In this dual timeline plot, present-day Cinnamon deals with teenaged life after the death of her beloved brother Sekou. She reads a book given to her by Sekou, which is a memoir following the life of an alien and his/her Dahomean warrior lover as they escape wartorn Dahomey Kingdom.
I really wanted to love this book. There was so much to love. The writing was lyrical – full of beautiful imagery. The plot was intriguing. But I guess I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. I suspect it’s not the fault of the book so much as the fact that I (a white, generation X woman who is easily mistaken as a “Karen” on Facebook) am not the target audience.
In this hilarious book, a cockroach and his family hitchhike to a kid’s school for show-and-tell. I laughed so hard. I want to buy this book for my 4 year old.
16 oz elbow macaroni (I used an equal amount of cavatappi, which I like much better than plain old macaroni) 26 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese 6 large eggs 1¼ sticks margarine (10 tbsp) 12 oz evaporated milk 4 oz 2% or regular milk (I used 2%) ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375° F 2. Cook pasta until al dente, per package instructions 3. Drain and toss pasta in a bowl with margarine, then sprinkle with salt and pepper 4. Cut cheese into ¼ inch cubes 5. Beat eggs and milk 6. Add liquid, cheese and pasta to a bowl, toss to mix well 7. Add to well greased baking dish 8. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
A mouse takes a walk through the deep dark woods. She meets a few predators along the way, including a Gruffalo, but outwits them all. OMG, this is my favorite board book of all time. I love reading it to my son so much that I can recite it. Definitely suggested for babies through five year olds.
In this cute little story, a girl doesn’t want to move. She is afraid of what her new school will be like, and that she’ll have no friends. But she soon learns that she can have fun in her new home. This book is meant to comfort kids when they are about to move, though I wonder a little about the target age. The girl looks and acts as if she is about 10. The teachers let them walk the hallways alone…but maybe that is normal for 6-7 year olds these days? Because that’s the age range the book seems to target by complexity.
Cook: M10 & Rachel Recipe Source: Amanda V (from “newspaper”)
Cookies
1 C butter, softened
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 C crushed (hard) peppermint candies
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C corn starch
Frosting
1 C powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp crushed (hard) peppermint Candies
Directions
Using an electric mixer, mix butter, sugar, candies, and vanilla thoroughly. Gradually blend in flour and corn starch
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Form dough into 1 inch balls and gently press flat on paper. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bottoms beging to brown. Cool for 5 minutes.
Combine powdered sugar through vanilla to make frosting. Mix until smooth. Drizzle on cookies and sprinkle candies on top.
Lucifer Morningstar is the devil. Literally. He is taking a vacation from Hell, and instead owns a nightclub. But when he meets Detective Decker, he can’t help but join her in solving crimes.
This is a delightfully naughty start to a 6 season series. I look forward to season 2.
Saturday was a busy day of hanging out with the kids and doing last minute preparation for Christmas, which got postponed because of the snow storm. Aaron took M10 to Target and D13 to the Mall of America on Christmas Eve. IL4 helped me wrap Aaron’s gifts while he was gone. They ended up with a lot of extra paper and tape.
Christmas was equal parts fun and chaotic. We let M10 not be grounded for Christmas, which meant he could hang out in the living room with us. They unwrapped SO many toys. Many of IL4’s included marbles and puzzle pieces, so those got scattered everywhere – especially after D13 unfathomably decided to take the cellophane off all IL4’s puzzles at once. Now I’ll have to put about 4 puzzles together with pieces that are all mixed together. Yay. But at least they’re 4yo puzzles. I was at my wits’ end by the end of the day, so I exited the room and tried to go to sleep. IL4 (of course) followed me into the bedroom, but he settled down playing a game on the phone. Aaron and the older two kids put together their first Christmas puzzle.
I didn’t read to IL4 (though we worked on a puzzle), and Malcolm continued reading the first How to Train Your Dragon.
On Monday, everyone was home because it was Christmas Day observed. It was mainly a day of relaxation – I got some reading and organizing done – but I had to cook our Christmas feast because on Christmas itself I couldn’t find my beef broth and therefore couldn’t cook the feast. M10 finished the 2nd How to Train Your Dragon and started the 8th Ga’Hoole book. I read If You Give a Moose a Muffin to IL4.
Tuesday was supposed to be a family day. It started out with us going to the Mall of America and getting pictures of us all dressed as Vikings. D13 started feeling sick towards the end, and IL4 and I started feeling sick when we got home. D13 had a fever, IL4 threw up, and I was simply very tired. I watched a couple movies on my phone, and generally relaxed. M10 continued reading Book 8 of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole. I read Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes (2 times), Gruffalo, and Frog on a Log? to IL4.
Wednesday was a fairly successful day besides my car not starting in the morning. I had to call AAA, but when they jumped it, the car ran just fine. That only took 2 hours of my life. 🤷♀️
After that, I took IL4 to his first OT since I was in the car accident on November 11. He loves OT because of the gym. 😊 But he ate nothing for his therapist, which was his reason for being there.
M10 lost his last canine tooth – leaving him without any canines at all. He’d be a miserable vampire.
M10 finished the 8th Guardians of Ga’Haoole book and D13 is still reading the 9th Keepers of the Lost Cities book.
Thursday, I worked for a bit, and then had a few margaritas. It was a fun day.
M10 was reading BFG. I read Grumpy Monkey Oh No, Christmas, The Bad Seed, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, and Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes to IL4.
Friday was a good day. I helped a friend move after IL4’s speech therapy. D13 and M10 were visiting their grandpa with their mom, so it was a quiet day.
Hibernator's Library 