The Talens' Tales

A few things worth noting have happened lately. First, Mataya got a hair cut and she loves it!  It is still long enough for pony tails and braids, but it is much more manageable and less tangley which make us both happy! Second, it was Storybook Character day this week at school. We went the Robert Munsch route this year, which was nice a simple. Joash made a cookie of play dough and was Christopher from Mmm...Cookies!  And Mataya rocked the side pony tail as Stephanie from Stephanie's Ponytail . We did some pumpkin carving. Mataya was going for silly and Joash was going for frightening! And finally, I headed back to the classroom and started teaching again last week. I am teaching the 9/10 English class at ICS. I teach three class periods a week, last period of the day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I asked to teach in the afternoon because then Gideon can stay with Wilbert and we don't have to worry about who is taking care of him. It has been gr

What is your favorite color? Blue and Green What is your favorite thing to play with? Lego What is your favorite food? Grilled Cheese or Pad Thai What is your favorite tv show or movie? The Prince of Egypt What is your favorite outfit? black gym pants and a t-shirt What is your favorite game? Not sure What is your favorite animal? Jackel What is your favorite book? DK Eyewitness books - especially those about history Who is your best friend? Ben What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride my bike or the skelter What is your favorite drink?   Juice What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pancakes and jello What do you want to be when you grow up? A chemist, archaeologist, geologist, paleontologist or Egyptologist

We have an 8 year old in the house! Yesterday was Joash's birthday and we had a great day celebrating. This year I made a cake shaped like an 8.   Joash thought it turned out great, as did I!  It was a PD day, so there was no school. That meant Oma and Opa could come for coffee time. Joash was pretty pleased with his gifts! Books on his favorite topics, cool rocks, a light for reading in bed and real tools!  And Tante Reina came for the birthday supper of pancakes and jello (and bacon and eggs). And Joash will have lots more facts thanks to another new book!

Jessica Chamberlain, newly separated and living with her two sons in a small Iowa town, can’t believe that a tragedy in another state could have anything to do with her. But when her phone rings one quiet morning, her world is shattered. As she tries to pick up the pieces and make sense of what went wrong, Jess begins to realize that a tragic death is just the beginning. Soon she is caught in a web of lies and half-truths—and she’s horrified to learn that everything leads back to her seven-year-old adopted son, Gabriel. Years ago, Gabe’s birth mother requested a closed adoption and Jessica was more than happy to comply. But when her house is broken into and she discovers a clue that suggests her estranged husband was in close contact with Gabe’s biological mother, she vows to uncover the truth at any cost. I have read several of Nicole Baart's novels and I have enjoyed them all. I enjoy the page turning suspense and I love that it is free of some of language and gore and othe