Mix It Up AKA The Friendship Orange

Mix It Up AKA The Friendship Orange

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Doctorly Musings

Little Lionā€™s second grade teachers have started a new thing this year and I love it.  I donā€™t know what they call it, but Iā€™m officially calling it ā€œMix It Upā€.  Each month, they are placed at certain lunch tables on Wednesdays and that is their Wednesday lunch group.  The teachers mix up the kids so they sit with that group on Wednesdays only.  The rest of the week, they get to choose where to sit.

Itā€™s a brilliant idea.  Little Lion is making new friends and reconnecting with old ones.

Featured Fridays: The Ruthie Lou Foundation

Featured Fridays: The Ruthie Lou Foundation

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Featured Fridays

"The Ruthie Lou Foundation was inspired by the love, care, and support that my daughter's team of health professionals showed my family. We were guided through our time with Ruthie Lou and it has made all the difference as we navigate our life without her. In creating this non-profit, I wanted to offer the same compassion to other families experiencing the loss of their beloved baby." ~Amie Lands

Discovering My Heart

Discovering My Heart

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Doctorly Musings

ā€œYour heart is like the ocean, mysterious and dark.ā€
~ Bob Dylan

This quote is on one of the cards in our Macy calendar this month. Iā€™ve been taking the quotes to heart this year, trying to find meaning in each one, just as I meant for my little family to do when we were making them together last year.   

Icky January

Icky January

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Doctorly Musings

January is when I start to feel icky.  And by 'icky', I mean restless and crawling out of my skin.  It has only hit me in small bursts this year, but in the early morning hours of this Saturday morning, I'm feeling it.  My family is asleep.  Usually Mr. Bookworm is up writing by now.  I'm wide awake because I woke before my alarm.

Pillowland

Pillowland

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Dr.Bookworm Book Rec, Book Review

As a pediatrician, I talk about sleep habits every day.  And I admit to my patient families that my girls weren't the best sleepers.  Despite that, we still tried to establish a routine early on: after Mini Me started solids at six months of age, Mr. Bookworm would feed her a rice cereal snack and read her books. 

One way to re-focus on bedtime is to have the last book of the night be something about bedtime. We have some all-time faves, including The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton.  And now, Laurie Berkner has teamed up with Camille Garoche to translate her "Pillowland" song into the picture book market.

Featured Fridays: Ruby's Rainbow

Featured Fridays: Ruby's Rainbow

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Featured Fridays

For this week's Featured Friday non-profit organization, I am featuring a wonderful organization that supports education for young adults with Down Syndrome.

Ruby has Down Syndrome and her amazing spirit as well as her parents' desire NOT to limit their expectations for their child was the impetus for starting Ruby's Rainbow.  Ruby's Rainbow funds scholarships to adults with Down Syndrome who are "who are seeking post-secondary education, enrichment or vocational classes".

Featured Fridays: First Book

Featured Fridays: First Book

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Featured Fridays

Do you remember your first book?  I certainly don't.  I've read too many. 

I do remember going to the library and checking out stacks and stacks of books.  And my sisters teasing me by calling me a bookworm.  I wore that moniker proudly and I still do. 

Though I still love to go to the library, I love owning copies of my favorite books. 

This is where First Book comes in.

First Book is a non-profit organization that aids in distributing books to low income or at-risk communities.  

Best Nine

Best Nine

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Doctorly Musings

Instagram goes crazy this time of year with everyone's Best Nine.  You haven't heard of it?  It's the nine most 'liked' pictures you've posted over the year.

And in this quiet morning (it's the day before Christmas as I write this, and, no, I'm still not ready), I started thinking about a different 'Best Nine'.  What am I proud of this year?

Featured Fridays: Casa Youth Shelter and Robyne's Nest

Featured Fridays: Casa Youth Shelter and Robyne's Nest

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Featured Fridays

It's been cold here in Southern California.  Freezing, in fact.  Or...I guess what the Bookworm girls and I call "California Freezing" or "California Cold" because we are scientists and we know that it's not technically freezing here. 

I will tell you that I've never been truly cold at night.  Unless by choice via camping.   I know that there are many people and homeless families sprouting up all around this area.  And there are teens too. 

Now that I work in a private practice I don't see these teens.  But they're out there, running away from something, or taking care of themselves for some time now.  And I'm always torn about how I can help.

My Heart is So Full

My Heart is So Full

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Doctorly Musings

Our house isnā€™t ready for Christmas.  My stack of cards, unaddressed, is still sitting there.  We donā€™t have our tree up yet because weā€™ve been sick.  Our stockings arenā€™t hung by the chimney with care.  (Though Mr. Bookworm has taken our Christmas boxes down from the attic.)  And though we have lots of presents, none of them are wrapped.  There is no guarantee of any of those things actually getting done this weekend eitherā€”not with us being sick.  And thatā€™s okay.  

The only thing that MUST get done today is the movies.  Because weā€™re off to see The Last Jedi today. 

First Pages: Gift Ideas

First Pages: Gift Ideas

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
First Pages, Dr.Bookworm Book Rec, Gift Lists

Last year I posted a 12 Must-Have Picture Books for the 12 Days of Christmas.  The list contains  some classics and some newer ones, but they are all picture book 'must-haves' for any young bibliophile (or older ones too).  My friend suggested that I make a list for older kids that other people could reference for great gifts for different age groups. 

Well,  I don't feel exactly qualified to do so.  Why?  Because while I have read thousands of picture books, I am not as well read in early chapter books, middle grade books, or YA books.  So I may curate a list with some input from some other knowledgeable friends, but in the meantime, I thought I'd place all my First Lines novels in one place along with book summaries in case you might want to gift one to a friend or family member this holiday season.

Featured Fridays: Caring Bridge

Featured Fridays: Caring Bridge

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Featured Fridays

I posted a letter to Macy on my Caring Bridge site on her one year birthday.   At the time of my pregnancy with her, it was my lifeline to my supportive family and friends. 

I wanted to share what was going on with us, but I did not want to have to say my story over and over again.  So I did what I do best: I wrote about it.  I wrote and wrote, and so many people sent me messages of support, either on Caring Bridge itself, or by email, or in person.  Or even verbal messages through my sisters and parents. 

Rainbows

Rainbows

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Doctorly Musings

Every since Mini Me was little, we've talked about different types of families.  We've talked about families with just one parent, with two parents that are boys or girls or one of each, and with different households. 

Let's Cook a Treat

Let's Cook a Treat

Melanie Tioleco-Cheng
Book Review, Dr.Bookworm Book Rec

Every so often, Mini Me will check out a cookbook.  For a very long time.  We're terrible about hoarding our books and keeping them too long. This time around we've been hoarding Let's Cook a Treat: A Step by Step Guide, which is from the DK family of books.

I don't normally post our crafting or cooking processes because I don't come up with new recipes or craft ideas.  I tend to do a mish-mash of craft ideas I've heard of, unless I'm problem-solving a costume.  But since the holiday season is coming up, I'll tell you that this book was great for baking with a 7 year old! 

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