sick to move

Oh boy. I am in this weird fugue state where I feel like I am getting sick but not exactly sick (knock on wood), which is kind of miserable. If I were sick sick, I could just call it a day, crawl into bed, and watch TV on my computer. Instead, I am just feeling crummy and doing what I have to do (sort of) anyway.

But enough about all that. I was sad to miss storytime last week, though it was nice to have a Thanksgiving break. I am excited (initial griping notwithstanding) to get back into the flow. I have a bunch of books cued up for the next several storytimes, which is also exciting.

week 9: you're gonna need a bigger boat

Brief aside: I saw this place on my way to storytime, and thought it was some sort of (weird) charming East Oakland boutique that sold Mudhoney t-shirts, flannels, and beat-up Chuck Taylors:

Turns out no, it's just sort of sells... clothes. Well, that's what the internet says anyway. I was in a bit of a hurry and didn't actually stop in. But we're here to talk storytime, right? Right!

just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water

Thanksgiving does not exist, at least not for this week's storytime. I have moaned about my themed storytime misadventures elsewhere, but this is not about that. Honestly I sort of forgot about it until yesterday (though some incredibly racist Thanksgiving-themed window art in my neighborhood makes it a little hard to overlook) so whatever. I had been thinking about books I wanted to for a while already and Thanksgiving just got lost in the shuffle. Chalk it up to being a little busy with other stuff.

Writing about how I forgot to think about Thanksgiving books for storytime did remind me to order pumpkin pie, so that's a bonus. But that's not the point. On to what we are going to do:

week 8: shake, rattle, and roll

Hello there. It was good to get back on the horse, storytime-wise, after a week off. No traffic nightmares this time, just a nice gray autumn day with a little bit of rain here and there. Let's get to it.

shaken, not stirred

The winds of change are a-blowin'. Well, a little bit anyway. I have been planning this for a while now, and I think this is the week to move forward. "This" being the introduction of shakers to my Head Start storytimes. Yay! We're gonna sing "Can You Shake Your Egg With Me?" after our last story and hopefully be able to round all the shakers up for our goodbye song with Gareth the turtle.

There are definitely some potential issues with this, but they are just that. Potential issues. And frankly the pros outweigh the cons so heavily this at this point so that I just don't think I can justify not doing it. I do it with library storytimes: toddlers, preschoolers, and up! Movement, play, and music should be an integral part of storytime. I know it. You know it. So let's throw caution to the wind. The worst thing that could happen is a little bit of fun storytime chaos. OK, actually that is not the worst thing that could happen but I am thinking positive.

1.  Opening:  Hello Song [with Gareth]
2.  Song/Activity:  Open Them, Shut Them

3.  STORY: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! / Mo Willems
4.  Song: You Are My Sunshine [with Gareth]
5.  Stretch: Way Up High in the Apple Tree
6.  FP: Two Little Red Birds