Last year Elise's birthday came right at the start of the whole Coronavirus shut-down so we re-scheduled her party at the trampoline park for this year after rescheduling it from March to May last year. We still weren't comfortable with an indoor un-masked party this year so we pushed it back to June. Hopefully we will be ready for a party then! She was thrilled that no big party meant lots of smaller parties. Her birthday fell on a Sunday. She had an uncle party on Wednesday because Thomas was out of town that weekend. Then on Thursday she had a friend party with Kyra and Charlee. Friday we did a little family party and she opened her presents from us. Saturday was her party with Mom, Dad, and Jeremy. Sunday was her party with Rocky and Leina.
On Wednesday Thomas stopped by in the afternoon after he headed out of town and brought by cupcakes and his present. Jeremy happened to stop by to drop some things off while Thomas was there so she had both her local uncles there. She was so excited! It was pretty cute. She loved having both of their attention. We sat in her room and she showed them things and had them play with her.
This party was on St. Patrick's Day.
Thursday for Elise's friend party I got some fun little party favors and decorated the table with them. We had planned for a playground party like Carter had but it was super chilly that morning so we changed to at the house. She basically picked Carter's party for hers so I got Chick fil A for lunch and the kids ate lunch and played. I let her pick out cupcakes at Sam's and she picked these big cupcakes that were different flavors. It was fun to cut them in quarters and try each flavor. Niki got some great pictures when Elise blew out a candle in her cupcake. I didn't realize it at the time but Tesla was standing there staring at the cupcake the entire time! I also let Elise open her presents from my Uncle Mike and Aunt Judy so she could play with them with Kyra and Charlee. They spent pretty much the whole party playing Barbies in Elise's room after she opened her presents.
Elise was super excited about the decorations for her friend party.
Elise blowing out the candle on her cupcake.
Friday we had a little party with just us so Elise could open her presents from us without the overwhelm of opening a bunch of presents all at once. Her big present from us was a 12 pack of LOL Surprises which is normally $100 which we got on sale at Target after Christmas for $49.99 plus 5% off with my Red Card! We were pretty excited about that deal. She added it to her Christmas list on Amazon and said she'd probably never get it because it was so expensive. She couldn't believe it when she opened it for her birthday!
Saturday we did her party with mom, dad, and Jeremy in the backyard. Mom and dad brought a pinata. I ordered a catering size of mac and cheese from Panera which was a big bust. It was so small. It was supposed to serve 7 but if each of us had eaten some, we wouldn't had like a tablespoon, it was ridiculous. I won't be doing that again! Ty made a beef crock pot meal to go with it and my mom made grape salad and I feel like something else but I'm not remembering right now. Elise was thrilled to get some more Barbies! When Ty and I got her presents she asked for LOL Surprises, Hatchimals, and Scruff a Luvs so that's what we got here. Then in the couple weeks leading up to her birthday she got really into playing with Barbies so I told everyone else to go with Barbies. She got a Barbie convertible from Oma and Opa and a Barbie Jeep from Uncie J. It worked out great because she and Carter have been driving her Barbies all over the house together! When I asked Elise what treats she wanted for her party she said, "Whatever Uncie J and Uncie Taco like!" Then decided she wanted peanut butter blossom cookies for Uncie J because he makes them quite a bit. He made some to bring over which was so sweet! Eventually she decided on a chocolate cake with strawberries and blueberries. We ordered a special cake from Merritt's Bakery. We did a strawberry filling which ended up being way thinner than we expected. There was a ring of blueberries on top and chocolate covered strawberries along the bottom. Elise ended up eating all the strawberries and no cake.
Sunday was her actual birthday. We did the traditional Peep with a candle in it when she woke up. Then we got ready and headed out to meet Rocky and Leina in Independence, KS for a little party for her with them. We did hot dogs and sides for lunch and Leina made a popcorn cake for her treat. We also brought leftover cake from her party the day before. Elise ate a piece of her cake from the day before! They had a blast playing on the playground. We stayed for quite a while. She had a great and busy birthday week!
The kids went back to school March 22nd. That was super exciting and we are all adjusting to the change. I'm going through the process of becoming a substitute teacher in their school district and will take over as a long-term sub on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a teacher at the preschool I've worked at the past 2 years. By the time I'm fully vaccinated the plan is to be subbing in the kids' district on Mondays and Fridays, at the preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and home with the kids for distance learning on Wednesdays. It's nice to get back into things finally! With time in the car without the kids and days I'm not working while they're in school, I've been getting through my audiobooks much faster than usual!
Books:
Martin Van Buren and the Making of the Democratic Party by Robert V. Remini- This book started out really good but then I lost interest. I felt like it never really laid out how the democratic party was formed other than it was basically formed around Andrew Jackson.
Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink- I was really excited when I saw a new book was coming out that was set during the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. I didn't realize it was a Young Adult novel but figured it out pretty quickly as I was reading. The book was okay. I think for teens who've never heard of the Race Riot, it is a great way to introduce them to the history.
The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket- This was book 3 in the Series of Unfortunate Events. It was my favorite one so far. I thought the first 2 were just okay but this one had me excited to read the rest of the series.
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg- I wanted to read this because I'd loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe as a kid. I even re-read Fried Green Tomatoes, but I was disappointed by the book because I didn't like it nearly as much as I had as a kid. This book was okay. I liked the happy ending!
Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg- I saw this at Goodwill and grabbed it because I loved The Story of Arthur Truluv so much. When I read the page right inside the book where Berg described losing a good friend to cancer and choosing to write about it, I knew the book was going to be tough. She's such a lovely writer and even knowing what was coming, I still cried at the end.
The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion- This was book 3 in the Don Tillman series. There were a few parts that made me laugh so hard. At one point in the book Don says, "I had observed that neurotypicals criticized autistic people for lacking empathy- towards them- but seldom made any effort to improve their own empathy towards autistic people." That one really hit home!
eBooks:
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson- I love Joshilyn Jackson and am slowly making my way through all of her books. I like to save them for when I don't know what I want to read but want something really good. I enjoyed this one but it was my least favorite of her books I've read. It wasn't one that I just couldn't put down like all her others I've read.
Beverley Green Comes Home by Andrea C. Neil- This was cute like all the others in the series. I've been enjoying them quite a bit and it's fun that they're set in Oklahoma.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig- I had this on hold for a really long time and was so excited when I got it in. We voted to read it for book club when I was one of the next ones on the holds list. It was so good. I had a hard time putting it down. I'd highly recommend this one. It was an interesting concept.
All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin- I've never read a book by Giffin before but have multiple on my to-read list. This one was so good! If all her books are this good, I'm excited to read more of them.
The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie- I loved this book. It shared so many points that were so important to be reminded of. I also love book lists and this had multiple!
Audiobooks:
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler- This was a sequel to a book I read a while back. It followed the woman from Jane Austen's time who switched places with a modern day woman. It was cute. I liked this one more than the other one.
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick- I added this to my to-read list after I read The Library of Lostand Found by Patrick. It was so cute. I loved it. He finds a charm bracelet his wife owned before she died and goes on an adventure discovering where each charm came from.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War by John "Chick" Donohue and J.T. Molloy- This was our book club pick for May. I was really excited and voted for it before I read what it was about. I totally thought it was about a beer run as in a beer mile or something. So I was a little disappointed when I realized it was about a guy going to Vietnam during the war to give a beer to friends from his hometown who were drafted. It was really good though and gave me an inside perspective of the Vietnam War in a way I hadn't before.
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton- This was book 3 in the Cuba Saga. I'm still not sure how Mirta Perez in the book was related to the Perez family of the earlier 2 books, but this was my favorite book of the saga. It was so good!
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham- At the end of Dreams of Ada, the author mentioned Grisham wrote a book about the two men wrongfully convicted of the earlier murder that was a small part of the story in Dreams of Ada. That book was later turned into a mini-series for Netflix. I really wanted to find out more about Ron and Dennis and I have liked all of Grisham's books I've read so I decided to listen to this one when I saw it available on Libby. There were parts that were so frustrating and made me just want to scream, I can't imagine how Ron, Dennis, and their families felt! Reading Dreams of Ada, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, and this book have really opened my eyes to the injustices that occur in our criminal justice system.
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson- I love Woodson's writing. She writes so beautifully! I was hoping this one was narrated by Woodson like Brown Girl Dreaming. It wasn't, but it was done well and I like it.
Carter and Elise collided on the swings and both said they couldn't walk. I carried Elise to the car and told Carter I would come back for him. When I turned around Kyra and Charlee were helping him, it was so sweet.
Elise using Tesla as a pillow.
I told the kids they could have tablet time and when I walked back by Elise was asleep.
Elise with the cake she planned out and we ordered from a local bakery.
Playing hide and seek at her birthday party with Gma and Gpa.
Ready to try her popcorn cake.
Leina's coat got caught on the slide and part of it ripped off. Ty tried to hang on the slide and pull it out.
Walking in together for their first day of in-person school!
Skippy couldn't decide if he was excited that the kids were gone or not.
Playing Cards Against Humanity Family Edition. Carter thinks it's hilarious.
The kids wanted a picture on the tortoise statue.
Elise wanted one without their masks on.
Flamingo picture for Opa!
The tiger was laying in the walkway, we've only ever seen it walk across to get fed.
Yay, it's spring, time to post our winter reading list. I just recently finished The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie and it made me even more excited to start reading more chapter books together as a family. She had book lists for each age group at the end of the book and we had already read most of the picture books but there were lots of chapter books listed I'd never even heard of! Usually when we do our read aloud time, Elise chooses a picture book and sits in my lap while I read. When Carter picks a chapter book, if it has pictures she will sit and listen. If it doesn't or if it doesn't really capture her interest, she will sit on the floor and play with cars or Hatchimals while we read. She did that a lot with The One and Only Bob but I knew she was listening because when we got to an intense part of the book she'd suddenly stop playing and sit rapt in attention. It was really nice reading that MacKenzie not only encourages her kids to do something with their hands as they listen, but she has a basket set aside with things for them to do as they listen. When I think about it, I never just sit and listen to my audiobook. I'm always either folding laundry, driving, cooking, or doing chores. No matter how amazing the book is, I have to be doing something else as I listen. I love that she encouraged that and gave ideas for things children can do while you read to them. I made notes of some of the ideas and it's definitely something I want to incorporate in my classroom when I go back to full-time teaching. I did it all the time with the preschoolers because they can't really sit still for very long, but I didn't with my 1st and 2nd graders. We'd always have a read aloud time where students ate their snacks as I read and another where they just sat on the carpet and listened. How wonderful would it be if instead of just sitting and listening, they could be painting or drawing as they listened. Lots to think about with that! Anyway, on to our favorite books we read together this winter. Read our past winter reading lists here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014.
We pre-ordered this book so it arrived the day it came out and Carter read the whole book in one evening after school!
Winter Reading Favorites
Antarctica by Helen Cowcher- I've had this book forever and used it as a teaching text in class. I have it in my winter bin and get it out each year. This year Elise became obsessed with the book and we read it every night for weeks. She also wanted to read Where Is Home, Little Pip? out of the winter book bin a bunch which I've had on a different reading list when Carter went through a phase where we read it every night.
The Truth About Butterflies by Maxwell Eaton III- This book was so cool! It was informative with lots of facts about butterflies. It was also funny which the kids loved.
Fairy Science by Ashley Spires- This book was so adorable. It was about science vs magic. The kids loved it and I wanted to record it to read in class when we talk about experimenting. We got this one because Carter loved Spires' graphic novels so much, I put all her books the library had on hold.
Binky series by Ashley Spires- Recording the last book reminded me to add these. Carter absolutely loved these graphic novels and they were pretty funny. I thought he might like them so I got him one at the library. He liked them so much I got them all and he read them all in one sitting when we got home from the library.
Dragon Masters series by Tracey West- We started these by reading aloud together. Then Carter couldn't wait to find out what happened next and read ahead. Once Carter got a few books ahead of us, Elise lost interest.
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham- This book talked about staying inside to keep others safe and from the masks people were wearing in the pictures, it was obvious it was referring to Covid-19. With how much our lives changed this past year, it sure hit me in the feels, and I almost cried reading it to the kids. They loved looking at the pictures and discussing how it was like our lives.
Wings of Fire series by Tui Sutherland- Carter loved these and devoured them when each new one came in at the library.
The End (almost) by Jim Benton- Elise thought this book was hilarious and each time we finished it, we had to turn back to the beginning and start over again.
My Papa is a Princess by Doug Cenko- Elise picked this one out at the library and she thought it was hilarious.
Tarra and Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley- The librarian read this book on a Zoom Meeting to Carter's class and he loved it so much he asked me to get it from the library so Elise could read it. He told everyone about this book he loved it so much.
Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel- Carter loved these books and thought they were so funny. Elise liked them too. Carter's favorite was Bad Kitty Vs Uncle Murray.
Bug Boys books by Laura Knetzger- Carter loves graphic novels so I got one of these for him to try. I thought they were weird but he and Elise both loved them.
Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups by Tadgh Bentley- Elise loved this book so much I got tired of reading it, especially because I had to hiccup multiple times a page. But it was worth it with how much she giggled at it.
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson- We love all the books of Donaldson's we've read and this one was just as cute and rhythmic as her others. The kids loved it.
Elise's room was a mess so I asked them to clear a path for Uncie J to feed her hamster while we were gone.
Ty measuring the cooler so he could pack the car.
Elise playing Barbies with Opa.
Long run at Turkey Mountain with these ladies.
We made crowns for the 100th day of school.
Taking a little hike at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Excited for the cacti.
Our first view of the Grand Canyon at Mather Point.
The Junior Ranger program looks a little different because of Covid. Carter was so excited to earn his badge!
Short hike on the Bright Angel Trail.
I thought it was hilarious that Elise's coat got caught in the trunk.
Elise tucking her stuffed animals in for the night.
Skippy and Tesla were such cuddle bugs when we got home!
Last spring Carter needed a haircut but didn't want one. I told him he could wait until he went back to school to get a haircut. I didn't think it would be a year but stuck to our deal!
Skippy and Tesla were such cuddle bugs when we got home!
Elise was so excited for Ty to color with her at her table when we moved it back into her room.
Carter was so excited to visit Bixby and Harry P. Otter. He even made a shirt!
We got to meet Bixby the Beaver.
Carter feeding Bixby.
Elise feeding Bixby.
Hiking the Fossil Trail at Sequoyah State Park.
Making pancakes with green sprinkles for St. Patrick's Day.
Our neighbor brought by some special cookies all dressed up for the day, she's the best!
Early birthday party with Uncie Taco because he'll be out of town this weekend for her little backyard party.
She cracks me up with all the seating options she comes up with!
