These are seriously coming way too fast. It's really too late and I'm really too tired to be doing this right now, but I am so overwhelmed with all these thousands of little things I need to do that I have to do something or I will never go to sleep. Not only do I have thousands of little things to do, it feels like my husband is never here!! Of course, he is here sometimes, it just doesn't feel that way.
SO, 5 months old!
She is still exclusively breast fed. We haven't been able to get that child on a bottle, but we haven't tried very hard either.
She takes 2 solid naps a day with a mini 30 min nap thrown in there most days.
She is not sleeping through the night all the time, but she has once or twice. I think that is the same as last month.
She rolls over both ways all the time now.
She is still a very happy, content baby.
I can now drink dairy without it affecting her so yay for mommy.
She does not like it when I sneeze! She actually cries over it!
So, this is seriously the worst entry EVER!! I feel like a bad mom, gah. I'm sure there are a billion details I'm leaving out. Sometimes I go back through my facebook posts to see what's happened. I clearly need to do that for this post!
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Reading Recap: Second Quarter
So, this is going up late. Surprise, surprise. Lucky for me, goodreads records the dates I finish books! This post was inspired by Everyday Reading.
This second quarter I read/listened to 21 books. Much better than first quarter's all time low record of 5! Part of the reason for the increase is that I had a new baby in March and when I would nurse during the night, I would read. I also started listening to audio books while I clean the kitchen.
Listed by date read:
1. The Child Thief by Brom
I really loved most of this book. The end lagged for me. It seemingly climaxed...and then there was more, but at that point, I was ready for closure and an ending. I would definitely read it again sometime, especially if others were reading it with me. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes dark, creepy stories and doesn't mind gore or bad language. (Be warned, it has a lot of sadness and cruelty in it). There is amazing artwork for every chapter that really brings the novel to life. I will never think of Peter Pan the same way again and I can't imagine a retelling being more interesting or intriguing than this one.
2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This book was so not what I expected! It was still great because it's Maggie Stiefvater and I am, of course, going to read the next one, but the topic isn't really my favorite (trying not give anything away!). I really liked the characters and they only did a couple of really annoying things so that's a win. What I really really liked about it was that the "romance" was practically non existent! I like romance in books and everything, but it's also nice to have it take a back seat to other plot lines. I think it's fun to watch an author change and develop and try new things over the years. Maggie is one of my favorites!
3. Austenland by Shannon Hale
Didn't love it. However, I did love all the Austen tidbits so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I was really hoping to love it a lot. Oh well. The sequel is much better (as you'll see).
4. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
I love Sarah Rees Brennan's personality and her tumblr page (she is hilarious), but her books are always disappointing for me. I might try one more before I give up permanently.
5. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I was inspired to read this trilogy after I read The Raven Boys. I read the first one several years ago, but never finished the trilogy. This time I read the first two, but not the third. They aren't bad books, I just have too many other books to read. I might read Forever (the third one in the trilogy) one of these days.
6. The Pearl Wars by Nick James
I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant surprise.
There were two areas that annoyed me. The story is told by two characters, Jesse and Cassius. I tend to like stories told from different POV's, but this one switched from first person (Jesse) to third person (Cassius). It bugged me.
The other area that I didn't love was the world at the end of the story. It confused me. Maybe it was supposed to...but don't confuse intrigue with confusion. I wasn't intrigued in the sense that I wanted answers to my questions, I was confused and didn't understand what the author had described.
Saying that, those were minor annoyances and I will be continuing in the series. I loved Jesse and Cassius and can't wait to watch their relationship evolve! I am also interested in learning more about the pearls and all that entails.
7. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
I read this as part of The Book Smugglers "Old School Wednesday" read-a-longs. I really enjoyed it although no one else seemed to find it very great. Go figure.
8. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Sequel to Shiver (#5).
9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I think this is the third time I've read this book. It was one of the very first YA books I read so it holds a warm, fuzzy place in my heart. Plus, the movie is getting ready to come out next month. It looks like it might turn out to be pretty good, but I'll admit, I'm skeptical.
10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the thing. I loved listening to this audio book. LOVED. I have attempted to read the book twice and ended up not finishing it both times because I found it boring. I find that strange, but whatever. This book just came alive for me through listening. I'm so glad I gave it a shot!
I absolute love the character of Jay Gatsby. He is way beyond flawed, but he is a powerful character with many facets. I didn't love the setting, but I loved what the setting said about each of the characters in how they interacted with wealth (or lack thereof), power, and social status.
To me, Daisy is an unlikable character. I think Gatsby really is too in some ways, but for some reason I understand his flaws and give him grace, whereas with Daisy, I just don't like her.
I liked the way the story was told through Nick's perspective. It was a little hard to believe how he was always around for the major twists and such, but I still enjoyed hearing the story filtered through his mind.
It was also a short listen (5 hours) which is a must for me with 3 my littles. Even just at 5 hours, it took me an entire week to listen to it while I cleaned the kitchen every night.
11. Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Excellent! This was awesome middle-grade non-fiction. Very informative and interesting!
12. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Love anything by Jane Austen. Yes, I am one of those women.
13. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Huge disappointment! I have this problem where I have these "superstar" authors in my mind in every genre and others just don't stack up. This book was ruined by my love of all things Kate Morton.
14. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
I don't even know how I feel about this book. It has a really great plot and I have no specific problems with it, but it's not memorable to me at all.
15. Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
If you have not read Melina Marchetta yet, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!? But don't start with this one. It is the last book of a trilogy. Start with On the Jellicoe Road.
16. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I gave this four stars, but I'm wondering why. I think it was pressure since everyone LOVED it. However, I didn't. But it was super clever and interesting so maybe 4 stars is accurate. You decide!
17. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Lovely as expected. A book for ayounger audience, for sure, but so universally loved by children and adults. Will be reading it to my own brood one day.
18. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
This was sooo much better than the first one in my opinion. It involved a mystery and a much better love story.
19. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Read this to see what all the hoop-la was about. I think the author is a great writer, but the story itself fell flat for me. I am so tired of dystopian books where the government is "out ta getcha!" I will possibly keep reading this series just because I did enjoy the writing. Plus, they are making a movie and that always motivates me to read.
20. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
This book was flippin' awesome!! My best read of 2013 so far and now definitely one of my forever favorites. I can not wait to read my hands on the sequel. If only I was made of money :)
21. The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
I listened to this book and it was so FUN! The narrator did a great job with the voices! I laughed out loud several times and that is something I rarely do. Hopefully the sequel will make it's way into my path one day.
Phew! And, there you have it.
This second quarter I read/listened to 21 books. Much better than first quarter's all time low record of 5! Part of the reason for the increase is that I had a new baby in March and when I would nurse during the night, I would read. I also started listening to audio books while I clean the kitchen.
Listed by date read:
1. The Child Thief by Brom
I really loved most of this book. The end lagged for me. It seemingly climaxed...and then there was more, but at that point, I was ready for closure and an ending. I would definitely read it again sometime, especially if others were reading it with me. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes dark, creepy stories and doesn't mind gore or bad language. (Be warned, it has a lot of sadness and cruelty in it). There is amazing artwork for every chapter that really brings the novel to life. I will never think of Peter Pan the same way again and I can't imagine a retelling being more interesting or intriguing than this one.
2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This book was so not what I expected! It was still great because it's Maggie Stiefvater and I am, of course, going to read the next one, but the topic isn't really my favorite (trying not give anything away!). I really liked the characters and they only did a couple of really annoying things so that's a win. What I really really liked about it was that the "romance" was practically non existent! I like romance in books and everything, but it's also nice to have it take a back seat to other plot lines. I think it's fun to watch an author change and develop and try new things over the years. Maggie is one of my favorites!
3. Austenland by Shannon Hale
Didn't love it. However, I did love all the Austen tidbits so it wasn't a complete waste of time. I was really hoping to love it a lot. Oh well. The sequel is much better (as you'll see).
4. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
I love Sarah Rees Brennan's personality and her tumblr page (she is hilarious), but her books are always disappointing for me. I might try one more before I give up permanently.
5. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
I was inspired to read this trilogy after I read The Raven Boys. I read the first one several years ago, but never finished the trilogy. This time I read the first two, but not the third. They aren't bad books, I just have too many other books to read. I might read Forever (the third one in the trilogy) one of these days.
6. The Pearl Wars by Nick James
I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant surprise.
There were two areas that annoyed me. The story is told by two characters, Jesse and Cassius. I tend to like stories told from different POV's, but this one switched from first person (Jesse) to third person (Cassius). It bugged me.
The other area that I didn't love was the world at the end of the story. It confused me. Maybe it was supposed to...but don't confuse intrigue with confusion. I wasn't intrigued in the sense that I wanted answers to my questions, I was confused and didn't understand what the author had described.
Saying that, those were minor annoyances and I will be continuing in the series. I loved Jesse and Cassius and can't wait to watch their relationship evolve! I am also interested in learning more about the pearls and all that entails.
7. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
I read this as part of The Book Smugglers "Old School Wednesday" read-a-longs. I really enjoyed it although no one else seemed to find it very great. Go figure.
8. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Sequel to Shiver (#5).
9. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I think this is the third time I've read this book. It was one of the very first YA books I read so it holds a warm, fuzzy place in my heart. Plus, the movie is getting ready to come out next month. It looks like it might turn out to be pretty good, but I'll admit, I'm skeptical.
10. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Here's the thing. I loved listening to this audio book. LOVED. I have attempted to read the book twice and ended up not finishing it both times because I found it boring. I find that strange, but whatever. This book just came alive for me through listening. I'm so glad I gave it a shot!
I absolute love the character of Jay Gatsby. He is way beyond flawed, but he is a powerful character with many facets. I didn't love the setting, but I loved what the setting said about each of the characters in how they interacted with wealth (or lack thereof), power, and social status.
To me, Daisy is an unlikable character. I think Gatsby really is too in some ways, but for some reason I understand his flaws and give him grace, whereas with Daisy, I just don't like her.
I liked the way the story was told through Nick's perspective. It was a little hard to believe how he was always around for the major twists and such, but I still enjoyed hearing the story filtered through his mind.
It was also a short listen (5 hours) which is a must for me with 3 my littles. Even just at 5 hours, it took me an entire week to listen to it while I cleaned the kitchen every night.
11. Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin
Excellent! This was awesome middle-grade non-fiction. Very informative and interesting!
12. Persuasion by Jane Austen
Love anything by Jane Austen. Yes, I am one of those women.
13. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Huge disappointment! I have this problem where I have these "superstar" authors in my mind in every genre and others just don't stack up. This book was ruined by my love of all things Kate Morton.
14. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
I don't even know how I feel about this book. It has a really great plot and I have no specific problems with it, but it's not memorable to me at all.
15. Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
If you have not read Melina Marchetta yet, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!? But don't start with this one. It is the last book of a trilogy. Start with On the Jellicoe Road.
16. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I gave this four stars, but I'm wondering why. I think it was pressure since everyone LOVED it. However, I didn't. But it was super clever and interesting so maybe 4 stars is accurate. You decide!
17. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Lovely as expected. A book for ayounger audience, for sure, but so universally loved by children and adults. Will be reading it to my own brood one day.
18. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
This was sooo much better than the first one in my opinion. It involved a mystery and a much better love story.
19. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Read this to see what all the hoop-la was about. I think the author is a great writer, but the story itself fell flat for me. I am so tired of dystopian books where the government is "out ta getcha!" I will possibly keep reading this series just because I did enjoy the writing. Plus, they are making a movie and that always motivates me to read.
20. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
This book was flippin' awesome!! My best read of 2013 so far and now definitely one of my forever favorites. I can not wait to read my hands on the sequel. If only I was made of money :)
21. The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
I listened to this book and it was so FUN! The narrator did a great job with the voices! I laughed out loud several times and that is something I rarely do. Hopefully the sequel will make it's way into my path one day.
Phew! And, there you have it.
Ocean Update
So, our ocean week has now turned into 2 weeks which is totally fine. We have done 4 out of the 6 ocean ideas I wanted to do. Trying to cram it into a week wasn't a good idea for me anyway. If they get too messy everyday, I get burnt out on messy play. I also don't take enough pictures, but such is life. I'd rather make memories than try to capture them ;)
This was out gelatin tub. The oatmeal was supposed to be the sand. It's hard to see because of the sun and because the water table is also blue, but other than the oatmeal, that baby is filled with blue gelatin! Autumn loved getting messy, Caleb didn't. Just as I predicted.
Caleb embraced the messy this day. Well, for him. Autumn would rub paint all over her entire body if I let her! We have struggled doing crafts in the past with Caleb. He tends to get super frustrated with the process (the steps I mean), but this day he did really well (hence the pictures!)
And, this was frozen blue rice with some aquarium rocks and seashells. Good times. Caleb can now say shell :)
So, the other two activities I had planned were for an ocean themed bath which will only happen if my husband is ever home early enough to let me set it up (doubtful) and some sand play.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Preschool
Autumn starts preschool next month. I'm sad. Not because it's not the right choice (I think, although I am praying through that currently), but because I don't want her to grow up. I mean, I'm SAD. I cried last night and it's a month away! I have always thought that people who cried over their kids going to school were insane. I just didn't get it.
People don't get upset because they can't handle time away from their kids. People don't get upset because their child is taller than they were a year ago. People don't get upset because their child is becoming independent. (Well, maybe that one a little bit). People get upset because their child is entering a new stage of life that is scary. Yes, it is just preschool, I get it. However, it is a concentrated number of hours every week that my child will be under the influence of other people/children.
My 3 year old is very sweet and is under the impression that everyone she meets will love her. She is under the impression that adults are kind and will protect her. We have tried to teach her about "stranger danger" without scaring her, but I'm not sure she gets it. I don't think much about her beliefs will change with this preschool because we are sending her to an awesome, Christ based school with amazing teachers. But, from this point onward, her days of innocence are ticking down. She will learn, if not now, then at some point, that kids can and will be mean. She will learn that some girls will hurt her for no reason than she is different than them. She will learn that just because she likes a boy doesn't mean he will like her back and that will hurt. One day, she will learn about drugs and child abuse and so much more than that. A lot of that she won't learn for many years, but this is where it starts. This is where she leaves me (and my protection) behind (or so it feels).
Another minor (selfish, insecure) thing that is making me weepy is that I know she is going to be like "peace out mom" and take off playing. That's great, I know, but I want her to kind of feel like I do and she doesn't. She isn't going to miss me, she isn't going to be sad about us losing time together every day...she is going to be way too busy having fun. I know that's a good thing, but if I'm being honest (which I try very hard to be), it hurts me a little bit. It makes me feel unnecessary and who wants to feel that?
The last thing I'm struggling with is the actual educational aspect. I taught Autumn her ABCs. I taught Autumn what all the sounds of the letters make. I taught Autumn how to write those letters. Someone else will most likely teach her how to read. Someone else will teach her how to add and subtract. This makes my heart unbelievable sad and heavy. I wish homeschooling was the "norm" and/or I wish my husband was all about it so that the choice would just be taken away from me. I wish I just "had" to do it because I would do it and I think I would step up and do it well (*think* being the key word...I am also totally afraid I would do a terrible job). But instead, there is a choice (what a nasty nasty word!) we have to make. And at this point, we are choosing preschool. I don't know if it is the right choice or not. I am very emotional about everything right now and feel that I can't be unbiased at the moment.
So, now I understand why people get upset when their kids go to school and you can bet I will sobbing the entire way home after dropping her off. Unless, I cry every day until then, in which case, I might be ok. I did that with Chris's deployment. I sobbed every night before it happened for about 3 weeks and then when he actually left, I did ok. It was like I had already mourned him leaving. Weird, huh?
People don't get upset because they can't handle time away from their kids. People don't get upset because their child is taller than they were a year ago. People don't get upset because their child is becoming independent. (Well, maybe that one a little bit). People get upset because their child is entering a new stage of life that is scary. Yes, it is just preschool, I get it. However, it is a concentrated number of hours every week that my child will be under the influence of other people/children.
My 3 year old is very sweet and is under the impression that everyone she meets will love her. She is under the impression that adults are kind and will protect her. We have tried to teach her about "stranger danger" without scaring her, but I'm not sure she gets it. I don't think much about her beliefs will change with this preschool because we are sending her to an awesome, Christ based school with amazing teachers. But, from this point onward, her days of innocence are ticking down. She will learn, if not now, then at some point, that kids can and will be mean. She will learn that some girls will hurt her for no reason than she is different than them. She will learn that just because she likes a boy doesn't mean he will like her back and that will hurt. One day, she will learn about drugs and child abuse and so much more than that. A lot of that she won't learn for many years, but this is where it starts. This is where she leaves me (and my protection) behind (or so it feels).
Another minor (selfish, insecure) thing that is making me weepy is that I know she is going to be like "peace out mom" and take off playing. That's great, I know, but I want her to kind of feel like I do and she doesn't. She isn't going to miss me, she isn't going to be sad about us losing time together every day...she is going to be way too busy having fun. I know that's a good thing, but if I'm being honest (which I try very hard to be), it hurts me a little bit. It makes me feel unnecessary and who wants to feel that?
The last thing I'm struggling with is the actual educational aspect. I taught Autumn her ABCs. I taught Autumn what all the sounds of the letters make. I taught Autumn how to write those letters. Someone else will most likely teach her how to read. Someone else will teach her how to add and subtract. This makes my heart unbelievable sad and heavy. I wish homeschooling was the "norm" and/or I wish my husband was all about it so that the choice would just be taken away from me. I wish I just "had" to do it because I would do it and I think I would step up and do it well (*think* being the key word...I am also totally afraid I would do a terrible job). But instead, there is a choice (what a nasty nasty word!) we have to make. And at this point, we are choosing preschool. I don't know if it is the right choice or not. I am very emotional about everything right now and feel that I can't be unbiased at the moment.
So, now I understand why people get upset when their kids go to school and you can bet I will sobbing the entire way home after dropping her off. Unless, I cry every day until then, in which case, I might be ok. I did that with Chris's deployment. I sobbed every night before it happened for about 3 weeks and then when he actually left, I did ok. It was like I had already mourned him leaving. Weird, huh?
Poof! From a baby to a big girl, just like that!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Lately
My life of late has been as follows...
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| Craughing at it's finest ;) |
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| She's getting so big! |
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| We don't do this nearly enough! |
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| This. Always this. |
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| This looks like they all are happy to be sitting next to each other... |
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| Looks can be deceiving :) |
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And this too. We are battling food allergies :(
|
Oh, and this!
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| I've been getting "fit". I use that term loosely ;) |
I have been trying to put my health first lately and finding it to be challenging. Working out everyday is nice in theory, but getting us out of the house everyday is hard and then coming back home hot, sweaty, and sore doesn't lend to much energy. We would wake, eat, get dressed, go work out, come home, play for 30 mins while I sat on the couch, eat lunch, put Caleb to bed, shower, and then if I had any energy left over I would do something productive with Autumn. It wasn't happening very often! Then Caleb would wake up and they always watch a video while I make dinner. So Caleb wasn't really getting any quality time with me. So just in the last week I decided to only go 2 days a week and my parenting has been more focused. I feel much better about everything. In my opinion, my spiritual life and my family life must come before anything else. I was sacrificing my kids for my health...which needed to happen because I was eating all kinds of junk and couldn't lose the baby weight and I think it is important to be healthy! However, now that I got a grip on my eating, I needed to go back to having days at home with energy to play with my kids.
I've got this grand plan for next week ;) I will try to document it! Here's my plan.
Our week will be ocean themed.
On Monday we are going to make an "ocean" out of blue gelatin. (Monday is "Messy Monday" haha)
On Tuesday we are to make fish and octopus crafts I found online. (Tuesday is craft day or maybe art day if I can get more into that...my kids are just so young right now)
On Wednesday we are going to have an ocean-themed bath. (Wacky Bath Wednesday)
On Thursday, they will play will an ocean themed sensory tub. (Sensory Day)
On Friday we are going to wear black and white and pretend to be penguins. (Pretend play)
Everything I found is appropriate for a 3 year old and a 19 month old. I think it's pretty manageable. We'll see though. Sometimes I have these great ideas and then they flop. Or I flop. Or something like that. Plus most of this stuff is just for fun...so as far as teaching Autumn to write or teaching Caleb his letters, I'm not sure how I will incorporate that stuff in. I know they learn through play, but if you don't teach them their ABC's, they won't learn them by playing in blue gelatin. Or something like that :)
In other news, Chris has been gone waaaaay too much this summer. Being married to a soldier is a total drag at times. Last night I showered with all 3 of the kids. Really! I was just going to do the big kids and then Elizabeth had a poop monstrosity so I thought what the heck. Anyway, he's only been home one evening this week. It's a DRAG.
At least it's one less mouth to cook for though, right?! :)
On that lovely note, I'm out. Autumn & Caleb are fighting over a blanket. We only have 200 of them in this house.
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