happy birthday QUISSY!

today is my brother's birthday. much has changed in the 30 years since this photo was taken. now quissy has 2.75 chirruns of his own. no more short jogging shorts, no more kangaroos and tube socks. his hair looks about the same. 

maybe the birthday fairy will bring him he-man snake mountain with creepy microphone! 

at the bare minimum, i am sure he will get an italian feast from vincent's out of the day. 

reading is FUNdamental

i have always loved reading. i remember being 3 and reading about a gem-encrusted crown in the childcraft encyclopedia. i read all the nancy drew books before 3rd grade. i would check out the maximum allowed on my library card and my mom's at the same time and chain-read them until i was done. same with anne of green gables, the baby sitter's club, and sweet valley high.

the textbooks in school when i was growing up had incredible covers. they inspired curiosity!  compared to the bland computer-generated covers of today, they are vibrant and interesting. all hand done.

these are all houghton mifflin reading book covers from the late 70's. my earliest classroom shelves were full of these. i was transfixed!

 this 'secrets' one i particularly remember because they were left over on a back shelf from an earlier year and i had to ask my teacher if i could take one home with me and read it. she said yes. i mean who wouldn't want to read 'secrets' with a cover like that?!

all this started when i saw this "windchimes" book at a second-hand store today and my mind was awash in a flood of cedar hill elementary school book covers.

the covers today do not hold a candle.

From Houghton Mifflin

stretched pouncey

nothing wrong with this dog's enthusiasm level!

how do i pounce thee? let me pounce the ways

like a yellow bat out of hell



like the kangaROOS shoes logo

with all four feet a-flyin'



my! what big teeth you have!



CHOMP! CHOMP! snorfle snorfle! pete rose slide!

 



(hola! do not forget about us! we are still here and looking cute!)

(this picture highlights the expansiveness of nacho's gullet. it appears as though he's wearing a 70's ruffle tuxedo shirt at all times. muy fancy!)

the two faces of pouncey

pouncey at play


pouncey at rest

happy birthday MOM!

happy birthday to my wonderful MOM! 

i hope you are wearing your hair in a bouffant today, owing allegiance to no crown, and somebody gives you a ceramic boot full of matchsticks!

celebration time!