Okay. I just have to vent because I am so, so, sad. About 2 years ago I wrote the first chapter to a book I was going to call Maleficent. I also wrote a bunch of ideas down in a journal of the plot line, etc. I thought it would be so cool to write about the life of one of the greatest villains of all time. I wanted to make her seem more real and have more depth so people understood why she became who she did. I was so excited about my idea but had to put it on the back burner because I was due with #3. I was also intimidated because I would have to be careful of copyright stuff and I needed to do a lot of research about pitching an idea to Disney. So early this morning I started having all of these great ideas pop into my head about my book. Then I decided to get online and do a little research. Well what did I see.......this. What the heck? Are you kidding me? I was sooooo mad. Angelina Jolie is going to play the main role and the movie is coming out in 2013. WHAT??? I thought I was being so original. I had the greatest story in my head and someone beat me to it. I am just so sad right now. I don't even know if I will be able to watch it because I thought of it years ago. Man, sometimes I wish I would just go with my gut feelings and act on it. I knew I had a great idea. Oh-well. (Tear)
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Maleficent
Okay. I just have to vent because I am so, so, sad. About 2 years ago I wrote the first chapter to a book I was going to call Maleficent. I also wrote a bunch of ideas down in a journal of the plot line, etc. I thought it would be so cool to write about the life of one of the greatest villains of all time. I wanted to make her seem more real and have more depth so people understood why she became who she did. I was so excited about my idea but had to put it on the back burner because I was due with #3. I was also intimidated because I would have to be careful of copyright stuff and I needed to do a lot of research about pitching an idea to Disney. So early this morning I started having all of these great ideas pop into my head about my book. Then I decided to get online and do a little research. Well what did I see.......this. What the heck? Are you kidding me? I was sooooo mad. Angelina Jolie is going to play the main role and the movie is coming out in 2013. WHAT??? I thought I was being so original. I had the greatest story in my head and someone beat me to it. I am just so sad right now. I don't even know if I will be able to watch it because I thought of it years ago. Man, sometimes I wish I would just go with my gut feelings and act on it. I knew I had a great idea. Oh-well. (Tear)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Shel Silverstein
This man is amazing. I love his books. You can check out his website here. Two of my favorites are Where the Sidewalk Ends
and The Giving Tree.
I was reading Where the Sidewalk Ends to my two oldest little piggies and they couldn't get enough. They kept saying, "Just one more mom?" The next morning I found the book under #1's pillow meaning that she had snuck it and read it in the night. That little stinker. :)
Where the Sidewalk Ends, is a collection of poems and drawings. I distinctly remember being in 3rd grade in the library of my local elementary school and listening to the librarian read some of the poems from the book.
One of my favorites is called Boa Constrictor.
Oh, I'm being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it-----one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee,
It's up to my knee.
Oh my,
It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle,
It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck
It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff...
Isn't that just great? I love his poems.
Another....Hug O'War
I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o'war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone gigles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.
Such a sweet poem! Now, as for The Giving Tree-
"Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy." So begins one of the sweetest stories I have ever read for children. It teaches a valuable lesson. The tree just keeps giving and giving and the boy takes her for granted. It teaches about selfishness. I think it is a good conversation starter that gets your kids thinking about how others feel when you just take and take and never give back. I also really love the concept of having a tree "love" a child. It reminds me of my childhood and my favorite tree I use to play in. I loved that tree and built forts in that tree and played games in that tree. I truly "loved" that tree. Anyways, these two books are great to have on your bookshelf.
and The Giving Tree.
I was reading Where the Sidewalk Ends to my two oldest little piggies and they couldn't get enough. They kept saying, "Just one more mom?" The next morning I found the book under #1's pillow meaning that she had snuck it and read it in the night. That little stinker. :)Where the Sidewalk Ends, is a collection of poems and drawings. I distinctly remember being in 3rd grade in the library of my local elementary school and listening to the librarian read some of the poems from the book.
One of my favorites is called Boa Constrictor.
Oh, I'm being eaten
By a boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
A boa constrictor,
I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,
And I don't like it-----one bit.
Well, what do you know?
It's nibblin' my toe.
Oh, gee,
It's up to my knee.
Oh my,
It's up to my thigh.
Oh, fiddle,
It's up to my middle.
Oh, heck
It's up to my neck.
Oh, dread,
It's upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff...
Isn't that just great? I love his poems.
Another....Hug O'War
I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o'war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone gigles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.
Such a sweet poem! Now, as for The Giving Tree-
"Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy." So begins one of the sweetest stories I have ever read for children. It teaches a valuable lesson. The tree just keeps giving and giving and the boy takes her for granted. It teaches about selfishness. I think it is a good conversation starter that gets your kids thinking about how others feel when you just take and take and never give back. I also really love the concept of having a tree "love" a child. It reminds me of my childhood and my favorite tree I use to play in. I loved that tree and built forts in that tree and played games in that tree. I truly "loved" that tree. Anyways, these two books are great to have on your bookshelf.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Parenting
I have been reading some parenting books lately. I love to read newspaper parenting articles, and advice books, blogs and magazine articles because I love to get new ideas. I've read an article about how French parenting is better than American here. I've read a book called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua and her view point of why she thinks the Chinese method of parenting is better than the American method. I've read Teaching Your Children Values by Linda and Richard Eyre. I just recently got through reading The Children You Want with the Kids You Have by Marie Ricks. What I have learned is this: No one knows how to be the perfect parent. Everybody thinks they know the right way, but what works for one may not work for another. I do not think the Chinese way is the right way to parent or the French way is the right way or truthfully the American way is the right way. What we need to learn from all of this is that kids need loving parents that will help guide them through life to become successful adults in the future. Children also need their parents to be just that, parents-not friends. They need to be taught values and the importance of a hard work ethic. They need to know that their parents have got their back and will be their advocate. I think you can take little snippets from each book or article you read and try to apply it to your life. After reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, it did make me want to push my kids harder in school and music. Do I want to push my kids so hard that they are practicing piano for 6-8 hours a day and never get a play date- No. After reading The Children You Want with the Kids You Have, I wanted to try harder at home to get my house organized and my kids helping more with the chores. Am I going to do the master plan using index cards- probably not. I think you can take things from these books to help you become a better parent and apply it to your life. They all offer great advice but I truthfully feel that there isn't one perfect way to parent. You do the best you can do. Some of the books I have read are written by very educated people, yet I still feel that no one knows the perfect way to parent. We all just do what we know or have learned and try our best to love our children in the only ways we know how.
From the classes I took in college about child development they say there are 3 different types of parenting. First is authoritarian, second is permissive and third is authoritative. Authoritarian parents always try to be in control and exert their control on the children. These parents set strict rules to try to keep order, and they usually do this without much expression of warmth and affection. Permissive parents give up most control to their children. Parents make few, if any, rules, and the rules that they make are usually not consistently enforced. They don't want to be tied down to routines. They want their children to feel free. They do not set clear boundaries or expectations for their children's behavior and tend to accept in a warm and loving way, however the child behaves. Authoritative parents help children learn to be responsible for themselves and to think about the consequences of their behavior. Parents do this by providing clear, reasonable expectations for their children and explanations for why they expect their children to behave in a particular manner. They monitor their children's behavior to make sure that they follow through on rules and expectations. They do this in a warm and loving manner. They often, "try to catch their children being good" and reinforcing the good behavior, rather than focusing on the bad.
I want to be the authoritative parent of course. The perfect parent, but I find that sometimes I am the authoritarian and sometimes I am the permissive parent but most of the time I am striving to be the authoritative parent.
Is it just me or do others feel after they read all of these parenting books and articles that you are not living up to all of the expectations of being a good parent. My house doesn't always look perfect, my kids are smart but not #1 in the class, my kids aren't perfectly disciplined, my kids fight, there are dishes in the sink that are dirty, I have a crazy schedule, dinner is not ready (I haven't even thought of what to make yet actually), the kids are not sleeping through the night every night. What? you might say. Well one has nightmares, one is a baby and the other wakes up from the snoring of #2 and then everybody is up sometimes, I just found crayons and old popcorn underneath the couch cushions, etc.
Yet, after reading I also feel like, "Hey, I am doing okay. My house is decent, my children mind, I did the laundry, my kids are excelling in school, they did their chores, my children feel loved and bring me notes that tell me how much they love me, when they are sick-I am there feeding them chicken noodle soup and popcicles and reading them stories and making sure they breathe all night long, my kids get up and get themselves dressed and make their own beds without being asked sometimes, my babies started to sleep through the night at 6 weeks, they are learning independence, etc.
So for all of you parents out there who are trying to read books about being better parents. Guess what- you usually already are one. Give yourself a pat on the back and know that you are doing a good job and to keep up the good work.
From the classes I took in college about child development they say there are 3 different types of parenting. First is authoritarian, second is permissive and third is authoritative. Authoritarian parents always try to be in control and exert their control on the children. These parents set strict rules to try to keep order, and they usually do this without much expression of warmth and affection. Permissive parents give up most control to their children. Parents make few, if any, rules, and the rules that they make are usually not consistently enforced. They don't want to be tied down to routines. They want their children to feel free. They do not set clear boundaries or expectations for their children's behavior and tend to accept in a warm and loving way, however the child behaves. Authoritative parents help children learn to be responsible for themselves and to think about the consequences of their behavior. Parents do this by providing clear, reasonable expectations for their children and explanations for why they expect their children to behave in a particular manner. They monitor their children's behavior to make sure that they follow through on rules and expectations. They do this in a warm and loving manner. They often, "try to catch their children being good" and reinforcing the good behavior, rather than focusing on the bad.
I want to be the authoritative parent of course. The perfect parent, but I find that sometimes I am the authoritarian and sometimes I am the permissive parent but most of the time I am striving to be the authoritative parent.
Is it just me or do others feel after they read all of these parenting books and articles that you are not living up to all of the expectations of being a good parent. My house doesn't always look perfect, my kids are smart but not #1 in the class, my kids aren't perfectly disciplined, my kids fight, there are dishes in the sink that are dirty, I have a crazy schedule, dinner is not ready (I haven't even thought of what to make yet actually), the kids are not sleeping through the night every night. What? you might say. Well one has nightmares, one is a baby and the other wakes up from the snoring of #2 and then everybody is up sometimes, I just found crayons and old popcorn underneath the couch cushions, etc.
Yet, after reading I also feel like, "Hey, I am doing okay. My house is decent, my children mind, I did the laundry, my kids are excelling in school, they did their chores, my children feel loved and bring me notes that tell me how much they love me, when they are sick-I am there feeding them chicken noodle soup and popcicles and reading them stories and making sure they breathe all night long, my kids get up and get themselves dressed and make their own beds without being asked sometimes, my babies started to sleep through the night at 6 weeks, they are learning independence, etc.
So for all of you parents out there who are trying to read books about being better parents. Guess what- you usually already are one. Give yourself a pat on the back and know that you are doing a good job and to keep up the good work.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Online Storytime
So Barnes & Noble has a free online storytime. Just click here to visit the website. It is so cool because it has really cute books read by the authors themselves and celebrities. Anyways just a fun little something I thought I would share. This month Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton is the book being read.
Here are some more fun children's books that I would recommend
1. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (One of my favorites as a child)
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (I hosted this book for book club....great!!!!)
4. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
5. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
6. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
7. Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett
8. Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
9. Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin
10. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Also for those of you who are writers, you should try this out, even though it has already started. It is called the picture book marathon. Check out their blog. The goal is to try and write a rough draft of a picture book everyday during the month of February. I don't know if I can do that but maybe I could do the 1/2 marathan....haha totally my style, or maybe even the 5k. Okay now I am just cracking myself up. I do want to try and write a couple stories this month though. It is motivation that I need so 2 pats on the back for me....go Juli go....go Juli go....
Here are some more fun children's books that I would recommend
1. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (One of my favorites as a child)
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (I hosted this book for book club....great!!!!)
4. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
5. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
6. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
7. Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett
8. Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
9. Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin
10. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Also for those of you who are writers, you should try this out, even though it has already started. It is called the picture book marathon. Check out their blog. The goal is to try and write a rough draft of a picture book everyday during the month of February. I don't know if I can do that but maybe I could do the 1/2 marathan....haha totally my style, or maybe even the 5k. Okay now I am just cracking myself up. I do want to try and write a couple stories this month though. It is motivation that I need so 2 pats on the back for me....go Juli go....go Juli go....
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