Sunday, September 19, 2010

Scholastic Book Clubs and other good news

Sooo...
drumroll please...



















In the Snow will be in the Scholastic Book Clubs Flyers this fall/winter. I also just go my copies of Moe and Malaya, from Inhabit Media - and they look great. Fantastic Printing job and so cool to see my name - and the story in Inuktitut. I should also be receiving my copies of Fatou Fetch the Water any time now - exciting times in this household!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The Monkey Slug

We found this crazy looking caterpillar on one of our trees the other day. Careful research - OK - GOOGLE, has revealed it to be the Monkey Slug Caterpillar. MO is going to get a kick out of this one!
http://www.backyardnature.net/caterpil.htm
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/09/06/monkey-slug-4/

Big Boy party and a Village of friends...

We mulled over the idea of a big boy birthday for Mo this year - you know the kind - where the parents drop off the kids, the kids go wild for a few hours and then get picked up.

The mull was short.

Thing is where we live, for one, is prohibitive. And well, we also really like his friends parents too. Most importantly, so does Mo. It is amazing when you have friends that you know are looking out for your kids if you can't for a second, hour or even a day. It is even more amazing when all these people are in the same place. He would be devastated if we had said no other mommas and poppas.

I looked around this afternoon at one point to see Mo and his buddy playing chess in the grass with one of the daddies, while I lay in the grass with Zaley and another momma and got tickles from little Glenny.

Almost all the moms got to enjoy a glass of wine sans kids - while the dads played outside.

I can't help but think of the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child. And in the age where this is no longer the norm - we have it. It is amazing.

Oh yeah - we also had a monster truck drop by for a visit. Check out www.verticallychallenged.ca

Monday, September 13, 2010

On turning FIVE.

I never thought this day would come. Or rather, I just never thought it would come so FAST. But, here it is and here we are on the eve of our Son's fifth birthday.

I'm not sure why five seems a much bigger deal than four, but it does.

It is an entry to boydom – no more little toddler remains, replaced by lanky, sometimes cranky, impossibly smart and inquisitive, jumping off playground equipment, funny and serious boy. All arms and legs. Smelly feet. A companion, a pal. A very opinionated and passionate person. A pusher of boundaries. A kissing bandit. A cuddly, but NOW can I PLEASE play the ipod kind of kid. A kid who will drop anything to play cars, lego, chess or to make his sister laugh. A kid who breaks down into fits of tears for the strangest of reasons. A kid who prides himself on putting on his own bandages and has a very defined sense of fashion. A kid who once dreamed of taping his sister to the wall or giving her away to firemen - who now will not let anything bad happen to her - EVER.

Our son, who is growing fast, no matter how much we want him to slow down. Our beautiful child, soon to be handsome young man...

Happy Birthday Mo, you light up our lives.