The Secret Handshake.

I recently had one of those great reading moments where the universe seems to align perfectly for the sole purpose of enhancing your engagement with a piece of writing.

Last night, I was reading Every Day Is for the Thief by Teju Cole (the revised version recently reissued by Random House.) It dovetails quite nicely with the novel I finished last week, Americanah by Chimanda Ngozie Adiche. All references of a Nigerian expat returning to Lagos were fresh in my brain. I can see the walls of the compounds, the shady police officers, and the internet cafes, all thanks to Cole and Adiche unknowingly working in tandem. I had a feeling of contentment for having chosen to read the right book at the right time. (It's the little things that make a bibliophile's heart swell.)

Then, I get to a point in the book where the narrator starts analyzing John Updike, the subject of the biography I am currently reading by Adam Begley. So, despite having only read one Updike novel and only being halfway through Begley's book (which is very well done, by the way), I completely understood the references to Updike's style and hometown of Shillington, PA. At this point, I have hit that level of happy where I just have to keep reading because I am having such a great time. I am actually grinning as I turn the pages.

And then the literary powers that be take it to the next level. While I read in the evening, I generally have jazz on in the background. It helps mask the goings on of my neighbors (and prevents me from inadvertently hearing Game of Thrones spoilers) so that I can focus on the task at hand. The narrator in Every Day Is for the Thief is describing how he spends his nights in his bedroom attempting to listen to Giant Steps by John Coltrane over the loud hum of the generators that kick on during the inevitable power outages. And what song should I be listening to at that very moment but Giant Steps by John Coltrane! I kid you, not. My mind was blown. I had to put the novel down and pause to give the moment its due.

This book might have to go on my favorites list for this experience alone. It was like the heavens opened up and the angels sang. It is that moment that every reader dreams of when it seems as if the book were written specifically for you. The author is talking directly to you. You are the target audience. You have gained entrance to the super elite club. You know the secret handshake.

This is why I read.

Thank God for Kid Kits.

I now understand why my parents were so reluctant to allow us to have friends over.

It's exhausting. 

Raina Telgemeier

You have to entertain ("Moooom, they don't want to play with any of my toys anymore. What should we do?!?") You have to play referee. ("He's not sharing!!!"). You are not responsible for just your child anymore. ("Get down from there, please. It's not safe to climb on the balcony.")  You want them to stop eating up all your food. ("Can we have a snack, please?" "Oooo, can I have one, too?!") You just want these kids out of your space as soon as humanly possible. "Okay, kids, it's time for you to go play tag outside. Ready...set...GO!")

Or wait...maybe that's just me. 

The awesomeness of a family friendly apartment complex is the built-in friends. There is always someone for AB to play with. There is  a communal safe space in the courtyard where I can keep an eye (and ear) on her. There are moments where I am filled with joy as I hear their laughter or one of the other kids calling her name as they play hide and seek. Awesome, awesome, awesome. 

But sometimes, outside play just isn't enough. Sometimes, kids want to play with the seemingly new and exotic toys of the other kids. Sometimes, an only child craves the opportunity to play older sibling to other kids. Sometimes, said kid will desire to play hostess only to get quickly overwhelmed to the point where said kid is no longer having fun. 

Very quickly, I had to learn how to navigate this new development in her social life. And I am still struggling with it. The worst thing is that this is what I wanted! This was on my bucket list, to live in a place that is large enough for AB to have her own space and feel comfortable having friends over. Mission accomplished. But be careful what you wish for, right?

I knew that the dozens of Baby Sitter's Club books that I consumed years ago were going to come in handy one day. To ensure my sanity, I had AB and I create our own Kid Kits, one for toys/activites/games and one for snacks. The toys/activities/games are ones that she is not invested in and will not shed tears over if they are broken, used up or lost. The snacks are cheap but healthy and do not leave me feeling that I have to do my grocery shopping for a four children instead of my one kiddo. The kits are refreshed monthly and my stress level and AB's meltdowns have been greatly reduced. 

So, here's to allowing AB to binge read the Geronimo Stilton series (and spinoffs) for who knows what seeds of awesomeness are being planted in her brain that will bear fruit just when she needs them. 

She Has Grown.

She has grown.

An apple a day...

And she won't stop growing.

No matter how many times I implore her to do so, she just...won't...stop.

She reads chapter books and listens to boy bands.

She likes to exchange knowing looks when we see other kids acting out in public.

She writes me letters when she is upset with me.

 

She wears scuffed brown boots and skinny jeans almost every day. 

She remembers the name of my boss.

She has given up on the possibility of a younger sibling.

She is a stickler for schedules.

She just wants people to be nice to each other.

She has grown. 

And she won't stop growing.

This is a good thing, right?

Booklist: Ruby B.!

Last night, while AB & I were chatting, she interrupted herself mid-sentence. Her eyes got as big as saucers as she said very excitedly, "Oh, Mom! I forgot to tell you! At school today we saw that picture! Of that girl! Her name is Ruby! Her last name starts with a B! It's the picture we have!"

I had no idea what picture she was talking about, but for some reason the first word that came out of my mouth was "Bridges?"

"YES! Ruby Bridges!" She jumped up and ran to one of our many bookshelves, searching until she found what she was looking for. She handed me a postcard that has this image on it:

The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell

 

I instantly had a "this is awesome" moment that included the following thoughts:

1. My kid recognized a famous painting. Awesome!
2. My kid's teacher is discussing this famous painting and the story behind it. (Super) awesome!
3. My kid is super psyched about what she learned at school. Awesome!

So, in the spirit of this awesomeness, I decided to make our first booklist of 2013:

  The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles & illustrated by George Ford

 

Norman Rockwell: Storyteller With A Brush by Beverly Gherman

 

Ruby Bridges Goes To School: My True Story by Ruby Bridges

 

Norman Rockwell by Mike Venenzia

Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

 

Norman Rockwell Coloring Book

Happy Reading!

 

Awesome Girl.

As the year winds down, AB has undertake a new challenge: learning to ride a bike.

She has been the queen of optimism, while I try to maintain good cheer as I realize that running alongside your newbie cyclist is the mother of all core workouts. After one particularly good run, she grinned at me and said:

"I'm Annabelle the Awesome Girl and I'm never going to give up."

I promptly gave her a high-five and a kiss, then sent her on her merry way again.

Here's to having an "Awesome Girl" attitude in 2013.

Miss Independent.

Summer is (unofficially) over. AB is back in school. New teacher. New babysitter. New backpack. New kicks. In the mornings when I do her hair, she watches The Electric Company instead of Sesame Street. There is no hassle at the door with shoes because she can tie them herself. At drop-off, instead of walking her to her classroom door she requests that we say our goodbyes about 10 feet away from where her classmates line up because she's a "big girl" now and can go by herself.

This morning she said to me with a huge grin, "Aren't you glad that your child is growing up?" (I kid you not.)

Yes....and no.

It is rather incredible to see her able to do all this new things without my help. It makes me feel like I'm doing a pretty good job at this parenting thing. But at the same time, there is a slight sadness that she doesn't need me to help her do these things anymore. Then I see how excited she is about everything, and the sadness disappears.

As I watched her confidently walk away from me this morning, I had a moment where I thought, there is no going back.

Look out, world, Miss Independent is coming through.

Articles of Interest.

{Image via The Alantic}

A round-up of interesting articles about books, parenting, creativity, and education from around the web:

• 8 Great Picture Book Biographies - Reading Rockets 
• What Grown-Ups Can Learn From Kids Books' - The Atlantic
• Gear for a Stellar First Day of School - Daily Candy
• How to Read a Victorian Novel - Novel Readings
• Back-To-School Blues - My Brown Baby

Happy Reading!