Seven Quick Takes

 

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~1~

 

My wonderful son Ezra has been getting up at 5:30 a.m. ALL WEEK LONG and waking several times at night. No apparent reason- he's happy upon waking and doesn't seem to need anything. But at 5:30 he is up for the day. The very long day.

 

 

~2~

 

There has been a lot of train building going on around here. The formations change almost hourly and both boys have their own ideas about how things should look. It's been quite the exercise in sharing and teamwork!

 

 

~3~

 

I'm starting to read more about Reggio Emilia and project-based learning. If you want a place to get started Camp Creek is amazing. I've been reading there all week long along with otherReggio blogs. I'm going to have to go back and revise my Educational Influences post from last week!

 

~4~

 

We've had some hard news about Superman's job. The short story is that the new contract is changing from 6 days with 10-12 hour days to 7 days with 12 hour days. Anyone who refuses will have their contracts pulled. On top of that this fall is his senior year and to graduate he's taking 5 classes fall semester and 6 classes spring semester. He was having a hard time with getting his coursework done since they went to the mandatory 6 days a few months back, so now it will be nearly impossible. So we're praying and Superman is looking for a new job.

 

 

~5~

 

Ender started his first project- animals. We have had plans to go to the zoo this morning all week long and when I reminded him of that last night he asked if he could take a clipboard and paper. I told him that was fine and he ran to pack it- he said he wants to write something down at he zoo. I'm curious to see what it is! I'm sure that will be the subject of a post to come.

 

 

~6~

 

The boys watched the movie Ice Age for the first time this week. Ezra is obsessed with Scrat. He laughs hysterically every time that little rat/squirrel comes on the screen and he gestures frantically and cries "Cur! Cur!" (squirrel! squirrel!) and then laughs again. He thinks real squirrels are hilarious too.

 

 

~7~

 

I'll be offline much of the weekend working  on projects, cooking and eating good food, and trying to convince Ender that fireworks are pretty to watch. We'll see if this is the year he can handle the noise.

Project Weekend

Ezra turns two very soon and I need to finish his gifts- pieces have been cut, but I really need to get sewing! The canvas is for a tent that will fit over our dining table, and the Cars fabric and red fleece are for a much-longed-for Cars blankie.

 

The other project for the weekend is re-organizing our poor living room shelves. In the last several weeks they've become stacks upon stacks, and something must be done.

 

 

I should probably do something about my sewing desk too . . .

 

Fiction Update

Adding to the 2009 fiction list:

1. Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Cary

2. Kushiel's Avatar by Jacqueline Cary

3. The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory

4. Undone by Rachel Caine

5. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

And the new additions:

6. Wideacre by Philippa Gregory

7. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo

 

I wouldn't recommend Wideacre to anyone, although I've enjoyed all the other books by Philippa Gregory that I've read. This was my guilt book that I mentioned a few weeks ago. I have this horrible habit of finishing terrible books. Why do I waste my own reading time like that??? The Tale of Desperaux, on the other hand, was a great little read. Ender kept looking over at it on my night stand and asking if it was for him. I told him we would read it together someday.

I'm in the middle of Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey and up next after that is probably The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory- the new historical about Mary Queen of Scots. On my nightstand in waiting? Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier, Kushiel's Justice by Jacqueline Carey and more Little House books.

 

In other reading news, Superman has been listening to some Agatha Christie in the truck while driving around for work. He's not really a "mystery" kind of guy, but he's taking a detective fiction class for an elective over the summer and what's a detective fiction class without Agatha Christie?

 

Ender and Ezra have been listening to picture book after picture book the last few weeks as part of the summer reading program at our local library. For every 20 books they listen to they receive a free paperback from the library and they can each earn up to 5 paperbacks. When we go into the library I usually tell Ender he can pick 10 books (we check out 20 picture books at a time), and as we look through the shelves I guide his choices a bit, but for the most part let him pick what he likes. The last trip to the library resulted in a bag full of holiday themed books, so I've been getting a "Christmas in June" feel.

 

In non-fiction news, I'm still savoring A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, and reading through stacks of education books.