Reader's Habits

Like all good reading things, I got this from my friend's blog. It was fun.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack:

Nope. Sometimes I will eat lunch or breakfast while reading. Nothing greasy or too messy, though.

What is your favourite drink while reading?

Again, I don't want to ruin any books. Maybe a hot chocolate if I feel I can control it.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

Nope, it takes me out of the story, plus I like my books to stay nice. (Guess I should stop loaning them out and letting my kids read them.)

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?

Anything that can be used as a book mark, even toilet paper and leaves work.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?

Fiction. I don't seek out non-fiction, but have read some great ones. (Just not lately)

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I like to get to a stopping spot, not necessarily the end of a chapter, most often the end of a page.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?

No, I have felt like it though, but only once.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?

No. If I remember later I will though.

What are you currently reading?

Not really anything. I just finished a book. I am a couple of pages into a book my little sister loaned me called Fairest of All.

What is the last book you bought?

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson book 2)

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?

I can read more than one at a time, but I generally focus on just one.

Do you have a favourite time/place to read?

I like to get up early when the house is quiet and no one is awake. (less guilt)

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?

Either one. I always feel a loss when a series ends, though.

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?

Not really. I recommend books according to a person's personality. It means I will suggest a lot of different types.

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)
Personally I like to do author's last name, but my family tends to put them wherever, so organization goes out the window.

Thinking

Most readers know that I hold a BS degree in Early Childhood Development. I loved all my classes and labs when I was in school. It was perfect for me. I still use something from my education everyday, for good or ill. The hardest thing for me is trying to figure out what is common sense in rearing a child and what I know because of my schooling. When people I know do something that is not DAP (developmentally appropriate practice) I cringe and then try to decide whether I tell them or not. I have done it both ways. Usually when I do tell them they shrug it off and do as they wish anyway. Seriously, should I say something? Andy reads my blogs (and others) and can refrain from commenting on my misspellings, and grammar mistakes. He doesn't critique my literary efforts even though he holds an MA in English. So, I guess I should be more like that and turn a blind eye. Right?

My hair

This is not a great shot of my new hair cut. I took it myself right after my shower, before make-up, but you get the idea. This was taken immediately after I straightened it with a straightening iron.

But, my hair has so much body/curl that within an hour it will curl under around my face and flip out at my shoulders. I have tried everything to get my hair to lay flat. Oh well. Andy just laughs at my frustration. (His mom wears curlers every night so her hair has body.)

Awards Again

At Marcus's school they have Student of the Month awards. The categories are reading, writing, math, citizenship and Leaps (improving a lot in a subject). On Thursday Marcus received the citizenship award. That means he does his work, follows directions, helps others, etc. Basically acts the way he should. This is his 4th award this year. He also received reading, writing and math earlier in the year. He said he will never get Leaps unless makes an effort to be bad in something and then do his best. ;) We have a great kid! His favorite part about the award was the free t-shirt he got that only comes with the citizenship award.

Celebrate Good Times

Happy 3rd birthday Evie! I can't believe you are so big!

Andy's birthday gift was his motorcycle. Many people wonder how I could "let" him get one. It all started with Beverly Cleary. So, I blame her. She wrote a book that a 7 year old boy read called "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and he has wanted a motorcycle ever since. But, he had to wear his wife down over many years and each time he gets on it she still prays he will be safe the whole time he is out.

Okay, so our children really wanted to get him a gift. We thought a keychain would be a great inexpensive option. It was VERY difficult to find a keychain that was not a bottle opener or something equally Vegasy. At Hallmark they found a funny, but large one. Plus, they each picked Dad out some candy.

With a gift card we were given, we went to the Macaroni Grill for the first time. His birthday cake there was so good. (I only had 2-3 bites of it.) I want the recipe.
At home we had our customary cheesecake (lemon blueberry) and he opened his last gift. He has been wanting to reread Percy Jackson, but we only have the last 2 books. We wanted them in hardback, but couldn't find them. He got the first book in paperback instead.

Not easy AND book sites

Yesterday we had a fun time celebrating my husband's birthday. I didn't do my usual birthday blog because I was trying to make the day as special as possible. I will post pictures about it tomorrow. (I am trying to be quick.)

This morning was very frustrating. I finally pulled out my maternity cloths. My other clothes work fine, but I didn't want to layer in this heat or try and find something that was comfortable. I was missing a few items. Plus, I was all set for Colorado or Utah. I needed something besides pants and thick shirts. I thought we could quickly head out and buy a few light t-shirts and another pair or two of capris. Finding clothes to fit me is a chore in the first place. This was not fun. I bought nothing. I am cheap and will not buy a $30 shirt at Motherhood, but I wouldn't buy a shirt that was translucent from Target either, so my pickings were slim to non-existent. I was going to take Anneke out to try other places, but I am not sure if I have the stamina or energy.

On the fun side I found this website. When I was growing up I loved the Bluebonnet awards. Apparently every state has something similar and Texas has more than just those awards now. I stumbled across it looking for Colorado's site. I found Nevada's and was curious if every state did it. I love that in Nevada there are 4 categories; picture book, young reader, intermediate reader and young adult. It gives me even more book ideas to try.

Presentation

A week ago I had my presentation for a church activity. The focus was on toddlers and developmental milestones. Since I have my BS degree in Early Childhood Development I was asked to do it. The idea was to get ideas for things to do with your toddler and play with them during the presentation. I prepared for an hour giving interspersing activities, songs and books. I focused on the importance of reading to your child, singing and playing with them; also, what to expect like the fact that from the age of 18 months until almost about 2 1/2 years toddler literally do not know how to share and you can't "teach" them to. Anyway, I was super excited. Another class was offering goody bags. (There were 2 other classes offered at the same time. One on parenting and the other on influencing children when you have none in your home.) I couldn't afford anything great, but I thought bubbles from the dollar store would be perfect. 5 people signed up, so I doubled that for handouts and bubbles.

Then, an unexpected thing happened. No one came. I sat there for about 5 minutes and then someone came in, all alone. She didn't have a toddler, but had given birth to her first child about a month ago. I was at a loss. Another lady showed up, then left and went to another class. (That part was the worst.) I tried to talk to this woman about babies, but had prepared nothing. I was frustrated and near tears by the time I got home. About 40 women total came to the activity.

Today they approached me about trying again. Honestly, I don't want to. I was so excited. I prepared a lot and now it is all tainted with those feelings of rejection. You may be thinking I am a big baby, but I know it will not be very good if I try again. Especially if I have the same outcome. Once is enough for me.

Bestest Husband

My husband is the type of person that can't be idle. He finds projects and people to help if he has nothing (ie schoolwork) to do. So, last week he helped a friend out. He ended up being paid for it. (He would rather not be compensated in that way, but sometimes you can't help it.) Anyway, he used his money to surprise me yesterday.

Apparently, for a couple of weeks he has been planning a girls night for me with a good friend. Amazing still, he managed to keep it a secret. Yesterday I was "kidnapped" and taken to get my hair cut. (I don't do a whole lot for myself. If I get extra money I save it or spend it on my family.) I was pretty shocked and didn't know what to think. She asked how I wanted my hair cut and I was not sure, but it turned out looking really cute. (I will post pictures when I can get it to look half as cute as yesterday. I need a straightener.) I am not sure how much was cut off, but I would say 6-8 inches. Then we went shopping, as per Andy's instructions, and finally returned to our families. Anneke keeps playing with my hair and telling me she needs a haircut, too. It was an unexpected fun evening. My husband spoiled me without being with me. Huh.

Water+Mom=Anneke's fun day

Anneke has been looking forward to Water Day for weeks. Counting down the days and such. Today was the big day and I got to help.

Before it started they watched some of The Fox and the Hound while waiting for all the helpers to show up.

I got some good photos. So, this will probably be photo heavy and you will think "Still Anneke..." but, I am proud of my work. I took them all from the same spot, sometimes all the way across the playground.

Her first station was a water relay race.
Then she played with chalk and on the playground equipment. (The latter was my station and pretty boring. Sometimes we played Duck Duck Goose, though.)
The bubbles and sponges in the kiddy pool was the favorite station.
I was impressed by her form, even though she became frustrated quickly with the hula-hoop.
She moved onto the jumprope.
Her next two stations were inside, but then she came out to spray her friends.
Then, they played "Drip, Drip, Drench". (A lot more fun than Duck Duck Goose on water days.)
I am not sure what the point of this activity was, but Anneke was shivering by this time and her lips were purple. I guess 70 degrees is not warm enough for water days in Las Vegas.
She ended her exciting morning with a rainbow popsicle. Yum!
Tonight is Girls Night while the boys go camping. (Aaronic priesthood birthday camp out.)

By the way, this is my 600th blog post!

Spelling B-E-E

Marcus was very excited to represent his class in the spelling bee last night. He came first alphabetically, so he was the first to spell. (He has started doing the thumbs up thing a lot. I am not sure why.)

He did really well. He had words like careful, artist and diamond. They would be hard for me to spell out loud. Anyway, he was one of the last two. (See below) There as a guy behind us cheering Marcus on, too. It was awesome.
"Special S-P-E-I..." he paused. The audience groaned. He finished, "C-A-L. Special." Then bowed his head and took a step back. Isaac spelled it correctly, plus his next word, so he won. Marcus said he knew he had it wrong, but you can't take it back. He will probably never forget how to spell it again. :)
But, that was not my "Wow, I am a lucky mom" moment. #205 was the first one eliminated. She was devastated and crying. We could tell Marcus wanted to comfort her. When the next child sat down, Marcus tried to get him to comfort her and each child thereafter. Andy and I were afraid he was going to throw the competition just to help her out. Afterwards, that is what Marcus talked about, not the winning or losing. So, yep, I have a very special son.

He got a certificate and a pin for his efforts. His goal is to make it as his class speller again next year.

(I could have kicked myself. I mentioned to Andy and Marcus heard, but the boy that won shouldn't have made it as far as he did. The judges didn't exactly follow the rules. That happened a few times and drove my husband crazy. But, Marcus doesn't care.)

Next 10 (Books 41-50)

It took me longer to get through this set than any other. The problem was trying to get things ready for the move and get Andy done with the semester, plus other things that cropped up. We still haven't moved and don't know when we will. Anyway, I am halfway through my goal for the year and it isn't even the middle of May. Yea!

41. Hunting Ground (urban fantasy) If you read Cry Wolf (see #40) and enjoy it, then, you should read this one. I liked it, but it left a few things unanswered and a new book hasn't been published in a while. (not scheduled even until late 2011 or early 2012) Anyway, I still like her Mercy Thompson series better. Recommended - maybe.

42. Out of the Dust (historical fiction) It is written in verse form. It does not rhyme. It is a Newbery Award winner. The book itself is about the Dust bowl in Oklahoma and it is very well done. It was a fast read and I am glad I read it. Recommended - yes

43. Charlie Bone #7 (fantasy) I have enjoyed reading this series. It is an interesting concept. This book felt like I had read it before, just reworking the same themes from the other books. Plus, the "bad guys" don't seem to have clear motivation so they seem bad for the sake of being bad. But, it is a good middle grade series. Anyway, an easy, quick read. Recommend - not necessarily this particular book, but the series is pretty good.

44. Emma (Classic) I couldn't finish it. I read over 100 pages, so I am counting it. I spent 2 weeks struggling to get through it. It totally dragged down my book average for the month, too. ;) Recommended - no

45. Twilight (fantasy) I am going to be rereading books for a while. I will probably not post a review if it is a reread, just a warning. But, I obviously enjoyed it enough to read it again.

46. Ralph S. Mouse (modern fantasy) We read this to the kids at night. It is not as good as the first one, definitely. But, I still enjoy Beverly Cleary. She has an innocence about her writing that is unusual. Unlike Judy Blume, I would let my children read her without worry. Recommended - maybe

47. The Girl Who Could Fly (Modern fantasy) A person from Canada should not try to write about the south. It was frustrating to me all the cliches that were present. The two names, Sally Sue, Rory Ray, Junie Jane, etc. Come on! Or the things she says, "Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit." Or, how unintelligent the "hicks" are. I grew up in the South and this was not the way it truly was. Then, she adds in a German teacher. Let's just say - Double whammy. Those were big distractions for the first half of the book. However it shaped up to be a pretty okay late elementary school/middle school read. Recommended - yes

48. Night Dance (retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses) This was a fascinating concept. It intertwined the classic fairy tale with Arthurian legend. I am partial to this story for obvious reasons, so I was hesitant to read it. I enjoyed it though. But, I felt like something was missing, like there should have been more elaboration. This series seems to do that. Recommended - yes

49. Midnight Pearls (retelling of The Little Mermaid) An interesting read. It did not go the way you expected. Again, with this series I wish there was more detail. Sorry if I am sounding redundant in that area, I will try to figure out how to stop. :) The author was not afraid to bring God into the story, but it was not distracting. It was a part of why the characters were the way they were. If you get a chance try the book. Recommended - yes

50. I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and... (fiction) This was a bizarre book. I am still not sure what to make of it or if I would recommend it. It was silly, but cruel. The main character (it is written in first person) thinks very highly of himself and doesn't mind manipulating people for his own gain. Recommended - Unsure

Random Ramblings

I have a few things that I have been thinking about. Just randomness.

Cub Scout Day Camp is over. I had a really good time and am glad I was able to go as a den leader. I ended up loving each of my boys. Interesting in our group we had Mason, Tayson, Kasen, but no Jason. I enjoyed being able to observe Marcus outside of the home with his peers. He is so considerate and if someone needs a partner for anything, he is the first to volunteer. It made me very proud. Also, he made a cute wooden box. I helped and got my thumb banged a lot by his hammer. He traded it for a catapult that an older boy made. I was a bit sad about that.

Today I did Bountiful Baskets for the first time. It is a fruits and vegetable co-op that has sites in 6 states. For $16.50 a week you get 6 fruits and 6 veggies. I thought I would give it a shot. It is all volunteer based and you get the prices stores and restaurants get. I got a bunch of romaine, spinach, cauliflower, 6 ears of corn, 3 tomatoes and 4 green peppers. Plus, I got a bag of apples, 5 mangoes, 6 tangeloes, a watermelon and a huge bunch of bananas. I somehow only got 5 different fruits, but even so all this was an amazing deal.

I woke up with an amazing sore throat this morning. I can barely talk and don't want to swallow anything. I don't keep any pregnant friendly medication in the house, apparently. (My doctor was nice enough to give me a list at my appointment on Thursday.) Yuck! I also believe that being sick when pregnant is the worst because your body protects the baby first (which is good) but it takes longer to get well.

Andy's schedule is changing. It was nice to have consistency, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. He will get more time at home, but that means less money, too. The Lord will provide. On a random, slightly related note - We are hoping to go visit Carianne the week of Anneke's birthday in July. (Leaving here on Dad's birthday.)

Today I got a Dutch apple pie and 2 bags of white chocolate popcorn. It was for the fundraiser for the YW in our ward to go to Girls camp. I don't like pie. Andy does. So, we had to get one of each. My original plan was to take the popcorn tonight.

Tonight I am supposed to go see Emma with the girls. I am probably not going to go. I am going to stay home and relax for the first time all week and ease some of Andy's stress so he can finish his grading. The final project was not due until midnight on Friday (not his choice) and grades are due Monday. He won't grade on Sunday, so you do the math.

Now, I am going to try and make lunch for my children. (Andy is sleeping off his graveyard shift.)

This made me cry. Probably just prego hormones. (It's nice to have something to blame it on.) Anyway, I wanted to share it. The song really touched me and even made me laugh once. Music is something that never fails to impact me. That is why I am so careful with what I listen to. But, I digress... (I know it is cut off somewhat, but it is the song not the visuals that I liked, anyway.)

Happy Mother's day, early. I have been blessed to have amazing examples to me in that area as peers, friends, sisters and family. Thank you.

Day Camp - Day 2

The second day was better for me because I knew what to expect. Our theme is Wild Wild West. So, the first day they had a (fake) cow milking relay. Yesterday I brought the camera and got some good pictures. Marcus is having a ball. However, the 4-8pm schedule 4 days in a row is a bit much. Especially when he gets home from the bus at about 3:40pm. The person in charge for next year says there needs to be some changes because she doesn't like the late nights and lack of time for homework. Oh, did I mention that she is a school teacher. ;)

Here is the cutest Cub Scout I have ever seen, but I may be a bit biased.

I love this shot because you can see the arrow flying. Marcus got a hang of the different style holding the bow and actually hit the target a couple of times. (Mostly he goes over. I wish they would move the targets back because he is bigger, well taller than the other boys.)
Lassoing the metal steer. He was so funny swinging the lariat.
Our crafts for the day were a head band and cowboy neckerchief slide.

This photo is from this morning.
The baby is actually waving, but you can't tell in this shot. Luke waved back. It was super cute. The appointment went well. I went to the doctor that delivered (my sister) Heather's friends 4 boys. Pretty much just preliminary stuff. I feel very fat and am stressed out, but other than that we have a normal appointment in 2 weeks.

Day Camp Day 1

Yesterday afternoon I went to my first Cub Scout Day Camp. Marcus was super excited. We started out with the highlight of the day, archery. I learned a few things though:

*When you sign up as a Den leader, they are not asking what you are, but what you are willing to be. I was in charge of 8 boys I have never me before. I will be their "Den mother" for the next 3 days because of my ignorance.

*Getting an 8 year old to sit still for 1/2 an hour is nearly impossible.

*Preschool teacher is not a glamorous job to an 8 year old boy, but peeling an apple quickly and well is worth loads of admiration.

*The excitement of the event can make a Cub Scout forget to do his homework and then make the mom of the child have to tell him school is more important than Day Camp and they can't go unless homework is done first.

*My son gets easily flustered when things are out of the ordinary.

*Even if you give specific instructions there is a good chance either no one heard or they will be forgotten.

*Tying knots in boondoggle is very hard.

*You can't please all 8 boys in your den.

*Four hours of Day Camp is exhausting.

*Getting milk on the way home is fine unless your child makes one jug leak and then responds, "I don't know" when you ask how he dropped it.

*The house suffers without me even more than my normal prego lack of energy.

*A collapsible water bottle is the dream of any Elementary school age boy. (And certain English professors, too.)

(I will try to remember the camera today and post some cute pictures of my Cub Scout.)

Little Olympics

Guess who is representing his class in the spelling bee in a couple of weeks?

Apparently, the Little Olympics at the school are a pretty big deal. Each class has a color (Marcus's was royal purple) and they get shirts if they paid in advance. I saw the colors grey, lime green, turquoise, dark burgundy, and blue. Every class, not grade needed a color so there were a lot of different ones, even hot pink. Anyway, Marcus competed in the 4 man relay. His team took 4th. He also did long jump. He didn't practice much for it. He still got 4th overall. They even have a torch they run around the area here in Las Vegas. I thought that was kind of cool. (It even ran by our house with police escort, but we didn't know what it was at the time.)

Anneke didn't get to participate in the Olympics. She did get to dress up every day leading up to it. I forgot to get photos, sorry. On Twin Tuesday Anneke and Marcus were twins wearing jeans and their library shirts. On Work Out Wednesday they wore basketball shorts and t-shirts. On Pajama Thursday Marcus wore his Phineas and Ferb jammies and Anneke wore Sleeping Beauty. They had a fun week. (The photos are of Marcus before school on Friday.)

The Poem

Yesterday's post probably made little sense. Here is the poem I was talking about to shed some light on it. I am sure at least some of you know it.

If I had my Child to Raise Over Again

I'd finger-paint more and point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.

I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often, and affirm much more often.

I'd build self-esteem first and the house later.

I'd reach less about love of power and more about the Power of Love.

Today

Today is May Day. It is also Annemarie's birthday. (I just realized that I haven't seen her in about 5 years.) I hope today is fabulous and you don't have to work at an odd time.

Last night was interesting. I was asked to give a presentation for a Relief Society activity in a couple of weeks. The whole activity is entitled "Behold Your Little Ones". I am specifically doing a workshop on toddlers, with games and songs, plus interspersing information for adults. (The adults can bring a child under the age of two, so it will be interesting.) Anyway, I felt very inadequate. I told Andy "I am not an expert". He said that in a way I actually am. Huh.

I started pooling information and I came across a poem. (It is in the room with my husband sleeping off the graveyard shift.) It is one of those "If I could do it all over again" type things. One line was, I wouldn't share the love of power, but the power of love. (Etc.) I am going to add; I would spend less time with technology and more time in nature. That is my goal for today. It is going to be totally about my children. (And getting a photo with a large "E" in it.) Now, I need to figure out how to make my muffin mix a pancake mix. I hope that stops the whining.