Illiterate Librarian

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? I would have thought, but this is one situation where the Alabama education system's reputation proceeded itself.

I'm not trying to Bama bash. I can't, I am the product of an Alabama education myself. But I hung my head in shame for my home state when I was at the library on Friday looking for a particular book.

I've been reading the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" books and I am up to book 4. (I realize they are a teen book, but they are a fast read and I have a thing for Mythology. I'm not afraid to admit it.) When I got to the library I couldn't find the book on the shelf. I wasn't even sure what the title was, I just knew the author and the placement of where it should be. When it wasn't there I took my 3 girls and their books up to the counter to see if the librarian could find it for me.

I explained that I didn't know the actual title, but I told her the author's name and spelling of it. She typed, then asked, "Is it "Battle of the L-A-B-?-?-?-N-T-H"." I inserted the question marks, because my girls started climbing on the security gate and I figured, "She's a librarian, I just know she is not spelling something out to me.". Just from the letters that I picked up on I guessed, "Labyrinth?". "Yeah...yeah, that looks right.", she responded.

Seriously? Come on Alabama! I try talking you up SOOO much whenever I'm talking to anyone about you. It's so hard to keep it up when things like this are happening. Don't be afraid to set that bar higher!

I seriously love my state and feel blessed to be an Alabamian. I'm just going to have to accept the fact that all of us can't be as edjumacated as I is.

Be Prepared

If you have any boys of the Scouting age, or if you were once a Scout yourself, then you are familiar with the motto, "Be Prepared". That phrase has been turning over and over in my mind since the earthquake in Haiti. Now with the devastation in Chile the words have returned.

I once lived in earthquake country for a short while, and it was a time of constant paranoia. Everyone was always talking about "The Big One" and how it was due at any moment now. I was petrified and couldn't wait to be transferred back to my safe Hurricane country, the South. I know that's a little tongue in cheek, but I always say you can run away from a Hurricane, but you can't run from an earthquake.

My religion has been very vigilant about preaching the importance of being prepared. My whole life food storage has been on the front burner of family issues. My mother canned food, my dad started a garden and as a family we would clean and fill MANY water bottles to store. It is important to understand that if there is a disaster that hits close to your home you are responsible for your own survival. With this perspective we should all have a back up plan on how we can feed our families in case something terrible happens.

I thought it was funny, but also a little alarming, when a friend of ours was giving a talk one Sunday about preparedness and how we should have at least $300 in cash for such emergencies. I don't know how he got on the topic of it with the bank teller, but when he explained that he needed it for his emergency stash she matter-of-factly stated that she has a debit card and therefore is in no danger of being without money. Did she not realize that if there is no power, then there is no working ATM's and therefore is no money?

Having at least 6 months of food storage is ideal with cash on hand in case ATM's aren't working. There is so much information on the internet how to achieve this. Here is one LINK that is an excellent resource to use. Regardless of your religious background this link is very informative and educational.

Even if you are one who doesn't live in an area prone to natural disasters it is still a good idea to have storage. Our country is slowly emerging from a recession. How many people lost there jobs, their homes? How many wondered when their next meal was going to be for them, and for their children.

Be prepared, two simple words that can save your life.

Library Loot

We visited the library today, an activity that I plan to make a weekly event. Last time we came Miriam went hog wild picking out 6 books that she just MUST have, but this time I gave her a limit and I was very happy with her choices.

This first book "The Three Bears" by Margaret Hillert written in 1963 is the perfect book for her. She is only 4 but already knows more words than Tobie did at his age. So I was only a little shocked when she sat at the little library table and started reading out loud. The book is charming, simple and repetitive just enough with words to teach the reader rather than irritate the listener.

"Princess Hyacinth, The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated" by Florence Parry Heide was her second choice. This was a very cute book, very entertaining with great illustrations by Lane Smith. The only down fall is that it is not a teaching book. The writing was too advanced for her level and it was just too long for a beginner to keep their focus. Don't get me wrong I think this is a really good book, I just don't expect her to be reading it to herself anytime soon.

Then I started thinking how it's hard finding books like the first one now a days. It's either more advanced for the sake of entertaining or too simple and the pages are cardboard.

Which leads me to this question, does anyone have any suggestions on some good kid books that are great for the beginner reader? I would love to encourage her reading skills with more books like "The Three Bears".

Inspiration

Or the lack there of is more like it. I'm not the type of person who just writes about any little thing that happens in my life. I feel if I am going to make it public it should be worth reading to a stranger.

Even as I type this I have sat here with my arms folded just staring at the screen for a whole 3 minutes.

I think my issue is the inability to really open up. I think of tons of things to write about and even begin narration in my head, but when it comes to typing it out I loose my nerve and abandon the idea entirely.

Like now I am batting around the idea of this whole remaking of the hot dog issue. I mean seriously people, THE hot dog??? I realize it's a choking hazard, but there's this really cool invention called the knife, maybe you should give it a try. And what about grapes? Maybe some scientist should create a way to alter how mother nature shapes spherical food. I mean really, how dare people expect us mothers to actually 'cut up' food. I got more important things to do, like......uh.....stare at a computer screen for 3 minutes with a blank expression on my face.

See? Is that really 'buzz' worthy? I guess if it's good enough for the news it should be good enough for me.

Maybe I could blog about when I took Tobie to see a Psychiatrist to get him tested for ADHD, but found out that he is one depressed little boy. I know why I haven't blogged about that yet; guilt. As his mother I feel completely responsible that I haven't reared him correctly and therefore he is already feeling inadequate for his short 7 1/2 yr. old life.

Perhaps I am thinking too deeply or taking this blog thing a little too seriously. I need to find a happy medium between keeping it light and entertaining.

Oh! I just thought of something I would LOVE to blog about, but that will have to come on a different day. I have to muster up enough courage and witty sentence structure first. There I go again, thinking too hard. It's a vicious cycle.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulet!

After being away for almost 8 years we finally were able to enjoy a bona fide Mobile Mardi Gras parade.

Let me first point out that Mobile was the first to have Mardi Gras, New Orleans stole it and tainted it. I haven't been to any recent N.O. parades, but they were always known as really wild and definitely not family oriented. ('Girls Gone Wild' would be an excellent example.)

But Mobile was always the older maturer parade party where families are welcome and encouraged.
Theo was wearing Hannah on his back and the ladies in the floats just loved it! We caught more stuffed animals then I have ever seen in all my youthful days of parade going.
They had the Budweiser Clydesdale horses. Those beasts are HUGE! And down right gorgeous!
The kids really loved it. This was their first experience with a parade and they got right in there yelling for beads and moon pies. It was COLD that night! Hannah isn't wearing gloves because she kept pulling them off, I promise I wasn't neglecting my baby.
The coolest thing about Mardi Gras this year is that Theo took me to a Military Mardi Gras Ball. Anyone who grew up here knows that is a big deal and you are expected to dress to the nines! I was so excited to go out and buy myself a Ball Gown! I didn't even get to do that for my Senior Prom! I went all out, as you can tell. Thanks to my wonderful sister, Delene, who modified my dress to make it modest and also doing my hair and nails. She really did me up right!
The Ball was a sit down dinner, which I was very impressed with. I have had several people tell me how bored I was going to be since these Balls are known as drink fests and I don't drink. That wasn't the case at all, which I think is ironic considering that it was a Military Ball. They had a live band and a nice dance floor where everyone was really taking advantage of. Even Theo and I got out there and was able to use our sweet dancing skills we learned in our dance class last season.
It was so much fun, and with the Ball being on the 13th of February I consider it to be the BEST Valentine's date ever!

Snow Day

Tobie woke me up at 6:45 a.m. all bummed that there wasn't snow on the ground.

At 10 a.m. I laid down to take a nap only to be woken up by Theo to tell me that it had indeed started to snow. So I run outside in my pj's and flip flops to snap this picture.

That's right, a snow day in Mobile, Alabama! It does this every few decades. How awesome that it happens the year we move back.
Look at those fat flakes! It started to come down harder and Theo took this one, but I was snoozing away in my warm soft bed.
The kids couldn't wait to get outside and play in it. I couldn't wait to go lay back down.
Good throw pic! Theo took this one safely hidden behind the back door.

The snow didn't stick, but it was just enough to make the kids cold, wet and happy.

Feeling Crafty

...or cheap.

Whichever these are still really cute. Everything I had on hand, except for the lollipop sticks and the Valentine themed cupcake liners. Considering that I only used 8 of the lollipop sticks and 24 liners I have plenty left over for other crafts and cupcakes. That makes this little project practically free.

And I like free.