5.28.2009

The Love Triangle



As Ashtyn was getting ready to leave for school this morning she showed me her book report. She had the choice of 11 options that included a movie roll of the events in the book, make a new book jacket, make 3 bookmarks, make a poster to advertise your book, you get the picture.
She chose to do the DIORAMA. She had spent the previous evening (while I was playing soccer and going to a movie with the 'girls' and not staying home to help with homework...guilt....) drawing a very lovely picture from a scene in her book and glued it to the bottom of a shoe box. I could not let her turn it in so I told her we would work on it when we got home. I really appreciate her independance and very rarely have to ask her to do her homework or to practice so I am glad she had it ready a day early. She just didn't have a complete understanding of what a diorama is. So I made her look up diorama and learn what exactly it is. Then we discussed the book. So when she started to tell me the story line of her book I was floored and decided I need to become more of a reader just to keep up on what she is reading.

The movie we saw (while I was not helping her with her homework) was 17 again, a movie about a father in 'freaky friday' fashion who is turned into his younger self and attends his children's high school. He sees first hand what his kids are really like, good kids making bad choices but in the end everything was happy and good and he saves the day...Adorable movie ( for the 16 and older crowd)

So I of course felt myself starting to panic as Ashtyn is telling me how the aunt Carol is in love with the assistant principal but the main character Jaime finds her favorite teacher jealous and wanting the assistant principal to fall in love with her......WHAT!?!? She is in the 3rd grade! So I immediately flipped through the pages and we decided she could read some less dramatic books, The title is "dear dumb diary, can adults become human" for heavens sake! This explains a little in the attitude department which maybe is just a stage? I may have overreacted a little but I do the same thing with Disney channel all the jokes are being sassy to adults or poking fun at others and the radio I won't even go there but when Alayna sings "hush girl, hush your lips do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips" ..... ??? How do you keep the innocent, innocent? So here's to the Diorama. I'm sure Mrs. Hall is going to be thrilled to have polly pockets holding hands (at least we didn't glue their lips together...)

yes, this is an actual page from the book

Is this normal? Seriously though I am off to read this book....I think I may be over reacting, I hope.... I would love any suggestions for good kid reads (especially since I don't take the time to read a whole lot)

5 comments:

snakeriverwalton said...

My children are limited to reading from the church magazines, BOM, and family home evening manuals. (Wow- someone just took over my body for a second)NOT. It would probably be easier that way but I think our kids have to learn their own filtering of books the same way we expect them to of movies. And I've read 3 of the My Dear Dumb Diary series and found them very fun to read. Actually laughed out loud at a few sections. You need to read the one about 'being mature for your age because you already poop gum- her friend started pooping gum at 8 years old which shows maturity because gum takes 7 years to go through you and no one gives gum to kids under 2, so... obviously!

Jme said...

I tend to be on the freak out side of mothering. So I would have been right there with you. Good luck with that. Brandon is still reading the Magic Treehouse books and the Secret of Droon books, so I don't have any good older kid book ideas.

Marie said...

oh my! that is crazy! try having your kids reading books like Nancy Drew, haha the classics. I loved those books growing up along with the American Girl Doll series books. Also my new blog is www.mikylaarrington.blogspot.com

Hillary said...

Wow, it's amazing how different boys and girls are. Corbin is into Diary of a Whimpy Kid, Charlie Bones, and Magic Tree House series. Oh, and I can't leave out captin underpants, it all seems pretty harmless but I do have to take time to read a little of what he is reading just to make sure it's all good. Hope all is going well and you are enjoying your summer.

Wendy said...

I don't know how I missed this post but I feel your pain. It gets worse in Junior High. Yesterday I signed all my children up for the reading program and Austin (or course) was not there so I thought I'd grab him some books in the young adult section-geared to teens-and one of the books I grabbed (and immediately put back) was about a boy suppressing his gay tendency's and then acting upon them. What the freak?
I try to read most my children's books or at least have them tell me about it within the first few chapters-however I do beleive Amy is right and they need to figure it out for themselves. Luckily I only worry about Kam, Dev and Ry. The idea of my boys reading anything-besides ASSIGNED books and or Harry Potter-the only books Austin has read through ALL of junior high-is highly unlikely.
Hope you're okay with your adventure last Sunday. You've been in my thoughts. If I wasn't such a lame VT I would have brought something over! Good grief!
Much Love,
Wendy