Book Review: "Goldie and the Three Hares"

Our current favorite book is "Goldie and the Three Hares" by Margie-Palatini, illustrated by Jack E. Davis.

The book tells the story of what happens to Goldilocks after the three bears chase her out of their home. It's silly and lots of fun.

In our house, Goldie (or "you know who" as she's known in the book) gets an obnoxious voice. She's pretty obnoxious so I think it works. Plus, it seems to add to Milo's enjoyment of the book. I think you really do have to be willing to put on voices when reading this book to a youngster.

Milo's favorite line from the book: THUMP. BUMP. KABOOM. KABOOM. KABOOM! (Which much be read in an increasingly loud voice.)

The illustrations are bright and goofy and a bit over-the-top -- in a good way, adding to the silliness of the story.

The rabbits have to figure out how to get this "big little girl" to leave their tiny rabbit hole and quickly. If they don't she may eat them out of house and home. And Little Baby Hare may be a permanent TV antenna.

There's not much of a lesson in this book - except how not to act as a guest in other people's homes - but it is a lot of fun for story time. We have read it numerous times since we checked it out from the library a couple weeks ago. Neither one of us are tired of it yet.

Daddy Talk: Family

I don't like my mother. There I said it. I love her, but I don't like her.

I moved my family in with my mother this past summer. I sold my house faster than expected with the plans to move into a job in Longmont or Oregon. Suffice it to say that I didn't get the job but pressed on with the house sale figuring it was time to get out of the neighborhood anyway and establish roots in a house for my family. I thought that it would be a good opportunity for Milo to bond with his grandmother because she really didn't come around, maybe five times in the two years of his life.  She did get a chance to spend more time with him but none of it turned out how I wanted. It was six months of staying with her and maybe a total of one month of good.

Some things I learned from this whole escapade was that sometimes crazy is just crazy. My mom has been unstable since as far back as I can remember. As long as I can remember she had bouts of manic behavior. Really happy in one instance and boatloads of angry and crazy in another. I always wished for some different behavior and continuously was surprised that the same old thing happened over and over. I was unlucky enough to have that growing up and I don't know why I wanted Milo to go through that.

I think my bonds with Pam and my family have improved because of this.

There were definitely hard times and angry words between us all but I hope we are all better now. What I really wanted was a family, a normal family. I love my aunts and uncles because they are a bond to my dad. I love the family that it all entails. I also love the family that Pam brings.

A Month of Gratitude: Day 30

I am grateful for all my blessings and a chance to count them. It's easy to forget how good I have it. Life can get stressful. Life can be hard -- even in the best of situations. But things can always be worse. Many people have suffered great losses in the past year -- to natural disasters, to unnatural circumstances and to just plain old bad luck. I know that I am lucky to have the things I have. I am especially lucky to have people in my life that would support me and help me if I lost those things.

This exercise of a month of gratitude has really made me see how wonderful my life is. I need to carry this feeling forward throughout the new year and beyond.

A Month of Gratitude: Day 29

I am grateful for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

The food was good -- always grateful for someone else cooking. The food was plentiful -- grateful that we always have enough to eat. The company was good -- always grateful for the love of my family.

And the faces were silly. I'm always grateful for laughter.

A Month of Gratitude: Day 28

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am grateful for my family. We're a little bit of a mixed bunch and we've had some losses that hurt pretty badly. But also some recent additions that have brought a lot of happiness.

Maybe becoming a mom myself has made me appreciate my family a lot more. Whatever the reason, I'm glad that I have gotten closer to them. I can't imagine not having these wonderful people to spend the holiday with.

A Month of Gratitude: Day 27

I am grateful for rest. I am grateful for relaxing days filled with laughter and the people I love. I am grateful for deep, restful nights in a comfortable place.

This picture has nothing to do with rest. It's just a cute smile.

I am grateful for a restful visit with my family. They are totally worth the long drive.

A Month of Gratitude: Day 26

I am grateful for helpful people -- whether they are friends, family or strangers.

There is plenty of ugliness in the world, so I really appreciate people who go out of their way to be nice. It may sound overly simple, but it seems like it's easier for a lot of people to be mean or at least indifferent.

From little gestures like a warm smile or holding the door to really big favors and gifts, there's nothing quite like true kindness.