2010 Books

All the books I've read this year!

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Jan)
• Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara (Jan)
• Fantastic Mr.Fox by Roald Dahl (Jan)
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Feb)
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (Feb)
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Feb)
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (Feb)
• Light of The Moon by Luanne Rice (Mar)
• Persuasion by Jane Austen (Mar)
• Trial by Fire by J.A. Jance (Mar)
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Mar)
• The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (Apr)
• Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins (Apr)
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Apr)
• The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Apr)
• I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (Apr)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (May)
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (May)
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Jun)
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Jun)
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Jun)
• The Last Ember by Daniel Levin (Jul)
• Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (Jul)
• Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens (Aug)
• The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan (Aug)
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Aug)
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Sep)
• All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Sep)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Oct)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Oct)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Oct)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Nov)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Nov)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Dec)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Dec)
• The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (Dec) 
• The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (Dec)

2010

I've done this for the last 2 years so I think I'll do it again and make it a tradition.

What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Had a child in school all day.

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No, because I don't make them.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Of course! Deborah, Alisa, Camie, Tara, Shannon, Sjauna, and Summer. I'm sure I'm leaving someone out. Sorry!!!

Did anyone close to you die?
My grandpa died. It's the first death in our family that I remember. It was easier to deal with than I thought it would be. His health had declined so much that it was a bit of a relief. And now I feel that he is watching over us. It's a nice feeling.

What countries did you visit?
Ha! That's funny. Um, none.

What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
A house of our own.

What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Christmas. It was such a wonderful day!

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Sending Alayna off to school without hyperventilating. Realizing that my kids are capable of more than I think they are. Learning to let some things go in order to sit back and enjoy life a little more.

What was your biggest failure?
Being unkind. Losing my temper. Being selfish rather than grateful.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
No injuries that I can think of. I had sinus surgery though which felt like getting hit by a truck. Also, this pregnancy has been rough but I'm hesitant to call that an "illness."

What was the best thing you bought?
Can I call my new sinuses a purchase? We paid for the surgery. It's changed my life. I'd say that's a good buy.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Alayna's. She's absolutely exceeded my expectations at school.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My own. I have a terrible feeling that will always be my answer to this question. Sometimes I just can't get my act together!!!

Where did most of your money go?
Housing.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
BABY GIRL!!!

What song will always remind you of 2010?
Anything Like Me by Brad Paisley. If you take away the fact that it's a dad singing about his song then it could be about me and James. His personality is really starting to show and it's very clear that he's going to push the limits.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
~happier or sadder? Happier - life just keeps getting better and better all the time!
~thinner or fatter? Oddly enough, even though I'm 36 weeks pregnant, I'm a few pounds lighter. I can tell in my arms and a few other places. I'm interested to see what happens after baby is born.
~richer or poorer? Richer. In more ways than one.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Judging.

How did you spend Christmas?
A quiet morning at home and a fun evening with friends.

Did you fall in love in 2010?
Over and over and over again.

What was your favorite TV program?
This is tough! I really like The Middle, Modern Family, The Office, V, Parks and Rec and Survivor.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope. What's the point?

What was the best book you read?
Man, another tough one! My very favorites were Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, The Last Ember by Daniel Levin, The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. I really narrowed it down, didn't I?

What was your greatest musical discovery?
The kids at church! They are wonderful singers!!! I have really been impressed by them.

What did you want and get?
A baby! (Almost.)

What did you want and not get?
A house.

What was your favorite film of this year?
Harry Potter. It was so wonderful!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Layne and I celebrated a day early by going to see a movie in a theater for the first time this year! We also went out to eat. On my actual birthday I slept in a bit, wrapped Christmas presents for family in Georgia, opened cards and presents and blew out the candles on my lemon bundt cake. Then we watched the Georgia-Georgia Tech game. I am now 28.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
An easier pregnancy!!!

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
BORING! Jeans and a plain shirt. Nothing that needs to be ironed. Nothing tight.

What kept you sane?
Prayer, Layne and the kids. Also, steaming hot bubble baths.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I honestly can't think of anyone.

What political issue stirred you the most?
Taxes/Budget/Deficit

Who did you miss?
My sister. I really wish we lived closer together, especially now that we're having little girls so close together. I would have liked to watch her belly grow.

Who was the best new person you met?
My kids teachers. Jacob has a new teacher that is just perfect for him. She is so sweet and enthusiastic. (I already knew and loved his assistant.) Alayna's teacher and assistant are great too - and provide just what she needs: clear expectations with a dose of kindness. I'm also really impressed with the principal at Alayna's school.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Respect is not given, it is earned.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this.

Family Friday

This week I have another one of Allie's poems. It seems appropriate as we head into a new year.

Time

If we have a job to do
Then do it right away
Tomorrow is a long way off
We only have today.

The present time is ours to use
And spend the best we can
And every hour is precious
In this little human span.

We put things off and then we find
We left it just too late
And then it's more than likely
We'll put the blame on fate.

We never can recapture
The moments that were lost,
There is no time like the present
We find out to our cost.

I'll leave it till tomorrow
That is a fatal thing to say,
Don't give the clock the laugh on you
Just do the thing today.

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas at home this year. I came home on Christmas Eve exhausted but we still had a great day. (After I had a great nap!!!) We picked up doughnuts on the way home. The kids were still in their PJs so we headed home to enjoy our treat.

James the Greedy
He had already polished off one but kept grabbing more.
Note: He was NOT allowed to eat all of those!

So Messy, So Happy

Christmas Eve Hot Dogs
A family from church invited us for their tradition of hot dogs on Christmas Eve but their kids got hit by a tummy bug so we improvised and cooked our own hot dogs outside. It was cold but the kids loved being outside and having a fire.

Waiting for Embers

After hot dogs and baths the kids got to open a present Grammie sent especially for Christmas Eve. It was a recordable book. They were so excited when Grammie's voice came out of it! The story was "The Night Before Christmas" so it was very appropriate.

We left milk and cookies for Santa...

...and food for his reindeer.

Christmas morning is one of those fun times when traditions collide and a new mixture is made. Our Christmas was a little bit of both but I guess you could say it's a little more Bradley than Woodall. When I was little Santa left our stockings on our bed and we got to open them whenever we woke up. Santa never left big gifts, just the stuff in our stockings. Once everyone was up we would have breakfast (usually Cinnamon Rolls) and clean up. Then we would shower/get dressed. Then we would start getting lunch ready. And we'd clean up from that. THEN we would have our presents in a very orderly manner. (Those movie scenes where everyone just tears into everything blow my mind. Who does that???) Anywho, Layne's family is a little different. Santa left stockings AND bigger gifts in the living room. All the kids would gather together as they woke up and at an appointed time they could go wake up Mom and Dad. The kids had to stay in Mom and Dad's room while they went out to check that Santa had come and started getting breakfast (always German Pancakes) ready. Then they went out to the living room by age and got to see what Santa brought. After stockings they had breakfast. They would then read Luke 2 and finally open presents in a somewhat orderly manner. (Not quite like my mom's order but definitely not the full attack method either.) I think you'll see a little bit of both traditions in our Christmas.

Coming Downstairs

Santa did leave stockings in the living room, not on beds.

He Came!!!

Jacob thought it was SO COOL that Santa drank the milk!

Santa also took the toys that the kids left for him.
He left a nice thank you note too.

Oh, another thing. At our house there was never anything under the tree before Christmas morning. All the presents magically appeared overnight. That happened at our house this year. I think it's kind of magical that way. Plus, I don't like the idea of having to watch the kids around the tree all month long to make sure they don't open anything. So, here is our tree with gifts, Santa's stuff and the empty toy basket.

Santa left stockings for the kids and, what do you know, he included presents too. I bought some sleds a while ago and decided they could be from Santa if it didn't snow before Christmas. They never were discovered/used so I let Santa take credit for them. Also, we followed the Bradley tradition of wrapping a few of the things in their stockings like their toothbrushes and chocolate oranges. They also each got a book that was wrapped.

Alayna loved her sled (What do you call this thing? A snow disc?) and the Precious Puppy she asked for so desperately.

Jacob loved his sled too and showed me how it works.
He also got a Spiderman hat. (One dollar on clearance - wahoo!!!)

Alayna enjoyed the rest of her loot which included 2 coloring books, a book, a toothbrush, a pair of socks and a few yummy goodies.

Oh my, she looks so grown up.
(Layne is helping the boys with the lacing cards James got.)

She sure does love that puppy.

Lacing away!

James FINALLY got around to opening his stocking after Alayna and Jacob were done. I've heard it's mean to give useful gifts but I totally disagree. Luckily the kids actually get excited about toothbrushes and socks. I had gotten a lot of other stocking stuffers but took them back on Christmas Eve because I realized I'd overdone it. In the end I still feel like it was a bit much but Layne thinks it was just right.

Chocolates from Santa that were really from Grammie.

After opening stockings we had breakfast (German Pancakes) and cleaned up. Then we all got dressed and read Luke 2 together. Alayna told me her feet were cold (she outgrew her slippers a little while ago) so I knew which presents to open first! Our gifts from the Bradleys! The kids got slippers from Grandma and Grandpa! Spiderman for the boys and pink hearts for Alayna. They were a huge hit. They gave us a charcoal starter to go with the Dutch oven we got from them last year. Layne also got a much needed watch and I got a beautiful necklace.

Alayna in her slippers.

Then we opened gifts from my Dad.
Jacob got this awesome 3-D puzzle of a train.

James got a really great aquarium book. I didn't get a picture of Alayna with her gift but it was a fish craved out of a tree root. It's really neat and she has it proudly displayed on her little bookshelf. Layne got a calendar and I got a nice bird house.

Presents from Grammie and Poppa were next.
Alayna got a doggie "WITH A BED!" that she loves to pieces.
The boys each got an awesome toy from Ikea.
Layne got a Hopkins sweatshirt to celebrate his graduation and I got a set of Mary Kay Satin Hands which I'm saving for after the baby is born.
As a family we got an AWESOME waffle iron.

We also got a 4-slice toaster from my Granny, Hullabaloo from the Bradley cousin gift swap, some educational toys from the Bradley sibling swap, and the Harry Potter books from my sister. I felt so absolutely spoiled. All our gifts were so thoughtful and just perfect!

The kids enjoyed their gifts for a couple of hours while I was cooking. Finally I couldn't take it anymore! I loudly asked Layne if we had given the kids a gift. He said he couldn't remember. We feigned stupidity a little more while the kids got more and more interested in our "conversation." Finally we asked them if they would like a present from us. We told them to head downstairs. They found something under a blanket...

A new kitchen!!!
I had planned on making the kitchen but the pregnancy sidelined those plans so we ended up buying this one from Ikea. I found all the Melissa and Doug food on sale 50% off on Amazon a few months ago. I got the pots/pans/utensils on clearance during our Walmart remodel. It was still more than I planned on spending (because of buying the kitchen) but that's okay because I see these toys as an investment. I knew that if we got a plastic kitchen with plastic food I'd end up giving it away at some point. This I will keep for the grandbabies. And, as Layne likes to remind me (because he is a tease) if Alayna has her first when I had her we're about a fourth of the way there. Yikes!

The kids love the cake and pizza sets the best.
They love to ask us what toppings we want and serve us.
James realized he'd have more room to play if he snagged a box of food and ran with it. Smart guy. He loves cutting the pieces apart.

Yum!

The kids played with the kitchen while I took a quick catnap. Then we headed off to the Hackings and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening there visiting and eating a delicious dinner. Our meal was over the top! It was so delicious and we came home with great leftovers. I don't know if it was the abundance of new toys or the Christmas spirit but we didn't have to break up a single argument the whole evening - how wonderful!!!

It was a great day!

Man of the House FAIL

There are a multitude of reasons why I wouldn't be a good single mom. Here's just one of them. Before Layne left on Tuesday he emptied all the trashcans in the house and took out the remaining Christmas detritus. All I had to do was wheel the containers down to the street for collection day. That would be THURSDAY. You know, TODAY. Last night I thought "Oh, I'll need to do that tomorrow." Well, tonight I was so proud of myself for remembering to do the trash before it got dark and the bogey-man comes out. But as I was about halfway down the driveway with the first can I realized no one else had their cans out. Nobody. Because, you see, it is THURSDAY NIGHT. And the trash truck comes THURSDAY MORNING. Sheesh. This normally wouldn't be a huge deal because we have 3 trashcans and rarely need more than 1. Except, of course, for Christmas time. They are all full. All 3 of them. So is the recycling container. And I've got another week before I can put them out. Sheesh. When it comes to taking care of this manly stuff I FAIL. Oh well. I'll have my hubby back soon enough and he can have the trash. It's clearly not my thing.

My Night in The Slammer

On Monday I wasn't able to keep down any foods or liquids until bedtime. I'm not sure if it was a stomach virus or just a really bad bout of nausea. I've had other days where I wasn't really able to eat but this was the longest stretch without keeping anything down. I was finally able to eat some crackers and keep some liquids down. Unfortunately I started having regular contractions that were 5 minutes apart. They weren't painful but kept coming every 5 minutes without fail. I called my OB and we decided I could stay home and work on hydration. She told me only to worry if the contractions got painful or I had any bleeding. I thought I was doing a good job but apparently I wasn't.

The contractions kept coming and eventually started becoming painful. Thursday night I took Alayna out to dinner (Yay for Girls Night Out!!!). I started getting very uncomfortable. When we got home Layne and the boys were still gone. I started to cry and knew that I needed to go to the hospital. I called my OB and hoped she'd tell me to buck up and get over it. She told me to come in. That's when I really lost it. I had thought I would go without Layne but then I realized I needed him with me. I couldn't think of who to call (it was Christmas Eve Eve!) . I hadn't made any arrangements for this sort of thing - I've NEVER needed to go in like this before. Anywho, I suddenly knew who I needed to call - Miss Amanda, a girl we know from church and Alayna's old preschool teacher. Her mom picked up, could tell I wasn't doing well and sent Amanda AND her sister Amy over right away. They made it to our house just a couple of minutes before Layne and the boys. Alayna was thrilled to see Amanda and James was so excited to see Amy. She works in the nursery so he sees her every week at church. Layne and I grabbed books to read and headed off.

I felt SO DUMB when we got to the hospital. I was suddenly sure that I was an idiot and was going to get sent home. They hooked me up to the monitors and took some information. We were alone for a little while (not long at all but it felt like a very long time) and then all of a sudden there were 3 nurses in the room. They took blood and started an IV. They told me that they wanted to give me a medicine to stop the contractions but my heart rate was too high. I did some deep breathing and got it just low enough to get the medicine. It did it's job but it gave me the shakes and my heart rate jumped up again. I'm not sure what happened but eventually the contractions calmed down and my heart rate came back down into an acceptable range even though it was still high. Eventually my doctor came and did an exam. She told me I would need to stay the night and keep getting fluids for my dehydration. She also told me I was severely anemic. She had another patient in labor who eventually ended up in an emergency c-section so she had to run (and I didn't see much of her for the rest of the night) but we chatted for a while first. I am SO thankful that part of her "orders" for me included getting me into a proper room. I was still in the exam/triage room and the bed was NOT comfortable. At that point Layne left and got home around midnight. I got into a new room and settled down for a very restless night. I tried to stay still but I needed to move around a bit and they kept losing baby's heart-rate on the monitor so I'd get a visit and an adjustment. The monitors were uncomfortable and I just wanted to be home. I know I needed to stay though. I was on my 3rd bag of fluids before I really had any significant "output."

When I saw my doctor in the morning she told me that when I came in she was seriously considering an emergency c-section. Apparently I was about 30 minutes away from that outcome when things calmed down. I figured it was a possibility because they wouldn't give me anything to drink for the first 2 hours or so. I am, for the first time in my life, thankful for my iron-clad cervix. It may not let babies out but this past week that was a good thing. The fact that I wasn't at all dilated or effaced was a big part of what kept me from having a Christmas Eve baby.

Layne and the kids picked me up and we picked up doughnuts on the way home. I was SO tired and fell asleep on the way. After our highly nutritious breakfast ;) I told Layne I was going to lay down for one hour. I told him to be SURE to wake me after ONE hour. It was Christmas Eve and I didn't want to sleep the day away. When I woke up at lunchtime he claimed he tried several times to wake me but I wonder how hard he really tried. I'm not complaining though because I was exhausted. We had a laid-back evening and Layne was so awesome about getting things done for Christmas morning. I'm still not sure how we pulled it off.

I'm grateful that I found out about the anemia now so I have a whole month to get my iron up. I have never been able to take iron successfully and with all the issues I've had I knew I'd have a hard time trying again now. I was looking for a liquid version when I realized I had some infant vitamin drops leftover from James. I talked to the pharmacist (who thought I was crazy) and we figured out my dose. They taste horrible but so far they haven't upset my stomach. I'm trying to eat more cereal too since I buy ones that are fortified with iron.

It's The Most Random Post of the YEAR!

It seems like there are a lot of things worth saying that aren't really worth their own post so I'll smash them all together and see what happens. :) I was going to include my trip to the hospital but that got too long so I'll finish it up and post it tomorrow separately.

Ready for Baby?
We have all of the baby stuff out and ready with a few exceptions. All the clothes are washed, sorted, and ready for use. Bottles and whatnot are sterilized and have a spot in the kitchen. Toys are in a basket. The bouncer, swing, and carseat covers/pads have been washed and put back on. Blankets are folded in a pretty stack. The crib is ready and so it the bassinet. All that remains is to plug in the baby monitor and put the carseat in the van. Why all the early preparation? I am SO worried that this little one will come early. When I DO prepare for things they usually DON'T happen. When I DON'T prepare for things they usually DO happen. So, I decided to be a little superstitious and get everything ready. If my luck holds that means she'll stay put until the 24th like a good girl.

All By Herself
Remember how I decorated Alayna's room for her? And made it fun and bright and pretty? And she never slept there??? Well, several nights ago Alayna started crying well after the kids should have been asleep. We went to check on her and she said "I'm SO tired and I just want to SLEEP but James is so LOUD." She didn't want to go to her room so we told her to ignore him and he'd go to sleep. Eventually they both fell asleep but she ended up in our bed at some point during the night because he was talking in his sleep. (He gets that from mom!) In the morning it took us a very long time to wake her up and she was still pretty groggy and obviously felt pretty worn out. I asked her how she felt and if she thought that it was because she didn't sleep well. I asked if she wanted to sleep in her room that night and...she said yes!!! She's been in there since that night and loves it. I think she's now wondering why she wasn't in there months ago. The unexpected benefit of this is that James is a lot less wild at bedtime and doesn't play around so much. He sees Jacob all day every day so there's not a lot of temptation to stay up and play with him like there was with Alayna. Also, Jacob loves to sleep so he perfected the "Ignore James" thing a long time ago. :)

BearBear
James has always been so great about going down for naps but lately he's had a hard time. I'm not sure what got him off his routine but naptime was becoming a problem. He obviously still needs a nap but getting him down was hard. With a baby coming so soon I wanted to get it figured out. Well, one night as we were putting jammies on the kids I decided to put one of his smaller pairs on BearBear, a big bear my dad gave me years ago. James thought it was so cool and snuggled up in bed with BearBear that night. The next day it looked like naptime was going to be a doozy. James was screaming and didn't want to listen to stories. In a moment of inspiration I picked up BearBear, cuddled him on my lap and started reading to him. Quick as a wink James joined our storytime and when I tucked BearBear in for his nap James climbed right in with him. I waited outside the door for the inevitable escape attempt and it never came. I waited to hear signs of James playing in the room but all I heard was silence. BearBear has been working his magic for a couple of weeks now and I hope his magic lasts! Who would have thought dressing and reading to a bear would help with naptime so much?

Week Off School
I am so excited to have Alayna home for a week! It will be nice to have her home and let her have friends over. She doesn't really get to have play dates now that she's in school so she's really excited to have a few friends over during the week. I'm looking forward to a relaxing week with my #1 girl.

Facebook
So I signed onto Facebook one more time to harvest some family pictures and get addresses for Christmas cards. I stayed on for a while - to get updates from a friend whose father is seriously ill - and it only took a couple of weeks for it to get on my nerves again. I think a lot of people (myself included) say things online that they wouldn't say in person. There's too much bragging, complaining and attacking. The straw that broke the camels back for me was what happened when a friend of mine posted a comment about her son's napping habits (note: she was clearly not asking for advice). She got so much unwanted advice and blatant criticism. Um, no thanks. There's just too much drama for me! I'm going to stay Facebook free for real this time. I got all the contact info I needed before deactivating my account so there's no reason for me to go back. Good riddance!!!

Allowance and House Rules
A new chore/allowance policy is going into effect tomorrow. We feel it's time to start teaching the kids about money in a more concrete way so the full change jar in the laundry room is about to become very useful! We'll see how it goes for a while and then I'll update.

Wonderful Christmas
Christmas was fantastic. It was a great day. The kids were so happy. It snowed. We ate a wonderful meal with friends. It was just perfect! I'll post pictures later.

Cold
Yesterday Alayna had a little bit of a runny nose. By bedtime it was clear that she had a cold. I went to bed feeling worn out and woke up with a cold. She and I stayed home while the boys went to church. Ah, there's nothing like a Christmas cold. Fantastic. At least we had a mellow day with lots of cuddling and family time.

Family Friday

I'll introduce you to Layne's great-grandmother Allie Cornelia Shaw properly at another time because I know we're all busy today. I have some of her poems that I'm excited to share with you but this one just had to be posted this week.

Mary

She did not mind the dusty road

The donkeys gait so slow.

The chilly winds of winter night

The weary way to go.

She did not mind the crowded town

No place for her to stay.

She made a manger sanctified

Bore Jesus on the hay.


Merry Christmas.

Book Reviews

I haven't done reviews in a while, mostly because I've been rereading the Harry Potter books and although there are 7 of them I consider them 1 "work" and I wanted to finish all of them before reviewing. The next book I picked up was such a fast read and only took me a couple of days so it made the cut too. We have all of these books so just let me know if you'd like to borrow them!

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Sep)

Well, let's see here. This was kind of difficult to read. I really enjoy works from this period but this one is very dark. Heathcliff is cruel and hateful but perhaps life has made him that way. Everyone is the story seems to carry a burden but rather than overcome it they sink into hatred and self-destructive behavior. The story left me feeling empty and disappointed. It was interesting though because I think it's good to be reminded that happy endings don't magically appear. You can't go through life making horrible choices and expect things to turn out wonderful in the end.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Sep)

Wow. This book knocked my socks off. I've read about trench warfare before but always in an academic sort of way. This book comes straight from the trenches. Straight from a broken man who will never, ever be the same. I marked some quotes as I read and here are a few of the more notable ones.

In this one he is talking about a former teacher, Kantorek, who (far away from the front) convinced his young charges that the war was glamorous and noble:
Yes, that's the way they think, these hundred thousand Kantoreks! Iron Youth! Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? That is long ago. We are old folk.

More about how the war stole their youth:
We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.

One of the more compelling themes in the book is the idea that the all the soldiers are already dead; that by killing others they have killed themselves and ruined themselves for any future they could have enjoyed:
We can hardly control ourselves when our hunted glance lights on the form of some other man. We are insensible, dead men, who through some trick, some dreadful magic, are still able to run and kill.

I don't want to give away the ending but I felt it was appropriate. Even though the book was devastating in so many ways I really enjoyed reading it and visiting that time. I really got wrapped up in the story and the characters. It is very well written. I know that war is different now but I do think this book helped me understand a little bit of what returning soldiers have seen and felt and how it may affect them.

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (Oct-Dec)

I could go on and on about how wonderful these books are. There are so many powerful, worthwhile themes in them. Yes, they are books about magic, but they are so much more. Really the whole series is about a battle between good and evil, light and darkness, love and hatred. One thing I really appreciate about the series is the fact that some good people do suffer and die. Sometimes it seems as if evil will triumph. Sometimes it seems as if the fight isn't worth it. But it is! And they fight! And light beats darkness. It isn't easy and there are losses but the battle is worth it and in the end love triumphs. Another thing I love about this book is the idea that those who have passed on watch over and strengthen those who are left to fight. Ah, I just can't do these books justice! I love them! It's kind of sad to have ended the series again.

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (Dec)

When I started reading this book I had no idea it was based on a true story. I didn't even know what it was about other than the siege. It was in the 10 for $1 book sale at the library so I picked it up. What a wonderful read! The book spans about a month in Sarajevo during the siege and rotates between 4 different characters, one of whom is based on a real man. The others are fictional but realistic. The cellist unites the 4 stories by the end of the book. It's amazing (perhaps appalling would be a better word) to think of what went on in Sarajevo and all that the people suffered before the world took notice. This book portrays not only the deprivation of the people but also the reactions of 4 different individuals to it. It was a very devastating yet inspiring read at the same time.

The Cellist Playing During the Siege

Funny

I just saw this and it cracked me up.

Enjoy!

Getting Excited

Last year was kind of hectic and I didn't really get in the "Christmas Spirit" like I had hoped. It left me feeling kind of empty and ungrateful. I didn't like it. Between this pregnancy which continues to wipe me out and the fact that Layne is leaving a couple of days after Christmas (and was traveling at the beginning of the month) I thought I would have a hard time getting in the right spirit this year too. As I started shopping months ago I wondered what December would be like. Well, I'm not sure what happened but I've definitely been bitten by the Christmas bug. I owe a lot of my enthusiasm to the kids. Alayna actually got a warning (her very first - and only - of the year) on December 1st because she was just bursting with excitement at school. A very nice surprise was discovering that we had gotten a pre-lit tree on clearance last year after Christmas. I thought we had but I wasn't sure and convinced myself that we hadn't. It was nice to go down to the basement to get our scraggly, pitiful $10 tree that we bought our first Christmas together and realize the box was brand new. And bigger! And the tree already had lights!!! That early present really made my day!

Our basket of Christmas books, a new skirt that I apparently bought last year as well, and a bit of the tree.

It's very...um...bright. I grew up with white lights. Always white lights. No colored lights at all. Layne grew up with colored lights. We see who won that battle. :) Actually we compromised: we have colored lights on the tree and white lights outside. It seems fair. The kids LOVE the colored lights and they are growing on me a little bit. The kids put all the ornaments on the tree all by themselves. It's a little crowded in places and empty in others but it's their tree and I'm okay with that.

Alayna made this at school and couldn't wait for Layne and I to open it. It's so cute! It's a white hand-print turned into little snowmen. It's perfect for our family because it's got 5 snowmen.

We have other decorations up around the house and I even managed to find a way to have an elegant Mommy spot by decorating the banister with lights, garland, and my nicer ornaments. It's nice to have that little spot of my own. I know it's silly but it makes me happy.

We have stockings up on the curtain rod. They won't be able to stay up there once they are filled but that's okay. I really just put them there until I found another spot but I think I'll leave them. Santa always left our stockings on the foot of our bed and at Layne's house he spread them out around the living room. It will be interesting to see where they end up!

Last Saturday Layne took the kids out while I hosted a shower and came home with this beautiful poinsettia. I've never had one before and it's nice to have it. The kids love playing with the gift boxes and play "Christmas" by filling them up and giving them to each other.

This is my favorite decoration. My sister gave me these statues for Christmas last year and I love them. I had these two little trees from last year and added them on either side to add some light and fill the space.

Beautiful.

I think another thing that has made the month more enjoyable was the fact that I got shopping for extended family done before Thanksgiving so the Bradley's could cart all the loot down to Georgia for us. It sure was nice not to pay shipping!!! It also meant that I've had very little shopping to do this month - just stocking stuffers. I did procrastinate cards and just sent them out today but now all that's left is to sit back and enjoy the anticipation. I've got some fun things planned for the kids including holiday cookies, gingerbread houses, and sorting through their toys to leave some for Santa. I was thinking it would be cute to have them leave a pile of toys for Santa to take to other kids. I have a pretty good idea of what they will choose but I'm interested to see their choices. We're going to make our selections on Monday for Family Night. I just hope they don't pick anything that I want to hold on to for baby sister! :)

Introducing...

I don't know if Memoir Mondays are gone for good. I'll probably just do them if a memory pops into my head that I want to record. Tuesdays Tips are gone. I guess lately I've gotten tired of people telling me how to do things so I'm going to stop telling other people what to do. Crazy concept, huh? If you want my advice please ask but I'm not going to offer unsolicited advice anymore. :) Anywho, that's not really what this post is about.

I've been doing a lot of research about my family lately. I've also been looking into Layne's family too. Luckily he has some great record keepers in his family so I'm just enjoying the harvest there instead of doing all the hard work. I get so excited about all my little discoveries. Sometimes it's a small and simple thing but then there have been some great big finds too. A few weeks ago I realized that I should be sharing what I'm finding. Also, this way all these great stories and facts will end up in my blog books. So, starting now I'm going to be doing Family Fridays. I am so excited! The first few posts I have lined up are very simple because the next few weeks are going to be CRAZY! I hope you enjoy these blasts from the past!!!

This story comes from Layne's Grandma Bradley and is about his dad. I happened to read this story while the Bradleys were here and I literally jumped out of bed and questioned Dave about it. I may have also accused him of being the reason James is so wild. :)

From Grandma Bradley:

David was more at home in the neighborhood than any of the rest of us and he would set off by himself to explore. Several different times he cause us to panic when he would all of a sudden disappear. We always found him somewhere in the neighborhood but it became scary on a couple of occasions. I finally resorted to tying him up on a long rope attached to the clothesline. So he could go the length of the clothesline plus the length of the rope which allowed him access to most of the back yard but he couldn't escape. I know that now that would not be acceptable but it was then and it did keep him safe.

I always knew Grandma Bradley was my kind of woman.

Incidentally, have I mentioned that a fenced/fencible yard is a must-have for our new house?

Seriously, James is a wanderer. Now I know where he gets it from!

Awesome or Not Awesome?

I had plans for teacher gifts but I don't think they are going to come together in time. Tonight I was in the basement sorting out and I noticed that we've still got a TON of homemade jam and jelly. At the rate we're going we'll still have PLENTY when next canning season comes around. I was given a few huge batches of fruit so we really have a lot - I've got grape, strawberry and blueberry. So, I'm thinking of giving jars of jam as teacher gifts. I'd put some pretty ribbon on them and a note about the teachers being "so sweet" or something. Is this idea totally lame? Totally cheating? Or totally awesome?

Corrected

Yesterday I walked into the playroom (after starting dinner) to find that a little pile of papers I had left were all over the floor. I said "Oh you guys!!!" in a frustrated kind of voice. (Hey, at least I wasn't yelling...) Anywho, Jacob looks at me and says "Mom, James did that all by himself. You need to say 'OH JAMES!'." His voice was perfect - exasperated and slightly amused. Thanks for keeping me honest Jacob.

Jonah

The Sunday that Grammie was here she and the kids ended up staying home from church. While I was gone they had a little discussion about Jonah. Grammie is one smart cookie and wrote down what they said. Here are Alayna and Jacob's thoughts - along with a funny little conversation.

Alayna:
He's one of the prophets.
Nineveh is where people are bad.
Prophets are people you should listen to and obey.
The whale squirted him out.

Jacob:
He's very sneaky in the whale.
Jonah was trying to go to the end of the part of the world.

Grammie: Who sends prophets?
Alayna: I forgot.
Grammie: God?
Alayna: Oh yes!

Our Visitor

Look who stopped by our house this afternoon.

Santa came to find out what they want.
They both want a truck.
Also, how many kids get to show Santa their tree?
Lucky boys.

Alayna missed the action but is okay with writing a letter.
She wants money and a bag of apples.
Out of curiosity I asked how much.
She said $20 would be good.
I was a little confused about the apples.
So I asked about that too.
She wants the red ones.
"You know, the ones you eat."

These modern kids and their outrageous demands.
SHEESH!
;)

I'm So Vain

I have some photos on my dresser.
There are 3 5x7s.
Wanna see?

Each kid gets to be in one.
But me?
I'm in all three.
So very vain.
Oh well!!!

In my defense: there are so many moments of motherhood that are far from glamorous. I like to have a daily reminder that what I have here at home is beautiful. I have wonderful children that love me. What more could I want???