Dear Book Club Leader

 

When the girls returned from their 5th grade class with a sign-up sheet for a lunchtime short-story book club focusing on the genres of horror and humor and meeting once a week this last semester, I was quite skeptical about how that would go.

 

I was so incredibly wrong.

The girls LOVED the class, entirely. When we talked about it last night, they first said they both loved the horror portion the best. When I said, really?! What about the “woodsen” with Brian Regan? Then they both said, oh, yeah! We loved the comedy portion the best! (In our house, we laughed our heads off at that.) So, it is safe to say, they both enjoyed the entire course. Their favorite story both was Mr. Shockey, and The Lottery made a big impression. 

I found myself looking forward to the updates from the teacher every week, just to read about what they were reading and how they were doing it. She was infectious. It is rare that I go out of my way to write a true thank you letter. I did this time.

 

Pictionary

After using up all of the charades cards to no end, we added Pictionary over the holiday.

 

It would help if they read the same thing during the "Play All" portion of the game where all teams play during the round in a competition against each other. 

 

"Buried Alive" won because "Burned Alive" was not the picture to be drawn.

Spring Break

When all else fails, read a book.

Uncharacteristic to Me

I asked whether one belonged to one boy and one to another?

 

Why yes, mother.

 

On the left: Nicholas

On the right: Ben

Signs of Things to Come

Tucked away playing hand-held video games.

Coffee
(pretending with an empty cup at least for now, although Alida actually likes it.)



e-Reader

Seriously tucked away playing hand-held video games.

The phone.

Wacky Wednesday

As I put polka-dot tights under a striped dress and striped tights under the pajamas above and dug out the mis-matched shoes this morning, Elaine says:

"No mommy, I don't want to be all Wacky. Just the red Dorothy shoes with my tights. And I don't want my dress all backward."

Of course, because the rest of you isn't wacky girl.

Nicholas says: "No thanks mommy. I don't want my clothes on backward."

Benjamin would have worn whatever we put on him in whatever way we put it on him as long as we were the ones putting it on him.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss.

My children are naturally wacky contrary to their own opinions of themselves.

And btw, have you tried to go back and read The Fox In Sox lately?

Makes me feel as grumpy as the poor guy being messed with in that book.

Whispers--Not Really

Our obsession with ghosts in the house lasted a couple of days. When we didn't find any actual ghosts, Nicholas just started turning his toys into ghosts with a couple of well placed wipes.

Then we turned our attention to the whisper book of Benjamin's choosing.
Since it was Benjamin's book, Nicholas thought it his duty to interrupt the dramatic reading at each page. When we got to the page with the llamas sitting on the mountain at the "top of the world" said in a lulling, go-to-bed whisper, Nicholas piped up loudly.
"Mommy what is that thing that is going to hit him in the head?"
"Huh?" (searching the page)
"That thing falling on his head!"
"Oh, that is a shooting star. It's okay. It's way up in the sky and won't hit him in the head."
Here we go.
"What's a shooting star?"
Brief explanation of how it really isn't a star, mention of atmosphere, worked in Colorado in the summer, and on to the mythology of making a wish, hoping I solved all of the questions at once.
Benjamin is waiting patiently for me at this point to get on to the alligator on the next page.
"Why do I make a wish?"
"Um." (silence) Redirection: "You make a wish, but you can't tell anyone your wish or it won't come true."
"Mommy."
"Yes Nicholas."
(very seriously) "I'm going to wish that the shooting star just hits me in the head."
"Okay Nicholas, but you can't tell me your wish. You have to keep it secret."