However, they do tend to have something to do with what's going on or my particular feeling at the moment I start writing.
Anyway.
Good Monday, friends! I hope it's been a lovely one so far.
On Facebook earlier, I wrote that I love Mondays, and it's true.
I love the feeling of getting back into the rhythm of days after the chaos of the weekends. Don't get me wrong, I love the weekends, too, because then the Daddy is home and we have DAYTIME family time, YAY!
But I love Mondays. I love the clean slate upon which we write the story of our week to come. I love getting everything that got left scattered actually DONE. I love restarting the routine (such that it is in our household), and setting upon the new thing, whatever that may be.
Perhaps I would feel differently were I in a different place and tromping off to work each Monday, but for now, Mondays are simply lovely. So, a happy Monday it is for us. And you as well, dear friends, I hope!
Let me tell you, the weather lately has been wild and crazy. We were plunged back into the depths of winter over the weekend, and have been left frazzled and cold and bewildered. It was eighty-degrees and humid last week!
So here we are, and the sun is out again (YAY for sunshine!), but it's barely fifty. But I am ever-so grateful for the sunshine and happy little birds.
Anyway. Off to reading!
Books
This week has been entirely dedicated to the reading of The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. So, I am going to say a few words about it, and then move on to a couple of books KayKay has been reading. I will not do a comprehensive review of anything this week, though. Just my thoughts for now.
First of all - I am really liking The Book Thief. More than I expected, actually, given my hesitancy at the beginning. I am more than halfway through it, and I am fascinated by the way the story is unfolding. I am really involved in the characters' lives and the layout, which gave me pause to begin with, has really grown on me.
It is not pretentious and is very gritty. Very real. I would not recommend this book for anyone under the age of sixteen, simply because the subject matter (Nazi Germany and the Holocaust) and some of the language is geared toward a more mature audience (read: there are some wordy-dirds. Which should NOT dissuade you from picking this book up, though.).
So far, I am really liking this book. Unless it really falls apart from here, I'm likely going to be giving it two thumbs up.
Oh, and I just realized something else: it's a New York Times Bestseller.
OF COURSE.
I haven't read one in years (if ever), and then I write on here that I don't read them... And look! Two in very nearly two weeks! *Sigh* Such is life, I suppose.
OF COURSE.
I haven't read one in years (if ever), and then I write on here that I don't read them... And look! Two in very nearly two weeks! *Sigh* Such is life, I suppose.
So now, on to KayKay's reading of late:
As I mentioned last week, she's really into ancient Egypt right now, so I picked up (on super-sale) The Egyptology Handbook by Emily Sands. Apparently, it's supposed to go with this book, but I didn't realize that when I bought it, and it seems to be comprehensive enough without the other one. KayKay LOVES it, and I must say, there is a lot of information packed into this little book. The layout is very appealing as well, which never hurts. I may decide to list it on E-Bay or Amazon after she gets done with it,because I'm not sure of keeping it as a permanent addition to our library, but overall, we both like it (as does the Ladybug, who seems to love looking at all the pictures, even if she can't read much of it!).
At the library recently, KayKay also picked up this book, Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney. KayKay is very interested in women's rights and equality, so it did not surprise me when she wanted to borrow it. She really likes it and has been reading a story or two each day for school. I like the layout and the women the author chose to highlight. This is definitely a win for both of us.
So now that it's far too late and far past my bedtime, I am finally finishing up this post. So let's just move right into links, shall we?
So now that it's far too late and far past my bedtime, I am finally finishing up this post. So let's just move right into links, shall we?
Links
Lots and lots and lots and lots of reading going on. ALWAYS.
*Whispering* Dare I say it... That perhaps! I have a little bit of a problem? Too many fascinating things. Not enough time. *Sigh* God and I need to have a conversation about this in heaven, because there are simply not enough hours in the day to do ALL THE READING that needs doing AND get anything else done.
Anyway.
So here are a few of the highlights from this week's reading list.
Condemned To Joy: City Journal. This is a really interesting read about the nature of personal happiness and what it means.
Day 55, Discovering And Accepting Defined Personality Traits: Gluten-Free Strawberry. This is my friend Carrie's personal blog, and I just loved this post. I love what she says at the end. It is SO important.
To Change Your Name Or Not To Change Your Name, Options For Married Scientists: Women In Planetary Science. So I found this blog through the usual convoluted process, but it is a most unusual blog (and I love that!) simply because of the subject matter. And then there's this post. Wow. I had never even considered this as potentially problematic for women scientists, but I guess it is. And apparently (at least according to the comments), there's a rather heated debate about it, too. What would you do?
Meet The Ten-Year-Old CEO of a $500,000 Family Business: AOL Small Business. For those of you with budding entrepreneurs, this is a great article. Although you may *not* want to let them read it, because, well... You know how it is with kids. Next thing you know they'll want to know how many lemons they'll need to buy to make $500,000 of lemonade.
The Girl Who Is Gone: Sand In The Gears. Oh, my. This one is a tearjerker. But oh. So good.
Possibility: Sand In The Gears. And another one by him. And man, it's a good one about parenting. But it was these lines that hooked me, "I’m an analytical hypochondriacal pessimist, flavored with a dash of unreasonable hopefulness. Give me any situation, and I can tell you ten ways it’s bound to go south, and at least five of those ways involve me personally getting cancer in the process." AHAHAHA! I know someone like that (that isn't me... I promise! At least, most of the time!).
Spinach Bacon Fritatta: Cooking With Chopin, Living With Elmo. Okay, so first of all, how could you NOT click on the link with a blog name like THAT? Seriously awesome. Second... I have one word: Bacon. I think I'm going to make this now. That is all.
Bookmaking With Children, Nature Journal With Twig Binding: The Magnifying Glass. How fantastically fun is this project? We have started (but not finished) these - I know, I know, they're super easy... But we've gotten distracted and off-course - BUT they are awesome! We are probably going to finish them tomorrow, and the girls have loved picking out the pieces to make them with (we're decorating the covers a little more elaborately than in the photo here). Totally fun!
Sarah Mast And A Nature Classroom: The Magnifying Glass. Another by her - and tell me this isn't one of the neatest things you've ever laid eyes on? Seriously, where was this stuff when I was a kid?!?! I totally want to build one for my girlie-q's!
Art Lesson, Observational Drawing: Camp Creek Blog. Interestingly, I have recently started assigning observational drawing to KayKay as part of her schoolwork. And then I found this. Fantastic!
And last, but certainly NOT least, my friend Sherry's most recent blog post:
Fifty Outdoor Activities Your Children Will Love: Living And Learning. This is a fantastic and utterly inspiring post about being out, in nature, with your children.
Anyway.
So here are a few of the highlights from this week's reading list.
Condemned To Joy: City Journal. This is a really interesting read about the nature of personal happiness and what it means.
Day 55, Discovering And Accepting Defined Personality Traits: Gluten-Free Strawberry. This is my friend Carrie's personal blog, and I just loved this post. I love what she says at the end. It is SO important.
To Change Your Name Or Not To Change Your Name, Options For Married Scientists: Women In Planetary Science. So I found this blog through the usual convoluted process, but it is a most unusual blog (and I love that!) simply because of the subject matter. And then there's this post. Wow. I had never even considered this as potentially problematic for women scientists, but I guess it is. And apparently (at least according to the comments), there's a rather heated debate about it, too. What would you do?
Meet The Ten-Year-Old CEO of a $500,000 Family Business: AOL Small Business. For those of you with budding entrepreneurs, this is a great article. Although you may *not* want to let them read it, because, well... You know how it is with kids. Next thing you know they'll want to know how many lemons they'll need to buy to make $500,000 of lemonade.
The Girl Who Is Gone: Sand In The Gears. Oh, my. This one is a tearjerker. But oh. So good.
Possibility: Sand In The Gears. And another one by him. And man, it's a good one about parenting. But it was these lines that hooked me, "I’m an analytical hypochondriacal pessimist, flavored with a dash of unreasonable hopefulness. Give me any situation, and I can tell you ten ways it’s bound to go south, and at least five of those ways involve me personally getting cancer in the process." AHAHAHA! I know someone like that (that isn't me... I promise! At least, most of the time!).
Spinach Bacon Fritatta: Cooking With Chopin, Living With Elmo. Okay, so first of all, how could you NOT click on the link with a blog name like THAT? Seriously awesome. Second... I have one word: Bacon. I think I'm going to make this now. That is all.
Bookmaking With Children, Nature Journal With Twig Binding: The Magnifying Glass. How fantastically fun is this project? We have started (but not finished) these - I know, I know, they're super easy... But we've gotten distracted and off-course - BUT they are awesome! We are probably going to finish them tomorrow, and the girls have loved picking out the pieces to make them with (we're decorating the covers a little more elaborately than in the photo here). Totally fun!
Sarah Mast And A Nature Classroom: The Magnifying Glass. Another by her - and tell me this isn't one of the neatest things you've ever laid eyes on? Seriously, where was this stuff when I was a kid?!?! I totally want to build one for my girlie-q's!
Art Lesson, Observational Drawing: Camp Creek Blog. Interestingly, I have recently started assigning observational drawing to KayKay as part of her schoolwork. And then I found this. Fantastic!
And last, but certainly NOT least, my friend Sherry's most recent blog post:
Fifty Outdoor Activities Your Children Will Love: Living And Learning. This is a fantastic and utterly inspiring post about being out, in nature, with your children.
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