Better Late Than Never!

Randomly Random Stuff

I seemingly have dozens of loose ends around these parts, so let's just tie up a few of them, mmkay?

* Thanks so very much for all of the book recommendations! Alexis' birthday is just over a week away, so many of the titles will be finding their way into her hot little hands very soon. I'll let you know which ones turn out being favorites. Also, per a request in the comments, I'll put together a list of all of the books that were recommended along with any findings about age-appropriateness.

Y'all are the best.

* Yes, I grew up in North Dakota but say y'all. I used to say it in conjunction with "eh," so at least I've become less confusing in my old age.

* A baby cries every time you leave your expensive camera in auto mode to take a picture. It's true. Help keep the babies happy by learning how to shoot in manual at this workshop. There was a cancellation, so I happen to have an open space.

* My friend Chachi is, once again, engaged in some shenanigans involving video games. The shenanigans will support art programs for at-risk and homeless kids. If you've got a second, check out what he's up to and see if there's anything you can do to help.

* So far January 2013 has been WAAAAY better than January 2012. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I have been counting the days until we get past a few anniversaries. Two down, two to go.

* The new dishwasher is this one. It was way cheaper when I bought it, though.

* Your comments on the Bloody Mary post were like a trip down memory lane. Light as a feather ... the flood of memories about where I was the first time I tempted the Bloody Mary fates ... all of it was a lot of fun.

I still won't say her name a third time. Just sayin'.

* While I am firmly on Team Snow in January, it definitely didn't suck to be able to sit outside and enjoy lunch with my favorite short person this past weekend.

Thinks Like a Big Kid, Feels Like a Little Kid

There is a 100% chance that I am completely unprepared for that which is this child.

From the sparkles she throws around everywhere she goes to the swagger she somehow possesses, she is just ... too much.

So much.

All of the things.

But The Thing that recently has been proving my incompetence over and over and over again is That Thing where she can read far beyond her age group.

If you've got your panties in a wad over me complaining about her being a good reader, simmer down for a second and hear me out. The Thing about having a kid who can read well early is that they can read things they just shouldn't. For example, Alexis is SUPER interested in history, so she has made it a habit to check out books from the library that tell her things about Lincoln's assassination, the sinking of the Titanic, King Tutankhamun, etc.

Guess which kid wasn't emotionally prepared to learn that women and children were pretty much the only ones who survived the Titanic? Guess which kid had nightmares for weeks about being aboard the Titanic and losing her parents and soooooooooob waaaaaaaaah soooooooooooob? She very seriously cried for over an hour one day because she couldn't stop thinking about how sad it would be to watch your family members sink to their deaths.

We all lost sleep over it, just as we did when she was worried that there was an assassin walking the streets of Pittsburgh, just waiting for theater-goers to be seated so he could shoot at will.

My point is that I don't know how to keep the bookworm adequately challenged, but emotionally OK. I mean, she's *my* kid, so she's going to end up emotionally scarred, but I would prefer that it be from the damage I cause and not because she's reading stuff she's not old enough to handle just yet.

So, internet, help me out here. The kid can read books like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Secret Garden (her current favorites), but she should be reading things like Elephant and Piggie. She loves history, but gets super pissed off if she encounters a lot of words she doesn't understand. Suggestions? Titles? Favorite books?