The Talens' Tales

We had a great time celebrating Mataya's birthday yesterday.  It took her a bit to decide what she wanted on her cake. First is was a bunny, then a flower and then she finally settled on a bunny with some flowers by it.  She declared it perfect, so that was great! Here she is with a few of her gifts. A few requests were her own flashlight (not pictured), bunny slippers, activity books with stickers and the biggest one was "slide on shoes." After cake and presents Mataya said with pure joy, "This was the best birthday ever!"

What is your favorite color? Pink and Purple What is your favorite toy? Bunny What is your favorite food? Mac and Cheese What is your favorite tv show? Busytown Mysteries What is your favorite outfit? My flower shirt and leggings What is your favorite game? Sequence What is your favorite animal? Bunnies What is your favorite song? My Lighthouse What is your favorite book? Ones with bunnies Who is your best friend? Marielle and Lily What is your favorite thing to do outside? Jump on the trampoline What is your favorite drink?   milk What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Snowball (her bunny) What do you want for dinner on your birthday? grilled cheese, jello and chocolate milk What do you want to be when you grow up? A mom

Can I just say I love Mother's Day gifts from school. We had a great day together and I definitely felt the love of everyone! Mataya made me a cute card and her teachers helped her put her fingerprints on it and make a bookmark that is a picture of herself. She also made a portrait of me. And she filled out this questionnaire about me. I am so glad she think I am so young! And Joash made me a nice card with origami tulips.  And inside it said "Thanks for helping me grow." I hope you all had a great day celebrating moms!

When a hidden evil threatens to destroy the realm, a young orphan, untested and untrained, could mean the difference between victory and total defeat. Vulnerable and weakened by grief after a terrible loss, Hyam has been struck by a mysterious illness that threatens to claim his life. Seeking to help Hyam and restore the realm, Queen Shona travels to Hyam's remote hometown to find answers and offer aid. Dally has always had abilities far beyond those of a normal human--far-seeing and magic come naturally to her. Before the arrival of Shona and her army, Dally had always kept her abilities secret. But with an ancient evil bearing down on her village and the fate of the realm hanging in the balance, the orphaned servant girl steps forward to do what no one else can. Will the battle claim more than Dally is willing to give? I am certain that I read the first book in this series, Emissary. But, I think I missed the second book. However, even with that gap in the series, this book w...

Another great month of reading for me. I see to be on a role of 10 books a month. My top three of this month would be: Kindred - Time traveling and possibly changing history. Very interesting. Exit West - Taking a look at refugees in a different way. The One and Only Ivan - A great middle grade read with a gorilla narrator.