Who loves sand?

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I'll give you a hint. He has two thumbs. And occasionally likes to suck them. While holding a green minky.

This guy!












(Do you see the big boy playing in the background of the last picture? Presh.)

He loved playing in sand. He loved eating sand. (Which, by the way, can cause diaper issues. Just saying.) He would get to the end of the boardwalk and plop in the sand, as if to say, "I'm good here. Y'all can mosey on toward the water, but I don't know why you'd want to. The sand is right here, dude."

The little man loves the sand.

You MUST get your own copy of Papa's Pastries. Seriously.

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Excited doesn’t even begin to describe my reaction when I realized that one of my review books would be Papa’s Pastries by Charles Toscano and illustrated by Sonja Lamut. I knew of this book because many of my friends are friends with the Toscano family. I’ve served meals to the homeless on Saturdays with them, and we have a bunch of mutual friends. I had already “liked” the Facebook page for the book before I received it.

So, admittedly, I was a bit biased in its favor when it arrived.

And then I read it.

And then I fell in love with it.

I am not exaggerating when I call this my new favorite children’s book. (Side note: I’ve been collecting children’s books since high school. I love them. Instead of getting souvenirs to commemorate vacations, I've always gotten a kids’ book. In other words, it’s a high honor for me to label any children’s book as my number one. But this one is. It’s just that good.)

I love the sacrificial giving. I love the compassion shown by Papa and then returned to him. I love the lessons about faith and obedience to God learned by his family (and readers). I love that the pastries look just like the pan dulce pastries sold at our favorite bakery in Rio Grande City. (Jocelyn thought so too and is pretending to eat one in the picture below!)

It’s hard to summarize a children’s story without giving too much away, so I’ll just copy here what it says on the inside flap of the dust cover: “Miguel's family needs a new roof, firewood, and clothing to survive the winter. Miguel hope his father, a pastry peddler, will sell enough tasty treats to buy the things they need. But all the villagers they meet have also endured great hardship, and Miguel;s father gives his pastries to those who need them most. Miguel feels heartbroken. Then something happens that teaches him that kindness is far more valuable than money.”

This is a classic moralistic story done well. It’s beautiful. Sincere. Simple. Amazing. Unforced. Touching.

Get it for yourself. And then get it for everyone else you know.

It’s just that good.

The FTC requires that I disclose that Zonderkidz provided this book for me to review. Zonderkidz, however, required nothing from me and didn't ask for a positive review or anything else. Therefore, I like Zonderkidz more than the FTC, but I include this disclaimer because I also like not being fined by the FTC.

Favorite moments

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Some of my favorite moments from our annual beach trip aren't at the beach. They aren't from kayaking. It's not sitting on the deck overlooking the canal.

It's the walk there.

With this girl. Who is filled with unbridled joy in the moments of anticipation before we hit the sand.

She tells stories.

And makes silly faces.
(Did you notice the fancy wardrobe change? And time of day change? And...okay, the picture above is from a different day. I'll admit it.)

And makes more silly faces.

And gets a little animated.
(Okay, more than a little. She doesn't do anything just "a little." She doesn't know how to live life halfway.)

I love how she just enjoys life.

Oh, wait. Did I call it a walk? Maybe it would be more accurate to call it the run there.