A woman had her 9 month old child with her and noticed a hair sticking out of his nose.  She tried to get it but he kept on squirming away.  Her friend asked what she was doing.  The woman said back “He has a nose hair!”

Her friend replied “He’s too young to have a nose hair – it’s probably just a dog hair stuck to a booger!”

True story – I swear!  😀

I had so much fun today!  The event was wonderful – I saw plenty of fans come out for the show – and, as much as people may complain about the weather – it was perfect for the fair because it brought people inside!  A lot of great entertainers were there – all who did a fantastic job capturing the kid’s attention!  It was a pleasure to be a part of this fun day – and I had many people settle down and listen to Max and Charlie – as well as Wolf and Moose – and I had a lot of fun doing the “Popsicle Song” where one of the little girls offered the suggestion of a “Taco Popsicle!”  I could hear Taco Bell taking notes as we all sang!  Here is a shot of the kids waiting in line to shake my alligator’s hand!

Here are the Kids dancing around – having a wild time singing and dancing along!  Thanks again to all of the familiar faces who came to the shows!

I have been fortunate enough to visit the George H. Mitchell Elementary School for the past six years – and this year was just as great!  I was able to tell my stories to the Preschool through Third Grade – I do 5 to 6 shows a day Monday – Friday – and it was fantastic to see all of my favorite teachers and children again!  Walking through the halls listening to all of the kids shout out my name, excited that I am there, is such a joy!  I will be there again next year – and I’m already looking forward to it!

I will be appearing, on Sunday, at the Kids Expo sponsored by my good friends at The Moms and Dads Guide!  My shows are at 12:00 and 4:00!  My wife and I will be there – and I will have my friends with me including Edgar and Uncle Charlie.  Should be a fun day – make sure you click on the links to find out all the details!

 

I was so surprised and honored to be part of the Neary School’s book week celebration that invites an Author, an Illustrator and a Storyteller (ME!) to share their talents with the kids there!  The 4th and 5th graders were wonderful audiences – they got to hear one of my favorite stories to tell “Timmy” and I was even able to spend my lunch with a select group of children from each grade who asked me a few questions about my stories and where I came up with the ideas and such.  Thank you for the wonderful time Neary School!

So, I spent the day watching my new baby yawn and wiggle through the ultra sound – and thank you to everyone who has sent an email, or who have called, or to everyone who has left a comment on the site – but I also promised to keep everyone updated – so the latest is… IT’S A GIRL!  Our daughter will be named Alexandra Olivia Lee Racette, and we’ve already had to correct pretty much everyone – it’s not Alexandria – it’s Alexandra – she’s 12 ounces right now, and from what I’m told that’s pretty darn big already!  I can’t wait for our chubby little girl to be introduced to the world!

I will be appearing, at the end of March, at the Kids Expo sponsored by my good friends at The Moms and Dads Guide!  It’s shaping up to be a wonderful fun filled day with performances through out the entire show!  I will be there at 12:00 and 4:00 telling my tales! – so come early and stay late!  Catch all the great performers that day!  Hope to see everyone there!

No Author I can think of has captured the imagination of young readers quite like Chris Van Allsburg.  His stories are multi-layered, fantastic voyages that not only amaze but also leave an ever-lasting impression and a life time fan of everyone who opens one of his books.  I was first introduced to him in the 5th grade when my teacher Mrs. Weiler read us The Widows Broom.  If you’ve never heard of that book – get to your library as soon as you can and check that book out!  I use the Mysteries of Harris Burdick in my Children’s Workshop because - not only am I a fan – but also, it captures children’s minds with just a quick glimpse.  The last workshop I did, in Whitman, the children created a story about a pumpkin that came from a pumpkin patch that smelled of sweaty socks.  I love the portfolio edition of this book – it allows people to handle each page or, in the case of a classroom, it allows each student to take a page in different areas of the room to create their own fantastic voyage – inspired by Allsburg himself!