Dashing Through the Snow!
Or more like driving very very slowly...
Hello again my dear readers and new friends. Did y’all have a busy and exciting (or exhausting) Thanksgiving holiday? Same here! I am feeling very out of sorts trying to hodge-podge this newsletter together this week, namely because I have spent the bulk of the past thirty-six hours stuck in a car. Did y’all catch any news segments about the winter storm in Kansas dumping record amounts of snow? We more than heard about it, we lived it, baby.
My husband calculated that it took us nearly 10 hours to traverse the 236 miles that is the Kansas Turnpike. That is officially the longest I have ever been in Kansas and somewhere in there is a Wizard of Oz joke waiting to happen. Maybe another day when I have had more sleep it will come to me. I have never been happier to utter the words “Toto, I have a feeling we aren’t in Kansas anymore” as we crossed over into the Oklahoma border. In fact, I have never been so happy to be in Oklahoma!
Was it worth it? 100%!! We got to spend an absolutely amazing week in Minneapolis with the cousins, where my oldest was lost in the kid pack - I barely saw him the entire week. My kids’ first time visiting Minnesota, we explored the cousins’ favorite parks and got to feel the bite of true winter on our rosy cheeks. I love the cold!
There is a certain kind of magic in the chaos, in a full house with multiple conversations, dishes being prepared, children running in circles, and several generations congregating around a table to share a meal. This year, we were helping my sister-in-law’s family move from their downtown apartment to their new gorgeous home. Moving is always tricky but if you want to add an extra challenge, get a fifth-floor apartment and have the same number of kids as you do adults. Needless to say, Thanksgiving was enjoyed on paper plates and with red solo cups, a day late. And it felt just as festive, fun, and full of love as ever.
Part of the magic was seeing how every adult at the gathering was a willing reader. At any given moment, a child would walk up, book in hand, and request from the nearest adult that the story be told. Nobody ever said no, and it would always start with the OG kid on the lap but then end with all six kids huddled and cuddled around, trying to see every page and hear every word. I am grateful for adults who say yes to reading and help cultivate that love of literature to the next generation.
LIT TIP:
When life is getting a bit chaotic, try reaching for a book. I have found that reading a book can really reset the mood. Maybe it is starting to feel like everyone is on the verge of tears, or that the hard work of getting along has the kids’ social meters nearing a tipping point, or perhaps your child is stuck on a particular incident or boundary and can’t seem to get over that hump. Reach for a book! I will even start reading aloud without announcing my plan, before the kid is settled or calm, and before I know it I have a happy listener in my lap and the storm (this time a figurative one) has passed.
Our slow roll through Kansas had its perks. I feel like snow is always a bit magical, and it helped put us in the holiday mood. My kids got to run around in snow and the sheer delight my four-year-old got from throwing snowballs directly at me makes me question my parenting…is he getting TOO much joy out of causing me this misery?!?! (JK)
ALSO, the complete surprise of it (travel tip: next time check the weather app and BELIEVE it when it says “winter storm warning”) reminded me of Fortunately by Remy Charlip, a book that I adore and wanted to share with y’all.
FORTUNATELY by Remy Charlip
Alternating between fortunate and unfortunate events, one little boy named Ned finds his way through a rather unusual adventure (sharks and parachutes included), to end up at a party just for him. Full of quirkiness and the absurd, my children love to see what wild things will happen next. This return trip through the snow felt like a series of fortunate and unfortunate events that ultimately had a happy ending.
THE JEWEL BOX BALLERNAS by Monique de Varennes and Ana Juan
A lonely and rich lady, Bibi Branchflower, owns everything in sets of two: two houses, two limos, two little pug dogs. When shopping one day she comes across a singular music box, there is none other like it. Inside she finds a set of twin ballerinas, cursed to be sad, and Bibi makes it her mission to cheer the girls up. With striking illustrations and a whimsical storyline, this book straddles the line of being a modern-day fairytale with an unexpected protagonist. It is sure to delight tiny ballerinas, though the story doesn’t have much to do with dancing.
GIVE ME BACK MY BONES by Kim Norman Illustrated by Bob Kolar
The pirate skeleton is scattered under the sea and needs to collect and assemble all his bones. This book is part poem and part science text, a lyrical way to teach your kids the names of some of the bones in their bodies. We especially liked hollering out “CLAVICLE!!” while tickling one another’s clavicles. My youngest requested this book nearly every day, and astutely observed that “This book is like a song!”
THE OCTOPUPPY by Martin McKenna
All Edgar wants is a dog but instead, he gets Jarvis. (Life sometimes hands you the unexpected, you know?) The octopuppy doesn’t do anything the other dogs do, and Edgar is rather annoyed. But when Jarvis takes himself out of the picture, Edgar realizes he doesn’t want a dog after all, he only wants his friend back. A fresh and funny take on a classic storyline trope, this one will bring a smile as well as the warm fuzzy feeling of valuing a true friend for who they are.
How was your holiday commute? Did you find yourself crawling through traffic for longer than expected? Was it 100 percent worth it for the PIES?!?!
See y’all next week and happy reading!
I love reading about your real life adventures and then continuing to read about all the amazing children’s books I want to be able to read aloud and enjoy. Cheers to the holidays and good reading.
Pies are always worth the journey! And having your kids soak up all that cousin love is magic! Now, how do we invent a teleporting device?!