I took this picture this morning, around 11 o'clock. At that time, it seemed like a lot of snow. But it has snowed and snowed and snowed in the five hours since then, and now? Now we have a lot of snow.
It has been a day or eight since I've inhabited this year corner of the interwebs, and there has been plenty of actvity around here in that time. Dan arrived back at home after almost a month of being away. He left at the end of November to make the rounds at various hospitals for residency interviews and finally got home on Saturday afternoon. He was supposed to be home a few days before that, but got stuck in Minnesota after his interview at Mayo. It seems that they also had a lot of snow. But he is here now and we are settling back into being a family with almost enough adult hands on deck to keep the children from getting into trouble with astonishing regularity.
Here's hoping that you and yours are well and that your holiday season has been full of peace and warmth.
In an anticipated, and yet somehow still surprising turn of events, the pajama-clad hero of our tale turned one last Saturday. It seems reasonably amazing that it was already more than a year ago that I had to outsmart an overly bold possum at my front door as we headed out to the hospital at 3 a.m. I think back on that moment now and somehow the ridiculousness of that possum encounter seems a very fitting beginning to the life of the fellow pictured above.
He loves to throw things and make loud noises and to snuggle up. He is all about mischief (already!) and the chasing of pets and climbing into this and under that. He thinks that his big sister is the very best thing that there is. He loves to watch the bird feeder, thoroughly dislikes bananas and has no qualms about yelling at strangers in the grocery store. He shamelessly flirts with old ladies and then as soon as I notice him doing it, pretends to be shy. He gets right up next to something that he knows he shouldn't touch, and then right before he touches it, turns around to look at me, smiles and shakes his head and says "no, no, no." And I laugh every time.
He keeps me very much on my toes, but I will be the first to admit that it is a pretty good place to be.
Our family is, I believe, somewhat late to the Jon Klassen party. We first happened upon him as the illustrator for the wholly fabulous and not to be missed picture book, Extra Yarn by author Mac Barnett. Both Mariam and I immediately found ourselves completely taken in by Klassen's quirky and incredibly clever illustrations, so when we came upon I Want My Hat Back, a title both written and illustrated by Klassen, it only made sense to get our hands on a copy right away. I Want My Hat Back appears to be a simple book about a bear
looking for a lost hat. But for readers with an eye for detail and a mind for finding the story within the story, this book makes for a very fun read indeed. I did not intend for that last sentence to rhyme, but let's go with it.
There are at least a dozen reasons to thoroughly enjoy I Want My Hat Back, but perhaps foremost among them is the fact that the book works so well on so many levels. The smallest of the small can just enjoy the animals parading by with each turn of the page, while slightly older readers will begin to pick up on some of the hints that Klassen drops about just where this story is headed. And, the more astute kid readers (and their associated grown-ups) will get a good chuckle out of the fact that the story boasts a suprise ending that demonstrates a slightly wicked sense of humor. Mariam was both mock-horrified and unable to stop giggling at the final moments of the story. "Wait!" she said, "He didn't eat the rabbit did he? No. He didn't. Oh, I think he did. That bear ate the rabbit!"
Which brings me to another reason why this book landed itself on our list of favorites for this year: it is one of those rare picture books where the words and images work together seamlessly in telling the story. The dialogue between the animals is that much more clever and humorous because of the wry expressions on the animal faces gracing the pages, and in return, those expressions give the dialogue an entirely different meaning than it might otherwise have. This book doesn't feel written, or even drawn, it feels like a three-dimensional creation and I love that it manages to be multi-layered, even though it is still short enough to be a super quick read on those nights when you are behind schedule on bedtime. Like in Extra Yarn, Klassen's unique illustration style makes the book a visual joy and the fact that the pictures here are expressive enough to change the meaning of the story altogether only gives further evidence that more than just an illustrator, Klassen is very much an artist.
So, I was going to write a blog post today. Probably something kind of frivolous. Likely something marginally sarcastic. I think, although I am not totally sure, that it was probably going to be about goats. But considering the news coming out of Connecticut on this day, that post seems somehow inappropriate. Ridiculous and unimportant. Kind of self-indulgent. So instead, I will just say that now would be a good time to hold your people a little closer to you. To forget about the procedural concerns that were convincing you that you might be having a bad day. To make a little extra space in your hearts and your prayers for the families and communities impacted by what has happened.
I keep thinking of my own daughter, marching around the house before her school holiday concert a couple of nights ago, singing at the top of her lungs...
"Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me."
I have been doing a lot of knitting this last week. Pretty much whenever the small people are asleep, I've got the needles out and am clickety-clacking away. The baby has been under the weather most of the last ten days and the resulting challenges to our attempts to peacefully go about business as usual have been significant. But, I've almost got my pair of mittens finished up, and I have optimistically declared that all stuffy noses are to be absent from here by the weekend.
In other news, which is likely to bring much less of a shock to those of you who are not me, today turns out to be my 35th birthday. So that's something. 34 was a year that brought a lot of changes around here, what with the birth of the second child and all of that business. But 35 promises even more change still, especially since it is looking increasingly likely that we will be packing up and heading back to California when the summer rolls around. Or, that we will ask the magical residency match computer to send us there, anyway. Which seems simultaneously completely insane (cost of living! residency salary!) and incredibly sensible (people we love! beaches!). I'm starting 35 with a lot on my mind, yes, but also a sense that with big change comes the opportunity to lay your life out in front of you and decide what it should look like going forward. And it sure is easier to have a vision of what you'd like it to be at 35 than it is at 25. Goodness.
Oh, and in honor of my 35th trip around our friendly neighborhood star, I'm having a big Alphabet Glue sale. Between right this very minute and 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday night, all of Glueland is 35% off. Just enter "birthday" at checkout.
Some of you may remember that a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that my friend Patricia had just published her first book. Workshops Work! A Parent's Guide to Facilitating Writer's Workshops for Kids is a remarkably well-done and tightly woven how-to manual for parents (and in my opinion, teachers as well) who are looking to teach writing through the use of workshops. And, after having spent some time reading and rereading Patricia's book, I will say this: if you are a homeschooling parent and have hopes of raising a writer, this is one book that you absolutely need to have on your shelf.
Workshops Work! begins at the obvious beginning, and at the place where so many other books on teaching through workshops unfortunately end: by explaining what they are and how to set them up. However, Workshops Work! continues on from there, going through the nuts and bolts of running a workshop on an ongoing basis and having it be a functional, important and enjoyable part of the educational process for parent and child alike. Patricia does an excellent job of laying out the workshopping process from beginning to end, and writes with a clarity and sense of organization that enables the reader to truly envision how writer's workshops could become a sustainable part of a family's educational routine. Plus, she spends time addressing important issues such as giving feedback and drawing in reluctant writers, giving the book a sense of being incredibly practical and useful. Those who have read other manuals on various aspects of education and felt that they were all theory and no practice will find Patricia's book refreshing in every way. Patricia writes like a writer, and this makes it so much easier to trust in her experience and to feel open to her advice on writing. She knows what she's talking about and you can feel it in every paragraph.
Indeed, when I first read through Patricia's book, my first thought was about how different it was from other educational theory books that I have read, both as a graduate student and as a teacher. Because really, although Workshops Work! has sound educational philosophy at its core, it is not really a book about the theory of writing. It is a book about the practice of writing, and about how parents can raise talented, passionate and skilled writers who will become lifelong lovers of the purpose, and ultimately, the craft of writing. My immediate next thought when reading this book? It is absolutely indispensible for anyone working to help children become enthusiastic writers.
You can purchase copies of the book from Patricia via her website here. I have a PDF copy of the book myself, but am planning to get a print copy as well so that I can write in the margins, add sticky notes where needed and tuck bookmarks into important sections.
I'm also happy to say that Patricia is offering three Bird and Little Bird readers the eBook/PDF version of her book.
Recipients will receive three files: a .mobi file and a .epub file for
reading the book on Kindle, Nook and other e-readers, as well as iPads
and other devices, and a PDF file for reading the book on computer and
for printing. To enter to win, leave a comment on this post. I'll pick a winners on Friday afternoon and notify them via email.
Mitten progress has been good. Which is a very nice thing to be able to report, because honestly, between a sick baby and a sniffly me, not a whole lot else has been getting done around here this week. So at least I have half a mitten to show for my days of baby fuss and failed attempts at scheduled napping. I'll take it.
And not to write one of those blog posts that is basically about nothing other than me feeling like writing a little something, but that is kind of all. I've been knitting, the kids have been fundamentally lacking in understanding of the concept of creatures winding down and doing a little extra sleeping when it is cold and dark outside. And, we've been reading. Mariam is rereading her stack of Tintin, I'm reading a couple of non-fiction books about famous art thefts and am delving into a mini-stack of books on various aspects of homeschooling. The Big Move is looking like it may well be even bigger than we first anticipated, and changing our approach to Mariam's education might be a part of it all.
Oh, and I also picked winners for the Alphabet Glue giveaway! Okay, the random number generator actually picked them, but let's say that I did it and then I can feel like I got just a little bit more accomplished this week than I actually did. I would like that.
Robin Smith and Jenny, I'll be in touch about getting you your issues of Alphabet Glue!
As it turns out, I really could make good use of a new pair of mittens these mornings. Now, if only I had thought of this before the arrival of December and the below freezing temperatures... But I do tend to the be the sort that realizes the utlity of something after the moment when I first would benefit from having it, so I guess that it isn't any surprise that I am just now casting on for a pair of mittens for myself.
I'm using the Basic Mittens pattern from Green Mountain Spinnery, which comes highly recommended by my friend Sarah, who is my personal knitting guru. The yarn is Fibre Company Organik, which I knew that I wanted to use, but couldn't find locally. I ended up ordering it from Mr. Yarn, and I couldn't be more excited about knitting with it. It is just so, so soft and fluffy. I am still working on the legwarmers (now of non-giant proportions), but find myself a little bit distracted by the intensity of my sudden need to knit mittens. So, I'm just going to roll with it.
In other news, if you haven't had a chance to enter the giveaway in honor of the release of Volume Ten of Alphabet Glue, there is still time! And, you should definitely read through the comments on the post if you are in need of a good book to read any time soon. At press time I would estimate that there are probably about two hundred book recommendations in there. Grab a piece of paper and a pencil and head over!
As I was tinkering with PDF files this evening, and getting up to go put the teething baby back to sleep about every ten minutes, I got to thinking. Ten issues of Alphabet Glue is a lot of writing. A lot of pictures. A lot of projects and printables and activities and booklists. I think that it is probably about 400 pages of these things, actually. Which then got me thinking about the fact that textbooks are also commonly about 400 pages long. So, I guess that I have written the equivalent of a textbook.
kitchen counter stalactites
But instead of being about particle physics or art history or invertibrate zoology, my textbook is about paper parachutes and robots and penguins and how to turn pretty much anything into a book. It is about rockets powered by Alka-Seltzer, inter-family postal services and drafting stacks upon stacks of comic books. I have written a textbook about storytelling, imagination, daydreaming and finding the world in the pages of a really good book.
You can read up on all the good stuff tucked inside Volume Ten of Alphabet Glue on the brand new, shiny Volume Ten page here.
But before you go, I have decided that on this semi-momentous occasion of publishing the tenth volume of my little magazine, I should have some kind of a party. Seeing as how you all probably live more than a decent driving distance away, let's do this instead:
I am giving two winners a complete set of all ten volumes of Alphabet Glue, plus a super gift bundle for three friends of their choosing. And I can happily time the mailing of the gift cards so that they arrive at an appropriate time for holiday gift giving.
If you would like to win a complete set of Glue for yourself and three friends, simply leave a comment on this post telling me the best book you read this year. I'll pick the winners via random number on Friday afternoon and notify them via email.
This post was actually supposed to go up on Thursday of last week. But then the baby had a special kind of day with about six hours of crying in a row, and you know, no post. And then it was going to go up yesterday, but instead my friend Sarah came over and we made cupcakes for her seven year old's birthday party. And, in the Rochambeau of life, cupcakes beat computers. So, it is Saturday and now, I think, this post will go up. And do you know what it is? It is the Alphabet Glue Volume Ten sneak peek post!
Can you believe that this is the tenth issue of the magazine? I can't. Especially since I'm pretty sure that when I first started this little project, I was going to do about two issues and then move on to some other half-baked idea. But here we are.
In honor of the fact that Volume Ten is Volume Ten, the projects inside are a super fun mash-up of all of the types of projects and activities that you've come to expect in an issue of Alphabet Glue. You'll find simple science, inspiration for young naturalists, and ideas for writing, drawing and keeping track of favorites from the library. And of course, you'll find new book recommendations to keep your library bag in good use all winter long with reads on such wonderfully varied subjects as snowflakes and stalactites. This issue has a little bit of everything, and I think that you all are going to really, really love it like we do. It has come together so well and so smoothly and I can't wait to share it with you!
How about we meet back here Monday morning and I'll do just that? Plus, in honor of the ten-ness of this issue, I will cook up some kind of awesome giveaway this weekend as well, and you'll be able to enter it here on the blog.
I am a participant in the Amazon affiliate program. When you purchase from Amazon by following my links here on the site, I get a tiny commission. I only link to books that I truly believe you'll enjoy, and I don't accept any payment for my humble and often wacky opinions.
