It feels like a 1977 Star Wars Christmas

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

It feels like 1977 again at my house. The Star Wars craze has hit. This time it’s my son Max instead of my brother that’s under the spell.

I was eight when Star Wars came out. I remember the long ride to the movie theatre – a whopping 15 minutes – it felt like forever.

I loved it but admittedly, my obsession didn’t rise to the level of my friend Andrea’s. Her entire room was decked out in Star Wars gear; bedspread, curtains, posters, you name it. She was Princess Leia for Halloween.

Six-year-old Max listens to these details in awe.

He’s obsessed. He discovered the galaxy far far away in a sticker book and hasn’t looked back since. Abandoning Batman, Spiderman, and the Hulk, he now chats about Darth Vader, R2D2, and Anakin Skywalker.

My little Darth Vader.

We spent our summer reading Star Wars books, buying Star Wars Legos, workbooks, and sticker books. I resurrected my four Stars Wars figures from childhood and it felt like I had passed on the family crown jewels.

My brother Paul had tons of figures that lived in a Darth Vader case. He also had the Millennium Falcon. Now Calista Flockhart may not what that means, but my Max sure does. Sometimes he likes to talk to his Uncle Paul on the phone about Star Wars.

It’s kind of my special thing with Max. I may not know all the “newer” movies but I know enough to impress a six-year-old. My imitation of Chewie makes him laugh. He can’t believe that I remember so many lines from the first two movies.

His favorite is when I imitate Leia telling Han Solo before he’s frozen; “I love you!” and Han replies, “I know.”

12185067_10208182199182497_7082652104384715221_o

The ultimate Princess Leia, my friend Andrea in the 70s.

We’ve made Star Wars paper dolls. We’ve written what he calls a Star Wars blog. He told his babysitter, “I know when I get a light saber, my mama will play with me. She loves it too.”

Art by Max.

The coveted light saber came with his Darth Vader Halloween costume. When it arrived, he ran around “training.”

I found 1970s Princess Leia and 2015 Luke in a compromising position last night. I asked Max about it.

“They were kissing,” he grinned.

“They’re BROTHER and SISTER,” I said.

“Well, it already happened at nap time, “ he said.

I laughed about this all day.

Let’s get to the books.

I’ve mentioned Star Wars Epic Yarns a few times on this blog. They are great for new readers and little kids. The felt figures are charming for any Star Wars fan.

Max spent our summer road trips working on yes..Star Wars Workbooks. Learning and Star Wars do go together.

He was also obsessed with the many Star Wars sticker books and Lego books available. A favorite is the LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia.

Shh…there will be a Chewbacca costume under our Christmas tree.

10Dec2015

Sprechen Sie auch Deutsch? My kids do

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

When Calvin was three he asked his preschool teacher to help him “wipe his keister.”

“I thought, ‘Are you an 80-year-old man?’” she laughed when shared this with me and husband.

Calvin learned keister at home because his dad says it. It’s part of our family slang.

Recently we’ve added “nicht gut” to the family dialogue. Nicht gut means not good in German. This time, the kids brought new words to the parents. They make a thumbs-down motion when they say it.

Max and Calvin are learning German at school. As kindergartners at Cincinnati Public School’s Fairview German Language School, they will take German for six years. Teachers and the principal go by Herr and Frau.

Max’s work from Herr Heinze’s class.

It’s quite adorable. Especially to me, who’s lasting skill after four years of high school and one year of college French is the ability to order an Orangina or ask for the bathroom, “où est la salle de bains?”

Which I just read is not the right way to ask for the facilities, so I was wrong. S’excuser.

While we live in a city with a strong German heritage, neither Eddie nor I are Deutschländers. Irish, Welsh, Scottish, English, and Italian make up our genetic backgrounds. We look like the British Isle side. Maybe that’s why when I suggested the family names of Giovanni or Raphael when I was pregnant, he didn’t go for it.

My great grandfather Giovanni DiGioia.

Besides teaching introducing us nicht gut, Calvin and Max can count to one hundred in German.

They sing songs. Sometimes I hear them singing themselves to sleep. Instead of the usual pop or kid songs, their sweet voices sing melodies I don’t understand. Max sung happy birthday to his cousin Margot in his new tongue.

They also taught their cousins the word for butt in German – po po. My nephew Luke now uses it liberally.

And of course, they argue about their German. Like an old married couple, Max and Calvin correct each other’s pronunciations and accents.

It’s been a fun experience but one I envision being used against us at some point when they have entire conversations that we don’t understand.

I better watch my keister.

Calvin reading a German book.

Books

I discovered an entire language section for kids at the local library. Korean, French, German….there are lots of language books at our branch. (Clifton for Cincinnati folk.)

Milet Publishing has a wide selection of toddler first bilingual books. Children’s books include bilingual Elmer books, young adult fiction, children’s stories and dictionaries in many languages.

My boys really loved showing me what they know in My First Book of German Words by Katy R. Kudela.

25Nov2015

The wheels on the bus keep going

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

My family says, “There’s a bus!” a lot.

We’ve been saying this for four years. At two, Calvin discovered his one true love was a school bus.

He hasn’t stopped loving buses since – he’s now six. As we drive or walk around town, pointing out buses has become a family obligation.

He has branched out to city buses, Mega Buses, and the very-cool London double decker buses.

A school bus and his friend T-Rex.

Bus birthday cakes, bus shirts, bus Halloween costumes, bus stickers, and yes, BUS BOOKS are just part of the daily experience at the Mace/Rush household.

Thanks to the kindness of friends, both Calvin and Max have had some real bus experiences.

When Calvin finished chemotherapy at age four (believe me, toy buses helped those long hospital stays), a friend arranged for our family to ride a school bus. A few months later, another friend was able to take the boys on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cincinnati Metro bus garage. Both rated as the coolest days ever.

Calvin on a school bus.

Calvin and Max at the Metro bus garage.

Bus Books

Calvin’s first bus book literally stopped his birthday party. He ignored everything and everyone to read School Bus by Donald Crews. He loves this book and now has two copies and still wants to check it out of the library. I guess you can’t have too many copies? Crews’ graphics are engaging and I recommend his other books.

Stop the party. I got a bus book!

A recent find is The Bus Ride written and illustrated by Marianne DuBuc. Both boys love this beautiful book. DuBuc uses the story of Little Red Riding Hood in a new way and includes a bus ride.

There’s the simple but sweet Bryon Barton book My Bus and Carol Roth’s funny The Little School Bus, illustrated by Pamela Paparone.

Night Light by Nicholas Blechman is also a graphically pleasing book and a great one for kids learning to count.

I’ve spent a lot of time looking for bus books. I’ve learned that books about school, cities, London, and transportation usually sport a bus.

Calvin’s buses

We also photographed the majority of his toy buses and made our own bus book. We used Shutterfly to create this. (I can send you the link if you would like.)

If you RIDE a bus, let us know.

More info

We love Marianne DuBuc’s book Animal Masquerade.

Donald Crews’ Freight Train was a big hit when the boys were younger.

At Christmas, Cincinnati Metro brings out Holly Jolly Trolley that give free rides around town. We caught one in front of the Westin. (I can’t find the schedule or I would link to it.)

16Nov2015

Paris and Madeline

Posted in Help Paris victims by juliamace2015

I had a different blog post prepared for this week. But the recent events in Paris made me change my mind. It seemed odd to go to business as usual even on my blog.

My friend Johanna, fellow book lover and bestie of one of my besties, posted a picture of Madeline on her Facebook profile pic.

Perfect, I thought, and copied it.

For many of us, our first and maybe only glimpse of Paris, was through a little girl who lived in house covered with vines with a nun named Miss Clavel.

Written and illustrated in 1939 by Ludwig Bemelmans, Madeline’s beloved illustrations introduce many children to The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Gardens at the Luxembourg, Sacré-Couer, and the Louvre.

The rhyming and charming story came right back to me when I bought the book for my boys. We especially love reading out loud, “To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said, “Pooh-Pooh.”

A feisty child, Madeline is not afraid of tigers!

We’ve read all the Madeline books and some of the books written by Bemelmans’ grandson John Bemelmans Marciano. Max, Calvin, and I highly recommend them.

In the 24 plus hours since I heard of the Paris attacks, like everyone, it’s weighed heavy on my heart. My boys, at six, are too young to know of it.

What can I do? Here’s what I’ve come up with – hopefully, through reading about the world and other cultures, I’m instilling in my kids a curiosity and love of other places and cultures.

Because even if you’ve never been to Paris, you can’t help but feel for all the girls like Madeline there and all the victims of violence in the world.

How you can help the victims in Paris (Provided by International Business Times)
You can donate to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which directly supports the French Red Cross.

You can also donate to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, which provides worldwide assistance during emergencies and delivers medical aid to victims. Friends of Fondation de France, Inc. is a charity that also helps during times of emergency.

Use Twitter to express support with these trending hashtags #PrayForParis, #Prayers4Paris and #PrièresPourParis. Or show your support on your profile image on Facebook.

For all things Madeline, check out the official site.

9Nov2015

Brandon T. Snider – author and actor

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

Brandon T. Snider

You may recall me writing about my brush with fame at this year’s Book by the Banks event in Cincinnati. It was with someone I actually knew – Brandon T. Snider was a student when I worked at Mariemont Schools in my tender 20s.

He’s written multiple books including the award-winning The Dark Knight Manual, Minions on Ice, and Scribble and Sketch (Regular Show), to name a few.

Not only does Brandon act (think Inside Amy Schumer), sometimes, he does research during bachelor parties. He and I also have something in common – wearing fake hair on the Mariemont High School stage.

He graciously agreed to do a Q&A with me.

Do you have to do a lot of research for these characters or do you already know them? Or both?

The amount of research I do depends on what I’m working on. There are some characters I know backwards and forwards as was the case for the DC Comics Guide. I‘ve basically had all that information in my brain since I was a kid. However, to be safe, I consulted a variety of sources to double check statistics in order to make sure I get everything right.

When it comes to Adventure Time, Regular Show or any of the Cartoon Network stuff, I like to do marathon viewing sessions. I’ll watch newer episodes so I can get up to speed. If I’m focusing on specific characters I’ll make a list of relevant episodes where they appear.

Sometimes I get asked to work on projects where I don’t know a lot about the characters, as was the case with My Little Pony a few years ago. I got approached for that job as I was on my way out of town for a bachelor party weekend. The timeline was tight so I was sneak-watching episodes on my phone while people were enjoying themselves.

One of Brandon’s many titles.

What do you love about writing?

Writing and language are how humans communicate. It’s how we share ideas. It’s how we express ourselves. I love challenging myself to go deeper, to find a way to connect to a new idea. The process of creation can be wonderful and heartbreaking but when you have a breakthrough it makes it all worth it. When I write something that speaks to a young person and gets them interested in reading and creating, it’s incredibly special. I love that too.

Another Snider book.

How do you balance writing and acting?

It can be tricky sometimes. I audition for a lot of commercials and when I book one it means that I basically have to drop what I’m doing for however long it shoots. If I’m on a deadline, that could be problematic. Thankfully, I work with some great editors so if something comes up we adjust the accordingly. Time management is an ongoing struggle but I find that if I can make a firm to-do list each day it really helps me focused on the task at hand.

You’ve come a long way since The Hobbit! Tell me about some of your acting gigs?

HAHA! I can’t believe you remembered that I was The Hobbit back in high school. One of the worst book-to-stage adaptations of all time. No disrespect to the source material but a bunch of high school kids trying to create a lush fantasy world on stage doesn’t quite work. My feet were covered in spirit gum and fake hair. But we had fun.

I went on to get a theater degree and moved to New York City after graduation. I’ve done an assortment of TV and theater but most notably I’ve been on Inside Amy Schumer a few times in recent years. I’m doing a short play in December with The Collective, a theater company here in New York. I do stand-up comedy from time to time. And you’ll even see me dancing like an insane person in a United States Postal Service commercial soon.

Max enjoying one of Brandon’s Uncle Grandpa books.

What did you read as a kid?

I read a lot of comic books. I had major Justice League and X-Men phases. I was into the Time Machine series. As a very little boy I was obsessed with Barbapapa’s Ark. It was way ahead of its time in dealing with environmental issues and the ethical treatment of animals. It had a very hopeful message that didn’t sugarcoat humanity’s flaws. I also liked that the characters were colorful blobs.

Any advice for young readers and writers?

Keep reading and writing. And be patient. I was very anxious for growth and success when I was a younger person. I think that’s fairly natural. But you don’t hit a lot of life until your twenties and thirties. Sorry kids! Trust me, you’ll have so much great material to write about once you’re older. In the meantime, never stop writing and develop your skills.

What new books do you have coming out?

In 2016 I have a lot of cool stuff coming out: What Would Captain Kirk Do?, Adventure Time: Hero Time with Finn & Jake and my very first Mad Libs which was a dream come true to write because I freakin’ love Mad Libs.

Thanks, Brandon!

I myself wore a fake beard and wig as a Papa in Fiddler on the Roof at Mariemont.

More info

Check out all things Brandon on his website Cootie Kid.

2Nov2015

Let’s stop being mean

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

As my boys make their way through their first year of full day school, they’re navigating a lot, including friendships.

It’s emotionally exhausting – for me.

As I listen to their reports, my heart feels happy when they talk about new friends and interactions. It cracks and feels like it’s been stabbed when someone makes fun of them or leaves them out.

Coincidentally, I picked up the book The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Class by Justin Roberts and illustrated by Christian Robinson.

Sally McCabe is the smallest girl in the smallest grade. Hardly anyone pays attention to her but she pays super extra special attention. She notices, “that time Tommy Tornino was tripped in the hall,” and “She saw Kevin McKuen get pushed off the slide – and the oncoming tears he wanted to hide.”

This book made me think of my own childhood. Not memories of being picked on but a memory of when I was in first grade. I remember leaving my friend Bonnie Jones in the dust for another friend. I knew it was wrong and felt bad when I left Bonnie crying. But I still did it. I can still see her in her 70s long dress and curly, brown hair.

We all have it in us, even us nice ones.

Bonnie – wherever you are – I’m sorry.

Unlike me, the smallest girl took a stand. One day at lunch, she “stepped out of the lunchroom line,” raised her hand in the air and said, “I’m tired of seeing this terrible stuff. Stop hurting each other! This is enough!”

Sally takes a stand.

Then, “like waves rolling in, “ students and adults raised their hands in the air in solidarity with Sally.

Things go back to normal but kids are nicer to each other…thanks to the smallest girl in the smallest grade.

As for Max and Calvin, they didn’t comment much except to ask, “why is everyone being mean?”

Let’s all be like Sally shall we?

Where to find the book and other info

You can find this book on author Justin Robert’s site. He’s also a grammy-nominated musician.

I just LOVE illustrator Christian Robinson. He illustrated two of our favorite books, Last Stop On Market Street and Gaston.

20Oct2015

Kindergarten and Americorps, sending my kids into the world

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

This week’s blog post is not about books. The title of my blog reads, “random thoughts connected to my boys.” Here are some random thoughts. Thanks for reading!

Max, Ben, Calvin.

Sitting in a neuropsychology office looking at a plastic brain and talking about one of my sons, I tried to remind myself that change is natural.

It’s a time of transition at our house. All good things. My twin boys are headed to kindergarten. My adult stepson is headed to a new city nine hours away, after earning two degrees. He will be working with Americorps.

Then why is this mama feeling weepy? It could be hormones, that brain thing, and the fact that I’m probably feeling like moms everywhere sending their kids to kindergarten.

For many of us, sending our babies to kindergarten, while exciting, is emotional. It represents the end of babyhood. Suddenly, all the joys and trials of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is….over. Of course, there is more to come, but this is a big life step.

And my oldest? He’s 24 but for the last six years he’s been 2 ½ hours away in a town where one of my best friends lives. Easy to access, easy to visit.

We’ve always celebrated dual transitions as a blended family. A month after our oldest went to college, I gave birth to twin boys. A few weeks after one of the twins finished chemotherapy, we went to college graduation.

Back to the plastic brain and the chemo. At a little over two years old, our son Calvin was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Eleven hours of brain surgery, 12 rounds of chemotherapy, and four years later, we have a healthy, happy, redheaded child. We are grateful every single day.

But as his mom and a natural born worrier, it’s hard. I worried about letting him go to preschool four months after treatment, but the intimate setting, short day, and loving teachers won me over. The longer day, new teachers and students, stresses me out.

The plastic brain came out when we met with neuropsychology to discuss the results of recent tests. Surgery may have impacted his brain and they will monitor him for years to come. I never thought I’d have to talk about my son’s brain as a way to prep for kindergarten.

These three make me realize things will probably be ok. Last night, they sat around the kitchen table playing the oldest’s game of Operation. The 24-year-old patiently taught the younger two math skills when working with the paper money. It takes a very steady hand and a patient older brother to play old-school Operation.

The twins’ biggest concern about kindergarten is what to pack for the lunch; Max suggested popsicles. Meanwhile, the oldest just bought a car and is excited for his next big adventure.

I listened to their chatter, laughter, and buzzes of the game as I loaded the dishwasher. This moment of domestic family bliss reminded me how far we have come, how lucky we are.

I have to mention books
If you didn’t see my email this week, take a moment to check out Brandon T. Snider’s work. This fellow Mariemont grad is the author of several Cartoon Network favorites.

12Oct2015

Max and Calvin weigh in on video

Posted in Uncategorized, Video by juliamace2015

Many of my kids’ first books are chewed on. They loved them that much.

Max was and still is a chewer. The frayed ends added some humor to a discussion we had the other day about “their baby books.”

They helped me pick out some of their favorites – see below.

“I liked the alphabet books because I didn’t know my letters very good,” said Max.

“I loved them all,” said Calvin.

I personally remember wishing I was one of the hippos in The Belly Button Book when they said, “We don’t do much throughout the day, that’s how we like it best. We watch the waves, we nibble grapes, we take a little rest.”

Then we got crazy and made some videos of us reading the books. Enjoy!

Some of our favorites and a shout out
First, a shout out of thanks to Ellie Hutton! When the boys were born, she sent us an entire box of wonderful board books!

ABC’s by Charley Harper

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boyton

The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boyton

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle

I am a Bunny by Ole Risom and Richard Scary

School Bus by Donald Crews

5Oct2015

Unlocking memories with The Secret Garden

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

My Papa and I blowing out my candles on my sixth birthday. My own kids just turned six!
Read about it here.

On my first read of The Secret Garden, the first few pages made me burst into tears and tell my parents it was horrible.

Spoiler alert – I made it through the part where young Mary Lennox wakes up in India to find everyone she knows dead or gone.

My original misgivings aside, I fell in love with this classic by Frances Hodgson Burnett and read it several more times throughout childhood. The book was given to me my Gigi (my grandmother), who bought it in England. In subsequent years, we traveled there together.

My Gigi’s inscription in the book.

The story, first published in 1911, and the trip were a strong influence on my future as I later ended up living in England.

My mom and I recently saw the play of The Secret Garden at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

“I wish Gigi was here with us,” I said, referring to my grandmother. “But she would be 106 and senile.”

We laughed. We weren’t being cruel; sometimes laughter is all you can do about the hard things in life.

I had many years with Gigi; she passed away when I was 32. She was around 91 and had dementia for 10 years. Her later years, when our roles were reversed, allowed me to make amends for my bratty teenage self.

Mary finding the door of the garden. Illustration by Charles Robinson.

I wasn’t as fortunate with her husband, my Papa, whose memory is tied up in my first reading of The Secret Garden. He was dying of Cancer while I read the book in the hospital waiting room. I was surprised when he actually died. I was eight.

The gorgeous play not only made my mom and I cry and laugh; it caused us to talk about the past.

I know it’s always made my mom sad that her children don’t have as many memories of her dad. But I do have some nice memories tucked into my brain, including the fuzzy, not-so-nice ones of him being sick.

Revisiting the past lead me to a cool revelation. I have always had pieces of my Papa, right here in my mom. She looks like him (but pretty). She has his sunny outlook and social disposition. She has his smarts and work ethic.

And she carries his memories, like when she burst out one recent Christmas morning and said, “My Dad would have loved this.”

One more of us. Gigi made the cake. The dress had a duck on it.
(She bought me my beloved stuffed duck.)

This is the beauty of the written word and the glory of books. Stories tie us to our selves, our loves, and help us remember.

About the book and more info
My Papa, Verne McClellan, passed way years before the Internet – 1978 – but as a small-town lawyer and community-leader in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, I thought he might show up on Google. Besides his ancestry listing, I found one mention of him in his friend Bill Goss’ 2009 obit:

“Bill and Verne McClellan arranged for the purchases of the properties of GE Plastics, BWX, and WSI, located west of Mt. Vernon.”

My mom confirms this is true. I thought that was cool.

If you haven’t read The Secret Garden, please indulge. My copy was illustrated by Charles Robinson.

My other favorite book by Burnett is The Little Princess with gorgeous illustrations by Tasha Tudor.

For Cincinnati locals, the play has left the Playhouse but check out their current season.

28Sep2015

And now they are six

Posted in Uncategorized by juliamace2015

Calvin and a birthday book.

Most kids (and adults) like hearing their birth stories. For my twins, it’s mostly the story of how Calvin got things started and that they were born eight minutes apart.

My husband Eddie and I thought they sounded like goats.

My little goats, I mean babies, celebrated their sixth birthday last week.

Indulge me. It’s been the best and hardest six years of my life.

Legos, Star Wars figures, buses, games, and an abundance of other gifts were involved in the birthday celebration and of course, there were books.

We had to have a conversation before their family party.

If you don’t like something DON’T SAY IT, Eddie and I advised. Just tell us later.

Kids. They have the charming, horrifying habit of telling the truth.

On to the books – Calvin received two London books: This is London by Miroslav Sasek and We Completely Must Go to London by Lauren Child.

For Max, more Star Wars Yarns (see a prior post) and Ed Emberley’s Big Purple Drawing Book. Max loves Emberley’s books and has checked the Purple one out several times from the library. The appeal of this one is it teaches you how to draw a pirate ship.

Max and the our other birthday boy, Baby Cecil.

Max and our other birthday boy, Baby Cecil.

Later, as Max and I read one of his new books he confessed.

“This is one of the things I didn’t like but didn’t say. But now I LOVE this book!”

Score one for parenting!

We have another birthday boy in our family. Cecil, or Baby Cec as my boys called him, turned one this month! Named after my husband’s father, he is our great nephew.

Baby Cec had to have a book too. I chose Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

I learned of Chicka when I interviewed my friend Erin for this blog. My boys knew about it from preschool and would chant along with it, much to my surprise. This classic provides a sing songy way to learn the alphabet.

Here’s to September birthdays! And reading! And cake!

(About the cake – Max had Darth Vader on his cake; Calvin a MegaBus; and Cecil a Teddy Bear.)

More books suggestions
Thanks to our family and friends for the following books.

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Little Bear (a family favorite and classic) by Else Holmelund and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

When I Grow Up by Weird Al Yankovic and illustrated by Wes Hargis.

And thanks to all my new subscribers!