Potty Talk is Hilarious! Nature can be gross!

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I sure hope it's a phase, but having a preschooler into potty talk and the hilarity of it being repeated in some of my 7th grade girls makes me think I'll be encountering it in some capacity throughout parenthood. I admit I am getting a little tired of "tooting" here and everywhere, seeing the butt dances, and mooning. At least there is improvement in the burping. Little Sapling (the name I call my daughter online) burst with pride a few months ago when, after processing in her mind during breakfast, she said, "T-o-o-t-y-b-u-t-t. I can spell tootybutt, Mommy."

I am so proud.

And now, it doesn't help when we heard a clip from "Thomas the Train" when the narrator said that Thomas tooted (his horn). I looked at Little Sapling and said, "Thomas tooted." Then we giggled together.

Sometimes, I'm no help.

While bodily functions that emit goop, poop, gas, odors, spit, vomit, etc. are natural and generally serve a purpose in humans (although in humans it's not always clear what the purpose may be), in nature there is a lot more "Gross Stuff That Helps Nature Work" (taken from the cover of the first Nature's Yucky! book).

Nature's Yucky! is a series of three (so far) beautifully color-illustrated non-fiction science books aimed at ages five and up. They are written by Lee Ann Landstrom and Karen I. Shragg; published by Mountain Press Publishing Company. The first book was illustrated by Constance R. Bergum. The other books are illustrated by Rachel Rogge.

Several common elements exist in the books. There is the repetition of the words for each animal,  

"Did you know...[insert animal name and gross behavior here]

Eeewww! That's yucky! 

But hey, it's okay. Just imagine if it weren't that way!" 

The authors follow these up with details of the purpose of the yucky behavior, along with a thought-provoking comment that leads one to reconsider something we have familiarity with in our human lives. In the back of each book, readers will find additional in-depth details about each animal, along with a recipe for a "yucky" food, and other fun information. Both the second and third books also conclude with a list of numerous print and electronic resources, for both children and adults, promoting continued learning.  

Nature's Yucky! Gross Stuff that Helps Nature Work (c) 2003 focuses on a random list of animals such as honeybees, sea stars, grizzly bears, great gray owls and more. Find out why hoary marmots don't poop during the entire winter or why sockeye salmon start to rot before (yes, while they are still alive) they die or how western painted turtles breathe through their butts. As in the subsequent books, readers will also encounter animals who eat their poop, throw up regularly, and use their tongues as toilet paper. Even though some behaviors are similar in each book, it's interesting to learn about the variety of animals who engage in the same yucky behaviors. The recipe in the first book is for Scat Cookies. I mean really, who hasn't wanted to eat cookies that resemble animal poop? (They do have chocolate in them, if that helps.)
 
Nature's Yucky! 2 The Desert Southwest  (c) 2007 
This book begins with the introduction of the regal horned lizard who squirts blood from its eyes. Later, readers will meet a snake who can make itself smell like garbage, an animal that smells like stinky feet, more animals that help their young poop by licking their butts, an animal who uses pee as glue, and more. Celebrate the learning in this book by baking the recipe for "Raven-Gut Upside Down Cake."


Nature's Yucky! 3 The Eastern United States (c) 2013

This book continues the grossness. Did you know that the velvet on the white-tailed deer's antlers has nutritional value for the deer? Want to see a truly ugly baby that grows into something beautiful? Learn about a butterfly who starts off life as a caterpillar that resembles bird poop. Read on to learn why dragonfly larvae shoot water out of their butts. I thought opossums only played dead when afraid. Now I know about their smelly green goo. If you've ever avoided someone because they had an odor that was less than appealing, you will learn that for animals, the stink factor is often a form of self-protection. Conclude your learning with a snack of Bird Poop Caterpillar Pretzels.

I find learning about instinctual behaviors of animals fascinating. It's also a reminder that we, all living creatures, have many inherent abilities. Unfortunately for humans, we don't always realize that the skills we need to move forward and survive may already be a part of us.

The Nature's Yucky! books are great for read-alouds with children. They contain lively kid-friendly details and a tone aimed at children (or really anyone who prefers an easy, laid-back read when it comes to learning about science topics). The vivid illustrations have a beauty that draws the viewer to the animal and makes it easy to not notice the visual grossness. I find the written descriptions of the yucky behaviors more gross than what appears in the illustrations. Finally, if you are anything like me, watching and hearing listeners react to the gross factor as someone reads the books aloud provides entertainment in itself.

Thank you for reading my thoughts.

More words in a coming tomorrow,

~Tamara

The End is Near--or is it?

All I can say is that this has been a tough year.
Tough year at work.
Tough year combining work with grad school with parenting with adjusting to changes in health and thinking.
I recently completed my grad classes in Information Media until next fall. Super grades! I feel pleased, and more knowledgeable. And even a bit more confident should I be blessed with a job interview in the near future.

Now to get through the rest of the school year. Being a special education teacher is like having 10 or more major assignments all due around the same time. It's people forgetting that when we became teachers, the number one reason was to help and work with our children--to help them achieve success and believe in themselves despite having challenges related to learning or attention or physical disability. We knew that paperwork was a major part of being a special education teacher, but when there is more concern with the paperwork than the the teaching, it makes it difficult to feel that we, the teachers, can be fully focused and present for our students.

It has been a tough year.
I used to do all-nighters to get through my paperwork. Now I am zonked by 9:00pm--sometimes earlier.
My thyroid cancer--which is all clear now (as reported following my spring break scan--yay!)--was my wake-up call that life is too short to be spending time doing something that makes one feel frequently stressed and unhappy.

I am looking for a change.
Summer will be my break.
I am collecting ideas to share here.
I cannot wait.

Be back soon.

~Tamara

Refocusing--I am Back!

In my last post, so very long ago, I wrote, "I am determined to believe that just as with any other traumatic event, life eventually can take over and my main focus will be on that, and this wrinkle in my journey will be an extra appetizer that I may or may not have room for along with my main course." Since then, life has taken over, for the most part, but the emotional impact of the thyroid cancer diagnosis continues to haunt me, even though physically I am fine (I think).

It's as if I have some sort of survivor guilt because my cancer treatment and recovery is minute compared to what so many others who I know are dealing with right now as they undergo treatment for breast cancers, lymphoma, and pancreatic cancer. I know, though, I cannot help how I feel and I am allowed to feel angry and scared. One more scan and low-dose radioactive treatment next month should confirm for me that no trace of the cancer remains. Maybe that confirmation will be what I need most to move forward. As easy as treatment was, it is a lifelong change as I must depend on a pill, and will continue to need level checks for the rest of my life. Even before my diagnosis, I was told, what so many other thyroid cancer patients have heard, "If you're going to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the one to get." As if any cancer is the one to get.

In life, I have continued to parent, to work, but not to write--although I think about it constantly and about how difficult it is to go on when I'm not doing what I truly need to be doing. Writing is something I need, and I'm miserable without it being a part of my life.

A few weeks ago I attended a local event titled "Books and Breakfast" where attendees, a mix of media specialists, writers, teachers and others, shared breakfast tables with 31+ Minnesota authors and illustrators. Presentations gave each author and illustrator two minutes to share about themselves or a recent project. Attendees were also given time to mingle. I stepped out of my introverted self and talked to people. My confidence in myself and in my writing that had sunk during the time since my last post and had me convinced that maybe I'm just not meant to be anything more than a writer here on a blog, started rising to the surface again.

I am back.

As I prepare to refocus my posts again, I'm starting here with random reviews of new books that I recently discovered. Just to get back into the swing of writing again.

The two picture books today are both written by former Hamlinites (and writers who I conversed with at breakfast).

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian; illustrated by Mike Curato (c)2016 
Balzer + Bray (publisher)

A marriage between two worms should have one worm identify as the bride, and one identify as the groom. Rings have to be worn on fingers, and someone will have to marry the two worms. "That's how it's always been done," Cricket repeats throughout the story. But rings can't be worn on fingers if worms do not have fingers. And, what if both worms identify as both the bride and the groom?
"Then we'll just change how it's done," says worm.
And the other worm agrees.

This story is a simple reminder of what truly is important when two worms want to commit to each other via marriage, or for that matter, when any two people wish to commit to each other via marriage.

Being someone who gets into my performance when I read aloud, I do voices for the primary characters in a story. In Worm Loves Worm the two worms, as well as all other characters, remain named throughout by their species. For the two worms, they are not identified differently as Worm 1 or Girl Worm or Boy Worm. They are both only named as Worm. Individuality only is apparent through features in the whimsical illustrations as one worm always has its mouth closed and the white of its eye showing, while the other worm has only a dot for an eye. This worm's mouth is always open. (My four-year-old pointed this out to me before I noticed.) When I read, for the voice of both worms, I use the same voice. When I commented  to Mr. Austrian at the breakfast event, he said that he also uses the same voice for both worms.

My daughter loved this book from the start. She especially continues to be humored by a comment from Spider that, due to its lack of commas, leaves Spider's words open to interpretation. (I admit that I laughed aloud when I first read it and my daughter wanted to know what was so funny. So yes, I explained.) You will have to read the book yourself to see to what I refer.


Rhoda's Rock Hunt by Molly Beth Griffin; Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell (c)2014
Minnesota Historical Society Press (publisher)

I collected rocks as a child. I continue to be fascinated by rocks today, especially as I connect to my daughter's curiosity of rocks. Perhaps it's genetic, because she started "collecting" rocks long before I showed her my childhood collection. One thing I tell her when she insists on taking this rock or that rock is that it's not up to me to carry them all. She needs to be able to hold them herself. This becomes part of Rhoda's dilemma in Rhoda's Rock Hunt.

Rhoda and her Auntie June and Uncle Jonah take a long, long hike from their "up-north" cabin. It does not bother Rhoda that cold lake water is her shower, or that she sleeps on a skinny pad in a ratty sleeping bag or dines on salami and cheese. None of this bothers her because of the presence of all the rocks she finds along the way. Her Auntie reminds Rhoda that she, Rhoda, has to carry them in her own pack. This is no problem until the weight of the pack becomes too much. What didn't bother Rhoda before, is now a bother and she feels crabby. She realizes she has to make a decision. Does she keep her beloved rocks or leave them behind?

Rhoda's solution to her problem is lovely and touching. She considers what she needs--to return to the cabin for a bed, a shower, a decent meal. She considers what she has--a vast collection of rocks, each chosen for various reasons. She decides to let go. To let go of many rocks, but hold on to a special few. With the rocks she leaves behind, she creates "towers of souvenirs" and then walks away happy.

It isn't only the connection to the rocks that touches me as I read this book, but also the message that sometimes we need less than we think, and if we let go of things, we will be all right. Illustrations of the north woods, and sensory details bring me and my daughter into the journey each time we open the story. I especially love the auditory details  of "rustling leaves and birdsongs overhead", "whispering water", "dragonflies whizzing past", and waves crashing on the shore while gulls call. My favorite description overall is of the rocks that capture Rhoda's fancy, "Smooth rocks and bumpy rocks and sparkly rocks and stripy rocks and rocks shaped like hearts and hats and horns."

If, when you read the book, you do not have your own collection of rocks to view, turn to the end papers (the paper that lines the inside covers). My daughter spends time at each reading choosing her favorite rocks and describing the shapes. We can keep these all, with only the weight of the book in our hands.

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Thank you for reading my thoughts.

More words in a coming tomorrow,

~Tamara

I'm coming back...

Inspiration has been rekindled. Stay tuned...