12/15/12

Charlie Brown's Christmas is Together-Time


Christmas is Together-Time
by Charles M. Schulz
1964

Happy Day Kiddos! I don't know how most of you are feeling this Holiday Season. I have heard mixed reviews about the whole Octonovemcember thing. Plenty of people were complaining about how the push for the holidays started way too early. I do know that our family is getting into the holiday spirit and have since The Boog's 5th birthday in October. Favorite Ornaments have made their way on to the tree and The Boog and I have made paper chains to cover our entire living room! Another holiday staple of ours, and I'm sure many will agree, is Charlie Brown. I always buy a Peanuts book whenever I see one. This one, in particular, has been in my collection for a few years now and I have just never gotten around to posting about it.

Christmas is....

Hearing about those partridges and pear trees until you're ready to lose your mind.

Going over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house
....except she's moved to an apartment.

When people say nice things to you who otherwise don't even know you're alive.

When you hug your little brother.

Another box of candied fruit from your Aunt Agnes in California.

Getting all those cards from people you never sent any to.

Losing your mother downtown in a crowded store.

Wishing you had gotten this stupid present gift wrapped.

A box of  tree ornaments that have become part of the family.

Suggesting we decorate the tree with strings of popcorn and cranberries like in the old days, but we never do it.

Waiting for the grown ups to finish eating so we can open the presents.

There are a few people I know who are big fans of A Charlie Brown's Christmas so I decided to knit each of them a very special ornament.....

"It just needs a little love...."

This is a picture of the one I made for our tree. One down 3 more to go!



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11/24/12

She-Ra The Princess of Power

She-Ra, the Princess of Power
Mattel
1985

She-Ra Princess of Power is an animated spin-off of He-Man Masters of the Universe. It's based on the toyline produced by Mattel, who decided that He-Man was such a hit, why not create Princess of Power to counterbalance the show's popularity among young boys. Aimed at young girls, Princess of Power spawned a line of "fashion action figures." It's ingenious really. Meshing a "boys" action figure with the likes of Barbie seems like a formula for success, right? Well, yes and no. The action figures, as was the case for He-Man Masters of the Universe as well, outlasted the animated series.

She-Ra was first introduced in The Secret of the Sword, which eventually went on to become the first 5 episodes in the She-Ra series.


Known for her incredible strength, She-Ra was able to lift not only grown men and robots, but mountain like-rocks and buildings! She was the alter ego of Princess Adora and the twin sister of Adam (A.K.A He-Man) Having been stolen by the evil Hordak when she was a baby, Adora had no idea of her true identity until presented with the sword of Protection. Together, with the help of her newly found twin Adam, she aims to defend her home planet of Eternia from Hordak's evil grasp.


As a kid I was partial to Jem but I did sneak in a few episodes of She-Ra here and there. My brother had the Castle Greyskull and I used to use my Jem doll and pretend it was She-Ra. Good times!

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11/22/12

My First Thanksgiving by Tomie dePaola

Happy Turkey Day Kiddos! What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year? The Husband, The Boog and I decided to celebrate Thanksgiving as a trio this year, forgoing all of the hustle and bustle that ensues for most families. So far so good! On that note, I thought I would share a Thanksgiving book from Mr. Tomie dePaola.


My First Thanksgiving Board Book
Written and Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
1992

"This is the first Thanksgiving."

"The Pilgrims had a feast to thank God for their being together in their new home."



"Their friends came with food for the feast."


"We celebrate Thanksgiving every November.

We will eat turkey with stuffing,

cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes,

pumpkin pie, and mince pie for dinner."

"Just like the Pilgrims,

we give thanks for our food

and for our being together

on Thanksgiving."


Whatever it is you do for Thanksgiving, I hope it's spent with those you love best!

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11/12/12

Update: The Kissing Hand


The Kissing Hand
By Audrey Penn
Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
1994

*A Previously Published Post: A very dear story of the bond between parent and child and the courage to let go.*

This month’s Barnes and Noble Online Story Time features The Kissing Hand, narrated by author Audrey Penn.(Check it out here.)In this story little Chester Raccoon is getting ready to start school for the first time, but he is bit anxious to leave his home. Chester’s Mother lets him in on a little secret, a secret that has been passed down from her mother and grandmother, that will make his nights away at school feel just as cozy as his days at home. Behold the Kissing Hand. She takes his paw in hers, fans out his tiny fingers and leaves a kiss right in the middle of his palm. She goes on to tell him that whenever he feels lonely all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek and remember, “Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.” And that the kiss will fill him with toasty warm thoughts. Ironically after Chester gets comfortable leaving for school, he gives his mother a kiss on her hand.

This story is a great way of letting your child know that your love will always be with them no matter what and is the perfect book for any little one about to head off to preschool or daycare for the first time. Plus the book comes with little heart stickers so you can make a kissing hand of your very own and if your craving some raccoon and hearts fun:

The Kissing Hand Felt Story Board
By Glitterful Stories

Pocket Hand Warmers
By Worme Woole

Raccoon Mask for children
By Mahalo

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11/10/12

A Day in the Life of Oscar the Grouch


A Day in the Life of Oscar the Grouch
By Linda Hayward
Illustrated by Bill Davis
1981

Oh, will I ever tire of Sesame Street? NEVER! As most of you know by now, I like to delve into all the old Sesame Street books I have taken great care in collecting for The Boog. With no end in sight, and The Boog's new found interest in all things Sesame, it's with a very happy heart that I share with you our daily Muppet musings. This particular story is from my Sesame Street Book Club Collection and depicts a typical day in the life of the Sesame Street Cast, as seen from Oscar's point of view.

Given the fact that Oscar is a Grouch, the irony in the narration is what sticks out the most. What else can you expect from a grouch that lives in the happiest of neighborhoods? A very rotten time, that's what!
The book is full of all kinds of awesome rottenness that make Oscar his Grouchy-Old-Self.  You get to see how he starts his off his day. First, at seven o'clock in the morning, it's a yuchy breakfast. (Today it's orange rinds, rotten eggs, burned bacon and stale bread crumbs.)
After his yuchy rotten breakfast, it's off to watch everyone hurry to school or to work. (Oscar particularly likes this because no on has time to stop and say hello.)
 The mail carrier comes at nine o'clock. Today she delivered four letters to the Count.

At eleven o'clock some of the people around Sesame Street do chores and errands. Bert does laundry, Biff takes his paycheck to the bank. Rodeo Rosie picks up her cleaning at the cleaners. And what  about Oscar?
"Well, my favorite chore is waiting for the Mudman's delivery. Heh heh heh."
At twelve o'clock noon, friends share their lunches, eventhough Grouches don't share. Oscar hates to part with any of his delicious peanut butter and sardine sandwiches! (BLEH!)
At four o'clock on Tuesdays the bookmobile come to Sesame Street. Oscar is checking out his favorite book- Mother Grouch Rhymes.
At six o'clock in the evening Oscar eats his lovely supper of pizza with banana slices on top. (A Grouch has to stay healthy, you know.)
At seven o'clock Ernie takes his bath. Here at Oscar's trash can it's also bathtime, but not for Oscar. It's time for Slimey's Mud Bath.
Eight o'clock is storytime over at Big Bird's nest. Oscar does not attend because he is not a fan of happy endings. Now, you would think, since it's night time, Oscar would be getting ready to call it a day. Well, you'd be wrong!
It is now time for Oscar to practice his Trombone. And that concludes another yuchy day on Sesame Street. Horrible Dreams, now Scram!

Also by:

I have also added a category listing on the sidebar of just Sesame Street Books!

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11/7/12

George Shrinks and the First Doodle Bugs Post


George Shrinks
By William Joyce
1985

"One day, while his mother and father were out, George dreamt he was small, and when he woke up he found it was true....."

Part of the Harper Collins Treasury of Picture Book Classics, George invites us to imagine living life as a tiny little person in a big world. After all, they are the small ones living in a grown-up world, so it's not hard for them to familiarize themselves with George's plight. Being in George's shoes is quite fun and as you will see, quite frightening at the same time.







Upon reading this book, The Boog stumbled onto a few ideas of her own. She discovered that if she shrunk she would like to "go into a snow globe and take a few trips on her Thomas the Tank Engine train set." Not a bad idea. I myself have always imagined eating a huge Oatmeal Cream Pie, just like the kids in Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Just one of my personal dreams I guess!

We got so inspired discussing different scenarios that there was only one thing to do. Draw about it! So we got out our crayons and she came up with a very happy take on Joyce's illustration. It turned out to be so much fun that I decided to do it again, and turn it into a series of blog posts aptly named Doodle Bugs. If you are at all interested in submitting some of your children's work, I invite you to comment. I would be more than happy to post about it. I'd love to see little budding Picassos in action!


This is The Boog's version of kitty chasing George

*I love that she made both the kitty and George happy despite the real image's suspenseful nature.



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