Summer Time Fun

Discovering the joy of eating watermelon in the yard.....

More bubble fun....we just can't get enough of bubbles 'round here.

Very upset that the rain is keeping him from going back outside.....

Once the hissy fit is over, discovering the fun of a tent in the living room....

Downtown on a Friday Night

There was an Art Walk in downtown Auburn tonight. The city blocked off a few streets, local artists set up tables and booths to display their works, and the shops stayed open for the whole downtown event. I heard that some of the businesses served drinks and nibbles. I would not know because I was a little busy chasing a runaway baby through the streets of our fair town. Do you see the small child wearing dark stripes and red shoes in the picture shown above, smack dab in the middle of the shot running away from the photographer? That is Jacks. And when I say that he ran down the middle of the street, I mean he was literally in the middle of the street.

If Jacks wasn't running full speed toward whatever action he could get in the middle of, he was dancing. Smack dab in front of the live band.
(that is his friend Harper next to him - notice Harper's awesome seersucker pants!)

We were finally able to lure him away from the dance floor (his hands were completely black because he kept putting his hands on the street in an attempt to break dance after he saw a bigger kid doing it) with another one of his favorite activities - writing with sidewalk chalk!

Although we would have loved to do a little art and shop browsing, we had so much fun enjoying the atmosphere of good music and friends. We wish there were more events like this one in Auburn. Nights like tonight are always memorable ones.

AFI Top 100 Movies

I love those AFI specials that come on TV. One is coming on this week - I think it is the Top 10 movies in a handful of genres, or something like that. I'll post an update of when it is coming on when I figure it out, if anyone is interested (I just checked - it's coming on tomorrow night, 6/17, on CBS). Listed below are the Top 100 Movies of All Time according to the AFI (American Film Institute). I have highlighted the movies I have seen. What do you think is missing from this list? I'll add a few at the bottom that I think are missing.

1. CITIZEN KANE(1942)
2. CASABLANCA (1941)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

Should also include......

Adam's Rib
My Favorite Wife or The Awful Truth (both starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne)
Raising Arizona
A Christmas Story
The Thin Man
His Girl Friday
Reality Bites
Rushmore
Amelie
The Shawshank Redemption
Juno
The Life of Brian
Young Frankenstein and/or Blazing Saddles and/or The Producers (hard to pick just one Mel Brooks)
Shaun of the Dead
Maverick

(those last two are personal favorites that can reel me in every time - I cannot watch those movies too many times.)

Joe's picks would be: Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Smokey and the Bandit, Die Hard, Rope, Boogie Nights, Gladiator, and Braveheart

Who are we kidding? I can't come up with just a FEW movies that I love. My list is a mile long, mostly because I watch a lot of movies and I find charm in just about everything. I'll watch just about anything.

So, lay it on me. What's missing? What are your faves?

Happy Father's Day, Chet and Rick!!

Chet with Jean Louise, Laura, Queenie, and Jacks

(my folks with my nieces - sans Emily - and Jacks last Thanksgiving)

Racko and Jacks

(Joe's Dad, Rick, with Jacks last Christmas - they are both dressed for the occasion!)

Red Shoes and Bubbles

They say only whores and babies can wear red shoes.

Wonderful Surprises

Well, I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me in my email inbox the other day - my cousin Robin received word of my blog and left me a message. Now, I probably have not seen Robin since I was very small. I have heard tales of her great successes in the great north from my father for years and years, as he is a very proud uncle to Robin and her sister Cathy Jo. Plus we are all in shock and amazement at our family members who ventured out of the south and into the rest of the world. Recently, I have had the opportunity to glance into Robin's life on her highly entertaining blog, Drawing In (check it out!!). I have found that my father has always been quite right to brag on her, because she is a wonderfully funny writer with a sharp wit and a keen sense of observation. Her writing tells me that we would certainly be friends as people, not just as cousins.

Well, Robin told me that she would be reading my blog from the beginning to catch up, so I was perusing my old posts to see what embarrassments I have left out there for her enjoyment. And something I said in my children's lit post gave me a thought. I said that all children should experience some Roald Dahl other than Charlie. My off-the-beaten-path Dahl exposure as a child was to The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, a book of short stories. The copy I read belonged to my sister, and it was given to her by our cousin Robin!

So, I quickly scanned the book shelf to see what Robin wrote to Carrie all those years ago, because I know I've had that book here in Auburn. But, upon checking the shelves all through the house, no Henry. I got a little panicked worried that he had been lost, but a quick text to sister revealed that she absconded with the book on one of her visits. I could pick at my sister here for pilfering my book shelves and closets, but I kind of do the same thing at her house.... At least if one of us has something, we always know where it is. Although I do tease sissy for taking my things, in reality I never feel like anything is lost if she is the one who took it.


Maybe Carrie can post a comment telling us what the inscription said???

Anyway, this seemed like a much more entertaining anecdote when I started out. It seems to be going nowhere - most likely only entertaining to the players involved. I guess the gist is that Henry Sugar lives with us now, thanks to Robin. I did mention that she and I would be friends even if we weren't family, right? This is the kind of thing that tells me that is true.

That, and the message I just received from her this moment asking if I'm familiar with Subversive Cross-stitch. Oh, yes I am, m'friend. And I love that you asked!

Jacks and Cooper

Jacks had a play date today with his friend Cooper B. from his class. I don't think I have ever seen Jacks so thrilled to have a guest in his life - with the exception of his Queenie (my mother). He danced just about the entire time Cooper was here. It was adorable. We will definitely do this more - the boys had a blast!

And Cooper's Mom and I got lots of time for some good girl talk. Good stuff!

Jacks's Floaty Suit

Jacks put his floaty swim suit on over his clothes the other day and refused to take it off. We finally had to pull him out of it kicking and screaming because he was about to sweat off a couple of pounds!!

WKRP

Last night I discovered a WKRP in Cincinnati marathon on channel 22 (I think it is WGN - isn't that the same network that aired the Bozo Show?). If you never watched WKRP, it was just a little bit of totally effing awesome! I loved that show so much - I wanted to grow up to become Jennifer Marlowe (the hair and the boobs and the bod, not the secretary job). Imagine my ongoing disappointment at that one not panning out for me.

I've found that reviewing some old favorites is very disappointing, because I realize how much that show really sucked. Anyone tried to watch an old Family Ties lately? Ugh! But, luckily, WKRP can enter the ranks of old favorites that can stand the test of time. Other timeless favorites of mine? Seinfeld, Cheers, Larry Sanders, Newhart, Hart to Hart, and Northern Exposure. And please don't tell me you've never heard of Hart to Hart - it just makes me sad!

Hopefully this channel will keep showing WKRP reruns. Although, last night they covered the Pilot episode (enter cowboy Andy Travis from Santa Fe), The Thanksgiving Turkey Drop (as God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly), and the episode where Mother Carlson tries to change the format to all news (aka the one where we fell in love with Mama C's butler, Hirsch). Those have to be the top three episodes of all time! I hope it keeps coming on - I love to rediscover an old fave!!

And I still know the words to the theme song. "I'm at W-K-R-P in Cincinna-ati!"

Turtle

Jacks and I stepped outside the other day to discover a turtle making his way across our front walk. Jacks was immediately intrigued, until the turtle began to move. As soon as that happened, Jacks began to back up while nervously shrieking. At that time, the turtle clued into the fact that we were there, and he nervously scooted inside his shell.

Finally, Joe came out and moved the offending turtle to a safer area - away from Jacks, amongst the bushes, close to the hose. When Joe picked up Mr. Turtle, he hissed at all of us before disappearing back into his shell. I guess he didn't want to be our friend. If he had been a little nicer, he would have a name by now. Until he shows up again, he will remain the nameless hisser.

Joe and I have seen a turtle on several different occasions just outside our front door over the years, but we're not sure if this is the same fella. Although turtle was not happy with us, we put a head of lettuce underneath the gardenia bush for his munching enjoyment. I'll let you know if that keeps him around.

Yeah, you can tell we're real busy around here this summer!

Passed out

Children's Library Essentials List

So, many of you might have thought that I had forgotten about my children's lit post, but I haven't!! Here it is, possibly in progress. I have a feeling I will add and tweak as ideas come to me.

Although there are several titles that are important and valuable to include in the childhood experience, I tend to focus on authors. If I find a book that I really love, then I want to read more by that author. I think that is something that we all do. So, for my Children's Library Essentials List, I included mostly authors with some title recommendations for each. There will be some titles, however, as there are books out there that I've come across that I really love, but I don't know all that much about the authors' other books.

I also organized the list by chapter books and picture books. When I think of children's lit, I automatically think of chapter books because of the age that I teach. I have to know a lot about the world of YA lit for my job, so I don't stay as focused on the amazing world of picture books as I would like.

One more aside to all this - I tried to think of books that I actually enjoyed as a child or that I would have enjoyed as a child, not books that I think are important as a teacher.

So, this is my grand list. I recommend any or all of the following in no particular order:

Chapter Books

• EB White - Charlotte's Web, of course, but I also loved The Trumpet of the Swan

• Roald Dahl - ALL titles by Roald Dahl. Children should all experience more Dahl than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys - I only read the former of these when I was young, but I think they both follow the same general model. However, I think they are making new, more modern story lines with Nancy Drew, and I do not recommend that. I'm sure they're just as good as the oldies, but there's something about those hard back books with the yellow spine all lined up on the book shelf, the ones with the drawings on the cover and interspersed throughout the story of a perfectly coiffed Nancy in cigarette pants and loafer flats while shining a flashlight under a canoe that are just so appealing.

• Beverly Cleary - the Ramona Quimby series and the Ralph books, of course. Classics.

• Judy Blume - Ahh, the innocence of Super Fudge and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing before graduating to Are you There God, It's Me Margaret?, Deenie, and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself. Judy Blume gave me that childhood sense of what it would be like to be a child in NYC. It seemed huge and fantastic and an amazing environment in which to be comfortable.

• The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint Exupery) - I'm not sure if high school French classes are reading this anymore. I remember my sister tossing around a copy of The Little Prince in French at some point. I did not read this in English or otherwise until I was grown, and I wish I had read it as a child. I might not have walked into it expecting some higher philosophical message; I could have just enjoyed it with childhood simplicity.

• Tuck Everlasting - by Natalie Babbit.

• EL Konigsburg - From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. This book also influenced my NYC ideals. All I wanted to do was sleep at the Met at night and enjoy the city by day. The whole world was at Claudia and Jamie's feet.

• Madeline L'Engle - delightfully creepy and weird, sci fi mixed with issues of faith. If nothing else, read A Wrinkle in Time so you will know what a tesseract is.

• Because of Winn Dixie - by Kate DiCamillo

• Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson) This was the first book ever to make me cry. I read it in one night in the 5th grade - the night before I was supposed to be finished with it for school.
  

• Harry Potter - I don't care who you are, these books are so good when you finally commit. When HP first came out, I heard a lot of hype before giving in. When I finally did, I wondered where he had been all my life.

• Little House on the Prairie - What little girl's book shelf is complete without the Laura Ingalls Wilder section of those 9 perfect paperbacks? You can't skip Farmer Boy just because it's different.

• Narnia - I never read the Narnia series. Okay, back off. Don't judge me! I have always wanted to learn more about CS Lewis, starting with the Narnia books. Hmmm, guess I just made a little goal for myself. I'm sure that means I'll just rent Shadowlands and call it a day.....dang, for a lover of books, I'm surprisingly lazy about reading!!

• Junie B Jones - those of you who work with me heard the same story about the 2nd grade teacher who had replaced over 600 classroom copies of Junie B Jones because the kids kept stealing them. I think that speaks for itself.

• Gary Paulsen - Hatchet, The Cay, etc.....good rough and tumble male oriented tales of survival.

• Louis Sachar - Wayside School series and Holes. I have discovered this guy in the past 10 years or so, and I really love him. It seems he was a lawyer before he realized that he hated it and turned to writing children's lit. Don't take my word for it on that 10 second bio, but the guy is awesome. The Wayside School books are wacky and nuts, and then you get to Holes. And you realize that Sachar was holding back in Wayside. He has some serious story telling skills!! Holes is my absolute favorite children's book that I have read as an adult (with the exception of Harry).

• Christopher Paul Curtis - The Watsons go to Birmingham and Bud, Not Buddy. Watsons depicts a boy who was visiting his family in Birmingham at the time of the bombing at the 16th St. Baptist Church. This point of view on that frightening event was very well written.

Listed Below are some timeless chapter book classics, necessary for all libraries:

• Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

• Peter Pan by JM Barrie

• Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

• The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum

• The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein

Picture Books

• Shel Silverstein - Don't Bump the Glump is being reprinted as of late. Go. Get. A. Copy. NOW!!! And you should have a collection of Shel lines memorized to have for regular entertainment purposes.
  

• Tomie DiPaola - this Italian American queen is a wicked good illustrator, His unobtrusive bunnies and peacocks amid the elaborate tile work of an Italian village in Strega Nona are perfection.

• Chris VanAllsburg - this guy is unreal. I usually hate art work that looks like a photograph. And, although his illustrations are ultra-realistic, their beauty far surpasses the content of any old photo. Not only that, his story lines are as ethereal as his pictures. Although Jumanji and The Polar Express are old standards, I highly recommend The Stranger. The answer to the questions created in this story seems so simple and yet so abstract.

• Maurice Sendak - I dig this guy because of Where the Wild Things Are, and I've never loved another of his books as much as I love that one.

• Babar - (Jean de Brunhoff ) There is something about the king and queen elephants in their royal robes against the starry night sky that I found beautiful when I was little.

• Curious George
  

• Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter) - Peter Rabbit, as well as the several stories also written by Potter (like Squirrel Nutkin and Benjamin Bunny) were a mainstay on my book shelves, as well as porcelain lamps, tea sets, etc.....

• David Weisner - this dude is COOL. He has two titles (Tuesday and Flotsam) that I know of that are completely illustrated; You create the story.

Here are some undisputed essentials:

• Madeline - absolutely

• Eloise - necessary

• Dr. Seuss - for all

• Eric Carle - children

• Richard Scarry - without a doubt!! I remember gazing at the pictures in these books for what seemed like hours

• Milne - aside from Pooh, I have only seen his poetry books. I love them all.

• Good Night Moon (Margaret Wise Brown)

• The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats)

Some other Picture Book authors and/or titles of note:

Patricia Polacco
Jon Scieszka
Virginia Lee Burton
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Alexander books by Judith Viorst
Peggy Rathman
Kevin Henkes
Richard Scarry
P.D. Eastman
Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Miss Suzie by Miriam Young
Angelina Ballerina by Katherine Hollabird
Old Black Witch by Wende Devlin
Toot and Puddle by Hollie Hobby
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, John Archambault, Ray Charles

Well, there it is. This list, very much like my wedding guest list, is surely missing some important names, and it seems to be in terrible disarray. Also, I was not able to include all of your suggestions because I was not familiar enough with all of them. But thank you so much for all of your wonderful suggestions.

Auburn/Alabama Maternity & Baby Stuff

One of the day care moms, Terri Lynn, is starting a new business called Belly Styles. Their web site just went public last month:

http://www.bellystyles.com/

They have collegiate maternity wear as well as baby gift baskets available. Right now they only have Auburn and Alabama stuff - not sure if they plan to expand on that. But that's all most of us care about, anyway!

The maternity tops are pretty cute, and I think there will be a great market for that.

So, check them out. Terri Lynn just had her second baby, and this is her business venture that will hopefully enable her to stay at home. Let's support our local stay at home moms!