salutations!

The idea for this blog started as an idea for a newsletter about ten years ago. I have long been a children's book afficionado, for seven years I ran a storytime/arts & crafts program through a major bookstore chain. I wrote Children's book recommendations for a Los Angeles area parenting magazine and did many hours as a volunteer story reader for various organizations.

My love for Children's books knows no bounds and if I had more spending money and more room for storage, I would have even more picture books than I do now. I would have more if I could stop giving them away also. Anyway, while I loved my job at the bookstore, I was really a bookstore employee and had other areas of responsibilty outside of my love for the stories and art. One of my favorite things to do was speak with parents about their kids, books and art. Through my schooling at almost every wee little college in L.A., I have amassed a wealth of knowledge on creativity and child development. I am once of those geeks who when she learns something that is just too too cool, she has to tell EVERYONE about it and frankly, children and their development is the coolest thing of all. Also, at that time, the people I surrounded myself with couldn't care less for kid's books and development (but not you bunny or you leets, not you!). I thought, wouldn't it be cool if I could get my act together to write out a monthly newsletter that included activity ideas and recommnedations and such? Yeah, it would be cool but my act was far from together.

Then, about six years ago I discovered the internet and blogging. It was also around this time that my bookstore career ended (which is another long story) and I was jonesing for storytime, activities and kid's stuff. I thought hey, I could someday do a website that modeled my old calendars of activities. I could recommend kid's books again, I could help plan birthday parties online! Yes, I also did children's book birthdays. However, me, being the computer inept that I am, never believed in myself enough to do it but then I met the husbandman and he has been extra special at encouraging me to do what I lurve so I have been thinking about it more and more but then sometime last year I discovered Kiddley. I thought "Oh No!" I can't do it now, Ms. Loobylu is doing it and I can't copy her. Kiddley is awesome! So I sat in a slump for the rest of 2006 but more and more I thought I could do it. scrumdilly-do would be different. It would be me as jek in the box presenting my love of activities and books for kids. So, I resolved to make it and many other things happen in 2007 and here I am. It won't be as fancy as the amazing Kiddley and you all may not even read this long long missive here but for me and my lurve I will do this. I will try.

I miss my stories, my art, my kidlets. Maybe this way I can help you give your kids a love for reading!