Ask, and ye shall find out...

~T~:  Why did you spill water on the floor of Scoot's closet?

D2:  So the Star Wars guys could go into the swamp.

And so they did, I recalled as we rushed off for Rollo's game.  There was a starfighter and a stealth bomber in the puddle on the carpet, and some of C3PO's parts were scattered around.  D2 is very thorough for one so young.  I thought Scoot might be upset, but he is up there now with more little figures, making the most of the opportunity.

Another Attempt at Autumnal Appreciation

Is there anything left to be said about Fall?

Poets have probably written it all.

But still the leaves blaze in the Sun's lowered rays.

The season returns every year for more praise.

Does anything lovely rhyme with "Autumn?"

The calendar pages are nearing the bottom.

And whether you've raked them or simply forgot 'em,

The leaves tumble down every Fall.

So, smile at a pumpkin and slide on a sweater.

Step on the dry leaves before they get wetter.

Whether the maples are yellow or redder,

Savor the season of Fall!

The Art of Lunch

D2 fixed his own lunch a couple of weeks ago, and has had the same attractive arrangement nearly every day since.  (Apparently the cheese and tomato were purely decorative, and aren't regulars on the menu.)  He eats each ingredient separately, and when he reaches the tortilla, he rolls it up and sings into it like a microphone.  If food be the music of love, eat on!

Books for LaBeq

When my sister was visiting this summer, we found ourselves frequently referring to books she hadn't read.  LaBeq is well versed in mysteries and classics, but is not so conversant with juvenile fantasy.  She couldn't memorize all the titles we threw out, and asked for a list.  So here are some of our favorites, to be enjoyed in her (or your) copious free time.  I've marked titles that begin a series with an * -- if you want to read more, you can find the sequences on Wikipedia. 

Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl*
Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief*
Angie Sage, Magyk*
Daniel Pinkwater, The Neddiad and The Yggyssey
Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle*, Unexpected Magic
Patricia Wrede, Dealing With Dragons*, Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot*
Gerald Morris, The Squire's Tale*
Katherine Langrish, Troll Fell*
Joseph Helgerson, Horns and Wrinkles
Sarah Prineas, The Magic Thief*

These are not so juvenile, but I like them:

Brandon Sanderson, Elantris
Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency*
Charles Dickinson, A Shortcut in Time
Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Gaile Parkin, Baking Cakes in Kigali
Jasper Fforde, The Eyre Affair* (you might want to brush up your Bronte)

Happy reading!