Rabbits' Search for a Little House

The mornings have been colder and darker but the sun is like a golden gleam and the air makes your lungs sing!  This is the season I love the most!

I must have read this book as an elementary student because the pictures and story looked awfully familiar.  Especially the cozy house at the end.  And anyone that knows me knows that I have a 'thing' for cozy houses.

 Rabbit's Search for a Little House

Mary DeBall Kwitz

pictures by Lorinda Cauley 1977

Rabbit and her child are searching for a new home before the start of winter.  Unfortunately the cute mushroom house has already been sold to Toad, the Hotel Mole Hole has no vacancy, and mean Shrew is prejudiced against rabbits.  No matter, the rabbits are resourceful and make their own snug home.

Tales of the Elves

Margaux brought this back for us from one of her trips to Iceland.  Madeleine and I love folk/fairy tales and now it's Charlotte's turn!  She thoroughly enjoyed reading this with me at bedtime (it took a couple days).  And she really loved the pictures (they are quite remarkable!).  I was surprised there weren't more troll stories since those creatures inhabit Scandinavian tales pretty heavily and I thought there might be some similarities.  The story of "Queen Bothildur" was my favorite- mostly because I liked pronouncing the Icelandic names.

Tales of the Elves

Icelandic Folktales for Children

Adapted by Anna Kristin Asbjornsdottir 2008

illustrated by Florence Helga Thibault 

(LOVE this drawing!)

We Like Kindergarten

So I've been busy with this business called "life".  It's full of fun and heartache and drama, some chaos, silliness and plenty of love.  All summer we were running to and fro and now as the weather is turning I find myself back to that comfortable routine of school, soccer practice, and music lessons.  I'm always sad when school starts for the kids because I miss them when they're gone all day.  And now a new season has started as Charlotte goes off to Kindergarten.  I wasn't a mess (I'm actually more freaked out about Madeleine graduating from high school in 2 years!) and Charlotte skipped happily onto the school bus.  But I'm sad that our days together, spent riding on my bike, running errands, picking up books, having lunch and then an afternoon nap are over for now.  Charlotte kept me company every day (sometimes a little too much company!) but she's so excited and happy to be a Kindergartner now.

We Like Kindergarten

Clara Cassidy 1965

pictures by Eloise Wilkin 

In preparation for Charlotte's first big day of school we read this old familiar Golden Book illustrated by Eloise Wilkins.  Her pictures make me feel warm and fuzzy.  She draws the kind of quintessential vintage American life that I feel like I live most of the time.  It's funny how sweet and laid back this Kindergarten class is.  And I love how there's a piano and the regular teacher plays it- music just part of the day, not a "special".  I suspect Charlotte's day is much busier than this one, and there's certainly no nap time!  But she's always been an adventurous girl so I know she's having fun.

(I LOVE her little knit headband/ear warmer.  I can't seem to find one anywhere for Charlotte.  I may have to convince my mom to make one for her!)

(We also read The Berenstain Bears Go To School the night before we visited her Kindergarten class).