Summer Syllabus 2014

I love living in Massachusetts because the seasons are RIDICULOUS in the best possible way.  It's been pretty chilly and cloudy for months, and now that summer weather is creeping in, everyone appreciates it so much and you look outside and basically see the population twirling with their arms reaching to the sky.  As a teacher, I have about 8 weeks off this summer, and I'm going to live. it. up.  We have plans for tons of day trips, two weekend getaways, meeting my nephew, some weddings, a 5K, beach time, family time, and ice cream as often as possible.

The list below represents what I hope to read, watch, and listen to, as well as some misc. summery things.  I really want to make friendship bracelets.  I left off work reading, even though there are a few books I'd like to flip through, because my mind is just focused on fun right now.  I asked for recommendations on Facebook, and also took suggestions from reading lists here and here.   I have so much good material that I'm probably going to make a back-to-school list in the fall.  Thank you for pointing me towards great stuff!

You can follow my reading progress on my Goodreads account, as long as I remember to load stuff.  The kids books are based on the fact that we're headed to Story Land this summer, and I want Milo and Elliott to hear lots of fairy tales and nursery rhymes before we get there.  I'm really looking forward to Creativity, Inc., which is about Pixar, and What Alice Forgot, which is about being a middle aged mom and and wife.  I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (about local eating) and Fortune's Rocks (about a teenage girl and her love affair with her father's friend) every summer.

Read:

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Jemima J. by Jane Green

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace 

The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make The Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD

Listening for Madeleine by Leonard S. Marcus

How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott

Kids Books:

Max and Ruby Fairy Tales

Five Minute Fairy Tales

Nursery Songs

Nursery Rhymes

Don't Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus 

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

Ben and I will be working on the Watch list together, and it's heavily influenced by my wimpy tendencies.  I can't watch torture, violence, rape, any excess of tension, families being hurt/separated, people dying, overly sad or difficult themes...it basically eliminates any of the popular series right now, and anything Ben has interest in.  My Netflix profile recently watched is Super Why, Sister Wives, New Girl, and Parks and Rec.  So this list is a little bit of a stretch and also will help us with the hour-long lethargic "What should we put on?" conversation nightly.

Watch:

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Series)

House of Cards (Finish Series)

Parks and Recreation (Rewatch series with Ben)

Call the Midwife (Series)

Pointe Break

Footloose

Birth of the Dead (documentary)

Jurassic Park 1 & 2

Terminator 1 & 2

Ever After

Moonrise Kingdom

Grand Budapest Hotel

Godzilla (Theater)

Wet Hot American Summer

I don't listen to music.  Ever.  NPR or audiobooks unless Ben is in the car with his iPod or CD collection.  But the boys really like music, especially Yo Gabba Gabba and our Disney pandora station.  I'm going to make a few mixed CDs we can turn to when we're traveling around this summer.  And listen to new podcasts when I run and clean (I can't go cold-turkey).

Listen:

Guster

Yo Gabba Gabba

The Weepies

Pop Music Everyone Liked Last Year

Stuff Mom Never Told You (podcast)

Misc:

Make friendship bracelets

Have a campfire and cook something on it

Contact at least 3 publications to freelance for them

Go strawberry picking

Canoe or Kayak with Ben

Go to the drive in for a family night

OKAY!  How about you?  What are you going to read and watch and radly consume in the summer months?  Let's make the most of the season that makes us sweat, shall we? <3