Jones Kids on the Loose - 2019 Edition Day 2

We had a good breakfast at the hotel, very nice lady working the kitchen - we will be giving staff high marks when the e-mail survey comes through! Had an entertaining time trying to explain cable TV to the kids, and how the channel they watched at "Grandpa Bob's house" (i.e. The Hampton Inn where they stayed in Alamogordo) will not show the same things in Abilene, Texas.

Of course I forgot a few things (earrings - I wasn't even wearing any! - socks for me, etc.), but there was a Big Lots right across the street. I picked up what I needed and also managed to find a Christmas present, which I then had to figure out how to hide in the car. The cashier there was also super nice - everyone I encountered in Abilene was very nice, there was a variety of shopping from what I could see, pretty brick buildings, everything very clean and green. If I ever had to live in a big city, I would be inclined to choose Abilene based on what little I saw.

But I don't ever want to live in a big city!

We started the morning off at the Frontier West museum, which I highly recommend for any age. Shane was smitten by the time we reached the lobby:

You begin the tour in a room with a short, engaging video about the area and what the museum covers.

Which Sheridan video taped. 

Then you go through several rooms with exhibits run by...

...holographic people! My pictures aren't going to do them justice, but you could really make yourself believe they were actually standing in front of you. Pat Garrett was especially good - although, living in the Lincoln County area, we have our doubts as to his claim that he shot Billy the Kid.

The kids loved it!

I forgot this lady's name, but she led quite an interesting life. She even invited us in for dinner.

After seeing this, though, we weren't so sure about sharing a community meal.

When you come in, you get a laminated card with the name and basic stats of a real person who lived on the early frontier. At the end you slide it into a machine to find out what your fate was! Turned out to be another lady with an interesting life.

Of course, this was Mike's (and Christopher's) favorite spot.

The last room is a surround theater where you go through a prairie storm, Comanche attack, buffalo stampede, and gunfight.

Shane AND Sheridan may or may not have ended up in my lap a couple times.

Here you guess how much each item would cost you in the general store.

We heard everything was bigger in Texas, but I have a suspicion this was exaggerating.

After the museum we headed just a few blocks into town to start the children's literature statue tour. 

Perfect quote for Logan!

Another slight exaggeration, I think.

David is one of our favorite characters, but where are the kids?

Of course. Looking at a bug.

I sent this book to one of my favorite new babies!

Santa!

Don't forget to look up!

Not a children's lit statue, but way cool.

Back out of town, pausing to point out the closest thing we have seen to a skyscraper - one of the travel items they were supposed to spot, hard to find in southern NM.

We switched drivers, which put Christopher behind Mike. The two people with the longest legs. That didn't work out too well, so we stopped to switch kids around!

Quick stop for fruit and cheese - and lots of running - at a rest area. 

Travelling went well until we hit a traffic snag outside of Dallas, and everything looked like this for about an hour.

Finally, Canton! We checked into our little cabin for the weekend. We shared it with Mykela and Bradley, who got the main bedroom:

Sheridan and Logan immediately claimed the bunk beds,

And the rest of us shared the pull-out bed and an air mattress in the living room. There was a little kitchenette, perfect for vacation cooking.

Once we were settled in we went o the "Big House" to see the rest of the family - cousins and their kids gathered from all corners of the country, including a new cousin-in-law and a baby we hadn't met yet. 

The kids were shy around each other at first, but I herded some of them outside to play on the porch, and pretty soon they were chasing each other up and down the hill. 

Big family dinner, then an early bedtime!

Jones Kids on the Loose - 2019 Edition

It has been YEARS since we have gone on any sort of family vacation - YEARS. Time work and funds and a million other things just keep getting in the way. We were long overdue, so when my niece Meghan announced her wedding would be on a three day weekend, we decided to make it five days, and pull the kids out of school for a couple.

But we didn't tell them! They tend to fret and over plan and drive us crazy, so we waited - and told them they would just be staying with Grandma. That let me pack a suitcase with their clothes, without suspicion. We even told them she was taking them someplace special, so they would need one nice outfit each!

The night before the trip, when I picked them up after school, I told them Grace was going to have a sleepover at Grandma's, since it was her turn. She was thrilled! For numerous reasons (which are not anyone else's business - especially if they have never experienced fasd - but which I promise were in her best interest) we decided Grace would stay at Grandma's and not miss school. She had a BLAST and got spoiled rotten.

Over dinner, we told the kids they would actually be coming with us.

Sheridan cried. She wanted to go to school and Grandma's. Sigh.

I ran them through baths and showers, and got the car packed up. Space was pretty tight, so I told them they could each pick one book and one toy to bring. The next thing I knew, Sheridan had two bags packed plus a baby doll and all her paraphernalia, including a car seat! I ordered her to pare it down, and thought she had, until we were pulling out and I glanced back at her seat.

hjeridan explained that the bunny was baby Judith's toy for the trip. Has anyone else read Betty Bunny Wants Everything? That was her nickname for the longest time...

Started with card game of things to find along the way...and then there was this.



"I saw a cat!" "You did not." "I'm supposed to find an open convertible."

Sheridan has become a diva who won't pee on a tree. Even if we offer her a whole forest!

Lunch at Casey's in Hobbs. Okay burgers and fries, great chicken strips. Massive Coca-Cola collection for such a small space. No credit or debit cards, though! That took much of the cash I had brought.

The fog had cleared by then, but it stayed 37 degrees, drizzly and windy everywhere we went. Before the trip I prepped these shoe holders to hang on the backs of the seats:

I didn't take a pictures at the start, but there was a wrapped surprise in each pocket, and for every hour they went without bickering, they got to open one. Playing cards, activity books, chocolate eggs with toys inside, and those sticky guys that flip down the wall - perfect for car windows! Every hour seemed to be perfect, and then they had things to bring into the hotel room.

We reached Abilene around 5PM our time - the kids got a kick out of going an hour into the future! What can I say, we don't get out much.

We had planned on an Italian place for lunch, but ended up at Golden Corral because we knew where that was, and we had had enough with Google directions. Better food than the one we used to have in our town, very sweet waitress. Since everyone was a different degree of hungry after travelling (and snacking) all day, it worked out well.

We stayed at Comfort Suites. The gentleman at front desk was very nice, room was comfy and clean. We couldn't even hear noises from outside, and we were right on the highway.

Cable, wow!

Not sure where Mike and I are supposed to sleep.

Got on wifi to catch up on messages. There was a video from the mom of one of my young patrons at the library, complaining that he KNOWS I don't live at the library, but that I am still supposed to BE THERE.

We tried to turn in fairly early, thinking everyone would be wiped out. Not so much.
Out of the darkness:
"Mommy?"
"Yeeeeees?"
"Can rubber catch on fire?"
"Go. to. sleep."

And so on.

Review: The Moose of Ewenki by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane and Jiu Er

9781771645386

$19.95

When a Mongolian elder named Gree Shrek hunts a female moose by mistake, her young calf is left behind. Saddened by her loss, Gree Shrek names the calf Xiao Han (“Little Moose”) and the moose and man form an authentic attachment. Xiao Han accompanies Gree Shrek as the hunter-gatherer herds reindeer, sets up camp, forages for food in the forest, and visits his peoples’ village, where many fun adventures happen. But as the little moose grows bigger, Gree Shrek knows he must return his companion to the forest.

We try to have books to represent all different cultures at the library, but I think it's safe to say we haven't had any about the indigenous people of Mongolia. My guess is that children will have many questions both during and after this book (don't reindeer come from Finland?), so there is great opportunity for further exploration here.

The story itself is thoughtful, at times humorous, at times sad, but always with an overlying quiet. That quiet may come from the sense of the vast wilderness, or from the subdued but intricate illustrations. This is the perfect addition to a collection that needs "something different".

Gifting Ideas: Pair it with a moose, of course! Probably not a real one, but maybe a stuffed moose, a puppet, or even a sponsorship of a real one. You can click here to sponsor a moose in Alaska, or here to sponsor one through the World Wildlife Fund.

Review: Hello, Crow! by Candace Savage and Chelsea O'Byrne

9781771644440

$17.95

Franny has a new friend—a crow who brings her presents in its beak. Like a red button! And a silver heart! Franny’s dad doesn’t believe her. He says crows and kids can’t be friends. But Franny knows better. How will Franny prove her new playmate is real? And what will the crafty crow bring next?

Kids will get a chuckle out of Franny's absent-mindedness (shown in the illustrations even more than in the text), and adults may recognize a young dreamer in their life. The story line is a bit formulaic, but younger readers and animal lovers won't care, and will find the ending quite satisfying. Illustrations match Franny perfectly - a little bit messy and scattered at first glance, yet oh so interesting when you look more closely. An afterward gives a little more information about identifying and befriending crows. Gift this one to the budding naturalist or misunderstood dreamer in your life!

Gifting Idea: Pair with an age-appropriate book about birding, or a shadow box to hold some tiny treasures like this adjustable one from Amazon:

Review: Turnabout Shapes by Agnes Baruzzi

9789888341825

$11.99

In this clever book of die-cut shapes, you can see how a watermelon changes into a bird’s beak—or how a tulip becomes a mermaid’s tail. The pages connect to each other not only with their die-cut holes but also with zippy, rhyming text that makes for loads of fun. Filled with colorful art, this is a book that’s pleasing to the eyes, the ears, and the fingers.

I have reviewed and enjoyed Baruzzi's books before, and one even became a Cybils finalist. Unfortunately, this one came as a disappointment.

The text is extremely small for a board book, with choppy rhymes and in unrelated pairings. It seemed very forced in areas. The pictures are cute, but there is a lot of dead space that could be confusing. Generally in peek-through books like this, the area you can see on the next page is part of the next picture: instead, here you see through to a solid or patterned page, with the next picture on the opposing side. I'm afraid this one just isn't as attractive or kid-pleasing as her previous titles, although the high quality of the binding and color is the same.

Review: Peek-a-Who Too? by Elsa Mroziewicz

9789888341818

$11.99

A triangular board book may seem unusual, but Peek-A-Who?, with its cleverly shaped lift-the-flaps, garnered fans from across the children’s book world. This follow-up to the acclaimed original is full of hidden animals, each making different sounds. Can you figure out who each one is? Lift the unique shaped flaps to see who peeks out!

I reviewed the predecessor for this book last year, and said that it might be an exception to my lift-the-flap ban in the library. I wanted to take a picture of it, still holding up nicely despite circulating once a month on average, but...it's checked out!

Not only have the flaps help up perfectly, the shape makes the book stand out on the shelf - without causing a problem for shelvers, like a certain round book did. It is super easy for little fingers to pull it out by the top corner, making me wonder why all board books aren't shaped this way!

As with the first book, the illustrations are beautiful pieces of art, with the bright colors and large eyes that catch a baby's focus. Animal sounds and easy guessing games are always a sure bet with the littles. This would be a fun book to include in someone's stocking!

Gifting Ideas: Pair this with some brightly colored hand or finger puppets of different animals, like these (click here for Amazon link).