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Writing, Rowling, and Kitchen Recess
Nov. 28th, 2006 05:47 pmNow that we’ve entered holiday season, writing is really slowing down. I’m having a hard time finding time to write, and by 10:00 at night I’m just too tired to hold it together. It doesn’t help that I’m sick and all my kids have been or are also sick. The not-writing bothers me, but on the other hand, I have a couple of WIPs that probably need some percolation time. Two WIPs take place in the US, which is annoying since I’m not there, but I have one that takes place in Germany that I come back to now and then. I got some more ideas on an outing last weekend, so I’m making notes and hoping to dive in when I get a chance next.
In German language progress, I have to say thank you (again) to JK Rowling. The Philosopher’s Stone was influential in helping my oldest learn to read in English, and it looks like it’s helping him learn to read German as well. I’ve been having him pick one character per chapter and having him read that character’s dialogue while I read the rest. Well, he got tired of the slow pace and finished the book himself the other day. And he read a smallish novel by Cornelia Funke the other day, too (school assignment). Yay! Because I know once he starts reading for fun, he’s going to pick up tons of language without even realizing it.
And in general German culture, I went in to help son 2’s class make cookies all morning. German kids go home at lunch time, so they don’t have cafeterias, but they do have large kitchens, apparently for school use. The kids all brought dough and cookie cutters and sprinkles, and we made hundreds of cookies and had a fun time decorating. The teacher will dole out the cookies over the next few weeks to “make the season sweeter” or something like that. Yes, it’s only November, but we have to do cookies now so they can get started on fire. Son’s assignment for Friday is to bring a candle and a (preferably unbreakable) candle holder. And no, I don’t expect the candle to just sit there, unlit. This is Germany, you know. There’s a reason that book Struwwelpeter was written by a German.
In German language progress, I have to say thank you (again) to JK Rowling. The Philosopher’s Stone was influential in helping my oldest learn to read in English, and it looks like it’s helping him learn to read German as well. I’ve been having him pick one character per chapter and having him read that character’s dialogue while I read the rest. Well, he got tired of the slow pace and finished the book himself the other day. And he read a smallish novel by Cornelia Funke the other day, too (school assignment). Yay! Because I know once he starts reading for fun, he’s going to pick up tons of language without even realizing it.
And in general German culture, I went in to help son 2’s class make cookies all morning. German kids go home at lunch time, so they don’t have cafeterias, but they do have large kitchens, apparently for school use. The kids all brought dough and cookie cutters and sprinkles, and we made hundreds of cookies and had a fun time decorating. The teacher will dole out the cookies over the next few weeks to “make the season sweeter” or something like that. Yes, it’s only November, but we have to do cookies now so they can get started on fire. Son’s assignment for Friday is to bring a candle and a (preferably unbreakable) candle holder. And no, I don’t expect the candle to just sit there, unlit. This is Germany, you know. There’s a reason that book Struwwelpeter was written by a German.
