Boxes and books and boys

 Well, we are in the "new" place and now the real fun begins.  The millions of boxes now have to be unpacked and a new place found for things to be.  There is a lot of storage space in this house but my problem is in the putting away.  I never remember after where I put something so it's a lot of opening and closing of cupboards and drawers.  Slowly it will come.  That's what people are telling me.

There is a L O T of painting to be done.  This house is very dark, lots of dark wood and dark colors. So we will shock the senses and paint it all white. After that I'll play with the details.  Right now, though, it's just  "git 'er done."  The painter came today to start and tomorrow the dining room will be finished.  A whole finished room!!!

We are exhausted, aching, sleepy and just about done in physically.  I am still purging as I open  boxes but I knew this would happen.  Before we knew what we were coming in to I couldn't plan on what to keep and what to send off to another life.  Now I know.   And I promised myself I would be absolutely ruthless.  This time.

We've seen the girls a lot and they've staked out their claim.  This past weekend we went to our son's to babysit Charlie, Ceci and Michael.  Charlie had soccer tournaments so the day was long for the kids.  At the end of the day, after a trip to the park and a walk around the block and the soccer games, it was popsicle time on the porch

 How can you not kiss those cheeks right off his face?

 Michael wears his day. At the end he's dirty, sticky and used up.

The books are packed in boxes and tote bags and stacked in piles.  Oh, my.  There are SO many books!  We have to have shelves built to handle them.  But I have been able to find ones to read to the kids at school. This is a list of the books from last week and tomorrow.

 This one, though retold by Madonna, is still a good lesson.  Mr. Peabody is beloved by everyone in town and devotes his Saturdays to organizing baseball with the kids.  One day one of the boys sees something he thought was wrong on Mr. Peabody's part and tells a friend, who tells a friend, who tells his parents, who tell more people, until the false story about Mr. Peabody is now all over town and no one will speak to him. Mr. Peabody's lesson for Tommy is one that gives the kids pause. I hope they understand in the end that no matter what, you can never, ever, ever get back something once you speak it aloud.

 Cynthia Rylant is one of my very favorite authors.  This is her first book about her childhood in the Appalachian mountains.  A very different life than the kids know but that's what draws me to her books.  Her gentle, quiet voice and showing us something we don't know.

 Last week it was The Man in the Moon, the genius story by William Joyce about the beginnings of the Guardians of Childhood.  I read the Sandman last week.  It's the story of how the Sandman (Sanderson Mansnoozie is his real name) came to be.  Love, love this series.

 Adelaide's class contemplated stars.  Stars are not just in the sky. Beautiful simple story.

 

I also read Betty Bunny Loves chocolate Cake to the Kindergarteners.  I read it to the second graders weeks ago and everyone loves it. Betty Bunny IS a handful!

 Again by Cynthia Rylant, the Mr. Putter and Tabby series.  LOVE this series of early readers but even though I know how to read I still buy them when they come out.  She captures being old so well!  Mr. Putter wants a pet and goes to the animal shelter looking for an old cat.  He finds Tabby and their life together begins.  The series takes off from there with many adventures thanks to the kind lady next door, Mrs. Teaberry and her dog Zeke.

 What if you could bring a wave home from the beach with you?  How would you get it home and how would you take care of it and what would it mean to the rest of the family?  I love reading this close to the end of the school year when waves and beaches are the next thing on the horizon for us all.

 This is a new book to me.  A grandpa passes along the job of maintaining the lighthouse to his grandson. But it isn't the kind of maintaining you would think.  He makes shadow animals in the sky for the man who lives five miles from shore. He tells stories in the smoke he makes with his pipe, illuminated by the light.  It's really a beautiful story.  I'm not always sure how kids will like a book that's really a simple, imaginative story.  They respond so well to the stories that are filled with action and adventure.  It sometimes makes me not take a particular book because I think THEY might think it boring, even if it's beautifully told. 

Lucy is moving west and wants her beloved Great Aunt Liza to come with the family.  The aunt replies there's nothing but hog music out west.  For Lucy's birthday Aunt Liza sends a gift to Lucy in a wooden box.  This is the story of the journey of this birthday box.

Phew!  I think there is just one more week of school before summer vacation so one more week of recommendations.  I do have a couple of adult books to report on but that will be another post.
I don't know when I will get to hold a needle again. I'm itching to so maybe a little applique?
We found we can work ourselves to the bone unpacking and finding new places for things but when we get tired, exhausted, hungry and cranky we just have to stop for the day.  Those boxes will be here tomorrow.   The morning after our first night here I was very disappointed to wake up to find the elves weren't here in the night to finish the job (The Elves and the Shoemaker story.)  I think we are good people and deserved that.