Making Readers...and Writers

How do you grow avid readers and aspiring writers? Take them to really cool events with local authors. Tonight the boys' school hosted an All Star Reading Night where they invited six local authors to come, read from their books, talk about what inspires them, and sign books to newly won fans. We, naturally, walked out with an armload full of new books. Riley was quite taken with Belle Yang and had her sign his copy of Forget Sorrow.



Laura Joy Rennert read from her book "Royal Princess Academy, Dragon Dreams", illustrated by French artist Melanie Florian.







Murlie Hanson is a recognized award-winning author who promotes education and creative thinking. She has lived in Norway, Bolivia, and in both the least and most populated states in America. She has been a Fulbright Scholar, a reporter, a columnist, and wrote a legal rights handbook for the disabled. She practices trust law in California and is writing a legal fiction novel. Winner of the MOM'S CHOICE AWARDS GOLD MEDAL for Excellence in Children's Picture Books.


Anne Ylvisaker is the author of the middle grade novels Button Down, The Luck of the Buttons, Little Klein, and Dear Papa, all from Candlewick Press, as well as an award winning board book, and nineteen nonfiction books for young readers. In 2005 Anne was awarded the McKnight Artist Fellowship/Loft Award in Children’s Literature. She incorporates old family photos into her books. 

And, lastly, Brad Herzog and Luke Herzog read to the group. Dylan waited in line to get a copy of Luke's Dragon Valley.



What an amazing evening!

School Portraits

We are not a family who sits for portraits. Ask any of our relatives who came to our wedding; we didn't even pose for family wedding photos. I may regret that down the line, but it's not the look I like. And I was a stubborn 20something at the time. Now I'm a stubborn 30something...almost 40. I still prefer candid shots or, if they are posed, they better be fun! Like this class photo from Dylan's class...

But there's something about school photos. That shocking growth from year to year. So, happily, I pay for the school portraits. Besides the photographers are good friends of ours and I try to support any of our friends who own their own businesses.

Here are my [huge] 3rd and 5th graders. How did this happen so fast?!?

A Hunt for Red Pants

Tomorrow is the Fall Festival for which we're toting in samples of at least three Filipino dishes, bamboo sticks, a sungka board and 70 little glass beads - plus extras in case curious, eager fingers walk away with a few - a Filipino story book, a cookbook, and whatever else the boys dream up before tomorrow afternoon.









I had thought that we would be going in barong tagalogs, etc., but Riley has other ideas. So, tonight, we'll be hunting high and low for red pants.

"Mom, remember the dance troupe from the Philippines where the dance originated? They wore red pants. I need to find red pants."

Alrighty then. Tonight: a hunt for red pants!

Filipino by Marriage

When Dylan, Riley, and I had - largely - mastered the tinikling, Riley announced, "Daddy, time for you to learn. You are Filipino by marriage, you know." Jake dutifully shut down his computer, came over to the living room, and looked dubiously at the sticks on the ground.

I don't know why I'm so scared of those sticks, but I am!

But he finally got the hang of it and was tiniklinging with the rest of us Filipinos! One hundred percent participation from the Mann Clan. Love it! Next up...sungka.

The Sting of Bamboo

It all started with a challenge for the boys' school Fall Festival and a trip to the Filipino store. Then we stopped at the craft store to get cardstock and Riley found some bamboo sticks. "Mom," he gushed, excitedly, "I want to learn how to do the tinikling. Can we get these for the Festival?" Ummm...

As always, if my kids want to learn something, I support it. So, the sticks went into the shopping cart. And when we got home, he logged into YouTube and found different clips of actual Filipino people doing the dance. There were some that were incredibly complex; I told him to stick to the basics.

After a little while, he handed me this... In case you can't tell what it is, it's a foot diagram of where I'm supposed to put my feet so they don't get smacked by the bamboo. Yeah, right. I can't read that!

Then he demonstrated the steps with stationary sticks...

Then he showed us the rhythm of the sticks...without any dancers...

Dylan practiced, under Riley's watchful eye...

And, then, we had some fun with it. The funniest thing ever: Riley, declared, as I danced between the sticks, avoided the sting of the bamboo, and swirled my dress around as I moved, "Mom, you really are Filipino!"

I think we're just about ready for next weekend. Stay tuned.

Confessions of a Less Than Enthusiastic Talent Show Mom

Okay, flame on, folks. I probably deserve it. But when I saw the flyer come home in the backpacks about the School talent show, I flashed back to last year's show: hours of acts, some true talents, some just really enthusiastic kids, and some kids that I will watch no matter what because they are good friends of ours. I had finally supressed one of the songs that gripped mercilessly onto your brain, refusing to be banished no matter how many other songs you crammed into your ears. I won't even mention the title for fear that it will creep back into my head. And, though I grudingly held onto the paper for a day, when neither of my boys mentioned it, I recycled it. Yes, I did stick it through the shredder first - with a smile on my face! Perhaps that was a little over the top.

So, imagine my surprise when my 2nd grader announced, gleefully, when I picked him up from my parents' house this afternoon that he was going to be in the talent show.

No, you're not. We never talked about it and I didn't sign the permission form. It had to be turned in today, Dylan.

The Nonni signed it.

Really?!? Seeking confirmation, I dialed my parents. Mom, did you sign the permission form for Dylan to be in the talent show at school?

No, let me ask your dad. [muffled chatter followed by laughter] Yes, your dad signed it. Dylan was really enthusiastic and walked him over to the sign-up. Did you tell him 'no'?

I sighed. No, I didn't tell him 'no', I just didn't mention it at all.

So the conversation continued.

Mommy, don't worry, it's only nineteen seconds.

No, it's ninety seconds. Do you have a plan?

So, here's what I've gathered: He's going to do a comedy show. He still has to write the script with his little pal. But he doesn't need a costume and he doesn't have to say anything. He's the guy who sits in front of the stage and laughs.

OMG. My kid is the canned laughter!

So, come one evening in January, we will be joining hundreds of other School parents, glued to our chairs, holding our breaths, and clapping as loudly as we can. Unleash the talent!

Boxtops Party-Pooper

I have been called a lot of things in my life, but this name levied by my seven-year-old as tears brimmed in his eyes probably hurt my feelings the most: Boxtops Party Pooper. This photo of him crying is not from this morning, but does give you the image of what I'm dealing with - salty tears and a pouty mouth.

Each year the boys' school has a boxtops competition when all of the classrooms compete to bring in the most boxtops; the winning class receives a smoothie and a movie party. While I am all for fundraisers that give kick-backs to school "for seemingly nothing more than your usual shopping habits" the Mann clan shopping habits do not include anything on the boxtop list. Zero, zip, zilch, nada.

And I refuse to go out and buy things I won't eat or use just so that the boys can walk through the door of their classrooms with some little paper rectangles. Is that unreasonable?

I've learned two things from this so far: (1) Kids don't yet have the desire to be different or unique. When does that happen? And how do I make it happen faster?!? (2) Social media is a powerful tool. I posted that I was a Boxtops Party-Pooper and within seconds two friends asked me for the products and will clear out their pantries for any of these products. Win-win. Thanks, gals, for helping my kids be "normal."

Something New

Riley received his first project assignment for 4th grade for his 6-week unit on "Discovering California": create a brochure or poster advertising a region of California.

He drew me a rough diagram of the state with circles for the regions. We discussed his options - desert, coastal, central, and mountains. I, simply because we've traveled all along the California coast, suggested that he choose the coastal region. I have tons of photos he can use.

One leveled glance and a single sentence made this mommy feel about 1" tall. And I was reminded that getting projects done is not about getting a project done.

"Mom," he said, "if I write about something I am already familiar with I won't learn anything new."

Very true. It's about learning. How could I have forgotten that?

He decided to study the California desert. So we are all going to be learning about the desert in the next couple of weeks.