Movie & Book Review

Last night I stayed up too late watching Breaking Dawn Part I.  That was a waste of lost sleep.  Not bad enough to be funny.  Oddly, it was mostly...boring.  I just don't care anymore about Bella and Edward.  In fact, Edward gets creepier-looking in each successive movie.  So the fact that Bella obstinately chooses Edward when Jacob gets cuter and cuter makes very little sense.  (Since none of the characters have actual personalities, choices about marriage and whatnot should obviously be based on looks alone.)  I will say this though - the wedding was absolutely beautiful.  I could have gone for a magical woodland setting for my reception - with flowers forming a canopy over my head.

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I am reading Island in the Sea of Time right now and am seriously geeking out.  The characterization leaves a lot to be desired.  But the amateur historian inside me cares little for that, when the author takes me on a tour of early Britain, proto-Celtic villages, and Olmec settlements in the Bronze Age!  I love having these civilizations described by twentieth-century individuals.  First-person historical novels don't always work well for me, because I hate when I detect modern sensibilities in historical figures.  This would be why I like Philippa Gregory's novels, because her characters are so rooted in the 16th century.  The farther back in time you go, the more different the perspective (generally speaking), and usually authors simply cannot get into the mindset.  That's why I didn't like Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.  It was neo-paganism pretending to be an accurate portrayal of historical religion.

I'm thinking of declaring next month Medieval March.  I've been meaning to read A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman and The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett for ages.  I have them both in my possession, thanks to Paperback Swap.  I don't think I should add any more books at this point, considering A Distant Mirror is non-fiction and nearly 700 pages long.  I figure if I don't commit to reading A Distant Mirror, it might not happen.  I tend to be pretty lazy about non-fiction.

January

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My blog is pretty now, but I have failed to add any new content.  When I can't sleep at night, I think up all kinds of posts.  In the morning I either can't remember the ideas, or the ideas make no sense.  Does that ever happen to you?

To be honest, January was not the greatest for me.  I felt kind of down.  So worn out.  No way to recharge.  I know this is all temporary, but that doesn't help me magically summon the energy and patience needed for each new day.  Dh and I have been working harder to have scripture study together and that has helped the most.

Miss E can read several words now and is often a great helper.  Don't tell her, but I trick her into tidying by telling her someone she likes is coming to visit.  It completely works.  She even dusts the piano and entertainment center.  And then my house is tidy when that person shows up later that day.  She whirls around the house, a cleaning dervish, chattering on about how "we simply can not have a messy house when so-and-so comes over."  Sometimes she even does it in a faux British accent, which is my favorite.

Ace is ADORABLE with freckles splashed across his face.  The freckles seriously slay women everywhere.  Women are always commenting on them.  I think he might finally be toilet-trained completely.  What an ordeal.  Days were fine, but he would often go #2 in his nighttime diaper just after we put him to bed, and sometimes, I kid you not - in his sleep.  How does one alter that?  It's not easy, let me tell you, especially when my son continued to shrug in a very French way no matter which toy Dh or I took away as a consequence.  The solution is: buy a Super Toy Assortment from the Oriental Trading Co, full of the lowest quality toys ever, akin to the prizes at Chuck E Cheese's.  Place one toy where child can see it and assure him he can have it once he poops in the potty.  Repeat every day.  Voila! 

Baby C, oh I can wax rhapsodic about my darling Baby C.  She is so sweet and fun and funny.  Such a good little baby.  Well, not so little anymore.  She will shortly be 6 months old and weighs about 16 pounds.  She adores her entire family.  Ace and Miss E love to talk to her and play with her.  The other day I entered her room to find Miss E reading her a story.  Sibling love is so precious.  She is quite good at grabbing things and loves to shriek happily.  No sitting up unassisted, though it shouldn't be too long now.  I have given her a couple foods in the past couple of weeks - applesauce and prunes - and she made the most horrified faces.  The kids and I found it vastly entertaining.  She does like to drink water from a bottle, though I have serious doubts about how much water actually makes it into her mouth.

In January we had some flooding.  None very near to our house, thank goodness.  This picture was taken by my husband 1-2 miles north of our house, where town gives way to farmland.

Dh's parents visited us the second weekend in January and brought the children's Christmas presents then.  Ace wanted to try out his new toy boat right then.  And for some reason needed to be naked to test it out.  ??  Please note Miss E is appropriately attired.  Ace quickly froze his tuckus off and raced inside to warm up.

Another day in January we headed up into the Cascade Mountains to a beautiful waterfall in the middle of nowhere.  We barely made it back in time for Miss E to attend her afternoon kindergarten class.  The water was so clear and cold.  The fresh mountain air felt wonderful in our lungs.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy the mountains.