books and children again

[gfrancie]

Volunteered at preschool today. I think the kids are still adjusting to being back in the saddle. Everyone seemed a trifle on edge. Maybe it was the wind. Wind can make people a little bat-shit. As I said elsewhere, If I didn't know better, I would think that some of these kid had hangovers. Lulu in particular was in a snotty mood. She is a bit of a princess, but today she was Princess Von Grumpyburg-Schleisweig-Holstein-Crankypants. (minor German/Danish noble house) She did a lot of shrieking. Senor Onion broke down when he could not make some magnets line up perfectly and got angry because of how magnets work. (not magic you juggalos) You know how they repel and so on. Vincent declared that he was feeling fragile and couldn't handle being a bad-guy and refused to do any dancing at dance class. You get a sense of the theme.
I figured my job was to channel Mr. Rogers and be sympathetic. Everyone go through things. Towers were built, kids found their bliss in the sandbox, painting was done. All we needed to complete this PBS-like state of joy was a little Bob Ross. (Bob Ross got me through some anxious periods of my life.)

Last night I read, Cheerful Weather for the Wedding. It wasn't exactly funny -at least in the HAHA sense but it had some tragi-comic moments that I appreciated. The writing and some of the descriptions killed me with envy. In this novella, the author described the tension in the house so well. There are writers out there who spend pages and pages trying to get to what the author got to in a few perfect words. ARGH. Let's just give up...

I am also reading this book by Joyce Dennys. It reminds me a great deal of EM Delafield's Provincial Lady books. I will have to write more on that once I finish. I think I am enjoying the book but it is kind of a trifle.

Comments

[cutebutpsycho99.livejournal.com]

It always seems like there's one thing that sets all the kids off. Whenever my kid doesn't sleep well here, there's like six kids I know who also didn't too. Very curious.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

In France there are winds that are said to make people go bonkers. We have a wind like that here. It is called a chinook wind. Traditionally people would stay home to avoid the possible crazy.

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

"Trifle" as in jelly and custard or "trifle" as in light reading?

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

light reading

[ooxc.livejournal.com]

that did seem rather more likely - but one person's light reading can sometimes be another person's slop!

[k425.livejournal.com]

Lots of teachers will agree that there is something about a windy day that affects kids of all ages.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

This is good to know. You could almost see the discontent going on.

[k425.livejournal.com]

No-one ever says it of adults, but I suspect it remains true.

[queenthesixth.livejournal.com]

I loved Cheeful Weather for the Wedding. Such a great book. When you think about it, it's almost a very slight story but it's told so well and you really get into the characters so the writing makes it epic, in a manner of speaking. It's one of my favourite books.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

I was impressed with how slight a story it was and how weighty it was as well. Plus the ending was still a hilarious surprise.