Books, Kool-Aid & Sunshine ... What more could a girl ask for?

Well, today was officially the first meeting of our Book Club - - Truly, What Fun! :)

The sun graced us with his presence - Thank the Lord above! - and the girls enjoyed creating their custom designed tie-dye T's ... I think that it was the messiness that really won them over (smile)! I must give a huge shout of "Thanks" to my assistant-for-the-day, Megan ... she was incredibly helpful and just a lovely girl all round.

Kool-Aid + Vinegar + T's = Total Messy Fun!

The girls did such a super job!

Lunch & book discussion followed ... apparently, Allie Finkle has some awesome Rules for Girls - - most popular, by shout-outs from the girls, were:

Don't stick a spatula down your best friend's throat. (You have to read the book to appreciate - it really is not as vulgar as it sounds!)

Never eat anything red. (No strawberries?? No watermelon?? Oh, gosh - what these girls are missing!)

Licorice is gross. (Sorry, but Strawberry Twizzlers?? YUM!! But, I guess that falls into the "Red" category, huh? :)

Now, for my picks:

Treat your friends the way you'd want them to treat you. (Total classic ... and so very true!)

Don't scare your little brothers. (A house rule!)

You're not supposed to hate people, especially grown-up people. (We shouldn't "hate", period." Who's with me?)

It's not polite to correct a grown-up. (AMEN to that!)

Listen politely when a grown-up is telling you something, even if you already know it. (I'm telling you, this girl is on to something here!)

All in all ... a great book, some good lessons, a lot of laughs and the girls are hooked on the series. Yeah! Another literary seed has been planted!

So, onto our second read - The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs. I am so anxious to see what the girls come up with for their community wonders ... I just love this sort of project! I'm hoping that my enthusiasm wears off onto them. One of my girls asked, "since the boy in the book gets a trip after he makes his discoveries, will you take us on a trip?" So ... I am now brainstorming a field trip. LOL! :) Of course, car pooling will be necessary, so we will have to see!

When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does.

-Meg Ryan, as Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail