So I was thinking about this for Ben's time-out location. "Son, that's unacceptable! Go stand in your bookshelf!"
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Location, location, location
I was in a craft store a couple years ago (no, I don't browse craft stores anymore with two little kids in tow) and saw a sweet little kid-sized chair in unfinished wood, just waiting for a mommy to buy and paint it for her little cherub. It had "Time Out" carved in cute little letters across the back. How would a kid feel about his mommy making his time out spot so attractive? Hmm? Mommy's a bit weird about punishment if she's going to toll-paint the Naughty Spot, I'd say.
So I was thinking about this for Ben's time-out location. "Son, that's unacceptable! Go stand in your bookshelf!"
So I was thinking about this for Ben's time-out location. "Son, that's unacceptable! Go stand in your bookshelf!"
Simon in the bumbo
Simon isn't too sure he likes the bumbo, at least not yet. He's longer than Benji was, so the bumbo doesn't support his head as well.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Morning at the Museum
We went to the dinosaur museum again, with Becky and her three girls. The girls had a great time. However, I'm beginning to suspect the dinosaur museum is not Ben's favorite place. The first couple rooms are dark, and full of big monster-looking squid and other ocean-dwellers. He is not a happy camper in those rooms. Then there are lots of dinosaur skeletons, which are more big monster-looking things. There is one fish tank that makes him happy.
Ben's favorite place in the museum is the exit, where there is a quarry of dirt set up for the kids to play in. He brought home half the quarry dirt in his diaper.
There's a mural upstairs, so we went up and I got a photo to prove that Simon was there too. He mostly slept through the rest of the museum, except for when he cried and wanted to be held at the same time Ben wanted to run off. Becky was also outnumbered by her girls, but at least her two oldest girls understand, "you come here." Ben and I are still working on the idea that saying, "you come here" is NOT the checkered flag that sets off a game of chase. I turned green with envy every time Becky told her girls to stay somewhere, and they actually did it!
The museum was made even more enjoyable by the fact that about 18 schools decided to have a field trip to the museum that day. Lots and lots and lots of teenagers. When we were in the quarry, a teacher stuck his head out and warned us that the group was on its way out. We vamoosed, and left the dirt to about a hundred thirteen-year-olds.
Ben's favorite place in the museum is the exit, where there is a quarry of dirt set up for the kids to play in. He brought home half the quarry dirt in his diaper.
There's a mural upstairs, so we went up and I got a photo to prove that Simon was there too. He mostly slept through the rest of the museum, except for when he cried and wanted to be held at the same time Ben wanted to run off. Becky was also outnumbered by her girls, but at least her two oldest girls understand, "you come here." Ben and I are still working on the idea that saying, "you come here" is NOT the checkered flag that sets off a game of chase. I turned green with envy every time Becky told her girls to stay somewhere, and they actually did it!
The museum was made even more enjoyable by the fact that about 18 schools decided to have a field trip to the museum that day. Lots and lots and lots of teenagers. When we were in the quarry, a teacher stuck his head out and warned us that the group was on its way out. We vamoosed, and left the dirt to about a hundred thirteen-year-olds.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Book Review: Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
“Every night, Shahrazad begins a story. And every morning, the Sultan lets her live another day – providing the story is interesting enough to capture his attention. After almost one thousand nights, Shahrazad is running out of tales. And that is how Marjan’s story begins . . .” (from the dust jacket)
Shahrazad’s need to find a thousand and one tales pulls Marjan into a desperate search to help Shahrazad find a new tale, and continue her brave ploy to save the lives of the women of Persia from the Sultan, who was killing a new wife every morning because he had been betrayed by an adulterous wife. It isn’t enough that the tale be amusing. Shahrazad deliberately chooses tales to teach the Sultan about human nature, in hopes that he will learn not to judge all women by one woman’s betrayal.
Shahrazad’s ambition exploits a major purpose of fiction. We read fiction because it tells stories about us, about people like us, and about people not like us. Fiction may not be true in the sense that the stories really happened, but the stories are true when they honestly explore motivations, actions and consequences. Through fiction, we get inside others’ heads in a way that is impossible in real life. Understanding others’ motivations leads us to see them as individuals, instead of as members of a group that we can judge, dismiss, and despise from a comfortable distance. That is Shahrazad’s goal. If she can only tell the Sultan enough stories, he will understand that not all women are the same. Not all women will be false to him, as his wife was. Then the killing can stop permanently, even if Shahrazad runs out of stories.
All those long paragraphs, and I haven’t even mentioned the main character! Even while risking her life for Shahrazad, Marjan struggles with her fear of a blighted future, and with forgiving someone she loved for not protecting her. Her story works like Shahrazad says a story should work. Marjan’s story holds up a mirror to let the reader look at her own fears or grudges.
It’s only fitting that a book about a storyteller would be so well told. The characters are strong and consistent. They confront moral issues and motivations we see in our own lives, but they do it without sounding like twenty-first century women plunked down in ancient Persia. The plot keeps you turning the pages. It takes a good author to bring both a tense plot and well-rounded characters together in the same book.
Book clubs would have a good time discussing Shadow Spinner. Young adult readers would like reading it as well.
Shahrazad’s need to find a thousand and one tales pulls Marjan into a desperate search to help Shahrazad find a new tale, and continue her brave ploy to save the lives of the women of Persia from the Sultan, who was killing a new wife every morning because he had been betrayed by an adulterous wife. It isn’t enough that the tale be amusing. Shahrazad deliberately chooses tales to teach the Sultan about human nature, in hopes that he will learn not to judge all women by one woman’s betrayal.
Shahrazad’s ambition exploits a major purpose of fiction. We read fiction because it tells stories about us, about people like us, and about people not like us. Fiction may not be true in the sense that the stories really happened, but the stories are true when they honestly explore motivations, actions and consequences. Through fiction, we get inside others’ heads in a way that is impossible in real life. Understanding others’ motivations leads us to see them as individuals, instead of as members of a group that we can judge, dismiss, and despise from a comfortable distance. That is Shahrazad’s goal. If she can only tell the Sultan enough stories, he will understand that not all women are the same. Not all women will be false to him, as his wife was. Then the killing can stop permanently, even if Shahrazad runs out of stories.
All those long paragraphs, and I haven’t even mentioned the main character! Even while risking her life for Shahrazad, Marjan struggles with her fear of a blighted future, and with forgiving someone she loved for not protecting her. Her story works like Shahrazad says a story should work. Marjan’s story holds up a mirror to let the reader look at her own fears or grudges.
It’s only fitting that a book about a storyteller would be so well told. The characters are strong and consistent. They confront moral issues and motivations we see in our own lives, but they do it without sounding like twenty-first century women plunked down in ancient Persia. The plot keeps you turning the pages. It takes a good author to bring both a tense plot and well-rounded characters together in the same book.
Book clubs would have a good time discussing Shadow Spinner. Young adult readers would like reading it as well.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Brother chat
Simon smiles at Ben! And then he just gazes at him in hero-worship while Ben does the ultra-cool head flip thing.
Then Benji joins Simon in the baby chairs. Ben has really taken a liking to the bumbo chair. It might be a problem when I start putting Simon in it.
Then Benji joins Simon in the baby chairs. Ben has really taken a liking to the bumbo chair. It might be a problem when I start putting Simon in it.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Ben at the park
We spend a lot of time at this cute little park by our house. Our cute little boy likes this cute little slide. It's in two pieces because my finger slipped off the recording button.
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