Creature Bug: Joy to the World

Small Reads

Piglet and Papa
by Margaret Wild. No one loves Piglet as much as his Papa. Even if Piglet does bite his Papa's tail!
Tickle the Duck
by Ethan Long. He doesn't want to be tickled, except that he does. Hoo haw hee hee.
Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
by Mo Willems. (*****)

Big Reads

Before Green Gables
by Budge Wilson. Two thumbs up from this Anne fan. (****)
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
by Atul Gawande. A book of non-fiction that focuses on the idea that doctors (and others) can make a radical difference in the world just by doing things better. Excellent read. One worth buying. (*****)
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
by Gregory Maguire. Quite political. A bit racy. Very long. Not as good as I hoped. I prefer the musical and its Hollywoodized ending. (***)
The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped Our History
by Molly Caldwell Crosby. Amazingly researched. Well written. An excellent narrative non-fiction about the yellow fever viral epidemic that still continues. (*****)
Astrid and Veronika
by Linda Olsson. It was okay. The characters not always sympathetic, though the storyline was poignant enough. (***)
Were You Raised by Wolves?: Clues to the Mysteries of Adulthood
by Christie Mellor. A great graduation gift. In fact, I got one for my brother. (****)
An Act of Vengeance
by Erik Larson. My cousin wrote this novel, a tale of suspense and revenge. The style is reminiscient of turn-of-the-century detective novels: detailed, mysterious, straight forward prose. (****)
Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert. While Ms. Gilbert's worldview is quite different from my own, I find her writing to be lovely and her personal adventure to be inspiring. (****)
Small Surrenders: A Lenten Journey
by Emilie Griffin. A wonderful and inspiring addition to the Lent season. (*****)
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini. The most emotionally moving book I have read in years. I cried the last 100 pages, and for days afterwards. Incredible. Hosseini captures motherhood, the bond between women, and the struggle of Afghanistan in a powerful way. Please read this book. (*****)

Smart Reads

Steering the Craft
by Ursula K. Le Guin. Wonderful writing prompts and literary snippets.
Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools
by Margot Iris Soven. Theory, Research and Practice well worth reading if you teach writing.
In the Middle
by Nancie Atwell. Greatly influenced how I taught writing when I was in the secondary classroom. Even though some aren't keen on the workshop method, this book still has some great ideas.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan. Engaging. Fascinating. Convicting.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Joy to the World

Three hundred and sixty-five days ago I was wishing that a baby would be born. I had been hoping; I had been pondering. And then my Christmas dreams came true. With the help of an epidural and a mile-long walk into the hospital because the parking lot was under construction.

When she was born we named her Julianne Ryan--the "anne" after my sister Andrea, the "Ryan" after Jason's brother's middle name, and the initials matching Jason's. We've called her Jules since before she was born because she was, indeed, our Christmas jewel.

Tomorrow a birthday party, an afternoon spent with aunts/uncles/cousins/grandparents, a trip to Powell's and dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. Who knew turning one could be so spectacular?

Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:38 PM in Milestones, Pictures | Permalink

Comments

Happy, Happy Birthday Jules!!!! What gorgeous eyes you have! Have a wonderful day!!

Posted by:Amy | Friday, December 21, 2007 at 11:52 PM

Happy birthday, Julianne! I can't believe she's a year old already.

Posted by:Suzanne | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 05:12 AM

Happy 1st Birthday to Beautiful Little Julianne!

Posted by:Rachel | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 06:08 AM

Happy birthday! (Good idea coming before Christmas!)

Posted by:Inkling | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 06:55 AM

Yay, Julianne! You are darling and I hope your birthday was wonderful!

Posted by:gretchen from lifenut | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 09:06 AM

Happy first birthday to Julianne!

Posted by:Rachelle | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 10:24 AM

Happy Birthday.

Posted by:kristan | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 10:24 AM

Sounds perfect! Enjoy and a very Happy, Happy Birthday to Julianne.

Posted by:Alida | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 02:31 PM

Happy Birthday to your beautiful December baby!

Posted by:Margaret | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 05:41 PM

Happy Birthday to a sweet little one!!

Posted by:karen | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 05:48 PM

Has it really been a year? I can't believe it!

Happy birthday Jules, enjoy every second of your party.

We will have to trade sympathy stories for our December babies. Poor Mason hardly gets a nod for his birthday :(

I guess it's time for you to enjoy life after the pregnancy and infant stage huh?

Posted by:Leslie | Saturday, December 22, 2007 at 11:32 PM

Happy Birthday to your beautiful little girl!

Posted by:Nancy | Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 05:58 AM

beautiful photo!

Posted by:Angi | Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 06:21 PM

I can't believe she's ONE - happy birthday, precious girl!

Posted by:Sam | Monday, December 24, 2007 at 06:09 AM

Happy, Happy ONE to your beautiful Jules!! xoxo

Posted by:Marilyn | Monday, December 24, 2007 at 07:31 PM

Bedtime Stories

Becoming the Parent You Want To Be: A Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years
by Laura Davis. I just got this textbook-sized book from the library, but I've heard good things about it, so I'm seeing what it's all about.
Anne of Green Gables
by L.M. Montgomery. In honor of the 100th anniversary of this classic, I'm spending the summer working through the series (again).
Jane Clarke: Stuck in the Mud
Can't go wrong with farm animals.