Did you know there is some kind of dance called the Cat Daddy?
Well, there is. And 104 13 year olds cheered and chanted for me to do this strange dance at our honors and awards program yesterday. I declined, made some less-than-witty comment about saving it for the after party and sat down, baffled and red-faced.
Afterwards I gave everyone a stern talking-to about taking me off guard and putting me on the spot like that in front of their families and my bosses.
And then I learned the Cat Daddy. I'd say it's pretty white girl friendly, but apparently it was still the most hilarious thing my kids had ever seen.
I don't know what they were laughing at. I mean, can't you see me killing this?? For a prime demo, go straight to the 2:10 mark of this video.
I'll be back soon to share some more goodies from the last days of school (how did I end up with a job that kills me over and over again every single day and yet I keep going back for more??) but for now, I have a few book reviews.
I'm one of the five people who have never seen this movie - and I'm not anti-scary movie - I think I've kept it up on a pedestal as the phoenix of all horror, and I somehow didn't think I'd survive the viewing. I did survive the book, though, and loved every page of it. Is it sick to admit that I loved Hannibal Lecter's character? I thought he was hilarious. Again, not sure I should be admitting this, but there it is. Masterful suspense. And, now I understand why people have always greeted me "Hello, Clarice."
I've not seen this movie, either, but the book was a very quick and completely absorbing read. Written simply and cleverly, it's the story of a nine-year-old German boy, Bruno, who befriends a Jewish boy, Shmuel, at Auschwitz (his father is one of Hitler's commandants) and doesn't at all have a clue what is happening around him. It's a very innocent account of a child's perspective of the atrocities of the Holocaust, and for that reason it's especially poignant (I feel like such a wannabe book reviewer using that word, but really, it's the best word for the job). I loved everything about this book.
I guess I'm on a roll here with novels-turned-movies (and hyphens, it turns out). The preview for this movie got me intrigued enough to read the novel (I think people should make trailers for books!) but I'm sorry to report that both book and movie were kind of a let down. Maybe it was that I'd recently finished Silence of the Lambs, but I thought the plot unfolded rather slowly. A lot of times that's okay, but I don't think this guy is a good enough writer to get away with a really slow plot. That said, it was entertaining, and I don't usually take to science fiction, clones, organ harvesting, that sort of thing. I liked it just barely enough to think about reading The Remains of the Day.
I'm reading this one right now, and as it turns out, so is my pastor's sweet little 8 year old daughter. It's pretty golden - it's about four sisters, their dog Hound, and their widowed father vacationing at a summer cottage where they meet some interesting characters (and two rabbits). I'm of the opinion that the best adult lit usually doesn't hold a candle to really good children's books - it's in the children's section that you find the best stories, characters, humor, wit, and often, writing. The Penderwicks is no exception - I laugh out loud reading it - it's really a treat. I can't wait to follow it up with The Penderwicks on Gardham Street and The Penderwicks at Point Mouette.
(See Matthew 27:1-61, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 23:1-56, John 18:28-19:42.)
"On Thursday night in Gethsemane, Jesus was arrested—betrayed by one of His own disciples and abandoned by the others. The Chief Priests and the Sanhedrin called for secret trials in the dead of night, and the verdict handed down was that Jesus would be crucified. This was something the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate, would have to execute. And reluctantly, he did.
After a severe beating, Jesus was nailed to a cross where He’d remain for six hours until dead.
Never before or since had more been lost and gained at the same time as at Jesus’ crucifixion.
The world gained the atoning sacrifice of Christ. But for those present, either the significance of the moment was lost on them or their hearts broke because the One they believed to be the Savior of the world was dying at the hands of Rome. They couldn’t stop it and they didn’t realize it was for them. They hoped in Him, and though He had told them He would suffer many things and rise three days later, (Mk 8:31)how could they have possibly known this was what He meant?"
Today my mind keeps wandering to those who were present at the crucifixion. The very moment they were given life itself; the very moment they received the complete and unmerited mercy and grace of eternity seemed, by all accounts, to be the single most devastating event of their lives.
I don't understand it, but I'm so, so thankful that His ways are not mine, that from sorrow will come song, and from tomb, breath and life.
This poem...oh, this poem. I'm sharing it with my kids today. Risky? Yes. Do I care? No.
A Night Poem (For Easter) Andrew Peterson
I lie in bed these sweet few days When the windows yet are open And the weather yet is fine, And love to hear the dead of night Announce its living presence With hoot and croak and creeping vine.
I love the knowledge that for years As I have waited on the bench Beneath the juniper tree, And paid such close attention, There is an owl I’ve never seen An owl, I know, who watches me.
I love the sound of secret things, I love to hear their nearness, And to feel their wildness, too. (Three days ago we sowed the seeds And every hour I check the dirt For seedlings pushing through.)
I lie in bed awake, alert, Aware of the God of the Garden. I sense in the seed a promise, An unfolding resurrection In the furrowed row, in soil And root, in husk and humus.
I sense an ancient heart alive Who haunts these moonlit acres, Blessing, bringing life from death, Dawn from darkness, song from sorrow. The night owl swoops, the zephyr sighs; I hear within the tomb: a breath.
I'm excited about this book because 1) It is the story of Mary Tudor, the younger sister of Henry VIII and the courtly commoner Charles Brandon and 2) I don't think I have ever read a copy of a book this old - this book is copyrighted 1898 and it was a Christmas gift to a Mabel Miller in 1899. I found it on eBay for pennies, and something tells me this copy is worth far more than what I paid for it.
I think this book has the kind of quirk in it that I dearly love (and it's a children's book, go figure) - the four main characters - two of whom are named Constance and Sticky (I rest my case) - travel to an isolated school where children are being trained by a criminal mastermind to participate in his schemes to take over the world. Bottom line: Any book that has a place in it called the Whispering Gallery has my attention.
This one seems really interesting: An upper middle class journalist tries to live on the wages of unskilled jobs in three different locations in the US. The author describes her experiences and tries to relate them to a larger frame of reference by laying out statistics about the US.
John Ames, a 76 year old preacher in Iowa, is writing a letter to his 7 year old son to leave to him an account of his life. It's a meditation on fathers and children, particularly sons, on faith, and on the imperfectability of man.
I started reading this one at the very end of last summer, and was surprised by how much I liked it. Sadly I had to put it down in August and have yet to pick it back up so I'm excited to finish it this summer. It's a mix of social history, politics, and science - sounds pretty boring, I know - but what could very easily be a pretty dry account of the 1927 flooding of the Mississippi River turns out to be (at least in the first few chapters) a really engaging story of the transformation of American society.
1. Dodging lightning bolts and straight line winds at least once a week
2. Starting a new skincare regimen (I didn't really have one before? Oh. That is correct.) because my derm said these horrifying words to me, "You know, you're nearly 30...it's time for you to think about aging when you pick skin products."
3. Mad Men, seasons 1-4 Not sure how much this is worth since I don't watch much TV at all, but I'll make the claim that this show has the best cast of characters of any show in the past three decades at least.
4. As usual, the wrangling of many 12- year-olds I'm trying very hard to really enjoy these personalities these last few weeks. Five and one day, to be exact.
5. Virtual conference webinar series Five things to say about this: 1) huge headphones 2) web cam 3) national viewership 4) adhesive mustache 5) I am in WAY over my head
6. Frozen dinners Mostly as a result of #5. I feel very icky health-wise.
7. Birthdays! Holly & Nita both had birthdays this month, and we celebrated last weekend. So fun.
I think Nita looks a little like a Who in this picture
The birthday girls
8. Summer reading list Sadly, I don't do much recreational reading from August-May so I try to pack in a lot of good reads during the summer weeks. I'm working on my list for this summer and I plan to kick off the reading a little early this year. I'll be back soon with my completed list.
In the meantime, have you read anything really good lately? I'd love some recommendations!
"Well, we all know that Miss H is my English teacher. But we all wonder what her life is like outside of school. None of us think of the good things she may do. We are all thinking of the negative and grown-folk things she's doing. Well, me personally, I think outside of school Miss H is boy crazy, a facebook addict, and a ballet teacher.
Miss H looks like she has a lot of boy problems. I think she might have a different boyfriend every week like us 7th graders! I wonder if she cries about boys. Oh excuse me I meant to say MEN because she is grown and don't want or need to be dating any little boys. That's called nasty. Anyways like I was saying her men are probably muscular and ghetto. Just like she likes them. LOL.
Have you ever heard of facebook? Yeah I'm quite sure you have. But if you haven't then you should think about joining it. Oh wait nevermind it should be going away on March 18, 2011. I don't think it will but if it does someone else's life is going to be ruined. Who may that be? We all know the answer to that. Miss H.
She spends 20 out of 24 hours on there a day. Doesn't that mean she is on facebook during school? Yes it does. I think that is why she is so crazy because she only gets four good hours of sleep a day.
Miss H is also lanky, tall, and loud. I think she may teach ballet on Saturdays. The one day she's not on facebook having poke wars. Her little ballerinas probably wear the cutest outfits because Miss H has unique swagg. Which all ballet teachers need.
I wonder if she is better than I am in ballet. Hmm. I think so. That means she can be my ballet teacher one day. Maybe sooner than you think. I will pay her $50.
Now we all know what Miss H does in her free time. Well I ain't gone say she does it. I would prefer to say, 'Now we all know what I think Miss H may do or be in her quality time.'
Do you know what time it is now? If you don't, then I do."
Just in case you forgot what 7th grade was like (and I know you want to revisit that), here's a list compiled by my kiddos...
2. 
