Grateful for the National Book Festival

This past Saturday was our second time attending the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Amy and I had a great day - lots of standing in line, but again we both got to hear talks by authors we enjoy (Sarah Vowell for me, Raina Telgemeier for her).

Amy getting her Raina Telegemeier books signed,
after hours waiting in line.

Once again this year I am SO grateful that the authors/illustrators that Amy likes take the time to interact with their fans and talk about their work. Raina Telgemeier talked with the kids about how she grew up drawing, and even showed some of her early work. I was glad to have Amy hear that this famous author was like her, and had always been drawing, getting better over the years through lots of practice. Raina also went through how her artistic process works as she's doing a new book, even including photos of the favorite kind of pencils and pens she uses. And BTW, I think Amy's drawings compare very favorably to Raina's work at the same age (Amy argued about this with me, of course). Last year with author Jarrett Krosoczka, he also showed a lot of early work (his parents apparently saved everything!) and talked about how his work was rejected so many times before he finally got a book deal. So fabulous to have Amy hear these messages of working on your craft, and being resilient!

Amy also got to get Lois Lowry to sign our copy of "The Giver," which Reed is currently assigned to read in eighth grade English. He was banking on having a signed copy giving him an automatic A. LOL

On one hand, these past couple of years there've been lots of authors at the festival that I missed out on seeing and meeting, because we were focusing on things Amy wanted to do. I know it won't be too long before we can go to the festival together and basically head in opposite directions. But for now I am glad to have this shared experience with her, and expose her to things that she really loves, where she really fits in.

Amy wrote this poem for a poetry unit in her sixth grade English class. I love this too!!

Secret art

In the last couple of years, Amy has started to be a little secretive about her artwork, mostly just not wanting to share things before they were finished. But lately she seems to not want to share her art with us at all. I can't really understand why – if I ask, she says it's because I'd just tell her it was good whether it really was or not. I've tried to assure her that if she wants total honesty, I'd be glad to give it to her, but yes I do think she's an amazing artist.

So I'm a little sorry to say I've resorted to snooping a little bit (I'm sorry, Amy!!!). One day when she was at school, I took photos of a bunch of her artwork, because I really want to save this kind of thing so she'll one day be able to look back at her work and see how crazy good she was as a kid.

This is an example from her sketchbook....

...I've tagged her stuff in our Photo system with 'artwork' and of course her name. Looking back on it, it's clear to see her progression. She IS a really good artist, and that's aside from my admitted bias. She works so hard at what she does, erasing and retrying – it's what she's most persistent about. However what hasn't come her way just yet is an art teacher who believes in her too – I really don't understand that. Maybe this will be the year? I sure hope so. And I hope she never stops drawing and expressing her creative side – it really is like therapy for her, it calms her and makes her happy.

And as I said, she's really really good at it! (For some reason, she's signing her art as "Shelbypants" - I think she's got plans for some kind of online presence under that screen name.)

Wish I'd thought of this

So let's say that one day I really do follow through with my plan to have this entire blog printed for the kids to have as a remembrance. (I better!) Here's one thing I want to remember to remind them about when they're grown and maybe have children of their own.

Aug. 2001 – Hanging out with Jay at the Birchmere.
Going to concerts was always one of Mom's
favorite activities too.

A guy named Jay McDowell was the bassist for the country/rockabilly/bluegrass/hard-to-classify band BR5-49. Smilin' Jay and his doghouse bass. Met him a couple of times after shows, seemed a really great guy (aside from being a Flyers fan, but we'll forgive him). 

Nowadays he is a curator at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville (somewhere I really want to visit!) and I'm 'friends' with him on Facebook. A while ago he posted about a family ritual that I just loved, and only wished I'd thought to do myself. He's got 3 kids, and each night (in addition to reading to them, I hope) he plays them a song that's important to him, or important to music, or just a song he wants them to know about. He also knows a lot of music history, so I'm sure he throws that in as well, but even absent that aspect, what an awesome thing to do! Think of the musical education a kid would get, having that kind of focused listening attention!

If only I could time travel and do this myself!

Tickling our funny bone

It's pretty cool to watch your children grow into being people, not 'just kids.' The comment we most frequently get about Reed in our admittedly limited interactions with his middle school teachers is "he's a funny kid." Now of course we (mostly) think he's funny too, but it's interesting to hear that from other people. They say he has a 'dry' sense of humor (his very appropriate response: "As opposed to a wet sense of humor?").

He also seems to enjoy pulling people's legs...well, mainly his sister is who he can get away with that on. As we rode home from the airport in the taxi a couple of weeks ago, Reed, Amy and me squashed in the back seat, Amy asked how long until we were home. Reed, who could see the driver's computer screen, including route information and ride durations, looked around as if surveying our location and said "I'd say about 12 minutes." Amy was like 'what?' – surprised at his specificity. He played along with it until I busted him for seeing the driver's route info.

Maybe it's all going to work out okay after all

There are times as a parent where you wonder....are we raising these children to be functioning members of society, or will I spend the rest of my life doing a million mundane things to take care of these people? Like picking up trash on the floor that they just walk right over. Putting away drinking glasses left on the coffee table.

And then...your son sees the tissue box is empty, flattens the empty box, puts it in the recycling bin, and gets a new box out. And then the angels sing.

Perhaps we are on the right track after all...

(yes, as a parent sometimes it's the really little things that make you happy!)

Sometimes still a sweet, little girl

Yesterday I decided at the last minute to go to a concert at Wolf Trap (Don Henley...it was SO great!), so I needed to let the kids know I wouldn't be home after work. Amy FaceTimed me and we chatted for a while on the evening's plans. When we were signing off, she kissed her phone to tell me goodbye. 

Sometimes she can still be that same, sweet little girl! 

Letting the kids be themselves

As the kids are growing up, they're figuring out who they are, and I'm figuring out how to let them do that. For instance, when I took Amy back to school shopping, I realized that she really doesn't have any interest in being particularly "in style" - she just wants to wear black leggings and a graphic t-shirt. Couldn't even talk her into other colors of leggings, or maybe leggings with a pattern to them. These are the shirts she picked out. You could argue the one on the left is stylish (the plaid button-up), and it is....but she wore the Batman shirt on the right underneath it. She likes the things she likes (Harry Potter, and a new-ish obsession with super heroes), even if others around her aren't into the same things. (She'd also really love to find a friend who's into the same things she is, though.) She's comfortable with who she is, and that is so very very awesome.

I found this in Kohls when he was
shopping with me, and he said he'd
wear it. If he hadn't been there...
not so sure.

And Reed. I used to be able to buy him shirts with funny sayings on them, and he loved wearing them. No more. Now, he'll still wear a shirt like that, but only if he's picked it out. Wanda bought him a few silly shirts for back to school, and he will not wear them. I guess he really wants to only express his own sense of humor....fair enough!

TWO middle schoolers!

The summer has felt both long and short to me. We had so many camps to juggle for Amy, it felt like every week was really busy. Of course Reed did a whole lot of nothing, but that's a different story.

After vacation, we had a few more days at home to relax and get ready for BACK TO SCHOOL!

Of course we did our annual tradition of having breakfast for dinner the night before school starts, complete with name and grade pancakes. (P.S. wouldn't it be great if one day Reed and Amy have their own kids and continue this tradition?!)

Amy was well prepared for middle school after attending the "Lion's Leap" orientation, but she was still pretty nervous for the first day – excited, but nervous. It's a big adjustment, going to a block schedule, with "A" days and "B" days, plus two lockers (one regular one, one for PE), lots of new kids and all new teachers. Reed was nonchalant about starting eighth grade - middle school is old hat for him. Honestly, though, I think even he was ready to start school again.

Hope it's a great year for both of them!