I have not done another Spanish lesson in my workbook since I last posted about it. Just in case you were worried I was getting ahead of you in your goal of becoming regularly bilingual. Just in case. Because I'm not. And it's not a race anyway, right?
Confession number two:
I was going to work in my Spanish workbook last night, but could not. Why? Because Lucy and Mary and I got all gung-ho on Saturday and cleaned out our front yard in anticipation of thirty baby perennials I have coming (I have a plan for those perennials. A plan involving children. I'll post more about it later. If it works...).
I knew there was some poison oak in our yard. I'd seen it during the summer, and Sam and I had conversed casually about getting rid of it at some point. I thought maybe he had. I didn't see any poison oak as I was working, so, hey, it had to be gone, right? Besides I'm tough. I'm probably part of the small percentage of the population that is not allergic to poison plant oils.
Let's just say that Lucy wore gloves. I did not. Lucy's skin is just fine. My hands and face and neck have exploded with itchy, burning, red bumps.
There is a lesson to be learned in this. Somewhere. I think it's basically: do not be stupid.
But there is always a silver-lining, even to poison oak. I will be more grateful for my skin when the bumps are gone, even with all its imperfections. And this will give me the first-person experience I need to have a character in one of my books contract poison oak. So, in the end, it's a good thing. Good, good, good.
Help!
On to more more important things, like books.
Jim Aylesworth, who I've always loved, came to Shaemus's class for an author visit. It was awesome. Shaemus loved it. We bought some of Jim's books, so I think Jim probably loved it too. These are books for kids zero to six or seven. They are rollicking, rhythmic, sometimes-rhyming, sometimes-not, books. The language is colorful and vivid and clear and articulate and vibrant and enthusiastic and original and intense. (Too many adjectives, she said.)
Here are some Jim Aylesworth favorites. (Or you can just head to the A section in the picture books and see what's there. It's bound to be good if it's got his name on it.)
The Gingerbread Man (my favorite version of this tale ever)
The Mitten (also a fun version of this classic)
Our Abe Lincoln
Old Black Fly
The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock
Cock-a-doodle-doo, Creak Pop-pop, Moo
Naughty Little Monkeys
The Burger and the Hot Dog
The Tale of Tricky Fox
The Full Belly Fowl
Teddy Bear Tears
My Son John
No comments:
Post a Comment