Have I Mentioned

That I like to take pictures of flowers...?

A Dramatic Birthday Party

We celebrated Madilyn's birthday this week with a family party. I found this book that contained a play, Cinderella, with four parts {Cinerella, The Wicked Stepmother, The Wicked Stepsister, The Prince} and a Narrator. It has five copies of the script as well as four masks, one for each character. I thought is was pretty cute.  So mom thought it would be fun to make her a stage for the playroom since Madilyn has always loved putting on shows.  As this was a top secret project, the curtains were being hung that night so we decided to read through the script to prepare for the play.  Madilyn, Emma, Stacey, Mom, and I read through it several times rotating the parts so most of us got to deliver the Wicked Stepmothers best line: 'Noooooooooooooooo!' Those who did not get that line got to be the prince.  Let me tell you it was fun to attempt a "man voice".  Madilyn took to it like a duck to water. Emma was not sure she wanted to participate until the second time through. She, too, developed quite a dramatic flare.  It was so fun!  I am looking forward to many more evenings of home theatricals.

Madilyn in character as the Wicked Stepsister

Emma "reading" her lines as the Wicked Stepmother

Garret went with the guys to the hardware store, and he was a little unsure about the play, so I do not have a good photo of him while we were "acting", but I thought this was pretty funny:

"Um, that is perfectly good eating there!" {Garrett not quite sure how he feels about Grandpa cleaning the left over pizza off his high chair tray in preparation for cake and ice cream.} 

 The Birthday Cake {That matched the cupcakes Madilyn took to school.}

Audio Books

When I was a child, I enjoyed listing to a series of Disney Read-Along books on record {Yes, vinyl was available "in my day"} and cassette tape.   I would flip thought the pages as the stories were read and I loved that they included some of the songs from the movies.  So fun! {Below are two of my favorites!}

  

I did not really listen to books on tape again until I had a 10-15 hour a week commute into the City. I was a frequent patron of the library seeking audio books as soon as I had grown tired of my meager music collection.  I felt by listening to all of those books I was not wasting my time, and it kept me awake when I was tired.  

Thankfully, I no longer have that commute, but I do still enjoy listening to books on tape whenever I am doing something that will allow me to listen.  I get audio books from the library occasionally, but with the capabilities of my new phone, I can download them.  I found a website that does not limit you to just putting them on your phone.  They are available for download so you can burn them to CD. Great for road trips! And you do not have to turn them in if you cannot finish them in the allotted "check out" time.  Best of all, this website offers audio books for free.  What website, you ask? Go here. LibriVox has an ever growing collection of books that are in the public domain and the recordings are, too. I will make these recommendations, though: Look for books that only have one reader.  When the reader switches each chapter it  is rather distracting, or at least I think think it is.  And, do not give up if you don't care for the reader... they are free after all.  If you do not like the reader, pick a different book!

I am currently listening to The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper and I just finished Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

Talk About Modest:

I found this girl's skirt length guide from 1868 {Harpers Bazaar} as I was researching.  Love it!  Imagine asking young ladies today to use this as a guide!

 

Do you remember...

I stopped by the store this evening on my way home from work. As I walk in there were several displays with toys and such for Easter.  I noticed with the coloring books there were some that came with those cheap water colors they make for kids.  I walked over and picked one up and flipped through it.  It made me think of the "painting" books that I had as a kid, the books with the paint all around the edge by the black lines and all you had to do was have water and a plastic paint brush.  I remember having so much fun "painting". Too bad they do not make them any more! I would sit down right now and "paint" if I could find one... just for old time's sake.