You may or may not know that Ben is leaving to go to Basic Training for the Army tomorrow. TOMORROW!
What I know you DO NOT know is that I've had a secret blog going for the past four months. This blog features the thoughts and feelings I have had about this new part of our lives. Essentially, they are letters to my husband that relate directly to our life in the Army.
I have opened this blog to the public today. It is important to me to not feel alone in this adventure.
The blog isn't extensive, yet. There are only four posts so far and I encourage you to read them all if you are interested in following along.
The URL is: http://katscratchme3.blogspot.com/
You may cry, you may laugh... I know I have.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
First Day of Kindergarten
I almost thought I'd never get to the point where I'd have a school-age child. Yet again, my life has proved to me that time will march on no matter what you're doing, so take advantage of NOW.
Because I'm Pinterest addicted, I have found about 2.3 million different ideas on First Day of School pictures. I found a few cute ones and couldn't decide how to combine them all together. I also didn't have the outrageously cute I-made-this-myself-with-homemade-chalkboard-paint chalkboard. Yeah, I know. I'm a Pinterest Failure. I can live with that... today.
So, at the last moment, I muddled my ideas together and came up with a super fun idea. I hadn't seen any First Day pictures that included siblings and I just knew Henry would be sad if he didn't get to join in the fun.
Amazingly, there were no tears when she followed the line of her classmates headed to her classroom. She was absolutely thrilled. She HAS been talking about going to school since she was two and a half, after all.
Henry had other ideas. He was completely crushed when he realized he was without his playmate for several hours each morning. There have been a lot of tears from his corner.
It's been nearly two weeks since school started and Audrey is just as excited as the first day. She's made some friends, though she doesn't always remember their names, and has even had a couple of class parties. Henry, for his part, had adapted reasonably well, though he is still clingy and sad when Audrey leaves. I'm sure it will get better as time goes on. As for me, I've been inundated with notices and forms. I can't believe Picture Day is next Tuesday. I'm panicking already about how to keep Audrey's hair where it belongs.
Pinterest, here I come.
More blogging soon, I promise. Too much to say!
Because I'm Pinterest addicted, I have found about 2.3 million different ideas on First Day of School pictures. I found a few cute ones and couldn't decide how to combine them all together. I also didn't have the outrageously cute I-made-this-myself-with-homemade-chalkboard-paint chalkboard. Yeah, I know. I'm a Pinterest Failure. I can live with that... today.
So, at the last moment, I muddled my ideas together and came up with a super fun idea. I hadn't seen any First Day pictures that included siblings and I just knew Henry would be sad if he didn't get to join in the fun.
 |
| "First Day of Kindergarten" with the date and a place for her to write her own name. Little Brother gets to hold a sign stating what she wants to be when she grows up! |
Our new First Day tradition will include the school child's sibling holding a sign, too! Yeah, I know! I'm brilliant!!
While this looks "posey", she was actually stretching. She was not used to getting up and going so early! I must say, though, that she looks fabulous! ;)
Skeptical, much?
My big girl!
Amazingly, there were no tears when she followed the line of her classmates headed to her classroom. She was absolutely thrilled. She HAS been talking about going to school since she was two and a half, after all.
Henry had other ideas. He was completely crushed when he realized he was without his playmate for several hours each morning. There have been a lot of tears from his corner.
It's been nearly two weeks since school started and Audrey is just as excited as the first day. She's made some friends, though she doesn't always remember their names, and has even had a couple of class parties. Henry, for his part, had adapted reasonably well, though he is still clingy and sad when Audrey leaves. I'm sure it will get better as time goes on. As for me, I've been inundated with notices and forms. I can't believe Picture Day is next Tuesday. I'm panicking already about how to keep Audrey's hair where it belongs.
Pinterest, here I come.
More blogging soon, I promise. Too much to say!
Friday, August 10, 2012
It wasn't ME, I SWEAR!
This story is how my paranoia got the better of me... not for very long, but long enough to feel like a flooded pantry was my fault.
It started yesterday. Our toilet wasn't flushing properly. It would drain super slow and then make a weird glugging sound. Ben discovered shortly after that each time we flushed, a small amount of water would bubble up into our tub. Ew.
Ben had to go to work and the toilet/tub problem preyed on my mind. I researched plumbing problems online and found that you aren't supposed to put Drano down the toilet. How the heck were we supposed to take care of the offending toilet if we couldn't put Drano down it?? (Well, you CAN.. it just has to be a certain type.) I ended up getting so antsy about it that I grabbed my purse and keys and ran to the store at 10:20pm, but not before I collected money from my virtual dragons, planted seeds in my virtual garden and looked at a bunch of stuff on Pinterest to calm myself down. I got the strongest stuff I could find. I didn't get the stuff that said you could put it down the toilet because you have to measure out 10 oz and that required too much effort. AND it said that you couldn't run water in the shower for 6-8 hours after putting it down the drain.
Ben did the honors and took care of the Drano... he waited the required 30 minutes and went in to flush and encourage with a plunger. It did... nothing. Around the time he started using the plunger in the tub, I decided I had gone slightly crazy.
I don't know why a clogged shower is so horrible, but it really, really is.
Fast-forward to this morning. I wake up to the sound of Ben snaking the toilet. Oh, yeah... my bathroom is broken.
Whilst I was lying in my bed, my brain started trying to reason what could possibly have caused such a disaster. This unsavory scenario flashed unpleasantly into my head:
Whether you are grossed out by this or not, I just happen to be on my period right now. (I'm calling this particular blog a loss at this point, anyway. I mean, it's about plumbing.. er.. issues, for Pete's sake.)
Because of my monthly concerns, I immediately blamed myself in spite of my usual carefulness. I discovered a long time ago that a tampon and any.. um.. solid waste would not flush down together. That's just asking for a clogged toilet. So, to save myself that embarrassment, I learned to first flush the tampon and then take care of the rest of it.
As it happens, for the first time ever since potty training my kids, both of them had to go #2 right after I did. It all flushed okay, so I didn't worry about it at the time.
Back to this morning, I worried about it... obsessively. In my head, my imagination conjured up an impossible situation... That tampon had gotten stuck in the drain... SIDEWAYS.. THEN the deposits left by me and my children were backed up behind it. It made so much sense. Drano would NOT dissolve a tampon.. so we were screwed.
I also wondered if the new over the toilet shelf we installed the day before had somehow put weird weight on the floor and was pushing a pipe out of shape or cracked it or something... yeah. I'm not a plumber for good reason.
Ben's attempts with the snake were not successful. I thought something magical would happen, but it didn't. So, he called for a plumber. They said they would be able to come and give us an estimate at 4... PM.
Then I started to notice a... smell.
Ben did too, and he looked in the pantry where the water heater and whatnot are kept... yeah... flooded.
At that point, I realized that it was ludicrous that a silly little tampon could have caused so much havoc. I started to postulate wildly.
"Well.. that's it.. Mom flushed something weird down one of her toilets and we're flooding down here because we're below ground level."
"G-G must have flushed a toy down her toilet." Yeah.. like she has action figures in her room... I can just see her cackling as she shambles to the toilet to throw in an Iron Man toy she's hoarded for this purpose for two years.
"Someone killed someone and is flushing body parts down the toilet one at a time.. they are SOOO going to jail for this."
Mom told me later that she was worried that the non-flushable wipe she put down the toilet a month ago must have done it. (See, I'm not the only paranoid one.)
All this time, Ben was using a shop vac to get the water off the pantry floor. When that got full, he attempted to get it back up the stairs and it landed on his foot and slopped icky water all over the carpet. I was slightly more worried about his foot than the carpet. It went purple really fast.
Dad noticed that there is something wrong with the drain outside. The one in the street. I never went and looked, but whatever was wrong prompted Dad to call the City and tell them to get their people out here to fix it.
At that point, I was completely vindicated. Yeah.. it wasn't me. The clog wasn't my fault. One of my neighbors killed someone and flushed them down the toilet. Or flushed a diaper. Or put grass clippings down the manhole... Or.. well, it doesn't matter, because IT WASN'T ME!
So aside from my room smelling a bit like an outhouse for a few hours and my children complaining that their room smelled "stinky", it wasn't too bad.
But that's probably because Ben did most of the dirty work (literally) and got everything cleaned up.
I love my husband. I really, really, really do.
It started yesterday. Our toilet wasn't flushing properly. It would drain super slow and then make a weird glugging sound. Ben discovered shortly after that each time we flushed, a small amount of water would bubble up into our tub. Ew.
Ben had to go to work and the toilet/tub problem preyed on my mind. I researched plumbing problems online and found that you aren't supposed to put Drano down the toilet. How the heck were we supposed to take care of the offending toilet if we couldn't put Drano down it?? (Well, you CAN.. it just has to be a certain type.) I ended up getting so antsy about it that I grabbed my purse and keys and ran to the store at 10:20pm, but not before I collected money from my virtual dragons, planted seeds in my virtual garden and looked at a bunch of stuff on Pinterest to calm myself down. I got the strongest stuff I could find. I didn't get the stuff that said you could put it down the toilet because you have to measure out 10 oz and that required too much effort. AND it said that you couldn't run water in the shower for 6-8 hours after putting it down the drain.
Ben did the honors and took care of the Drano... he waited the required 30 minutes and went in to flush and encourage with a plunger. It did... nothing. Around the time he started using the plunger in the tub, I decided I had gone slightly crazy.
I don't know why a clogged shower is so horrible, but it really, really is.
Fast-forward to this morning. I wake up to the sound of Ben snaking the toilet. Oh, yeah... my bathroom is broken.
Whilst I was lying in my bed, my brain started trying to reason what could possibly have caused such a disaster. This unsavory scenario flashed unpleasantly into my head:
Whether you are grossed out by this or not, I just happen to be on my period right now. (I'm calling this particular blog a loss at this point, anyway. I mean, it's about plumbing.. er.. issues, for Pete's sake.)
Because of my monthly concerns, I immediately blamed myself in spite of my usual carefulness. I discovered a long time ago that a tampon and any.. um.. solid waste would not flush down together. That's just asking for a clogged toilet. So, to save myself that embarrassment, I learned to first flush the tampon and then take care of the rest of it.
As it happens, for the first time ever since potty training my kids, both of them had to go #2 right after I did. It all flushed okay, so I didn't worry about it at the time.
Back to this morning, I worried about it... obsessively. In my head, my imagination conjured up an impossible situation... That tampon had gotten stuck in the drain... SIDEWAYS.. THEN the deposits left by me and my children were backed up behind it. It made so much sense. Drano would NOT dissolve a tampon.. so we were screwed.
I also wondered if the new over the toilet shelf we installed the day before had somehow put weird weight on the floor and was pushing a pipe out of shape or cracked it or something... yeah. I'm not a plumber for good reason.
Ben's attempts with the snake were not successful. I thought something magical would happen, but it didn't. So, he called for a plumber. They said they would be able to come and give us an estimate at 4... PM.
Then I started to notice a... smell.
Ben did too, and he looked in the pantry where the water heater and whatnot are kept... yeah... flooded.
At that point, I realized that it was ludicrous that a silly little tampon could have caused so much havoc. I started to postulate wildly.
"Well.. that's it.. Mom flushed something weird down one of her toilets and we're flooding down here because we're below ground level."
"G-G must have flushed a toy down her toilet." Yeah.. like she has action figures in her room... I can just see her cackling as she shambles to the toilet to throw in an Iron Man toy she's hoarded for this purpose for two years.
"Someone killed someone and is flushing body parts down the toilet one at a time.. they are SOOO going to jail for this."
Mom told me later that she was worried that the non-flushable wipe she put down the toilet a month ago must have done it. (See, I'm not the only paranoid one.)
All this time, Ben was using a shop vac to get the water off the pantry floor. When that got full, he attempted to get it back up the stairs and it landed on his foot and slopped icky water all over the carpet. I was slightly more worried about his foot than the carpet. It went purple really fast.
Dad noticed that there is something wrong with the drain outside. The one in the street. I never went and looked, but whatever was wrong prompted Dad to call the City and tell them to get their people out here to fix it.
At that point, I was completely vindicated. Yeah.. it wasn't me. The clog wasn't my fault. One of my neighbors killed someone and flushed them down the toilet. Or flushed a diaper. Or put grass clippings down the manhole... Or.. well, it doesn't matter, because IT WASN'T ME!
So aside from my room smelling a bit like an outhouse for a few hours and my children complaining that their room smelled "stinky", it wasn't too bad.
But that's probably because Ben did most of the dirty work (literally) and got everything cleaned up.
I love my husband. I really, really, really do.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
12 More, A Short Break and 20 Left!
So, it's been a loooong time since I last posted anything. It's been quite a summer and we've been busy. We haven't given up on reading, however. We try not to miss a single night (though sometimes we do... I'm not perfect... just almost perfect!) If I can get my tush in gear, I'll have some blogs about what we've been up to the past month or so.
At the time we read these books, I was starting to feel the pressure of our busyness and we took a short break from this list and let the kids pick whatever books they wanted. I figured we were so close to the end that it wouldn't make much of a difference in the end. At the time of this writing, we have 3 stories left to read/find. I have one in my hot little hands right now, figuratively speaking, and the final two have proven to be quite tricky to find. I might have to break down and buy them. *GASP!*
65. No Sleep for the Sheep! by Karen Beaumont (★★★★) The sheep in this story is tired and all he wants is to go to sleep, but all the barnyard animals, one after another, keep coming to his door.The pictures were cute and easy for the kids to interpret what was going on. They enjoyed this story quite a lot.
66. No, David! by David Shannon (★★★★) David just can't seem to stay out of trouble! We had a couple of the David! books already, so the kids were familiar with how the stories go. Audrey, especially, has reached that age where she knows that David is doing (or about to do) something naughty. The narrative and pictures were fun and easy to follow.
69. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (★★★1/2) Three owl babies wake up one night to find that their mother is gone. Where could she be? The pictures are beautiful and the story simple enough for my 3-year-old.
70. Pancakes for Supper! by Anne Isaacs (★★★) This story is about a young girl who gets lost in the woods and is forced to give the various woodland predators items of her clothing to save herself from getting eaten. Though my kids were new to this particular tale, it was reminiscent of the old folk tale of Little Black Sambo or The Story of Little Babaji. (Both Sambo and Babaji were written by the same author, only adapted in the newer version.) I felt that, aside from a few details and character changes, the story was almost identical. The kids were amused by seeing the large animals wearing clothing that was much, much too small for them.
72. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (★★★★★) The princess of this story is just like so many other princesses. She lives in a castle, wears beautiful clothes and is going to marry a handsome prince. When a dragon comes and destroys her castle, burns her fancy clothes and carries off her handsome prince, what is a princess to do? This feisty little princess doesn't just take it lying down. She simply puts on a paper bag in place of her ruined clothes and goes to rescue her prince. This story doesn't end predictably at all and the kids enjoyed it very much. I'm all for a story that features a strong female character who goes after what she wants (or what she thinks she wants...)
75. Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke (★★★★1/2) The youngest princess in this story is tired of being a princess. She doesn't want to be waited on. She doesn't like the pretty dresses or having to smile all the time. When her father finally gets fed up, he sends her to the pigsty. This punishment doesn't get the results the king expected! Another story about a spunky princess who knows her own mind. Though, I think the humor was a little beyond my kids, they enjoyed the story, anyway.
76. Rain by Manya Stojic (★★★★) This story has a rhythmic quality when read aloud. The statements are simple and the pictures vibrant. The animals on the Savannah are waiting for the rain. First the porcupine smells it, then the zebras see the lightning and the message gets passed along from animal to animal until all the senses are touched.
77. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (★★★★★) Rosie, the hen, goes for a walk. Fox follows quietly behind. As Rosie goes on, blissfully unaware of the danger behind her, the fox gets caught up in obstacle after obstacle, each one worse than the last. This gently humorous book was good for both my 3-year-old and my 5-year-old.
78. Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt (★★★★★) The kids enjoyed this book so much that I picked up several more in the series the next time we went to the library. Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of EVERYTHING. He even checks to make sure there are no sharks around his tree. My husband read this one to the kids and was chuckling just as much as they were laughing.
79. Silly Suzy Goose by Petr Horácek (★★★★) Suzy Goose realizes one day that she is exactly like every other goose. So she goes out and meets other animals, wishfully thinking how nice it would be to be like them.. that is, until she meets a hungry lion! This was a cute story that both encouraged individuality and being happy with who we are, even if it SEEMS like we just like everyone else.
80. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (★★★★★) I was confident that this book would go over well with my kids. We already have two of the Skippyjon books and my kids love them. My son is especially obsessed. The first book in the series didn't disappoint. In this story, the little Siamese cat who wishes he was a Chihuahua, must save his friends from the huge bumble-beeto! Energetic and exciting storytelling is a crowd-pleaser at my house!
82. Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough (★★★★★) Sid the dog gets a happy feeling on the way to school and suddenly finds himself flying! When he tries to tell his friends, no one believes him. After all, who ever heard of a dog that flies? Sid becomes so sad that he can't fly anymore. In the end, he figures it all out with the help of his dad. This was a cute story and the kids really liked it.
At the time we read these books, I was starting to feel the pressure of our busyness and we took a short break from this list and let the kids pick whatever books they wanted. I figured we were so close to the end that it wouldn't make much of a difference in the end. At the time of this writing, we have 3 stories left to read/find. I have one in my hot little hands right now, figuratively speaking, and the final two have proven to be quite tricky to find. I might have to break down and buy them. *GASP!*
65. No Sleep for the Sheep! by Karen Beaumont (★★★★) The sheep in this story is tired and all he wants is to go to sleep, but all the barnyard animals, one after another, keep coming to his door.The pictures were cute and easy for the kids to interpret what was going on. They enjoyed this story quite a lot.
66. No, David! by David Shannon (★★★★) David just can't seem to stay out of trouble! We had a couple of the David! books already, so the kids were familiar with how the stories go. Audrey, especially, has reached that age where she knows that David is doing (or about to do) something naughty. The narrative and pictures were fun and easy to follow.
69. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (★★★1/2) Three owl babies wake up one night to find that their mother is gone. Where could she be? The pictures are beautiful and the story simple enough for my 3-year-old.
70. Pancakes for Supper! by Anne Isaacs (★★★) This story is about a young girl who gets lost in the woods and is forced to give the various woodland predators items of her clothing to save herself from getting eaten. Though my kids were new to this particular tale, it was reminiscent of the old folk tale of Little Black Sambo or The Story of Little Babaji. (Both Sambo and Babaji were written by the same author, only adapted in the newer version.) I felt that, aside from a few details and character changes, the story was almost identical. The kids were amused by seeing the large animals wearing clothing that was much, much too small for them.
72. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (★★★★★) The princess of this story is just like so many other princesses. She lives in a castle, wears beautiful clothes and is going to marry a handsome prince. When a dragon comes and destroys her castle, burns her fancy clothes and carries off her handsome prince, what is a princess to do? This feisty little princess doesn't just take it lying down. She simply puts on a paper bag in place of her ruined clothes and goes to rescue her prince. This story doesn't end predictably at all and the kids enjoyed it very much. I'm all for a story that features a strong female character who goes after what she wants (or what she thinks she wants...)
75. Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke (★★★★1/2) The youngest princess in this story is tired of being a princess. She doesn't want to be waited on. She doesn't like the pretty dresses or having to smile all the time. When her father finally gets fed up, he sends her to the pigsty. This punishment doesn't get the results the king expected! Another story about a spunky princess who knows her own mind. Though, I think the humor was a little beyond my kids, they enjoyed the story, anyway.
76. Rain by Manya Stojic (★★★★) This story has a rhythmic quality when read aloud. The statements are simple and the pictures vibrant. The animals on the Savannah are waiting for the rain. First the porcupine smells it, then the zebras see the lightning and the message gets passed along from animal to animal until all the senses are touched.
77. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (★★★★★) Rosie, the hen, goes for a walk. Fox follows quietly behind. As Rosie goes on, blissfully unaware of the danger behind her, the fox gets caught up in obstacle after obstacle, each one worse than the last. This gently humorous book was good for both my 3-year-old and my 5-year-old.
78. Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt (★★★★★) The kids enjoyed this book so much that I picked up several more in the series the next time we went to the library. Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of EVERYTHING. He even checks to make sure there are no sharks around his tree. My husband read this one to the kids and was chuckling just as much as they were laughing.
79. Silly Suzy Goose by Petr Horácek (★★★★) Suzy Goose realizes one day that she is exactly like every other goose. So she goes out and meets other animals, wishfully thinking how nice it would be to be like them.. that is, until she meets a hungry lion! This was a cute story that both encouraged individuality and being happy with who we are, even if it SEEMS like we just like everyone else.
80. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (★★★★★) I was confident that this book would go over well with my kids. We already have two of the Skippyjon books and my kids love them. My son is especially obsessed. The first book in the series didn't disappoint. In this story, the little Siamese cat who wishes he was a Chihuahua, must save his friends from the huge bumble-beeto! Energetic and exciting storytelling is a crowd-pleaser at my house!
82. Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough (★★★★★) Sid the dog gets a happy feeling on the way to school and suddenly finds himself flying! When he tries to tell his friends, no one believes him. After all, who ever heard of a dog that flies? Sid becomes so sad that he can't fly anymore. In the end, he figures it all out with the help of his dad. This was a cute story and the kids really liked it.
I have plenty to write about and just need to buckle down and do it. More books, summer fun, crafting and sewing projects, camping and other stuff I can't remember right now.. so, stay tuned! ;)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
25 of 30: Dinner with Anyone
If you haven't been following along from the beginning, click here.
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
Okay.. since this is my dinner party, I'm inviting two people. ;) Got a problem with that? Well, then, you're not invited to my awesomely awesome dinner party.
My first guest would be Nephi. Yeah, I know... what a church-y response. I've mentioned this before. I admire his strength, passion and tenderness. He courageously did what he knew was right in spite of peer-pressure and many, many other trials. His writings reveal a little bit about who he was as a person. Even though he was serious in his personal history, he was kind and forgiving, which means he must have had a wonderful sense of humor too. ;)
I think a conversation with him, person to person, would be inspirational and fun. Plus, he's supposed to be pretty buff and kinda cute (I imagine), so that's the reason for the other guest.. we can't give people the wrong idea, here! Ha! Ha!
My second guest would be Diana Wynne Jones, the author. She was a major influence in my desire to write. I found out several years ago that she was also dyslexic. I don't have a disability that directly effects my ability to write. If she can write dozens of books without dyslexia stopping her, I can certainly write my stories too!
Her sense of humor is charming as well as hilarious.
As for food, I'd really like to say that I would be so engrossed in my conversation with Nephi and Diana that I wouldn't care what we had for dinner... but, honestly, I'm too much of a control freak when it comes to hosting to do something like that.
I'm pretty sure that Nephi wasn't a vegetarian... yeah. Hunted with a bow and his brothers kept trying to kill him... I guess he was in the original Hunger Games. As for Diana, I have no clue, but we'll just assume that she ate meat.
So, we'd have fat, juicy burgers from the grill. We'll have a variety of toppings: bacon (was Nephi kosher?), onion, lettuce, cheese, grilled pineapple, pickle (not for me.. ew), tomato, sauteed mushrooms, avacado, etc... with all the appropriate condiments.
I'd make my bacon-stuffed cherry tomatoes. Everyone loves them.. it's too bad I can't claim the recipe as my own.
My mom's cottage cheese jello salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped cream! YUM!
I'd splurge on the drinks and get Henry Weinhard Root Beer, Cream Soda and Orange Cream Soda.
For dessert, we'd have warm chocolate chip cookies and milk...
Then we'd sit in front of the TV with a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream for each of us and watch a Jane Austen film... yes... of course Nephi would like it!
I'd cuddle up with........... Ben. Of course.
And it would be perfect.. :)
Next time: What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
My first guest would be Nephi. Yeah, I know... what a church-y response. I've mentioned this before. I admire his strength, passion and tenderness. He courageously did what he knew was right in spite of peer-pressure and many, many other trials. His writings reveal a little bit about who he was as a person. Even though he was serious in his personal history, he was kind and forgiving, which means he must have had a wonderful sense of humor too. ;)
I think a conversation with him, person to person, would be inspirational and fun. Plus, he's supposed to be pretty buff and kinda cute (I imagine), so that's the reason for the other guest.. we can't give people the wrong idea, here! Ha! Ha!
My second guest would be Diana Wynne Jones, the author. She was a major influence in my desire to write. I found out several years ago that she was also dyslexic. I don't have a disability that directly effects my ability to write. If she can write dozens of books without dyslexia stopping her, I can certainly write my stories too!
Her sense of humor is charming as well as hilarious.
As for food, I'd really like to say that I would be so engrossed in my conversation with Nephi and Diana that I wouldn't care what we had for dinner... but, honestly, I'm too much of a control freak when it comes to hosting to do something like that.
I'm pretty sure that Nephi wasn't a vegetarian... yeah. Hunted with a bow and his brothers kept trying to kill him... I guess he was in the original Hunger Games. As for Diana, I have no clue, but we'll just assume that she ate meat.
So, we'd have fat, juicy burgers from the grill. We'll have a variety of toppings: bacon (was Nephi kosher?), onion, lettuce, cheese, grilled pineapple, pickle (not for me.. ew), tomato, sauteed mushrooms, avacado, etc... with all the appropriate condiments.
I'd make my bacon-stuffed cherry tomatoes. Everyone loves them.. it's too bad I can't claim the recipe as my own.
My mom's cottage cheese jello salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped cream! YUM!
I'd splurge on the drinks and get Henry Weinhard Root Beer, Cream Soda and Orange Cream Soda.
For dessert, we'd have warm chocolate chip cookies and milk...
Then we'd sit in front of the TV with a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream for each of us and watch a Jane Austen film... yes... of course Nephi would like it!
I'd cuddle up with........... Ben. Of course.
And it would be perfect.. :)
Next time: What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
12 More, 32 left... Sprinting for Home!
Here is the other half of the list of 24. After finishing these books, we took a short break. We read a few books off the list and signed the kids up for the summer reading programs with both of the local libraries.
51. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems - (★★★★★) The kids liked this one a lot. It was easy to follow what was going on and the kids were very concerned for the little girl who lost her bunny. I love Mo Willems' books. They speak to young children in fun and simple ways.
52. Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis; David Soman - (★★★★★) A friend of mine recommended the Ladybug Girl books to me several years ago, but I procrastinated checking them out and then forgot all about them. Lulu dresses up as Ladybug Girl and, when she does, she can be a super hero in her own way. We got one other Ladybug Girl book when we checked out the first one because I had a hunch that the kids would like it. Boy, was my instinct right on! We might just have to read every one there is!
53. Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger - (★★★★) This was another window book. On the first page was a plastic window shaped like a lemon, but the color showing through the window was red. It stated on the page that lemons are not red. When you turn the page, there is an apple there: But apples are! The lemon shaped window is now showing a color from the previous page, which is yellow. This continues through the book, explaining that fruits and vegetables are NOT this color, but this other fruit or vegetable is. This was a fun discovery-style book for my kids. I think I might check it out again some time to see if my kids (instead) can tell me what color is right and what fruit or vegetable the wrong color might belong to... ;)
55. Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - (★★★★★) We love the Llama, Llama books in our house. We were given Llama, Llama Misses Mama as a gift from my mother several months ago and my kids love it. So, it was a no-brainer to check out this one as well. The messages are fairly subtle in these books, helping to ease the worries of young children. In this case, the little llama was worried that his mama left after he went to bed. My kids have expressed this same worry to us. I think this is yet another series that we will have to collect for our own shelves.
57. Madlenka by Peter Sís - (★★★) My kids liked this book fairly well. I had difficulty reading it because quite a lot of the important bits were crammed into the perimeter of each page and were frequently sideways or upside down. It was a fun exploration of different cultures that can be found in a simple neighborhood. In the end, Madlenka tells her mother that she spent the afternoon traveling around the world. If it hadn't been difficult for me to read and explain the tiny details on the edges of the pages, I think this book would have been more meaningful to my kids.
58. The Mightiest by Keiko Kasza - (★★★★) This book reads like an old folk tale. Several large animals find a crown in the forest with a sign saying that it is for "The Mightiest". The animals compete for the crown by seeing who can scare a sweet old lady the most... if you have read many folk tales, you can probably guess how this tale turns out. If you haven't, you should check it out. This is a simple tale that makes for a great introduction to this style of story-telling.
59. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton - (★★★★) I found this story slightly dull, since I am a bad person. My kids liked it though. Mike and his steam shovel attempt to finish a big job in one day. The big question is: Will they finish in time? Like I said, my kids liked it. My son especially likes any book about construction machines. :)
60. Moose Tracks! by Karma Wilson - (★★★★1/2) The story's narrator tells a tale of how his house has many animal visitors but there are inexplicable moose tracks all over the place. The kids were just as perplexed as the narrator and I must admit that I wasn't quite sure what was going on until nearly the end. Cute story!
61. Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham - (★★★★) The title of this story is rather misleading since Mr. Grumpy really isn't grumpy at all. In fact, he's an incredibly patient and kind man, inviting everyone he passes on his outing. It was a fun romp for my kids, completely immersed in this little book.
62. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming - (★★★★★) This was super fun to read aloud. The gardener plants a garden and looks forward to eating the lovely vegetables. When the night comes, however, some little bunnies hop in and "Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat!" they hop into the garden and "Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!" on the gardener's vegetables. The gardener goes to great lengths to stop the bunnies from getting to his garden, with little success. I shall repeat, this book is completely worth reading out loud. The rhythm was half the fun!
63. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann - (★★★★) Mouse and his friend, Rabbit are having fun playing with Mouse's airplane when it gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit enlists the help of many other animals to get the airplane out of the tree, much to the other animal's irritation. The pictures and story were simple and cute. It was easy for my kids to see how Rabbit's plan wasn't the best.
64. My Garden by Kevin Henkes - (★★★★★) We all liked this story quite a lot. The little girl featured in this story talks about the gardens that she can see, but then imagines what she would grow in her own garden. She would grow chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color and seashells! The pictures are beautiful and imaginative. While Audrey knew that you can't grow chocolate rabbits in a garden, she was charmed by the story, nontheless! Very cute!
I have a few more that we have read since these, but I've let the kids pick out most of the books the last few times we've gone. I'll be getting back to the list very soon! :)
51. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems - (★★★★★) The kids liked this one a lot. It was easy to follow what was going on and the kids were very concerned for the little girl who lost her bunny. I love Mo Willems' books. They speak to young children in fun and simple ways.
52. Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis; David Soman - (★★★★★) A friend of mine recommended the Ladybug Girl books to me several years ago, but I procrastinated checking them out and then forgot all about them. Lulu dresses up as Ladybug Girl and, when she does, she can be a super hero in her own way. We got one other Ladybug Girl book when we checked out the first one because I had a hunch that the kids would like it. Boy, was my instinct right on! We might just have to read every one there is!
53. Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger - (★★★★) This was another window book. On the first page was a plastic window shaped like a lemon, but the color showing through the window was red. It stated on the page that lemons are not red. When you turn the page, there is an apple there: But apples are! The lemon shaped window is now showing a color from the previous page, which is yellow. This continues through the book, explaining that fruits and vegetables are NOT this color, but this other fruit or vegetable is. This was a fun discovery-style book for my kids. I think I might check it out again some time to see if my kids (instead) can tell me what color is right and what fruit or vegetable the wrong color might belong to... ;)
55. Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - (★★★★★) We love the Llama, Llama books in our house. We were given Llama, Llama Misses Mama as a gift from my mother several months ago and my kids love it. So, it was a no-brainer to check out this one as well. The messages are fairly subtle in these books, helping to ease the worries of young children. In this case, the little llama was worried that his mama left after he went to bed. My kids have expressed this same worry to us. I think this is yet another series that we will have to collect for our own shelves.
57. Madlenka by Peter Sís - (★★★) My kids liked this book fairly well. I had difficulty reading it because quite a lot of the important bits were crammed into the perimeter of each page and were frequently sideways or upside down. It was a fun exploration of different cultures that can be found in a simple neighborhood. In the end, Madlenka tells her mother that she spent the afternoon traveling around the world. If it hadn't been difficult for me to read and explain the tiny details on the edges of the pages, I think this book would have been more meaningful to my kids.
58. The Mightiest by Keiko Kasza - (★★★★) This book reads like an old folk tale. Several large animals find a crown in the forest with a sign saying that it is for "The Mightiest". The animals compete for the crown by seeing who can scare a sweet old lady the most... if you have read many folk tales, you can probably guess how this tale turns out. If you haven't, you should check it out. This is a simple tale that makes for a great introduction to this style of story-telling.
59. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton - (★★★★) I found this story slightly dull, since I am a bad person. My kids liked it though. Mike and his steam shovel attempt to finish a big job in one day. The big question is: Will they finish in time? Like I said, my kids liked it. My son especially likes any book about construction machines. :)
60. Moose Tracks! by Karma Wilson - (★★★★1/2) The story's narrator tells a tale of how his house has many animal visitors but there are inexplicable moose tracks all over the place. The kids were just as perplexed as the narrator and I must admit that I wasn't quite sure what was going on until nearly the end. Cute story!
61. Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham - (★★★★) The title of this story is rather misleading since Mr. Grumpy really isn't grumpy at all. In fact, he's an incredibly patient and kind man, inviting everyone he passes on his outing. It was a fun romp for my kids, completely immersed in this little book.
62. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming - (★★★★★) This was super fun to read aloud. The gardener plants a garden and looks forward to eating the lovely vegetables. When the night comes, however, some little bunnies hop in and "Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat!" they hop into the garden and "Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!" on the gardener's vegetables. The gardener goes to great lengths to stop the bunnies from getting to his garden, with little success. I shall repeat, this book is completely worth reading out loud. The rhythm was half the fun!
63. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann - (★★★★) Mouse and his friend, Rabbit are having fun playing with Mouse's airplane when it gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit enlists the help of many other animals to get the airplane out of the tree, much to the other animal's irritation. The pictures and story were simple and cute. It was easy for my kids to see how Rabbit's plan wasn't the best.
64. My Garden by Kevin Henkes - (★★★★★) We all liked this story quite a lot. The little girl featured in this story talks about the gardens that she can see, but then imagines what she would grow in her own garden. She would grow chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color and seashells! The pictures are beautiful and imaginative. While Audrey knew that you can't grow chocolate rabbits in a garden, she was charmed by the story, nontheless! Very cute!
I have a few more that we have read since these, but I've let the kids pick out most of the books the last few times we've gone. I'll be getting back to the list very soon! :)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Game Has Changed
I bundled my little family into the car and drove up north. I was on my way to support my husband, knowing full well that it could either be in celebration or commiseration. The drive was long, my children short of patience. It wasn't long before they wondered when they would get to see their dad. I anticipate answering that question frequently.
I missed the turnoff. A few minutes later, I rolled in and looked for a parking spot. I had been rushing, trying to get there "on time" without knowing exactly what "on time" really was.
They buzzed me in and scanned me for any dangerous substances. Audrey wanted to be scanned, too. When the lady obligingly did so, I knew the people in this place wouldn't be all that bad, after all. Henry folded in on himself, not at all interested in being scanned. This turned out to be okay with the lady, too.
She eased my worries with a few simple words as she showed me the lobby area. Everything with my husband was going smoothly and we would see him soon.
We got our visitor badges and sat down. The kids were handed gift baggies filled with things to keep a child entertained, for at least five minutes. Crayons, toy cars, stickers and paper-winged planes were scattered around in almost no time at all. At least they were happy...
Ben walked through, looking serious and busy, but had enough time to kiss his family hello before he had to run off again. Several minutes later, he came back and sat with us for a few minutes, cuddling the kids and whispering gentle words. It wasn't long before they called for him again.
I recalled the old adage: Hurry up and wait.
They finally called us visitors back and led us to the room where Ben was waiting with three others. They stood quiet and serious, facing the front of the room. The kids took what they felt was their place at their father's side.
I missed the turnoff. A few minutes later, I rolled in and looked for a parking spot. I had been rushing, trying to get there "on time" without knowing exactly what "on time" really was.
They buzzed me in and scanned me for any dangerous substances. Audrey wanted to be scanned, too. When the lady obligingly did so, I knew the people in this place wouldn't be all that bad, after all. Henry folded in on himself, not at all interested in being scanned. This turned out to be okay with the lady, too.
She eased my worries with a few simple words as she showed me the lobby area. Everything with my husband was going smoothly and we would see him soon.
We got our visitor badges and sat down. The kids were handed gift baggies filled with things to keep a child entertained, for at least five minutes. Crayons, toy cars, stickers and paper-winged planes were scattered around in almost no time at all. At least they were happy...
Ben walked through, looking serious and busy, but had enough time to kiss his family hello before he had to run off again. Several minutes later, he came back and sat with us for a few minutes, cuddling the kids and whispering gentle words. It wasn't long before they called for him again.
I recalled the old adage: Hurry up and wait.
They finally called us visitors back and led us to the room where Ben was waiting with three others. They stood quiet and serious, facing the front of the room. The kids took what they felt was their place at their father's side.
I was most surprised by his refusal to even crack the smallest smile or allow the twinkle to reach his eyes. He can be serious after all. (I wondered if he would get his uniform but, alas, he won't get that until Basic.)
I now wish I had paid closer attention while the officiator was speaking. I was too busy taking pictures and keeping my children quiet to listen carefully. He answered in unison with the other three the officiator's questions with a sharp barking reply. I was startled, awed and almost instantly felt a little silly.
He solemnly swears he is up to no good. ;)
I couldn't resist.
Will I ever get all the flags straight in my mind?
Proud Dad. Proud kids. Proud Mom.
On the way home, the tears leaked out of their own accord; sometimes brought on by a surge of emotion, sometimes by no apparent reason at all. If Ben noticed, he didn't say. Something clicked into place for me. A part of our lives belong to the faceless entity of our country, but the rest of our lives have suddenly started to make a lot more sense.
The game has changed.
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