Fun, fantasy, and fantastic family time all help to describe vacation at Walt Disney World. Of course, when you think about Disney, there are a lot of different ways you can share the letter “F” with memories of your stay. Food favorites could have been the main focus, but here are a few that I came up with for the theme of the Disney Wordless Wednesday.
Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.
Did you ever have a monster under your bed, in your closest, or in another location in your room? Perhaps you did not, but maybe a child in your life has this fear. Author and illustrator Sharon Cramer’s granddaughter and a familiar Disney monster movie were the inspiration for her latest book Marlow and the Monster
Marlow and the Monster – Written and illustrated by Sharon Cramer – Talking Bird Books – August 2012 – ISBN 9780983943716 – Hardcover 40 pages – $14.95 (Also eBook of Marlow and the Monster
Marlow is a young boy who seems rather annoyed when a colorful monster keeps coming to his room. The monster keeps pestering Marlow and hides when he calls his mother to come help. Of course, nobody sees the monster who continues to bother Marlow. Eventually, Marlow figures out something to do that involves his little sister Sarah. She helps him to see the truth behind the monster and how he is not really that bad.
JSL, 5, and I read Marlow and the Monster together and we both really enjoyed it. JSL immediately was intrigued with the very different style of illustrations from Cramer. Although black and white may seem quite simple, the level of detail in these magnificent drawings are beyond anything I have ever seen in a picture book. You can tell that love was poured into each and every page of this book. JSL was also fascinated with finding a sweet little friend within each picture.
As a parent and teacher, I love that monsters are not portrayed as bad creatures. They are simply misunderstood and will help to ease fears that many children may have. Too many kids are afraid of monsters because of what they may hear from other kids and see within books and television programing. JSL and I talked about the monster and why Marlow may have been upset with him. Then we were able to chat about how it is important not to assume something about a “person” before you really get to know them. There are a lot of lessons that you can take from Marlow and the Monster. Of course, Sharon Cramer also has made a list of pointers to help children with their fear of monsters. We will be using this since JSL has been waking almost every evening with nightmares. Here is Sharon Cramer talking about some of the items during a television interview:
I know that we will now be checking out more of the books by Sharon Cramer, including her award-winning three-book series, Cougar Cub Tales. In addition to this, she is working on a Fantasy series called The Cerulean Star and just released her first full length novel, The Execution.
Marlow and the Monster Book Giveaway:
Author and illustrator Sharon Cramer would like one lucky reader to have a very special copy of Marlow and the Monster for someone in your life. Please be sure to see the rules listed within the Rafflecopter widget and below.
To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section and Rafflecopter. Giveaway begins October 30, 2012 and ends November 14, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada residents only.
Disclosure: I received the autographed book complimentary of Sharon Cramer and Talking Bird Books in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own. This giveaway is sponsored by Talking Bird Books who will fulfill the prize to the giveaway winner. Two Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the books in the giveaway. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.
For weeks, the boys have been preparing for Halloween. This was the first year that JSL picked out his own costume and did not wear something that he inherited from his big brother. NHL knew just what he wanted to wear and JSL had to go with a slightly different choice (they don’t make Buzz Lightyear costumes past a certain toddler size). We have had everything ready, just sitting there and waiting.
I knew that the weather was not looking too great for a while. The other day, I picked up some cookies to bake for the boys just in case we could not go out in the rain. The only reason I did this is because I did not buy candy to give out to kids trick-or-treating this year. Of course, then the power outage scares made me get some other items (a toy) just in case we can’t make the kids those special Mickey Mouse cookies.
The weekend was dry, so it dawned on me that it was time to break out the costumes and get photos of the boys just in case we can not do it on Wednesday. So, we pulled all of the pieces together and got the boys dressed and went outside. It was Harry Potter versus Captain America.
The boys were SO happy to be outside, run around, and show off their costumes to some of the neighbors. It also let us capture the moment and get some fun photos. No, Hurricane Sandy will not ruin Halloween for us, it will just be different.
The reality is that the boys could care less about going out to get candy, they wanted to play in their costumes. It was run to watch Harry Potter chasing around after Captain America putting spells onto him. Of course, the little guy had no clue that they were ones that a good wizard should not be making. Oy!
Safe Halloween wishes to everyone, especially those in the path of Hurricane Sandy.
Right now people up and down the East Coast of the United States are getting ready for what meteorologist and the media have dubbed the Frankenstorm. Hurricane Sandy has also caused lives to be lost in her path, and more destruction from extreme win and rain are likely. Thanks to Hurricane Irene just over a year ago, we have all learned to listen to weather reports and take them seriously. It is better to be more cautious about things than have regrets later on. The hardest part, the waiting game and watching the always changing news reports. Where will Sandy make landfall, where will she go after that, and how much wind and rain will everyone really see. A huge thank you to my friend Sandy in Pennsylvania for sharing this photo from the news in her area.
To all of my friends and family who are in the line of Hurricane Sandy, stay safe. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as we get ready for what she tosses your way. It certainly looks to be windy, rainy, and possibly issues with flooding in many areas. We have had to regroup with the boys just in case we can not go out for Halloween on Wednesday. I asked someone the other day if the Capital Region has ever canceled school for a hurricane or tropical storm, and it does not seem like it. Lots of Nor Easters, but nothing that combines the two together.
While I am nervous, this time I am able to concentrate a lot more on the reality of the storm. With Hurricane Irene, I was forced to cancel a 10th Anniversary Trip to Walt Disney World with TechyDad. That distraction meant that I was not thinking about food if we lost power. I went grocery shopping very early Saturday morning. We usually get groceries on Sunday, so we needed items. I avoided the crowds and bought thing that were needed and useful should we lose power.
Please remember safety first. If you need to evacuate your area, do it immediately. Your life and loved ones are worth so much more than material items.
Dear NHL,
I adore when you tell me about the projects that you are working on at school. Of course, once they come home it is even more impressive. I love the creativity you show and the fantastic projects your art teacher comes up with. This latest one was no different. You picked the poem called Orange Giraffe to make a Poem Tower based on it. The giraffe was super cute. I love how the Model Magic marbled to make the perfect giraffe pattern.
When you look at the entire piece, it was really amazing to see all of the details included. It was especially cool to listen to you explain how you read the poem, made a big drawing, base of project was made, and finally the giraffe to attach.
I am looking forward to seeing what lies ahead the rest of this year in art and beyond. Oh and congratulations on winning the Word of the Week prize at school – very proud of you.
Love,
