At the Library

I think I've mention before how much we all enjoy visiting the library. It's no surprise, then, that the first thing on the Spring Break wish list was to go to the library. The boys (+ a friend) and I headed over on Monday. We spent a very leisurely morning reading. Then we came home and spent the rest of the afternoon reading some more!

We came home with...
1 dvd (Mr. Bean)
5 magazines (Kids Discover)
and 22 books

Some of the books we checked out:
~The Inside-Outside Book of Libraries
~Who's Haunting the White House?
~several Far Side books
~Tintin
~a few drawing books including some by Ed Emberley that I'm surprised we didn't already own!
~ a couple by Mark Bittman

We also came home with quite a wish list for our next visit!

Summer Reading

We didn't make it to the library for this week's program. Topher was in camp and the program was a little young for the older two boys. We ended up at the library yesterday afternoon. It was so nice and quiet - just a library should be. Don't get me wrong, I really love kids getting excited about going to the library and I think it's great to see so many little ones there each week, However, I really am surprised that so many parents don't teach their children that libraries are quiet places. It's amazing how much screaming goes on at the library!

The boys turned in their 3rd reading log this week. The prize was a free book! Topher got so excited when the librarian told him that he didn't have to bring it back!

The house is quiet. Everyone has their nose in a book and I need to go join them.

Getting the Right Fit

I've been buzzing along at my sewing machine. (I really need to figure out a better place for it!) I wanted some new summer clothes and the best way to get just what I want is to make it myself. So far I've got 4 skirts and 2 tops. The skirts are perfect but the top patterns need a little tweaking. Thanks to the library, I now have a better idea of how to do that. As soon as I can get some good photos, I'll share my new wardrobe in the making.

Summer Reading

Sumer means more trips to the library! The boys are really thrilled that this year there are no required summer reading lists nor are there any mandatory summer homework packets - from the school, at least. There is always some learning but "Mom work" is much more fun than "school work".

This week we made our way to the library with open minds and no lists. We also signed up for the Summer Reading Program. I remember going to the library with my sister every summer to sign up for the reading program. There was always some special prize for the child who read the most books during the summer and it was always my sister that won the prize. I think at some point she was asked not to sign up so other children had a chance. We were pretty voracious readers but my sister really took the cake!

Now everyone is a winner. The boys aren't competing against others or even against themselves. The requirement - read 20 minutes a day for seven days. After seven days, bring in the log, get a small prize and a new log. Easy peasy for my boys, at least. I've got my own voracious readers. I think Chaz could give my sister a run for her money!



This week the boys came home with almost 20 books between the three of them. That should probably last them the week. (I hope!)

Young Author

The kids have a certain amount of "free" time during the day at school when they can work on projects of their own choosing. Topher worked on a book. He loves to make little books so this was no surprise. What did come as a surprise, though, was that he also chose to submit his book to the school's publishing company.

The PTA runs a little publishing company at the school for the students and will turn some of their work in to a hard bound book. The students are given a copy and the school's library gets a copy. Then, towards the end of the school year, all the published authors are recognized at a reception hosted by the PTA. Tonight was that night.

Topher was presented with a certificate and a ribbon as well as his copy of his book. There was a slide presentation showing a photo of each author along side a copy of the cover illustration of their book. Then cake was served (for many, my kids included, the cake was the highlight!) Unfortunately it was crowded and I was unable to get any pictures of Topher at the reception. He was up on the stage and then off again in the blink of an eye.

We did get a private reading when we got home though.

Book Club

It's voting time! The book club I belong to runs from August through May. Now is the time to pick our books for next year. We have to pick 6 nonfiction books, 2 fiction books, 1 classic, and 1 award winner. 73 books made the ballot and many more were nominated. Narrowing that down to 10 is a big task! There are some interesting books on the ballot. Some I am just not interested in, some that I think "um, ok", and some I am really keen to read. I can't wait to see what the finally selections end up being. For now though, I need to pour through the list and make my own selections - I only have until Thursday!

(Oh and that book, The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory, is for another book club. Unfortunately I never get to go to those meetings. They always seem to conflict with family things. This month, however, I think I'll get there!)

2007-2008 Book Club List

Aug: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Sept: The Memory Keeper's daughter by Kim Edwards

Oct: Measure of a Man by Sidney Poiter

Nov: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Dec: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Jan: March by Geraldine Brooks

Feb: The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

March: Cane River by Lalita Tademy

April: Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakruni

May: Chronicles of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Sunday Morning

Weekends around here are less structured. Less hectic. Just... less.

As it should be.

Weekends are meant for slowing down and savoring the moments. A week full of to-do lists, errands, and laundry looms ahead but for now, we just enjoy what the day brings.

This weekend brought big platters of sugar covered beignet, pitchers of fresh juice and cups of steamy hot coffee. (as well as a few extra boys with big appetites!) The beignet recipe comes from this book. (Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois) I can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying this book! It really makes fresh hot bread for breakfast so simple. I had piles of beignet coated in sugar and ready to go in next to no time at all which is exactly how long 5 hungry boys want to wait to eat.

And for the rest of our weekend? Well we'll just have to wait and see what the day brings. Whatever that happens to be, though, I can promise you it will include licking powdered sugar from our fingers!

Busy Reading

Apparently our big gift this year was books! Between the five of us, we have about 30 new books to add to our shelves! What can I say, we are a family that loves to read!

You know where to find us for the next few days until it's time to head back to work and school and reality.

New to My Shelves

A few new books have recently been added to my cookbook shelf. (shelves, really, I have 4!) Not all the new books are actually new and not all are new to me but they are new additions to my collection.

I found The Vegetarian Epicure (1972 edition) by Anna Thomas for less than a dollar. My mother has this book and I've always enjoyed it. (Our favorite lasagna recipe comes from this book) I've been checking this one out from my library and then renewing it until they politely ask that I please bring it back.

Another used book that I picked up was The New Laurel's kitchen. This is one that I was not really familiar with but I'd heard so many good things about. It, too, was about a dollar. It had to come home with me.

I also bought Cooking Free by Carol Fenster. This one I bought new. Chris has several food allergies and intolerances and hasn't been feeling up to par lately. We are on an exploratory mission to see what we can do to get him feeling better.

Another one that I bought so I wouldn't have to keep checking it out from the library is The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. There are so many recipes in this book that I really like. I also like the handwritten look of the recipes. It's like being given a cherished family recipe collection.

There are also plenty of cookbooks that are on my wish list. I love to sit and just read them over and over. (and the more pictures the better!) And since I really love to cook, they also get plenty of use, too.

Tell me about some of your cookbooks.

Library Day

The boys have been itching and twitching to go to the town library and today was the perfect day. Actually this weekend was a library weekend. Chaz, Topher and I went yesterday while Chris and Edmund were camping and then we were back again today. There are always plenty of new books to discover!

This time we came home with:

- 2nd Chance by James Patterson
- The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
- The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy by Bette Hagman
- Kid Style Nature Crafts by Gwen Diehm and Terry Krautwurst
- Texas Toys and Games by The Texas Folklore Society
- Tall in the Saddle by Anne Carter and David McPhail
- Eating the Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners by Lucille Recht Penner
- Mayflower 1620 by the Plimoth Plantation
- Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 by Paul Erikson
- We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest Season by Wendy Pfeffer

As well as several books on Greek Heroes and Mythology, a few on Squanto and a Calvin and Hobbes that have all been spirited off to various bedrooms for an afternoon of reading (before I had the chance to make note of the titles).

I love going to the library with the boys. They find a topic they are interested in and gather as many books as they can. Sometimes we study the same subject for several weeks before moving on to something new and equally exciting.

Library Day

Today was library day again. I'm still making the trip alone. Don't worry about the boys, though. They visit the library one, sometimes two, days a week at school. Our schedule will ease up (it's fall baseball season) in just a few weeks and we will be able to resume our family visits. (yay!)

I'm really trying to get caught up on my book club reading right now. (It's a struggle.) With this in mind, I came home with just one book today. My library haul for the week is simply Complete Guide to Embroidery Stitches by Reader's Digest. It's been quite a few years since I've done any real embroidery but I recently felt very inspired by so many wonderful embroidered pieces that I have been seeing. I started a small project and then decided to refresh myself with some of the "fancier" stitches.

This one is going on my wish list.

A Charming Little Bag

The weather here in Texas may not say "Fall" but the calendar does and that has got me thinking about corduroy. It's much too hot for corduroy clothing but a new bag is just the thing. This was made using the Charming Handbag pattern from Amy Karol's book, Bend-the-Rules Sewing. (I LOVE this book!)



I enlarged the pattern by 150% to make it just a bit bigger. (Not a lot bigger but enough) I also added a divided pocket inside. I made it to fit my cell phone but my phone kind up pulls the lining down in a funny way. It's still a handy little pocket though. I made the straps the length specified and when the bag cinches up, it fits perfectly over my shoulder. (Oh and the velvet ribbon is not as bright as it appears in the photos)

I really like this bag and I am sure I'll be making more!



(action shot -- at baseball practice)

Library Day - Book Club

Once again, it's Library Day. It's also Book Club Day.

My library haul this week is a very meager one. I walked out with nothing more than next month's selection. We are able to take books out for just 2 weeks and these next few weeks promise to be busy ones. No time for armfuls of books this time.

The book club meeting went very well. This is my first book club since Edmund was a toddler. That one didn't last too long for me - I was a relatively new mother and pregnant with my second. I had no time (or energy) to read, let alone carry on an intelligent conversation! I really enjoyed myself today. The conversation was lively and there were a lot of very interesting opinions. I think I had something to offer to the conversation and that felt good. I'm glad a I went and I'm looking forward to next month. If you've read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

I also met a woman who is on the board of the local Newcomers Club and has promised to take me under her wing at their upcoming meeting. Apparently it is a very active group with a lot of social activities!

Book Club

There is no trip to the library for us this week. We are still making our way through the huge stack of books we've accumulated already. (Nearly 30 books out right now!)

In addition to all those books, we've also got a little extra-curricular homework to keep us busy. Edmund, Chaz and I have each joined a book club. My assignment is The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards and so far it has been an interesting read. Chaz (3rd grade) is reading Goosed by Bill Wallace and is thrilled. He has another book waiting to be read by this same author so in his mind, it must be a good book! Edmund (5th grade) will be reading The Teacher's Funeral: a Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck - that is if he can tear himself away from the other books he is currently reading.

Library Day

This week I made the trip to the library alone. Now that the boys are back in school, we will need to adjust our family library trip schedule.

Our borrowed book basket is overflowing and has spilled out on to the floor in front of the bookcases. We love to bring home the books - so full of wonder and excitement, but we are always so reluctant to bring them back. Even though it was just me borrowing books this week, I still managed to add quite a few titles to the stacks.

A few highlights:

- Another cookbook by Ina Garten (her recipes never fail to deliver)
- The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas (the 1972 version - I grew up with the cookbook and I just love some of the recipes in it)
- Another by Elisha Cooper who is very quickly becoming a favorite of ours. I LOVE his watercolor illustrations!
- A book of paintings by Frank Reaugh discovered quite by accident.

There are more (can you believe it!). An audiobook, a couple of books on embroidery, and a Christmas cookie cookbook (it's coming- fast!) among them.

What are you bringing home from your library?

It's Library Day

This week's library haul was a big one! We've got books by Roald Dahl and books about Roald Dahl. Books on drawing cartoons and comics as well as some Calvin and Hobbes for reference (and laughs!). We picked out books on home decorating and home maintenance, a favorite but not-yet-owned cookbook, and a book about watercolor painting.

The Runaway Dinner caught our attention after seeing it here. I am LOVING the illustrations in this one and this one. This author is a favorite of ours and at least one of his books makes it's way home with us each trip.

We also rescued a picture book of New England from the discard shelf. It's full of so many wonderful places that are so special to us. Then there was a magazine in the swap bin that we I just had to have.

There were more. Our arms were fully loaded. There were probably just as many that we left behind for another trip, too. I've decided to keep a little notebook of books that I want to look for, books that I take out, and books that I'd like to take out again. I think I may also need to make a heavy duty library tote (or two).

Published!

The book is here! Go ahead, go look. Read the book description. Pay special attention to the "about the author" part. Yep! Chris Tarantino. That is MY Chris Tarantino!

We are very proud and very excited here On the Hill! It has been a long (and somewhat stressful) process but it is over and the book looks fantastic!

Buy the book, tell your friends to buy the book, tell your neighbors too! Oh heck, tell the strangers you pass on the street to buy the book. This book is going to "change the world of fashion photography!" (Plus I want the royalty checks! ha)

* I've just looked at the box that was delivered here of the book and it appears that the above cover is the "working cover". The final cover is quite different but it's still the same great book!

Library Day

The boys and I made our escape to the library today. They just love going! I love that they are so excited about books!

It was nice and quiet - even in the Children's Dept - despite the rainy weather. We hung out and browsed the books, played some games on the computer and signed up for the Summer Reading Program. They even have a Summer Reading Program for the adults! You just have to read 3 books of your choice (although they do give you a list of staff recommendations) and turn your list in at the end of the Summer. You are then entered in a drawing to win one of several gift certificates to local places.

This week's library finds include: (due July 28)

Essentially Lilly
by Lilly Pulitzer and Jay Mulvaney

Twelve Months of Monastery Salads
by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette

The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior
by David Allen Sibley

Your Child's Vision
by Richard S Kavner, OD

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
by Heldegarde H Swift and Lynd Ward

On tape:
(no links)

"Stories of the Jungle" by Rudyard Kipling
A collection of four classic stories

"Humpback Goes North" A Smithsonian Oceanic Collection
A book and a tape about the migration of a young humpback whale

Plus each of the boys picked out a few books. Topher is still favoring the non-fiction books. Mostly sharks and dinosaurs, of course. Edmund and Charles both go for the chapter books.

Young Authors Night

Charles' kindergarden class has spent the last several weeks writing and illustrating their own books. The children worked really hard on these books and the teacher had them laminated and bound for them. Last night, they invited the parents to come to a special book reading at the school.

Each child got to read his (or her) book to the audience. A parent came up to help hold the microphone and show off the wonderful illustrations. Charles' book is called "The Cat Who Comes to My House". He wrote a detailed story about a cat that lives in our neighborhood. She likes to come and visit the boys and have her head scratched. They like to feed her cheese which I'm sure keeps her coming back!

All the children did such a great job on their books AND reading them out loud to so many people!

In addition to the book reading, the children did a Flag Day presentation. They recited some poems and sang several songs about the flag. They were also presented with a special award for their writing from the teacher and the principal.

We got off to a bit of a rocky start this school year but it turned out to be a great one for Charles!

*
(*Charles and his teacher, Miss Shaw)

This Week at the Library

Here are our library finds:

(Due June 20)

Herbs Gardens of Delight (out of print)
by Adelma G. Simmons

I can't wait to plant an herb garden in our new house!

Grill Italian
by Clifford A. Wright

Backyard Barbecues
Williams-Sonoma

Chris' birthday is in just under a month and I want to plan a barbecue for him.

Living in New England
by Elaine Louie and Solvi Dos Santos

I loved the pictures and who knows, maybe I'll get a little inspiration for my New England home.

I also picked up "America's Best Cross-Stitch" by Better Homes and Gardens from the used book table for $1. There are a lot of great charts in the book.

Topher has moved out of the shark books and picked out a couple of books on pirates today. One has several pirate related crafts in it and I think that might help when it comes to getting him to wear his patch.

~*~
Today was also the last week for Preschool Story Hour until September. The woman that normally runs it was not there so someone else was filling in. I don't think she was entirely comfortable reading in front of a group. She didn't have a real easy group though, either. There were quite a few children that we really wound up and therefor refused to sit quietly. They were running all around the program room yelling and making a lot of noise. I don't really blame them as much as blame their parents/grandparents that were not doing anything about it. Those children that wanted to hear the stories were getting awfully frustrated.

The stories today were about Memorial Day. The craft was a flag. They glued a blue square to the top left corner of a white sheet of paper, made stripes with red wooden coffee stirrers and then stuck little stars to the blue. Very cute and Topher wants to bring his to the parade this weekend. The same adults who allowed their children to run wild, also did the craft FOR them! Boggles the mind.