Library Girls

The Urbandale Public Library was a neighbor to Urbandale High School years ago. I'd often stop by after work to grab a book, a CD, and/or a movie. Back then they had padded bags you could borrow to carry the materials you checked out.

I remember carrying one of these bags into a co-worker's classroom on a Friday afternoon. He was talking to a young woman that I didn't recognize about working at the middle school. I was single at the time, so when she left a minute later, I asked him who she was.

"I don't think it matters to you," he replied.

"Why?"

"You and your nerd library book bag wouldn't stand a chance."

I was stunned, "What are you talking about?"

He stooped over, mimicked a little boy holding imaginary book bag straps with his hands and knees together, and said, "I'm going to the library so I can get some bookths!"

"Are you saying that women won't go out with guys who go to the library?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I am saying."

We argued about merits of reading for a minute more, and then my book bag and I left.

I later discovered how much that guy hated to read anything longer than a paragraph. In retrospect, his comments said a lot more about him than they did about me.

Also, he was wrong. Girls like the library. I know this is true because Daphne and I went to a library during one of our first days together as a couple.

Later, we had a girl of our own who loves to go to the library.

I have these stickers left over from the "Geek the Library" awareness campaign. They sit on the windowsill in my classroom.

I used to have this poster hanging in my classroom, too.

This campaign confuses Charlotte. "How can anyone make fun of the library? There isn't anything geek about it."

I have to agree. Where would the Monsons go on rainy, summer mornings? Where would we walk to on sunny, fall afternoons? When the winter snow is blowing outside our window, where do we get a movie to cozy up with? Where's the best place to fly a spring kite in Johnston, Iowa?

Yes, there are other places that we go, but none fit our family as well as the library.

Oh yeah, I just remembered this. That same teacher also told me that when I turned 29, I was too old to ever find a wife and have a family. He was quite a wealth of misinformation.

Maybe he should have read more often.

White Winter Hymnals

This morning Urbandale Schools had a two-hour delay due to the weather. Daphne and I finished shoveling around 6:45, and from the driveway I could see that the light was already on in Char's room. Charlotte was hoping for a school delay so she could lounge around in her PJs.

Later I was watching the news while Charlotte was eating breakfast. A Toyota commercial appeared with the Fleet Foxes' "Ragged Wood" playing in the background. I thought, That would sound good on the way to school today. Fleeting thoughts like that usually don't return before we leave the house, but today I remembered to grab the Fleet Foxes' self-titled CD.

The music filled the car as I backed out of the garage. Outside, the snow was falling silently. By the time the second song came on, "White Winter Hymnal", Char was also quiet.

We passed under a bridge, and I looked into the rearview mirror and asked, "What do you think? I thought this music would be calming on a morning like this."

Char smiled. "Mission accomplished," she said without looking away from her window.

link--> White Winter Hymnal

I Know It's Not Art, but We're Having Fun.

Along with Charlotte's regular school schedule, she has lettered days that indicate what "special" she will attend each day. For instance, "C" day is for the music and P.E. classes.

When Charlotte opens her door in the morning, this lighted sign greets her from the floor. Daphne usually writes the message, but lately I've been killing time at night by doing some doodling.

Today is "D" day.

Neither Charlotte or Daphne got my pun. "D" day is for guidance.

Yesterday was teacher in-service, so Charlotte opted to go back to daycare at Kim's house. The "KD" is supposed to look like the Kim Possible logo. It doesn't look much like the logo, but Charlotte recognized it anyway.

This is from Char's first morning with a fridge in her room. It was also a jazz band morning when Daphne leaves by 6:30 AM, and I let Char play on the computer.

Charlotte loves when the art class gets to use clay. She's making a bag of potato chips with some chips scattered around the bag. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

On the 100th day of school, Char had a late start (mucho computer time during Adventuretime), and Clover Kids after school. She told me, "Today is going to be the best day ever!"

Self-explanatory.

Charlotte calls the little guy at the bottom the "signature star", so I'm now trying to fit him in each morning.

Baby, It's Cool Inside

I received this mini, electric cooler as a gift two Christmases ago.

I wasn't sure what I would do with the cooler, so it's been stored in the basement. Every few months Charlotte would spot it and ask if she could have it in her room. We, of course, said no. A cooler that looks like a beer can has no place in a little girl's room. Char would argue back about all the things she could do if she had that cooler in her room, but our answer was always no.

But she got me thinking. I remember when Daphne's band students could earn prizes if they sold enough magazine subscriptions for the music program's fundraiser. One of the prizes that the kids were really excited about was an electric cooler for their room. Maybe that wasn't such a crazy idea.

Last month I spotted a used dorm fridge for sale that was dented, dirty, and missing the center rack. I told Daphne that I passed on it, but she agreed that if I found a nicer one, we could give it to Char. I've been checking Craigslist and letgo.com for a few weeks, but I hadn't seen anything close to us for a decent price.

Last Sunday I found a nicer one at the Many Hands thrift store. It was complete and labeled as tested and working. Sold! Charlotte and Daphne wouldn't be home until late on Sunday night, so after a thorough cleaning I hid the refrigerator in Char's room under a blanket.

The fridge was stocked with bottled water, applesauce, string cheese, and yogurt. On setting number 7 (the highest), the unit ran all night. I suprised Char with refridgerator in the morning ("How did I not see that!"), but almost everything inside was frozen. Yeah, this fridge works!

I dialed it down to 3.5, and Char's fridge now keeps everything cool while it quietly and contentedly hums on and off. Char added the plastic forks and spoons for when she has guests. She explained, "We can use the top like a table."

Speaking of cool, Char wanted to make this all her own. To do that, we started by making a few custom stickers. This was just the trial run, and these stickers are too small. I like her humor, though.

On eBay you can buy packs of 50 random stickers from China for a few bucks. I keep these packs around the house for circumstances just like this. Taa Daa! Each sticker was picked and placed by Charlotte.

Char wants to add a "Sorry, Sold Out." sticker beneath the Red Bull and Monster images because she doesn't drink caffeine. Then she should be done... for now... who knows what this thing will look like by next year?

Breakfast with Dad (formerly known as Donuts with Dad part 3) and Friendship Parties (formerly know as Valentine's Day Parties) '19

Since donuts are now on the "no-can-do" list, this year's breakfast at KA featured croissants. To get Char pumped up, her morning sign greeted her with "Saunty" The Croissant-Narwhal. I tried to find an online picture of a croissant-narwhal that I could copy, but I came up empty handed.

So, here's my rendition.

Is this a good drawing? Mmmm, no.
Did this drawing impress my daughter? Actually, yes.
So, that makes this drawing awesome.
Take that, art critics.

There was orange juice, but sadly no bacon seaweed.

To make things even more exciting, Karen Acres is have their Friendship Parties this afternoon. This year it was Char's idea to fold 22 origami boxes with a ring-pop inside for her gifts. She proudly brought these to school yesterday.

Daphne and Char shared folding duties.

It should be another successful Friday, but I have my fingers crossed. You never know how school parties are gonna go.

SheWon'tStandStill!

I'll admit it. Sitting in an elementary gym watching a "Sock Hop" wasn't the first place I wanted to be on a Friday night.

Here's the deal. The school advertises these events all week, and Charlotte doesn't say anything about them. Then on Friday she talks to all her friends at school, and they convince her she she has to go. Or not. Sometimes she comes home on Friday afternoon and tells me the great news that she doesn't want to go to said event. She doesn't always follow the crowd.

Last Friday afternoon Char opened the door from the garage and announced, "Dad! Guess what? I'm going to a Sock Hop!"

Heavy sigh.

Daphne reasoned that after missing two days of school, running around with her friends would be good for Charlotte. And as usual, Daphne was right. But calling it a "Sock Hop" would be misleading. This would be better described as "Karen Acres Presents: An Unorganized Recess with a DJ and Balloons."

The third graders were well represented. I recognized or knew several kids by name. (That dad with the beard was once a freshman in my English 9 class. I am so old.)

Charlotte didn't stop moving from 6:35 to 8:02. I could not get a good picture - she was just a blur. Also, balloons are a very big deal.

The one time she tried to stand still was for the "Hokey Pokey." She's on the right.

Let's see how long that lasts.

Yep. She made it seven seconds. It's the allure of the balloons, my friends.

Her eyes were already closed by the time she got in the backseat of our car. When I asked if she had a good time, she just smiled.

I'd call that a successful Friday night.

Repetition Works

This year we saw in the theater Peter Rabbit, Ralph Break the Internet, Incredibles 2, Teen Titans Go!, Christopher Robin, The House with a Clock in its Walls, Smallfoot, The Grinch, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Mary Poppins Returns, and as of yesterday, The Kid Who Would Be King.

You know what means? That means we have seen the trailer for The Lego Movie 2 at least eleven times. We have this family tradition of giving every movie trailer we see a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. For the first few views, none of us were interested, and Char gave The Lego Movie 2 a sharp thumbs-down. Towards the beginning of fall, Charlotte surprised us with a sideways thumb. She gave the trailer an enthusiastic thumbs-up yesterday.

I asked what changed her mind, and she said, "I've seen the preview so many times. I have to see the whole thing now!"

Any movie that features The Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic" is okay by me, but the repetition didn't work on Daphne. She's still in thumbs-down mode. Maybe we'll make it a daddy-daughter afternoon.

Is There School Today? There is? Yes!!

This word bubble light was a gift to Charlotte from Grandma Betty. This year Daphne started a tradition of writing a greeting on it for Charlotte every school morning.

After two days cooped at home, I believe Char was more than ready to go back to school and see her friends again. I drew this morning's greeting because I was, too.