from the sky, but the look on her face was priceless. Some times you are just in the right place at the right time. This was one of those times.

I've seen Free Divers
Sea Divers

And hey look at me divers.

Cave Divers

Brave Divers

And I need a shave divers.

Boat Divers

Moat Divers

And let's take a vote divers.

Day Divers

Night Divers

And just not quite right divers.

But what a surprise,
I can't trust my eyes,
I didn't know divers
Could come from the skies!

First came the airplane
That circled around
Higher and higher
Away from the ground.

And then I saw dots,
That then became spots
Of color and fabric
There were quite a lot.

Closer and closer
and closer to me,
Swooping and looping
Right down to the sea.

And then, just in time
They came in to land
Touching down gently
Right in the sand.

Of all of the divers

That might catch your eye,

I like the divers

That come from the sky!

Sky Divers

2011-09-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've seen Free Divers
Sea Divers

And hey look at me divers.

Cave Divers

Brave Divers

And I need a shave divers.

Boat Divers

Moat Divers

And let's take a vote divers.

Day Divers

Night Divers

And just not quite right divers.

But what a surprise,
I can't trust my eyes,
I didn't know divers
Could come from the skies!

First came the airplane
That circled around
Higher and higher
Away from the ground.

Of all of the divers

That might catch your eye,

I like the divers

That come from the sky!

My Nana's Lost Her Marbles

2011-09-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

My Nana's lost her marbles.
I don't know where they went.
She seems to think it's all my fault,
But I don't know what she meant

I looked behind my fortress,

And underneath the books,

Next to the blocks and puzzles
And on my towel hook.

They weren't inside the bathtub,
Or floating in the sink.

I didn't see them anywhere
I don't know what to think.

I checked inside the toybox.
I looked out on the deck.
I even looked in Nana's room
(It really was a wreck)!

I told her I was sorry
But I couldn't help her out,
Cause if she didn't put her toys away
She'd have to do without!

My Nana's Lost Her Marbles

2011-09-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

My Nana's lost her marbles.
I don't know where they went.
She seems to think it's all my fault,
But I don't know what she meant

I looked behind my fortress,

And underneath the books,

World Alzheimer's Day

2011-09-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

So, in case you forgot, today was world Alzheimer's day.

OK, so that could be considered in bad taste, but in the words of Larry the Cable Guy, "Now that there's funny, I don't care who you are".
Honestly, though, I have cared for many people with this terrible disease, and there is nothing funny about it, and I truly feel for those who have to deal with it on a daily basis. There is something that is just so "not right" about losing your mental capacity while your physical body is still going strong and I commend and support all of those people fighting to find either treatment or a cure. God bless you all.
However, having worked in the medical profession, I also know that we often use humor to lighten the burden of the constant barrage of stress, pain, and grief that we see all the time, so cut me a little bit of slack here and I'll tell you why this has anything to do with nonsense poems.
I come from a family of jokers and story tellers, although I am amazed that my Mom and Dad can't figure out where I get my imagination from. Helloooo! Dad was always making up funny rhymes and sayings, and Mom still sings songs that make absolutely no sense, but the kids all love them. So in answer to your question Mom and Dad, I get it from YOU!
The segue into the poetry link comes from the memory of a day a few months ago when I was at my folks house sitting in the hot tub with my Mom and two neices, and decided to recite a few nonsense poems like "the flea and the fly in the flue", "Jabberwocky", and finally, a little ditty by William Hughes Mearns called "Antigonish".

With all credit to Hughes Mearns, the popular poem starts out something like this:

As I was walking up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish, I wish he'd go away!

Well, forget the little girls, my Mom latched onto this poem and for the next day I had to keep repeating it so she could try to remember it. As we were doing this, we had the bright idea that she should recite the poem to people at church the next day like she was actually trying to tell them a serious story just to see what their reaction would be.

Apparently, the reactions ranged from acute confusion to an embarrassed pitying response such as "Oh, that's too bad Claudia. He really wasn't there again today?" I'm sure that the whispered talk around the coffee and danish that morning was something to the effect of a hushed "did Claudia tell you about the man who wasn't there? I do think she is starting to lose her memory, it's so sad...." *cue sad faces, as people look at the floor and shake their heads slowly*

So, as I see it, being able to recite a nonsense poem or use a nonsense word right off the cuff without preamble or explanation is a highly valuable skill, essential to ferrett out those who really aren't listening anyway and to whom you have an overwhelming desire to flummox. And yes, flummox is a real word and a pretty cool one at that, so your assignment for today is to use it in a sentence during the course of normal conversation, just to see what people do!

Such a brillig day it was today, my friend Kathy and I gyred and gimbled at Jazz on the Beach, then galumphed over to Lou's and gyred some more. Although I was quite scurvish and
broff to begin with, eventually I was able to stimp around the floor quite splurgully, and we left feeling pretty good.

Pick a word and try it out over the weekend and leave me a comment to tell me your word and how it went!

World Alzheimer's Day

2011-09-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ken Nesbitt, A Reading Nana's Dream!

2011-09-21T12:58:00.001-07:00

I was reading nonsense poems to Evie the other day, and came upon this wonderful site by Ken Nesbitt. His work is outstanding and is what inspired me to start writing down all the silly things I say to Evie all day. Kids love anything that rhymes, and Ken even recites some of his best work. Well, I guess I'm assuming it is he who is reciting, but whoever it is, their voice is engaging.

Evie was enthralled and we had to keep playing it over and over. In fact, when I tried to read it to her myself, she said, "No Nana, NO!" She wanted to hear HIM say it.
Ah well, I can still recite Jabberwocky by heart, and she's beginning to say parts of it along with me, her favorite new saying being "Snicker Snack"!

Grab a child or grandchild and a comfortable chair, click on the link, and ENJOY!

Click on the link for tons of poetry fun, including games, contests, discussion forums, and, of course, lots of funny poems!

Ken Nesbitt, A Reading Nana's Dream!

2011-09-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Uncle Mike

2011-09-20T21:50:00.001-07:00

Uncle Mike has a cool tattoo
A big bald head
And a goatee too.

Big as a giant
And strong as an ox
He can pick me up like sugar pops.

He's funny and silly
And bought me some juice
And a donut at dunkin'
And gave me a boost.

I like Uncle Mike
And you'd like him too.
With his bald head and goatee
And awesome tattoo.