Nostalgia, Part Two

Another reason for all of the nostalgia over the past few weeks is because of my love of reading.

I've always read to the girls, even from the time they were babies. I knew that I'd never be able to make them into prima ballerinas or Olympic athletes, but I could read to them and hopefully encourage and foster a love of reading in themselves. I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back and say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. (I also hope to show them an example of humility and modesty. I'll get back with you on that.)

I'd always been the one to recommend books to the girls- stuff I liked at their age, the latest selection in the Scholastic Book catalog, a book I picked up from the library, etc. Sometimes they took my suggestion, but not always. However, in the past six months they have been the ones handing me books saying, "You have GOT to read this!!". I won't lie- it makes me prouder than a peacock.

About a year ago, I came across the blog of Betsy Bird via Goodreads. She was often leaving reviews on the same children, middle-grade and young adult books that I was reading. Turns out she's a funny, intelligent librarian who lives in NYC and writes a blog for the School Library Journal online. She was (at the time) doing a reading suggested poll of the Top 100 Children's Picture Books of all time. Good stuff my friends, especially if you

1) work with children and have to read them books or
2) just love children's picture books irrespective of children.

I happen to fit into both categories, so Betsy had me hooked from there on out as a daily reader of her blog. In early January, annouced that she was going to do another poll- this time it would be the Top 100 Children's Novels. Now, as someone who combs through the children's book section at the library as much as I do the adult, this set my heart a pitter patter. Betsy invited her readers to submit their Top Ten choices, with the books listed in order of preference. So not only did we have to "cut our darlings" by ONLY LISTING TEN BOOKS, we also had rate our love!!

For the entire month of January, I agonized. Only ten?? That means I can't list ALL of the Harry Potter books, ALL of the Anne books, ALL of the Little House books, etc, etc. Pretty quickly I decided that I would ONLY pick one books from each series. (But how do I choose? Anne of the Island is my favorite, but without Anne of Green Gables there would be no Anne! And Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is brilliant, but I deeply, passionately love Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! ARGH!! THE AGONY!)

All of this had me thinking and trying to remember every chapter book I had ever read. (Impossible) I had to think back on which books I not only loved, but also cherished and (dare I say it?) changed my life. I looked through my bookshelves, read through my old journals (as well as new ones) and finally came up with a list I emailed to Betsy.

This is what I ended up emailing to Betsy (minus the pictures):

After much Sturm und Drang....

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling



Totally wrong that we had to divide up the series, as it really is more than the sum of it's parts! However, for me, this is THE Harry Potter book. It's the culmination of everything. Every plotline, every character, every action was leading to this book. It's only after reading this book that you can fully realize just *how much work* Rowling put into these books, and it paid off one hundred fold for me as a reader. There are still passages I can't make it through without losing it completely.

2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery



Another one where choosing just one from the series doesn't seem right! This is my "Choose one book to have with you on a desert island" book, even above a Harry Potter book. The Anne series is the first series I fell passionately in love with, and it starts with this book. After becoming aquainted with Anne I immediatly began to divide the world into 'kindreds' and 'non-kindreds' and started looking for my Gilbert Blythe. (Forget Mr. Darcy! Give me Gilbert anyday.)

3. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White



I read this book for the first time during the summer between 3rd and 4th grades. It was then that I decided it was more interesting to lay in bed and read rather than watch cartoons. I was hooked from the very start, and I could barely put the book down long enough to eat or sleep. I distinctively remember waking up early to read the last chapters, all while crying buckets of tears and eating trying to eat Rice Krispies that were getting soggy by the minute.

4. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall



I put off reading this book for a long time, and I was so mad at myself when I finally did read it. This book made me feel like that 9 year old girl again. It's just so charming and lovely and delightful. You can't help but try to decide if you are a "Rosalind" or a "Skye" or a "Jane" or a "Batty".

5. The Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder



My favorite Little House book. Laura and Almanzo were the first couple I ever "shipped". The story is universal, and just as relevant today as it was one hundred+ years ago.

6. Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry



I loved Anastasia because she was a normal girl with normal problems (glasses, acne, cool-but-embarrassing parents, annoying little brothers, etc). She was also smart and funny, and I envied her hiking boots with red laces (and later her tower bedroom).

7. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg



I still can't think of a cooler place to run away to than the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

8. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary



Also discovered during that magical summer

9. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George



This book described a life so different than my own. It was the first book I read that talked about about menstration in a matter-of-fact way. It talked so many "adult" topics in a way that made *me* feel like I was growing up. I read this around the same time I was reading the Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High books, and it made those books seem so trite and vapid. It was definitely a coming-of-age book for me.

10. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott



I still think Jo should have married Laurie.

None of my books have made the list...yet. I'm still hopeful- we're only through the first 50! But it's been so much fun to see books I love that I had to cut(Love That Dog) and books I had forgotten I loved (Pippi Longstocking) as well as a list as long as my arm of books that I want to read for the first time.

I'd love to hear your TOP TEN LIST!

Wave Upon Wave

So I mentioned that I had been overwhelmed with nostalgia of late, and I though I'd elaborate a little. Why else do I have this blog, right?

First, the snow last week. Living in Pennsylvania was my first experience with a "snow day". We just didn't have them in Florida! I can remember watching the weather report and hope, hope, hoping that we wouldn't have any school the next day because of snow. Most of the time we would wake up and see the trees and grass still bare and brown. But every so often we would look out the window to a world of magical whiteness. The thrill never wore off the three years we lived there. I remember once it started snowing in the late evening, and school was cancelled that night. I stayed awake as long as I could, looking out my window and watching the snow fall in the beam of the street lamp. The beauty took my breath away.



Fast forward twenty years and I'm experiencing de ja vu. We found out Thursday afternoon that school would be cancelled the next day. Of course, everyone started saying that we had just jinxed ourselves out of any snow. It certainly looked that way Friday morning when we woke up to hard, cold rain. As the girls expressed their disappointment, I could help but feel disappointed too.

Then about 2:30, the flakes started to fall. They were big, fluffy, heavy flakes that I knew would stick. I know I was just as excited to pull together an outfit suitable for snow as the girls were. James got home around 3:15, after the base announced it was shutting down for the weekend due to conditions. We spent the next three hours getting our fill of snow.







That night, after we were all warm and dry again, I turned on the back porch light and watched the flakes fall until they stopped. I was eleven years old again.

Hello Friday, my old friend

This week I have been:

- battling a sinus infection
- overwhelmed with nostalgia more than once
- incredibly grateful for James
- humbled by my children
- staying up too late watching the Olympics
- enjoying my new bookcase and the living room rearrangement
- craving chocolate chip cookies but too lazy to make them

What about you?

SNOWMAGEDDON

I realize that watching other people's videos can be kind of a drag, but I promise you these are FUNNY! (As a bonus, they are only 30 seconds to a minute long.)

SNOWPOCALYPSE IS HERE!!!

I apologize in advance for my Darth Vader-like breathing. I have a cold and can't breathe through my nose!

This Man

So thankful for him. So happy with him.

Y HALO THAR FEBRUARY!!!

1. So far 2010 is kicking the bum of 2009 all over the place. This proves my own personal theory that even numbered years are typically better than odd numbered years.

2. Some sort of crazy pandemic swept through the two 4 yr old classes at preschool. I was out Monday and Tuesday myself. The two classes averaged 3-5 kids each day. On Friday I had a grand total of ONE child in my class. (Of course, he was the one who requires the most attention, but it was a lot of fun to work with him one-on-one, and he loved it.) We had kiddos out with the flu, bronchitis, stomach viruses- you name it, they had. I went through a whole can of Lysol.

3. The girls continue to work their little hearts out singing and dancing in preparation for OZ. Practices are up to four days a week now, including Saturday. Oy vey.

4. Valentine parties are NEXT WEEK. Umm, what?

5. Madeline went to New Beginnings last week. She was invited as an up-and-coming Beehive this year. UMM, WHAT!!??!??!?

6. *looks in the living room*
No worries, yet. She and her sister and currently playing with a bumch of Fisher Price Little People I brought home from school today. I guess she's not all grown up *yet*.

7. I've had to buy highlighters in order to color-code my planner just so I can keep up with schedules/activites of four different people. *shakes head* When did I become this person? Doesn't the world realize I LIKE being in my jammies by 6:30pm? Sheesh.

8. I've decided that there are three specific bills I want to pay off before the end of the school year, and if I do, then I will give myself permission to buy a digital SLR camera. My pocket digital only takes so-so pictures, and I miss the clarity that SLR pictures have. Any suggestions on what to buy are appreciated. As are donations. ;) (I prefer Canon brand, since I already have some Canon lens from my regular SLR.)

9. I am VERY excited that the Winter Olympics start next week. Please do yourself a favor and watch Johnny Weir skate to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". There are no words to describe the experience.



See? Even Dick Button is speechless!

10. Holy cow! It's 6:47- JAMMIE TIME!

Shoes

When I was in Sixth Grade, my mom bought me a pair of electic blue high tops that were AWESOME in every way imaginable.



See? Awesome. They looked like Coverse All Stars (I wouldn't discover those lovelies until high school), but they were actually Keds. I loved those shoes. They were obnoxiously bright. This was a shade of blue not seen in nature. I was always being asked, "WHERE did you get those SHOES??!!??" (Sometimes with with shock, sometimes with awe. ;D I'm pretty sure my grandmother hated them.)

I remember they were only $5 or $10- some ridiculously cheap clearance price- which is probably the main reason why Mom bought them. I know it wasn't because I needed them. I know for a fact that I had other tennis shoes because I was *heavily* Tretorns at the time, and those babies weren't cheap! Anyway- I wore the heck out those shoes until I sadly outgrew them in 7th grade.

It's because of this that I didn't hesitate *too much* when Madeline told me a few weeks ago that she wanted a pair of these:


BRIGHT doesn't begin to describe these babies. The picture doesn't do them justice. Again, not a color found in nature. And my baby girl wears them with bright pink shoelaces. She knows the power of brightly colored shoes.

(And the fact that she needed a pair of green, brown or black tennis shoes for her OZ costume only helped justify the purchase. Why buy black or brown when you can have shocking electric lime?)

Oh, yes. Isabella will be sporting pink combat boots before, during and after her OZ performances. She wants some real Doc Martens, but she has to save her pennies for those.

What can I say?? These girlies know the power of awesome shoes.

Television Survey

I'm not ashamed that I like wathcing TV. After my Kitchen Aid, my DVR is my most treaured household appliance. I don't schedule my life around television shows, but I think people who act all superior because they don't do anything as plebian as watching television are gits and they can kiss my grits. ;D

Now for a fun TV survey, sent to me by my friend Kellie!

Name a TV show series in which you have seen every episode at least twice:
Firefly (It helps that there are only 13 episodes. But what great episodes they are!)
Gavin and Stacey- a Brit com that is just brilliant. I can't wait for the final series to start showing on BBCA. (And when will they release the second series and Christmas special on DVD??)

Name a (current) show you can't miss:
The Big Bang Theory- It starts of my week with laughter and geekery.

Name an actor that would make you more inclined to watch a show:
Nathan Fillion- He's the reason I checked out (and love!) Castle.

Name an actor who would make you less likely to watch a show:
Sarah Michelle Gellar- She just grates on my nerves SO MUCH. I'd probably like Buffy if it weren't for her.

Name a show you can, and do, quote from.
Firefly, Top Gear, How I Met Your Mother, Gavin and Stacey

Name a show you like that no one else enjoys:
Hmmm...Maybe Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? Guy Fieri is a terrible host, and I don;t watch any of his other shows, but the places he visits on DDD usually are interesting and the food almost always looks good.

Name a TV show which you've been known to sing the theme song:
The Big Bang Theory (It's Barenaked Ladies! It's catchy!)

Name a show you would recommend everyone to watch:
Castle- Nathan Fillion is sweet and chraming as a writer who shadows an NYPD Detective names Kate Beckett. She's the muse for his latest crime series. Their unresolved sexual tension is through the roof! The show is funny and charming and the mysteries are never too heavy.

Name a TV series you own:
Friday Night Lights

What is your favourite episode of your favourite series?
Urgh. So hard to pick!! Probably "State" from Season One of Friday Night Lights (I still cry every. single. time. I watch it) or "Out of Gas" from Firefly. And I love, love, love the Gavin and Stacey pilot.

A show you mean to watch, but you just haven't gotten around to yet:
Veronica Mars, Glee

Ever quit watching a show because it was so bad?
Grey's Anatomy. No one on the show is allowed to be happy, and I can't deal with that much dysfunction so late in the week.

Name a show you aren't interested in watching, not in the least:
24

Name a show that's made you cry multiple times:
Friday Night Lights. I've cried at some part during every episode. This show is amazing, amazing, amazing. I've also cried more than once at Doctor Who.

What was the first TV show you were obsessed with?
The Young Riders

How often do you watch TV?
Every day of the week.

Which do you think is the best TV series ever made?
Friday Night Lights is so good and it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. As far as comedies go, I think 30 Rock is as good as it gets. Tina Fey is a genius.

Jaws is awesome, in so many ways

Have you ever noticed James' signature? It doesn't really say 'James'. It says 'Jaws'. We first noticed this on our Christmas cards a few years back. Since then, the nickname has stuck.

Anyway, James is pretty awesome, but you probably already knew that. He's such a handy guy, and I love that about him. Tonight he put some knobs on the wall in the girls' bathroom so the girls could hang their organizers, mirror and earring/jewelry hangers up. It's not a big thing, I know, but it's great that he can do it, lickety-split, no fuss no muss.

I made him take pictures. He *loved* that.

First he had to use the stud finder.


"Look! Stud found!"


Then he wanted to show off his handy work. In this picture, he looks constipated.


In the next picture, he looked psychotic.


Now he looks like a constipated psychotic.


Thank you, Jaws, for being a great husband and father, and an all-around handy guy.

*Insert Witty Title Here*

This has been the longest week ever. No joke, it should be, like, Wednesday of next week already.

Have I mentioned the girls were cast in their drama club musical? They are doing "OZ". They both have multiple parts and are having a fabulous time even though the practice schedule is intense. It'll kill me and James before it kills them, though. But seeing their excitement is worth it. I remember how it felt to be preparing for a show- all the hard work, the excitement, the anticipation - and I'm excited *for them*.

At any rate- I promised myself I would get up some Christmas pics before the end of January. We threw our lot in with Seaman Clan Uno and Seaman Clan Dos for Christmas morning this year. We forced Mom to hand out the gifts, which she hates, but that's okay.

In our family, you're allowed to open your stocking as soon as you get up. This makes it possible to wait until it's time to open PRESENTS!!


The tree, in all it's glory. David thought all the guys needed Nerf Swords this year, and there was no room UNDER the tree, so they got stuck IN the tree.


Since we kicked Jed out of his bed, he decided to build himself a fort in the solarium to sleep under. He didn't want "Santa" to disturb him. I think Santa finds Jed's hair disturbing.







I think "SANTA" was being sneaky when putting the presents under the tree because, SOMEHOW James managed to be the first person to open a present. And what a present it was....


Yes, my friends, that is indeed a grown man wearing a Yoda backpack, a la Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back. And if you think this present didn't make that grown man giddy with excitement then you are TOTALLY WRONG!!!

Yoda proceeded to sit on James' lap for the rest of the morning, waving at people and giving insightful Jedi commentary on the rest of the gifts.


Proof that Amelia thinks I'm the best Auntie in the world- she's wearing ALL of her awesome hair extentsions at once!


Don't be a hater, yo. Snuggies are awesome.


Yoda also helped open gifts.


The girls got lots of Vera Bradley




lots of books




and lots of American Girl stuff.


Yoda was also very happy when James got the griddle/panini press he had been wanting.


I'm not going to lie, this Christmas was pretty awesome. I even got to keep this awesome muumuu. YAY!

Today

1. The zit on the side of my nose hurts so much that it's giving me a headache.

2. It's completely wrong that I have to maintain both anti-wrinkle and anti-acne skin care regimens.

3. File under "It Could Only Happen In The South": I was given a compliment on my Vera Bradley handbag while shopping for rainboots at the Tractor Supply Company.

4. All week the weather has been cold and windy and getting colder and windier. It was supposed to be leading up to last night when a combination of weather patterns would lead to a WINTERY MIX of snow, sleet and ice, thereby necessitating the cancelling of school.

Instead what happened was for the first time in over a week the temperature DID NOT drop waaaaay below freezing. What it did instead was say *just above* freezing and have the wind blow so much that the wind chill was 17 degrees all day. Ergo, no snow day. Not cool Mother Nature, not cool. Or should I say: NOT COOL ENOUGH!!!

5. Next week is Pajama Day at preschool AKA My Favorite Day of the Year AKA The Day I Missed Last Year Because I Had Pneumonia. What I sleep in will not work for Pajama Day. I went shopping at three stores today for new pajamas. Evidently fat people are forced to sleep au naturale because there were NO pajamas available for anyone over a size 14. And since I can find no new pajamas, I am forced to keep the muumuu I stole from my mother over Christmas.

The Best of 2009

I know my "Best Of" series was popular last year, but I just didn't have as much time to get it together like I wanted to for 2009. Still, I can't just leave y'all hanging, so here's a "Best of Everything" list instead.

THE BEST MOVIE



While The Incredibles remains my favorite Disney/Pixar movie, Up almost nudged it out of the top spot on the strength of the first nine minutes of the movie. The montage of Carl and Ellie Fredrickson's life together had me laughing and crying and then laughing and crying even harder. The rest of the film is just as good, and if this movie doesn't win a Best Animation Oscar, then I will seriously be upset.

HONORBALE MENTION: Star Trek. Hello, Captain Kirk! ROWR. The story was tight, the action was exciting and J.J. Abrams has made it okay to be a public fan of Star Trek again.

THE BEST RECIPE

Once again The Pioneer Woman comes through with her Chicken Tikka Masala. Within a few days of this recipe going up on her website, I was diving into the world of Indian Cooking. Oh my! This recipe is SO GOOD, and it's like nothing our normal American palates have ever tasted. The recipe isn't hard or overly complicated, but there are a lot of steps involved. But I promise you it's totally worth it in the end! And the best part? This recipe can feed an Army and still have lots of leftovers, and it tastes even better the second day! Try it. You won't be sorry.

HONORABLE MENTION:PW's Steak Bites. It's a recipe which makes you say, "Why didn't *I* think of that??".

THE BEST WEBSITE

It's no lie when I say that my famiy spent thirty minutes looking at this website during my grandmother's 75th birthday party. Hysterical laughter ensued.

HONORABLE MENTION: Segullah

I've been inspired and uplifted by this blog so many times this year that I finally ordered a subscription to the magazine.

THE BEST SONG

"Breathe" by U2


The opening song of U2's 360* Tour was "Breathe" from their album No Line of the Horizon. It was the first song I ever heard U2 play live, so it most definitely has to be the best song of 2009.

HONORABLE MENTION:

"Starlight" by Muse


Love this song! Seeing Muse perform it live is even better.

THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOK

A Couple of Boys Have The Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee


In all honesty, I laughed so hard at this book I just *might* have wet my pants a little. It has everything I love in a children's book- great illustrations, humor, good characters and most important of all, LAYERS. Kids will love it for one reason, and adults will love it for a whole 'nother reason. Most of all, I want Eamon and James to come and visit my house (even though I know I will be exhausted by the time they leave) and I want Bill and Pam to be *my* grandparents!!

HONORABLE MENTION

Hate That Cate by Sharon Creech


A sequel to my favorite children's book of 2005 Love That Dog. Creech continues with the same unusual (but 100% effective!!) storytelling style that was so charming and heart-wrenching in Love That Dog. It takes maybe 30 minutes to read this book aloud, which I think is the best way to read it for the first time.

THE BEST BOOK

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris


Honestly, this book right here is why I only read 98 new books this year. I re-read DaG at *least* ten times. What can I say? I'm a sucker for tall, blong former Viking Vampires! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series Dead in the Family which will be released in May.

HONORABLE MENTION

Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom


Nordstrom was an editor for Harpers from the 1930's-1970's. She is considered a pioneer in the area of children's books. She edited many of the children's books we have come to regard as 'classics'. She worked with the likes of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams, E.B. White, Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, Shel Silverstein, Clement Hurd- the list goes on and on.

This book is full of letters she wrote to various people within the publishing industry (authors, illustrators, librarians, other publishers, etc). She was brilliant and enormously funny. I loved seeing just how committed she was to her authors and illustrators. I know a collection of letters (especially hundreds of letters) sounds like it will be enormously dry and boring, but I'm telling you IT'S NOT. I borrowed this book from the local library, but I'm *seriously* considering purchasing a copy for my own personal use.

In my opinion, this book is an education for anyone who 1) wants to be involved in any way with the creation and distribution of quality children's books or 2) anyone who simply loves children's books

SO THAT'S IT!! My picks for 2009! On to 2010!