Roots

In true page-turner style, the night before heart surgery,
I was rain-checked.

For a good month, I gnawed at this news like an old bone,
waited to hear if the docs would favor heart surgery after all,
or have me remain in this temporary place of not-quite-well.

 
What can we do when things aren't all better?
How can we meet the sacred in illness,
in poverty, in sadness,
in our imperfect selves?
 
Drink tea. Read good fiction. Take bubble baths.
Go outside and watch clouds.
And then, take a serious look around. 

Ill or not,  I am rich!

clean water. warm home. books.
food. literacy. art.
paint.

waves on the beach. limitless sky. stars. 

music. beauty. family.

love.
I could recount these riches all day.

Even ill, I am abundantly well.
 
I haven't been able to write.
That's the outlet that's suffered most since the stroke.
I'm tired, dizzy, and struggle with an aching head.
My dear friend Margaret Bloom of We Bloom Here
sent a breeze of wisdom my way,
likening this time to winter.
Sometimes leaves dry up and branches are stark,
but roots still go deep. 
 
Every time we struggle, may the roots go deep.
to grow us in compassion.
to grow us in perspective.
to grow us in steadiness,
and light.

What do we do with our troubles?
Find the gifts in front of us.

Even in our troubles,
there is sacred to be found:
laughter, forgiveness, grace, love.

Here's to deep roots and good dirt, my friends.

Epilogue:
I finally made peace with this middle ground,
and the next day: news!
Heart surgery is back on.

Friday, November 8, here we come!

Feel-good books:

Violet Mackerel's Remarkable Recovery,
by Anna Branford, ill. by Elanna Allen

(Thank you for the get-well-read, Margaret Bloom !)

The Mighty Lalouche, by Matthew Olshan and Sophie Blackall

Tea Rex, by Molly Idle

!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

A Sick Day for Amos McGee,
by Philip C. Stead, ill. by Erin E. Stead

Busy Bees and Happy Clams

When I'm full sail into revisions, I want my wildebeests happy!

Especially the one who just had her tonsils out. 

So I made "Busy Bags." 

"Ready for A Good Yarn" Busy Bag:

What's easier than a skein of yarn, a pair of scissors 

and "looms" made out of cereal boxes? 

It's paired with the clever book

Extra Yarn  - by Mac Barnett, 

illustrated by Jon Klassen

(I am especially enamored of this book!

Must blog more about it later!) 

And weaving was a *hit*!

"Artists Can Have Fun, Too" Busy Bag:

Complete with sketch pads, 

new art supplies and some luscious library finds!

I loved these books so much I have to do 

a separate post about them later. 

Art & Max - by David Weisner

The Fantastic Drawings of Danielle - by Barbara McClintock

Charlotte in Giverny -Joan MacPhail Knight, ill by Melissa Sweet
Charlotte in Paris -Joan MacPhail Knight, Melissa Sweet

"I'm Game if You Are" Busy Bag:

Stuffed full of card games, homemade goo-in-a-bag,

flash cards, dry-erase board, kid magazines
and these books:

Mini Racer - Kristy Dempsey,
illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo

My Many Colored Days - by Dr. Seuss,
illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

See that goo? 

Who knew a little hair gel and food coloring 

would make for hours of fun?

The kids are busy as bees and happy as clams.

And now - full steam ahead to those novel rewrites!

Our Busy Bag books:

Sick Day Geo-Caching

The tonsil fairy whisked away those pesky tonsils, and what did she leave in her wake....?

A sparkling surprise awaited Winnie after surgery.
A glittering envelope,
handmade flower paper,
and a nearly invisible note!
Thank you, Tonsil Fairy!
White paint pen scrawled on clear vellum
made for a very secret missive from our new friend!

No dimes or quarters from this gal. She left fairy dust.

And a little cranky dust.

I guess that's what you get when you mix Spring Break,
four kids,
one with a sad little throat,
and a nine-days of bed-rest!

Wait, doctor -
did you just say we can't leave the house for NINE days?
Right. No car rides. Keep it mellow. Gotcha.
Nine days' wonder. That's us.

So, since Winnie was confined to the couch,
I did my best to keep the gang entertained with "busy bags"
and...
A book treasure hunt.

Much like geo-caching, except without the GPS, and with less physical exertion.
 

The girls had to read a clue,
figure out which book the clue described,
and find "coordinates" hidden on a post-it note in that book.
Each coordinate was made of
a Page number, Sentence number, Word number,



which gave them one word of a mystery message.



Then they hunted through the book for a new clue,
which led them to another book, with coordinates and clues...



And at long last, a secret message:


Even Sugar Snack joined in the fun.

And Winnie smiled.


So, if you're thinking about hosting
a tonsil extraction anytime soon,
go for the popsicles.
and maybe a word hunt...

On Twin-ness

Same crib, same clothes, same friends...

Pip even discovered Winnie's toes before she found her own.

Following last year's trend, 

our kids have been on the sick train for six straight weeks.

Pip had to go to school without Winnie for the first time this school year.

She hid.

She cried.

She begged to stay home. 

She imagined a sore throat.

Just before Pip left for school, 

Winnie handed her a drawing of a candy cane. 

"There, Pip. Now you can have me with you."

Pip hurriedly made a duplicate for her home-bound sister.

When we got to class,

Pip reached into her backpack
and placed a hand on the candy cane.

She patted it reverently,
and then marched ahead,
ready to face whatever life dished out.

Hurray for art, and small paper !

As a reader, a writer, and a parent of twins, 

I am always on the lookout for great twin books.
After six years of hunting,
I've only come up with a handful of stunners.

For my writer and illustrator friends,
this should be encouraging news.
There's a void in the market!

Quick! Get writing!





Considering twin characters?

Here are some important tips about twins 
to start you on your way:

1. Twins are not identical in personality.
My girls love their differences.
Uniqueness is very strong theme with twins.



2. But NOT the Good Twin / Evil Twin kind of uniqueness!
Nobody is purely evil or purely good, unless we're writing comic books.

3. Competition is huge.
My girls are minutely aware of their own failings
and successes in comparison with each other.
We encourage them to help each other in areas of weakness.
Competition and teamwork are some of our recurring issues. 

4. Some twins speak their own secret language, referred to as "Twinspeak."

5. Pip and Winnie did not learn the word "mine" for years.
They may have said it in their secret twin language,
but the "mine" concept escaped them.
They still don't really have a grasp on it.
They share just about everything.

6. Friendship is a big deal for our twins.
They have a bond that other kids long for.
They love each other with an almost telepathic closeness.



7. But, having said all this, just when I think I'm beginning
to understand my girls and their twin-ness,
they change, show new sides to themselves,
have new passions and new big deals.

So, there you have it!
Kindling for your writing fire.

Notable twin books:

The Twins' Blanket, by Hyewon Yum

is beautifully designed, with art that is spare and expressive at the same time.

We LOVE this one!

Plus, it's about Korean twins, so our kids can appreciate
that side of their heritage, as well.



Ling and Ting Not Exactly the Same, by Grace Lin
It's easy to adore this book.
An early reader, Ling and Ting is clever and cute

in modern-retro style,

celebrating sameness and different-ness.

from Ling and Ting,
Not Exactly the Same
by Grace Lin

Meet the Barkers, by Tomie dePaola.

Tomie de Paola: enough said.
I love everything he's done, 

including dog twins at school.
Great stuff, well thought out and relevant.

A few of our our favorite friendship books:

 

The Toot and Puddle books, by Holly Hobbie

Kit and Kat, by Tomie de Paola

Bink and Gollie - by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, ill by Tony Fucile

Two Good Friends, by Judy Delton, illustrated by Guilio Maestro
Best Friends for Frances, by Russell Hoban, ill by Lillian Hoban
Frog and Toad books, by Arnold Lobel

Favorite unique-ness books:

Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes

The Seven Chinese Sisters, by Grace Lin
The Clementine books, by Sarah Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee
You're All My Favorites, by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram

The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson


Please add your favorites to the comments! I'm always on the hunt!