Books, etc.

It's Sunday, which has become my unofficial blogging day, I guess.  This weekend has been absolutely nuts, so tonight I am going to take it easy, make a nice dinner for my daughter, niece, and nephew, maybe read a little bit, and just relax.  Dinner is actually already made (lasagne, salad from our garden, homemade salad dressing, garlic bread), and ready to throw in the oven, so no work there.  Lesson plans done for this week, laundry done and outfits laid out ready to go for the week. 

I am working on an article for an early childhood magazine about the importance of outdoor play, connecting curriculum with outdoor play, and how our school does this now.  I'm not usually a procrastinator, but I do need to stew about stuff for awhile before it gels in my head, so I've been thinking for awhile about it.  Wrote a kick-ass outline today at lunch.  Inspiration struck over tableside guac at Amigos--what can I say?

This week is the Week of the Young Child, so we have a lot of special activities going on at school.  We also had our Spring Carnival on Friday, and I won two prizes--admission for four to Congo River Mini-Golf, and a $25 gift certificate for Outback Steakhouse.  Yea Me!  I haven't won ANYTHING in 8 years, so I was due.  And as we all know, I am cursed with a competitiveness that defies reason, so I always feel a need to win.  Something. 

I bought two books today at the bookstore--A Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball.  I think I will love them both.  Book reviews to come. 

I read a book a while back that was really interesting to me, and I keep meaning to share it, but it hasn't seemed like the right time, but since we are discussing books, here you go.  The book is  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  For a year, she did all the things that are rumored to make you happy, i.e. make more money, take time to smell the roses, and anything else she heard about.  She then analyzed if these things actually do make a person happier.  Interesting concept.  The book itself is very interesting, and the methods she used to keep track of what she was doing and how it made her feel are fascinating.