1. This week I'm trying something new in conjunction with one of my favorite blogs. I've been wanting to link to this cool forum in hopes of adopting it for my own humble space each week and I finally summoned the nerve to try it. In case anyone is interested in my brief thoughts on randomness that wouldn't warrant a whole blog entry, here is my (again, humble) attempt at offering up some quick takes. You'll spot me at position 143 of Jen's linky list if you visit her blog. Here goes...2. Basil Lemonade. I tried it at home this week. It was delicious. Inspired by beautiful and talented friend K, whose wedding caterers offered this twist on a summertime favorite, I scoured the Web for a recipe and found one here. Three out of three pregnant women and preschoolers in our household agree it's worthy of glass after sweet, drippy glass.
3. Speaking of glasses.
I just picked up these juice vessels today at World Market for the tiny hands in my life. I like the classic fruit detailing and the fact that they are small, they are not made of plastic and they each cost about $3, so breaking one on the way to the dishwasher won't send me into a tailspin.4. What he's reading.
The "Dinosaur" books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Little C has these books memorized and reads them to us now. We love the rhyming, the cadence, the illustrations, which contain something new to find with each reading. And, oh boy, do they produce some throaty growls.5. What I'm reading.
Yes, I'm just now wrapping my hands around this nearly 900-hundred-page Tolstoy classic. It's perennially included on summer reading lists. It's titillating and full of richly developed characters. One of my most treasured sources of literary inspiration, E, lists it as one of her favorites. My husband borrowed it for me on his very own library card. It's about time I got around to reading it and hopefully within the allotted seven weeks of rental time.
6. What she's reading.
We're at a bit of a crossroads with L. She gets quickly bored with picture books and isn't really mature enough for the content of many intermediate chapter books. It's tough to find anything suitable to read to a 4-year-old with an especially long attention span. We've stumbled upon these two series as of late. The Mary Poppins stories and Flick, Ricka and Dicka books. She learns new words, is captivated by the plots and there are enough illustrations to keep her imagination going. I'd love suggestions from you all, too.7. And, in case you're keeping tabs on L's thumb progress, here's an update. She has racked up five consecutive thumb-free nights. The road hasn't been easy, and I'm nowhere near ready to claim this as a total sucking-cessation success story (yikes, that was a twister), but we're so proud of our family progress with this and wanted to thank you all for your cheer-leading, too.
Whew. I'm all linked out. Have a bountiful weekend all!
I love it! Short tidbits of your life as stay home mom extraordinaire. I like all the links back to your original blogs and to external links as well. I hope you will get more inspired as your readership goes up due to linkys.
ReplyDeleteI was at World Market tonight and actually thought of your family when I saw those cute little glasses. They just seemed like something that you would own. Then I come home and read this blog. Is that bizarre or what?
ReplyDeleteYou must be channeling my thoughts with some sort of pregnancy ESP. :)
ReplyDeleteI think L would LOVE hearing Charlotte's Web. It still has some pictures but is a chapter book that grabbed my kiddos attention. You may have already explored that :) but just a suggestion...and then from there you can go to Stuart Little and the likes of those...
ReplyDeleteLisa--
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations. I knew you'd be a great resource for this conversation. We do have Charlotte's Web and L indeed adores it. But we haven't gone on to Stuart Little yet...good idea. We'll put it on our library list.
--D
I hesitate to recommend these because it sounds like I'm handing L a dimestore romance, but we're really enjoying the Disney Fairies chapter book series at our house. I have mixed feelings about Disney and I really dislike what they've done with some of our favorite fairy tales, but from what I've read this series is actually pretty good. They're full of adventure, appealing little details (like rose petal slippers), animal friends and frequent, sparkly illustrations. K gets to feel like a big kid reading chapter books and they've inspired us with hours (literally hours, sometimes *too many* hours) of make-believe and play. I think these stories were the first ones to interest her so much that she willingly waited more than 30 seconds before demanding to see another picture! Whatever you find, keep us posted! I'm always curious about what you guys are reading over there--and I can't wait to hear how you like Anna Karenina!
ReplyDeleteI trust your discerning eye and ear about the Disney Fairies, so I'll give them a preview per your suggestion. I'm, of course, a Disney skeptic, too, and in fact just the other day put down a strict no-princess rule at the bookstore. Glad to have the recommendation from you, though. I'll take a look at those.
ReplyDeleteJust a comment on your current reading, Anna Karenina. Yes, it is quite a book, along the lines of some other famous ones that followed it that you might like: Madame Bovary and Lady Chatterly's Lover. Similar issues. Perhaps you have read these other two.
ReplyDeleteIf this is your first foray in Tolstoy, I suggest that you follow up this huge tome with something shorter. Tolstoy's short stories are marvelous but often overlooked in favor of his great novels. My favorite is "Bog pravdu vidit no ne srazu skazhet" ("God Sees the Truth But Waits"); I won't spoil the delight by telling you the content, only that the theme has played out in a current movie that has brought a lot of people to God (Orthodoxy).
Oh! What about The Boxcar Children series? I remember LOVING those books when I was a kid, but I haven't thought about them in ages. I wonder if they're four-year-old friendly. Sorry for the multiple comments, but this is an issue I've been thinking about a lot lately anyway. Also, have you read any of the Little House series to her? I read them to K in bits and pieces. They're a little inappropriate at times, but with some mommy-edits they have a lot to offer. (Okay, I'm stopping now, I promise.)
ReplyDeleteAmie mentioned the Boxcar series the other day. Great idea! I think Little House probably is better to wait until she's old, but they do have some cute picture-book versions that L has enjoyed and C, too. I love the feedback. Always welcome!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shoutout, D! I like this seven series! I had no idea you could subscribe to newspapers with air miles. Since I never seem to accumulate enough to actually go anywhere, guess what I'll be doing tonight? ;)
ReplyDeleteOh! And re: Anna Karenina, love it, but seriously think Tolstoy needed a freaking editor. I'm curious whether you, too, will begin skipping through the ridiculously long passages about farming. Reminds me of the preamble to "The Scarlet Letter" which my AP literature class in high school (which loved reading, mind you) barely survived. Even our teacher couldn't digest it! Anyhow, I'm betting you'll enjoy the rest :) Whatever you do, avoid Tess of the D'urbervilles (another contemporary) unless you want to read the most depressing book of your entire life. I'd go for Count of Monte Cristo instead ;)
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