International Women's Day 2022

There was so much potential for a fun picture last year on International Women's Day, March 8.

This year, I made sure we got that picture even if it was 11 o'clock at night when we finally did.

International Women. I have Jeremy's whip from Hungary on my lap. I'm reading a book by Carola Dunn, originally from England who later moved to Oregon (It was also National Oregon Day- note one of the books on my lap is "On to Oregon," and of course I'm originally from Oregon, not far from where Carola Dunn moved). Nichole is reading "The Reluctant Dragon" and I'm holding "The Wind in the Willows" both by Kenneth Grahame who was from Great Britain. Now he's not an International woman but March 8 is his birthday. Note the "reluctant" dragon trying to climb off Nichole's shoulder. Of course it's fun to throw in eating "graham" crackers on Kenneth Grahame's birthday. Then Nichole is "proofreading" her book for National Proofreading Day.

Oh, yes. I'm quite pleased with how this picture turned out this year.

International Women's Day 2021

International Women's Day was March 8. That day is also Kenneth Grahame's birthday. There was potential for a really fun picture but we just didn't have the time. So here's what you get.

My amazing daughter and I celebrating the awesome women we are by reading Kenneth Grahame books together.

What could have added to this photo? Eating "graham" crackers. Somehow I can't find a blog post of us eating graham crackers while reading Kenneth Grahame books. I honestly thought we'd done that in the past. Wearing berets or other clothing from other countries as "international" women. Jeremy's still got some Hungarian stuff. Since it was also National Oregon Day, I could have added items from Oregon in the picture. We could have had Nichole's writing with a pencil in front of us for National Proofreading Day, also that same day. There are so many ideas. Oh, and we could have had Nichole's dragon on one of our shoulders or trying to climb off our shoulders as a "reluctant" dragon. So much missed potential. But that's the way the cookie crumbles. Or the way the peanut cluster crumbles as March 8 was also National Peanut Cluster Day.

What would you suggest adding to this photo?

Jazzy Pie

March 8 is Kenneth Grahame's birthday.  Lucky and ZZ got together with graham crackers (get it? heh heh heh) and made a pudding pie with graham cracker crust.

This evening, the kids and I went to the Orem Library.  We didn't check out any Kenneth Grahame books.  We did check out plenty of others.  We went to the library to watch a concert of New Orleans Jazz music with a couple of musicians from New Orleans and a jazz ensemble from BYU.  Ah, such great music.  Great for toe tapping and clapping.  It was awesome.  I loved it.

Celebrating with Books

Here's a way to catch up.  There have been a lot of holidays lately that could be celebrated with books so I did some planning and checking out books from the library to prepare.  I'll let you know what those holidays are and suggestions for books to read to celebrate.
October 21 was Reptile Awareness Day.  The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash (and its sequels).

October 22 was National Color Day.  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

October 23 was National Mole Day.  The Wind in the Willows.  Lucky was so adorable that evening.  He opened the book and started making up his own story according to the pictures in the book.  It was so cute to hear.  I was tired enough, though, that I fell asleep in my room while listening to him read in the living room.  He was "reading" for a long time, though.  So adorable.

October 26 was Steven Kellogg's Birthday.  The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash (and its sequels).  I just couldn't help it with the cereal again.

October 31 was National Knock Knock Jokes Day.  I checked out a bunch of Knock Knock Jokes books.

November 1 was Vinegar Day.  The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle.

November 5 is Marooned Without a Compass Day.  In Search of the Castaways.  I tried another Jules Verne book last year- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.  I only read 85 pages of it before I couldn't handle it anymore.  As Jeremy said, "A little more fiction, a little less science, please."  I'm already beyond that many pages and I'm enjoying In Search of the Castaways.  Family Home Evening activity tonight was watching the Hayley Mills movie.  It's fun to see how many scenes from the book they put in the movie even if they changed them a little.  Obviously there are more differences than similarities but I am enjoying the book and I already know I enjoy the movie.

Nichole earned a reward at school and picked out a little toy compass.  When it was time to take pictures with the book and movie, she couldn't find her compass.  "Oh no.  I'm marooned without a compass."  I love it.

Kenneth Grahame's Birthday

March 7 was Cereal Day.  We ate cereal.  It wasn't too exciting.
But today, March 8, is Kenneth Grahame's birthday.  Kenneth Grahame was the author of The Wind in the The Willows.  And this year marks the 105th anniversary of when The Wind in the Willows was published.
The boys and I went down to the library today and picked up some books.  One of course was The Wind in the Willows.  The edition we checked out had illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard, who as we know was also the illustrator of the Winnie-the-Pooh books. 

Jr. was sweet to take a picture for me.  Then I went into the other room to read The Reluctant Dragon, also written by Kenneth Grahame.  I'll read The Wind in the Willows later.