tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77677092024-03-13T06:29:20.603-07:00The True Adventures of Superhero GirlAnthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.comBlogger411125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-8798384937550257532013-09-18T17:23:00.003-07:002013-09-18T17:27:39.730-07:00Ask and Ye Shall Receive<div style="text-align: justify;">
So two of my, um, three followers said I should blog more than twice a year. I was soooo productive this morning, cleaning like a mofo, and Dh is making salmon for dinner, so I find myself with a spot of time right now. I can blog, since watching <i>Breaking Bad</i> is limited to naptime and after kids go to bed. NSFK. That is totally an acronym now. Anyway, the point is, ask and ye shall receive! A blog post!</div>
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I have been up to...<br />
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<li>Reducing the household budget in any way possible. Dh started a new job in January, and it came with a sizable pay cut. We sat down and crunched the numbers...and there's just not much left after all the bills are paid. And Netflix counts as a bill, because I had to draw the line there. Seriously. We did have the freezer and a chest freezer stocked with mostly meat before this went down, so Dh hasn't had to go vegetarian. I have been baking more so I can mostly stop buying snack food. Cookies, waffles, kettle corn. Honestly the kids are snacking better now!</li>
<li>Listening to podcasts. <a href="http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive" target="_blank">Hardcore History</a>, <a href="http://mormonstories.org/" target="_blank">Mormon Stories</a>, and <a href="http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/" target="_blank">The Naked Scientists</a> are all rocking my world. Naturally those are all free.</li>
<li>Knitting and crocheting. I've recently churned out a black winter hat for myself, a scarf for E, a short-sleeved sweater for C, and an open cardigan for myself. Now I'm working on a blue cap for Ace and a baby blanket for a pending niece.</li>
<li>Reading. Would a blog post by yours truly be complete without a mention of books? Recent books I've enjoyed: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6909544-birthmarked" target="_blank">Birthmarked</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16240732-what-do-women-want" target="_blank">What Do Women Want?</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11544421-magic-rises" target="_blank">Magic Rises</a> (6th book in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series), and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8507125-tim-hetherington" target="_blank">Infidel</a> by Tim Hetherington (kind of a companion book to the movie Restrepo, which I finally watched last month). Right now I'm very slowly making my way through The God Who Weeps (very good so far) and Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (trying too hard to be funny, but I'm committed. Maybe it will improve?)</li>
<li>Travel & family fun. We had a reunion on Dh's side in central Washington in late June. We flew to NY for a reunion on my side in mid July. (Oi that's a post all its own.) We hit the local amusement park and the zoo. E & Ace did two weeks of swim lessons and made a LOT of progress, so there was lots of pool fun in the backyard with friends coming over. E also did a soccer camp. Towards the end, she confidently told me, "If I keep playing soccer, I could be in the Olympics."</li>
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Ace started kindergarten this year and E started 2nd grade. Due to geography, Ace is in afternoon kinder, and C still takes naps, so the entire kinder school day is kid-free for me! (Thus <i>Breaking Bad</i>.) Ace had a rough time starting school. The week leading up to school he started throwing these awful fits where he would refuse to do anything and cover his ears, and scream, etc etc. Very annoying and frustrating. I asked Dh to get off work to accompany us to Ace's first day because I had a feeling he would freak. And freak he did. When we left he was throwing books on the floor. Quietly, at least. Ugh. One of his teachers reported later it took him an hour to calm down. The next day, for two hours leading up to school-time, Ace was a pill. He refused to eat lunch, he threw fit after fit and spent a lot of time in his room. But then he did fine at school. I think he threw one more fit at home that week (last week). Then this week, on Monday C curled up in her bed and fell asleep well before kindergarten started. I am anal about naps, so I wasn't going to wake her up. I put Ace on the bus. Kicking and screaming! Then his teacher called, saying he refused to get off the bus! So the bus driver brought him back home. When C woke up, I matter-of-factly told Ace it was time to go to school, and he complied. He's been fine since then. He rides the bus HOME just fine, so I do not see what is different! Whatever. At least the fits are pretty much over. He really doesn't like change. He also does not like to be late (I figured that out during swim lessons this summer).</div>
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Well this is quite long enough for one day, think you not? Stay tuned for my newest beauty discoveries!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Photo Dump!</span></div>
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Ace lost his first tooth!</div>
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My kids are total hams.</div>
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E on her first day of school. Yes this is a crappy pic; it doesn't even show her cute skirt & shoes, I am too lazy to fix the nice pic. Also, the pic of Ace is still on the camera and I am too lazy to upload it!</div>
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Dh was the camera man so there is no evidence he went to the zoo. I am wearing the cardi I knit!</div>
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How do YOU measure up?</div>
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Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-25383990547592768202013-04-26T22:29:00.000-07:002013-04-26T22:29:22.548-07:00Best Children's Books of 2012Amazon has a list of the best children's books of 2012 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A283155%2Cn%3A%212334088011%2Cn%3A%212334119011%2Cn%3A5916596011%2Cn%3A5917238011&ie=UTF8&qid=1367037346&ajr=0" target="_blank">here</a>. It took a while, but I read just about every one to E & Ace. Obviously an adult curated this list, because some of these were crap. Some were fabulous. Below, my reviews, and my children's reactions.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXd68WpJ3jA/UXtXf5n2AMI/AAAAAAAAB28/zXJ20b8QoJo/s1600/adventureslittlenutbrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXd68WpJ3jA/UXtXf5n2AMI/AAAAAAAAB28/zXJ20b8QoJo/s1600/adventureslittlenutbrown.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare</div>
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Me: Two thumbs down</div>
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Kids: Two thumbs down</div>
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We didn't even finish reading this. Boring pictures, boring stories.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XfRFvT27e2c/UXtXf_9ETeI/AAAAAAAAB3E/JRuaxyvVK5E/s1600/bearhasastorytotell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XfRFvT27e2c/UXtXf_9ETeI/AAAAAAAAB3E/JRuaxyvVK5E/s1600/bearhasastorytotell.jpg" /></a></div>
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Bear Has a Story to Tell</div>
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Me: Neutral</div>
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Kids: Not keen</div>
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The kids were indifferent. I thought it was cute enough.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BGylXqt9g58/UXtXgGio8HI/AAAAAAAAB3A/kyzkUsftU-g/s1600/bigmeanmike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BGylXqt9g58/UXtXgGio8HI/AAAAAAAAB3A/kyzkUsftU-g/s1600/bigmeanmike.jpg" /></a></div>
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Big Mean Mike</div>
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Me: Loved</div>
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Kids: Loved</div>
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The children had me and Dh read this several times. Funny, cute, and had a good message (to wit, don't be afraid to be yourself, even if that self is cute AND tough).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9FD0LPOEY34/UXtXgQ4AxUI/AAAAAAAAB3I/IjvH0JoldSY/s1600/boyharnessedwind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9FD0LPOEY34/UXtXgQ4AxUI/AAAAAAAAB3I/IjvH0JoldSY/s1600/boyharnessedwind.jpg" /></a></div>
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The boy Who Harnessed the Wind</div>
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Me: Liked</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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The kids were very hesitant about this book at first, but I insisted on reading it to them. We were all glad by the end. This is an inspiring awesome story. Based on the true story of a boy in Malawi who built a wind pump out of spare parts.</div>
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The Cloud Spinner</div>
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Me: Meh</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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I found this book preachy. The kids liked it, but never requested a re-read.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GvE3vZFgUXM/UXtXgveM8YI/AAAAAAAAB3M/8zPAqQZaO2o/s1600/craftychloe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GvE3vZFgUXM/UXtXgveM8YI/AAAAAAAAB3M/8zPAqQZaO2o/s1600/craftychloe.jpg" /></a></div>
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Crafty Chloe</div>
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Me: Meh</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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Not sure why this is on the list. It seemed pretty mediocre to me.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XvQTIjzsr4/UXtXg-q71oI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/Kt1NFnD73vw/s1600/darnsquirrels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XvQTIjzsr4/UXtXg-q71oI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/Kt1NFnD73vw/s1600/darnsquirrels.jpg" /></a></div>
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Those Darn Squirrels Fly South</div>
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Me: Liked</div>
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Kids: Loved</div>
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This is one of those books that kids would put on the list, but not necessarily adults. We were not familiar with the darn squirrels, so I got Those Darn Squirrels first. My kids loved both of the Darn Squirrel books. This got a re-read. Also, now we all occasionally raise our fists and say, "Those darn squirrels!" in grouchy, old-man voices. Very fun.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VVMWY4vQ7aU/UXtXhBTP_2I/AAAAAAAAB3U/QBzD5rnBWNg/s1600/ducklinggetsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VVMWY4vQ7aU/UXtXhBTP_2I/AAAAAAAAB3U/QBzD5rnBWNg/s1600/ducklinggetsa.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?</div>
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Me: Liked</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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We all enjoyed reading this, but the kids didn't click with it.</div>
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Extra Yarn</div>
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Me: Loved</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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I loved this of course! It's about knitting! The kids thought it was okay. No re-read.</div>
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The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore</div>
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Me: Meh</div>
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Kids: Meh</div>
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This was too long and not exciting enough for any kid under 7. I did like the illustrations, though.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ia7AOjkIWyw/UXtXhxOQp-I/AAAAAAAAB3k/xZgQAeu97_A/s1600/llamallama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ia7AOjkIWyw/UXtXhxOQp-I/AAAAAAAAB3k/xZgQAeu97_A/s1600/llamallama.jpg" /></a></div>
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Llama, Llama, Time to Share</div>
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Me: Liked</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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I think my kids liked that this book is written all in rhyme.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCjgfcpRKY8/UXtXiPkdIdI/AAAAAAAAB3s/hhTBmWSH2ds/s1600/nightsong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCjgfcpRKY8/UXtXiPkdIdI/AAAAAAAAB3s/hhTBmWSH2ds/s1600/nightsong.jpg" /></a></div>
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Nightsong</div>
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Me: Meh</div>
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Kids: Meh</div>
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Too many words on each page for young kids. Maybe older children would go for it.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jx2QscVvAQk/UXtXiFpspSI/AAAAAAAAB3o/-3CN92ilecw/s1600/ohnogeorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jx2QscVvAQk/UXtXiFpspSI/AAAAAAAAB3o/-3CN92ilecw/s1600/ohnogeorge.jpg" /></a></div>
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Oh No, George!</div>
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Me: Liked</div>
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Kids: Liked</div>
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We all enjoyed reading this. The kids loved seeing the antics George got up to.</div>
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Olivia and the Fairy Princesses</div>
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Me: Meh</div>
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I found this to be too full of jokes aimed at adults. For instance, Olivia starts the book by announcing she is having an identity crisis. I really hate when children in books talk like adults. This also turns kids off. My kids were not interested in a re-read. </div>
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Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons</div>
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Me: Loved</div>
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Kids: Loved</div>
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This was probably the kids' favorite book off the list. They loved it so much E read it to Ace later on her own. They still sing the little song Pete the Cat sings in the story. I also love the message: Stuff comes and stuff goes, but do I cry? No oh no!</div>
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Rocket Writes a Story</div>
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This felt like being in school. With a boring teacher. We all kept waiting for it to get more interesting, but it never did.</div>
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This is Not My Hat</div>
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Z if for Moose</div>
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Me: Loved</div>
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This book is cute and fun. It's about being a good friend, even if your friend throws a fit.</div>
<br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-84527424642483952962013-02-13T21:36:00.001-08:002013-04-26T22:31:29.294-07:00Ho HeyI love that song - Ho Hey by the Lumineers. Sometimes Ace sings it in his cute little boy voice - adorable! That and Home by Philip Phillips - I could just listen to those two songs on a constant loop right now.<br />
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So my husband started a new job in January. It's a paycut. But way better hours. It's kind of stressful because of the money $$$$. There wasn't a whole lot I could trim from the household budget. Except for my craft expenditures. :( Whatever, I need to shut up, I have enough craft supplies to probably last me til the zombie apocalypse! In January I kept crafting < $20, and so far in February I'm at $0! Go me. Doing my part to not put us in debt. Now I make meatless meals 1-2 times a week and my husband can't complain! Sucka! Though - scene from yesterday:<br />
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Miss E: What is this?<br />
Me: Spaghetti.<br />
Ace: No meatballs?!<br />
Me: No. (eyeroll)<br />
Miss E: Are we eating vegetarian to save money?<br />
Me: Yes. (thinking, you're 6, how do you even know the word vegetarian???)<br />
Miss E: I prefer to eat like a meatosaur!<br />
Me: A carnivore?<br />
Miss E: Yes! NOT like a triceratops.<br />
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Because, you know, triceratops ate a LOT of spaghetti during the Cretaceous!<br />
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We sold Dh's truck a few weeks ago and bought a Camry. That alone is going to save us about $175/month in gas! Sheesh. I drove that Camry once and decided it was mine. People, it has <i>leather</i> seats and a sound system 20x better than the Pilot I was driving. I ordered these teensy narrow booster seats for the kids so they all fit in the back. It is more work for me, because now I have to buckle all three children in myself, but it's worth it to me! Leather seats! I can plug my mp3 player in to the car! The Pilot is sooooo basic, it doesn't have that feature. I hardly have all 3 kids in the car at once anyway. Dh is fine with this because he feels the Pilot is more manly than the Camry. I think the Camry is sexy. It is black and the windows are so heavily tinted Dh is afraid I am going to get a ticket. (Who knew that's illegal here? Lame, Oregon!)<br />
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Here is a sad, sad tale. Actually it is totally a first world sad tale. Dh was looking for something last night under the sofa and apparently he put the sofa down right onto his tablet. No one noticed all day. But we sure did sit our bottoms on the sofa! I pulled the tablet out tonight and the screen is totally shattered. It's stuck on the scriptures. You can scroll to the next chapter but can't exit to a different app. Dh now owns the most expensive set of scriptures in the world. Miss E started crying. I'm still not sure why. She is very tender sometimes, very empathetic. Ace was really bummed because now he can't play Angry Birds. I'm really bummed because we don't have $300-400 to replace it. Dh doesn't actually know yet because he has to work late tonight. Just want you want to come home to, right?<br />
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I have been searching for a new girly tv show to watch when Dh is not around. Vampire Diaries is just not doing it for me anymore. Suggestions? I am pretty much limited to what streams on Netflix or Hulu Plus. I tried Hart of Dixie but that show could not be more cliched if it was called Cliched Cliches Cliche. Seriously. OH I did just watch a great movie though - The Queen of Versailles. Loved it. <br />
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Right now I'm reading No Easy Day, the book about killing bin Laden. Oh my gosh the man cannot write. He even has a co-author who has supposedly written 4 books. They both suck! The writing makes me want to gouge out my own eyeballs, but it's fast reading. I just really want to know the story. Somehow I've already read 12 books this year. (No good girly tv shows!) My fave so far is Tell the Wolves I'm Home which I sort of expected to hate but ended up loving.<br />
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The above two pics are from Christmas Eve, when Dh's family had a great self-defense lesson from my brother-in-law's father-in-law, who teaches martial arts. I can totally disarm someone holding a knife to my throat. Cool huh!<br />
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Miss E as a mummy.</div>
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Baby C enjoying a blueberry candy cane Dh found in our bedroom.</div>
<br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-40032967752643062392012-11-08T21:53:00.000-08:002012-11-08T21:53:07.249-08:00Marriage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been thinking a lot about gender relations in general, and also specifically within my church (LDS). But I haven't decided anything yet, so right now it's all a formless soup within my cranium. I've been thinking about marriage, and being a stay-at-home mother. I'm reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-History-How-Love-Conquered/dp/014303667X/ref=la_B000AP9GI2_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352438077&sr=1-1" target="_blank">this book</a> and it's <i>so</i> interesting. I'm only on Chapter 2 so far. Chapter 1 = our current ideas of marriage are based on the culmination of about 250 years of gradual thought change. Towards the late 1700s an idea started to take hold, that people who get married should be in love with each other. The Victorians ran with it, and by the 1950s it had reached its apotheosis. But prior to 1800, a lot of people thought too much love in a marriage was weird, unseemly, or dangerous. This I am still trying to wrap my mind around. I mean, you're in the same bed. Naked. How could some love be dangerous?? (Dangerous because the lovebirds would be inclined to put each other first instead of those they should put first, like parents.) I'd pay good money to know what kind of marriage Adam & Eve had, or Enoch, or Noah. Would their minds boggle at our ideas & attitudes? </div>
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I do remember in a <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402971.Feudal_Society_Volume_1" target="_blank">book on a history of feudalism</a> I read a few years ago, the author talked about how modern people have a hard time understanding just how important the family was in medieval times. I don't mean husband-wife-kids. I mean the extended family. Like in some parts of Europe, you couldn't sell some land that <i>belonged to just you</i> if your family didn't approve it! There wasn't this infrastructure of government we have now, it was all about the family. If you were disabled or infirm due to age, your family took care of you. This support group is really pretty much absent from our lives, and it's the kind of support group that would kill for you, because you are blood. If I become infirm, I don't plan to show up on my cousin's doorstep. (Bet you're relieved, T!) </div>
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This also reminds me of <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2227708/Jackie-Samuel-snuggle-Cuddling-makes-woman-260-day-New-York.html?ICO=most_read_module" target="_blank">this article</a> I read on a British newspage (side note: Brits totally have the best, and by "best" I mean "most gossipy," newspages) about a woman who lives here in the US, who is putting herself through college by cuddling for $60 an hour. CUDDLING. For SIXTY DOLLARS AN HOUR. One person commented said how sad that is, that we as humans are now so starved for affectionate touch that people will pay this woman to cuddle with them.</div>
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So bobbing up out of the soup of my mind is that I think we ARE missing something in our lives, living so far from our families, putting so much pressure on our marriages to supply many of our needs for social interaction, affection, (non-sexual) intimacy, etc.</div>
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But then I think what the reality would be if all my family and all my husband's family lived in our same town, all near each other. A couple of my friends have most of their extended family within an hour of each other and it seems like quite a bit of drama. Honestly, with my family it would be all drama, all the time. But always people to hang out with! And help you tile the bathroom! And watch the kids for each other! Hmm...</div>
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See? No conclusions. Just ramblings. That's all you get, folks.</div>
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Oh and some kiddo pics.</div>
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My little duckling. I could only look at her in brief glimpses because she was literally too cute.</div>
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Miss Tinkerbell has been fake smiling a lot recently. But she is also reading a lot recently, all on her own, so yay!</div>
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Gotta love an honest ninja. (Ace got the headband from church a few weeks ago. At crunch time, his actual ninja headband was nowhere to be found, so we popped this on his head.)</div>
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Dh made cookies the other week and they were perfect! Look at them! He said, "Crap, I've just screwed myself, haven't I?" Yes, yes you have. I got him to make them again on Sunday. Sucka!</div>
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Baby C (toddler C? Miss C?) Not-baby-any-longer-waah-C is my climber. With three kids, it was bound to happen. At least I didn't get a climber til the end, when my heart could take it (yes I'm 90, why do you ask?). She climbs everything and is undeterred by falling, which she does several times a day. For a few days we could stave off the worst of this by tucking in the chairs around the dining room table. She figured out today, to her parents' dismay, how to pull out the chairs and thus has unimpeded access to the table, which she proceeds to walk upon as if it were a thoroughfare. *le sigh* The only plus is now the table is very clean to reduce the potential for destruction.</div>
Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-40189016593079315032012-07-31T15:38:00.003-07:002012-07-31T15:40:00.537-07:00Update on My Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, hello there. It is I, your friendly neighborhood onion chopper. My husband pulled out these goggles as a joke as I prepared to chop an onion. Laugh all you want. Fools mock! The goggles totally worked. I even allowed him to take a picture. And now I am putting it on the Internet. Because I am cool like that. The chicken curry turned out delicious, btw.</div>
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We took the kids to a local amusement park? a couple weeks ago. I put a question mark by amusement park because honestly I am not sure what to call the place. It's actually kind of creepy. It has all these little vignettes based on nursery rhymes, but they're like 50 years old. There are some kiddie rides at the end though, and the kids LOVE going, so we've made it a tradition to go each year.</div>
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What you see in the two pictures above is JOY, my friends.</div>
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And this girl. Could you not just eat her up? She is soooo cute and fun and funny. She is already a daddy's girl! To a truly remarkable degree. Miss E loves her daddy, but her adoration developed slowly and was firmly in place by 2 1/2. But this one openly prefers Dh to me already, and she's not even one (though she turns one next week! man!). I can't say I really mind, because she likes to be held and is not very light! Haha She also has quite the personality. The other day she kept banging Ace on the head with a golf ball. We were all laughing our heads off (including Ace, since Baby C is not very strong).</div>
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Yesterday she took her first step! To Daddy, of course! I didn't even see it; I was making dinner. We tried to get her to repeat the feat to no avail. She's been standing tons in the past couple of days, so we knew it was any day on the walking.</div>
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This baby also appears to be my death-wish baby. She stands up precariously in her high chair, stands up in shopping carts (& thus must ALWAYS be strapped in), and is always leaning forward toward things that will hurt her (such as the ground from several feet up). The other day at EK's new house, Baby C crawled right up to the edge of the deck and tried to stick her head under the railing. *eyeroll* Fortunately the deck builder planned it right and she was safely corralled by the railing. She loves to play in the toilet (blech), my only baby to do so. Also loves to BANG on the laptop keyboard whenever she can get to it. The best part of that last antic is that she laughs maniacally when she does it because she knows I'll come running and put a stop to her fun!</div>
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We went to Dh's parents for 4th of July, it was quite fun. Most of his siblings & their families came too, so there were many cousins for our kids to play with. </div>
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I got a bike at the beginning of summer. I hadn't ridden a bike in over 10 years. I had a little bike accident at 19 and haven't ridden since. It turns out riding a bike...is like riding a bike! I just hopped on and away I went. I talked Dh into getting a bike trailer too. It's been fun to go on family bike rides. For everyone except Baby C, who hates wearing her helmet and cries nearly the entire time we are out.</div>
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I hosted book club last week. *sigh* It really is the fakest book club ever. I didn't even read the book, though I picked it. Also we had to reschedule twice due to conflicts, so by the time we actually held it, only two other ladies showed up! So we had plenty of delicious food. I made Red Robin's Freckled Lemonade via Food Network Magazine (very accurate! but too much work), <a href="http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/orange-dream-layered-squares-130549.aspx" target="_blank">Orange Dream Layered Squares</a> (a hideous name for a yummy summer treat), and some chips & salsa and Red Velvet Cookies which I just bought at the store.</div>
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Oh and the other big news is we got an above-ground pool for the backyard. It's ridiculously huge, 15 feet across, 3.5 feet deep. Between that, the trampoline, the swing set, a picnic table and a couple trees, our backyard is PACKED. But my husband would say, "Yeah, packed with SUPER FUN!" It's true. I was initially very annoyed by the pool because it is so big and deep. (You can't see over the side if you are sitting in a chair on the lawn.) BUT it is fun to play in, and feels really, really nice on a hot day. Also it can be disassembled once the weather turns. I've invited bunches of people to come hang out in the pool in the afternoons and the kids always have a blast. The other day we had 11 kids in the pool! Also Miss E is so tan now!</div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-38004239172432163392012-05-26T12:16:00.002-07:002012-05-26T12:16:34.327-07:00A Few Very Short Movie ReviewsShark Night - So bad it's good.<br />
Dream House - Just scary enough for me. Probably not scary at all to some, but I'm a pansy.<br />
Footloose - A complete waste of time.<br />
The Avengers - Funnier than I expected. Quite enjoyable.<br />
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - A bit annoying at times, but overall thumbs-up. I love Emily Blunt & Ewan McGregor.<br />
The Darkest Hour - Fun to watch if you are with others who will go Mystery Science Theater 3000 on it with you.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-75299730004029294312012-05-04T11:49:00.000-07:002012-05-04T12:04:24.475-07:00I've Had a Birthday, Shout Hooray!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The other day I turned 31. I don't really care about the number, other than I think 31 is an ugly number. I'd rather be 32 for two years. Maybe I should just do that. haha I went shopping and found some really cute stuff. I got a pair of sailor-style linen pants, navy blue. I've been wanting some for like 5 years and I finally found the perfect pair! So it was a birthday success. Dh got me a red velvet cake and the family sweetly sang Happy Birthday. My children have the cutest little tone-deaf voices.</div>
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I am STILL working out regularly! No one is more surprised by this than myself. Usually I make it a week. But I'm coming up on a month. Haha Sad that that is a record for me.</div>
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I am working my way through <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6597651-the-windup-girl" target="_blank"><i>The Windup Girl</i></a>. For some reason it is taking me a long time to read this book. It is a post-apocalyptic novel set in Thailand. GMOs reign supreme, and engineered food plagues have wiped out almost everything. I find it terrifyingly possible. In 2010 when I first attempted this book I couldn't get into it. But in the past two years I've learned more about GMOs and Monsanto and whatnot, so it just doesn't seem all that farfetched to me.</div>
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And here is a video of Baby C. She is the wiggliest baby I have ever encountered. She wiggles while she nurses. She wiggles while you hold her in your lap. She wiggles while she eats in her high chair. The ONLY time she is still is when she is sleeping. By the way, the "chocolate bread" in the video does not contain chocolate. My children name all the different kinds of bread we buy. It's brown, so it's Chocolate Bread! (And delicious, btw.) Another kind has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haystack_Rock" target="_blank">Haystack Rock</a> on the bag, which reminds my children of a volcano, so they love to ask for Volcano Bread (it's a buttermilk bread, also quite yummy).</div>
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<br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-92102173734780281332012-04-24T10:45:00.001-07:002012-04-24T10:46:21.606-07:00Ducks, Dick & a BrickDh caught some ducks this winter and has been pestering me to cook them. I have never cooked duck before!!!! I am kind of nervous. I have Martha's instructions, which have the duck roasting for a total of 2 hours and 10 minutes, but that recipe calls for a 5-6 pound duck.* I have two ducks that <i>together</i> weigh 2.5 pounds. So...teensy little ducks. I have a probe thermometer so I will know exactly when those little duckies hit 165 degrees. I'm guessing like 30 minutes. Haha I'm going to make mini bacon muffins and a salad. My children are already freaking out about dinner (the horror!) so the salad is partially to placate them. Yes, my kids are weird. Duck is too scary to try, but salad is fun to eat. Actually Ace will probably try the duck because he is pretty adventurous at the table, but Miss E is quite entrenched in the beige phase. The other day she tried teriyaki chicken and that was major progress. *sigh*<br />
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It seems really weird to me that people keep calling Dick Clark America's oldest teenager. If someone called me that I would be really offended. I know it's because he looked younger than he was, but he didn't actually <i>look</i> like a teenager. Haha Plus why would you want to look like a teenager forever? People are rude to young people just because they look young. People are rude to middle-aged people when they look young, just because they look young.<br />
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Which leads me to Samantha Brick. I know I am two weeks late talking about this, but I'm a little surprised people are being so fantastically rude to her. Okay, her delivery sucked. However, she has a point and I'm disappointed most people are pretending like she doesn't. One doesn't have to be a supermodel to be treated badly by other women. One just has to be a little prettier than the other women. I am completely ignored by Victoria's Secret employees every time I go in there, while the middle-aged women in Crocs are well-tended. I roll my eyes and grouse about the insecure 20-year-olds employed there. (To the point that now I never go there. Also I don't like the soft porn.) I'm not a supermodel! By any stretch of the imagination! But like I said, you only have to be a teensy bit prettier than the insecure girl in question. And we all know that guys give a pretty girl a pass on all kinds of behavior. It made me sad that all the comments I read (on MSN) were like, "She's a horse." One woman was honest - she said when she was younger women were frequently mean to her and men would hold doors for her and be so nice, and now that she weighs over 200 lbs women are nice to her and men don't see her. I even noticed this kind of behavior when I was pregnant - invisible to guys (except those whose wives or gfs were pregnant or had just had babies - they would tell me about it), but older middle-aged women - who usually ignore me - would smile sweetly at me. What do you think?<br />
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Lunchtime calls. Why do we have to eat so <i>often</i>? It feels sometimes like all I do is make food to be consumed by my family! Admit it, it would be kind of nice to be a polar bear and just eat a seal once a week.<br />
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*I tried to link to the recipe, but the page just loads eternally. Anyone else noticed that Martha Stewart's site has some page loading issues? This is not the first time this has happened to me on her site.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-57294488027363971572012-04-17T23:07:00.002-07:002012-04-17T23:07:36.757-07:00And Some Baby Pics Because Everyone Loves Her<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I can't get enough of this girl. </span></div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-48930424110033922182012-04-17T22:55:00.000-07:002012-04-17T23:02:16.300-07:00In Which We Learn How the Earth Was MadeLast night I dreamt Dillard's made a large water park downtown without me noticing. I stumbled upon it while walking from the hospital to the library. (Even in my dream I couldn't figure out why I was walking from the hospital to the library.) I think Dillard's should definitely get into the business of water parks. In my town.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the love on Baby C's face! *melts*</td></tr>
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Ace's birthday is tomorrow, as is his birthday party. The
excited antics by both Ace & Miss E are through the roof and I am out of
patience. So my kids aren't the only ones counting down til it's
partytime. My little boy is turning 4. He
is so tall now. Today he told me how the earth was made. <br />
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some green<br />
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metal<br />
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hot stuff<br />
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smashded together<br />
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+<br />
glue <br />
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=<br />
Earth<br />
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Miss E said loudly there was no glue involved, to which Ace insisted even more loudly that "they glueded it and makeded it." <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I introduce Ace to Rodney Yee.</td></tr>
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I love the 3-year-old language. Ace calls manta rays "manta
rissas." I have no idea where he got that word from, but I think I
actually like it better than manta ray. Manta rissa is rather pretty.<br />
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Dh has been helping coach a baseball team and I am sick of that. Also it is the spring salmon run, so basically just shoot me now. Though I read a couple blogs by <a href="http://thepolishedpickle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">women whose</a> <a href="http://richardsonshine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">husbands are accountants</a>, so I know full well I have no place to complain about my husband being absent. Tomorrow he is going fishing in the morning but is under strict orders (from me) to be home <i>by 12 pm</i>. He knows his life is at stake. I have done all the party prep - invitations, cake (airplane), goody bags, decorations, etc. I told him he is in charge of cleaning the house. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation to Ace's party. This is as crafty as I get, people. Rawr.</td></tr>
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I've been trying very recently to exercise more. Though I deduced the following (just try to fault my logic. I dare you):<br />
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Exercising more = sweating more = showering more. Also exercising more often leads directly to living longer. Living longer and taking more showers means you consume more of the earth's resources. SO, if you really love the earth, you'll never exercise and die young. The end.<br />
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The other day I attempted <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Crunch_CardioSalsa/70025007?trkid=496624" target="_blank">this workout routine</a>. Ooo-eee I'm glad only my children were witnesses. I'm sure I looked hilarious. The lady kept saying, okay do one mambo, one meringue, and then two side mambos with wavy arms. I was like, wait, what's a mambo again? It was fun, and I'll do it again. But not in front of any adults. Haha (By the way, I have no idea why the lady looks so dumb on the cover pic of the workout routine. She's dressed normally in the actual workout.)<br />
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I'm burned out again on YA fiction. This happens to me about once a year. I have the second book in the Chemical Garden trilogy, but it's going back to the library. I read about 40 pages and it was just irritating me too much.<br />
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Oh and I gave up on A Distant Mirror. I had barely cracked it in three weeks and suspected it was only going to get harder. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/212913547" target="_blank">Some guy on goodreads</a> who only reads non-fiction and classics said Tuchman's style can best be described as turgid and there are better books about the late Middle Ages. I was so delighted by his use of the word turgid that I asked him for some recommendations and he responded within 5 minutes! I love the Internet.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-43819113324187907622012-04-15T21:23:00.003-07:002012-04-15T21:23:53.296-07:00The Language of Flowers<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10032672-the-language-of-flowers" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Language of Flowers" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577674m/10032672.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10032672-the-language-of-flowers">The Language of Flowers</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4537214.Vanessa_Diffenbaugh">Vanessa Diffenbaugh</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/312964402">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book gripped me - that hasn't happened in quite a while. I plowed through it in a day and a half. I recommend this to just about any woman - I love its exploration of mother/daughter relationships. Though be warned - you must be willing to temporarily reside within the thoughts and feelings of a broken girl.<br><br>I was nearly deterred by the book jacket. Talk of the Victorian meanings of flowers was off-putting and sounded annoyingly sentimental. Please don't be fooled! The book itself is the story of a girl, abandoned at age 3 weeks and raised in a series of foster homes and group homes, who reaches emancipation (age 18) and finds herself thrust into the world. Her worldview is fascinating in a terribly sad way. In her heart she knows she is unlovable and condemned to a life of solitude. Reading of her evolution was a joy. I can't say more without having to block out spoilers!
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/120975-mrs-n">View all my reviews</a>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-86647236645258262032012-04-13T10:23:00.000-07:002012-04-13T14:20:20.404-07:00Updated: The Pillars of the Earth Review<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043.The_Pillars_of_the_Earth" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Pillars of the Earth (The Pillars of the Earth, #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309285683m/5043.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043.The_Pillars_of_the_Earth">The Pillars of the Earth</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3447.Ken_Follett">Ken Follett</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35994949">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Fascinating, gripping story. This book is the mostly action-packed story of the construction of a fictional cathedral during the High Middle Ages. <br><br>I do have some quibbles. One, the main female character Aliena. You can tell Follett was a thriller writer prior to writing this. In my experience (major over-generalization here) thriller writers are terrible at writing female characters. She was beautiful, bosomy, and her one fault was stubbornness. Like every other female character written by a man who has no idea how to write women. Also she was quite feminist, which was a really lazy move by Follett. She talked about how much she loved having income independent of her husband. The major love of her life was her husband; she was rather indifferent towards her children. Really? A medieval woman who couldn't give up her own income and offloaded the care of her children to someone else. Soooo realistic. *eyeroll* <br><br>(Preemptive defense - yes I know there are plenty of women who worked outside their homes in the middle ages, but Aliena doesn't read like a medieval woman. She reads like a modern woman, with a couple of medieval quirks.)<br><br>My other quibble was Follett's cherry-picking of historical facts. He kept the sex & violence, but couldn't write a religious character to save his life. The most realistic religious character was Philip, and even he was a bit weak sauce. Follett freely admitted his inability to write a religious character in the introduction, but I was still disappointed. Christianity was an omnipresent part of medieval life, and Follett just wasn't up the writing task. The most convincing character was William Hamleigh, though I had to skip pages just about every time he appeared. Haha<br><br>In summary, this is a really good novel, but only an okay medieval novel.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/120975-mrs-n">View all my reviews</a>
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What I didn't include in my Goodreads review was that Follett was REALLY lazy about his setting. He used concepts of nationality that frankly didn't exist. People wouldn't have been able to <i>think</i> about language, class and country in the ways he has them freely converse. Normans are mentioned in passing. Normans conquered the Anglo-Saxon population a mere 100 years prior to the time of this novel, yet Follett reduces Norman aristocracy and Anglo-Saxon peasantry to a linguistically and culturally homogenous population. This simply didn't exist in the Middle Ages. Jews are mentioned in passing. They are really treated pretty nicely by all the characters. All the characters do is snidely remark about borrowing money from Jews. Despite the fact that there was virulent (not to mention <i>violent</i>) anti-Semitism at that time. Those are just a couple of examples from off the top of my head. It's all so lazy. I think if you really want to write a novel set in the Middle Ages, you should <i>commit</i> to it. None of this halfway crap. I didn't love <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33609.Katherine">Katherine</a>, but even that was more realistic than this novel.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-49879319242752755022012-03-20T18:27:00.001-07:002012-03-20T18:28:57.235-07:00Medieval March II, and Some Other BooksI've gotten a bit bogged down in my medieval books. I'm only about 20% through <i>A Distant Mirro</i>r and a quarter through <i>Pillars</i>. What happened is I realized <i>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</i> was due very, very soon. As in, that day. So I started that and read it in a few days. It was worth the $1.25 fine. Then I realized <i>Midnight in Austenland</i> is due in a few days, so now I'm almost done with that one. I'm lacking motivation, even though both of my medieval books are fascinating. They're just so<i> long</i>. Haha<br />
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Baby C finally learned to sit up. I'd like to pause her at this stage for six months please. Love the sitting-but-can't-crawl stage. A couple of my friends had babies at the same time I had Baby C - both their babies are crawling and they are on constant baby duty. Turn your back for a second and the baby is trying to kill themselves eating their sibling's tiny toy, or some paper, or whatever.<br />
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Ace pleaded with us to please please please let him sleep in
underwear. I told him to wear a pullup that night and if it was still
dry in the morning, he could wear underwear to bed. Dry! And dry
underwear the next morning! I am really liking this! Hopefully it
keeps up.<br />
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Friday I chopped my hair off and added
bangs. I have about three minutes a day to style my hair and that just
doesn't cut it when your hair hits your bra band. Plus I wanted
something a little more fashionable. I went from this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was going for serious-model-face, but at the moment this expression is
saying to me, "I don't like this hair." Haha</td></tr>
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At first honestly I wasn't sure about it. But now I like it. Especially since it can actually be styled in three minutes. A little bumble & bumble and a little flatiron. Looking at my long hair picture, well it does look nice. But it didn't feel that nice on my head. It felt unmanageable. Underneath the shiny top layer it was getting really ratty in the back, with lots of split ends. All the splits are gone and just lovely healthy hair is left.<br />
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Dh doesn't like my new 'do. He thinks it is way too short. I told him if he is such a fan of long hair he should have <i>done</i> something about my long hair. He would tell me (twice a year) that he liked my hair, but he never touched it. I'm not keeping a mane of wild hair for biannual compliments. He told me he will endeavor to improve. That is totally a paraphrase. I'm sure Dh has never said "endeavor." That word must be indicative of the influence from <i>Midnight in Austenland </i>(which is lovely so far, by the way).<br />
<br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-29665030992289499062012-03-08T10:57:00.001-08:002012-03-08T10:58:45.896-08:00Medieval MarchMedieval March is proceeding swimmingly. I am almost 100 pages in to A Distant Mirror. The actual text of the book is about 550 pages, so I think I'm okay there. I am almost 200 pages in to The Pillars of the Earth. That puppy is almost 1,000 pages long, so I think I'm on track for that as well.<br />
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The books are intersecting neatly. More than once I have read about something in one book to find it referenced in the other book later that day. Chimneys came into use in the early 1000's, did you know? And Flanders was the primary source of high-quality woven fabric. Flanders being in modern Belgium.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cBS6Io3dhQw/T1j_qN1mW7I/AAAAAAAABqo/EBUt3PJzosE/s1600/monastery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cBS6Io3dhQw/T1j_qN1mW7I/AAAAAAAABqo/EBUt3PJzosE/s320/monastery.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMA5MB_Llanthony_Priory_Llanthony_Wales" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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I do get a...weird...vibe from A Distant Mirror. Tuchman was a writer first and historian second, so perhaps that accounts for her style. It's not very post-modern. Social scientists are so steeped in post-modernism; it changes the ways in which they insert commentary into their works. Perhaps this is why her commentary seems odd. It's hard to explain.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-8820144739306342182012-02-25T14:16:00.000-08:002012-03-08T10:58:29.214-08:00Movie & Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSgkITseYrE/T0lT60IgOTI/AAAAAAAABqI/uUTJCKlncmI/s400/Twilight-Breaking-Dawn-Part-1-wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://twilightnewssite.com/news-twilight-new-moon-eclipse-breaking-dawn/you-are-cordially-invited-to-the-breaking-dawn-part-1-wedding-image-gallery-and-teaser-trailer/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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I am reading <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99702.Island_in_the_Sea_of_Time" target="_blank">Island in the Sea of Time</a> right now and am seriously geeking out. The characterization leaves a <i>lot</i> 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 <i>hate</i> 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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13928.Daughter_of_the_Forest" target="_blank"> Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier</a>. It was neo-paganism pretending to be an accurate portrayal of historical religion.<br />
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I'm thinking of declaring next month Medieval March. I've been meaning to read <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/568236.A_Distant_Mirror" target="_blank">A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043.The_Pillars_of_the_Earth" target="_blank">The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett</a> 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 <i>commit</i> to reading A Distant Mirror, it might not happen. I tend to be pretty lazy about non-fiction.Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-37341251683119411932012-02-05T10:37:00.000-08:002012-03-08T10:58:15.529-08:00January<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2d9GAke8xIA/Ty7EpOcO4JI/AAAAAAAABo0/Lkd0PiJHITc/s1600/comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2d9GAke8xIA/Ty7EpOcO4JI/AAAAAAAABo0/Lkd0PiJHITc/s320/comparison.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.cardiganempire.com/2012/02/body-love-challenge-day-2-stop-making.html" target="_blank"> source</a></span></div>
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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?<br />
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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.<br />
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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 <i>not</i> have a messy house when so-and-so comes over." Sometimes she even does it in a faux British accent, which is my favorite.</div>
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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 - <i>in his sleep</i>. 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! </div>
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Awfae-OE-KM/Ty7E6Olfp6I/AAAAAAAABo8/C38_X_oG-t8/s1600/winter+2012+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Awfae-OE-KM/Ty7E6Olfp6I/AAAAAAAABo8/C38_X_oG-t8/s400/winter+2012+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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Another day in January we headed up into the Cascade Mountains to a beautiful waterfall in the middle of nowhere. We <i>barely</i> 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.<br />
<br /></div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-10972426621717557202011-12-12T22:51:00.001-08:002011-12-12T22:51:33.385-08:00Sorry bedtime came right in the middle of blog reconstruction. Promise it'll be prettier soon!Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-86931920037013337832011-12-07T22:00:00.000-08:002011-12-07T22:46:33.899-08:00WednesdayBummers:<br /><ul><li>The state of my home's carpet. It gets vacuumed very sporadically right now.</li><li>That I rely on spell check to spell vacuum.</li><li>Baby poop that refuses to remain contained within diapers and instead gets on every. piece. of. clothing. Baby C owns. And my clothes. And then stains them.<br /></li><li>Dh and I both having PMS on the same day. Haha That day sucked. Except for when Dh admitted that he has hormones too. That was kind of awesome.<br /></li></ul><br />Funnies:<br /><ul><li>Hearing Ace say, "Mom, Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!" in his cute little boy voice.</li><li>Baby C working the entire crowd at my church's Christmas party last night. No one can resist her.</li><li>Miss E asking to play "Farstall" on my computer. Then the next day asking to play "Stallfar." <a href="http://www.starfall.com/">Starfall website</a></li><li>Watching Better Off Ted with Dh. That show is hi-frickin-larious.</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>Happies:</p><ul><li>Miss E's face when Santa sent her a video message (via <a href="http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home">this website</a>).</li><li>Decorating the tree with the kiddos.</li><li>Making Sprinkle Cookies with the kids.</li><li>I loooooove Christmas time. The entire month of December is marvelous. <br /></li></ul>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-39757078114977606442011-11-12T21:52:00.000-08:002011-11-12T22:18:51.774-08:00This and That<ul><li>Since my husband finished grad school, he's had more free time. He's been spending it fishing (as much as I will let him, which is pretty often), hunting whenever possible, and following college football. I have discovered I actually find football pretty interesting to watch. To the point that despite the fact that Dh is working, I watched bits and pieces of the Oregon-Stanford game all on my own. And crowed (nicely) to my brother in Florida via text, who had very snidely suggested last week that Oregon would surely lose. Booyah!</li><li>My kids are on me<span style="font-style: italic;"> all day long</span>. It starts from the moment they realize I am awake and it does not cease until they are asleep. It drains me every day. Then I have a couple of hours to myself, or to spend with my husband, and then I do it all again the next day. It is so exhausting. I know we are all trying to find our places again since the addition of Baby C, and it is rough on them for Dh to be temporarily working swing. (They were kind of manic last fall - Dh works swing every autumn.) Miss E started kindergarten, and my mom was here for a full month, and is gone now. All these upsets to our normal routine. But oh my heavens. The constant whining and fighting and begging for candy. (Seriously wtfreak is up with the constant begging for candy?? That alone is driving me mad.) And then. And then Miss E brings me a picture she drew for me, of me and her holding hands, and she has written our names across the top, and I melt. So fortunately for my children, they do just enough cute and sweet and well-behaved things that I have thus far staved off complete insanity.<br /></li><li>In my children's defense, I dragged all three of them to Target and Safeway on a Saturday (today) and they were all super, super well-behaved. I even remembered to thank them for that when we piled in the car, and their beaming faces were beautiful to see.<br /></li><li>The baby is so sweet. I absolutely adore her. She is a good sport with the pestering her siblings give her. (Though when Ace <span style="font-style: italic;">accidentally kicked her head</span> today, I got extremely mad.) She sleeps <span style="font-style: italic;">so well</span> at night it is truly wonderful. She usually goes down around 8, and sleeps until at least 4. Lately she has been sleeping until 5 or 6. But I mentioned that Dh is working swing? He gets home a bit after 10. So I usually stay up and hang with him. (Stupid.) I haven't been getting that much sleep. I want to see my husband, okay? I think I'm going to have to stop seeing him though, because this not-enough-sleep thing is not working out for me in the long term. Or even the short term.</li><li>Okay my husband just got home, so that's all folks!<br /></li></ul>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-39885982660815235832011-11-04T15:44:00.000-07:002011-11-04T15:58:27.812-07:00Apparently Eating Is Important<div style="text-align: center;">First of all, you are very smart bloggy friends! I was indeed Kate Middleton. I guess the good people of my town are not as up on posh Brits. Weird.<br /><br />* * *<br /></div><br />If you have had a baby you know how it goes with eating - you might get to, if the baby stops <span style="font-style: italic;">needing</span> you for one minute. Which she doesn't. Besides which I have these two other children who keep expecting clean clothes and regular meals. I keep feeling really shaky, only to look at the clock and realize it's 2 pm and I've yet to eat a bite. But the clincher is I am coming down with my second illness in as many weeks. <br /><br />My husband is confused by the entire issue. But I've seen how he works. He doesn't worry about pesky things like <span style="font-style: italic;">the dishes</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">cleaning</span>, so he just sits right down and eats at the same time as the kids. I hate getting up ten times while eating, so I usually just wait until they're done eating before I attempt to eat. I prefer to clean while they eat, because it doesn't matter if cleaning gets interrupted ten times. But I hate soggy cereal or lukewarm food. This worked fine before I had Baby C, but it just doesn't work now. Cue the shakes.<br /><br />Right now though, Dh has taken the children away for a little trip to a yurt at the coast, so it's just me and the bambino. It more than makes up for his blase approach to cleaning!!Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-22559365224672037142011-11-02T20:29:00.000-07:002011-11-02T20:38:19.824-07:00I'm a Winner! or, Why You Should Always Fill Out Those Surveys<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dmIdloFw13g/TrILOyTzdBI/AAAAAAAABkU/rIjQKcqH6uU/s1600/everydayfood.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dmIdloFw13g/TrILOyTzdBI/AAAAAAAABkU/rIjQKcqH6uU/s200/everydayfood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670607229463786514" border="0" /></a>A few months ago Random House sent me a couple of surveys. I get two of their newsletters, a general fiction one & one that showcases newly-published cookbooks. So they asked me what I thought of some changes they were considering making, yadda yadda yadda. They said, as thanks for completing this survey you will be entered in a sweepstakes to win a free tote bag & book of your choice. Then I had four choices of this book I could supposedly win. <br /><br />Well imagine my surprise when Random House emailed me a couple weeks later and said I had won! Woo! There was no indication whether it was for the fiction survey or the cookbook survey, not that I could remember which free book I had opted for anyway. Two days ago I received a sturdy canvas tote bag with the Random House logo and <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/book/108164/everyday-food-great-food-fast-by-martha-stewart-living-magazine">this cookbook</a>. I love winning, and I love free things. Let this be a lesson to us all. HahaAnthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-55082283302439739742011-11-02T20:22:00.000-07:002011-11-02T20:29:53.467-07:00Halloween 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5tpDortqWg/TrIJTqFbckI/AAAAAAAABkI/32n8clxAO80/s1600/044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r5tpDortqWg/TrIJTqFbckI/AAAAAAAABkI/32n8clxAO80/s400/044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670605114132099650" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I didn't think my costume was that subtle, but <span style="font-style: italic;">no one</span> guessed it. Who am I?<br /></div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-1115599562697165082011-10-15T15:36:00.000-07:002011-10-15T15:48:25.693-07:00October 15, 2011I am in the thick of unable-to-accomplish-anything-during-the-day-because-it-seems-all-I-do-is-nurse. I can usually do 1-2 loads of laundry, do the dishes, feed everyone (sometimes even myself), and make dinner. Miss E has been on time to kindergarten (I drive her. We tried walking, it just doesn't work with 2 kids & an infant.). Beyond that, frankly, I've been trying little else. Lots of nursing, rocking, diaper changing, and fight breaking-upping. In the evenings I put on blinders so I don't notice how messy the house is. I zone out & watch tv with Dh, do a little knitting, relax so I can do it all again tomorrow.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W30tnG2Tzhw/TpoNhaWOW_I/AAAAAAAABjY/zsC2epKRI2U/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W30tnG2Tzhw/TpoNhaWOW_I/AAAAAAAABjY/zsC2epKRI2U/s400/012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663854349031201778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This baby is delightful. But holy moley babies are a lot of work.<br /></div>Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-67803956997589338182011-09-29T15:45:00.000-07:002011-09-29T16:56:36.054-07:00In Which I Get Along Swimmingly With My MotherMy mom has been here nearly a month now. I was pretty apprehensive about her visit prior to her arrival. But apparently it makes a big difference to not have<span style="font-style: italic;"> just</span> had a baby. By the time she arrived, Baby C was just about a month old and therefore I wasn't super hormonal and desperately sleep deprived. We've gotten along just fine. The first week was a bit rough at times - figuring out how to do the dance of two adult women, both used to running their own households. I had to be a little blunt a few times ("Mom, Miss E bugs me for new clothes all the time. Please don't add your voice to that chorus." "You don't have to like how we discipline Ace.") I said these statements in a very nice tone of voice, trust me. Though there might have been one time that I exclaimed, "Don't rearrange my kitchen! You're making me crazy!" accompanied by strangling motions with my hands...thankfully she has kept her hands off my appliances ever since, so no actual strangling has occurred. I freely admit that the one thing I am SUPER ANAL about is my kitchen. Don't touch it. Don't mess it up. Only I get to do that.<br /><br />What I am now apprehensive about is my mother leaving. Dh is downright scared for her to go. That's right, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dh</span> wishes his mother-in-law could stay <span style="font-style: italic;">longer</span>. He knows his life is going to get a lot harder when she leaves! He is right. She handles the laundry, while I handle the cooking. We take turns dropping Miss E off at kindergarten depending on whether the baby is awake or not. She is perfectly willing to change lots of poopy Baby C diapers, to burp the baby after I nurse her, to hold Baby C while she fusses (she is my first baby with an actual fussy time - 5-7pm) so I can make dinner. All of this is going to change once she leaves. I have a feeling my baby is going to have to cry more often then. Sometimes I will just have to strap her into the carseat screaming so I can take E to kindergarten. Yuck. I hate having to let my baby cry. Oh well. She will be fine, and I will be fine. And really I am so aware of how blessed I am that my mother could come out and was <span style="font-style: italic;">willing</span> to come out for so long. What a giant help and blessing she has been. Dh is getting her a present on his own to show that he is thankful (his idea, smart guy!) and I am going to make her <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elisas-nest-tote">this bag</a> with some nice linen yarn she picked out to thank her for her help.<br /><br />So a few days before Baby C hit 6 weeks, it was like a switch flipped. Suddenly she is sleeping for a long time at night. She wasn't easy her first 6 weeks. She had day/night confusion, she would only sleep in arms, she woke every two hours at night. Now she sleeps from 8pm -4am. I KNOW. It's awesome. The only down side is when she gets up at 4 she seems to think it's morning and is wide awake for 1-2 hours. Sooo. Not sure what to do about that. Once I finally get her back to sleep, she sleeps for anywhere from 2-5 more hours.<br /><br />She is a smiley baby and I am just eating her up. She loves to be sung to, so I've been doing tons of that. She smiled at Grandma around the same time she smiled at me (on her 1-month birthday). She gave huge smiles to Ace, who adores her. She smiled at Dh about a week ago. I'm not sure if she has smiled at Miss E. I thought Miss E was going to love having the baby around...not so much. She seems to mostly find Baby C inconvenient. Also she is busy adjusting to kindergarten; that is her focus right now. She doesn't want to hold her usually. Ace is the one who just can't get enough of Baby C. He sings to her when she gets fussy (cutest. thing. ever.) and loves to chat with her and show her toys during diaper changes.<br /><br />Baby C was blessed at church this past Sunday. It was a beautiful, happy day. Both sets of grandparents were there, and one of Dh's brothers & his family. We had a big luncheon for all the family and EK's family, it was crazy & fun. Dh got a bit stressed beforehand, he was convinced we would not have enough food. If I hadn't been defensive, I would have thought it was cute. Ha ha (We had enough food.)<br /><br />When I get some free time, I spend it wasting time on the computer (I like shutting off my brain), reading, or watching some tv while I knit. The knitting has become necessary. It's soothing. The down side to the knitting is I keep spending money at the local yarn shop. I swear, I'm singlehandedly keeping that place in business. But really, how was I supposed to resist the merino/cashmere blend in the coolest mix of purple, black & gray that was on<span style="font-style: italic;"> clearance</span>? (It's becoming a cowl.)Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767709.post-70739313638697756722011-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:002011-08-29T20:43:34.220-07:00Birth StoryOn Sunday August 7, I woke up around 4am to roll over. The baby had dropped about a week before and my pelvic pain had taken it up a serious notch. As in, I was in pretty constant pain. So I woke up at night any time I rolled over because my hips would scream in protest. So I woke up and noticed a slightly different contraction than my normal B-Hs. You would think after two babies I would know a labor contraction. But I was only 38 weeks 2 days pregnant, and Miss E & Ace had been born 2 days early and 1 day early respectively, so I was confident this baby would not come until quite close to her due date. Shows how much I know.
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<br />A few minutes later, I had another contraction. And then I felt a little...gushy. (This is a labor story, y'all. There's going to be TMI.) I hopped out of bed (as much as a 9-month pregnant lady can hop) and found woo-hoo! bloody show! I was sooooo excited, especially since this meant that soon I would no longer be pregnant. I hadn't been driving since the public fainting at 34 weeks and I was still having faintness/dizzying to the point that Dh had started his leave when I was almost 37 weeks. Also the aforementioned severe hip pain.
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<br />Okay, so the gushiness made me think perhaps my water had broken (it's never broken on its own) so I elected to go sit on an old blanket on the sofa because I figured there was no way I'd be able to fall asleep. I texted my mom because by this point it was 5 am and it was 8 am in NY and I knew she'd be up getting ready for church. Dh saw the light on when he got up for a bathroom trip, so I told him that I thought I was in labor and he went back to bed. I had one thumb left to knit on my very first pair of mittens, so I finished that as I timed my contractions. Around 6 they had started to get painful, so I decided to pack my hospital bag. I woke Dh up as I packed so he could shower & get ready. I curled my hair. Interestingly, that is the last time I curled my hair. Twenty-one days ago. Ha ha I was delaying leaving because I didn't want to wake EK up (she was my childcare). When Dh pointed out that my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and that surely that merited leaving for the hospital, I called EK around 6:20. Dh went to wake the kids up (the one day they slept in, of course!) and they were soooooo excited. Almost as excited as I was!
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<br />We dropped the kids off at EK's around 7 am I think and then it was off to the hospital. My primary fear was that my epidural wouldn't work, like when I had Miss E (the reason I KNOW I never want to have natural childbirth). However, it worked like a charm. When I checked in I was at a 5 and the contractions were every 3-4 minutes, moderately painful. By 11 I was at a stretchy 7. By 1 I was still at a 7. The doctor broke my water. By 3 I was still at a 7. And really frustrated. Also, my epidural was starting to wear off, and I was having significant back labor. The nurses deduced that the baby was <a href="http://www.babycenter.com/0_posterior-position_1454005.bc">posterior </a>which was 1) causing the back labor and 2) causing me to stall at a 7 because the baby's head wasn't putting enough pressure on my cervix. The anesthesiologist returned and discovered that no medicine was going into my epidural tube. Thus the PAIN. So he flushed the tube and got it going again and gave me an extra dose too, to get me comfortable. The nurse had me lay on my side and put my leg up on a giant ball. Apparently this uses gravity to let the baby kind of flip over. The nurse said she'd seen it work a million times. It ended up being good the epidural messed up because it enabled us to figure out the baby needed to shift. The nurses & doctor hadn't been able to tell via touch.
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<br />As the epi kicked back in, I was able to doze a little. After an hour the nurse returned to flip me to the other side. "Oh let's check you first." I was fully dilated! Huzzah! It only took seven hundred hours. Okay, it was a little after 5:30 pm by this time, but I had spent the entire afternoon getting more and more frustrated (not to mention more and more hungry!) so I was really stoked. The nurse left to get the doctor and I confessed to Dh that I was scared. He is the best person to have around when in labor, he always says the right things!
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<br />The only downside was the extra dose of epi meds had completely removed all sensation to my legs. So I had to be put in those full stirrups. But that's okay, because it didn't affect my ability to push! With my very first push the baby started to crown. The nurses said slow down. I said, "Oh right, I don't want to tear." One of them said, "Well, and the doctor is still putting on his gloves." I didn't say anything, but in my head I was thinking, "yeah, like I care about that!"
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<br />Oh I'm sorry doctor, am I inconveniencing you with this delivery? Whatever! Put your gloves on faster, man!
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<br />Seven or eight pushes and she was born! The actual birth was so fast my head took an hour to catch up to the fact that I was done! Her apgars were 9 & 9. The doctor said it was a textbook delivery *patting myself on the back* and I only needed a few stitches.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UYV11ZWh9ec/TlmiLFcAivI/AAAAAAAABiQ/3zfb-qRP0vo/s1600/054.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UYV11ZWh9ec/TlmiLFcAivI/AAAAAAAABiQ/3zfb-qRP0vo/s400/054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645721919207541490" border="0" /></a>
<br />Man, do Dh and I make good-looking babies.
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<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4em3kBy88h4/TlmiKmPka4I/AAAAAAAABiI/mbMuufhioJA/s1600/034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4em3kBy88h4/TlmiKmPka4I/AAAAAAAABiI/mbMuufhioJA/s400/034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645721910833867650" border="0" /></a>
<br />Baby C weighed 8lbs2oz and was 20 inches long. She is really beautiful. She has very light brown hair; when she was born she was pretty much bald on top with a fringe in the back, like a monk. Now it's starting to grow in on the top. Not sure of the eye color yet, but since Dh has blue eyes and I have green, it's a safe bet it'll be one of those two colors.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l7kHO1ulKQ0/TlmiKYO7saI/AAAAAAAABiA/19S4encqZGs/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l7kHO1ulKQ0/TlmiKYO7saI/AAAAAAAABiA/19S4encqZGs/s400/023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645721907073102242" border="0" /></a>
<br />Excited child faces and really pregnant mama. This is moments before we left for the hospital.
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<br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Blogger, why did you change the order of the photos I uploaded?? This was supposed to be at the top, and I have no inclination to reload it to fix its spot.</span>
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWD_P2wnbb0/TlmiLaK4UTI/AAAAAAAABiY/28Uv9wxW7ZE/s1600/092.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bWD_P2wnbb0/TlmiLaK4UTI/AAAAAAAABiY/28Uv9wxW7ZE/s400/092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645721924772843826" border="0" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Yup, Ace is wearing his sister's shirt, with puff sleeves. Boo-yah.</span>
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<br />Here is a picture of us as a family of five! The babysitter snapped this pic when we got home from the hospital. Sometimes I can't believe I have three children. But I think my family is complete now.
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<br />Baby C is a pretty standard baby - neither hard nor easy. Sometimes she sleeps well, sometimes we have to hold her for hours until we are quite sure the kinks in our backs and necks are permanent. She is different from her siblings as babies because she is pretty fond of the swing, and she sleeps really well in the car. In the past few days I have noticed a new awareness in her eyes - I have a feeling smiles aren't too far away!
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<br />Miss E and Ace adore her. They think everything she does is cute. At first Ace was having some trouble - nighttime wakings and fighting bedtime. That lasted a couple of weeks and now he's fine. However, now that it's been a few weeks, Miss E is seeing the downside (as far as she is concerned) to this baby - Mama never seems to be able to play or help her because she is always taking care of Baby C. Today at the park I purposefully walked off with Miss E when I knew Baby C was poopy and about to start crying. Miss E and I got some alone time and Dh got to bond with the baby! Ha ha (Ace was riding his bike in circles, in his own world.)
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<br />Recovery has frankly been a breeze this time around. I barely tore (1st degree) and the hospital was free with the Percocet. (First time taking that stuff - took the edge off my pain, and made me sleepy - a bonus when you are recovering from labor). With Miss E I had a 3rd degree (OUCH) and lousy ibuprofen. With Ace I had a 2nd degree and again ibuprofen. After less than a week I was off all pain meds and feeling pretty good. Of course, that's when the happy hormones wore off and the fatigue started to catch up to me. The past couple of weeks have been a bit rough, but Dh is home and lets me sleep more. He's finally realized I really meant it all those times I told him I need more sleep than he does.
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<br />My stomach is almost flat again. I kid you not - it's like a Christmas miracle. I love it. All I can figure is it is snapping back in place because I've had a longer recovery from my last pregnancy. My first two pregnancies were only 14 months apart, whereas Ace was 2 1/2 when I got pregnant with Baby C. I'm still a size up from my regular size, which I figure will last til I wean (my body always holds the last 7-10 pounds while I'm nursing), but it's truly delightful to be able to access even half my closet again, after those hateful maternity clothes. I can't wait to bid them adieu.
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<br />It's taken me a couple of days to get this all down, and most has been typed one-handed whilst also holding C. I'm so tired. I don't really like the newborn phase. Sure there are nice things about it, and I am able to enjoy those things more with my third baby, because I know the ropes by now, so my anxiety is almost nil. But I do NOT do well with sleep deprivation. At all.
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<br />As I mentioned earlier, Dh has been on medical/paternity leave since I was about 36.5 weeks pregnant. He's been home all month. It's been marvelous. He has been able to declutter a few closets and the attic. He even went to the cannery and came home with 60 cans of wheat for our food storage. And he's been enabling me to sleep in and/or nap whenever possible. He goes back to work next Monday (wah - okay I know I am completely SPOILED). My mom arrives Saturday to stay for a month! (See how neatly I arranged their times to overlap?) Dh has to work swing each fall, which sucked last year when I just had Miss E & Ace to care for, much less a newborn, so I asked my mom to stay an extra-long time. Hopefully we don't kill each other!
<br />Anthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11935123155330560692noreply@blogger.com5