Friday, September 25, 2009

September 25 - Favorite Summer Reads

I seem to have lost my ability to write intelligently about anything, or form coherent, witty thoughts for that matter. This is seriously detrimental to my blog world. Ugh!

So I'm just going to list my two favorite books so far this year and leave it to ya'll...

Non-fiction: The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier

Just Wow! Funny, informative, perceptive and totally readable by a non-science person (although admittedly I rather like chemistry and biology). Science is really a way of thinking more than a specific subject or set of facts, and it may become extinct without conscious effort. I could re-read this every year!

Fiction: The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton


A little bit of everything I enjoy in a novel: community building, a touch of history, engaging characters I identify with, romance, inspiration. This book about young women who meet by chance in a park and develop into a sisterhood was very fun for me to read.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

September 16 - School Dreams

OMW! How can it be the middle of September already?!? (And aren't I too young to be saying dumb stuff like that?!) Well, the family has launched right back into the routine as if the last 3 months of summer schedule-free bliss hadn't happened. On Day 2 Seth said, "What? It's just like always!" Even Naomi, in all-day kindergarten for the first time, is just taking it all in stride. I think that's a compliment to a well-run school system where my kids feel comfortable.

Seth is in a looping classroom for 5th grade, which means he has the same teacher, Mrs. Harley, and most of the same kids, as last year. The year starts with a lot of standardized testing and review, which probably helps too.

Skyler, however, is in a new building, on another campus for 2nd grade at Eagle Lake Elementary. He's been pretty excited so far and seems to enjoy learning. Plus his teacher, Mr. Cebra (like "zebra"), seems kind and perceptive. I got to help out in the classroom a little today and the projects are already piling up. I think I even got homework today!

Naomi has the same teacher Skyler had for kindergarten, Miss Schirripa. She decided in advance that she absolutely LOVES her teacher and that has certainly helped any transition anxiety she may have had.

It's going to be another exciting adventurous year!