notes of jubilee

It's been a crazy week 'round these here parts. I am sure all of you dear readers that have school aged children can relate.  It's enough to make one want to break out the strawberry ice cream and eat straight from the carton.

Whirling Dervish has started Kindergarten. Huzzah! The elementary school had a staggered start for the kindergarten class, so The Cruise Director and The Affectionate One started school on Tuesday and Whirling Dervish didn't start until Thursday.

Everyone was all excitement personified on Tuesday morning. There was lots of rushing around, finding of toothbrushes (how do they get lost from one day to the next? I still don't know), making of PB&J sandwiches, and last minute shoe tying lessons. And lots and lots of pictures.  Because nothing says I love you like a bunch of blurred pictures of kids making bunny ears behind each others heads.  Which means there's lots o' love in the Jubilant household.

I am not sure Whirling Dervish understood why he couldn't get on the bus that morning, but he courageously waved his brother and sister off. Then he tromped into the house, flopped his skinny little body on the recliner and promptly watched two episodes of Phineas and Ferb while I dozed on the couch. It was quite the forty seven minutes of bonding - let me assure you.

Then Thursday came along. Whirling Dervish woke up, dressed himself and was bouncing down the hallway to the kitchen when I rolled out of bed wiping mascara from my eyes with the bottom of my over-sized t-shirt. Even though the excitement had worn off for my oldest two chickadees, they tried to muster up a little enthusiasm for their little brother. But only after they were strongly encouraged with parental eyebrow raising and jaw clenching.

My first and fourth grade children are already quite jaded. It's so sad. When Whirling Dervish expressed his delight at riding the bus that day, The Cruise Director responded with, "Give it a couple of days." Always the encourager, that one.

I was asked over and over again what I was going to do with all my "free time."

"I'm gonna clean like crazy. Get all those projects finished that have been half done for the last five years. And maybe a load of laundry or two."

Well, the laundry got done anyway.

The call of a nap and a full DVR was more powerful than I care to admit. I mean all those episodes of Royal Pains and My Fair Wedding aren't going to watch themselves, you know.  And that strawberry ice cream has to be eaten by somebody.
 
Counting it all joy (especially the strawberry flavored kind),

So, I was surfin' the 'net today. Something I haven't done in ages - along with blogging and reading blogs - ahem. And I came across a site that is just up my alley:

Save the Words

It

features words that have all but disappeared from standard English usage and also asks users to "adopt" the archaisms in their daily communications

It was fun to browse through and find so many words I'd never heard before. Most of the words, honestly, if they go by the wayside, not many would notice, let alone care. But as a lover of words (I am sure there is a word for THAT), I am kinda sad to see any word go. Archaic or not.  And if you are so inclined - I was - you can "adopt" a word.  Which just means that you promise to use your adopted word in everyday speech.

My favorite happens to be epalpebrate.  It means lacking eyebrows.  You may think that this particular word is an odd choice.


Okay, I'll tell you.  There was this enlightening, nonchalant conversation about thick unruly eyebrows amongst a couple of dear, dear friends.  In my presence.  Without actually 'talking' to me.  All of the sudden I felt convicted.  And paranoid.  Were they referring to me?!  Was this - Gulp - an eyebrow intervention?! 

Gah! Self-centered much?

It was kinda like when someone offers you gum or a breath mint and you take it all the time wondering if they offered because you need it.  Yeah, like that.

You coulda called me Brooke Shields - The Early Years.  Minus the long brunette locks.  Remember when all you noticed on her face was her eyebrows?  Yeah.  That'd be me two days ago.  Only, my eyebrows what's left of them are blonde, so I was hoping no one would notice so much.

Cuz I am a big fat CHICKEN

At least when it comes to drastically altering anything about my face.  Not that I am a beauty - I just can't stomach the thought that I might possibly make it worse.  Ack!

So, I plucked my own eyebrows for the very first time.  I mean, I have tweezed now and again to eradicate the occasional stray.  I have even gone and let the hair wizard do them for me once.  I thought once it was done, I could duplicate it, no problem.  Yeah, not so much.  So I decided the best strategy was to ignore the eyebrows.  Until that fateful conversation when I knew I needed "the breath mint".

Well, now you understand why epalpebrate is my new favorite word.  It hits so close to home.  Face.  Whatever.

Counting it all joy,

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your peek into the book!

***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***





Known as the Riddle King of America, Mike Thaler is the author of the popular Black Lagoon books and the Heaven and Mirth series. He lives in Portland, Oregon, and travels nationally, speaking in schools, libraries, and churches.

Visit the author's website.


Jared Lee is an accomplished illustrator with experience working for the likes of L.L. Bean, Procter and Gamble, Hasbro, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and the U.S. Postal Service. He currently resides in Lebanon, Ohio.


Visit the illustrator's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $4.99
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310715970
ISBN-13: 978-0310715979
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x

Press the browse button to view the first chapter:


My Take:

My kids, especially my nine year old, loved this book. It was so entertaining and we had a chance to laugh as a family. There were a few jokes I recognized, but many of them were new to me.

The illustrations are of a style that is not my favorite, but who cares what I think.  My kids loved them.  This is a book that we'll enjoy quite a bit.

Counting it all joy,