Laundry Troubles

I learned a valuable lesson today! If it sounds like there is a toy in the dryer .... it's probably because there is a toy in the dryer.

Better a toy car than crayons in the pocket, though. Crayons in the pocket happened to us about a year ago and it was a disaster. They fall out in the dryer, they melt, and then they create distress. I had to throw away some clothes and scrub out the machine. Now I always check the pockets.

But apparently somehow a toy car slipped past my radar. Not once but twice - into the washer and then the dryer.

So, now for the reason that I am doing mad laundry today:

 

 

I just signed up for the Just Between Friends Eagan sale going on March 14th - 16th. I haven't done the Eagan sale yet, just the Edina/Hopkins one. But the timing was right.

 

Let me break this down for you. Spencer has a walk-in closet. No, a three year old does not need a walk-in closet, but he has one. Whatever. And over the past three years, that walk-in closet has slowly accumulated all of our out-grown clothing, broken and boring toys, stained burp cloths (ew) and every other baby-type thing you can think of. (Because if you can think of it, we have it.)

 

In April, we are moving. To a house that most certainly does not boast walk-in closets. Although it does boast some other great features, closets are where it falls short. So. Time to get rid of crap!

 

Enter the JBF sale! I wash and dry and clean and assemble on hangers. I make my own tags, set my own prices. It's kind of a lot of work. But then I bring it all to a school gymnasium in Eagan and then I sit back and watch the cash money flood in. And oh, does it flood in. You ain't never got no money like this at Once Upon A Child. I'm talking hundreds of dollars back for all your gently used and like-new baby goods.

 

Anyway, here are more details and a link to the website. Time for me to pack some more boxes!

 

Just Between Friends EAGAN Spring Event: March 14-16, 2013  High Performance Academy 2950 Lexington Ave., Eagan

Registration for Consignors, Volunteers & First time moms presale is now open at http://eagan.jbfsale.com/

I feel like a cheater

Usborne, I love you. But sometimes I buy books from Barnes and Noble. (I'm so sorry. I feel so dirty.)

I've been eyeing this middle-grade series for awhile, if only for the cute cover illustrations and the author's name: Pseudonymous Bosch. I wish I was that clever. I started the first a few days ago and I am pleasantly, delightfully surprised.

Anyway, details:

Title: The Name of This Book is Secret. [I'm not trying to be flip. That's really the name of the book. As you see.]
Author: Pseudonymous Bosch
Illustrator: Gilbert Ford

Synopsis taken from the Barnes And Noble website:

This is the story about a secret. but it also contains a secret story.

When adventurous detectives, Cass, an ever-vigilant survivalist, and Max-Ernest, a boy driven by logic, discover the Symphony of Smells, a box filled with smelly vials of colorful ingredients, they accidentally stumble upon a mystery surrounding a dead magician's diary and the hunt for immortality.




Well. How could I not read that?

I'm half way through and enjoying it immensely. The author takes it just to the closest edge of being flippant and whimsical - but does not tip over the edge into absurdity. And there's just enough levity so that I can actually take it seriously as a novel.

Anyway, a more comprehensive review to come. Soonish.

Spaceships

So this happened yesterday:

Spencer was running up and down our long hallway. I was sitting in the office off the hallway, all I could see of him was a flash as he ran past. A flesh-colored flash.

Me: Put your pants on!
Spencer: No! [dashing past]
Me: At least put some underwear on?
Spencer: No!
Me: Why not!? [as he dashes past the other way]
Spencer: Because I'm too fast!

Yes. That is right. My son's velocity was such that he physically could not stop himself to put on his clothes. It's hard being a spaceship, I guess.

I heard something from another mom the other day. A four year old was flying his grilled cheese around the table and his mom asked him, "What are you doing? What are you imaging?"

What a great question to ask your kid. How often do you watch them playing creatively, and all you think is, "Thank God, I have a moment to myself. I can check my email." When my own son is imagining, I think it's the best thing in the world. And I leave him to it. But then I heard that mom ask her kid what was going on in his head. And I thought, I'm going to do that more.

Just now Spencer is bouncing around the living room with a toy robot. Putting my own resolution into practice, I asked him what he was imaging. He just grinned at me and kept making these noises:
"Pow pow pow! Kchuw kchuw kchew! Super power power power. I can lay down like hanging down, do do do do do."

I do love that imagination.

100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly

 

Just a coupla handsome guys folding airplanes.

Details:
$7.99
Publisher: Usborne
100 Paper Planes to Fold and Fly
I just love the concept of this. A book of single sheets of paper with decorations (a bug! a robot! a fighter jet!!) with lines to fold along and simple instructions to follow. Spend a few moments folding and creasing and look! you have a perfect airplane. No messing about with the wrong size paper. No white featureless planes. (Because I know you've been stressing about that since you were a kid.)

My Chinese Dragon can beat yours any day

 

 

Bring it on.

 



Book Review: The Phoenix Files Book 1: Arrival

"...When you know the human race is about to wiped off the face of the earth, quadratic equations suddenly seem a whole new level of pointless."

- Luke Hunter, teenage protagonist of "Arrival" (page 148).

That's just one of the delightful witty quips that this author throws out. He also throws out danger, action, friendship, turmoil, and conspiracy at about 100 miles an hour. I practically have whiplash from this book.

But let's begin at the beginning!

The Phoenix Files, Book 1, Arrival
Author: Chris Morphew
Publisher: Kane Miller
Age: 14+
Pages: 304
Link to the book on UBAM
Description: Luke Hunter soon realizes that the new town he’s now living in is no ordinary town. Then he and his new friends, Peter and Jordan, discover a plot to wipe out the rest of the human race – in only one hundred days. The clock is ticking.







For the purpose of this review, I'm splitting this book into two segments. Part The First consists of the first 100 pages. Part The Next is everything after that.

Part The First:

Okay I'm going to be real honest with you. The beginning of this book did not set my expectations very high. A simplistic plot, a lackluster hero, and a series of downright dull introductory scenes had me thinking ..... "What is everyone raving about?" I can't count how many times Luke Hunter thought to himself, "Gosh this place is really weird." He was constantly assuring the reader that things were, in fact, exceedingly strange. I get it, okay? You're weirded out.

Meeting the friends picked things up, but Peter seemed like a forced version of a know-it-all big man on campus, and Jordan just had a stick up her .... back. As their relationships evolved, I became marginally more invested in the story - but only just.

I thought about leaving the book to the 14 year olds. I thought, maybe I'm just too much of a snob to enjoy middle school literature. But no, I told myself, press on. Give it a chance. It's large print and not that many pages. Read it fast and move on to the next thing.

BUT THEN.

Part the Next:

Literally on page 100, Things Get Real. I am not kidding. If this book is a quiet outback bushland with birds chirping, page 100 is the crazy roaring lion that leaps out of the scraggly scrub and grabs you by the ankle and shakes you all around and ..... okay that metaphor is getting out of hand. But seriously, at this point, the book became readable. (OMG I just realized - 100 days to save the world - 100 pages to get to the good stuff - coincidence???)

Beginning with a scene at an abandoned airport, featuring a truly weird, "Alice In Wonderland" spouting deformed hobo (I kid you not), the author sets the action on it's way and it does not stop. From one circumstance to the next, one fraught conversation to another, the author peaks your interest and it never flags.

There's also some much-needed characterization. Luke, Peter and Jordan all start to show deeper, more nuanced character traits. Because of their flaws and their strengths, they become real. Jordan in particular, while a little impetuous in the face of danger, is a great female role model. Her sturdy foundation of bravery, morality and level-headedness is what drives the three teens to the grand conclusion of the book. She is, almost more so than Luke, the moving force behind their revelations and adventures.

And what revelations and adventures! I don't want to say much more about the plot, because the fun of the book is uncovering the town's secrets. But be assured - really very few actually get uncovered in this book. Plenty of good stuff is left for later books.

So, I'll admit. The whole adolescent-sets-out-to-save-the-world thing has been done. Maybe done better. The premise is a little, well - unimaginative. BUT the themes are universal and will resonate well with teenagers: friendship, questioning authority, perseverance, bravery, an inquisitive mind .... the list of attributes goes on. The action during the second half of the book more than makes up for the slow beginning. And I'll forgive the author that beginning, because I find that, after finishing, I am really invested in the characters and their world after all. Bring it on, book number 2!

(And yes I'm ordering it in my next book order. Because come on we have to save the world.)

And, as a thank you to you for getting through this hugely long post, I will leave you with this: a quadratic equation. You're welcome.

6x(squared) + 11x - 35 = 0

Getting Started

So what, do you ask, does it take to start as an Usborne Consultant?

So glad you wanted to know! Do let me tell you.

1. A little bit of time. A matter of a few hours every week. Maybe 30 minutes a day.

• Thinking even that amount of Me Time is too much to give up? I did too. But consider that it's easy to multitask. My team leader sometimes calls me when she's taking her daughter for a walk. Maybe you'll find a contact while you're sitting at ballet practice. It blends into your life.

2. A passion and respect for the books.

• Because without that, it's just work.
• Haven't seen the books? Or, haven't seen enough of them to decide if they are passion- and respect-worthy? I'd be glad to show off my collection any day of the week. I love my collection. I'm proud of it. I WANT to show it to you.

3. $129 U.S. Dollars plus sales tax

• Same as my cable bill each month. Actually less. But you pay it once and you get the kit to keep forever and ever. Even if you decide the company is not for you, you get to keep it all. And by all, I mean:
• 22 top selling and most popular titles, including the phonics reader Ted and Friends with CD, a combined volume practically worth the price of admission itself. Not to mention a full-size vividly illustrated Geography Encyclopedia, toddler and baby board books, engaging school age and middle-grade fiction, and several wildly popular sticker and activity books. Plus more.
• All the supplies and info you'll need to get started: catalogs, order forms, flyers, and access to a full-service website with training, support, and ideas to help your business grow.
• If $130 is out of your price-range (and I certainly had to mull it over myself; it's not an inconsiderable amount), there is also a $69 smaller starter kit.

Take that, DK

Just sayin.'

February Goodies

It's cold outside. It's Tuesday. Half the world and their mother is sick with the flu.

So let's talk about something delightful. Cheap books!

Below are the Customer Specials for February. Buy $40 worth of books and you are eligible to get up to three of the below titles at highly discounted prices.

"Telling the Time" by Heather Amery is especially delightful. We actually found a copy of this at the Minneapolis Central Library not too long ago. (Yaaay for the library!) "Telling the Time" is illustrated by the delightful Stephen Cartwright, who makes the whole world feel like a happy little farm in rural England. Everyone in his world is charmingly plump and has pink cheeks. It's just a happy place. The clock hands move, so the little ones have fun changing the time on each page. It's great for any kid's library, and it's only $6 in February!

"Playtime Baby" is a good one for infants and toddlers - the little baby is attached by a ribbon and you can fit him into a play scene on each page! That one is only $4 and it'll probably keep your child busy long enough for you to actually - maybe - get something done around your house. Or just sit still in the quiet for a few blessed minutes.

"Arrival"

Gonna dive into this one today:

Details:
$6.99
Publisher: Kane Miller
Usborne Books & More. Phoenix Files, Book 1, Arrival

I've heard great things. A team leader at one of our Usborne meetings really raved about it a few months ago. She was so adamant that it was fantastic that I just have to try it. I was likened to the Hunger Games - maybe a little bit of tough stuff, so not for those faint-of-heart eight year olds or over-sensitive adolescents. (Of which I was one, for sure.) Specifications on the website say it's for 14 and over, so there you go.

Watch for a review in the next couple of days!

My Animal World

This is one of our favorites. It's like a puzzle and a book in one. Actually it's a puzzle and 15 books in one.

Details:
$18.99
Publisher: Kane Miller
Usborne Books & More. My Animal World

We love to take out all the books, read each one, and then put it back in it's place like a puzzle. The story in each book is very simple - Spencer can practically read them himself at this point. "I am a shark. I live in the ocean. My baby is called a pup. I eat fish. I swish. Swish!" The format of each book is the same so they can intuitively pick one up and read it by themselves, even without being able to read.

It's durable - it survived being kicked around Spencer's room for a few months. The binding of one of the little books got a little mangled, so it's not bullet-proof, but for the most part it's sturdy.

Mostly I just love how it's such a deal; so many books AND considered a toy. So glad we have this in our collection!

**Update:
I just saw that this book is going to be a customer special in March! If you buy over $40 in Usborne titles, you would be able to get "My Animal World" for only $8.00!!

Pesky Poltergeists

Spencer (3) and I were brushing our teeth in the bathroom. I told him to go put his blanket on my bed. He did, and came running back. And then he said, "But what if a ghost comes and takes it?"

Um. I don't know. Take it back?

He's been talking a lot about ghosts and monsters lately. Sometimes he is upfront about knowing they are pretend. Other times he seems genuinely worried. He was fairly sure he saw a woman outside our car in the dark last night, who was a ghost. (I allowed myself to be creeped out by that for a quick moment. Think of the YA fiction possibilities!)

The imagination is going to be strong in this one. Strong and perhaps troublesome. But I'd rather he be plagued with too much imagination than not enough. It'll make his life interesting.


***Update: Apparently there's this:
Usborne Books & More. There's No Such Thing as Ghosts!
Definitely going on our shopping list!!

How do I turn my son into a voracious reader?

By exposing him to lots and lots of books, that's how!  And by reading to him as often as I can. And by reading myself. Showing by example and all that. (And I have that part covered, truly. A great time to read a few pages of a good book is when I'm standing at the stove, making dinner.)

It may be easy to expose my kid to lots of books. We go to the library all the time. (Getting the kid his own library card was a BIG EVENT.) He's got piles and piles of reading material scattered all around his (very disorganized) room. I'll bring him to Barnes and Noble with me and while he's playing with the train set, I'll pick out yet another sticker book or dot-to-dot workbook to bring home. We're fortunate because we are surrounded by plenty.

But is he surrounded by the right kind of books? Is there a wrong kind of book?

Well ... probably not. :) But there are some children's books that are better than others.

I signed on with Usborne Books And More (UBAM) in August because I immediate recognized it as a project (and business) that I could devote passion, energy and time to. And ask anyone - I regard my time as highly precious and Not To Be Wasted. So I was excited to set up as a UBAM consultant. I made a cursory effort at hosting a few shows, spreading the word among my family and friends, that sort of thing. I even put feelers out there about book fairs at preschools. But the reaction I got back was lukewarm at best. I got bummed because no one was as excited about it as I was. Then, due to personal tragedy in the family, I set it all aside for a good long time. I couldn't think about anything anymore, let alone selling things to strangers.

The personal tragedy still has daily resonance in my life. But I'm pulling out of it day by day. I was lucky enough to go to a Regional conference today for Usborne, and I really want to use it to kick-start this thing again. A second chance, if you will. I didn't exactly squander my first chance, but I certainly would have liked to establish more success, earlier on. But whatever. It is what it is.

So today I've been asking myself why I want to remain in the business, and I came up with four good reasons, of varying importance, to devote myself to this new passion.

1. Money. Cash dollars. Okay, this is the big one. Can I build up some money to start paying off those terrible horrible student loans? Maybe go so far as to quit my job? Who knows. But I can try.
2. The Books. I want those books. For my son but - yes - for myself. They are so pleasing. Just going through the new pages and seeing the unfailingly adorable illustrations is just it's own kind of joy for me. Books truly are my happy place.
3. Going off of the number 2 - Showing those books to other people. If I love them and want them for myself, and if I want to lavish them on my son so that he builds an early appreciation for literacy and stories ... well, who am I to keep that from anyone else? It's my duty to give this joy to other people. I sincerely want to to show you a book that you and your kids will love. And not for the 1. money I get or 2. books I get. But for you. For  you and your kids and the joy YOU will get from them.
4. The company gives away a pretty awesome trip every year. I could seriously use a Mediterranean Cruise, if you know what I mean.

Those are all pretty good ideas, I think.

I want to use this Blog as an intro for people who are interested to the UBAM world, because it really is delightful. I want to showcase some of my favorite books. I want to share tips and ideas I've learned from others about literacy in early childhood. I want to get the word out there and ask people if they think something like this would fit in with their family, their preschool, their church; and if so, how I can help make that happen. I want to tell funny stories about my kid and hear other people's funny stories. I want to advertise myself, market myself, grow my business, make a little bit of fun of myself and others, and ultimately be successful.

Is that asking too much? Is it asking too much that I want my son to be as crazy wild about books as I am?

I don't think so.