It's becoming more real

I purchased our tickets to Vienna this evening!!!!!! Woooooooo! Vienna! Pumped!

Ben Folds

It's been less than a year since we last saw Ben Folds. He's coming to Durham and we have great seats. Can't wait for our suburbs to be rocked once more! Totally taking my camera this time. Pictures later then
.

KID BOOKS!!!!!

Seeing as I work with children, it is only natural that I would love kiddie lit. And boy do I enjoy a good bed-time story. I'm not kidding here. Mike's read me to sleep on some not so great days. Today we spent some time out of the house and did some shopping at Barnes and Noble. I found a perfectly delightful new book that inspired me to write this entry. I have come up with a list of TEN CHILDREN'S BOOKS YOU SHOULD OWN (in no particular order). Browse my selection and perhaps add some to your collection. I have so many choices and it was hard to narrow it down. Let me know what you think. Also, come up with your own list and blog about it. It's fun to revisit some of these well-thumbed through books. Happy Reading!!!

The Grinch: Dr. Suess
A classic. In the magical world of Suess everything goes, including Christmas stealing green men with teeny tiny hearts. A good read for anytime in the year.

Mo Willems childrens books
Willems has changed the face of children's books with his stellar production of the Pigeon series, Elephant and Piggie series, Edwina, and his newest entry The Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. These books are simple, engaging, witty, and wonderfully illustrated. He has the right proportion of humor and story line. Always a storytime favorite!

Strega Nona: Tomie de Paola
Ever the loving Nona, Stregna Nona and the following series of books follows Italian tradition and lore to bring a fun and adventure to young readers. Magic rings, overflowing pots of pasta, and wonderful illustrations make this a must have on your shelf.

Diary of a Wombat: Jackie French
A modern classic recently released. It's a tale of a loveable wombat with not so loveable habits. It's a fun read with great art work. LOVE it!!!

Mouse Paint: Ellen Stoll Walsh
Need to teach kids how to mix paint colors. This is the book for you. Also provides a great starting point for art projects. Too cute!

Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak
Pure Adventure and creativity. A piece of childhood to really hang on to.

Olivia: Ian Falconer
What adventures! Birthdays, Parties, Bands. It's no wonder this little pig has earned the love of little kids.

Wingdingdilly: Bill Peet
After working for Disney for nearly a decade Peet branched out to create a memorable collection of children's books. Wingdingdilly is merely one of my favorites. There are too many to list here. I can't forget his autobiography either. Magic!

Harold and the Purple Crayon: Crockett Johnson
Who knew one simple purple crayon could take you so many places.

George and Martha: James Marshall
Two hippos that are friends! Wacky hijinks! Awesome!

Dogsitting

Last year we watched a pair of dogs for a weekend. It was successful and we were asked again to sit some dogs. They are two very complex dogs with complex lives. Their food and walking regimen the first time around was silly. Luckily it was less ridiculous but just as enjoyable. Our weekend was really laid back. We had to walk the dogs like four times a day and so we were outside a lot. It was nice not doing much for a change. However, no cleaning at home was done and that is never good. Curly is the large dog. Tipper is the tiny dog. She is shy, he is not. This led to some fun pictures.

she liked to sit in this little corner of the kitchen.

Goodnight Beard

Every once and a while Mike's beard becomes so large that it deserves discussion. For around two months Mike didn't trim or shave his beard. Why this poses a problem:
1. kissability- i would rate a 3
2. visability- this would change weekly with every new cm.
3. overall appearance- there just comes a point, you know.
4. He sometimes looks like a prison inmate
5. his beard is red to begin with, but oh my word.... RED!

Finally he brought himself to trim. I documented said journey with some hilarious snapshots of the various stages of debearding. I was one happy wifey!

*Please insert your own captions