Thursday Thirteen Ed. #141: Random?
Dear Thirteeners and All You Usual Suspects,
Do I remember how fun it is to do a Thursday Thirteen? Why, yes I do. Yes, I do, indeed. I’m copying Holly and going completely random. I mean, more random than usual. A shocker, no? Ready?
1) My daughter was in a play tonight. Two classes of third-graders, dancing and singing their hearts out. My heart may have swelled with pride; my eyes may have swelled with tears. It was pretty damn cute.
2) Afterward, we all, including Wacky Auntie and Wacky Grandma, went out for ice cream. (We used to do this when I was a kid, after my dance recitals.)
3) Everything and I mean everything is starting to bloom in our yard! Heather, tulips, lilies of the valley coming on strong, bleeding hearts, the hanging baskets, the hyacinth. My camellia. I am in love with my camellia and it’s lipstick-pink blooms. Go look at the Flickr pix my husband took. So purty.
4) Did I mention that my daughter tap-danced, sang and even had lines in the play? It made that three-day labor seem like nothing. Three days of labor was cake, considering I ended up with the sweetest daughter ever.
5) A weather report: We are here in Portland, Ore., USA. Our weather has gone something like this for the past month: Sun, rain, snow. Hail, sun, sun, sun, rain. Wind, gray, cold, rain, rain. Sun, rain, 75 degrees, hail. It’s like Mother Nature has left Heat Miser and Snow Miser in charge up there, I’m not kidding.
6) I like my new job. (Working in a school library, yay!) In fact, I like it so much I will not even discuss it because I am worried it will jinx it somehow. I love the kids, I love the books, I love the calm and chaos and thrill of seeing a kid discover a new book, a new author, a new way to look at life. Work that is satisfying is the best thing ever. Enough! No jinxes.
7) Our cats are spring-fever crazy. The birdies had better just watch out.
8) We’re ready for summer to start. How many more days of school? “Sixty-something, or fifty-something,” according to my daughter. (Yay! The kids and I will be on the same schedule for work/school.) (Still not talking about work. Not really, anyway.)
9) My husband and I are the hugest Curb Your Enthusiasm fans now. Also, I love the Wire. I’m only on the first season, though, so no spoilers, eh? It’s intense, but the writing, acting and directing are so top-notch it pays off.
10) I have a stack of fifty books to review. And no time. Kinda funny, that a librarian has no time to read. Ha. (I have been reading a bunch of contemporary kids’ lit, though. I have no idea who many of the new authors are! Leave me suggestions, y’all, in comments. Especially for titles for ages fourth grade and up.)
11) Would you like to hear the story of Super Granny? She is my daughter’s invention. She was born in 1708. That makes her THREE HUNDRED! Her best friend used to be named Little Guy Who Loves Cheese. Now her name (I know, Little Guy, you’d think “he,” but you would be wrong, dear reader) is Little Guy Who Loves Bananas. Cuz they moved to the jungle. Maybe we’ll tell you more next week…
12) Oh. You want more now? OK — Her favorite song is “Yankee Doodle.” And her favorite food is roasted pig.
13) I missed my Thursday Thirteens! Sorry I’ve been out of the loop.
Love,
WM
, 
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Random but anything that makes labor seem like nothing must have been great come see my Thursday Thirteen #48 I know you want a pair of Daisy pants
April 16th, 2008 | #
I am very excited about the bleeding heart blooms I’ll get to see in town soon.
I am however, NOT very excited about the forecast for the weekend. TOTALLY lame. 1 week from when snow is predicted it was 76. NOT FAIR! It’s such a tease. I do love my area but get so frustrated with this darned weather!
April 16th, 2008 | #
Thanks for the introduction to Super Granny! And I’m glad you enjoy your job. (Thanks for visiting my TT)
April 17th, 2008 | #
Welcome back to the TT fold! :) Fun list, the weather here in Seattle has been much the same. Rain, rain, hail, snow, sun, rain, 80 degrees, rain rain hail!
April 17th, 2008 | #
It is good that your (thing we are not talking about) is so rewarding. And how excellent that your (thing we are not talking about) schedule will be the same as the kids!!
Sounds like your daughter was spectacular. Congrats.
Now, how odd that you finally come back to TT and I didn’t get one done?!
April 17th, 2008 | #
Don’t worry, the Thing We Are Not Talking About is meant for you, so that we can keep getting quotes and book reviews!!
Here’s a good book for Fourth Grade: “How To Train Your Dragon, by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third”, by Cressida Crowell. My boys have absolutely loved it, along with “How To Be A Pirate” and the others in the series. You can also get it on CD, but it is read in a sort of Welch accent which American kids might find difficult? Anyway, that is a definite great read.
Another one which I am always surprised not to see in lists is “The Once And Future King” by TH White. The first half of that long book is beautiful and hilariously funny, (see King Pellinore and Sir Grummore’s joust for roll-on-the-floor hilarity) for smart kids who want a vocabulary challenge. It’s the story of King Arthur’s childhood. The second half of the book is much more grownup, and I didn’t encourage my boys to go there yet. Better for teenagers.
April 18th, 2008 | #