Munchkinland News

Brighisms

2012-02-09T07:43:00.001-08:00

A few years ago I realized that seeing as there was no way I could remember all the cute and funny things that my munchkins said I had better start writing them down. Thus my book of Kids' Quips was born, and so far I've kept it for four years. Not surprisingly, the majority of them come from my Brigham.
Ever since he was tiny, Briggy has watched the world and come up with some amusing observations which never fail to make us smile. I have written so many of his sayings down in the book that he now has his own category: Brighisms. So without further ado, here are some of my favourites:

-"Look Mommy! Snow fuzzies!" on seeing that it's snowing

-Me:"Who loves Brigham?"
Brigham:"Evee-body loves Brigham!"

-"I eat bad guys for breakfast!"

-"Dad, I used the potty! You're so proud of me!"

-Brigham:"Can I use your felts?"
Ben: "What's the magic word?"
Brigham: "Abracadabra!"

-"I'm going to be the dad next, and when I get married I'm gonna buy my girl a NECKLACE!"

-"Telling is like Satan."

The Baby Project

2012-01-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

Due to a doctor shortage here in Slave LAke, the hospital currently is not delivering babies. As such, I will be going into Edmonton for Baby #4. Although I don't mind the monthly jaunt into town for my doctor appointments, the idea of hustling into town while in labour worried me, especially as Jason barely got me to St.Albert for baby Liam. The prospect of delivering Luke along the highway did not appeal to either of us, especially considering that the other three kids would most likely still be in the back seat!
Fortunantly my doctor has agreed that -due to distance and how fast my labours often are-he will induce me on my due date of March twelfth. While now having been warned on how intense inducement can be, I find a fixed date for when this baby will be arriving quite liberating. I know for certain that I will be pregnant for just over six weeks now, and it has given me an idea.
As always, there are things that I want to do before baby Luke arrives. This time though, I know just how much time I have and can plot accordingly. Hence The Baby Project: give myself a (small) list of things I hope to accomplish before March 12. These aren't the practical daily chores, but special things I want to get done.
I will be focusing on two areas: family preparation and sanity savers. I figure to doing at least one thing each week in both areas.

Here's the family prep. list:
- Go on at least two dates with Jason
-Take each of my three munchkins on a Mommy date
-Dejunk and drop off two bags to Goodwill
-Stash at least one meal in the freezer
-Baby knitting (which I have yet to begin)
-make valentines with the kids

Personal Sanity savers:
-Do a foot treatment
-A walk by myself
-Get ahead on my visiting teaching
-Scrapbook some family photos
-Don't cook supper at least twice
-Reread an old favourite

Here we go, let the countdown begin!

Reads for 2011, Part 2

2012-01-18T08:27:00.001-08:00

As promised, here are the picks from children's literature.

Kid Picks:

1."Science Verse"- more zany fun from Jon Scieszka! It's hard to resist the fun of poems about such scientific concepts as metamorphosis, the water cycle or the food chain when written with this writer's sense of humor. Hilarious, and well illustrated. My boys love this one.

2. "Th Wonderful Wizard of OZ" (graphic novel)- normally I'm leary of graphic novels, but when Briggy insisted on signing out this version of the story by Shanower and Young from the library I fell in love with this story all over again. Whwether you actually have read the book or only know the movie, this one is well worth finding. Thier art breathes new life into a classic and the charm of the characters is impossible to resis.

3."Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast"- we're big fans of the poet Jack Prelutsky around here, and this book of his is an absolute gem. Poems about dinosaurs? A huge hit!

4."My Father's Dragon"-Thanks to Jacky for introducing this book to us. Elmer goes on a quest to rescue a baby dragon held captive by the mean animals on Savage ISland, battling them with his wits and the contents of his pockets. The perfect book to start your kid on chapter books as it's not too long and ther'es still plenty of pictures on the pages. Briggy and I read it together as his first chapter book.

5."Clever Jack Takes the Cake"-when Jack, a poor boy living near the forest is accidentally invited to the princess' birthday party he creates the best gift that he can: a splendid cake. But on the long journey to the party can he make it past all who oppose him with his gift intact? Fairytale-like in it's beauty.

6."Goldilocks and the Three Bears"- being a sucker for fairytales, I'm always on the lookout for well-told versions with excellent illustrations (there are far too many insipid versions on the market). This one by James Marshall is marvellous.I simply love the bear's home cluttered with books and them going out on their battered bicycle. Goldilocks is also delightfully bratty.

7."Pippi Longstockings"- I read this book years ago, and I spent a great deal of my childhood wishing that I could be Pippi. She is impossible not to love, especially as a child; living on her own in the way she wants, complete with a pet monkey, a treasure chest full of gold and no school. What's not to love? Check out the version illustrated by Lauren Child, it's the best version that I've ever seen. It leaves me hoping that she'll illustrate Pipp'e further adventures in her other two books.

8."We are in a Book!"- with Ben learning how to read we have discovered a splendid early reader series by one of our favourite authors Mo Willems. Whether you have a beginning reader or not, the adventures of Gerald the elephant and Piggie are splendid fun. In this one they realize that they are actually in a book and hilarity ensues. It's excellent, but lla of their books are.

9."Charlotte's Web"- yet another book I rediscovered last year by reading to one of the kids. Both Ben and I were cheering for Wilbur and his best friend. This time around I better appreciated the style of Mr.White's writing. I also was left longing for a similiar swing like the one mentioned at one point in the story, plus just a farm.

10.""Cute and Easy Costumes for Kids"- okay, this is not technically a book for kids' reading consumption, but the boys did love pouring over the wonderful costume possibilities between it's pages. The best part (for me at least) was that all of the costumes were easy to sew, even for such nervous novice such as myself. That'sa picture of the costumes that I made Ben and Brigham from this book for Halloween at the top. They were a big hit.

Reads for 2011

2012-01-11T08:15:00.001-08:00

Resolution for this year: start blogging again on a regular basis. To restart, here are my top picks of books from my reading last year. Enjoy!

Grown-Up Reads:
1. "Sugar: A Bittersweet History"- My love of Culinary history continues! This one was fascinating , beginning with why sugar became the most popular sweetener in the Western world, the social ramifications from it (like the slave trade), and just how it has influenced and shaped societies. Full of villains and heroes, tidbits and mention of yummy sweets this is one riveting non-fiction book.

2. "A Countess Below Stairs"-My thanks to Jaima for helping me discover the delightful author Eva Ibbotson! Her novels are stories full of dynamic characters, a fun romantic plot and some sly humour. I love a novel where you really cheer for the heroing and Anna is just that. Fleeing imperial Russia this young countess takes her change of fortune in stride on arriving in England and takes a job as a maid of all work at an English manor. Her zeal to do the job properly is endearing and cannot help but win everyone's hearst, which doe not go unnoticed by the earl's nasty fiance.

3. "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie"- A mystery series by a Canadian author with a title that tickled my funny bone, all a very good start when I first picked this book up and it did not disappoint. Flavia de Luce, a ten-year old with a passion for chemistry, discovers a body in the kitchen garden of the crumbling family manor. Between solving the case , clearing her father's name and battling her two older sisters she is a heroing after my own heart.

4. "Finding Water; The Art of Perseverance"-I have mentioned already the marvellous book "The Artist's Way" By Julia Cameron, a book which has been key to me in growing as a writer. This book of hers takes the concepts of fostering your creativity from the earlier book and gives twelve steps in persevering in it, especially when the going gets rough. Marvellous.

5. "Pies and Tarts"- I blame a certain character of mine who has a talent in pastry that lead me to this great cookbook. But then, Martha Stewart does publish gorgeous ones doesn't she? This one is chock-full of scrumptious recipes, from mini lemon tarts with poppyseed crust, rhubarb crisp pie to the best recipe I have ever found for apple. My skills at pie have not been very good, but they are improving, this book providing ample inspiration.

6. "Handmade Home"- I have become a big fan of Amanda Blake Soule. Her books are a fantastic resource for activities and crafts to enrich my home and encourage creativity in both myself and my kids. She very "Waldorfy" which I love. This book is full of crafts enhance your home. I love her idea for portrait bookmarks using your kids art. Check it out.

7. "Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity From a Consumer Culture"- it can be easy as a homemaker to feel like a fish out of water in today's world. This book was very empowering in that it strengthened my resolve to see just how important a work it is that I do here at home, and made me realize that I'm not as alone as I thought. The history of of how homemaking became thought of as superfluous in North America was quite thought-provoking.

8. ""Secret Daughter" -Now here's a novel that made me laugh and cry. Very seldom do I find one that can make me love a character, then hate them, then love them once more. Also is it rare to find a book where I find a book with a character that I hate, but then grow to love, yet this one did both. Intertwining the tale of two families and the child who connects them, this book made me want to adopt a baby, eat Indian food and volunteer at an orphanage. One Indian mother gives up her baby who is then adopted by an American family. Don't miss this one.

9. ""Agatha Christie: An Autobiography"-The "Queen of Crime" has long been a favourite of mine. Reading her novels I formed a lot of questions and theories about the woman herself, and reading her autobiography I was thrilled to learn that I was right. The same style that prevades her books continues in this book, making it a fun read- despite it's considerable length. What I loved was how she would suddenly go off on tangents sharing her opinions about such topics as feminism, travel, poisons, morality, plus many others.

10. "Under the Harrow"-This book I devoured in three days flat. Putting it down was very hard to do! The isolated inhabitants of Dingley Dell have lived for over a hundred years in their valley, a society based on the three books they had when they were left there: The sixth edition of Britannica Encyclopedia, the King James' Bible, and the complete works of Charles Dickens. Anyone who leaves the valley is never seen again. But when one young boy runs away from home, what he finds in the outside world will either save or destroy the home he has left behind.

Guess What?

2011-09-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all. Our big news is that we are expecting munchkin #4, probably sometime in the middle of April! We're all pretty excited about baby (although Ben does have hesitations about being a big brother to three).
So far I feel fine, just tired ALL the time. Having stretched this way three times before, my belly already has a baby bump-I'm just delaying the evil day of having to wear maternity clothes for as long as I possibly can.
Who wants to beat that we'll have another boy?

Catching Up

2011-08-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

My apologies for being so negligent over the summer. We've been having a marvelous, though busy, time of it this year. Where to begin? I suppose that I'd best back up and start with some of our activities and blog about the rest in a later post, as if I put everything in this one it would be a post of considerable length! Here's some pictures of what we've been up to:

Briggy turned four. We had a dinosaur party to celebrate the event.

I actually succeeded in making a cake-other than a cupcake-look good!

In the beginning of August the munchkins and I went to Calgary and spent some time with Nana and Grandpa Redd. What a great time we had! I'm sill unsure who had more fun: Grandpa or Ben and Brigham. Along with fishing we all went to the zoo, a favourite, and stayed for six hours! It was Liam's first time and he loved it.

We met the Skinners there and all five big boys raced around the zoo. The butterfly room was a big hit, as were the new train and carousel with zoo animals on it. Ben rode a velociraptor, Briggy a tiger, Isaac a bat and Andrew rode the giraffe.

Mum, Liam and I by the tiger cage.

All the boys were keen archers with the bows and arrows they made with Grandpa!

On the way home we stopped and had a great visit with Grannie and Grandpa Young. I just love this picture of the boys with their Bapa.

Stay tuned for further Thompson Tales!

Growing Up

2011-07-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

I think every parent likes to consider what their children will grow up to be, especially when they get into mischief! Given the current trends of the munchkins, heres my guesses of the moment.

Given Liam's fondness for biting his mommy, I'd say that he's practicing to become a piranha. Or maybe he'll be a politician. He is a shameless flirt and loves to ham it up for his many admirers.

Brigham likes to say that he wants to be a cookie maker when he grows up. He certainly loves helping me out when I'm baking, especially when oppurtunities to then like the bowl are included. That or an informant for the KGB- his fondness for tattling on his big brother is a regular feature of our days.

Ben declares that he wants to be a dinosaur hunter. He even got a bit of dinosaur bone to add to his rock collection recently and carries it around a lot. If he doesn't do that, maybe he'll go for world domination, he can be so bossy.

F.I.N.E

2011-07-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've been avoiding this ever since the fire. Throughout that whole experience of fleeing our home, and then coming back to what's left of a wildfire is never something you imagine will happen to you. For a long time we were all in shock. We kept being asked how we were doing, and all I could do is shrug my shoulders and say "Fine."
Because we were, right? I mean, we had so much to be grateful for: the love and support of all our family and friends ( thank-you for all the prayers, they helped!), we got to stay with loved ones instead of the evacuation center, our home survived the destruction, and when we were allowed back home the worst damage that we had was a cracked window and some ash in the bathroom. Yet still, no matter how hard I tried and how many times I said it, I did not feel fine.
Both Jason and I have been having survivors guilt-why we were so blessed when so many of our neighbours lost everything? It's still a shock to see the aftermath of the fire. I'll be driving down our street to go home and get disoriented because none of the old landmarks are there. The church and our beloved library are gone. I`ve been trying to keep it together to not panic the kids. I was only `fine`.
As Donald Sutherland says in `The Italian Job`` fine stands for Freaked-out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. That was a much better description of how I felt for a long time.
About two weeks ago, I realized this. I wasn`t fine, I was F.I.N.E, and I was sick of it. I couldn`t let this continue, so for a few days I babied myself to work things out. I`d been avoiding the site of the church and library. Now I went and looked at them, for a long time, and yes, I finally let myself cry. My apologies if I`ve been so reclusive lately...I think that I needed some space for a little while.
It`s helped though, because now even though things are far from normal around town, at home they are. I`m laughing more now, and feeling much better. We`re not Fi.N.E. anymore, now we`re all doing okay.

Sew Smart

2011-05-06T11:48:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been hunting for good crafts and art projects to do with the boys. Doing them together makes for some good fun, and keeps us occupied without just resorting to the TV or computer. My latest find? Homemade sewing cards!
Briggy and I attempted them for the first time this afternoon. I wasn't sure how much he'd enjoy this activity, but he loved it. He insisted on sewing all five cards that I had made. What surprised me was how he found his own ways to sew creatively. His Mum thought that there was only one to sew up the cards, but boy did he prove me wrong!
As Brigham said (proudly stitching away) :"I'm a good sewer."
Indeed he is.

Plank Pose or Push-Ups?

2011-04-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Liam is on the verge of full mobility right now. He loves to watch his older brothers play, and you can tell that he desperately wants to join in the fun. He spends a great deal of time either on all fours rocking back and forth, or in the position seen above. We just can't tell if he's practicing his yoga, or building muscles. What do you think?

Timeless Fun

2011-04-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Remember Mr. Dressup? It was one of my very favourite TV shows while growing up. Indeed, one of my childhood ambitions was to get my hands on that man's tickle trunk. The possibbilities were endless! I never caught an item that showed up on the show more than once. The one thing I couldn't undestand though was how he'd just open up the tickle trunk and effortlessly pull out the required costume-never rummaging the way I had to with our own trunk of dressup clothes.
Such magic only strengthend the idea that dress-ups wielded a strong enchantment, and I played dress-ups a lot as a result. My kids are not much different. Although we don't have the possibilities of the tickle trunk, Ben and Brigham get quite inventive in finding what they need and often raid their parents clothes as a result. My shoes are a popular borrowed item. Scarfves coming up as a close second. Here are some pics from one of their latest forays. Enjoy!

Poem of the Month

2011-03-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong-I enjoy salad. But when it comes to making them myself, I come up with something rather uninspired and often unappetizing as well. Such was the inspiration for this poem.

My Salad's Are Insipid

My salad's are insipid,
My meatloaf is a bore,
And as for my spaghetti-
No one ever asks for more.

I truly am a lousy chef
And my dishes never please.
But at least I can do one thing right...
I make great mac and cheese!

You Want S'More?

2011-03-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Marshmallows are a much-loved treat in our house. Last year for at least three months Briggy would beg, each night, for marshmallow pancakes in the morning. S'mores also happen to be my favourite dessert of all time... I just always hated the graham cracker component.
Not particularly tasty, they always seemed like crunchy cardboard. I'd eat 'em anyway though as a means to get to the delectable gooeyness that was toasted marshmallow and chocolate. Now though I have at last found a solution: homemade graham crackers.
I just baked some today and they're much more tasty- chewy squares with a hint of cinnamon. Much, much better! It wasn't long before we began to explore a bit and finally came up with a s'more cookie. A homemade cracker with marshmallow topping and topped with chocolate chips. Not as gooey as the real thing, but still pretty good. Behold the results.

My munchkins love marshmallows!

Out latest culinary creation.

*The witch would like to thank her wonderful mother-in-law whose finding graham flour for us made my quest to better s'mores possible. Love ya!

Winter Blah Busters

2011-03-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

No doubt some of our Southern friends and family are already in the thick of spring, but up here we still have at least one more month to go (most likely two). Often it's too cold to go out of doors, which can get tiring after a few weeks. This has provided me ample oppurtunity to be creative as I battle boredom with this quest: how do I keep three active little boys busy?

Here's some of the highlights:
-Liam has been discovering both the joys of mobility and teething
-doing art every Thursday supplies Jason and I with an abundance of masterpieces with which to plaster the walls
-library storytime every week is a sanity saver
-when in doubt, build a fort
-baking is a fun adventure with all my keen helpers
-keep a few toys stashed away to bring out when things get hairy, novelty is your friend
-so is play-doh, construction paper, tape and glitter glue
-we've all become avid Kinect players (thank-you Darrin!)
-building a something massive will keep the kids entertained for some time (use marble tracks, blocks, Duplo, whatever. They're all great)
-reading books together will always help to smooth any ruffled feathers

Stay warm and stay sane everybody!

Welcome to Oz!

2011-02-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

Given the Ozness of my blog, I feel compelled to share a new fantastic read that I've discovered this month. It turns out that "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" makes for a spectacular graphic novel. Reading it, I fell in love with the story all over again. For those of you poor souls who only now the Judy Garland movie, do yourselves a favour and treat yourself to this book faster than everyone else.

Another Poetry Pickle

2011-02-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Jason is at teacher's convention for the next few days, so here at home the boys and I all miss him terribly. I'd say that what Ben and Brigham miss the most are the tickle fights which so often ensue whenever Daddy is home. So today's offering is the poem Jason inspired. Love you sweetie.

The Tickleosaurus

The Tickleosaurus is coming!
The Tickleosaurus is here!
The Tickleosaurus will get you,
So run and hide my dear!

He’ll chase you around the table!
He’ll chase you around the chair!
He’ll chase you around the entire house,
Right into his lair!

You can run as fast as you’re able!
You can run with all of your might!
You can run, but soon he will catch you
For a great big Tickle-o-fight!

And then he’ll tickle your tummy!
And then he’ll tickle your toes!
And then he’ll tickle so very much,
You’re up and off you goes!

The Tickleosaurus will catch you, and from
The Tickleosaurus why hide?
The Tickleosaurus will tickle and tickle,
And you’ll laugh ‘till it hurts inside.

But here, I will tell you a secret,
But here, I will tell what to do.
But here-about Tickleosaurus…
Well he is ticklish too!

Balm for the Wound

2011-02-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

Last week I took myself and my three little munchkins to Calgary for a family and city fix. Although we had a wonderful time at Nana's the one event of our stay that I'll never forget was the funeral.
My cousin Byron and his wife Rosie had their first baby just a few days before we headed to town. Amelia Mercedes only lived for seven hours. Living so far away as we do, my heart ached for them and yearned to help, but with something like this you can only do so much. I was very grateful that we were able to attend the funeral at least.
It was a bittersweet time, seeing loved ones and saying goodbye to this little cousin I shall now have to wait to meet. She is a beautiful little girl. I know that Amelia is safe in heaven, and that Byron and Rosie will not only see her again-but thanks to the temple-still get to raise their daughter, yet my heart is heavy nonetheless.
How grateful I am that families truly can be together forever! Over the past ten days I have been hugging my own precious little ones harder and longer than usual.I know that this is not the usual fare for my blog, but my mind has been churning ever since we were first told the news. I have yet to meet Amelia, but she has already taught me of two things. I suppose I knew them before in a way, but they're strongly reinforced now.
First of all that death is not the end, and what a glorious thing the gospel really is. The second thing is how precious children are. They're on loan to us from Heaven.
Anyhow, love to you all, and especial prayers for the Redd family right now.

Kid Picks

2011-01-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's my favourite kid books from 2010. Some are picture books. some are novels, but all are enjoyable.

1. "The Dragons are Singing Tonight"-without a doubt one of the best collections of poetry I've ever found. Great fun poems about dragons, what's not to love?

2."A Necklace of Raindrops"-last year I discovered Joan Aiken as a writer and I've become a big fan. She's especially talented at writing new fariytales, which this is a collection of. Wonderful.

3."Pumpkin Soup"-is the first in a series of three terrific tales about the cat, squirrel, and the duck who all live in the old white cabin and make pumpkin soup every night for dinner. Delicious reading.

4."Click, Clack, Moo"- what happens down at the farm when the cows get a hold of the old typewriter? Mayhem and hilarity ensue, of course.

5."Among the Hidden"-first in a novel series where Luke, as a forbidden third child who must spend his life in hiding, life changes forever when he discovers yet another forbidden child living next door. This one made me cry.

6."Princess of the Midnight Ball"-Remember the old fairytale of the twelve dancing princesses? Here's the story in greater detail and good characters to boot.

7."Hana's Suitcase"-this is one I'll certainly read with my children, once they're old enough. The story jumps back and forth between a museum curator unraveling the mystery of the most popular item in their exhibit on the holocaust-a suitcase with the name Hana on it- and the story of the girl Hana herself.

8."Something BIG Has Been Here"-funny, lyrical, and just plain enjoyable to read aloud, here's a collection of poems by Jack Prelutsky.

9."Ghosts in the House"-my thanks to Jaima for recommending this one, it became a fast family favourite around here. A good guide should you ever move into a haunted house, but great fun even if you never do.

10."Daddy Long-legs"-my love of epistolary novels continues! A good one for Anne Shirley fans; the book has an orphan, an unknown benefactor, school adventures and just a hint of romance thrown in for good measure.

Happy reading all!

Books of the Year

2011-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Going over my reading log (yes, I AM that dorky!) from 2010 there were some fabulous books that I discovered. There are too good to keep to myself, so here are my top ten of adult reads from the year just past:

1. "The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society"- I originally got this book because the title was such a mouthful and tickled my funny bone,but it has become a firm favourite of mine. Here's a read that will make you laugh, cry, has a plethora of delightful characters, and even weaves the love of books into a superb plot.

2."Griffin and Sabine"- In keeping with my love of epistolary novels here is a unique winner. My teacher Mr.Murdock read this to us as a class when I was young, but rediscovering this was sheer delight. You get to read the correspondence between the two title characters, even taking their beautifully illustrated letters from the envelopes as their mysterious romance unfolds. Read all three of the books in this series, they're well worth it.

3."Cod: The Biography of the Fish That Changed the World"- Who would have thought that a humble fish would wield such power over world events throughout time? Fascinating.

4."The Host"-Arguably Stephanie Meyer's best novel yet. Forget those sparkly vampires and enjoy this one. I came into this book determined to hate the main character only to fall in love with her. Full of surprises, the book made me cry it was that good.

5."One of those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies"- Don't you just love the title of this one? Brilliantly told in a series of poems of all things, our teenage heroine must move to California after her mother dies of cancer to live with the moviestar father she has never met.

6."All New Square-Foot Gardening"- A practical guide to growing a successful garden without investing vast swatches of time. This one even explained the wonderful mysteries of effective composting to me.

7."Salt: A World History"- Written by the same author as "Cod" here is another great tale of humankind's pursuit of the most precious resource throughout our entire history. Now commonplace and easily accessible, this now humble element once shaped mighty empires and sparked wars.

8."Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery"-Finally a well-written and compelling biography of a forgotten historical figure that has fascinated me for years!

9."The Happy Hooker"-This is not what you think, it's a book about crochet! Clear instructions, funny writing and with cool projects that range from purses, bunny slippers and cowboy hats it has convinced even a die-hard knitter like me to learn this craft.

10."Stich'n Bitch Superstar Knitting"- You didn't think that there wouldn't be at least ONE knitting book on my list now did you? Superb with great instructions, funny quips and fantastic projects that make me eager to tackle such daunting techniques as fair isle, beading or cables with confidence.

Happy reading all and stay tuned for my kid picks from 2010!

C is for Cookie

2011-01-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

I've always had a fondness for Cookie Monster. And although we had more than our fair share of cookie baking fun last month (Christmas seems like the ultimate excuse to whip up a batch for me)today we made some more- Ben, Briggy and I.
Briggy loves helping out in the kitchen so much that I've dubbed him "My Little Sous Chef". And with Ben getting some marvelous new cookie cutters in the shape of a race car, train and (his favourite) an airplane it was only a matter of time before we made some dough together so that they could make cookies to their hearts content. Ben has been pestering me to do so since he opened that present Christmas morning, so he was very excited about today's activity!
We had a grand time together. I do love the whimsy of cookie cutters, and as such, am slowly acquiring a rather fun collection. While Ben loves his airplane, Briggy favours the pterodactal while I love the tyrannosaurus rex. Even though I'm working hard to loss the remaining baby weight, a certain satisfaction is derived from biting a dinosaurs head off!

A Poetry Pickle

2010-12-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks have been tricky. The chicken pox has been cycling through the family- one child at a time for the past three weeks. Jason is busy with marking for the next batch of report cards at work...and I am trying to keep up with it all and stay sane. Admittedly at times I have come up short. I know that my three munchkins don't mean to be troublesome, but being so active and imaginative sometimes just leads down that road. I try and remind myself that they have a very different perspective than me. Which is why coming across this poem that I wrote awhile ago made me smile.

Grumpy Mum

Oh grumpy Mum, my grumpy Mum,
A grumpy mum is never fun.
Whenever my mum's on the grumpy side
It's a good idea to run and hide!

I do not see her cause to shout,
Why should I not keep my toys out?
I did not want to give her grief
And so I kept my shouting brief.

I went and made myself a snack
But how could I put all that stuff back?
I thought I'd help out in the yard,
(I did not mean to pull so hard).

I really am not being bad
So how come Mum is just so mad?
I put my brother in timeout,
But now my Mum can't get him out!

Oh grumpy Mum, my grumpy Mum,
When she's like this she's never fun.
And though I've tried, as hard as can be...
I can't see why she's mad at me.

Adventures in Yarnland

2010-11-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

One great advantage of the recent cold weather is that it's prime knitting weather-because who doesn't need a few extra warm duds when the wind chill is at -35C? One recent project that I just love is seen above (points for anyone who can guess what these fish actually are).
After snorkeling in Hawaii and our trip to the aquarium this summer I have become quite fascinated by aquatic life, so when I stumbled upon this pattern, it was only a matter of (brief) time before I knit one... or two. Nothing beats the grey winter blahs like some vibrant fishies!

Trick or Treat

2010-11-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

We had a fun, if somewhat frenzied, Halloween this year. On the Saturday Ben attended no less then three parties (a friend's birthday, his own, plus the branch Halloween one). We now have candy out the whazoo, and I am plotting how to relieve some from my children.
I'm also happy to report that the homemade costumes for all three boys proved to be quite easy and economical-partly thanks to our local Salvation Army.

Briggy made a great ghost, Liam was a certain hero from Hyrule, while Ben made a terrific viking.

And for those of you who asked, here's a picture of the creepcakes from mt last post.

Cake Catastrophes, Or Why I Love Cupcakes

2010-10-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

Sorry everybody! It's been ages since I blogged. But things are beginning to fall into a semblance of a routine now, so hopefully that will now include regular posts.
So today I was doing prep work for Ben's birthday party which is tomorrow, and I decorated a bunch of cupcakes to look like monsters (which falls in with the whole monster theme). Now first let me be clear: when it comes to baking I'm pretty good, but when it comes to decorating said confection...Well, let's just say that the cake still tastes good okay?
Hence my current love for cupcakes. They're cute already, so it's hard-even for someone like me-to make them look bad. In fact, just minimal effort is required for them to look awesome. Take the "creepcakes" currently hidden somewhere in my kitchen; I slapped on some icing, then some candy and marshmellows to create monster faces on them, and voila! We now have a toothsome treat that actually looks good too. For once the aesthetics are in harmony with my baking skill.
Now all I have to do is guard creepcakes like a dragon so that they actually survive until the party...

The New Addition

2010-09-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Shortly after he was born.

Liam and his VERY proud Papa.

Our darling little one.

Being adorable is hard work, but I'm a natural!

Niam is cute! And soft." -Brigham

Ben likes to sing to his baby brother.

Okay, this post is long over due I know. For those of you who haven't heard, our third little boy, Liam James Thompson was born at 2:31 am on September 11. What an adventure it has been thus far!
First there was the drive through the rain on the highway to St.Albert. When I wasn't having a contraction, I was terrified that we'd either hit a moose or get pulled over for speeding. Then there was the little fact that by the time we reached the hospital, it was too late for me to have an epidural... That's right folks, this was a natural delivery (I do not recommend this if there are other options). But our little baby is definently worth it all.
We're now all at home, easing into the semblance of a routine, but still trying to keep it simple. Ben and Brigham adore their baby brother, and in a gesture of true affection, have both loaned Liam their own beloved blankies to keep him warm.

Ultrasound, Take 2

2010-08-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Now thirty-eight weeks along in my pregnancy (but who's counting?) this past weekend my doctor squeezed us in for one last ultrasound to verify my due date. Much to my relief, I'm still due early September, and not mid-September!
Baby seems to be doing fine-and big. Yet despite the best attempts of the technician, we were unable to get a full shot at Liam's head. He stubbornly kept his arms up over his face, complete with little scowl identical to his older brothers'. Enjoy the pictures we did manage to get of him.

One is Never Enough...

2010-08-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that I have at least one squirrel-like tendency. But while a squirrel hoards nuts, I hoard books. Lately I've been horading so many that I suspect that I will be so well stocked with such literary treasures that they will tide me over into next summer, let alone through the winter.
Coming home from work at the library last night-with yet another armload of books-I couldn't help but smile. This summer job of mine is much more fun than I'd anticipated when I realized that a summer job would be necessary. Not only do I get to work with awesome people, but I am literally surrounded by books. Or in my case, surrounded by temptation.
For me, books are like chocolate: extremely addictive and impossible to stop at just one. Regardless of the many books I'll already have at home to read, not a shift goes by when I don't invariably find just one more that I have to take home with me. As such, no matter how big of an armload of books I waddle over there with, I always waddle home with a few more. Mind you, with my due date fast approaching I don't seem to have energy for much else besides reading, so this works at present!

A Jolly Holiday

2010-07-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Building sandcastles with Nana and Grandpa.

Brigham with what he called "girl ears".

Playing on the hammock.

The birthday boy and Auntie Janine at the Pirate Party. "ARRRRRRRR!"

Blowing out the candles. Who's more excited: Brigham or Ivy?

Off for an explore on the lake.

Together: our favourite place to be.

"Look Mom! Fish!"

Outside the aquarium.

We just got back from B.C yesterday after a grueling eighteen hours in the car (hooray for Jason who drove all the way!). Favourite moments include:

1. Ben and Brigham's giddy excitement to see EVERYTHING at the Vancouver Aquarium.
2. Watching Jason play with the boys at the spray park at Stanley Park.
3. Shooting pirate cannons at the Science Center.
4. Celebrating Brigham's third birthday with the family in Osoyoos.
5. Watching all the kids whack the heck out of the pinata.
6. Going for a canoe ride with Dad, Ben, Brigham and Isaac.
7. Reading in the hammock.
8. Laughing over Jason, Neen, Elena, and Pete's swan dives off the dock.
9. The fresh cherries and peaches.
10.Catching up with our friends the Harris', particularly my old classmate Brooke.
11.Grandpa teaching Ben to swim in the lake.
12.Enjoying time both as a nuclear and extended family.

2010-07-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is a big day: we venture out on our very first, official family vacation! As sad as this might sound, especially after nearly six years of marriage, we are all pretty excited (although not for the fourteen hour drive it will take for us to get there). Usually when we have time off these days, living up in the isolated North we take the opportunity to go visit friends and family*. Also, during past summers Jason has worked slavish hours in landscaping, so that any vacations were usually taken by just me and the kids.
The fact that we all get to go on a vacation together is thrilling. I think that Ben and Brigham are starting to grasp the idea; yesterday they played "Going on Vacation" several times. After meticulously packing my old recorder case full of essentials (aka toys) they would embark for such exotic locales as San Francisco, or even to a different library!
Our trip to B.C should be an adventure. Stayed tuned.

*Please note that you are all welcome to make the trip in the opposite direction and pay us a visit as well.

Belated Tribute to Dads

2010-07-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

To all the Dads in my life, you rock!

Stumped

2010-06-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

The intent of this blog is to actually pick your brains. You are all such creative people, I am sure you can help me come up with some interesting results should you tickle a dragon who has a bad case of the flu.
Let me explain: the story I'm currently working on, my fairy Abby runs a bakery with her pet dragon. When he gets sick and he can't blow fire anymore all these specialists come up with ways to ignite it again. One way I thought of was to tickle him, but I just can't seem to think of a really good disasterous result of such an action. I'd like to hear your ideas on this one.
So...what could happen when you tickle a sick dragon?

Hunting for that Perfect Summer Job

2010-06-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

In my continuing quest to gain those 600 hours of employment to qualify for EI benefits come September I have had to search farther afield. With the school year quickly coming to a close, and still over a hundred hours short, my subbing will not-as I'd originally hoped-meet the mark. Thus I began the depressing ordeal of hunting for a summer job. I hated doing this when I was in school, but it was doubly daunting this time around.
When you live in a small town you know jobs will be scarce, nor will employers be in a rush to hire a six month pregnant woman. I just tried to remind myself it didn't matter what the job was as long as it got me to my goal-although it was hard to summon up any enthusiasm for something that might include flipping burgers.
Hurrah for the library! After going there every week for two years, they know me pretty well by now, and I was upfront saying I just needed the work for the hours, not the money. I was pretty thrilled when they said yes, they would hire me. I am now faced with the wonderful prospect of working there four days a week! My first day was Thursday, and so far I love it. Advantages of the job include:
-getting to sit down lots as I'm at the circulation desk a great deal of the time
-not worrying about a babysitter as I work evenings and Saturdays, so the boys stay home with Jason
-librarians are some of the nicest, and coolest people on the planet
-I walk to work
-I can talk books obsessively and no one thinks I'm weird
-air conditioning
-being surrounded, everywhere you look, by BOOKS!

This just might be my best summer job ever.

And the Baby is....

2010-05-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Introducing the newest addition to the Thompson clan! After two hours of my tummy being prodded by two tech students (all the while with a full bladder) we were finally granted the first peek at our new baby. Not wanting to be decisive, they told us that they believe our little jellybean to be a boy, but they showed us his legs where we spied what looks like an appendage, so we're pretty sure about it. Apparantly another reason that it took so long was that he was so busy turning cartwheels and dancing the tarantella that they had a hard time spying things. A boy does seem to follow the current trend we've been having in the family now doesn't it?
We're all really excited about our little guy, although on arriving at the ultrasound Ben and Brigham did have their hopes that the doctors were going to help the baby come out instead of just giving us a peek. His name is Liam James Thompson.
Looks like we'll be raising three little amigos around here. We'd better start saving money now for the grocery bills when they all reach adolescents.

The List of Awesome

2010-05-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

So reading my friend Jacky's blog (Our Little Life), she had written up a list of things that she found awesome in her life right now, and since then I've felt the urge to write my own. Here we go, my own list of awesomeness...
1.Sunflowers
2.Playdates at the park
3.Seeing Jason wrestling with the boys
4.The colour green
5.Lemon cupcakes
6.Strawberries
7.Feeling the baby kick
8.Unexected phone calls from family or friends
9.Ben belting out "Follow the Prophet"
10.Brigham's maniacial giggle
11.Blossoms on the crabapple tree
12.Discovering a fabulous new book
13.Knitting intarsia without the yarn tangling
14.Going away for the long weekend
15.Thai food for supper
16.Hearing people say that I'm doing a good job as Primary president
17.Kisses
18.My latest story
19.Pineapple scented candles
20.Jason's corny jokes

A Highly Anticipated Event

2010-05-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

In the field behind our house is the field to the school where Jason teaches. About this time last year, Ben was very intrigued by large groups of kids around his age showing up there twice a week to kick a ball around. He'd often plead to go play with them, and we would have to then explain-yet again-that he could not as he was neither signed up for the activity nor old enough to do so (sign up I mean).
Great was his excitement last night then, when we took him to the field itself to participate in his very first soccer game! I'm not sure what he loved more; running around, playing with the other kids, or his bright blue uniform. Already this morning he has pleaded several time to be allowed to wear his uniform, and announced his intention to go play soccer out in the yard (thankfully, we do have a ball of our own).
Anyways, here's a few pictures of the great even that he's been looking forward to for over a year.

Book of the Week

2010-04-24T08:30:00.001-07:00

I was going to burble about garden books today, but I'll save that for later. First I must share these other wonderful reads with you all.

Pie Anyone?
While perusing the shelfves of a bookstore in LAX an hour before my flight to Honolulu, desperate for something to read, I little expected to discover such a treasure- but that is exactly what "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows is. I lucked out. The title tickled me, surely the book of such a title would be tolerable for the journey ahead? But I was in for a wonderful treat. This novel exceeds my expectations of favourite books of all time:
1.It makes me both laugh and cry.
2.No sooner do I finish reading the book then I want to read it again. Immediately.
3.After reading it, I'm at a loss, for what book could possibly fill the void that this one has created since I'm now done it?
4.Brilliant characters and plot.
Bonus:It's written as an epistolatory novel- my very favourite.
So by now I'm sure you're all screaming at me "So what is the book actually ABOUT Katey?!" Well, I'll tell you. When writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter in 1946 from a stranger from the island of Guernsey about a book, the story begins. As the story of the Literary Society unfolds of how they survived the German occupation with their love of books and the friendships that developed, Juliet finds herself drawn into the story as it continues on into her present.
Humour, heroism, history and a bit of romance. Do yourselfves a favour and read this one right away.

More Dragons
I still love the song "Puff the Magic Dragon", and to this day it still makes me cry. This book, with the same title as the song, is every bit as beautiful. The song's composer (Peter Yarrow) teamed up with artist Eric Puybaret to create something really special. Puybaret's painting eloquently capture the song's text- and much to my surprise and delight, he manages to create a happy ending without changing the lyrics. This book is a perrenial family favourite.

Happy Reading everybody!

Top Ten Signs You Love Your library

2010-04-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

You know that you're a library junkie when...

1.All the librarians know your name.
2.And you know theirs.
3.They also know the names of your children.
4.They even know the name of your spouse (although they have never met him.)
5.You are never asked for your library card anymore when signing out books.
6.If you don't go for a week, the staff wonders what happened to you.
7.You find yourself recommending titles to other random patrons.
8.You bring a huge pile of books home every single week.
9.You wish that you could somehow collect Air Miles from going to the library.
10.You daily check your library account online to see if any of your holds are in.
Bonus: Should you be moving to a small town, the most pressing question you have is "Do they have a library?"

And yes, for those of you wondering, I do have all of these symptoms!

Aloha!

2010-04-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, Jason and I are now back from our little jaunt over to Oahu. We had a splendid time, and I even got everything crossed off my trip wishlist too!
1.Bask in the warm sun and green of it all. Check.
2.Devour as much pineapple as my tongue would possibly allow. Check
3.Go snorkelling among the fishies. Check.
4.Find and eat at a shrimp truck. Twice.
5.Play in the surf. Check.
6.Wear a real flower lei. Hve decided that they're my favourite fashion accessory.
7.Wake up in the morning to some sound other than the alarm clock, or worse, the snooze button. Check.
8.Watch a Hawaiian sunset. Check.
9.Get some serious bech time. Definently.
10.Savour the feel of warm sand between my toes. Check.

Book of the Week

2010-03-22T14:11:00.001-07:00

These days Winter seems determined to linger-despite Spring making repeated attempts to boot it out. Here's a few good finds to read while you're waiting for Spring to finally arrive.

Traditionally Built with a Tricky Trade:
I love The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. They are a delicious read, soothing yet intriguing in a way that always keeps me turning the pages. When Precious Ramotswe of Botswana opens her detective agency she gets confronted by all sorts of interesting troubles. The story always unfolds in a winding and leisurely manner yet never loses your interest, all thanks to the marvelous characters within the pages. First there's Maa Ramotswe herself, traditionally built (aka larger) with her moral standards yet sympathetic understanding of people's foibles, Grace Makutski with her 97% from the Secretarial College, J.L.B Matekoni mechanic extrodinaire, Maa Potokwane the relentless orphanage mother who makes delicious fruitcake and many more. These books always make me want to curl up with a cup of Maa Ramotswe's favourite bush tea, and smile through the pages of the latest in the series.

Dealings with Dragons:
My finding of this next one was purely coincidental. I plcked up on a whim admist the piles of books at a library book sale, unknowingly having found a treasure. I originally got "The Dragons Are Singing Tonight" by Jack Prelutsky because I like some of his other poetry books for kids, plus Ben and Brigham are really into dragons lately. After reading it though, I found that I loved this one. It's even illustrated by Peter Sis, a favourite of mine, and the combination of fun poems with his great pictures is a fabulous one. There's some that'll tickle your funny bone, or just fun to read or dream about. Here's a sampling:
"My dragon's been disconsolate
And cannot help but pout,
Since he defied a thunderstorm
That put his fire out."

Happy Reading everybody!

The End of an Era

2010-03-18T08:49:00.001-07:00

Often nostalgia will hit me whenever my kids develop past a certain stage. Mostly because I find the stage so cute in it's own way, that I grieve knowing that my Ben or Brigham will never be like that again. Oh there's excitement for the next phase, but still nostalgia for what will now be no more. But I said OFTEN.
Such is not the case with Brigham this week: he is finally, and completely potty trained! I'm over the moon about this new development. It's hard to wax nostalgic about dirty diapers, particularly as a few months ago Brigham decided that Mummy was the only one allowed to change him (I still suspect that Jason got him to develop such a decided preference in his favour).
Just over a week ago I decided it was high time to bite the bullet and begin his potty training in earnest. After my experience with Ben, I was bracing for the long haul; bribery, and fortitude over a period of a few months. But wonder of wonders, and miracle of miracles, within a week Brigs had got it! Now he just announces when he has to go and if he needs help. One of my favourite moments was one evening when he raced into the livingroom saying "I went potty Daddy! You're so proud of me!" Well, yes Brigham, we are. Brigham just seems to love being such a big boy and wearing underwear too.
After four straight years of doing diapers, it is a glorious feeling to be done them. At least until September, when we get to start all over again...

Book of the Week

2010-03-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

One of the great advantages of feeling so sick lately has been the comfort of good books. As Dad says, you can always tell whenever I'm really sick, because then I even refuse to read! Luckily, such has not been the case with these pregnancy symptoms. Admittedly, the floor may go unwashed and we will eat far more cold cereal than is normal, but at least I can still curl up with a good read. Check these ones out.

A Portrait of a Young Girl:
I love history, but not of the grand historical figures, not the pomp and grandeur of the mighty and great, of the leaders. They are all too well documented. What fascinates me is the lives of the ordinary souls- what of their story? Take the holocaust for example. We all know the horrifying numbers of the victims, but often the faces and personalities fade behind the staggering tragedy of it all.
That's why I love "Hana's Suitcase" by (forget her first name) Levine. There are few books that make me cry, but this one did and it is beautiful. It is the slow unraveling of a mystery, a telling of two stories that are intertwined. It begins at the Holocaust Museum in Japan. The curator has on display several items donated from Europe, but what garners the most attention and curiosity is a child's suitcase with a name painted on it:Hana Brody. After countless question about her, the curator begins a quest to uncover the truth about Hana; who she was and what happened to her?
The other half of the book is the story of Hana herself, and the two stories go back and forth leaving you cheering for them both, anxiously reading to know what will happen next. A beautiful story full of sadness and ultimately, hope.

Tub Trouble:
Now here is one that I would never have found one my own. Thankfully, I did due to a treasury of beloved picturebooks compiled into one that we got for Ben's first Christmas. We all love "The Tub People" by Pam Conrad in our family. It is a great peek at what just what it might be like for the toys living near you. The tub people are a little family who lead a happy lie lined up along the tub and filled with fun whenever bathtime comes along. But when tragedy strikes and one of them gets sucked down the drain, how can there possibly be a happily ever after? Naturally there is, and the end is so very satisfying that I never tire of reading this wonderful tale anytime my munchkins clamour to hear it yet again.

The Little Events in Between

2010-02-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

Well, Valentine's has come and gone yet again, and it's started me thinking. As Jason can attest to, I love an excuse to celebrate, and almost anything will do. I find these little events be it Groundhog's Day, Valentine's or whatever help to perk up the usual path of life. It adds a splash of colour to what otherwise might have been just a gray expanse of weeks going by.
After some years of my little "events" I have come to notice something: I am more fond of the little events I have created myself or with my family than some of the bona fide holidays scattered across my calender. Here's my top three:

1. Pi Day-more commonly known as March 14 (get it? It's 3.14). Celebrate by eating an abundance of pie.

2.The Frances Picnic- First, read all the Frances books by Russell Hoban to appreciate these great picturebooks. Then once it's warm enough in the spring, this marks the first real picnic of the year, with some of the delicious food mentioned in the Frances books of course. We like including fried chicken in ours.

3. Talk Like A Pirate Day- celebrated on September 17 (which, coincidentally is my due date). It's where you get in touch with your inner pirate. You can talk like one, and the munchkins and I choose to dress like one too! Find a bunch of good pirate books to read from the library, hold the skull and crossbones high, eat a good piratey dinner (no cutlery allowed) and "ARRRRRRR!" to your heart's content.

Books on a Budget

2010-02-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

Despite Jason's protestations to the contrary, we really do need another bookshelf in this house. I am not one of those practical souls who contents myself with the perusal pleasures that the library affords: there are certain books that are worth owning your own copy of. As such, each book on our tightly crammed bookshelf is one we love and not one I am likely to relanquish.
This is problematic as I have become quite adept at finding books on a budget (a necessity during our years as students). It's almost a sport really, how good of a deal can you find on a book you badly want? Here's my standard venues:

The Chains-naturally they are used, if only because I love ordering their books for cheaper online and receiving packages in the mail. It is the most expensive option though so I don't use them often, usually used just for acquiring anything hot off the press.

The Independents- while seldom cheap,everyone needs a favourite one of these. Not only is it important to encourage variety when it comes to shopping, but I've found my favourite independent will find what I want, even if it is not in their catalogue. They're more prone to specialize too.

The Second Hands- Here is book hunting at it finest, because you never know what treasures you might find every time you go! Possibility and delight may await you on each shelf. These are the ones where you don't go in with expectations of what you want, but can simply enjoy the fun of browsing.

The Libabry Sales- Go with a fellow bibliophile to aid and abet you (like I did last weekend-thanks Eva!) and make an outing out of these! It's unbelievable what you can uncover admist all the books the library is hoping to clear off their own shelfves in the hopes that you'll take some to your own. It's hard to beat books for a dollar that are still in good condition, just be prepared to hunt more here than in anywhere else. Still, you can usually find a few treasures hiding among the tripe.

See what I mean? Having just accquired no less than fifteen new titles from my foray to the later venue this past weekend, I am quite out of space on my shelf, yet badly need a home for the latest accquisitions! Although a new shelf would be rather empty at first, knowing me, it would not stay empty for long.

Cookie Fever: The Grand Finale

2010-02-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

I know that this post is long over due, but I simply had to share these pictures form when we made our very own gingerbread house in December (see "Cookie Fever, Part Two).

Ben was pretty enthusiatic about his gingerbread house-it was like a candy explosion!

Brigham spent most of his time working on quality control and sampling the candy instead of festooning it on his house.All in all, we had a grand time, and the boys are already begging me to do it again next year.

Catching Up

2010-01-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! My blogging has lately been seized by sudden sluggishness of late, so it is time to start anew.Here's what's been happening for us...
For those wondering from my last blog entry, yes, the gingerbread houses actually turned out to be quite a success. Ben loved festooning treats on his cottage, while after applying a few gumdrops Brigham opted to just munch the plethora of candy before him instead. It seemed to make an impression-they're already talking to me about doing it again next year at the very latest. As for photos of the event? The moment that I either find or get a new cable for connecting the camera to the computer, you shall see pictures galore.
In other news, I got to ring in the new year with a new, challenging (sometimes overwhelming) calling: I'm the Primary president in our branch. I just love Primary, and I find that there is much to learn and do-truly a humbling experience! It helps remind me that, no, when all is said and done I do NOT know everything! Luckily for me, I have the world's best counsellors; they're enthusiastic, organized and love Primary too. Also, they're experience in serving in a Primary presidency is more extensive than mine, so I am blessed to have them!
Last of all in our news is something very exciting: come this fall we will be welcoming a new member into our family! I know, I spill the beans each time very early, but I'm quite atrocious when it comes to keeping happy news a secret. We're all pretty thrilled, and Brigham keeps asking me why he can't see the baby in my tummy. Soon enough kiddo, soon enough...

Cookie Fever, Part Two

2009-12-16T13:10:00.000-08:00

Today is the day I live a childhood fantasy. Or at least, I attempt it in any case. Being a lifelong sucker for fairytales, I have always wanted to make my very own house of gingerbread. There's something rather enchanting about these cookie domains, and rather abysmal about those kits that are everywhere in stores.
The problem with those grocerystore kits are twofold;
1.They are so hard and disgusting that you really shouldn't bother eating the darn things for fear of either gagging or chipping a tooth.
2.There is never, ever enough candy to bedeck the house.
My theory is that if the wicked witch had moved into a grocerystore gingerbread house, after one nibble Hansel and Gretel would have hit the road, preferring to subsist on lichen rather than take another such inedible morsel.
So today I attempt making my very own gingerbread house-from scratch. In the current version of the day dream, we decorate our little house tomorrow as a family, and love it so much we resolve to do one each and every Christmas forever more. A new family tradition is born...
It's either going to be a disaster or delight. Stay tuned folks!

Cookie Fever

2009-12-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Forget visions of sugar plums, what I have dancing in my head are the ultimate Christmas time goodie: COOKIES! Also, this is no fairy ballerina tiptoeing about in there either, it's more like an African drumming dance.
While I love to bake anytime, there's something special about Christmas baking. One big thing is that it's the only time of year where the cookis my family pleads for is NOT chocolate chip! Variety is a good thing, particularly with so many scrumptious recipes to be had.I get real butter for my shortbread, make ridiculously large batches of gingerbread, dream over cookbooks, and even make my yearly allotment of sugar cookies (because they're too darn time consuming to make more than once every year).
Especially with such cold days upon us, it provides the perfect excuse for the munchkins and I to fire up the oven and bake cookies to our hearts content. Ben and Briggy are my willing accomplices when it comes to concocting cookies. They love stirring ingredients, using the rolling pin, and playing with the cookie cutters. I like to call them my taste testers, because first they want to snitch everything, but second, for a recipe to be repeated it has to meet their enthusiastic approval, otherwise I end up eating them all myself.
A lot of the recipes we make harken back to my own childhood memories, where I helped my Mum bake them. It's a beloved tradition and I love sharing it with my own kids. It's always great to whip up a few childhood favourites to enjoy. Mine has always been gingersnaps (or what we called Crybaby Cookies). What's your favourite?

Book of (Last) Week

2009-12-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

Dr. Seuss was right, Christmas doesn't come from a store, in fact it means a little bit more. But what? Well, what I am busily trying to impress upon my excited children is that Christmas is really about our Saviour Jesus Christ. Admist the hubbub and bustle that is the holiday season, I'm trying to take Henry B.Eyring's advice and make room this season for what it really is all about. Here's some holiday, Christ-centered reads for your consideration.

The Challenge, Part One:
So watching the church's First Presidency's Christmas Devotional last night I got an idea. I'd originally planned to list one inspiring book about the gospel each week for December, but now I have a different goal. I've determined to read all four gospels by Christmas day, all four accounts of the Saviour's ministry instead.
I've calculated that reading ten pages a day I can do it. Anyone who likes can join me in the challenge, and we can send updates through the weekly blog. Who's with me?

For the Kids, Part One:
While I adore Christmas literature, especially childrens' Christmas literature, most of them are more secular in nature. This month I'll be mentioning some of my favourite Christmas tales that have to do in some way with the Nativity story.
First I want to mention one that you really should not miss! I'm sharing this one first so you all have time to find yourselfves a copy of "This Is the Stable" by Cynthia Cotten. Telling the Nativity story simply through rhyme, this is a beautiful little book with sublime text and pictures. To read it is to love it. Here's a sample:
"This is the stable dusty and brown,
In a quiet corner of Bethlehem town.
This is the star whose light shone down
On the quiet stable, dusty and brown."

Enjoy!

Ode to Joy!

2009-12-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

Let Advent begin! Tis the season for joy, beauty, and a good laugh or two. Therefore I present the following for your enjoyment. Try to keep it sane everybody!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnT7pT6zCcA

Book of the Week

2009-11-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

With Advent upon us, here's the last of the cozy and snowy reads for your perusal and pleasure.

Cozy Read, Part 3:
Adventure, lovable heroes and despicable villains, mystery and riddles, great setting and laugh out loud humour; Brian Jacques novel "Redwall" has it all. A delicious read for grownups and children, I first discovered this one listening to Mum and Dad read it to us. We were all captivated and loved it!
When the peaceful Redwall Abbey is attacked by the rat warlord Cluny the Scourge, the brave mice and their woodland allies are hard pressed to preserve their freedom. Determined to restore the legendary sword of their founder Martin the Warrior to rally their cause, the novice Matthias begins a winding path to unearth the mystery of where the sword might be hidden. An unforgettable story, and brilliantly told.

Snowy Read, part 3:
Barbara Reid is a masterful storyteller, and her stunning plasticene illustrations tell the whole story in "Zoe's Snowy Day". Zoe sets out with her Mum one winter's day, and what adventures they have together!From sledding, to watching hockey at the park rink and home again for more hot cocoa, here is a wonderful little book to help welcome in the wintery season and get everyone excited for the snow. Barbara Reid has done three other Zoe books, one for each season, and they are all well worth the effort of finding.

Dating: Then and Now

2009-11-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to visit my family in Calgary. While we were there, it was the annual big Preference Dance in the LDSSA for my two single sisters. Being the formal dance where it's girls' choice, this date usually is a big event.
By the time we arrived, both Neen and Nenie (aka Janine and Elena) were starting to get a little stressed about getting ready, plus looking more than usually gorgeous in less than about an hour! It brought back memories of when I used to go to preference...and how my own sisters were always ready and willing to help me out. I was more than happy to be on the giving rather than the receiving end this time -it was quite fun really. I admired outfits and hairdos, rolled out pizza dough, and soothed soothed ruffled feathers when they got a bit stressed out. They went to a lot of effort to make a fun evening for that group date! Later that night, as I heard them all laughing as they made pizza, decorated cupcakes, and played games before going to the dance I had to smile at hearing how much fun they were having.
In retrospect of my own Preference and dating days, there are very few specifics that I remember. Names, faces, and activities have become blurred. While some particularly significant dates will always be remembered, what has become a treasured memory for me is the fun of getting ready for a date. My four sisters were always there to lend a hand, making the process of getting ready for the date a treasured memory.
The family tradition of helping each other getting ready and going on a date continues; not only did I help my sisters, but my brother helped me too. While Peter took his nephews to a movie, my husband and I got to go out on an actual date-a wonderful treat when you're married with kids. Dating your spouse is trickier than when you're single. Although creativity is appreciated when single, especially for preference, that and ingenuity are absolutely essential for dating your spouse!
We had a marvelous night out together, discovering the most scrumptious of Italian restaurants. It was one of those wonderful moments when I was reminded yet again of things I love about my husband. Thanks to all my family who helped to make it a reality that night.
Did I ever tell you that Jason was originally the best Preference date I ever had?

Book of the Week

2009-11-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

More cozy and snowy reads for your consideration.

A Civil Murder:
I'm a big fan of Agatha Christie, her mystery novels are my ultimate relaxing read. They have it all: murder, well-written characters, inventive plots and settings, a touch of romance, and that delicious wry wit of which I'm especially fond. And unlike so many modern mysteries, her books are clean; no gory violence, and though dealing with some nasty elements of life, things never get lurid. Things remain as civilized as possible. In short, her books are perfect for a cozy read, be it in the thick of a storm or on the beach.
For those new to "the Queen of Crime" try "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" where she first introduces the immortal sleuth Hercule Poirot and his comrade in arms, Captain Hastings. While visiting old friends, the convalescing Hastings gets more than he bargains for in the English countryside when his hostess is found murdered. Admist the fear and suspicion that follows, the Belgian emigre Poirot must employ his "little gray cells" to oust the murderer.

A Muddle with Mittens:
Who hasn't had trouble keeping track of of those things? That is just the problem facing the boy Nikki in "The Mitten", Jan Brett's adaptation of this Ukrainian folktale. When Baba finally knits the long desired snow white mittens for him, you know it is only a matter of time before Nikki losses one. What happens as more and more forest creatures discover this snug hideaway is beautifully told through text, but mostly through illustration. This one never fails to make me smile.

Heard It All... and Then Some

2009-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

One theory I've developed as a mother is to never do something for my kids that they can do themselfves. This naturally leads to the ocassional pout fest, or my favourite; yet another creative excuse.
Ben came up with a funny one this morning when I asked him to get the milk on the table for breakfast. Heaving a weary sigh, my four-year old looked at me and said languidly "No, I've been doing that for a hundred years!" His parents were chuckling over that one this morning.
The thing is, spending time in the teaching profession you hear a lot of excuses. These ones are not so cute, but mostly either lame or just pathetic. I'm thinking of composing a list of some of the worst excuses I've heard there, but here's a few of them:
-I'm too poor (?!)
-I'm handicapped (be it ADD, ADHD, mentally disabled, blind... this one is endless)
-I'm (fill in the blank with the minority group of your choice)
-I'm too stupid
-That's just the way I am
-guilt tripping, like one of my very favourites where one student accused me of being a racist because I told her to get back to work

After grappling with pre-adolescents, my kids are a breeze, plus all the more adorable. What they come up with is also a lot more funny.
What are some gems that your kids have come up with?

UPDATE: My apologies to all who misunderstood my mention of students with disabilities. My comment in no way was about students who do live with with them. I have had the oppurtunity to teach many such students and they are a delight to have in the classroom. What I was referring to was those students who do not have disabilities, but try to manipulate me as a substitute teacher and get out of work. I am sorry for any confusion I may have caused.

Book of the Week

2009-11-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of alliteracy? This rising menace is the growing population that knows how to read, but doesn't. This is a great shame as reading improves us in so many ways that whenever I read studies of reading's benefits, I wonder why wouldn't you want to read? Here's some picks for your consideration. For grownup reads this month I'm suggesting some of my favourite cozy reads to snuggle up with as the weather gets cooler. For kids, a few reads that celebrate the coming of the snow.

Reading Too Many Novels:
If such a thing is possible, than I am ceratinly guilty of it, as is Katherine Noland from "Northanger Abbey"-the Jane Austen heroine that I most readily identify with. On an exciting trip to the glittering social world of Bath, Katherine's naivety and wild imagination get her into many a scrape. Although life is not nearly as dramatic as the gothic novels she devours, it does still have its fair share of villains and buffoons to avoid if you hope to live happily ever after.

A Winter Romp:
I adore Uri Shulevitz's book "Snow", especially this time of year. While the rest of the city dismisses the first snowflake, a little boy and his dog happily insists that yes, it is too snowing and that they are going to enjoy it (even if no one else will!) The result is a magical romp through the city landscape as it becomes whiter and whiter. To read it is to love it.

Happy reading everybody!

Beating the Mall Blues

2009-11-08T13:02:00.001-08:00

I am one of those crazy people who tries to get all of her holiday shopping done by the end of November. There are multiple reasons for this: feeling organized for once, avoiding the insanity that is any store come Dec. 1, and spending advent actually doing Christmas things I love to name a few. Crowded stores always make me feel crabby anyways.
The thing is, living in a small town, my shop selection is limited. This has prodded me (as nothing else ever could have done) into the hitherto unexplored world of online shopping. As my nearest and dearest can attest to, a techno girl I am not. Last year Jason didn't believe me when I told him that I wanted an ipod for Christmas-he asked what I would do with one! It felt weird the first time I tried shopping online, but I'm becoming rather fond of it. Online shopping perks include:
-I can actually find things my dear ones will like, instead of resorting to shopping at the local Wal-mart for all of my gifts.
-better selection than any store, or mall.
-getting free shipping makes me feel oh-so-very-clever.
-getting actual packages in the mail, which is so much more exciting than the usual paper shredder fodder we usually get. Actually, the packages are probably my favourite thing about it (cue the Rogers and Hammerstein).
Thus, while I'll eagerly be watching for packages in the mail for the next few weeks, come December you will find me wrapping presents, baking a gingerbread castle, singing carols at the top of my lungs...and hardly crabby at all.

Book of the Week

2009-11-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

In light of the recent holiday, here's a little fanciful frivolity to add to you reading list.

Flights of Fancy:
If you're looking for a book that is the feast for the eyes (I know that I will never outgrow my love for picture books) look no further than "Fairie-ality" by the House of Ellwand. The book reminds me of a witch catalogue I drew up with a childhood friend, except this is for fairies, and much more exceptional than our youthful sketches. It is a fashion magazine for the winged folk, with sumptuous gowns and ensembles. Each piece is crafted with things found in nature; flowers, feathers, leaves, and the like. It is a beautiful book, and a delight to pour over.

Witchy Wickedness:
She's Heckedy Peg, she's lost her leg, and she wants to be let in! Beware this nasty witch, "Heckedy Peg" by Don and Audrey Wood. When their mother goes out, her seven children (all named for a day of the week) are lured to let in this evil witch, which naturally leads to trouble and immenent disaster. Can their mother outwit the old hag and save her children before it's too late? A wonderfully satisfying, absolutely scrumptious book.

Giddy About the Goodies

2009-10-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Halloween seems like a much bigger deal than what I remember as a kid, but overall, I rather like it. Over the course of the next few days I will find myself helping to throw the branch party , there's the haunted house being thrown at Jason's school, not to mention countless other parties that will be occuring around town.
It's going to be very fun, but I can't help but wonder to what level of giddiness Ben and Brigham will reach over this weekend. I've ditched the survival plan, and all ideas of coping out the window. To heck with that! I'm going to find myself a great witch hat, find some good theme music and concoct up some cookies and popcorn balls. My greatest feat will be if I can convince Jason to dress up as well.
Ben is VERY excited for Halloween this year. When he's not burbling enthusiastically about the upcoming church party or trick or treating, he's happily supplying us with enough pictures of ghosts and pumpkins to paper the walls of our home. These artistic endeavors have made any need to get Halloween decorations completely superfluous. Although he has been cruising through potential costumes at a dizzying rate, he has managed to settle at last upon being a ghost. This, thankfully will be a cinch (not to mention will easily fit over his snowsuit).
Briggy, as usual, has taken Ben's hoopla into stride. The only time he has gotten remotely giddy (thus far) is whenever he spies the Halloween goodies that are festooned across any and every spot at the grocery store. He does enjoy his recycled monkey costume though, and has spent many a happy moment racing around the house doing his best primate impressions. He might be a bit young to go out trick or treating, but as whatever Ben does is the epitome of cool in his eyes, I've deemed it prudent to bring him along the night of.
That's what I really love about Halloween; the magic of racing around in your costume in the dark, the glow of jack-o-lanterns, and the glee of consuming way more sweets than your Mom normally lets you. It may not be a major holiday, but it's one that appeals to the kid in all of us.

Confessions of a Substitute Teacher

2009-10-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

This month I've started subbing every now and then to earn a little extra cash (and if we ever want to stop renting, that is exactly what we need!). Jason has proven to be a fabulous publicist; his school seems to call at least once a week these days, while I haven't heard a peep from either of the elementary schools. But in a small town where qualified subs are hard to find, the shortage is to my advantage. This week I'm subbing for the entire week...in math. Stop that laughing all of you!
Anyways, while I'm always relieved-and exhausted- whenever I get home, generally I enjoy going out and sporadically putting my degree to work. However, one thing I've realized is that in the school social totem pole, we subs are the pariahs. As much as teachers love finding an excuse to take a day off, most of them dislike leaving their classroom to someone else. The students will try to undermine you, seeking every and any means to turn the class into chaos. If you don't keep your wits about you, you're easy prey my friend!
Having trained in elementary education, working in secondary is interesting, to say the least. Some days I'm left scratching my head wondering if I was that obnoxious at that age. At times I am unsure what my role is: glorified babysitter, zoo keeper, mentor, or drill sargeant? In some classes I feel like the polar bear at the zoo; endlessly pacing the confines of my cage (er, classroom) ready to pounce upon anything out place.
All said, subbing has been a good experience thus far. The school staff are all really nice, and even some of the students are too. One thing I love is seeing Jason around. Most hallway encounters are as follows:
Me (nodding)-"Mr Thompson"
Jason-"Mrs Thompson"
(The fun is watching the students' reactions anytime this happens.)
If anything, subbing has given me a whole new insight in just why Jason is as tired as he is when he comes home each night!

Book of the Week

2009-10-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but here up North it's a bitterly cold long weekend! This leads well into making turkey, pies, and and all those other delectables that go with Thanksgiving dinner. While everything is cooking and filling my home with marvelous smells, the inclement weather also lends itself well to burrow into blankets with a pile of good books. Consider the following for your own reading list.

Trip Down Nostalgia Lane:
I love Tasha Tudor's books, so when I discovered "The Private World of Tasha Tudor" (by Tudor and Brown) I thoroughly enjoyed a glimpse into this author's and artist's life. She is quite unique, living her life as it would have been for us all had it been in the 1830s. The book's resultant photos combined with Tudor's thoughts and musings makes for a memorable read. It's beautiful, and makes you want to duplicate some of that magic in your own home. I for one love the idea of a gingerbread castle instead of the usual cottage for Christmas!

Yearly Delights:
Seeing as I'm on a Tudor stint today, I'd better mention one of my favourites of her actual books as well. "Around the Year" is beautiful, in the usual Tasha Tudor style. Gorgeous illustrations, well-written text depicting one little family's seasonal adventures through the year. Lovely.

Whiz Kid

2009-10-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Guess who's figured out how to use the computer? I guess it's partly my fault-I taught Ben how to use the mouse. He's extremely fond of Photobooth, and can happily entertain himself for ages taking numerous pictures of himself. To date, we have over a hundred and twenty of them. What can I say? The kid's a natural ham!

Book of the Week

2009-10-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

So many books, so little time. Hence my (almost) weekly suggestions to help you separate the wheat from the chaff.

Witty Words:
They say that you should make lemonade when life hands you a sour one, but if that's the case I can't help but wonder what Evelyn Ryan would do. No doubt come up with a witty limerick or two. She is the true character of a daughter's loving memoir titled "The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio-How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less". During the 50s and 60s, with an alchoholic husband, ten kids to raise, and the wolf constantly scratching at the door Evelyn uses her wits and flair for writing to drum up money in her own unique way: winning writing contests for products, be it jingles or why said product is superior in twenty-five words or less. Her joie de vive and pluck help to keep despair at bay, and the resulting story is one of laughter, delight and miracles amongst what could be the dark storms of life.

Cackle, Cackle Mother Goose:
There is a reason why nursery rhymes have endured for as long as they have, and it's because despite the passage of time, these lilting bites of poetry from Mother Goose never lose their appeal to delight. Shockingly, too few youngsters get the chance to meet this wonderful grand dame, and that is a great pity. While books with these rhymes are plentiful, one of the best I've ever found is "My Very First Mother Goose", a collection compiled by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells. Do not deny your kids or yourself the pleasure of this delicious compilation. There were well-known favourites like "Humpty Dumpty" as well as new friends like "Blanket Fair". Like all her books, Rosemary Well's talent for sublime illustrations make this book literary perfection. Here's a new one we discovered and loved on making it's acquaintance:

Davy, Davy Dumpling,
Boil him in a pot.
Sugar him,
And butter him,
And eat him while he's hot.

To all you fellow book nuts, I say "Happy Reading!"

Steek It!

2009-09-22T08:37:00.001-07:00

Last night while writing I was in a goofy mood, and the following song parody was the result (with apologies to Michael Jackson-no wait, I take that back). For anyone who's tried a creative endeavor that has scared them silly I present "Steek It".
(By the way, for those of you who don't know-steeking is a knitting technique where upon completion of a project you cut it, to achieve a result that you couldn't get any other way. It's a pretty bold and scary thing to do to a project that you've spent hours slaving over.)

You never thought that you would come up to here,
This knitting's not so hard-time to face your worst fear.
The fire's in your eyes and the pattern is clear
So steek it, just steek it.

You faced intarsia and the fair isle too,
You knit up lace and the stitches they flew-
You even managed cables, you did it it's true
So steek it, but the knitting looks bad

Just steek it, steek it, steek it, steek it,
You know that you can defeat it!
Show them your funky craft is alright,
Just keep on tryin', you'll get it right
Just steek it, steek it
Just steek it, steek it.
Just steek it, steek it
Just steek it, steek it.

Ten inches in you find you really hate blue,
Yet so far along, what could you do?
Keep the project alive, just keep knitting through
For steek it, you'll steek it.

The pattern's out to get you, you're tearing your hair,
You fix that darn dropped stitch it really ain't fair.
Now get those scissors, it's time that you dare
And steek it, and it don't look too bad

Just steek it, steek it, steek it, steek it,
You know that you can defeat it!
Show them your funky craft is alright,
Just keep on cuttin', you'll be alright

It's steek it, steek it, steek it, steek it,
You know that you did defeat it!
Show them your funky craft is alright,
You kept on tryin' and got it right
You steeked it, steeked it,
You steeked it, steeked it,
You steeked it, you steeked it,
You steeked it!

Book of the Week

2009-09-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Gather round my fellow bibliophiles and share some more wonderful books together.

Never Stop Dreaming:

For those who don't know, I keep a reading log of all the new books I read. As if that weren't dorky enough, I have a rating system to record how good each book is. Lousy ones (that for some inexplicable reason I finish) get a dash, tolerable is a dot, enjoyable is an asterix while incredible gets a star. A recent star read was "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.

A college professor, Randy, like many other professors before him, was asked to give a lecture as if this would be his last. The hypothetical "if you were dying what would you talk about for your very last lecture. What would be most important to share with your students?" Ironically, in the interim months before the lecture, Randy was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of dropping the assignment, he pushed ahead. So incredible was his lecture that it was shortly afterwards rewritten as a book, which can only be described as one of the most inspiring and moving books I have EVER read.

The book is about achieving your childhood dreams. Funny, poignant, and heart warming it's the story of a man at death's door who is still determined to live life to the fullest and leave a legacy of love for his young family. Do not miss out on this splendid read.

Darling Delinquency:

Prepare yourselves to laugh, giggle, and roar over the delightful antics in the book "No, David!" by David Shannon. The story is simple enough; basically it's David being reprimanded for all sorts of things that he shouldn't do, but combined with the illustrations this tale will tickle your funny bone. The troublesome but loveable David is hard to resist.

Spudsation

2009-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

So this morning I went to the garden to finish harvesting all my crop before these cool nights do any more devastation to my lovely veggies. I now have a big box filled with green tomatoes and about sixteen green pumpkins, and one gardener desperately hoping that they will ripen! But hands down my most plentiful crop has been the potato-we're up to our eyeballs with 'em here. Help!

Now being a Redd, eating potatoes is not my problem. Living with Daddy you have to either develop a taste for those little spuds or go hungry at the dinner table. I was a slow learner when it came to liking these tubers, but when I did I went all the way. A baked potato was my favourite after school snack once I learned how to nuke them, and I'd eat them just like an apple.

Nope, what I desperately need is inspiration, recipes. There are only so many times that you can serve up any vegetable in one form before you have a mutiny on your hands. while the potato is a marvellously adaptable thing when it comes to being put to use in the kitchen , I was hoping for suggestions from all you dear readers. What are you're favourite recipes for the humble spud?

Book of the Week

2009-09-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

obviously, I have been spending a lot of time enjoying the autumn sunshine and not blogging, except when it comes to sharing my passion for books!

A Human Right?

I just finished reading Ezra Levant's latest book "Shake Down"-talk about food for thought! A Canadian journalist, he has had more than his share dealing with the Canadian Human Rights Commisions. He was the only person in the world who faced legal sanction for printing those Danish cartoons. His ordeal lead to examine these bureaucratic offices, and fought a public battle for his freedom of speech. The book isn't just about the battle, but his resultant research about the commisions. Normally I do not consider myself an activist, but after this book I want to be one for the protection of freedom of speech, not to mention the extinction of an agency that does not honour Canadian values and basic freedoms, and sound as it they would be more at home in North Korea! For anyone who is fed up with political correctness, and the seemingly unassailable right not to be offended taking precedence over all things including common sense, read this one.

Roald Dahl Rocks!

Another all-time children's author of mine is Roald Dahl. His books are zany with great adventure for kids. He's on my list of books I can't wait to read to my kids (again, in the top three). A great one to start with young kids, because it's not too long for them, is "Fantastic Mr. Fox". When the despicable farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean start going to extreme measures to take out Mr. Fox and his family, our hero must be even more clever and fantastic than before to outwit the villians. Enjoy.

Happy reading all.

Book of the Week

2009-09-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

There's something about fall that makes me want to do cozy things; make soup and apple pies, walk in the crunchy leaves, bask in the mellow sunshine, and most especially curl up with a good book. Here's a few for your consideration...

Meal Musings:

For those of you not yet acquainted with Laurie Colwin, you are in for a treat. She is by far my favourite food writer. She has a knack for writing about food that makes you smile in recognition, laugh, and make your mouth water. Her book "Home Cooking" is superb, and just the sort of thing for inspiration in the kitchen. Perfect for gearing up to put the BBQ away, and gear up for edible autumnal delights.

A Childhood Favourite:

I have a list (ever expanding) of chapter books that I can't wait to share with my munchkins once they're older. "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis is the top of the list. I remember my grade two teacher reading this to us and being enchanted by the story, and I've loved it ever since. Just imagine making that discovery of such a magical place, and to go on such an adventure as Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy! I have yet to meet a child who can resist this tale. Battling an evil witch, derring do, miracles and unforgettable characters make this a must read for all ages, but especially for the young. So determined was I few years back that Elena should experience the splendor of this novel that we sat down under the trees in our yard to read it, only to spend an entire summer day in the garden to finish the entire thing.

The Redds Are Coming! The Redds Are Coming!

2009-09-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

So this week we have my sisters Janine and Elena visiting with us. Living here it's always wonderful to have people come and see us, and show off our little town (hint, hint).
The munchkins were very excited to have their aunties come, but actually waiting for them to arrive was hard for them. Now that they're here we've been having fun going for walks, picking berries along the trail-and if the weather cooperates, go to the beach! Life is good.

Book of the Week

2009-08-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

And last, but certainly not least for the two themes...

Summer Reads Part 3:

Michael Chrichton's novel "Timeline" is one of those books that are great to read on vacation; exciting plot, good characters, and lots of action. Did I mention too that Chrichton also has a way of citing the science that helps make these sorts of adventures seem plausible?

With more and more mystery surrounding the corporation funding his archeological dig Professor Johnston leaves the site to his grad students for New Mexico to confront their sponsors. After his departure they make a shocking discovery: a written plea for help in the professor's handwriting admist some recovered documents dated from the 1300s. Now some of the top students must go back to another age and rescue the professor-if they can. But it's a different, more brutal word than the one they know... and time is running out.

Bedtime Books Part 4:

"Goodnight Gorilla" by Peggy Rathmann is my all-time favorite bedtime book. The zookeeper is busy, saying goodnight to all the animals before going home to bed himself. Unbeknownst to him, the gorilla has the keys, and is just as busy letting all the other animals out to follow the zookeeper home.

Here's a nice, sleepy story where the beautiful illustrations really tell what the text does not. It's a cozy book to cuddle up with to read to your own munchkins before tucking them in for the night. It doesn't get much better than this one.

Happy Reading all!

2009-08-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

Recently, Maclean's magazine discussed couples who decide not to have children. A main source was a French reporter who had written an article with 40 reasons not to have them. Shockingly, this woman actually has two children of her own(!).
To tell the truth, the whole article made me mad-the reasons these people came up with were either incredibly selfish, egoistical, or just an insult to intelligence. The reporter was the worst. But what was really upsetting, was that the article did not present the other view of the spectrum.
As an Latter-Day Saint, and a mother, it is no surprise that I think that parenting is crucial-and not just for society. Being a parent has taught me so many things. It all depends on your attitude, but I know that raising my children has strengthened me creatively, spiritually, mentally and physically. And least we forget, I'd say that the munchkins benefit from the arrangement as well! No other achievement will be greater than raising happy, good kids.
The world need good parents, now more than ever. That's why I was thrilled to discover an article in the National Post, a retaliation of some reasons to have children. It made me laugh.

Here's the link to the response. Take that!

Book of the Week

2009-08-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

"We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become."

- Ursula K. LeGuin

Summer Read Part 2:

During my teens I acquired a love of the books by L.M.Montgomery. One favorite which I happily reread every year or so, especially during the summer, is "The Blue Castle". After spending her entire twenty-nine years of life under the thumb of her domineering mother and in fear of her snotty clan, Valancy Stirling learns that she is dying. Determined to start living somewhat in the way she lives in her daydreams-her "blue castle"- she keeps her illness a secret and begins to live life as fully as she can. Naturally, her respectable relatives are horrified when she starts sliding down the bannister, reading novels and speaking her mind. But no one, least of all Valancy, is more surprised when love comes her way at last.

Bed Books Part 3:

Yolen is a prolific and talented children's writer. One collection of her work that's garnering a lot of praise and attention lately is her dinosaur books. My boys adore our copy of her book "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" Part of the fun of this book is seeing the dinosaur in our own world, dragging their feet at bedtime, much like the small children we all know and love. The sight of a sulky stegosaurus or an ankylosaurus demanding a piggyback ride is great. The text is terrific too, written in great couplets. For example;

How does a dinosaur say goodnight when Papa comes in to turn off the night?

Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about?"

Happy Reading all!

The Thompsons=Super Squad

2009-08-19T17:41:00.001-07:00

Lately my munchkins have fallen under the craze of superheroes. They'll play it, watch it, and draw it. We have a DC Super Friends Batman, and that little dark knight is the hottest, most contested toy in our family. In the grips of this mania, I couldn't help but wonder; if we were a family of superheroes, what would our powers be?

Brigham-the mighty One Track, capable of focusing obsessively on one thing for great periods of time (e.g "Bird Mummy! Bird...bird...bird. Bird!" for at least twenty minutes)

Ben-the amazing Whiz Kid, moves at great speed, and never, ever wears out.

Jason-Technoman, who's mind defying powers over media is able to make it do his bidding.

Katey- Basilisk, who can terrify all with The Look, and able to persuade others to do her will.

So, what's your superpower?

Book of the Week

2009-08-15T15:12:00.001-07:00

The hunt for a good read continues-and along with bedtime stories, I've decided on focusing on good books with which to finish off the summer.

Hurrah for Harry Potter:

This summer Jason and I started rereading "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (book six), and enjoyed it so much we summarily moved onto rereading the last one in the series as well. Maybe it's the fact that the last few books in this series came out in the summer that makes me peruse their pages again each summer. I know there are some who love to lampoon J.K. Rowling's stories, but frankly, I adore them. Here's a few reasons why:

-the whole world of witches and wizards is so finely created that I love revisiting it, and can't help wish each time that it were real.

-superb characterization. The characters are well-written, believable, and have their flaws as well as strengths. Even minor characters have believability. Harry, Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort, Mrs. Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, etc. they're characters you can cheer for, relate to, or despise. But they seem so real. They make mistakes, they mess up and have moments of truth which make me cheer or cry. And there's always a few suprises.

-exciting plot. Nothing new about good vs. evil, but the heroics of the good guys, plus the sheer creepiness of the villains makes this so compelling to read. It's never easy for the heroes, and you can't help feeling anxious about them as they stumble through the adventures.

-the humour which is always there. From little asides to characters jokes, the books make you chuckle.

Say what you want about these books, but J.K. Rowling created something that has young children to adults avidly devouring +400 pg. novels in an age where some say that reading is a dying pastime- I don't care what you say, that's talent. They're books that can stand to be read again, and ones I alook forward to reading with my own kids.

The Pigeon is Here!

"Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!" by Mo Willems is hilarious for parents and kids alike. Eager to postpone the inevitable, the pigeon resorts to some wild and creative strategies to not go to bed. The format and style of this book was so different, that at first I was a bit taken aback, then thrilled. It's like a comicbook for young kids, but a quality read. As the pigeon addresses the reader he gets more and more goofy in his attempts to not be sent to bed. Read it and laugh.

Happy Reading all!

Blackbeard Eat your Heart Out!

2009-08-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Okay. okay, I know that I burble a lot about my garden in here. Look on the bright side- once the snow sets in I shall burble on about yarn and knitting instead! But seriously, I had such a productive time at my garden today that I feel the need to ruminate...

Grandpa Young always jokes that "You can never cook too many potatoes when the Redds come for dinner!" and he's absolutely right. We are all big potato fans in the Redd clan, and Grannie and Grandpa only enabled us with the scrumptious potatoes from their own garden. That's what triggered my own garden fervor: wanting to enjoy my own marble-sized spuds. Well, this is the first year that I've done it!

This morning, Ben, Brigham and I all headed off to our garden-leaving golf for anyone else not gripped by our enthusiasm. We had so much fun turning up the soil and grubbing through the dirt to find those fleshy little nuggets. Digging for treasure has never been so much fun. Anytime we discovered yet another spud we'd get so excited to add it to our rapidly growing pile of edible gems.

Now home with the booty, I am plotting a scrumptious seasonal feast. As anyone who's ever had the great fortune to dine at Grannie and Grandpa's knows, no such summer meal would be complete without a big pot full of garden fresh boild potatoes, a bit of dill, butter, salt and pepper.

Yum me mateys!

Book of the Week

2009-08-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Last night I realized that my home library has a shocking lack of paperbacks. Normally, I prefer to buy books that I adore- hence I prefer to buy them in the sturdier form of hardback- but paperbacks do have dvantages in reading them in places where a hardback would never dare to venture. The beach or the bathtub being among them. Any suggestions for titles?
Here's some suggestions for you all.

Art Out the Whazoo:
I'm a big fan of Eric Carle's books. I loved them as a kid, and I still enjoy them now which is why I enjoyed the book "The Art of Eric Carle" so much. It is a great art book, chock full not only of his beautiful illustrations, but his fascinating autobiography as well. Did you know that though born in America, his family moved back to Germany-just in time for World War two? Or that his art teacher, seeing his talent, risked his own life to show him modern art banned by the Nazi regime? It's a great read. Plus, he explains his technique for his unique art, which makes a great activity to do with kids.

Bedtime Blues:
For my kid pick, this month I'll be talking about a certain theme of kid's book: stories relating to bedtime. One I just love is "Hush Little Dragon" by Boni Ashburn. Written in the style of the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" a momma dragon sings to her baby of all the wonderful treats she will get him. From three musketeers to a mean old queen, this mom goes to great lengths for her little darling! This one excels in my criteria; well-written text, great illustrations that enhance the story, my boys always clamour to read it again, and I can stand reading it multiple times. Enjoy with your own little bedtime dragons.

Happy Reading all!

Brigham's Beach Birthday

2009-08-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, Briggy's birthday was a month ago, and yes I'm behind in posting photos, but I had to share these ones. His party was hit. We went to the beach, played in the sand, played in the water, and ate cupcakes. What a fun way to celebrate our Brigham turning two! Now all we have to do is teach him to face the camera more often.

Book of the Week

2009-08-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few weeks for me-I've hardly been home, but gallivanting all over the place. Yet no matter how hectic things become, I always make time to read.

More Than Punctuation:

We just saw my brother-in-law Conner today along with all of the Thompson clan. Great fun. We haven't seen Conner since Christmas, and during the interim he went on his own exchange to Germany. He brought me back something that I love: an Asterix comicbook!

I acquired a taste for these ones as a kid from my Dad, and I've been hooked ever since. Although the Asterix comics are huge in Europe, they are sadly largely unknown here. When I was little, I loved them for the adventure: Asterix the Gaul going on grand adventures with his pal Obelix, their brave village keeping out the Roman invaders. I found them amusing, but the plot was the thing.

Now though, what keeps me coming back is the humour and goofiness of it all. First there's the names of the characters; Getafix the druid who concocts the magic potion that gives our hero super strength, Unhygenix the fishmonger (take a guess at the state of his wares), and others. Then there's all the puns, a form of humour that I always enjoy. Colourful, expressive pictures. These comics are smart, funny, and well written. Check 'em out.

Under the Sea:

You know children's book is good when your own tiny tots loudly demand "Again!" the moment you finish reading the last page of a book-even though you have already read said book multiple times. We discovered one such book just last week.

"The Pout-Pout Fish" by Deborah Diesen has a lot of things that I like: it's written in rhyme complete with a refrain, fun illustration, and a story that will make you smile. Here's one that I can actual stand to read ad nauseum (always a big selling feature for me). The Pout-Pout fish, with his pout-pout face is spreading his dreary-wearies all over the place. Despite the best efforts of his friends to cheer him up, nothing seems to work. Is there anything that can snap him out of it? Naturally! But you'll have to read it to find out how for yourself.

Happy reading everybody!

The Ultimate Snackfood

2009-07-28T14:50:00.001-07:00

Due to being out of town in Seattle (of which I shall blog about later), it had been some time since I've been to my garden. Ben and I went there this afternoon, and good thing we did! It was high time to harvest some of our vegetables, especially the peas.

The vines were bent over backwards with all of the peas, the pods plump and ripe. We filled an entire big mixing bowl to overflowing, and that doesn't include the ones we munched as we went along. To tell the truth, we hardly made a dent in the pea patch, but it's a start.

Now I love garden peas, it's the only way I'll eat 'em. Growing up I was notorious for eating out all the ones from Granny and Grandpa's garden whenever I came to visit. Picking all of those peas today was fun, and Ben got pretty thrilled with them too.

Yet it was only after we got home and I had three children (only one of which was my own) hanging around gorging upon peas that started me thinking. Fresh garden peas are the ultimate snackfood for a variety of reasons. Here's just a few aspects about them that make them so great and appealing to kids:

Creative - every kid can think up numerous ways to crack open those pods.

Fine Motor Skill - getting to the peas takes some ingenuity.

Environmental - comes in it's very own, biodegradable packaging.

Therapeutic - the repetitive motion of getting them can be very soothing.

Nutritional - they're good for you and I'm just lucky that I have some left for supper.

The peas were such a big hit I saved some for a snack for tomorrow when we go to the park. But with a large pea patch groaning under the weight of their crop, it's a lucky thing that my kids enjoy fresh peas so much. I foresee us eating a lot of them in the foreseeable future.

Book of the Week

2009-07-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

Seriously, does anyone read this? Ah well, my love of books will have out.

Exploring a Legacy:
"Blue Latitudes:Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before" by Tony Horwitz is a wonderful adventure and history read, especially in the summer when one dreams of traveling to far off places for vacation. Two hundred years from Captain Cook's birth, the reporter retraces the footsteps of the impoverished farmboy who became England's most famous navigator.
From England, Canada and Tonga, Horwitz visits all the lands that Cook discovered and explored, not only to gain insight into a compelling historical figure, but to see his influence and legacy in the lands whose destiny was changed with the arrival of his ships. Fascinating stuff.

Doings of A Doughnut:
We just discovered "Arnie the Doughnut" cooked up by Laurie Keller this week at the library. From the first line of "Arnie turned out to be just the kind of doughnut he hoped he'd be-chocolate covered with bright coloured candy sprinkles." you know that you're in for a good laugh.
Unlike the other confections at the bakery, Arnie does NOT like the idea of being eaten. To avoid the usual doughnut fate, he has to get creative. What really makes the story so fun is the illustrations, it's next to impossible to open the book and not leaf through all the pages. This one leaves me wanting a good doughnut to eat, but only after the story so that Arnie can't see what I'm doing.

Happiness is a (Knit) Blanket

2009-07-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

Remember Linus van Pelt from the Peanut comics? Linus adored his blanket, if he didn't have his beloved blanket, he went into withdrawal. He was always my favorite character-well, him and Snoopy. But when I became a mother, little did I realize that I would shortly be getting not one, but two little Linus van Pelts of my own.
Both Ben and Brigham have a passionate love for their blankies, or "baby" as they call them. They are knitted blue creations that they adore.I only wish that I could take credit for knitting at least one of them!
Woe betide us if we do not bring them on a road trip! They will not go to sleep without them, and they love to take them everywhere. Now that Ben is almost four, he has become (slightly) less needy when it comes to his baby. He no longer insists on bringing it everywhere. Although once in Edmonton he insisted that he needed to bring blankie to the library, but instead of carrying it or stowing in the stroller he wrapped himself up in it. He looked like some bizarre, tiny bag lady. Granted though, stranger sights have and will apear again along Whyte Ave!
Brigham though is even more passionate about his blanket love. We can never get out the door without him making the plea for "bwoo baby" to come along as well. Yesterday he determinedly carried it all the way to the park, around it, and back home resisting any attempt I made to put it in the stroller so it would stay remotely clean. Handwashing those blankets can be a pain.
Yet as a mother who only relinguished her own beloved baby blanket at the age of twenty-one, and only because I worried that it would shortly disintegrate, I can understand the love of a cherished blanket. I believe that Ben and Brigham should be allowed to keep their "babies" for as long as they need them.
Although with all that love, they do get a little worse for wear. Ben's blankie is hardly blue anymore, and I often have to mend runs (or "owies" as Ben calls them) to keep it from unraveling. Brigham's is fading too. But it is fun to see my two blond boys enjoy and love their blankets, just as a little blond girl did hers years ago.

Book of the Week

2009-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome booklovers! Here's my current picks.

Serious Sass:

For those of you who do not share my love of knitting I beg your kind indulgence. I do have to share favourites from my expanding knitting book collection. There are those who laugh with disbelief when thay see I own a book titled "Stich'n Bitch Nation" (by Debbie Stoller). Like it's predessessor "Stich'n Bitch" it has been on the bestseller list, but the one I own is better. It has more patterns, fun anecdotes and is one of the best sources of explaining complicated techniques that I've ever seen (thinking cabling and adapting a pattern).

Although there are some patterns I will never make (like the bikini) there are many which I have and still long to create from this one. I've lost count of how many pairs of alligator mitts I've made from here (yet still haven't made one for myself), the psycho bunny phone cozy or the lil' devil pants for infants. On my wish list are the monster slippers that look like they escaped from the Muppet studio, the toque with bear ears, the steering wheel cover and lots more. This one ain't granny knitting!

Damsel in Distress? Where?!:

I have had my copy of Phoebe Gilman's book "The Balloon Tree" since Christmas 1986 and I treasure it still. It is falling apart, the cover is ripped and worn, but I suspect that I will never have the heart to throw this one out. It will always have a place of honour on my bookshelf because it was one of the very first books I ever read on my own, and loved with all the passion of a six-year old girl.

Incredible as it may sound now, I had great trouble learning how to read and detested the exercise. My teachers were playing with the label of "learning disability". Knowing my love of stories, especially fairytales, my parents persevered. As a gift I received this book and I was entranced. The princess Leora (who looked about my age and even had brown hair like me!) must save the kingdom from the evil archduke when the king is out of town. The magic that unfolds is sheer balloon fun! The illustrations for this one is spectacular, and leave me wishing that I could buy them as art prints to hang in my home. Not just because they're beautiful, but because they're great fun too. Don't miss the delight that is this book.

Reason #52 Why I Love Jason's Vacation

2009-07-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous time we had at Edmonton this past weekend! We went to the Young family reunion and enjoyed catching up with friends and family. Jason played some golf with the guys, the boys ran riot around Gigi's house with their cousins and I got to explore Whyte Ave with my sisters and cousins. Talk about great fun!

Today is a low key day here at home. I woke up this morning feeling sick, and the fact that I'm covered in mosquito bites does NOT help. I am convinced that those vampiric little pests were not a part of the original creation when God made the Earth-they were part of the fall and meant to plaque us. Anyways, the majority of my day has been spent napping, lying prostrate on the coach, and scratching mosquito bites. Not exactly fun, but I'm really grateful that Jason is home, he's really picked up the slack. Of all the things I looked forward to in having him home for the summer, him playing nurse to his sick patient of a wife wasn't one of them, but I'll take it. Instead of the usual feeble attempts to keep things running when I'm sick, this time I can just focus on feeling better. Ahhhhhhhhh!

The War on Weeds

2009-06-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

It would seem that I am an avid garden nut. This isn't really surprising given my history. I have a tendency to throw myself passionately into something, especially things I love. Homework fell by the wayside, the laundry piles up, I forget to fill up the van (again), but by golly I would finish that absorbing novel, the sweater or story!
As to gardening, I really should have clued in sooner about this interest. Weeding the neighbours ' garden by stealth just so I could enjoy the sight of their daffodils was just one hint. This summer though I may have bitten off more than I can chew, especially as it is only my second attempt at a garden of my own- but the desire for fresh tomatoes, sunflowers, peas, and pumpkins can make any gardener do silly things,particularly when a friend of a friend tells you to take as much space as you want in their yard for your garden plot!
Ever since we first tore out the sod for said plot, the grass has been desperately trying to reclaim the territory. Along with beets, herbs and zuchini, I have cultivated a healthy dislike of weeds this summer. I am certain that they were part of the fall once Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Oft times I have fought a losing battle, but wonder of wonders! For the first time ever last week it felt that I had at last gained the upperhand. We've been simply besieged by weeds from day one, and given the fact that my friend's little boys were very industrious about removing our carefully plotted row markers, it's a miracle that anything besides the verdant pests have grown at all.
As I've been ridding myself of these unwanted garden guests I have made the joyous discovery again and again of tough little plant sprouts that never said die. This is despite the competion and a dreadful cold season in the spring. Incredibly, even some of the cucumbers survived! My tomatoes survived the frost, and my pea patch is becoming a lush little jungle. I even managed not to kill of the potatoes this year. So far.
Nothing keeps an avid amateur gardener coming back for more when it comes to the war on weeds than the intoxicating success of seeing you plants beginning to thrive.

Book of the Week

2009-06-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

The quest for a good summer read continues! With it so warm out I spend a lot of time outside supervising while Ben and Brigham play. Just sitting there gets kinda boring after a few days so I like to keep a bit of knitting and a good book in my purse to help stave off boredom on our outings to the park.

A School Favourite
As a general rule I detested all the things crammed down my throat in L.A during high school. They were all so depressing, morbid or just downright dull. To this day I will not touch anything by Tennesee Williams (ugh!). Yet there is one book that I happily revisit often. My best teacher and mentor Mr.Murdock read Haper Lee's classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" aloud to us in grade eight, and I've loved it ever since. The story weaves an unforgettable story. I love that it is seen from the viewpoint of the children in the book-at first I just loved it for all their escapades. Scout and Jem with their friend Dill. Their highjinks and tricks to get the reclusive neighbour Boo Radley to leave his house. As things unfold you start to catch a hint of the drama that will soon strike and change their lives forever. Here's another book that makes you laugh and cry. Every time I read this one I want to pack my bags and visit the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. This book is exceptional, and the movie is a rare exception too. It actually is a credit to the novel that inspired it.

A Quest for Berries
Reading Robert Mccloskey's book "Blueberries for Sal" always reminds me of going berrypicking with Granny and Grandpa. While Sal and her mother are on one side of Blueberry Hill picking berries to preserve for the winter, Little Bear and his mother are on the other side fattening up for the winter. It's a simple story, but one that makes you smile and reminsce. My boys love this one. Meanwhile, it always leaves their Mommy wondering if we shall have a similar adventure this summer when we go picking blueberries ourselves. They don't call the trails littered with berry brambles through town the Bear trail for nothin'.

Happy reading everybody!

To All the Daddies Out There: Thanks

2009-06-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Seeing as yesterday was Father's Day, the daddies in my life have been on my mind; my dad, Jason, my wonderful grandpas, and my father-in-law. Having a wonderful Dad myself, one of the things I liked so much about Jason when we were dating was how much he reminded me of my dad (they both have the very annoying habit of being right all the time for one thing). I think that being a good parent is an ongoing process rather than a destination. Daddy says there's things he's still working on, which is encouraging for me as I know my mothering is quite a work in progress still! Jason's in the works of being a pretty wonderful Dad as well, and I love watching it happen. He's Ben and Brigham's hero, jungle gym, horse, and beloved Tickle-o-saurus. Luckily for me, I married a very practical and organized man who helps control the chaos around our home. He has always worked so hard to support and take care of our little family.
Daddies are vastly important in a child's life, and I feel truly blessed to have the posistive influence of so many righteous men to bless not only the lives of my children, but mine as well.
Life is good.

Book of the Week

2009-06-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all my fellow bibliophiles! We continue this week with more great summer reads.

The Delights of Mr.Darcy:
Looking back on past book post I found that I have yet to burble about my favourite novelist Jane Austen. Shocking that she has been neglected for so long! While I adore her novels, the one that started my passion for her work is the inestimable classic "Pride and Predjudice". From the minute you read the famous opening line "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." you know that you're going to have fun with this one. What is it about this novel which still resonantes with people? For me it is the dry wit, wonderful use of words, memorable characters, and the business of getting a husband (which truly is not so very different from the dating scene today). A good novel needs good plot and superb cahracters-"Pride and Predjudice" has both. Who could ever forget the imperious Lady Catherine, the toady Mr.Collins, the angelic Jane or the neurotic Mrs.Bennet? Each time I reread this one I am struck anew by how familiar the characters are, both in myself and those that I know. Then there's the conflict between the hero and heroine, which has you hopping anxiously in fear that this time things might not work out so splendidly. To tell the truth, the first time I read this one I envied Elizabeth at the end- it made me wish that Mr.Darcy was real and still single.

A Pedestrian in Peril:
Pat Hutchins delightful book "Rosie's Walk" was unknown to me until I encountered it in one of my university courses. Hands down it was the best book I had to read in ANY of my classes! The text belies Rosise the hen's peril, for what could be more innocent than a little stroll around the farm before dinner? What makes this book so much fun is the illustrations that show you just how much trouble Rosie serenely meanders through. She makes it home okay, but her pursuer is not quite so lucky. Read it and laugh.

Happy reading all!

Goodbye Landscaping. Goodbye Forever.

2009-06-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Lately I can't help but wonder who's more excited about summer vacation, Jason or me? With only five more class to go before exams, Jason is getting quite worn out with coaxing his school-weary students into exam readyness. Quite honestly, he needs the holiday much more than they do because he's been working harder. The things is, this will be the first summer he will actually be around, and the prospect of having him home for two entire months makes me grin in anticipation every time I think of it.
Let me explain. Ever since we've been married, Jason has worked long hard hours landscaping every summer. The only time we'd see him was early in the mornings (and how conversational would you really be at 5am delivering papers?), and late at night when he'd collapse exhausted on the couch. Usually, he'd work so late that by the time he got home the boys would be fast asleep. I was a work widow, but no more! This summer he'll be around for the family outings, walks and activities for the first time ever. We get to go on an actual family holiday! We went to the beach on Saturday, and he got to come play with the kids and bask in the sun instead of just slaving away in it. It was a wonderful time.
No more solo parenting outings for me! The boys will get to spend some good time with their Daddy too. What makes me the most excited though is knowing that this summer I finally get to bring my very best friend along on the fun of our summer adventures.
Hooray for a career in teaching!

Book of the Week

2009-06-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

Gather round book lovers for yet another opinionated and passioante book review.

Toothsome Treats
This week I indulged in one of my favorite treats: a new book. Normally, Jason says that I have too many cookbooks (which is most likely true) but when he's flipping through pages just as eagerly as I am and it's HIS idea we buy it-well, I don't protest too much. "Martha Stewart's Cupcakes; 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's favorite Treat" is rather a mouthful of a title, but pursuing the pages will make your mouth water. Like most of her books, there's clear instructions and great pictures for every recipe. Every time I leaf through this one makes me want to rush to my kitchen and whip up a batch of tiny cakes. But which ones? Do I go for the S'mores cupcakes? Black Forest? Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes, Triple Citrus or Chocolate Caramel minis? Talk about a culinary dilema! Needless to say, cupcakes will be making a more regular appearance at our place over the next few months.

Not Your Regular Hoedown
Sandra Boynton is a genius. Her board books really made peole realize the potential that this genre could have. Bid banal boardbooks goodbye forever! Her best one (though they're all fabulous) is "Barnyard Dance". Just the swing of the rhymes makes you want to read the book out like a caller at a square dance, clap in time to the beat and tap your foot. Plus these barnyard critters are so endearingly funny, from the surprised looking chicken being spun by a cow to the not-so-easily impressed donkey. With this one, who wouldn't want to "trot with the turkey leap with the frog [and] take another turn with the barnyard dog"? Don't miss the fun with this shindig and come join the fun!

Mommy and Her Boys

2009-06-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! I thought that it was high time to post a current family photo, so this is us at the Calgary Zoo in May. The boys just love that zoo, everytime we're in town, they loudly clamour to go there.

Growing up in a family in which the first twelve years of my life were devoid of males (except for Daddy of course), I guess that I always assumed that I would have little girls too. When I was pregnant with Ben and found out that we were having a boy, I paniced. What was I going to do with him?! I knew girls, but my knowledge of boys was shaky at best! Luckily, having Peter as a little brother, and having a husband with a good sense of humour has definently helped me to understand the male mind-a little.

Once Ben was born, I started to learn, and fast! Mostly, I just had to keep up with him. My Ben has always been the personification of perpetual motion. He loves to run, climb, jump, anything that involves movement! When Brigham arrived on the scene our family became even more entrenched in little boydom. He's quieter, but no less enthusisatic about the things he loves. Brigham can quite happily watch passing traffic for hours, and adores keeping up with his big brother.

With two boys about, it didn't take long to learn that if something has wheels it'll be a big hit (even if I can't see the appeal). All sticks are either a sword or gun (or sometimes both), and both our home and neighbourhood are apparantly infested with monsters, dragons and bad guys. It's a good thing that my little knights are such staunch defenders, or I might not just get through the day without being eaten alive, and lose a lot more tickle fights than I already do!

People often ask me if I wish for a girl, but frankly I'm having too much fun with my boys to think about something I don't even have. We read together, my kitchen walls are often plastered by their artwork, go exploring, and tackle Daddy when he comes home. Life is good.

Book of the Week

2009-06-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

With hot summer days here at last it is time for some good summer reads. You know what I mean, books you take along to the beach, on a road trip, or just savour in the shade of the backyard. Summer reads aren't intellectually stimulating, they're just sheer fun. Add these to your must-read list.

Best Buds
Yesterday I just finished the most wonderful book. I think that I'll have to add it to my list of all-time favourites, and buy myself a copy of my own.It was one of those novels that make you laugh and cry, and was one of those reads that I didn't want to end because I was enjoying it so much. Obviously I love sharing a good read, but this time I'm getting bossy: READ THIS ONE EVERYBODY! "Last Days of Summer" by Steve Kluger is an epistolatory novel set in Brooklyn in the early 1940s. When Joey Margolis decides that his favourite baseball player and hero Charlie Banks needs to take him on a road trip, he goes to more and more elaborate lengths to grab his attention (much to Charlie's annoyance). This is not a baseball book -a sport in which I practically know nothing about-but one of a remarkable friendship that grows between a hotshot athelete and one devious kid, who have more in common than you would originally think. Seriously, you will be missing out on a splendid book if you don't read this one.

Family Fun
"The Party" by Barbara Reid was one of those books that I'd consistently seen at the bookstore for years (usually prominantly displayed) which I never paid attention to until a friend shared it with me. Since then I have become a huge fan of Barbara Reid's books, as they are all delightful. "The Party" appeals to me for many reasons: 1. It's rhyming text has a lilt and fun beat that are hard to forget, 2.the plasticine illustrations should definently qualify as amazing art and 3. the story reminds me of practically every Young family get together I have ever been to in my entire like. Great fun to read any time, but especially if you're going to a family reunion sometime this summer. I dare you not to enjoy this one.

Happy reading all!

Life in the Bush

2009-06-01T12:17:00.001-07:00

To be honest, when I first learned that we'd be moving up North to Slave Lake, I figured that we'd do out time and come back South ASAP. Of course, that's before I actually saw Slave Lake. When I did, I fell in love. It is just so beautiful up here! It was nice in the winter, but now that it is summer even more so.
When I took speech lessons I learned this poem called "Going up North" about the remote beauty of the North. At long last I think I understand what the poet was talking about.We're surrounded by the woods, and I love taking the boys tramping through them. There's wild raspberries everywhere, and apparantly a plethora of saskatoons, blueberries and canberries too. You just have to watch out for the bears when you go to pick them! The woods are right by our new place, and you can hear the frogs talking to each other throughout the day. On our last jaunt through the woods we discovered lots and lots of ferns popping up. Both Ben and Brigham love exploring in the woods, and finding sticks. I just love watching them playing and discovering new things.
Then there's the beach. Slave Lake is so huge that you can't see the other side, and its remote, untouched beauty is incredible. Ben is pestering me every day to go back to the lake. He loves building sandcastles while Brigham gets a big kick out of running into the water and being chased by the waves. He always giggles with delight over it all. Seeing as fishing is so good and popular around here, we've promised the boys that we'll go this summer (Ben has decided that he wants to catch a shark). I foresee that we'll be spending at least half of our time at the beach this summer.
Now that we're here in Slave Lake I don't want to leave. I just love it here! Every time we drive out, it's never long before I think (yet again) "WOW! It's just so beautiful here!" There's camping, berrypicking, beaching, hiking, and fishing all just minutes away from home. Life in the bush is good, and this life time city girl has gone small town.

Book of the Week

2009-05-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

I just can't resist shating books I love! Here's my picks for this weekend.

Creative Discovery
Remember Elder Uchtdorf's talk in the RS broadcast in the fall? It has become hands down one of my very favourite conference talks. Talk about empowering! As a writer, it was so encouraging to hear that creative pursuits can be aided and encouraged by our Father in heaven. Read the talk if you don't know it, I like to review it every few months or so, but as it is not a book, let me come to the point. Julia Cameron's book "The Artist's Way" is like the how-to guide to apply the principles discussed by Elder Uchtdorf. The book could be considered self-help in that it gently prods and encourages readers to develop their creativity, but by seeking God's help to do so. I confess that I was skeptical-until I read it. Since then, I have been sharing the title with others. Elena has found it helpful too. I've kept recommending it to my friend Eva so often that I finally just bought her a copy. She was under the misunderstanding that it was some hippie, New Age blather, but then I showed her the chapter headings; Recovering a Sense of Safety, Strength, Integriy, Possibility, etc. I think it was that which convinced to her to actually read it. Here's a book for all children of God's children- and He is the ultimate artist.

Where's the Bear?
I'd say that all of us are familiar with the classic story of "Going on a Bear Hunt" and it's innumerable variations. They're about a dime a dozen for all the versions that are out there. My ultimate favourite for this one is Helen Oxenbury's version. She effectively captures the lilt and metre of the story which makes it so fun, and her pencil and watercolour illustrations of a daddy taking his four kids on an adventure are great. To be honest, the scenery of the pictures remind me of home here in Slave Lake (and yes, there actually are bears up here!) The touch of running across a blizzard while on the bear hunt really makes me smile, and makes me wonder if Oxenbury had Canada in mind when she put it in there.

Happy reading everybody!

Clutter's Last Stand

2009-05-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I have not been keeping the blog current lately, but sadly moving will do that to ya. We are now reasonably settled into our new townhouse (if you ignore the odd boxes still stacked here and there) and Jason has received a renewed contract to teach at the high school next year. Hooray! While it's great that he gets to keep this good job, I will admit that what I'm mostly excited about is that this means we don't have to move for at least another year. Definently worth celebrating.
With all of the hubbub with moving our things into our new home, it was reinforced to me yet again just how much stuff we actually have. As I'm laboring to unpack I can't help but wonder "Why the heck do we have so much junk?!" Mind you, this move I got smart and dejunked beforehand sending at least half a dozen garbagebags to Goodwill, and that was great except we still have lots more left! One problem is that both Jason and are are packrats, but when it comes to getting rid of things I'm much more willing and ruthless. Most of the debris accumulates around Jason's desk-I filled a few boxes with it. However, as much as I would like to just purge it all when he's not looking I've learned from experience that this is not a wise policy with your husband's stuff (just ask Jason what happened to the two boxes of his Star War novels if you want the story).
The question is, how do I get rid of this clutter before is consumes the house? At least right now it is all neatly contained into boxes, but the thought of actually unpacking them makes me cringe. Jason has been lovingly informed that dealing with these little terrors is his job, but you know what they say about things being out of sight. All I can say is that if these boxes survive until our next move I plan to incinerate them in a massive bonfire. There they'll be, going up in a blaze of glory, and me, doing a celebratory victory dance around it!

Book of the Week

2009-05-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are once again. Today once school's out, we're packing up the kids for the long trek to Medicine Hat. It's been ages since we visited the family down there and we're all excited, especally as they have sunny forecasts while ours here in Slave Lake is predicting more snow!
With our upcoming move I am currently in the deplorable condition that most of my books are in boxes. As such, I foresee that I shall become an even more frequent user at our local library. Anyways, here's some good reads.

Knitting Fun:
Unbelievably, I have thus far not mentioned any knitting books on here! This gets remedied now with "Knit 2 Together" by Tracy Ullman and Mel Clark. Don't discount this one (even if you don't actually knit!) Not only is this book crammed with fun projects that set your fingers itching to knit them up, but it's full of fun stories, anecdotes and useful tips about the craft. I've used this book a lot; the cabled legwarmers (or in Ivy's case armwarmers), the baseball tee sweater, etc. and I'm not finished with it yet either. Good fun even just to read and flip through.

Toy Time:
Mo Willems is possibly one of the funniest children writers of the decade. He started out writing for Sesame Street, but has now turned his attention to books. Although justly famous for his hilarious Pigeon books, we first discovered him through his book "Knuffle Bunny". Not many weeks go by before we sign this one out of the library yet again-probably high time that we got our own copy. After an exciting adventure to the laundromat with Daddy, the trip home becomes dramatic once Trixie realizes that her beloved toy is missing. Her attempts at communication coupled with the pictures makes for a wonderful story. Parents and kids alike will chuckle over this one.

Happy reading all!

My Inner Princess

2009-05-11T13:26:00.001-07:00

Well, we had an awesome weekend in Calgary. It was so great seeing all the family, especially the returned missionary Janine! We went to the zoo, visited with everybody, and ended up eating a lot of yummy food at the Sunday brunch Mom threw together before church.

One of my favourite things that we did though was our traditional princess party on Saturday night. The princess party has a long and illustrious history in the Redd family. It all started fourteen years ago when Mom and Dad left town for the weekend. Jaima got the idea that we should make something especially fancy and yummy for dinner, and we all ended up even dressing up for the occassion (can you guess as what?) to eat. This is what can happen in a family with five girls (but I shan't tell other goofy things we got up to, at least not in this blog.)

Over the years it has become a beloved tradition for us. Now though, we have to make a contingency plan for the boys in the clan, since the male population in the family has grown prodigously in the past few years. It's become simpler now, generally we go out for supper (sparing us the work of cooking and cleaning), and some other fun activity whether it's hiking, shopping, facials and pedicures, or just watching Jane Austen movies. This time we were joined by some dear family friends, Aurora van Buren (our unoffically adopted sister) and Kyley and Kari Attfield. We did facials-much to the hilarity of Ben and Blake, who in their three-year old sophistry could not understand why something like that qualifies for fun. Brigham in particular seemed intrigued with my temporarily green face! The highlight was the incredible pink princess cake concocted by Kyley, complete with a cookie crown perched on the top.

I'm quite fond of the princess parties. Growing up in a family of girls did not prepare me for my current family situation where I am the only female around. Every now and then I need to indulge and do something ultra girly, and spending time with my Mom,sisters, and old friends is always a great. Saturday's princess party accomplished both. Sometimes every girl needs to get back in touch with her inner princess.

Book of the Week

2009-05-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to go to Calgary this weekend for Janine's homecoming. We haven't seen her since she came home, and the boys hardly know her at all. Although Ben says he remembers his Auntie Janine, all he seems to know about her is that she was a missionary in Finland and met Santa Claus! Briggy was only two months when she left, so for him it'll be like meeting her for the first time. Anyways, we have a 5 1/2 hour drive ahead of us this afternoon, which will give me plenty of time to read...

Modern Manners:

It was my sister Jaima who first introduced me to the witty columnist Judith Martin, famous worldwide by her pen name of Miss Manners. Ever since then, I've been hooked. I just love her book "Miss Manner's Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior". Her wry humor and astute observations make for an amusing read. Most etiquette books are as dull as ditch water, but Miss Manners sparkles with captivating satire. She enlightens us in many a manners dilemma; from answering the Great Fork Question (which fork do you use?), airplane manners, how to properly eat anything from corn on the cob to crab, etc. This book is both informative and a delight.

Pleasing Poetry:

In my first student teahing I was aghast at how my cooperating teacher had set up an entire unit of poetry. It was merely "Here's a couplet-write one. Here's a haiku-now write one of those" and for some inexplicable reason, all their poems had to be about space. Talk about sucking the fun out of it! I know normally poetry seems reserved for academia and superior intellectuals but I really dislike that. Poetry-especially that for children-is grand fun, and too often ignored. I for one love A.A.Milne's book "Now We Are Six". While A.A.Milne is mostly remembered for his books about Winne the Pooh, his poetry is some of the best that children's literature has to offer. Ben's favourite is "Knight-in-Armor", and there's just so many wonderful poems in this book!
Here's a sampling (from "Binker" about an imaginary friend):

Binker's brave as lions when we're running in the park;

Binker's brave as tigers when we're lying in the dark;

Binker's brave as elephnts. He never, never cries...

Except (like other people) when the soap gets in his eyes.

Happy reading everybody!

Parenting:Commence Hyperventilating Now

2009-05-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

Late last week I had an awful moment as a mother. On of those moments where you're convinced something truly awful will happen and your poor children will be left permanently scarred. Gather round dear readers and hear my tale of trouble...
It was on of those rare times where I was actually using the van (don't need it too much around town when it's so small). We had a bunch of errands to run, and with Brigham being my little crab, I judged that the driving would be more judicious and less of a headache. Oh the irony! Our new van is a four door, so after buckling up Briggy, Ben and I went around to buckle him up too. Great was my surprise to discover that the door was locked. The surprise turned to horror when I discovered (about a split second later) that all the doors had mysteriously locked, leaving brigham trapped inside-along with any method I might have of rescuing him on my own. Both the keys and my purse were also within the van.
Trying not to panic, Ben and I raced to the next apartment, hoping frantically that my friend Theresa was home so that I could use her phone to call Jason. She was, and on the verge of tears I called Jason to come to the rescue. Then, fearing for Brigham's safety we dashed back to the van to await Jason's arrival. He, the teacher ditched class, borrowed the secretary's car, and raced home and rescued our imprisoned son. Ironically, although his Mummy was a worried bundle of nerves, Brigham handled the entire episode quite calmly. When I got back to the van, there he was, sitting tanquilly with his hands in his lap. I'm guessing that he at least escaped the event without any emotional scarring-as for myself, not so much.
In retrospect, it could have been so much worse. The weather could have been frigid or sweltering, Theresa could've been away, or Jason's school more than the three blocks away from home that it is. But still! Did I panic perhaps a bit too much? Probably. Though I did not lose it during the entire affair I was worried sick and have felt awful about it ever since. I am a mother; therefore I worry.
Still, life goes on, except now I always keep the keys in my hands while buckling the kids up!

Books of the Week

2009-05-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well my fellow readers here we are again. Take a look at this weeks picks.

Bizarre Botany:
A few years ago I developed a taste for non-fiction and it has since become the most dominant form of books that I read. There are some fascinating reads out there in the non-fiction section, and "Orchid Fever: A Tale of Love, Lust and Lunacy" by Eric Hansen is one of the most fascinating that I've found so far. I just finished reading it this week. Hansen delves deep into the zany, passionate characters that inhbit the orchid world-most of whom would seem more at home in a novel than the real world. There's the infamous (though possibly maligned) orchid pirate Henry Azadehal, the orchid man Eric Nelson who spends his time rescuing wild orchids from road construction in the wilds of Minnesota and many more. What intrigued me about this book was the conservation aspect that has ensnared orchids worldwide. I would not call myself an enviromentalist, but the bureaucracy and red tape that basically does squat to protect these plants. With this coupled with the orchid people is worthy of a good screenplay. Did you know that it is next to impossible to take endangered species of orchids across borders, all in the interests of preserving them in their native habitat? The irony is that while you can't take orchids out-even for scientific study-there are no measures to protect them in the wild, so that these flowers are regularly plowed over in construction projects.
Reading this book left me itching to buy myself an archid. You know, to see what all the fuss is about.

Move Over Wonderland:
Pierre Burton's book "The Secret World of Og" is shockingly unknown by many, even in his native country where it has been lauded as a "Canadian classic". This is one that I'm just waiting for Ben to be old enough so that we can start reading it together. In my family growing up it was an adored favourite. The story goes that Mom bought it for Jaima when she was in Grade 1 and learning to read. The plan was to read it to her, but before she had the chance, Jaima got her hands on it and read the entire thing on her own! I guess that it was so good she just had to learn to read. It's the perfect book when you want to start a child on chapter books: great characters, exciting story and pictures on every page (Ben loves just looking at the pages of this one).
The story centers on four siblings who set out to rescue their baby brother after he mysteriously disappears from the playhouse. Accompanied by their stalwart pets they dicover a trapdoor that leads them to the Secret World of Og, a land covered by incredible mushrooms, and green inhabitants who love taking anything left out of doors in our own world, and who's only word is "Og"!
I just love the characters. There's the children;Penny the oldest and leader, dreamy Pam, Patsy who keeps snakes and frogs in her pockets, Peter who wants to be a garbageman, and the baby Paul who thinks he's a dog. The Ogs; the rascally Captain Hook as he calls himself and the Sheriff. The pets are great fun too, there's Yukon King, their tiny dog who's convinced that he's a mighty mastiff, and the cat Earless Osdick who thinks he's a dog. Throw them all together in this adventure and you get one wonderful story!
Maybe I have been burbling overly long about this one, but this book deserves to be read and better known by all. Happy reading everybody.

And Still Waiting...

2009-04-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

This morning is apparantly an exercise in both futility and paitence:I have been trying to call home for the past hour and a half to talk to my dear Neenie. The closest I have gotten is the busy signal. Hmm... This waiting is starting to get on my nerves. Can I have a turn to talk to my sister too please?

Life is Waiting...

2009-04-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I was struck by how much I am actually waiting for these days. I am waiting for Brigham to be ready for potty training (with bated breath), waiting/trying for my work to be published, waiting for tomorrow so that I can call my sister Janine who comes home from her mission today (YAY!), waiting for that darn rototiller to be fixed so that I can start my garden,waiting to see if the school will renew Jason's teaching contract for next year and waiting to hear back from our hopefully new landlords about viewing the townhouses across the street.
It doesn't seem to matter what is going on in life, you're always waiting for something. This used to drive me nuts. As a general rule I hate uncertainty, but last summer I resolved to at least not stress about it anymore. Considering the alternative-going stark raving mad-trying to keep my cool seemed much more appealing.
The thing is that if a great part of my life will be waiting for something, I don't want to be waiting around to be happy. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking "Oh, after this happens then life will really begin. Until then I just have to survive and sit tight." It's like spending you're life asking the annoying road trip question of "Are we there yet?" while not enjoying the ride that's taking you there.
My Dad is a good example of this. Road trips with him can be interesting because he will often pull over to stop and do something (unless he wants to make good time to the mountains so he can go skiing!). I hated this as a kid, because I would often just want to get there, but Dad's spontanious side trips would often lead to fun; picking huge blackberries off the side of the highway, exploring an orange orchard, or hiking a short mountain trail. Those made for fun memories later on.
I guess that this is more deep than my usual posts on here, but heck! Life is calling, what are ya gonna do while you're waiting?

Book of the Week

2009-04-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone can use a good read. That's the great thing about recommendations-it helps you sort out the good from the not so good. Personally, most books I love have been suggested or given to me as gifts. Not all, but a sizeable percentage. Thus, my biased and passionate book list continues!

Letters All Over:
Mar Dunn's debut novel "Ella Minnow Pea" has become one of my very favorite novels. Recommended to me by my cousin Mikyla (who is even more fanatical about books than me, if that is possible) since havind read it the first time, I have suggested it to all and sundry. It is truly a fabulous book, written in the oft neglected epistolatory style (all in letters). The story takes place in the tiny island of Nollop, named for the man who wrote the sentence "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." It's famous as it is the shortest sentence that contains every letter in the alphabet. Nollopians have a keen interest in emulating the esteemed Nollop and life is tranquil until letters from the memoralized phrase on the statue begin to fall off. The island council begins to ban said letters forthwith. This leads to interesting situations and interesting correspondence as the story progresses. Ella Minnow Pea, our heroine, leads the rebellion to restore sanity once again.
This is a book that makes you think, laugh and appreciate the expressive power of the English language. Extodinarily well written.
Points for anyone who can write a sentence with all twenty-six letters as well as Mark Dunn!

Wacky Weather:
I've loved the book "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi Barrett since I was a kid, so when I heard that a movie of it is due to come out soon I had my hopes. Yuck! Saw the preview and forget it! I was so appalled at what what I was afforded a glimpse of that it left me clutching my copy of the bok wondering what on Earth possessed the producers to butcher the story like that! Come with me and enjoy the real story of the town of Chewandswallow.
In the land of Chewandswallow all the food falls from the sky. Wind blowing in hamburgers, snow of mashed potatoes and magnificent Jellos setting in the West. But when the weather take s turn for the worst, the town's inhabitants must rely on their wits to survive the tomato tornadoes, ice cream avalanche and other edible disasters. I know that I often rave about illustrations, but the ones in this tall tale flesh out the story in a way that the text could not; baseball games cancelled on account of pie, a squirrel with a fried egg landing on its' head, nad much much more.
Enough talking about it, I'm going to go read this one to my kids!