Books for Boys

This summer a number of different people have asked me what the boys are reading at my house. I think our reputation as avid readers has made the rounds. Let me start by saying that I am a huge reader. I would much rather escape into a good book than clean the dishes or fold the laundry. So from a very young age my boys have seen me reading just for fun. They have played on the floor at my feet while I sat curled on the couch enjoying some chick lit. I have sat on the park bench with a book in my hands while they play in the sand box or skip along the play structure. On top of my own reading, we have read to the boys at bedtime since they were old enough to not eat the books. I also started reading to them at lunch time and even dinner time when their dad did not come home from work (which was very often during his start up days). They loved hearing the stories and I could sort of zone out a bit and not have to think or deal with anything but trying to make sure my voices matched the right character. My older boys have since taken to reading just like their Mommy and usually grab a book to take in the car and often spend quiet time (Little Man's naptime) reading or listening to books on CD that we get at the library. So here are a few lists of books that my boys have really enjoyed:

Read Alouds (I started reading chapter books to the boys when they were 4 and 5)

- The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary This series was such a hit with the boys that Ramona the Pest became a favorite birthday present the year we read these.

- All things Roald Dahl starting with Fantastic Mr. Fox and Enormous Crocodile, moving on to The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and working our way through all his books.

- Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

- The Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald I wish Mrs. Piggle Wiggle lived in my neighborhood so she could send me magic plates, pills or plans for dealing with my parenting problems.

- Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Hockey Boy went to a birthday party to see the movie which he enjoyed so we decided to read the book which he also enjoyed.

- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo Again this was in response to the movie coming out last summer. I decided to read the book to the boys before we went. It is an incredibly well written book and my boys really liked the stories but they were a bit dark and sometimes scary.

- The Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne We read the first few to the kids but then they started to read themselves because I don't think we were getting through the books fast enough for Hockey Boy. We are anxiously awaiting #42 from the library.

- The Pirate School Books by Brian James These are easy to read chapter books with fun pictures that tell the stories of a group of kids living on a pirate ship learning how to be pirates.

- Piper Reed Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt

Books that Hockey Boy loves to read to himself (In order he read them)

- The Rainbow Fairies

- Magic School Bus Chapter books

- Scooby Doo Chapter Books

- Junie B. Jones Series

- Stink, the Incredible Shrinking Kid Series

- The Magic Tree House books

- The Magic Tree House Research Guides

- Horrible Harry Series

- The Boxcar Children Books

- Marvin Redpost books

- Geronimo Stilton Series (His current favorite)

- Pokemon Books

Fix It Girl

Did you know that Mommy can fix anything? She can. My kids will tell you. It may not be exactly fixed the way they expected, but they completely trust that I can fix it and make it better. I have brainwashed them into believing this which is good because when the tears start I remind them, yet again, that Mommy can fix anything.

I got another chance to prove my remarkable powers last night. Middle Man had a really loose tooth. I say had because last night while eating dinner his bottom tooth was suddenly missing. It was gone. It had come out while he was eating and he must have swallowed it because we could not find it, even after having him spit out what was still in his mouth hoping it was amidst the leftover pizza he had been chewing. Not very appetizing but all in a days work. So my Middle Man had lost his first tooth. This should be a joyous exciting time, but he just looked really concerned. And he doesn't often get concerned. He looked like he was going to cry. And I mean cry real tears of sadness not those big loud wails you hear when he is mad or getting in trouble. He looked forlorn. That is the word, forlorn.

So what is a Mommy to do when her guy is so sad about something so special? Me, I called on the experts. The advice nurse at his pediatrician's office. She laughed at first when I told her our big news, that he had swallowed his tooth. I guess for an advice nurse at a pediatrician's office this is the kind of call you want to get to brighten your day. After telling me there was no cause for concern, she also mentioned that the Tooth Fairy would not, I repeat NOT, go looking for the missing tooth. A letter would suffice. Thank goodness because finding a tooth after it has gone through a kid's system is really not in my day's work. I think if the Tooth Fairy actually required the tooth I would have to request a Tooth Fairy change. So I told Middle Man all this, not the part about how we could look for it, and he started to smile. She, the nurse, after all is an expert in this field I told him so she would know. I explained this happened all the time and that we could write a letter to the Tooth Fairy and she would still leave a treat. It seems a phone call to the experts was all that was needed to alleviate whatever fear and worry was going through his mind.

So we wrote a nice letter to the Tooth Fairy on special stationary that Mommy has for just such occasions. Middle Man put the letter under his pillow and even let me take lots of pictures of his missing tooth so I could post it immediately on Facebook obviously. And this morning there was a gold dollar coin and blue fairy dust under his pillow.

My Middle Man is growing up. But he still knows that Mommy can fix anything!

Will the Truth Set you Free?

I have no idea who coined the phrase, "the truth shall set you free" which is ironic because I am sure it is some great character from history, some quote I made my students learn. I am known to be an honest person. And while I am always honest, I have found that I don't really have to always be truthful in order to be true in my relationships.

I can be honest with my kids without giving them all the details or backstory about why they can't go out of a store exit without me. Do I really need to tell my little children that someone might grab them and take them and do awful things to them? I can be honest with my friends without having to explain myself or all my reasons for why I can't make dinner next Tuesday. Do they really need me to tell them that I have a haircut that I really don't want to postpone because I so rarely get to sit in a chair for 30 minutes without any other distractions. I think sometimes we feel like we need to explain all the details but like Dr. Phil says when answering kids' questions about sex, "Just answer the question they asked." So when my kids asked me how the baby was going to come out, I simply answered that I was going to the hospital and the doctor would help get the baby out. That was enough for my kids so why scare them with the details of excruciating pain, blood, complications and anatomy that they really don't need or probably want.

I write all this because today I had to really speak the truth in a way that was really hard. Let me start by saying that I did not initiate this conversation. I would have been happy to leave things but was pressed to discuss my decisions. I had to explain to someone in my life that I don't want to have a relationship with them in the way that we once did. I had to say I was willing to start fresh going forward but that I was not going to discuss, dissect and try to repair all the damage that had been done. I had to very clearly state my boundaries and then when pressed justify my choices. It was a really hard conversation because it required not just me being honest, but I had to be truthful in the details. I could not try to sidestep any longer or just answer the question asked because that was leaving to much ambiguity and confusion for the other person. I had to take a stand, draw my line in the sand and then not try to make it all better or help the other person feel good about things.

I walked away from the conversation feeling really awful. I did not feel free. I felt totally burdened by the pain of the other person and the very real pain I feel about the situation. But now a few hours later, I am starting to feel a little sense of relief. Relief, freedom, because I have stated my peace. I have made my boundaries clear. I still dread a bit what the other person might do to try to further engage me. Or how we will next interact when we see one another again. But I know that I have spoken my truth. I have been honest. And I think I was able to do it in love, specifically love for myself. Because what I am learning through this experience is that I matter. What I think, want, feel is important and that I can stand up for myself. I can speak truth.

Missing Blogger

It appears that summer has really slowed down my blogging. Summer has slowed down a lot of my life. We are hanging out in our pajamas way too long with the kids watching Phinneas and Ferb and me watching the morning talk shows. We do eventually get dressed and out in the world, taking hikes with friends, swimming lessons at the Y, play dates and the such and then we end up playing outside way too late and rushing dinner and baths before sending the kids off to bed late. It's Summer! The time of ice cream trucks, sprinklers, lots of bickering because we are spending way too much time together, ahhh the simple pleasures of life.

So the blogging has taken a hit by both my laziness and honestly my total lack of creativity or depth. I am not sure why but I have not had a lot of deep thoughts lately. Maybe it is all that time in my pjs watching The Today Show, but what I am thinking is hardly worth writing.

I am heading out on vacation early tomorrow morning and will not be taking my laptop so it will be another two weeks before I get to writing again. But hopefully soon my brain will come up with something worth pondering in writing and I can get back to blogging.