children – Page 4 – Peaceful Reader

Weekend Update; Photos to Share

Author Marc Brown signing books

Marc Brown was the keynote speaker at the reading conference I attended on Friday. He was interesting as a speaker and presented a slideshow, sharing his family, his writing inspirations and his beautiful farmhouse on Martha’s Vineyard. I’d say Arthur and friends has been good for him. He just illustrated a new book by Judy Sierra called ZooZical-he read it to us. I was able to snap a few photos of him while I waited in line but more importantly, when Groovy Girl heard him speak on Thursday a teacher friend snapped two photos of her talking to Mr. Brown-when I have those I will share.

Friday after the conference I had an Alpha Upsilon Alpha Initiation ceremony, which I helped plan. Luckily it took place upstairs in the education building right after the conference. I had to give a welcoming speech and public speaking is not my forte! I was nervous but it went okay. I was extremely happy to get home after this event. So happy and cold that I plunked myself in a hot bubble bath after kissing both children.

Simple night at home. Watched a movie with my husband and turned in for a relatively early night. Ha…

You go to bed, ready for a good night’s sleep only to be roused up by the sounds of crying and wretching from Groovy Girl’s room. Up and cleaning food chunks out of her hair in the shower while my husband cleaned the bed. We threw away the sheets. It was that bad. She threw up a second time after we had her set up in her empty older sister’s room. Luckily, I’d pulled her hair up into a “ballet bun” after her cleansing shower so she was easier to clean. Skin is an amazing human feature. This time we set her up on the sofa in the family room with a bucket by the bed. Time: 2:20. No skating in the morning for her. Poor Girl.

Saturday:

I made it to my yoga class, which was a study of the 5 Tibetan Rites. I didn’t think I was going to make it- I was so tired. I was ready to quit after the first 30 minutes but stuck with it and enjoyed it. I fought the urge to take a nap the rest of the day. Last night we went to a local high school play and I found it hard to clap…my arms are wicked sore from sun salutations. Heavy arms still today as I type.

I did get some of my house cleaned and finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls! Loved it and want to read her other book. I’m ready for book club now. I just need to make some bread but that’s another post! Monday night we’ll be gathered here at my house for another rousing book conversation, good food and a little wine!

Palm Sunday and my kids looked great in church today, didn’t they. There matching outfits were completely unplanned. Groovy Girl looks healthy there but she is upstairs taking a nap as I finish this post.

I hope everyone else has had a peaceful and happy weekend.
Watch this week for a giveaway of a signed copy of Marc Brown’s new book, Arthur Goes Green!

Weekend Update; fun library picks and the Oscars!!

Groovy Girl and I stopped at one of the two public libraries we are fortunate enough to have in our adjoining small towns. She plunked herself down with a stack of interesting picture books while I ventured out to look around. I am always on the search for chapter books to capture her attention. She is a struggling reader and as of yet hasn’t really finished a chapter book on her own. One reading teacher told me I’m enabling her by always reading to her but I did this with our other children-the oldest one was already an accomplished reader by the time we met but she still loved listening to stories. Teenage Boy didn’t take off on reading until his 3rd and 4th grade years so I’m not worried but none-the-less ever the good librarian I seek a perfect reading fit that will send her to a quiet corner to read and marvel.

We picked Orphan Train Children; Lucy’s Wish by Joan Lowery Nixon, which I thought would appeal to her American Girl love of history and Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danzinger, which is a 3rd grade character like herself and filled with fun.

I brought home only two treasures from the new section: In the Garden with Dr. Carver by Susan Grigsby; a picture book, and She Looks Just Like You; A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood. Groovy Girl actually picked this last one out as we perused the new adult nonfiction. I’m not a fan of nonfiction and maybe I was looking for cookbooks but G.G. pulled this one out and liked the mother/daughter on the front cover. She was thrilled that I decided to check it out!

Tonight we go off to an Oscar party at a friend’s house. We usually sit home and watch them with our score pads. My husband is a bit obsessed with watching all the nominees. Luckily we can get half of them from Netflix. I hope that Winter’s Bone, The King’s Speech, The Kid’s Are All Right, and Black Swan do well. I liked Inception, 127 Hours and The Social Network also-so many good ones this year.

I can’t decide if The Illustionist, How to Train Your Dragon or Toy Story 3 should win for best animated movie-I loved all three! I don’t understand why Julianne Moore wasn’t nominated at all-I thought she should have been in best supporting actress category. In will all be over within the next couple of hours and I know it is not the Most Important Thing right now but it serves a purpose, just like going to the movies or reading a book for that matter-to escape, for just a little bit.

Happy Sunday.
and I’m off to the Oscars…

How can I go to bed when my to-do list isn't finished?

~~1. Call Barb~~

2. Call brother ~~(text)~~

3. ~~relook at library budget line items~~

4. ~~Practicum student arrives today~~

5.Check out new magazines

6. blog
7.read

This is a question I ask myself nearly everyday. I hardly ever get my entire list done and then everything I didn’t get done today gets automatically added to the beginning (or sometimes end) of tomorrow’s list. I feel this constant surge of never quite measuring up. I have to have just one or two things on my list that are TOP PRIORITY-those I get done (on a good day) and the rest-ho hum. But then what happens when late in the day you realize that one of your low priority items really should have been a TOP.

Like today when it dawned on me that my Scholastic Book Fair begins next week and I have yet to get up any of the posters or ready the flyers for students to carry home. Am I crazy? How do I let these things slip through the cracks? I knew the book fair was during conferences and I knew conferences were coming up but next week?? How is February ending so soon? I did find a cool list making tool online while freaking about my own to-do list. Check it out here: http://tadalist.com/?ref=public

Want to view my to-do list for today (notice book fair publicity isn’t even on the list!!”:

http://peacefulreader.tadalist.com/lists/1862425/public

I did get two baskets of laundry folded (not on the list), I did call Barb for her birthday and talked until my phone died (should have had “charge phone” on the list), and I did spend quality time with Groovy Girl while she did 3 homework projects. Also I poked my nose into one of my new magazines (Eating Well) while she was doing her homework. I found about 10 recipes I wanted to make and several articles worthy of blog posts but I now go to bed without calling Julie and no yoga. I did text my brother but that doesn’t really count. All I can hope for is a better finish tomorrow. My plan is to focus and spend 5 minutes in the morning right when I get to school (or maybe at home as I eat my breakfast) and prioritize my list with my date book next to me. I’ll add that item to my list!

Are you a list maker?

Weekend Cooking; Bread Uprising

Potato Bread on its 2nd rise-looking plump and airy.

Last week I wrote about an Oooey Gooey Bread but I hadn’t made the bread yet. After making it I had a revelation…I should generally test drive the recipes before sharing. Brilliant, I know. The bread was good but it didn’t rise as much as I expected. The recipe did make three loaves and I did share the love. I took one to church and they ate the whole thing. I took one to school and they ate the whole thing. I have half a loaf still on my counter that we are whittling away at. I enjoyed rolling out the dough and folding it but when I got to throwing down all that sugar into the middle I couldn’t do it. I changed it up, adding the cinnamon and brown sugar but just a little cane sugar. This sugar mix worked for me. The cinnamon was intensely wonderful. I was only disappointed in the rise. I love to watch the rise and this one didn’t do that-it was flat. I’d love feedback on this if anyone has any clues.

In last week’s post I mentioned another potato bread recipe (from Barefoot Kitchen Witch) I was going to try and that one gave a good rise as well as a great kneading experience. I even got my KitchenAid out with the dough hook (first time I used the dough hook) because her photos and commentary told me this would be good. I generally just mix it myself with a wooden spoon or my hands but I liked watching it come together with the dough hook so I might be a new convert. I don’t get my Kitchen Aid out much because it’s heavy and in a tight cupboard space. This bread looked beautiful in the two different rising stages but once I put it in the pan it didn’t rise over the top as much as I expected. I don’t know if it is the yeast or the cold, but my bread is not becoming airy and light, but dense is okay as long as the taste is good. I toasted two slices for breakfast and it was yummy. I plan to try this recipe again.

I made this Baked Penne with Broccoli and Smoked Mozzarrella from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe for dinner last night. It was good but my kids didn’t like it. I left the chicken out and it tasted great (the smoked mozzarella was amazing) for my husband and I. My kids are really in a disappointing eating phase. They eat tofu, endamame, sushi, Thai food but I make a simple baked pasta dish and they squirm. They do not like things mixed up so much. Groovy Girl separated the broccoli from the penne pasta. It is so disconcerting. Hmmm.

First loaf out of the oven and ready to toast.

Hope your cooking up something good.

Weekend cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads-click on her name to see her reviews of several story book inspired cookbooks. I would love the Mary Poppins Cook Book.

Happy Saturday.

I’ve been to a 4-H breakfast and two soccer games so far today and still have a speed theatre event to attend

Crazy to Calm-Bedtime Reading 101

Groovy Girl and I had a few picture books to read for story time and she likes to put them in order of how we are going to read them. No random just-pick-fro- the-pile for her-she puts them in calming order-the most vibrant first and the most soothing last, perfect to then fall asleep. She’s makes me smile! Two nights ago this was her order:

1. Paulie Pastrami Achieves World Peace by James Proimos. It has an exciting cover, bold words and was a lot of fun to read. Groovy Girl now has her very own Goodreads acct. and she dictated in her review that she loved this one so much she read it aloud to everyone in her family. True enough, I heard her beg her dad if she could read it to him and he relented…it was on Sunday during a football game and she stood right in front of him and read the whole thing. Good for her! It is a very cute book with a good message that kids will relate to.

2. Sugar Plum Ballerinas; Toeshoe Trouble by Whoopi Goldberg. We enjoyed the first one in this series and like this one even more as we get to know the characters. Brenda’s cousin comes to stay and the cousin, who has money and is a bit snobbish about it, causes Brenda to make a terrible choice. Lots of uh-oh moments in this one. This series has a lot to say about friendship. We read two chapters and then moved on to my daughter’s third reading choice:

3. Forever Friends by Carin Berger. Calm, Japanese-style illustration on cover, Groovy Girl said this makes drifting off to sleep so much easier. The inside pictures are beautiful, all natural, subdued colors, gracious cattails highlighted by one bird and one rabbit playing together. I love how perfectly she put these in order-she is not organized about all things (her room) but about bedtime book reading she’s got her own cool method!

Good Night, Sleep Tight.

Found this great interview
with Whoopi about Sugur Plum Ballerinas; Toe Shoe Trouble.

The Missing Chick by Valeri Gorbachev

A few years ago while shopping at Target I lost my Groovy Girl for about 8 minutes. I was terrified! I think it happens frequently to mothers out shopping. I was busy reading the label on something and she was jabbering away at me in her 5-year-old voice and I was uh-huh’ing her but my mind was elsewhere. My son was close by looking at something else when suddenly it occurred to both of us that she was no longer there and jabbering! Oh, how I suddenly missed her sweet voice. We called her name and walked around in the general area but could not spot her. When a Target employee walked by me I said “I can’t find my daughter.” I could feel my chest tighten and my thoughts were going crazy.

That feeling is brought to life so well by Mr. Gorbachev in his picture book, The Missing Chick (2009). Mother Hen is hanging her laundry on the clothes line when Mrs. Duck stops by to chat. Mother Hen says “My seven chicks are very good helpers!” Only six chicks are helping though-OH, NO! One chick is missing and Mother Hen, her neighbors, the police and firemen all help her look. Mrs. Duck eventually finds the missing chick in the laundry basket, asleep! I adore Valeri Gorbachev’s illustrations and this one is no exception. Mrs. Duck looks lovely in her polka-dot hat, dress and petticoat. Mother Hen in her apron and slippers looks so relieved when her little chick is uncovered and brought to her. Gorbachev leaves a little surprise ending that children will love to discover because they will have to find it with their eyes.

Thankfully, my little chick was located just moments away as well-not sleeping but admiring accessories in the girl’s section. She clearly stated she was just looking at the pretty purses! I felt as happy as Mother Hen did when the Target employee walked her to me. BTW: if you say to a Target employee that your child is missing they immedietely walkie talkie the front door area and lock down the store. I was freaked and grateful by how quickly the store responded!

Read Planet Esme’s blurb about The Missing Chick.
and Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast talks about Valeri’s work.

Have you ever lost track of your own little chicks?

I came home early from work, scratchy throat, monster headache. Dear Daughter made me a snack of honey toast, a chocolate kiss and a glass of rasperry-flavored Emergen-C all on a tray with a note that says she loves me. Now she is going to read to me for storytime instead of the me reading our book, Evangeline Mudd, together. I need to sleep really well tonight so I can go back to work tomorrow. I have Vick’s Vapor Rub all over me, I’ve tea’d myself with Gypsy Cold Care and I made myself some onion, garlic miso soup when I first stumbled home.

I hope it is enough to scare away the cold germies!!

It is rather nice to have my children take care of me and I did finish A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

Good things abound.

Ear Candling-Do You Do It?

Years ago, while living in Denver, Colorado, one of my dear friends candled my ears. It was cool and felt good. For years I’ve been candling my children’s ears. I candled both children’s ears tonight as per their request. They ask for it when they feel stuffed up or ear waxy. Luckily our small organic store still carries ear candles-though they come at a price. I’ve heard and read lots of negative about this practice but as of yet we’ve never had a problem. We only do it maybe twice a year. My kids have never had any ear infections or even get sick that often (knock on wood) so I consider it to be just a bit of preventive medicine. We can’t get around the fact that our ears feel better afterwards. Right now is the perfect time as we took a long road trip, the weather is changing and we are running on low energy-all factors which contribute to getting sick.

Have you ever had you ears candled? Would you?

Harry Potter

Just saying that name aloud makes me smile. Did J.K. realize how important that name would be when she put Harry together with Potter and added James and Lily. Having my children spread out in ages a bit has given me the rare treat of repeating my HP love all over again. I was delighted when my 7-year-old broached the subject of reading the first Harry Potter to her. I jumped at the chance, of course. Her desire to start the series came through her older siblings and school chums, who naturally got the fever from their older siblings…and so on…

I remember my own fever of waiting for the delivery of each book, wrapped in brown paper, hiding its magical contents. We attended many HP coming out parties for both books and movies, staying up late to drink witch’s brew and eat Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans. After the first book came out our local mall hosted a HP look-a-like contest and our now 15-year-old, ever dramatic, dressed the part. He didn’t win but we had such a great time talking with the many other participants. Several summer vacations are memorable as we traveled across the country to the sounds of Jim Dale keeping us silent, in rapt attention as he magically read all the parts with perfect detail! Ahhh, the memories!

Peaceful Girl, her dad and I finished the first book soon after our Michigan trip and are almost half way through the second book and we are finishing the first movie as I type. This, for me, as a teacher, is what summer is all about…the fact that I can hold my little ones hand as she watches the Hogwart’s Express take Harry, Ron and Hermione away!

Click for J.K. Rowling’s website.

How about you? How many tmies have you reread any of the Harry Potter books? Do you remember great HP parties?

My awesome nephew celebrating the day.

I hope everyone has had an amazing Earth Day!

Among other books and websites I read Chris Van Allsburg’s Just a Dream this week to remind students

what a difference they can make.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle