Category Archives: Bandwagons

Music, National Blog Posting Month

Songs for my sleepy children

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Poppy finally wore out her bedtime CD quite NaBloPoMo 2010awhile ago, and I finally made a new one. But now, of course, her CD player has stopped working. So I guess this is Pete’s Sleepytime Songs until Christmas, at least, when Poppy may be getting a new CD player.

SleepyBoy

  1. Peace Behind the Bridge, Carolina Chocolate Drops
  2. Please Be Patient with Me, Wilco
  3. Falling From Sleeves, Calexico
  4. Heaven and Earth, Blitzen Trapper
  5. Hey There Delilah, Plain White Ts
  6. Night Sight, Air
  7. Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise, The Avett Brothers
  8. The Dress Looks Nice on You, Sufjan Stevens
  9. Flowers of Edinburgh, Dan Zanes and Friends
  10. Almost Home, Hem
  11. La Manita, Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell
  12. Lovers Lane, Elizabeth Mitchell
  13. Holland, Sufjan Stevens
  14. Slowness, Calexico
  15. Oh My Sweet Carolina, Ryan Adams

I made myself some oatmeal about an hour ago. I set it aside to cool and thicken a little. And then I forgot about it. I’ll bet it’s cool now.

Family matters, National Blog Posting Month

How my daughter learned to read

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This morning my 5-year-old daughter sat down with my 3-year-old son and read “Walt Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ ” to him. It was, of course, an entirely heart-melting moment. But beyond the cuteness, I was also so, so proud of my little girl. She’s been reading words here and there for Works-for-Me Wednesdayquite awhile, and I’ve known for some time that she could read. Until recently, though, she hasn’t been confident enough to pick up a book and read it. Here’s what we’ve done to get to this point:

  • Read, read, read and then read some more. I’ve been reading to Poppy since way back in her pre-crawling days. (I haven’t done as well at NaBloPoMo 2010this with Pete.)
  • I love to read, so the kids see me reading frequently. I think this plays a big role in showing them that reading is important and can be fun.
  • Poppy started her “official” reading lessons with the Bob Books. It’s a graduated system that very slowly builds reading skills. We used the first three sets last year for preschool.
  • We haven’t used any sort of reading curriculum this year. It’s been a lot of reading out loud and trying to encourage her to read on her own. And here’s what I credit for her recent leap into independent reading: Pizza Hut. Seriously. Their BookIt reading incentive program is available to homeschoolers, so I signed Poppy up. The promise of a free pizza all her own? It’s motivated her more than my cheerleading ever could have.

    • So. Reading and pizza. They work for me and for my daughter!

    National Blog Posting Month, Screen time

    Watching bad movies is still time spent together

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    Letters to JulietNaBloPoMo 2010I watched “Letters to Juliet” this weekend with my 10-year-old niece. The movie was an eye-roller, but spending the one-on-one time with Sophie was worth it. We don’t see her all that often, but still. She seems to have grown up overnight. She looks and sounds more like a teenager than a little kid now. Except when the “old people” kiss onscreen and she has an “ewwwwwwww that’s so gross” conniption fit.

    Anyway, the movie was lame and silly. But the scenery was gorgeous. Sophie and I decided that we’re going to France and Italy when she turns 21. (At which time I will be 42. Whoa.) She wants to go to Verona and put a letter on the Juliet wall about her French boyfriend Jean George, whom she’ll be meeting in Paris. I’m looking forward to it. (And Chloe? I promise Soph and Jean George will be well-chaperoned.)