Art history in action

My sister-in-law sent me a link to this video for my birthday yesterday. It made me very happy. I think it proves the value of introduction to art history courses. My favorite is the recreation of Les Meninas by Velazquez. But, the reference to David's Death of Marat is fun, too.

The Codices of Childhood, a beginning

If there is one thing we like around here, it is books. It is my easiest love. I like good, fresh, well-made food, but I can cave in pretty quickly for McDonald's french fries and Chipotle guacamole. I like good clothes, but the washing and ironing can make my passion run cold. But, good books... they are charming with a little dust, and I find it so simple to overlook the poor ones in exchange for the pleasure of hunting down the best ones. The only problem is where to fit them all into our little house. We could probably open a small library specializing in children's literature and early modern illustrated books with a splash of Steinbeck for a rainy morning and a taste of the Bronte sisters for a late, lonely night. (I love reading the gloomy, dark parts of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre while I wait for Jay when he has to be out late.)

Right now, my attention is focused on our children's books. Our collection began with my own little childhood library, well-edited by my mother. I started to read to Audrey from her first night at home. Over time, I wandered through many libraries and meandered through lots of bookstores, collecting tiny gems along the way. I want a venue to share our some of the favorite books we have secreted away on our shelves, ones we turn to over and over or those that we borrow so frequently from the library that they feel that they at least in part belong to us. So on occasion, I will post entries about the contents of our collection. For fun, I think I'll call these entries The Codices of Childhood. (Codex is the Latin term for book and codices is its plural form.) Yes, I'm a nerd.

Pictured above is the cover of my favorite book from Audrey's babyhood. I found our copy at a children's clothing consignment shop for a dollar when Audrey was about one year old. I'd not heard of it before then, but it is really quite famous I think and was given a Caldecott Honor Award for its illustrations. We used to read it every night before bed as we were establishing her bedtime routine and well into her second year. It has all the elements of the best bedtime baby books: wonderful pictures, text that sounds lovely in your ear when you read it aloud, and a quality of cozy goodness. My favorite things about this book are the seashell mobile, the row of 7 shoes that make you wonder where the eighth might be (hint: watch that black cat!), and the bond between the father and little one that doesn't need to be explicit in the text or illustrations, but just oozes out in the everyday-ness of bedtime like it should in real life.

Oh, I can't wait to tell you more. About board books versus "real paper books", Goodnight Moon and Post-Impressionism, Tennyson's poetry as baby literature, wandering the children's room of the library, and more, more, more, but I have to go now and read...

Working from home

I find myself snuggling with a little sleeping baby and listening to my four year old try to read to herself during her rest time while I work today. On my task list - find a sheet to cover distracting playthings in a classroom during lessons. Such ugly options at my usual shopping haunts. So I found lovely bright old sheets for sale at the same cost with cheery ferns and butterflies and sherbet-like colors. All in all a lovely day at work. And a friend came over to cook me a lunch of dumplings, noodles, and pork buns. I am enjoying a taste of the new earth today, I think.