Book List 2009

2009 MK List
A Gate at the Stairs - Lorrie Moore
My Name is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok
Absurdistan - Gary Shteyngart
The Russian Debutante's Handbook - Gary Shteyngart
Don't Cry - Mary Gaitskill
And then we came to the end - Joshua Ferris
The Brief Incredible Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

2009 Read Aloud List
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Ramona the Pest, Beverly Cleary
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo
From the mixed up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Holes, Louis Sachar
Little House on the Prairie (series), Laura Ingalls Wilder
Harriet the Spy
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
The Gypsy Game
The Saturdays
Tuck Everlasting

Elliot's Reading 2009
Stinky
Runaway Ralph
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Henry and the Clubhouse
Henry and Ribsy
Henry Huggins
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Knights of the Lunchtable
The Plant That Ate My Dirty Socks
Strider
The Swamp Monster in Third Grade

Poladroids

Ashersaurus and the Dinosaurs

Asher now has 15 dinosaur books and can identify at least 50 dinosaurs. Last year when he became obsessed with dinos, unfortunately I taught him the incorrect way to pronounce nearly all of his favorite theropod dinosaurs (actually pretty much all dinosaurs). Now that we have a textbook size Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and use the Internet to research - we are re-learning the correct way to pronounce. For him, it's no sweat, he picks up the new sound so fast. But it's taking me a while to remember to say kar-kar-o-DON-tuh-SAWR-us instead kar-char-odontosaurs....CARCHARODONTOSAURUS.

Deinonychus: Pronunciation: dye-NON-ick-us


Giganotosaurus: Pronunciation: JYE-ga-NO-toe-SORE-us

The audio file at DinoDictionary is my friend.

Inspiration

Asher's To Do List:

1. Go fishing - Get me a net
2. Relax
3. Play catch with you
4. Have a party with a gluten free cake
5. Look for creatures in the woods
6. Learn how to read
7. Help mom clean up the toys
8. Go to California because I haven't seen Grandma Judy in a little while
9. Go to a baseball park where we can play baseball
10. Run into your arms and hug you - isn't that the cutest idea? Do you like it?

Now that's enough of ideas, Mom. No more ideas. No more ideas. I don't want ideas. No more ideas.

Snapping Cobras - 2009

Asher the Biker

Asher decided last week that it was about time for him to start riding Elliot's old bike. After we finally got around to lowering the seat, all he needed was a push and off he went. Excellent balance that boy. A week later and he's an old pro, turning around in the driveway and racing down the block. Whooopeeee!

The Story of Stuff

Our kitchen trash can is now a compost bin thanks to Seattle's expanded composting guidelines which includes meat and food soiled paper such as pizza boxes. Our tall curbside trashcan has been nearly empty for the past few weeks. I'm amazed by how little trash we really generate.

Puerto Vallarta 2009

80s Indie Music

I recently heard a journalist talk about how interesting music in the 80s was nearly non-existent. My hackles went up! I could name a dozen more bands, not including some more mainstream music like the police that were interesting.

The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms 1980


B-52s: Wild Planet 1980


Siouxsie and the Banshees 1981


Black Flag: Damaged 1981


X: Wild Gift 1981


The Salvation Army: Mind Gardens 1982


REM: Murmur 1983


The Smiths 1984


The Minutemen: Double Nickles on a Dime: 1984


Sonic Youth: Evol 1985


Husker Du: Candy Apple Grey 1986


Dinosaur Jr: You're Living All Over Me 1987


The Pixies: Surfer Rosa 1988


Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation 1988

Last Snow of February

I love waking up to snow falling, the trees white. Two minutes later, we got the two-hour school delay call. The boys got to throw a few snow balls before school.

President Obama

This morning the kids and I watched the inauguration until it was time for school. Asher ignored the ceremony and read his Sea Monsters book instead, but Elliot was fully involved. He decided he didn't want to be President anymore because it looked like a really hard job. At least he's realistic.

McSweeney's and 826 Valencia asked kids to submit advice to President Obama and compiled it in this book: Thanks and Have Fun Running The Country.

Here is Elliot's advice to President Obama:

"Don't let anything get in your way. Always be nice to your guards because they're protecting you and will give their lives for you. And if you like Star Wars, 'May the force be with you.'"

One of my favorite letters to the President from the book:

Dear Barack Obama,

I have a great idea for you: you should set up a special phone, a special place just for kids to call the president if they find things that are dangerous and can affect people, like someone smoking. This would be a special place for kids to talk to Barack Obama and let him know what's going on.

Another important thing that I want to talk to you about is cars and buses. There is a bus called the Galactic Wizard which runs on biofuel or vegetable oil. I think, instead of polluting the environment, scientists should work on those buses. You should make it so that everyone turns off any light whenever they are not in the room—that way we can save the environment and also pay less on our electricity. We can't just use up the environment until we have nothing, or we will starve to death. Nobody wants that, do they? I want to tell you, Barack Obama, if one day I could travel around the world and help people, I would definitely do it.

Dhamaril Nunez, age 9
Boston

Chinatown on the Metro

We took the metro from North Hollywood to Chinatown with Asher on a rainy Monday afternoon. Our public transportation aficionado gave it the thumbs up. The round trip journey took 5 hours - including time we spent waiting for a train that wasn't running and lunch at the Plum Tree. Asher called the dragon/lion his best friend.