I now christen you, "The Book Sharks"

My family has been saying we need to start a Cousins Book Club for a while---so we finally DID! My kids love these books:I thought they would make a fun book club. AND Then I found http://www.janbrett.com/ and couldn't help myself. We sent out formal invitations.

After the guests arrived, Hyrum welcomed them and conducted the first order of business: deciding on a name. They chose THE BOOK SHARKS. We played "There's a candy in my hand." We read Gingerbread Baby, talked about it, and acted it out. Then we read Gingerbread Friends, talked about it and then we put the pictures I had taped around the room in the right sequence. Gift boxes under the tree for their goodies (Gingerbread cookies, bookmark, placemat, & cute recipe card).Masks for Gingerbread Baby re-enactment, and a board game. Hyrum spent all week coloring Gingerbread Friends:

It was SO much fun. For me. I think the kids had a good time too.

I can't wait, The Book Sharks will strike again in October, in Logan. Em is doing a Halloween theme. I'm already excited about the possibilites!

The Week END.

THIS POST:

~Two beginnings

~Derelict Anamatronics

~Becoming De-Wonkafied

~Connotations of "LADY"

Two Beginnings (that culminate in one day)

We started studying the "CH" sound at the beginning of the week. If you sit and ponder "CH" you will naturally end up at....Chuck E. Cheese. All week we have been trying to earn enough stickers on our Cheerful Chart to go to Chuck E. Cheese's.

(You earn stickers by being cheerful)

Last sunday, the beginning of this week, Ammon said to me: "I will give you 100 dollars for that outfit." Now in my defense. I'm doing the best I can with what I have. This outfit is old; actually both pieces are hand-me-downs. My excuse is that it is comfy, especially when I get a little thicker. It seemed a little dressier too, or at least compared to my wardrobe. OK I have no excuse. Please nominate me for What Not to Wear. I gladly gave him the outfit. He wanted to burn it.

above: me wearing the said outfit on Hyrum's blessing day. April 2006.
below: me wearing the said outfit on Audrey's blessing day. February 2008.

Derelict Anamatronics

Today dad declared that we had enough stickers on our chart to go to Chuck E Cheese's.

Now, sidetrack for a sec, one of my favorite things about Disneyland is that so much of it stays the same. I tried to pull the sword out of the stone when I was 5, and now my kids can too!

Let's just say Chuck E. Cheese had the same thing going for it....but it wasn't quite so magical. The pictures speak for themselves.

This little guy was my favorite. He used to pop up; I remember from my little brothers 5yr birthday party. (what? 17 years ago?)

I was very amused. The anamatronic band rocked out to, "If your going out in the sun, and gonna have some fun, don't forget your, S P F na na na S P F." Then there was the people-watching, many good specimens. Unsupervised children. (But I can't talk seeing as every time I turned around Audrey was drinking from a random soda.) I helped Audrey up the Mcdonalds/LasersEdge like play gym. It was a challenge. I tried to go back to my childhood and enjoy it, until I saw the dried puke/poop/who knows...then we got out immediately.The kids games were boring, and didn't give any tickets, so Ammon took matters into his own hands. Meet The Star Shooter. You just pop a little ball into specific slots and you get that many tickets. There is a 50 ticket slot. He mastered it. We ended up with over 1000 tickets for bartering. We had fun, even if the kids didn't.
Becoming De-Wonkafied

Eariler this week: Hyrum is sitting at the kitchen bar eating his lunch, giggling. "Mom," he says through giggles, "you look like Mr. Wonka." We're talking Johnny Depp.

I knew I needed a haircut, but that clinched it. I hadn't found time all week. After Chuck's (may I call you chuck?) Ammon let me stop at Fantastic Sam's and get a haircut. I'm happy with it; it will be good to not be self-conscious about my mullet anymore. As I was paying, Hyrum informed me that I didn't look like Mr. Wonka anymore. Phew.

Connotations of "LADY"

To conclude the evening (and this post), Ammon offered to make good on his $100 offer at the mall. While he wrangled the kids (Pretzelmaker (what happened to Pretzeltime?),Escalators, Water Fountains, Furniture Deparment, Disney Store) I shopped at Macey's. I tried on really nice black high-heels ($89). In the end, I purchased from CJ Banks. (Four blouses that will go lovely with my skirt selection.) All the other women in the store were at least 20 years older than me.

I'll admit it. I've transitioned. I shop in the mom section.

I am ready to own the title, Lady. I often thought of Lady in terms of "That Old Lady," and the like. No,no. Lady, as in My Fair Lady. At least that is my spin on it.

AND THAT IS THE END OF OUR WEEK.