September 2, 2011 by frecklesandsunshine
Just because a girl goes back to work doesn’t mean she’s all teach and no fun, you know. If we teachers didn’t make time for fun, we would lose our minds.
And, yes, I realize Labor Day is on Monday and that is the symbolic end of summer. I, however, am giving myself until the first official day of fall to complete as much of my list as possible. For those of you keeping track, that’s September 23rd.
Until then, here’s an update on what has been crossed off the list in the last few weeks.
Category Books, Family, Front Range | Tags: baby,babysitters,bibs,books,crafts,dates,daughter,denim,first birthday party,grandparents,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,movies,reading,repurpose jeans,sewing,summer,summer fun list | No Comments
August 9, 2011 by frecklesandsunshine
#36 on my Summer Fun List is to read, a lot. I love reading. It is my one of my most favorite things to do. When I was teaching, it was hard to find the time to read between lesson planning, grading, and having some semblance of a life. Reading only happened during breaks or the summer.
I’d like to say that I could pick up a book during the school year and read just a bit each night before bed. Believing in that idea would mean living in complete denial about what my true limitations are as a reader. If I love a book, heck even if I just kind of like it, it is very difficult for me to put it down. So, picking up a book during the school year was always just too risky. I’d stay up too late reading and be a complete nincompoop as a teacher the next day. Or I’d fall completely behind on my school work because surprisingly a good piece of fiction is way more interesting than 30 spelling tests.
Now that I’m home with Olivia, I actually have time to read. After she goes down for the evening, I have a few hours to myself and that time is very often filled with a book. I still don’t stay up all night reading. Mostly because the only thing worse that being a complete nincompoop teacher is being a complete nincompoop mommy.
About the same time I made my Summer Fun List, I posted on Facebook asking for book recommendations. My friends came through, as usual, with some stellar suggestions. Because I trust these people so implicitly, I didn’t really investigate many of the recommendations. I just put them on hold at the library and picked them up as they became available.
Category Books | Tags: books,Chinese,erik larson,fiction,friendship,Germany,historical fiction,history,Hitler,holocaust,Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,in the garden of beasts,Jamie Ford,Japan,Japanese internment,Judaism,Laura Hillenbrand,library,Louie Zamperini,Markus Zusak,Nazi,nonfiction,novels,reading,summer reading,The Book Thief,Unbroken,war,World War II,young adult fiction | No Comments
August 7, 2011 by frecklesandsunshine
LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
What if your job was to travel the world and learn new things every day? How awesome would that be?
I’m on Goodreads, a place to share a love of books and reading. Follow or friend me there and let’s talk about books!
I watched a movie called Blood Into Wine last night. It is about Maynard James Keenan’s (the frontman of Tool) foray into wine making in Northern Arizona. And, yes, good wine can be produced in Arizona. If you have Netflix, the movie is available for instant streaming.
For everyone watching Shark Week, let’s step it a notch shall we?
What are you up to this weekend?
Category Links | Tags: Arizona,blood into wine,books,discovery channel,documentary,drinking game,goodreads,learning,maynard james keenan,Netflix,reading,shark week,tool,travel,vimeo,weekend,wine | No Comments
July 21, 2011 by frecklesandsunshine
I grew up in Phoenix, where the summer temperatures soar into triple digits and then just keep going. On the hottest days, I would climb on my bike and pedal my way down to the public library. The library was a perfect place to hang out during the summer. They had air conditioning and books. I really didn’t need much else.
Libraries have only gotten better in the last twenty or thirty years. Now, in addition to books, you can check out DVD’s. There are computers with internet access and downloadable e-books online. And nearly everything that a library offers, from books to services, is free. Gratis. Nada. Why more people don’t use the library boggles my mind.
When I learned I was pregnant, one of the first things I thought about was the books that I wanted Olivia to have in her bedroom library. So far, her collection includes some of the best children’s authors. Eric Carle, Kevin Henkes, Margaret Wise Brown, and Karen Katz are all represented. Even though Olivia has no shortage of books here at home, I want her to love and appreciate the library. It is after all, the best place to cool off in the summer.
Last week, I took her down to our local library for story time.
Our library offers a few different story times. The one for toddlers falls during O’s nap, so we went to the all ages time. She was by far the youngest child there. Most of the kids were at least three years old. The librarian read a few books and Olivia seemed interested. By the third book though, she was more interested in playing with the kids than listening to the story.
We snuck out of the reading room and went to pick some books to check out. There were many board books to choose from.
Did you know you can get books for infants at the library? I didn’t realize that most libraries carry a selection of board books for babies until I walked through looking for something new to read for O’s bedtime story.
Olivia picked out a few she liked. She is obsessed with baby face books right now.
I’m not sure that Olivia is ready for story time on a regular basis, but I hope that one day she loves the library as much as I do.
The Summer Fun List is one shorter today!
Category Family | Tags: babies,books,library,parenting,reading,story time,summer,summer bucket list,summer fun list | 2 Comments
June 28, 2011 by frecklesandsunshine
Olivia turned 10 months old last week. I can’t believe I am already coming up with ideas for her first birthday party.
When we became parents last August, Tim and I agreed…there is nothing else like the love you have for your child.
Parenthood is precious.
Most of the time…
Like this…
And this…
And, lately, like this…
But, occasionally, we get a little too precious about parenthood. Because, as we all know, parenting is also about this…
I am the Chief Bottle Washer.
And this…
Spitting cottage cheese. Charming, no?
And, of course this…
Aren't you glad I didn't take a picture of the inside?? Or that your computer doesn't have Smell-o-vision?
When we get a little too precious about parenthood and our children, a little humor usually does the trick. In my world, sarcastic humor is perfect.
So, when I stumbled over a small package on my doorstep a couple weeks ago I was intrigued. Tim’s dad had emailed to let us know he was sending us a book. I was too busy at the time to look it up. On the day it arrived, I opened up the package and sat there, dumbfounded.
“Go the F*** to Sleep” Really?? Kinda harsh.
Then, I opened it up. I soon realized that although it is constructed like a traditional children’s book, it is by no means meant for children.
The tears began to flow. Between the giggles, snorts, and guffaws, the tears rolled down my cheeks. The kind that only come when I am laughing so hard that I cry.
The windows are dark in the town, child. The whales huddle down in the deep. I'll read you one very last book if you swear, You'll go the f*** to sleep.
The story, written by Adam Mansbach, is told from the perspective of a parent putting his/her child to bed. Over and over again.
Although Olivia is too young to get up from bed on her own, Tim and I can still relate based solely on those early sleep deprived days of parenthood. Sheer exhaustion is the same no matter what form it comes in.
This is my favorite page.
The eagles who soar through the sky are at rest And the creatures who crawl, run and creep. I know you're not thirsty. That's bullshit. Stop lying. Lie the f*** down, my darling, and sleep.
What’s even better is that Samuel L. Jackson did the audiobook. Go here for the free download.
The next time you feel like parenthood is all about this…
Read this book, have a little chuckle, and then go play with your kid.
Category Books | Tags: Adam Mansbach,audiobooks,babies,bedtime,books,children,Go the F*** to Sleep,humor,parenting,Samuel L. Jackson | 7 Comments
