Books and bits

 When I take books to school to read to the kids I like to have them be related somehow, same author or  same subject, etc.

This week I took food and problem solving. Do you remember when you were a kid you could hop on your bike in the morning and go off exploring or gathering a few friends and no one knew where you went or what you did but you just played? And you solved your own problems? 

This one was so simple I just turned the pages as the kids read the words and a lot depended on the punctuation.  I congratulated them on reading it with the punctuation, using the exclamation point in their voices and the question mark.  

Our little guy is hungry and says to dad, "me hungry" but dad is busy and mom is busy so he goes off on his own to find food.  By process of elimination the rabbit, porcupine and tiger are not good choices.  But he finds one animal that is just right for helping to find food, not to be the one eaten.  And when he goes back to his cave our little guy is no longer hungry.

This one is an older book but SO relevant.  We have absolute best friends who do absolutely everything together.  But one brings a peanut butter sandwich everyday and one a pita filled with hummus. Finally peanut butter girl can't hold it in any longer and tells her friend she thinks her lunch is yucky.  And vice versa.  Words are spoken, a food fight means a visit to the principal.  The girls realize that their friendship means more than a sandwich, they each taste the other's lunch and this sparks an idea.

SO much in this one is relevant. Judging each other's differences, taking the time to understand, solving a problem without an adult, it goes on and on.  

And yes, when I mentioned hummus I had to explain what it was without saying "chickpeas" because they were already wrinkling their noses in yuck. Except for two little girls who said they love it. 

As I've said, Friend Marilyn is now in assisted living and while she gave away her fabric and books long ago when her house was being cleared out my daughter brought me the bits and pieces of things that were left.  As I went though I found some unfinished projects.  These baskets were a covid project our little retreat group was doing virtually together.  Mine became a back of the couch thing, Marilyn actually had covid and her health wasn't good so she gave up on hers.  I found them in the mix.  The other day I took them back to her and we layed them out on the floor so she could show me the placement she had in mind.  There were supposed to be blue triangles for sashing but those weren't around anywhere.  I was going to bring them home to sew together but convinced her she could do these by hand herself.  They are only six inch squares and she had already hand sewed three of them together long ago.  When she saw this she agreed, she would keep them and do it herself.  Victory!!

 

I kept my kids' baby teeth.  They are in a little medicine jar and I have some in a little copper container that I have on a chain to wear them just to drive the grand kids crazy.  They continually tell me when I die those things are going to be thrown in the river before even my ashes go.  I keep telling them they are going to be willed to one of them, probably Adelaide because Elizabeth wants my great aunt's glass eye.

It's a continual bone of contention, something they can get riled up about as I defend myself. I kept their mother's and uncle's teeth.  I threaten to have some made into rings.  Stringing them on a necklace like the Native Americans did with bear teeth.  I've been told by them witches kept teeth.  And reminded I have a glass eye in a drawer and a cauldron in the yard.  Things are adding up.

Last week I saw this article in the paper and tore it out, texted it to them and put it on the refrigerator. I am vindicated!  I told them in this political/social climate I MUST wear the necklace because there are many ogres to ward off.   They agreed, I can wear the necklace but not will it to them.

I said my only mistake was in not separating the teeth between my son and my daughter.  They are both mixed up in the same little bottle.  My daughter said that isn't the only mistake I made with the teeth.