First day of spring field trip...

Okay, so about 7 or 8 years ago, as a young nanny in Beverly Hills, my eyes were opened in a way that only I can appreciate.  I love that now when I think back to those times, I don't remember the star-loaded affairs or grand galas... but I do remember reading time.  Oh, reading time!  The boys whom I was allowed to care for had exquisite rooms, filled with everything you could think of... more fabulous than any movie scene I've since seen... giant stuffed animal friends, custom bedding of the softest fabrics, furniture specifically chosen for them, and closets full of unopened Tiffany boxes of baby gifts, etc etc etc.  But one of my fondest places in their rooms, besides the overstuffed-oversized-upholstered rocking chair, was the bookshelf.  There were many bookshelves in the home and I took the liberty of speed-reading through most of them, but the children's books have a special place in my heart.  At first I was drawn to them because I enjoyed reading the inscriptions on the inside covers... "with love from so-and-so" and "all the best, love you-know-who"... 

but then it became a time of comfort and peace in a whirlwind world.  

I could sit with a boy or two on my lap, and enter a make-believe place.  

This morning I was transported back there, when I flipped open the laptop and opened the internet.  

Google. . . First day of spring. . . in their clever little way, the google people made this:

If you were to ask my mom, she'd tell you that I've had a weird obsession with Eric Carle.  I don't much mind, because of his brilliance as a children's author/illustrator.  So inspiring, so creative, so whimsical...  And so I think it fitting that his art would be chosen as a symbol of the first day of spring, and my heart skipped a beat when I was surprised by the image.  I was immediately swept into that safe, calm place in children's books and it made me long for some sort of discount on all of eric carle's "very first library" collection so that I can fill my OWN children's little heads with all sorts of merriment!  (they have some of the basics, of course, and the other day when gracie brought me both 'Polar Bear, Polar Bear', and 'Will you be my friend' to read to her for the zillionth time, I caught myself mid-murmur and realized how wonderful it is that she loves to read!  And the fact that she turns around and walks backwards to my lap, even from across the room, makes her irresistible!)  :)  

So... I propose that we take a trip to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.  

Its just around the corner, {in Massachusetts} 

 so don't worry, we'll be back in plenty of time for the kids to have their naps.  

Grab your sippy cups and goldfish crackers, and meet us in the lobby!  

And then if we have time, we can hop over to the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden!

Alright, so maybe not today... maybe someday, 

but for now, at least we can enjoy reading the books with our little ones! 

{and enjoy the first day of spring!}

"We have eyes, and we're looking at stuff all the time, all day long. 

And I just think that whatever our eyes touch should be beautiful, tasteful, appealing, and important."  ~eric carle~

"I believe the passage from home to school is the second biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born. Indeed, in both cases we leave a place of warmth and protection for one that is unknown. The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really both fascinating and fun." ~eric carle~