March 2012

                                      

Thanks so much to Diane over at Writer and Dreamer at work, (click and read, people!) for choosing A Million Words as a Sunshine Award recipient! Diane is a part of the community of bloggers that participate in Perfect Picture Book Friday, and I am honored that she chose my blog. Thanks, Diane! The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogosphere. The rules of acceptance are that you must answer the following questions, and then pass the award love along to others…

  1. Favorite Color:   Red. 
  2. Favorite Animal:  Confession. I am not really a have-animals-in-my-house sort of person. I am more of a view-animals-from-afar, hopefully behind some sort of protective fence sort of person. I have friends that ooze animal love from every pore and I hope that they will still be my friends after this post! So my favorite animals to gaze at from a distance are giraffes. They are just such unique creatures, and seem very peace-loving.
  3. Favorite Number: 12. This was my number for volleyball in high school and is still my favorite.
  4. Favorite Drink:  Coffee. No question.
  5. Facebook or Twitter:  Facebook. I am on Twitter but I have more social anxiety there. I always feel a little bit like I am crashing a cocktail party that I wasn’t invited to.
  6. Your Passion:  Besides the obvious answers (God, husband, children), you may have noticed that I am just a little obsessed with picture books.
  7. Giving or receiving presents:  Giving. I really love the feeling of finding that just-perfect gift for someone.
  8. Favorite Day:  Wednesdays are family night in our house, so right now they are my favorite.
  9. Favorite Flower: Ranunculus. In addition to being a beautiful flower, it is fun to say!

And now the best part. I hereby award the following inspiring and creative blogs my Sunshine Award!

  • my everyday: thoughts as a blonde wife-and-mom-of-four Catholic convert friend analyzer dramatizer reader and writer runner housekeeper homeschooler desert dweller ENFJ (for you Myers-Briggs types out there)
  • Teri is thoughtful and funny, and is a great writer. This award is part of my ploy to get her to pursue her writing even more. With all of her free time, it should be a cinch, right Teri?
  • Marcy’s Meanderings: sharing life and the things that bring it passion
  • Marcy is another mother of 4, (hmmm, am I seeing a pattern here?) and amazing writer. Her posts will cause you to stop and reflect on the important things in life. She also has a great resources page for writers!
  • Print Lovely: Tammy is a gifted photographer and I just love looking at her photos and reading the accompanying stories, usually about life as a mom of two boys. She also has an etsy shop you should check out, because it is, well…just lovely.
  • Remember Haiti: We’re the Gilmore family journeying through life and letting you in on the adventure.
  • My friend Dorina is not only a talented children’s writer, but has a huge heart for the people of Haiti. She inspires me to be more aware of my blessings, and to cultivate a spirit of gratitude.
  • In the Land of Ridd: my days, my family, my land
  • Vicki is another blogging mama. Besides writing about life with her two boys, she also includes ideas for meal planning, which I love! She does a monthly meal plan which for me is something to aspire to.
  • Perched in a Tree: My views from the branch I ponder on
  • Bethany is another writer friend of mine. She just started a new series called, “I Ponder Wednesdays,” that you should check out. Another reason that Wednesday is my favorite day!
  • A Fly in the Soup: In an unabashedly nepotistic (is that a word?) move, I direct you to my husband Rob’s blog. He blogs about running, reading, and his amazing job in ministry. He has the enviable ability to skip the whole terrible rough draft phase of writing and whip out beautiful blog posts on the first shot. Stinker.

So there you go, 7 new blogs for you to check out. And for my Sunshine Award Receiving friends, here is something for you…a bouquet of Red Ranunculus…try saying that 10 times fast!

    

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Before becoming a parent, I never appreciated how easy it was to leave the house on a quick errand. Grab the keys, and out the door, lickety-split. Four kids later, I now know how good I had it.  These days, everything takes twice as long, especially considering the, “let’s try not to be completely embarrassing,” checklist that is burned into my mommy-brain. Don’t forget to…make sure they aren’t wearing flip-flops when it’s raining outside, make sure tomato sauce/chocolate/cheeto dust is cleaned off of face/hands/hair, pack the necessary keep-them-in-the-shopping-cart and get-them-off-the-swing-and-back-into-the-carseat bribes…and the list goes on. So it is understandable if every once in a while I forget, before I herd them into the car, to ask the most crucial question of all… “Do you need to use the bathroom?

In the book I chose this week for Perfect Picture Book Friday, we see a girl’s parents experience that dreaded moment when a small voice pipes up from the back seat and says, “I need to go potty…RIGHT NOW!” And the even more dreaded moment when you look around and realize that there isn’t really anywhere to go. In OH NO, GOTTA GO! Susan Middleton Elya uses rhyme and a sprinkling of Spanish words to tell the tale of this family frantically in search of a restroom.

                

  • OH NO, GOTTA GO!
  • Written By: Susan Middleton Elya
  • Illustrated By: G. Brian Karas
  • Putnam Juvenile; Bilingual edition, June 30, 2003
  • Suitable For: Ages 2 and up
  • Topics/Themes: Multicultural, Language learning, Potty Time
  • Opening/Synopsis: “We were out driving, down the camino. Papá and Mamá were dressed muy fino. The backseat was mine, my favorite spot, until I remembered the thing I forgot. ‘Where is un baño? Dónde está? I really do need one,’ I told mi mamá.”
  • The narrator in this charming story is a little girl who needs to find a bathroom. But it is Sunday in her small town, which means most places are closed, and her parents must drive around until they find somewhere that is open. Elya uses this trip around town to introduce Spanish words to the reader.
  • Links to Resources: Well the first thing to mention is that there is a glossary in the back of the book for all of the Spanish words she introduces in the story. My kids and I have spent a lot of time reading through them and learning the pronunciations. Elya also has an exercise on teaching rhyme with the Spanish words from this book here.
  • Why I Like this Book: I love reading this book out loud! Between the rhyme and the Spanish words, it is a super-fun read. And it is very clever, because the rhyme actually helps with the pronunciation. Since you know it is supposed to rhyme with the English word above it, it becomes clear how you are supposed to say it. And the drawings of G. Brian Karas, as usual, are just darling. Parents will appreciate the humor of the child who always has to GO as soon as you leave the house, and children will turn the pages to see what surprises are in store as they follow along on this family’s search for a bathroom.

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