We are back from our trip to the ocean where we spent a good part of our time being tourists visiting gift shops, playing on the beach burying ourselves (mostly Alex) in sand, running in and out of ice cold ocean water (mostly Sammy), eating watermelon and ice-cream, drinking Italian sodas, swimming in the pool, listening to firecrackers pop, watching magnificent firework displays. Later this week, if time permits, I hope to bring you images from our trip, but until then, I have books to share with you.
We've been hitting the library each week bringing home as many books as our tired Volvo can carry. Each week we are delighted to find a few titles that have a slightly different take on the traditional. The Library Gingerbread Man goes along much as the original story does, but instead this Gingerbread Man emerges from the pages of a book instead of an oven. He jumps along the stacks running into all sorts of characters. When the Gingerbread Man runs past a Thesaurus the Thesaurus demands, "Stop! Cease! Halt! Freeze! Stay!" The Gingerbread Man responds as we would expect, "... you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man." The Gingerbread Man continues running, escaping a Robot, Jesse Owens, and many more characters from the various sections of the library. You'll have to read the story to find out if the Gingerbread Man is outsmarted by the fox.
Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs: A Maynard Moose Tale is just about as quirky as any story I've ever read. I'm a bit of an oddball so I instantly fell in love with this bizarre tale. The first time I read it to my girls they both agreed that they didn't care for it, but after only a few hours they were begging to hear it again, and then again, and then again. It is hilarious! The story is told by Maynard Moose who uses Moose vocabulary and a voice that is just as wacky as the story. Rapunzel is 'Punzel' and the handsome prince is 'chubified' and therefore can't climb the tower to rescue her. There are 8 or 9 seven dwarfs and a poison watermelon. It's all very exciting and very comical and I can't wait to read more Moose Tales! Oh, and there's a handy dictionary at the start of the book to help you with the Moose language.
Meet my new best friend; her name is Pinterest. Ain't she great? Pinterest is a great new site where you can pin things you love by category. I've only been pinning for two days now and it has become my obsession. I've pinned fashions I crave, rooms I adore, food I want to eat and so much more. It's a great way to create a virtual collage of all the things you love and then share them with others. You can also see what other people like too. You can find my pins {here}.
This might be the worse thing a mother can ever share, aloud, with others, but I'm here to admit that while I love reading my children bedtime stories, sometimes it can be the most frustrating time of the night. They always want more, or they come up with excuses for why they don't want to go to bed and it goes on sometimes forever. Well, here's a book that I DO NOT recommend you read to your children, but I highly recommend that you read it yourself for fun and if not for fun, read it to at least get out your frustrations. Here is an excerpt from the book:
The cats nestle close to their kittens,
the lambs have laid down with their sheep.
You're cozy and warm in your bed, my dear.
Please go the f%$# to sleep.
There are much more alarming words in this tale, but I'll let you find those on your own. I think I've gotten myself into enough trouble as it is.
Are you tired of reading children's books about the beautiful, but poor, unambitious girl who's only goal in life is to marry a handsome prince? You know the Disney stories where in the end the girl always gets her guy and everyone lives happily ever after? I don't necessarily see anything wrong with these types of narratives although it does get a bit stale after awhile. And honestly, once you've heard one story, haven't you heard them all? Well here's a short story that I think you and your child will enjoy.
The Grateful Crane
Once, in old Japan, a young woodcutter lived alone in a little cottage. One winter day he found a crane struggling in a snare and set it free. Late that night a beautiful woman knocked on his door; she was lost in the snowstorm, and he gladly gave her shelter. She stayed for several days, and some time later they were married. They were happy, but very poor.
The wife saw an old loom in the back room and said she would weave something they could sell. But before she began, she made her husband promise not to peek while she worked. For three days and three nights he heard the creaking and tapping of the loom, but he did not peek. On the fourth morning, the wife, pale and unsteady on her feet, handed him a fold of the most beautiful cloth he had ever seen. He took it to town and sold it to a rich merchant for a handful of gold coins. The two lived in peace and happiness until they were poor again.
So the wife made another fold of cloth more beautiful than the one before. The husband sold it for a bagful of gold coins. They were rich. But the woodcutter wanted to be richer, and he asked the wife to weave yet one more piece of cloth. She shook her head, but he pleaded with her until she agreed wearily. Again, she asked him not to look and disappeared into the back room.
On the fourth night, he was overcome with curiosity and peeked. He saw a crane at work, plucking its gleaming feathers and feeding them to the loom. He cried out, and at once the bird became his wife again.
"I am the crane whose life you saved," she said. "Ever grateful, I changed into a woman and became your wife. But now that you have broken your promise, I can no longer be a woman."
She turned back into a great bird and flew away.
Allen Say includes the Japanese folktale, The Grateful Crane, at the beginning of The Boy in the Garden so readers will understand where Jiro's imagination comes from. Jiro is the little boy in the story.
Say is very talented in offering up glimpses of what its like to be a child in a grown-up world. Very cleverly we see a young boy who mistakes a statue of a crane for the real thing; embarrassed he runs away escaping into his own imagination -- or at least we are led to believe it's his imagination.
The illustrations are impeccable, soft and done with precision. These pages are works of art and again, appeal to adult and child.
If you're looking for a story that has heart, creativity and a good sense of humor, then you're in for a real treat. The Boy in the Garden is delightful.
So she decided to hide her face. {My goodness look at those thunder thighs. Clearly I need to workout! Goodness me.}
It didn't take much to capture this cheerful rascal. I only had to wait patiently, get down on her level and wait until she was ready to show herself.
Alex has been home from preschool for two days because of a tummy bug. On this day she was feeling well enough for story time but did not want her picture taken. She said it was snuggle time and not picture taking time.
We found the most precious story about a little girl and a tiny sea serpent. The story begins when a little girl climbs into her tub and a sea serpent drops out of the faucet. Well of course she had to keep the cute little guy. When she asked how he got there, sea serpent explained that...
...a tornado lifted him into the clouds one day.
The clouds drifted over green jungles and silvery cities
and then rained down into a lake, where a pipe sucked him up
and whooshed him along
and splashed him down into her tub.
Eventually little baby sea serpent grows into a humongous grown-up sea serpent and has to return to the sea. It is a heartwarming story about letting go, and by the end of it, Alex had water in her eyes. Then quick as a whip, she ran off with floppy unruly curls blowing in her dust. Quick little rascal that one is.
After story time, Alex was eager to build. I remained at a safe distance as she was still feeling hostile toward the camera.
When Sammy arrived home from school I attempted to make her my model, but she gave me the, "uh-uh... no pictures, Mommy."
Sometimes it's hard to tell which holiday we're on around here.
Did you have a happy Valentine's Day? I hope you spent most of your day knee deep in chocolate, and with fresh cut flowers all around you.
Valentine's Day always has a way of sneaking up on me and so my children always wonder why we never decorate the house with hearts and candy and cards, and I always tell them that it's because there isn't enough time. We managed to get a little decorating in last year, but this year I never got around to it. See last year's decorations here and here. Incidentally, I'm also the one who complains whenver I see Valentine's Day products displayed in stores at the beginning of the year... it's too darn early! Blargh!
I spent most of Sunday baking and decorating sugar cookies... and also managed to make a birthday cake for my mother who turns 62 today. Happy Birthday, Mom!!!
Mom's birthday celebration was very low-key, just me and my family and my parents-in-law sitting around the dining table eating BBQ chicken sandwiches with a side of Jon's famous french fries {which you can find here}. With wind whistling outside, we settled into a nice evening with a log {one of those fake ones that burns for hours} in the fireplace to set the party mood -- homey, warm and comfortable. I added tea light candles to the table just to make it more festive and had to laugh when I noticed how dusty the candle holder was. Looks like it's been a long time since we've had cause for celebration. HA!
The recipe for the cake came from Martha Stewart. I opted against using her Vanilla-Buttercream Frosting and instead used a recipe that I've made before and is consistently tasty, and spreads like... well, butter. I'll try to post the frosting recipe in my next post for tonight I'm much too lazy to walk upstairs to get it... and it's only 8:30, the night is still young and already I'm ready to hit the hay.
And as for Valentine's Day....
Jon expressed his love for me in the way of new yoga pants and athletic jacket... he knows me so well. For him, a brand new wallet which doesn't fit nearly the amount of stuff he needs to haul around with him, and the sweet inscription on the money clip was done with little care and so it looks messy. Blargh again!! I ordered the wallet with the hidden message money clip online and now I'm ready to return it and buy a different one from somewhere else. In my defense, the only reason why I bought from this particular outfit is because they offered to do the engraving... that was the whole point of the gift. The wallet was personalized from the girls, and the inscription read:
Daddy,
Why do you have a happy face on your face?
Love, Samantha and Alexandra.
I understand that you may think that this is an odd thing to inscribe on a money clip, but it's somewhat of an inside joke. You see, one night at dinner, Alex had a sour look on her face, and Sammy said, "Daddy, why does Alex have that mean face on her face?" And we all howled with laughter because we thought it was just a funny, roundabout way, to ask why Alex was upset. It's been a running joke ever since. And now the wallet is probably going to be returned. Phooey!!
Next year I'm going to do my best to start shopping and decorating for Valentine's Day early... I'll probably start doing so at the beginning of each year... if I can't beat'em, might as well join'em. On my list of gift items is a book that has been around for decades. It's written by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, that's right, Charles Lindbergh's wife. I think every wife, mother should have it. Each time I thumb through it I'm newly reminded of just how the work of wife, mother has not evolved as much as you may think it has. We're still caring for our families in practically the same way, and stressing over life's little chores that your mother stressed over, and her mother stressed over. Here is an excerpt from the inside cover:
"A mother of five, an acclaimed writer and a pioneering aviator, Lindbergh casts an unsentimental eye on the trappings of modernity that threaten to overwhelm us: the time-saving gadgets that complicate rather than simplify, the multiple commitments that take us from our families."
Doesn't sound like 1955 does it?
Lindbergh expresses sincerely her thoughts on relationships, children, family, all in this tiny blue book. And though this book is dainty, it's heft is in the wisdom it imparts on almost every page:
"I mean to lead a simple life, to choose a simple shell I can carry easily -- like a hermit crab. But I do not. I find that my frame of life does not foster simplicity. My husband and five children must make their way in the world. The life I have chosen as wife and mother entrains a whole caravan of complications. It involves a house in the suburbs and either household drudgery or household help which wavers between scarcity and non-existence for most of us. It involves food and shelter; meals, planning, marketing, bills and making the ends meet in a thousand ways. It involves not only the butcher, the baker, the candlestickmaker but countless other experts to keep my modern house with its modern 'simplifications' (electricity, plumbing, refrigerator, gas-stove, oil-burner, dish-washer, radios, car and numerous other labor-saving devices) functioning properly. It involves health; doctors, dentists, appointments, medicine, code-liver oil, vitamins, trips to the drugstore. It involves education, spiritual, intellectual, physical; schools, school conferences, car-poos, extra trips for basketball or orchestra practice, tutoring; camps, camp equipment and transportation. It involves clothes, shopping, laundry, cleaning, mending, letting skirts down and sewing buttons on, or finding someone else to do it. It involves friends, my husband's, my children's, my own, and endless arrangements to get together; letters, invitations, telephone calls and transportation hither and yon. "
It really is an inspirational read and, if I had a bedside table, I'd definitely keep it there.
And last but not least, without further adieu, here is the video of Alex singing How Did You Get To Be So Sweet. This is the version I had wanted to show you all along but it was too large a file to post straight through to Blogger. So instead, I uploaded it onto YouTube and then took the video from there... voila! It worked. Enjoy!! And thank you for tuning in to this very long post.
Yesterday spring arrived for the day. It was bright, sunny and somewhat warm. Alex played outside drawing lines and star bursts with sidewalk chalk. When it was time to pick-up big sissy from school Alex asked if she could bring the chalk along to which I quickly said no, but allowed her to bring just one stick of chalk.
We walked along stopping every few feet so that she could mark a spot on the ground. I told her that she couldn't markup our neighbors driveways or rockery and that she had to keep it to the sidewalks. We walked at a leisurely pace soaking in the sunshine and enjoying each others company. Alex and I always have wonderful conversations but on this day she asked, "Does everybody have to have a baby?" We've had this conversation before and so I answered as I always do telling her that it's her choice to have a baby if she wants to or not. To which she replied, "Good, because I don't want to have a baby when I grow up. Because if I have a baby that means you'll be a Grammy and if you're a Grammy you'll get old. I don't want you to get old because if you get old that means you'll die." All of sudden I felt like a black cloud was following me. I strongly dislike these types of conversations because 1). they make me sad, and 2). how can I answer this question truthfully? Yes, we all get old and yes, we all must die. How tragic. I told her that she was being silly and moved on to a different topic.
As we continued on our journey, Alex proceeded to write on the sidewalk and then on herself. Then suddenly I realized we were living in Harold and the Purple Crayon. Only Alex was using blue chalk rather than a purple crayon. Once we started living in the moment, and not thinking or talking about dying, the sun came out again and the dark cloud disappeared. I was happy again.
Alex even stopped to color a stick.
After picking up Sammy we sauntered back home... still making stops whenever the mood struck us.
Sammy said that at school they learned scientist were working on finding a way for humans to live on the moon, and so naturally Sammy had to practice her moon walk just in case she ends up living on the moon.
Children are so funny aren't they? One minute its talk about death and dying and the next, we're practicing for when we have to live on the moon. Oh, and didn't Harold go to the moon or to outer space with his crayon?
There are so few things in this world that make me chuckle as much as my children. Even when they're feeling down with stuffy noses all red and sore from blowing them all day, they still manage to find the humor in it all. Tonight while rubbing their chests with Vicks VapoRub, something I rarely do because I often forget that the old remedies work best, they giggled and squirmed with delight. For some reason, I had imagined that they would be laying in their beds all stuffily and tired whilst I soothed them to sleep, tenderly rubbing Vicks VapoRub on their chests. I imagined that I'd be saying nurturing things like, Shhhhh, there, there, hush... no doubt this imaginary scene playing in my mind was inspired by the plethora of mid-century sitcoms I watched growing up.
In a few days my library books will expire and I'm torn on whether I should re-new them. I have two lovelychildren's books that I really do not want to part with. I've been in a children's book rut lately only finding stories about princesses and fairies and the like. I wanted to find books that stretched the imagination, but couldn't. Well, I'm here to tell you that I've found them. You may have read these stories already and so I apologize for being late to the party.
The first book is Bella & Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. It's about two mice who are best friends, but they couldn't be more different. Bella wants to write poems, and Bean wants to go for a walk. Bean wants desperately for her friend Bella to come along with her, but Bella refuses and instead she remains deeply devoted to her poetry. However, Bella soon finds that her poems are mostly inspired by her friend, Bean. Together they are quite a pair and when they're apart, they keep each other close in their hearts and minds. This is truly a sincere story about friendship and about compromise. I may just have to buy it because I really don't want to return it.
The next book is called, It's A Secret, by John Burningham. You know him right? He's the guy that wrote Mr. Gumpys Outing and Mr. Gumpys Motor Car and much more. It's a Secret, is just about as understated as can be. The book cover is curious with such an alluring title that I just had to check it out. Have you ever wondered where your cat goes at night? Well you're not alone. One evening Marie Elaine goes into the kitchen to get a glass of water and she finds her cat, Malcolm, standing by the cat door all dressed up ready to go out. Marie Elaine asks him where he's going and he invites her to come along. Marie Elaine puts on a party dress and then shrinks down to the size of a cat so that she can fit through the cat door. The two of them go out for the night. Now ain't that a kick in the head? The rest of the story is just as curious. If you haven't read it, oh my, you must.
And then finally, a magnificent sunset {ignore the power lines}. The beauty goes forever doesn't it? Night all.
Children have taught me so much in the past 24 hours. Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching Sammy's Girl Scout troop how to make French Crepes. I was a nervous wreck during the hours leading up to the event afraid that the girls wouldn't like them. You know how kids are? They're honest. What if they didn't like them? What if they all said, "Yucky!" I would have been mortified and more than likely would have shed a tear or two. Instead, the class went well. Sure there were a few crepes that fell apart but there was one little blonde headed scout who said, "You shouldn't worry about how they look. My mom taught me that it doesn't matter how they look... it's the taste that counts." My heart went all a flutter and I felt much more at ease. Lesson learned. Hurray for Girl Scouts!
French Crepes
Recipe from: Allrecipes.com
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixutre until smooth; stir in melted butter.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe {I used about a ladle full}. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Bown on both sides and serve hot.
And then....
Have you read this book? There's NO Such Thing as a Dragon, by Jack Kent. It's about a little boy, Billy, who wakes up one morning to find a small dragon in his room. Billy tells his mother about the dragon and she says, "There's no such thing as dragons." The dragon keeps getting bigger and bigger until it has overtaken the house. Mother keeps insisting that there is no such thing as dragons and out of frustration, Billy says, There IS a dragon... a very big dragon!" Then almost immediately the dragon shrinks back down to the size of kitten. Billy's mom says, "Why did it have to grow so BIG?" Billy answers, "I'm not sure, but I think it just wanted to be noticed."
After reading the story, I turned to Alex and said, "Are you this dragon? Is this the reason why you've been naughty lately? Are you making yourself loud and big because you want me to notice you?" Alex smirked and said, "No, I'm not being like that dragon." Humph, I beg to differ. She's been a little rascal lately causing all sorts of trouble around the house. How many times can I count to three in an hour, loads I tell you. Loads. I think Alex has been feeling invisible lately what with me working all the time. It made me a little sad. At least now I know that I have to give her more attention or at least help her to understand that I can play with her after my work is done... maybe she'll understand, maybe she won't. But, it's worth it to have the conversation don't you think? Not that we haven't had this conversation before, but maybe it's time for another one.
That Jack Kent really knows how to tell it like it is doesn't he? Here I thought I was teaching Alex and in the end learned something myself.
So much has happened since my last post. Firstly, my Samantha is now seven. I can hardly believe that seven years has gone by since she came in to our lives. Samantha continues to grow like a bean pole and she possesses a sense of humor that can only be described as silly. Her energy is still comparable to the Energizer Bunny and I see no sign that this will change. My birthday wish for her is that she will always remain young at heart, authentic, caring, inquisitive, strong and beautiful {inside and out}. Now that she's seven I do hope that she finds the strength to be patient. Wishful thinking on my part for sure. Sammy is eager to master everything she takes on expecting nothing but success at every turn. Patience my love. Patience.
We celebrated Sammy’s birthday at Sky High Sports in Bellevue. Have you been there? If you haven’t, you must. I can honestly say that both children and adults enjoyed the trampolines. The Dodgeball court was awesome. I thought I could hold my own until I got blasted in the shoulder by my friend Bill. I totally did not expect to go out like that but once I found myself on my backside, I knew it was time to hit the sidelines. I’m ready for a re-match.
Secondly, little Alejandra has had an amazing summer. Several weeks ago I told you that she would be undergoing a surgical procedure to correct the shape of her ears, well the surgery went amazingly well. The Otolaryngology surgeon was true to her word and did everything within her power to ensure a successful outcome. I’m sure any expert will tell you that it must have taken incredible skill and precision to master a surgery such as this one. I am eternally grateful, yet again, for Seattle’s Children’s Hospital. Alex’s ears are beautiful and her new glasses fit perfectly.
Thirdly, speaking of glasses, I learned last week that I’ll need to wear Bifocals. Trust me, like you, I was mortified just envisioning myself wearing the frames with the thin horizontal line across the bottoms. First the gray hair and now, bifocals . . . all I need now is a shawl and a bum hip to finish the transformation. My optometrist was quick to put my mind at ease. She explained that the new lenses will look exactly like the pair I’m currently wearing and that means, no lines. Hallelujah! I was prepared to live out the rest of my life squinting at blurry images just to avoid wearing hideous bifocals and now I don’t have to. What a relief.
Lastly, I’m reading The Chronicles of Narnia to Samantha and she loves it. She gobbles up every word and nothing seems to satisfy her quench for more so she pleads with me to read more. I’ll admit that I, too, am anxious to read more. . . the story is: magical, exhilarating, emotional, imaginative, surreal, thought provoking, poetic and offers life lessons that I’m sure will hold a place in Samantha’s heart and mind for years to come. I’m reading the books in the order in which they were published and as the author, C.S. Lewis intended. The newer publications have the stories rearranged so that they read chronologically, but I rather like the flash forwards/backs as I think it keeps the stories more interesting. More importantly, I can’t see delving into the series without first starting with, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the front of the pack. Here are the two orders:
The publishing order is:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician’s Nephew
The Last Battle
And the chronological order is:
The Magician’s Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle
Autumn is near and what better time of year to curl up with a good book or two, or three. . .
When I recently came across a book entitled Edible Schoolyard, A Universal Ideaby Alice Waters I was intrigued. Alice Waters, a successful restaurateur in Berkeley, California took on a dilapidated middle school transforming it into a school that fed the mind, heart and stomach. From the ground up, Waters worked with school faculty, parents and others to make a difference in the school's appearance and overall curriculum. Measuring ingredients became part of the math program. In History class, beans and grains helped to emphasize the types of foods that would have been eaten in different parts of the world from eras of long ago. Earth and insects were discussed in science class. The garden by all accounts became an extension of the classrooms.
The garden fulfilled needs that weren't being met at home. Kids that came to school hungry were sure to get a hearty, healthy meal once they arrived on the premises -- something they rarely or never got from home.
Children learned the very basics of where their food came from. Together they planted, harvested and cooked the food that grew right there on school property. Eventually the world took notice and even Charles, the Prince of Wales stopped by to see what all the fuss was about.
After reading this uplifting story it reminded me of my own upbringing. When I was growing up, my parents rented. Sometimes the homes we moved into were well kept and others, not so much. One parallel I noticed from reading Edible Schoolyard is how transformative a garden can be.
My father would take an overgrown, clearly neglected, backyard and transform it into a feast for the eyes. As if by magic, corn grew taller than me and my two brothers. Green onions had stalks the size of celery and bulbs the size of actual onions. Collard Greens grew into the deepest shade of green you'd ever seen. and eating cherry tomatoes straight from the garden after a long day of playing and climbing trees was a welcomed treat. My brothers and I always knew where our food came from and friends from our block always marveled at how nice our yard and garden was kept just like the Edible Schoolyard. Prince Charles never stopped by our house, but if he ever did, I'm sure he would have been impressed.
Here are a few more pages from the book:
Yesterday we planted strawberries. We just saw the tiny plants at our nearby grocery store and decided to give them a try. Who knows, we just may end up with en edible backyard of our own.
If you're looking for that perfect Christmas gift for your little darlings, look no further. Golden Books are timeless gems that are sure to please the most finicky young ears. And don't let the book size fool you. These books contain lenghty stories that are sure to please young readers as well as beginners.
Consider these books as abbreviated versions of the full length original. It's a great way to introduce characters as they progress to chapter books.
And the illustrations are magnificent.
I found most of these at a garage sale but you can also find them at independent book stores or online. City People's in my neck of the woods also has a good assortment to choose from.
Cinderella and Snow White are my favorite.
I hope you pick a few of these up to stuff in stockings or tuck under the tree. I promise you that they will be your child's favorite for years to come.
Daily we are inundated with news, twisted and then funneled through a narrow prism, about the “war on terror" and the misrepresented people of Central Asia. Watching the evening news is like watching the light of a laser beam shine on one aspect of the conflict in the Middle East. Once you read the first several chapters of Three Cups of Tea, that laser morphs into a flashlight and toward the end of the novel, the flashlight becomes a flood light, shining new revelations about a sorely misunderstood part of the world.
"Greg Mortenson is fighting a personal war on terror that has an impact on all of us, and his weapon is not guns or bombs, but schools. What could be a better story than that?" {Parade editor-in-chief Lee Kravitz}
Read this book and discover the enormous change that can be made by the sweat of a subtle man, who dared to have a vision, and then nurture that vision into fruition a hundred times over and you will know firmly that education is the key to peace in the Middle East.
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