The only book you'll ever need to read... kind of...

Four teachers teachers at school and I are part of a reading and study group at school. We picked three different books that we'd like to study, and spend an evening a month discussing what we've read. One of the books has seriously changed my life and how I plan to parent my children (in 10 to 15 years - the principles will be the same then!). That book is The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.


I've known the power that early reading has in the life of a child. I've written papers about the need for a child to have 1000 hours of reading experience under their belt by the time they reach kindergarten. I know that kids who have been read to have larger vocabularies, are more likely to enjoy reading as they grow up, and are on track for success in school and in life. This book has put all these things together in very practical application. It gives so many examples of why reading aloud to children is important, ways to put this practice into your life, books to read, and more.

The message of the book is this: start early in reading aloud to your child (even before they're born!), continue reading to them as they grow up (who doesn't enjoy being read to?), and enjoy the relationship you and your child build as you read books together.

This is the only book you need to read... until you start reading with your children!

January... blah!

So I realized that it's been a while since I blogged last... I don't even have a good reason for not blogging! It's not that I've been too busy having a life that I didn't have time to blog about it... I haven't done much of anything, really... so what is there to blog about? I'm working on a novel about Christmas break that is back-dated, so in the meantime, here's a few tidbits about January 2009 so far...

Our first week back to school was the longest week ever! The kids were used to sleeping in, being lazy, and getting to play all the time! Not to mention their teacher! It was tough, getting them (and me) back in the routine, but I think we're there... almost!

There were only a few storms that first week back that make the commute treacherous. The school parking lot has been a sheet of ice for the past two weeks - I've gotten great at ice skating across!

Recess duty has been a blast! We've only been inside once, which is okay with me! The kids don't really mind being out in the snow and cold. I have one student who moved to Utah from Arizona this fall, and it's his first winter with snow and all... he's pretty stoked about the snow, and could spend all his time looking at it, playing in it, and talking about it. When the kids get all excited about it snowing outside and try to gather at the windows, I always tell them, "You've seen snow before! Now sit down!" (always using a nicely controlled teacher-voice, of course!), and someone inevitably says, "But he hasn't!" Maybe by May we'll be done with looking at the snow...

My class has earned a few extra recesses for being good for substitutes (finally - it only took until January!), and the boys love playing King of the Hill on one of the mounds of snow on the playground. They don't play at regular recess time, because, as they tell me, they like that they know the people in our class aren't playing and pushing and shoving to be mean... they are comfortable in assuming that boys in our class are playing for fun... and they really have taken pretty good care of each other while playing. Personally, I'll be glad when the mound is melted and they're back to playing football on the field or playing soccer against the girls.

Thank goodness for Martin Luther King! I've always admired the man and the kind of leadership that he showed during the Civil Rights movement... and I'm also grateful that Congress decided we needed the day off to celebrate his memory!

Sounds of the Season

I've gotten to go to some great Christmas concerts this season!

Bells on Temple Square
A great show, as usual. The bell ringers get better every year, with new technique and new songs. This concert was before Thanksgiving, and was a good one to get you in the mood for the Holidays. It was in the Tabernacle, and I got to enjoy it with Holly, Mom, and JoAnne.

Ryan Shupe & the Rubber Band
This was only the second time that I've ever paid to see Ryan Shupe, which is saying something, since I've seen him at so many different events! It was well worth paying to see them for this show! They performed most of the songs on their Christmas album, and altered a few of their regulars to fit in - "Ho! Ho! Ho!", "Eggnog, Eggnog, it is so good to me...", and "The Grinch went down to Georgia." The band gave one another presents, and had cute videos to go along with each. They also played Rock Band. You'd think they'd be better than they were - they didn't play so hot! They always put on a great show! I went with Mom and JoAnne to the McKay Events Center in Orem.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra on Temple Square Christmas Concert
My friend Melani had an extra ticket for Friday's show and invited me to come - Thanks, Mel! On the way home from the show, I was texting my mom who told me Holly's friend had given her tickets for Sunday, and was it worth going again? Yes! So I got to go twice! It was amazing! The guest soloist, Brian Stokes Mitchell, was wonderful. Such a versatile and mellow voice. The narration was given by Edward Hermann. He told the story behind Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Christmas Bells" poem, and with the story and the music, was quite moving. I also especially loved the organist's (I can't remember which one it was) version of "Go Tell it on the Mountain" - done nearly entirely with the foot pedals. (I had a difficult time playing one or two notes with a hymn, let alone playing a whole song when I was playing organ!) This will definitely be a show worth getting next year.

Happy Birthday, Holly!

Today's Holly's 20th birthday! Here's a list of 20
things I know about her, memories I have of her, and things I like about her!

1. Hill Cumorah Pageant - twice! It was great to get to be in the Pageant with someone you know (like your sister!). I don't know that I would have been brave enough to go by myself (especially the first time), but together we can do great things!
2. I like how people tell us how much we look like sisters... and while that is totally true that we are sisters, we really shouldn't look like it.
3. She lets me boss her around! During our trips back to the Pageant, I called a lot of the shots. I often decided where to stay, where to eat, what route to take, and what to see when we got there. Lots of these decisions were based on our budget. With very few exceptions, she accepted these decisions and didn't whine... too much anyway...
4. She plays for the UVU pep band - go Wolverines!
5. Movie and song lines... Christmas Vacation, While You were Sleeping, Miley Cyrus, and more... she knows her lines!
   
6. She can be terribly silly and punny!
7. She loves listening to music - she's burned through several iPods and earbuds... time to get a warranty on these things!
8. She's a great texter - even when you're sitting right beside her!
9. She actually likes working in the nursery at church - she's great with the kids!
10. She also actually likes going to work. I'm so glad - not everyone can say they're happy to go to work! She is good with her customers, and is good at helping people figure out how much fabric they need. Her only mistakes in cutting are when she's cutting for me, and she knows I'll buy her mistake cut and what I need, too!
11. Facebook is her friend!
12. She's a pretty good and creative cook.
13. She's not scared to talk to people or to go to new places. We went to the Deaf expo last fall, and she totally embraced signing and talking to people. We went to Galudet U in DC this summer, and wasn't intimidated at all. She talked to tons of people at the Pageant - both cast members and audience members.
14. We went to see the movie Charly when it first came out. There were only about 6 other people in the theater (and senior citizens at that). We bawled and bawled, and those 6 looked at us like we were crazy...
15. No tocas!
16. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat!
17. She's totally in love with the Jo Bros!
18. Have a HOLLY jolly Christmas! Happy HOLLYdays! Pine cones and HOLLY berries!
    
19. She feeds the 'backyardigan' - if only she weren't so stingy with the cans!
20. Who's got what it takes to make meatloaf?!

Domestic Portfolio

My friend and co-worker, Liz, often joked about her "domestic portfolio" - documentation of her attempts and successes at being domestic. What a great thing to show a suitor and his family! She is a great cook - her leftovers that became lunches looked and smelled yummy - so her hypothetical portfolio was focused there. I don't quite have that kind of domestic skill... I can cook, but it's not very creative, and while edible, there is much room for improvement.

This fall, my mom has been enjoying her new knee, and has been excited to work on her 'retirement projects'. She's set her mind on not ever retiring, and so needs to have good reasons to finish school work at school, and come home in time to enjoy life away from school. If my mom's not ever going to retire, I certainly won't ever retire (at least my parents will get some social security... I'll never see social security, and am gambling away my own funds in the crazy stock market!), and so am working on developing my own retirement projects - perfect projects for a domestic portfolio!

My domestic portfolio will be right here - just a mouse click away to show to potential in-laws and their sons! What a great thing to show parents that I have the skills to take care of their son and grandchildren! (and grandpuppies and grandkitties too)

Watch for entries in my portfolio soon!

Go Utes!

Go Utes!
What a great pic from the DesNews!
'Nuf said!

Christmas Tag...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I have to wrap? You're telling me the sack from the store isn't enough?

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, and small. Metal trees are good, too!

3. When do you put up the tree? Pretty late... as close to Christmas as possible.

4. When do you take the tree down? Right around the 31st... But no matter when it comes down, "I cry the day I take the tree down..."

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A play kitchen. Santa left the box in the real kitchen, and I asked him about it the next year... apparently there was some confusion with the clean-up elves.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My dad and Holly

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, several.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail when I do them...

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't really think of one... even dorky ones that I get from students, you know they thought I'd love it... Santa has always been good to me!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation - I could probably recite and perform the whole thing... sad, sad... but hilarious!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start thinking in November and buying in December. If I'm making things, I try to get started early in November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, I have re-gifted, but only a few times, and only very tastefully...

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Breakfast casserole on Christmas morning.

16. Lights on the tree? Sometimes... depends which tree gets put up.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I have so many! If I'm listening in the car, I have to have fun songs to sing along with, so anything catchy...

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Depends on the tree...

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? This is a point of disagreement in our house. Every year my parents argue, and every year, until last year, my dad won. Growing up, my dad's tradition was to open Christmas morning, and my mom's tradition was to open Christmas eve. We opened Christmas eve last year, and it was great to sleep in a bit in the morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Christmas Sing practice at school... urg!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love our eclectic ornament collection. Everyone in our family gets a new ornament each year, plus we usually get a few as gifts. It's so eclectic, it works!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham and funeral potatoes.

25. What do you want for Christmas? World Peace!