Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Octopus (in Divya Srinivasan's Octopus Alone ) experiences the reef world all around her, watching from her cave. One day she decides to escape the busyness of the reef and seek out some solitude. Through her adventures swimming through the vast ocean--complete with run-ins with fish of all types, seahorses, crabs, and octopus-eating eels and a whale!--Octopus realizes that sometimes being alone isn't all its cracked up to be. 1. I love how Octopus is shown different colors, blending in with her surroundings; changing colors when she's scared (great conversation starter with the kiddos). 2. I love that the kids will learn new things: new words like, "Anemone," and things like, "tiny fish ate algae from a big fish's scales, leaving them sparkling clean." You learn that octopus like to eat things like crabs and juicy lobster. :) 3. You see octopus ink! How fun! 4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Srinivasan draws and labels lots of different fish in the fro...

Oh my God! This time next week we will be out on the open ocean. TSO, RugbyGirl, S, B1 & B2 and I are setting sail on a 5 nights and 5 days cruise to the Bahamas, Grand Turk and Caicos Islands. This was the year that I decided that, from this year on out until I die, I want to go somewhere that I've never been. So why not start with a cruise!? I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! I have never been on a cruise so that makes it all the more exciting. I have decided that I don't care if I sit poolside soaking up the sun, or staring out at the ocean for hours, or laying on sandy shores. None of it matters. What matters is that I will be having this once in a lifetime adventure with some of my friends, something I will look back on in 50 years and be grateful for. I love the smell of salt air; the way the ocean air feels different and more exciting; the way the ocean breezes and salt splashes wash over your face making it tingle with mystery; the endlessness of th...

So, we're doing it. TSO and I are camping...kinda..."car camping," as M & N called it this past weekend. I mean is it real camping if you are simultaneously rubbing your cold nose, facebooking and writing a blog? Ok...umm...maybe not 100% real camping; but we are sleeping outside, in a tent that M & N let us borrow, in mummy bags which TSO provided, and we cooked over a fire: a tasty dinner of well done hotdogs and foil wrapped and roasted sweet corn and baked potatoes and slices of cheese. TSO made the comment of, "and we both work in kitchens!" but I was proud of our meal. It was better than the alternative: eating vinegar packets which I made TSO save from our ferry ride earlier this afternoon, "just in case of emergencies!" This morning S took us to see the ocean before we left the lovely little town of Cardigan, PEI. The visit was per my request, as I heard so many good things of the ocean vistas of the island. It was cold and windy and a ...