Yeah, I'm only remembering bits and pieces of my dreams ... but they're sure ... special.
The other night, in my dream, I started out with Bubbles and I driving around a college campus (could have been my alma mater, but it was MUCH larger). And they'd moved the mailboxes OUTSIDE the building. And I had a key that fit ... so I was all, "Hey, I could always have stuff shipped here and pick it up for free!" (Must have been a holdover from reading Ready Player One with Michael.)
THEN, the other part of my dream had me as, like, idk, an adjunct professor ... but I had finished up my term, so I was going to be leaving.
And the building we were in was haunted. By this TALL, strapping, red-headed Viking of a ghost. And he got one of the other professors to jump off the building (her red tartan-print dressed, broken body was still on the pavement below). And I was leaving the building and he took this goodbye-present handleless mug of mine and BROKE it. (Not that it was a huge deal. Since we have a BAZILLION mugs [who doesn't?] AND it wasn't my style anyways.) But I was irked by the PRINCIPLE of the thing. Ill-mannered, murdering ghost.
LAST night's dream was ... odd ... because, OF COURSE it was.
So, here's the deal. IRL, I have written a skit for my son's Cub Scout group. And, since last meeting was passing out flyers for a food drive (they ended up collecting over 100lbs of food!), there was NOT time to even have the boys read the script.
SO, TOMORROW, his den is meeting early so I can (1) pass out scripts, (2) assign roles, (3) have the boys run through it a couple times, and (4) go soak my head.
Mostly kidding on that last one. But I haven't had much practice directing things. I usually just act or sing. Or help with props/makeup/costuming (but not so much on that LAST one in THAT list).
I'm just hoping that it'll go well and that we'll HAVE five boys to play all the parts ... if not, well, It could end up being a Bruise production with starring roles from his Scout leaders, parents, and twin sister. We'll see ... But, apparently, I'm a little worried about the whole thing ...
So, in my dream, one of our past sister missionaries was throwing a huge dramatic spectacle. And, last minute, I was given a script. I didn't have my lines down at all ... and I hadn't really even had time to read over my part(s). And there was some serious swear words ... so I'm taking liberties and editing them out ... because (1) swearing is something that I've worked VERY HARD to not do nearly so much (Srsly, y'all -- my sophomore year of high school, I was SUCH a potty-mouth. Sailors and truckers would have blanched. So my use of "craps," "damns," and "hells" is a TOTAL improvement. Just so you know.) and (2) IT WAS AT CHURCH. You can't say scatalogical terms of THAT kind at church. Because that's Jesus's house.
And then, the other scene I was in, I dropped my script and LOST MY PLACE and couldn't find it ... and so I was having to make up lyrics to some rock song that I'd only caught a wee glimpse of ... so I'm writhing on the floor, turning in horizontal circles on my back, mic in hand, as I try to channel Freddie Mercury at his glammest and maybe a soupรงon of Stevie Nicks, as I'm MAKING UP LYRICS and hoping that the returned sister missionary won't be too put out that I'm ruining her script.
Okay, so I can get that maybe that rock-star element of my dream is because on Facebook folks were complimenting my Jem! costume from around six years ago. My wig and makeup were awesome, if I do say so myself ... the rest of the costume could have gone better.
If I make it again, I know a lot of things to improve.
But it's not going to be this year, since there's only a few days until Halloween. And I don't have a costume at all. *sigh* I don't even know what to attempt to dress as.
In other non-dream-related news, I've passed sixth-grade math on Khan Academy. I did a load of dishes. We had soup for dinner last night. We went to the library's Halloween shindig (and ran into Michael's cousin and his family there ^_^). And I sent a Facebook message to the (ex?) friend who had unfriended me.
I let her know that I noticed we weren't Facebook friends anymore. And that I understood that it could be a glitch (not terribly likely) or that it could have not. But that I wished the best for her, even if that meant that I wasn't friends with her anymore. And that if there had been anything that I had done or said that had hurt or offended her, that it wasn't done purposefully ... and that I was sorry if I had hurt or offended her.
As my mom said, either she'll respond to it or not. And, if she writes back, there's an answer. If she doesn't, there's another answer.
The ball is in her court. And that's ... a little ... nerve-wracking. But, well, it felt insincere to pretend that I didn't notice the change in our friendship. I get that people grow apart ... but, well, when you've been really tight friends, it seems more direct to let the other person know that you're choosing to unfriend them. It'd be kind to let them know why ... even a "we've grown apart" or something.
I've unfriended some folks on facebook ... but they were (pretty much) strangers who we had friended each other for facebook games that I wasn't playing anymore. That's a bit different, right?
I've almost got Bruise's shirt done for Halloween. It's the main part of his costume (the rest is a certain pair of jeans (I should make sure those are in the wash) and trainers). I should make a clasp for Bucket's cloak. Bubbles's costume is all storebought ... and, well, we did pick up about the perfect pair of Crocs for her to wear with it (SPARKLY TEAL, Y'ALL. TEAL. AND SPARKLES. Can you tell that I'm a little jealous?), so her's is all taken care of.
So, yeah. I should check on Bruise's shirt ... do the last bits of paint on it. Get a shower. Do more laundry. Drink a buttload of water (doing this week-long water challenge. Michael's doing it, too. We're only drinking water as our beverage this week. And we're SUPPOSED to be drinking (bodyweight/2) in ounces. ... This is the third day in ... and man I suck at drinking enough water. Sunday, got nearly 3/4 of the suggested amount. Yesterday, I didn't even get one-third. *sigh*).
And I'm working at getting through library books ... physical AND online (Overdrive is a great app. you can use it to read books [e-books or audiobooks] on your phone or tablet, borrowed through your library ... well, if your library is part of it. Or, you could do the free ones that are available to everyone and don't count against how many books you can check out. You're limited to six holds at a time ... and TWO hold came in within a day of each other. And you only get them for 14 days. *sigh* I mean, you can check them out again, if there's not a hold on them, of course .....)
But, yeah. Busy girl.
Who also needs to read her scriptures and plan her lesson (which HOPEFULLY won't be observed by the STAKE PRESIDENT next week. Don't get me wrong, I love our Stake President ... but, well, that's a little stressful to be observed. Especially when I COULD AND SHOULD have been a bit better prepared ... and, bless them, but my class was VERY excitable. So it was interesting making sure that we focused and refocused their attention on the topic of showing Christlike love to others. But I was able to tell them about how the Young Women Theme, this month's Relief Society lesson, and the overall goal of "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" all integrate that theme ... and they had some great insights. And we discussed sharing our beliefs with others and HOW to do it best and HOW to show others, through our actions and words, how much Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love them ... and President C did say that I did a great job, so it was a good lesson ... but a little stressful. ^_^) ... among another billion things that I should get done.
Showing posts with label Books and books and more books and did I mention books?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books and books and more books and did I mention books?. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Yo-yo-yiggity-yo
Yeah, I know it's bad when my MOM says to me, out of the blue, "So, just how long has it been since you blogged?"
A long time.
A DANG long time.
So, let's see what's gone on, in a nutshell, since then.
CUE THE MONTAGE!
A long time.
A DANG long time.
So, let's see what's gone on, in a nutshell, since then.
CUE THE MONTAGE!
- My mom had another birthday. She's 29 again, which makes it awkward ... since I'm older than her. I know, I know ... She CLAIMS that she's 39 again now, but that only gives me four years and a few months until I catch up again.
(Joking, joking ... she admits to her age. And not just because she gets a discount at the bread store. I just like to give her some ribbing about her being younger than me.)
(And you have to realize that this is coming from ME ... the girl who still claims that her Nana is 57. Since Nana was 57 for YEARS. When she turned 80, I even sent her flowers that said "Happy 57th Birthday, Nana!" which REALLY confused her for a bit. And not just because she has dementia. Once I explained that I really DID know that she's NOT 57, she did think it was funny.) - Bucket is worried about her Betta fish, Blue. His fins are getting really beat up. And he's not as active. But we've had him for a few years, so We're just going to make his end-of-life days as pleasant as possible. ... So I should probably clean out the fish tank.
- I was caught up in doing the dishes for a little while. Not anymore. And I have laundry up the wahzoo happening here (I have underthings in the wash so that I'll HAVE underthings tomorrow. Yeah, that's probably TMI ... but I WAS concentrating on getting the KIDS' stuff cleaned first. Oh well.)
- I was released from my calling as Nursery Leader in our ward (church congregation in Mormon-speak). I did FINALLY get that bulletin board (Apparently, they had installed a bulletin board MONTHS ago ... in some other room in the building. Ha! But ours was installed on the 6th. And I busted my buns to get the bulletin board planned and put together before I was released ... which was officially done last week.)
- My new calling at church is Sunday School teacher for the 12- and 13-year-olds. There IS a manual, but it's online and there's just GUIDELINES as far as topics go. I feel quite ill-prepared ... but we'll see how it goes. (Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife, hide yo' husbands, 'cause Allanna's in charge of teaching the youths!)
- I got together everything for Bruise and Bucket's registration for the local Strings classes. Bruise will be in the Beginners' level class again. Bucket has moved up to Intermediate. And I have their registration filled out, their scholarship applications done, the check written out ... so we're ready to turn this in before the due date!
- I started doing Khan Academy more. I've mastered K-4 math and am 74% through 5th grade math. (I had originally thought to start with Algebra. HA HA HA. No. My skills are waaaaay too rusty. But y'all should be proud of me for persevering. Math was not my forte ... because I feel quite intimidated by it. But I'm working my way through it.
- I'm also back into doing my DuoLingo ... but only German and Spanish. With my 15-day streak (so far), I got caught back up with all my skills and have even surpassed where I had been. It tells me that I'm 42% fluent in Spanish and 31% fluent in German. So that's nice.
- I FINALLY got our Rosetta Stone program installed on the computer. The main problem that I had was when I tried to install from online, the language packs were ALL incomplete. So I had to have their Customer Service help me (She deleted the incomplete packs and let me reinstall them anew from the discs I have). Phew!
- The kids FINALLY cleaned their room. FINALLY.
- Bubbles is starting "Mutti Preschool" -- My mom is now working with Bubbles to make sure that she's learning the skills she'll need for Kindergarten. Yesterday, they made a poster with a picture. They concentrated on words with the letter "o." Mom was actually impressed by how much Bubbles has already learned (huzzah!) ... though, little Homeskillet there really likes to make poop-jokes. So there you have it.
- I'm determined to change my hair again. People like the light blonde ... but, well, it really just doesn't FEEL like me. And the upkeep is a little crazy, since I don't like having visible roots that much. But it was a good experience.
- We went to the local Renaissance Faire last weekend. Bruise came home with a new wooden sword and shield. Bucket adopted a new "pet" dragon (I've taken to referring to her as "The Babysitter of Dragons."), and I got some perfume oils. Bubbles didn't make any requests, but she did wear her cloak from last year nearly the entire time.
- After the Faire, the kids went home with Mom C (who watched them) while Michael and I bought LEGO Minifigs (I totally have the banshee now. And she's awesome!) then went out to dinner with our friends Mark and Lacey (who are finally moving a lot closer than they've been!). It was lots of fun to get together with them.
- My van died on Thursday morning. Bubbles and I had driven (not far) to go shopping (Bruise needed a new watch -- and I got one on clearance for only a couple more dollars than just getting a watchband cost ... and I had bought and returned TWO watchbands by that point ... and I needed flour after having made 5 batches of playdough for the Nursery cupboard [If you really care, here's the rundown: Pink/Vanilla-scented, Orange/Wild Orange-scented, Blue/Peppermint-scented, Green/Lime-scented, and Purple/Lavender-Vanilla-scented]) ... so it was good that it was within walking distance and that I did have a stroller in the back. I locked up the van and left it in the parking lot and waited for Michael to get home from work to jump it so we could get it home. ...
Friday, we took it to Les Schwab (after jumping it AGAIN) to see if it was the battery (which was under warranty) ... AND IT WAS. So, $3.55 later, I have a BRAND NEW battery in my van WHICH RUNS. I had such a crazy amount of relief running through me that it's a wonder I didn't faint. I know that it's totally a first world problem and all ... but I'm glad that it was fixed before I have to run the kids to Strings lessons (and, eventually maybe, LEGO Robotics in Bruise's case) AND that it was such a cheap fix. SERIOUSLY, it was awesome and I'm really thankful, since we'd been PRAYING a lot. - Bad news - one of my aunts has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Good news - Her MRI showed that it's just that one bit and it should be taken out and treated and stuff soon. Another answer to prayers. Phew. - Bubbles is a bit low in her iron-count, so I need to be working to get her to eat more iron-rich foods. But she's 28 pounds now (at 3 1/2 years), so that's good.
- Bruise had a few Cub Scout meetings. Last week was the bicycle rodeo. ... Bruise and Bucket have outgrown their bikes. Looks like Santa knows what to get them, huh?
- Michael got another promotion ... "But it doesn't come with a pay raise," he told me. And that was ... okay. I mean, it's great that they can charge more for his work and it's more responsibility ... then we learned that, no, it does have a raise. Which is nice.
- We went to a friends' house for dinner Monday night. Another family in the ward who we like and have worked along with the parents in different callings. We had a BBQ and talked a lot and it was fun. The kids (theirs and ours) were jumping on the trampoline. Their 14-year-old son and I talked a bunch.
(He's a joker, which is fun. I went to shake his hand and he finagled it so that I grabbed his forearm instead. Which made me laugh like when Robert Gere shuts the necklace box on Julia Roberts' hand in Pretty Woman. You can watch that on YouTube, that clip, if you don't know the reference.) - Did I mention that Michael's spoiled me with LEGO?
He bought me the Mystery Machine and the Big Bang Theory set. They're sitting on my printer right now. ^_^ - I was feeling so chipper friday, after the van's battery was replaced, that Bubbles and I baked Orange and Raspberry Sherbet cookies (it was out of a boxed mix). She had lots of fun. And I did, too, with my cute sous chef.
- Other, further back catch-ups: We met with my friend, Brooke, for lunch; we went to Pioneer Days in my hometown with my stepdad's nephew and his wife (both LOVELY people. Jeff, my step-cousin, REALLY wanted to buy "the princess" [Bubbles] cotton candy ... which he did. And, golly, that cotton candy was GINORMOUS. Jeff would have bought more than one, and I'm so glad that he didn't! It was big enough for our family to share ... I have a picture of Bubbles "helping" to hold it and ... well, it looks nearly as big as SHE is!); we went swimming at the local outdoor pool a bunch; Bruise and Bucket finished up their swimming lessons with Bob at the indoor pool ... We went to the Art and Air Festival (no henna tattoo this time). The kids and I went with Cousin Kathleen and her son to the Air and Space Museum in McMinnville. We got to visit Nana and that side of the family. We now have Nana's other couch. I had a PTC meeting (I have this month's coming up TOMORROW evening) where we met the new principal. We went to the kids' Open House at school and met their teachers. The kids have started school (Fourth graders. I have TWO fourth graders!). I got Visit Taught, which hadn't happened in a LONG time. We had a playdate over at Robyn's -- Bruise and Bucket played with her kids (Bubbles did for a bit then played on my phone) and Robyn and I got caught up and worked at setting up a shelf for homeschooling ... which is bittersweet, since Bruise and her son are besties and have always been in the same classes ... until now *sigh* ... It just means that I need to be more proactive about setting up playdates, right?
Michael and Bubbles and Bucket also went to the Stake Daddy-Daughter camp-out last month. They had a great time.
And Bruise had fun staying up late and getting to eat ice cream OUT OF THE CONTAINER, which was pretty awesome. ^_^ - We're working our way through The Chronicles of Narnia (saying that always makes me think of that SNL music video, "Lazy Sunday"). We're now into Prince Caspian, which means that (since we started with The Magician's Nephew) we're nearly halfway through the series.
- Michael and I are reading through the rest of L.J. Smith's Forbidden Game series. We just started the third and final book last night ... so, in a few more days, I can actually TALK to him about it. (TBH, he's still waiting for me to read through a few books [*cough**cough*The Scorch Trials, The Death Curse, The Kill Order, Hollow City, Jackaby, The Westing Game, etc *cough**cough*] so we can talk about THOSE.)
He's also reading Code Name Verity and Ready Player One (we started that one together, so he's nearly halfway through it).
I still need to also read The Night Circus before it's due back at the library. And I have, like, a metric ton of other books in my TBR pile. #BibliophleProbs - I've been working to be better at reading my scriptures and praying and all ... so I have a prayer journal going. It seems to help me focus a little more as I'm writing my prayers down. I still say prayers, too. In case you were worried.
I'm getting close to finishing Numbers in the Old Testament. Doctrine and Covenants were harder to get through, since it's not at all in chronological order. But, if I keep with this reading schedule, I'll be through the Standard Works by next fall.
And I'm also more than halfway through the 40-day General Conference reading challenge. I try to stay a day ahead ... so when I got THREE DAYS behind, you know that I fell off the wagon there for a bit. BUT I'm caught up ... just need to get a day ahead again.
And so, you see that between taking care of kids, taking care of the house, trying to stay abreast of studying scriptures and foreign languages (well, just two for now), and getting sucked into Facebook and the internet, I didn't MEAN to neglect you. It just happened.
Now, I should do some math, German, Spanish, and then go shopping and drop off the kids' Strings registration and application for scholarships, then get Bubbles fed and down for a nap and read my scriptures and conference talks and pray and write in that journal and .... maybe take a nap, too.
Now, I should do some math, German, Spanish, and then go shopping and drop off the kids' Strings registration and application for scholarships, then get Bubbles fed and down for a nap and read my scriptures and conference talks and pray and write in that journal and .... maybe take a nap, too.
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Stuff. And Thangs. And books.
So, I did miss some things in what we've been up to ...
Last Saturday, we went to the Home Depot kids' workshop ... because you get to bang things with hammers and it's free.
And this month's project was a desktop calendar. And, oy, it was NOT easy.
For the first bit, you had to hammer in nails on a diagonal.
Another little girl was in tears ... since even when you DID get the nails in correctly, the nails were really cheap and started bending (not such an issue when you can hold things squared).
I was doing my best to NOT curse and blue streak (there were CHILLENS around, y'all!!) and I was crying, myself.
Good thing Michael, the engineer, who once worked at making walls for manufactured homes, was there. He got the kids started. I helped another gal work on her daughter's calendar.
Then we bought some stuff to do a few projects around the house (and some more cleanser ... and a mop!! And a bucket for the mop!!)
Since I last posted, I have swept and mopped the floor. And vacuumed TWICE! Shocker.
Still, the house should be a LOT cleaner, since people might come over on Saturday.
I can do this. I hope.
Bruise met with the school's speech specialist. He does have a few issues. But nothing that'd qualify him to attend Speech classes. So, in a couple weeks, I'll be meeting with the Speech specialist and she'll teach me a few things to work with him on. And she's confident that, a few months to a year from now, he'll be speaking much better. If not, once he hits nine, then he could have Speech at school.
(It's just 'r's and "th" and, since he's not got his front teeth in, his "sh" sounds.)
Last night, Bruise had his first Pack meeting for Cub Scouts ... Michael had a meeting in the bad part of town, and he couldn't get out of it. So the rest of us went. And, after we got home, I texted Michael to make sure he wasn't lying dead in the gutter or got shivved or whacked or bumped off.
Thankfully, he was fine and got home about 10 minutes later.
Tomorrow, Bruise and Bucket turn eight.
That is crazy.
That peace lily that my Nana got me while I was in the hospital on bedrest before having them is still alive. It's not THRIVING, but it's still alive.
Also crazy.
Bubbles is getting another tooth. (Finally her canines start to come in!) This is making her cranky.
Which doesn't help MY level of cranky.
I have a ton of Michael Crichton books from the library to read.
There's a story behind this.
A few nights ago, Michael and I finished watching Season One of Once Upon a Time.
We were talking about stories and tropes and such.
Then we were looking at the tumblr "What Musicals Taught Me." Which brought up "Love Never Dies," which we didn't really enjoy.
Don't get me wrong ... I'm normally an Andrew Lloyd Webber fangirl. I really liked the music (especially "Devil Take the Hindmost" in this one) ... but ... the plot. It was like a BAD fanfic.
(And, as someone who's read some fanfic, I know that not all of it is bad.)
And, I segued onto how some fanfic is pretty awesome. (I got started once, reading some Labyrinth fanfic. There's some that I love ... and I came across a great Anne of Green Gables fanfic. It's the story told from Gilbert's perspective. So darling and sweet) ... which brought me to a regular statement that Gilbert Blythe is the perfect literary boyfriend/husband.
And Michael patiently puts up with that.
And he started talking a little about Matthew and Marilla ... and I ask him if he knew why Marilla is so prickly. And he stated that he didn't.
Me: "Spoiler alert. ... But, since the book's been around about a hundred years ..."
Michael: "What if I told you that I was actually reading it?"
BACKSTORY: I was aware that Michael would NEVER read the Anne books. He once watched part of one of the movies since his sisters were watching it. And he's always brought up how he was BORED OUT OF HIS SKULL with it (whereas I ... adore the Megan Follows DVDs. Well, the ones that ARE based on the series. My aunt once lent our VHS sets to a friend. And that friend moved OUT OF STATE without ever returning them to us. ... Yes, I'm still rather peeved. SOMEDAY, I will get them on DVD and watch them. ... I also need the Veronica Mars seasons on DVD, but that's another story).
He also states, on a regular basis, how over the top everything is in Anne's world. So I knew that, love him as I do, he'd never share my interest in Anne Shirley and her world.
Me: "... ... ... ... Are you KIDDING me?!??!??"
Michael: *pulls out his tablet and brings up his Kindle app. I look at the page he's on.*
Me: "SERIOUSLY?!?? ... You're not joking me?!??"
So, yes, this is how much he loves me. And he admits that he's gained a LOT of insight to how I was when I was younger, since I LOVED Anne. She was one of my BOSOM COMPANIONS (since, well, I was an only child. And I was often grounded from playing outside since my room was a sty. So, instead of cleaning my room, I'd just read. And read. And read and read and read). And, oh, I wanted to BE Anne -- with her puffed sleeves and her bright hair and mind ...
And, it's the least I can do to read one of HIS favorite authors. ... And, since ALL my holds came in at once, I have my work to do, don't I?
(I mean, I did read "The Andromeda Strain" ... but that was ages ago, shortly before I started college. It barely counts. ... And, after I get through "Timeline," "The Terminal Man," "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere," and "The 13th Warrior/Eaters of the Dead," I think that everyone would agree that a reread of some Anne books is quite earned.
(I've already shared "Jane Eyre" and Robin McKinley's "Beauty" with Michael ... so we're, pardon the pun, on the same page now.)
Still, though, I'm rather shocked. I'd NEVER have foreseen that he'd willingly read an Anne book. Much less do it without me nagging him (and I hate nagging people. I nag Bruise and Bucket to clean WAY TOO MUCH. So over that.)
But, yeah. I'm quite chuffed.
Last Saturday, we went to the Home Depot kids' workshop ... because you get to bang things with hammers and it's free.
And this month's project was a desktop calendar. And, oy, it was NOT easy.
For the first bit, you had to hammer in nails on a diagonal.
Another little girl was in tears ... since even when you DID get the nails in correctly, the nails were really cheap and started bending (not such an issue when you can hold things squared).
I was doing my best to NOT curse and blue streak (there were CHILLENS around, y'all!!) and I was crying, myself.
Good thing Michael, the engineer, who once worked at making walls for manufactured homes, was there. He got the kids started. I helped another gal work on her daughter's calendar.
Then we bought some stuff to do a few projects around the house (and some more cleanser ... and a mop!! And a bucket for the mop!!)
Since I last posted, I have swept and mopped the floor. And vacuumed TWICE! Shocker.
Still, the house should be a LOT cleaner, since people might come over on Saturday.
I can do this. I hope.
Bruise met with the school's speech specialist. He does have a few issues. But nothing that'd qualify him to attend Speech classes. So, in a couple weeks, I'll be meeting with the Speech specialist and she'll teach me a few things to work with him on. And she's confident that, a few months to a year from now, he'll be speaking much better. If not, once he hits nine, then he could have Speech at school.
(It's just 'r's and "th" and, since he's not got his front teeth in, his "sh" sounds.)
Last night, Bruise had his first Pack meeting for Cub Scouts ... Michael had a meeting in the bad part of town, and he couldn't get out of it. So the rest of us went. And, after we got home, I texted Michael to make sure he wasn't lying dead in the gutter or got shivved or whacked or bumped off.
Thankfully, he was fine and got home about 10 minutes later.
Tomorrow, Bruise and Bucket turn eight.
That is crazy.
That peace lily that my Nana got me while I was in the hospital on bedrest before having them is still alive. It's not THRIVING, but it's still alive.
Also crazy.
Bubbles is getting another tooth. (Finally her canines start to come in!) This is making her cranky.
Which doesn't help MY level of cranky.
I have a ton of Michael Crichton books from the library to read.
There's a story behind this.
A few nights ago, Michael and I finished watching Season One of Once Upon a Time.
We were talking about stories and tropes and such.
Then we were looking at the tumblr "What Musicals Taught Me." Which brought up "Love Never Dies," which we didn't really enjoy.
Don't get me wrong ... I'm normally an Andrew Lloyd Webber fangirl. I really liked the music (especially "Devil Take the Hindmost" in this one) ... but ... the plot. It was like a BAD fanfic.
(And, as someone who's read some fanfic, I know that not all of it is bad.)
And, I segued onto how some fanfic is pretty awesome. (I got started once, reading some Labyrinth fanfic. There's some that I love ... and I came across a great Anne of Green Gables fanfic. It's the story told from Gilbert's perspective. So darling and sweet) ... which brought me to a regular statement that Gilbert Blythe is the perfect literary boyfriend/husband.
And Michael patiently puts up with that.
And he started talking a little about Matthew and Marilla ... and I ask him if he knew why Marilla is so prickly. And he stated that he didn't.
Me: "Spoiler alert. ... But, since the book's been around about a hundred years ..."
Michael: "What if I told you that I was actually reading it?"
BACKSTORY: I was aware that Michael would NEVER read the Anne books. He once watched part of one of the movies since his sisters were watching it. And he's always brought up how he was BORED OUT OF HIS SKULL with it (whereas I ... adore the Megan Follows DVDs. Well, the ones that ARE based on the series. My aunt once lent our VHS sets to a friend. And that friend moved OUT OF STATE without ever returning them to us. ... Yes, I'm still rather peeved. SOMEDAY, I will get them on DVD and watch them. ... I also need the Veronica Mars seasons on DVD, but that's another story).
He also states, on a regular basis, how over the top everything is in Anne's world. So I knew that, love him as I do, he'd never share my interest in Anne Shirley and her world.
Me: "... ... ... ... Are you KIDDING me?!??!??"
Michael: *pulls out his tablet and brings up his Kindle app. I look at the page he's on.*
Me: "SERIOUSLY?!?? ... You're not joking me?!??"
So, yes, this is how much he loves me. And he admits that he's gained a LOT of insight to how I was when I was younger, since I LOVED Anne. She was one of my BOSOM COMPANIONS (since, well, I was an only child. And I was often grounded from playing outside since my room was a sty. So, instead of cleaning my room, I'd just read. And read. And read and read and read). And, oh, I wanted to BE Anne -- with her puffed sleeves and her bright hair and mind ...
And, it's the least I can do to read one of HIS favorite authors. ... And, since ALL my holds came in at once, I have my work to do, don't I?
(I mean, I did read "The Andromeda Strain" ... but that was ages ago, shortly before I started college. It barely counts. ... And, after I get through "Timeline," "The Terminal Man," "The Andromeda Strain," "Sphere," and "The 13th Warrior/Eaters of the Dead," I think that everyone would agree that a reread of some Anne books is quite earned.
(I've already shared "Jane Eyre" and Robin McKinley's "Beauty" with Michael ... so we're, pardon the pun, on the same page now.)
Still, though, I'm rather shocked. I'd NEVER have foreseen that he'd willingly read an Anne book. Much less do it without me nagging him (and I hate nagging people. I nag Bruise and Bucket to clean WAY TOO MUCH. So over that.)
But, yeah. I'm quite chuffed.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Stuff I forgot to post because it was late ...
Some more things from the signing yesterday ...
An audience member asked Neil Gaiman why he started raising bees.
Neil stated that everyone should have a hobby that has the potential to kill you.
That and, his more sincere answer, was because he was reading about colony collapse back in 2006 (I think) and he wanted to do something to make the world a better place.
Another question addressed the fact that many of his books' dedications thank people that have allowed him to stay in their houses to write. Does he prefer to write away from home?
Neil Gaiman does like to follow a bit of Ian Fleming's advice (Ian Fleming = author and creator of James Bond ... and he, incidentally, hated the writing process). Fleming's advice was that one should hole up in the worst hotel in a place that you wouldn't want to go out to enjoy for three weeks. Because there'd be nothing else to do, you'd have no choice to work on your novel. So you should go somewhere like Poughkeepsie (And here, Neil confessed, "I like Poughkeepsie.") and crank out that novel.
Neil said that he prefers to be a little bit uncomfortable ... and that he has the fortune to have many friends with more houses than bodies in their family. And that he is talented at asking, "Hey, can I stay at one of your houses for a bit?"
In fact, for his US-version of Neverwhere, he holed himself up into a room at the Marriott in the World Trade Center ... the room didn't even have a window. He's never finished anything so quickly ... because he just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
And, another book he wrote be accident was Coraline. He intended it as a short story for his elder daughter. ... He finished it ten years later.
Another question was about how he decided which stories/ideas to write about and which to save for later ...
He responded that he chooses, first, to write what people would want -- because it makes them happy and gets him paid.
And, if there are a lot of things coming up, he tends to decide to write what NOBODY'S asked for. Since it feels unfair to work on ONE thing which would make someone mad that he wasn't working on THEIR thing. And he couldn't work on the other thing, because the FIRST person would get upset ... so he works on his own thing so that EVERYONE can be upset and it's all fair.
He's also had issues with Wikipedia. He hasn't really checked his page since about 2003, when it was full or errors and downright lies. He wrote to the people in charge of the site with corrections. They asked him how he knew these things. "Well, I'm the person they happened to."
"That isn't an authority. We need a written source."
So, he mostly gave up ... however, he's noticed that if he writes a blog post addressing any issues brought to his attention, because it's WRITTEN, that gives him authority ... in regards to his own life.
He also made some great little jokes about how nobody knew that Portland had days like that day ... The weather was sunny and in the nineties. (Usually, people think of Portland like how Meryer's Forks, Washington is written. :P He didn't SAY that, but we all know it.)
But he was VERY concerned with how we were all cooking in there ... which is very sweet of him to be so concerned.
Like I said, he was so very personable and so very nice.
And, when he reads, he does all sorts of voices ... and when he's NOT reading dialogue, his accent is lovely, regardless.
And he knows how to laugh at himself, which is quite sweet, too.
Yes, I am aware that I'm a fangirl. Shush. It's not like I didn't know this previously.
An audience member asked Neil Gaiman why he started raising bees.
Neil stated that everyone should have a hobby that has the potential to kill you.
That and, his more sincere answer, was because he was reading about colony collapse back in 2006 (I think) and he wanted to do something to make the world a better place.
Another question addressed the fact that many of his books' dedications thank people that have allowed him to stay in their houses to write. Does he prefer to write away from home?
Neil Gaiman does like to follow a bit of Ian Fleming's advice (Ian Fleming = author and creator of James Bond ... and he, incidentally, hated the writing process). Fleming's advice was that one should hole up in the worst hotel in a place that you wouldn't want to go out to enjoy for three weeks. Because there'd be nothing else to do, you'd have no choice to work on your novel. So you should go somewhere like Poughkeepsie (And here, Neil confessed, "I like Poughkeepsie.") and crank out that novel.
Neil said that he prefers to be a little bit uncomfortable ... and that he has the fortune to have many friends with more houses than bodies in their family. And that he is talented at asking, "Hey, can I stay at one of your houses for a bit?"
In fact, for his US-version of Neverwhere, he holed himself up into a room at the Marriott in the World Trade Center ... the room didn't even have a window. He's never finished anything so quickly ... because he just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
And, another book he wrote be accident was Coraline. He intended it as a short story for his elder daughter. ... He finished it ten years later.
Another question was about how he decided which stories/ideas to write about and which to save for later ...
He responded that he chooses, first, to write what people would want -- because it makes them happy and gets him paid.
And, if there are a lot of things coming up, he tends to decide to write what NOBODY'S asked for. Since it feels unfair to work on ONE thing which would make someone mad that he wasn't working on THEIR thing. And he couldn't work on the other thing, because the FIRST person would get upset ... so he works on his own thing so that EVERYONE can be upset and it's all fair.
He's also had issues with Wikipedia. He hasn't really checked his page since about 2003, when it was full or errors and downright lies. He wrote to the people in charge of the site with corrections. They asked him how he knew these things. "Well, I'm the person they happened to."
"That isn't an authority. We need a written source."
So, he mostly gave up ... however, he's noticed that if he writes a blog post addressing any issues brought to his attention, because it's WRITTEN, that gives him authority ... in regards to his own life.
He also made some great little jokes about how nobody knew that Portland had days like that day ... The weather was sunny and in the nineties. (Usually, people think of Portland like how Meryer's Forks, Washington is written. :P He didn't SAY that, but we all know it.)
But he was VERY concerned with how we were all cooking in there ... which is very sweet of him to be so concerned.
Like I said, he was so very personable and so very nice.
And, when he reads, he does all sorts of voices ... and when he's NOT reading dialogue, his accent is lovely, regardless.
And he knows how to laugh at himself, which is quite sweet, too.
Yes, I am aware that I'm a fangirl. Shush. It's not like I didn't know this previously.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
So, after how not-good yesterday was, today more than made up for things.
The kids and I hit the Old Navy $1 Flip-Flop sale ... with a 10% off coupon.
Yeah, I love it when I save about twice as much as I spend. That's really nice.
Then we dropped the kids off with Mom and Dad C and Michael and I headed up to the big city for my birthday present (Remember how he surprised me with tickets to Neil Gaiman's book signing? Yup!).
Since we got up there early (as planned) and finally found a good parking spot (for a good price, too!), we went to the Chinese Garden. It was our first time there without kids ... and, well, it's a lot nicer without a tandem stroller and impatient kids. ^_^
We moseyed our way around ... watched the koi, smelled the flowers (well, I did. Michael tried NOT to smell the flowers or be bothered by the pollen. :P), watched a Gray Heron swoop in and land on the top of one of the small bridges' roof (and, apparently, gargle for a quarter hour or so), and even went to the tea house ... for NOT tea.
Michael had the mango nectar. I branched out and tried the Sweet Winter Melon juice ... which is very different, but not at all unpleasant -- it's rather like a non-carbonated root beer with strong caramel flavor, but as thin as water (so not like a syrup, though it TASTES like it SHOULD be a syrup).
And, on the receipt, I was tickled that it was poetically called "GOURD JUICE."
And we ate Mao Do (edamame ... but with spices on the outside of the pods) and Bao stuffed with spinach.
And, well, it's a good thing that we ate then, since (after a quick side trip to Powell's bookstore) we were waiting in line outside the Crystal Ballroom for over an hour. And it was nearly another hour before things started.
A musician took the stage for three songs (my favorite was the accordion-accompanied letter to a giraffe-rancher about how the musician REALLY wants a giraffe. ... DUDE, did YOU have any idea that there's a GIRAFFE RANCH in eastern Washington?!?? But they don't do tours, apparently. That was a let down.) and then a gal spoke about Neil Gaiman's influence on her life and her career (drawing and writing).
THEN NEIL GAIMAN TOOK THE STAGE. Well, the dais, really ... but STILL!!
And his accent is even better in real life. And he was just as wonderful, funny, and brilliant as he is on the internet.
He told of how his latest book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, was a bit of an accident. It was supposed to be a short story he wrote to his wife as she was across the world recording her album.
(Also she doesn't like fantasy ... which is what he writes. "But she likes me.")
It turned from a short story into a novelette ... then a short novella ... then a LONG novella ... then, when it was finished, he checked the word count and emailed his publisher that, sorry, it's not a novella, "I wrote a book by accident."
He also told of the real-life bits about the story (how, when he was seven, his family's Mini was stolen by a man who accidentally gambled his AND his friends' savings away at the pub ... then the gambler stole the Mini and crashed it to commit suicide ... And how the farm at the end of the road had been there since William the Conquerer came. And how he (Gaiman), as a child, figured that the brick farmhouse had ALWAYS been there and that the family living there had always had the farm.)
He answered questions from the audience:
The kids and I hit the Old Navy $1 Flip-Flop sale ... with a 10% off coupon.
Yeah, I love it when I save about twice as much as I spend. That's really nice.
Then we dropped the kids off with Mom and Dad C and Michael and I headed up to the big city for my birthday present (Remember how he surprised me with tickets to Neil Gaiman's book signing? Yup!).
Since we got up there early (as planned) and finally found a good parking spot (for a good price, too!), we went to the Chinese Garden. It was our first time there without kids ... and, well, it's a lot nicer without a tandem stroller and impatient kids. ^_^
We moseyed our way around ... watched the koi, smelled the flowers (well, I did. Michael tried NOT to smell the flowers or be bothered by the pollen. :P), watched a Gray Heron swoop in and land on the top of one of the small bridges' roof (and, apparently, gargle for a quarter hour or so), and even went to the tea house ... for NOT tea.
Michael had the mango nectar. I branched out and tried the Sweet Winter Melon juice ... which is very different, but not at all unpleasant -- it's rather like a non-carbonated root beer with strong caramel flavor, but as thin as water (so not like a syrup, though it TASTES like it SHOULD be a syrup).
And, on the receipt, I was tickled that it was poetically called "GOURD JUICE."
And we ate Mao Do (edamame ... but with spices on the outside of the pods) and Bao stuffed with spinach.
And, well, it's a good thing that we ate then, since (after a quick side trip to Powell's bookstore) we were waiting in line outside the Crystal Ballroom for over an hour. And it was nearly another hour before things started.
A musician took the stage for three songs (my favorite was the accordion-accompanied letter to a giraffe-rancher about how the musician REALLY wants a giraffe. ... DUDE, did YOU have any idea that there's a GIRAFFE RANCH in eastern Washington?!?? But they don't do tours, apparently. That was a let down.) and then a gal spoke about Neil Gaiman's influence on her life and her career (drawing and writing).
THEN NEIL GAIMAN TOOK THE STAGE. Well, the dais, really ... but STILL!!
And his accent is even better in real life. And he was just as wonderful, funny, and brilliant as he is on the internet.
He told of how his latest book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, was a bit of an accident. It was supposed to be a short story he wrote to his wife as she was across the world recording her album.
(Also she doesn't like fantasy ... which is what he writes. "But she likes me.")
It turned from a short story into a novelette ... then a short novella ... then a LONG novella ... then, when it was finished, he checked the word count and emailed his publisher that, sorry, it's not a novella, "I wrote a book by accident."
He also told of the real-life bits about the story (how, when he was seven, his family's Mini was stolen by a man who accidentally gambled his AND his friends' savings away at the pub ... then the gambler stole the Mini and crashed it to commit suicide ... And how the farm at the end of the road had been there since William the Conquerer came. And how he (Gaiman), as a child, figured that the brick farmhouse had ALWAYS been there and that the family living there had always had the farm.)
He answered questions from the audience:
- Q: "Who has the weirder fans? You or Clive Barker?"
A: Clive ... to the power of a million.
Gaiman's fans are NICE. Even when they scare little old ladies owning a bookshop in Dayton, OH (The ladies running the shop had NEVER seen such hair colors or piercings), they prove how nice they are (By the end of the day, the ladies were exclaiming what NICE people they were, how they'd never had such wonderful customers).
Gaiman's fans have never sliced open their arms and demanded that the author sign the book with their blood.
Gifts for Neil Gaiman are harmless ... like a giant stuffed My Little Pony done up as Death (from Sandman). Barker, instead, gets a carved wooden staff with SEVEN cats' heads impaled on it.
Neil Gaiman loves his fans. - Q: "In one to three words, describe your writing process."
A: "Glare. Drink tea."
There were a couple other questions, including a sweet request from a fan for a kiss. (He complied with a peck on the cheek. She was thrilled. It was ADORABLE.
He read to us ... the third chapter of his book.
After questions, he allowed us to vote if we'd rather get to the signing right away, since it was SWELTERING, or if we'd want to hear from a not-yet-published book.
I'm sure you didn't have to guess that OF COURSE we wanted to hear more.
And he has a children's book coming out in September. And, from the excerpt, it will be AMAZING.
And, as Michael said to me, if/when they make it into a movie, Martin Freeman should be the lead.
We waited for about another hour to be put into line to have our books signed.
Michael's copy of "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" is made out to The [C] Family. And Neil Gaiman also signed out copy of "The Graveyard Book". And Michael called him "sir."
Neil Gaiman signed my copy of "Instructions" and, in my copy of "The Ocean," inscribed my name and a heart.
I corrected him on my name's pronunciation. He thanked me for coming. I thanked him for doing this. He told me that he felt guilty, since it was so hot and we'd had to wait so much. I assured him that it was worth it.
I also have, among others, a picture of Neil Gaiman and I grinning at each other.
Yeah, this is a birthday present that's seriously hard to beat.
And, really, Neil Gaiman was SO charming and SO nice. The gal in line in front of us had him sign and inscribe a book for her friend. When he learned that she had one book for herself (which had just his signature), he made sure that he inscribed HER name on that one, too.
Such a nice, nice man.
So, yeah ... my husband made this possible by buying our tickets as soon as the site went live. There were 1,000 tickets ... and they were sold out THAT MORNING.
Yup, Michael is THAT AWESOME.
He made a really awesome day possible. Because he's amazing.
And, after all that, we went and grabbed some dinner, got the kids, and came home.
So that we can get ready for church tomorrow.
(Even though ... I am rather sorely tempted to read the rest of "The Ocean" ... the third chapter IS just so good, you see.)
After questions, he allowed us to vote if we'd rather get to the signing right away, since it was SWELTERING, or if we'd want to hear from a not-yet-published book.
I'm sure you didn't have to guess that OF COURSE we wanted to hear more.
And he has a children's book coming out in September. And, from the excerpt, it will be AMAZING.
And, as Michael said to me, if/when they make it into a movie, Martin Freeman should be the lead.
We waited for about another hour to be put into line to have our books signed.
Michael's copy of "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" is made out to The [C] Family. And Neil Gaiman also signed out copy of "The Graveyard Book". And Michael called him "sir."
Neil Gaiman signed my copy of "Instructions" and, in my copy of "The Ocean," inscribed my name and a heart.
I corrected him on my name's pronunciation. He thanked me for coming. I thanked him for doing this. He told me that he felt guilty, since it was so hot and we'd had to wait so much. I assured him that it was worth it.
I also have, among others, a picture of Neil Gaiman and I grinning at each other.
Yeah, this is a birthday present that's seriously hard to beat.
And, really, Neil Gaiman was SO charming and SO nice. The gal in line in front of us had him sign and inscribe a book for her friend. When he learned that she had one book for herself (which had just his signature), he made sure that he inscribed HER name on that one, too.
Such a nice, nice man.
So, yeah ... my husband made this possible by buying our tickets as soon as the site went live. There were 1,000 tickets ... and they were sold out THAT MORNING.
Yup, Michael is THAT AWESOME.
He made a really awesome day possible. Because he's amazing.
And, after all that, we went and grabbed some dinner, got the kids, and came home.
So that we can get ready for church tomorrow.
(Even though ... I am rather sorely tempted to read the rest of "The Ocean" ... the third chapter IS just so good, you see.)
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Happy birthday to ... me!
Yes, yes ... today is my birthday. I'm officially 32 (even though I have until this evening to have been out of the womb a full 32 years.
People ask me if I have any big plans ... and, no, not really.
The kids did tell me "happy birthday" today ... but only barely before they left for school.
(What can I say? My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic IS a bit more exciting!)
But I did get some presents --
And he had already arranged babysitting ... so we'll go up and play the whole day in Portland. Yay!
(Also - It's at the Crystal Ballroom! I've only wanted to go there for, what, the last sixteen or so years! Ever since my Drama teacher told us about it, I thought it'd be cool to go there ... and NOW I WILL!)
I made sure to thank him for spoiling me (and not JUST with authors and books).
Seriously, I wish that every girl had a spouse as thoughtful and awesome as I have!
(Wouldn't the world be a much better place?? And the boys all need awesome spouses, too. But I think they'd need to be better spouses than I am. I leave a lot of room for improvement.)
--------------
Today's Book of Mormon reading was Mosiah 4:4-15.
The last three verses stuck out to me most ... about how to treat others and raise our children.
The most important things in raising children (in these verses) are:
If we're teaching our children (and loving them, too, through our actions), we will take care of them and provide for them as Heavenly Father provides for us. They will learn to recognize His love ... and will be able to pass that love to everyone around them.
And, well, wouldn't that make the world a MUCH better place?
I try to teach Bruise and Bucket (and, to a lesser extent, for now at least, Bubbles) to love everyone.
You don't have to LIKE what they're doing.
But you DO need to love and respect them as children of God.
People can be mean. They can say and do awful things ... BUT ... more often than not, when people aren't nice, it's because they are hurting inside.
And when people lash out at you, with harsh words or unkindness, you have two choices.
People ask me if I have any big plans ... and, no, not really.
The kids did tell me "happy birthday" today ... but only barely before they left for school.
(What can I say? My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic IS a bit more exciting!)
But I did get some presents --
- My Grampy sent me a card (and a check). I made sure to get a thank-you note for him into the mail so he won't worry.
- Mom got me some nail polish (that I picked out) and some monetary help towards our upcoming family vacation (Shh!! The kids don't know!)
- Dad gave me some money when we were down visiting last. And he and L sent up a card with a little more money. Made me smile.
- Mom and Dad C gave me a little gift bag (that I opened this morning) containing three nail polishes, some nail stickers, and a gift card to a local beauty supply shop. How sweet!
- And, not to be outdone ... this is what Michael gave me:
 |
| If you can't tell what it is, it's a pair of tickets to attend a lecture by NEIL "SCARY PANTS" GAIMAN. Included in the ticket price is a copy of his new book, which he will be discussing. |
YEAH. I will be IN THE SAME ROOM as NEIL GAIMAN.
I can only hope that, if I have a chance to have my book signed, that I don't act like a total lackwit.
At least Michael will be there, too, to stop me from doing anything too dumb, right?
Bucket, at first didn't get why these tickets were cool.
But I explained it in terms she understood --
But, yeah ...
It WAS a surprise. Michael was looking on his phone just the other day ... and remarked that it was all sold out. (Due to our upcoming vacation, I knew that tickets would probably sell out before we would get a chance to buy them.)
And I was resigned to the fact that we wouldn't make it. (We've missed other things, too. And We've survived. Somehow.)
So, this morning, Michael texts me from work --
I can only hope that, if I have a chance to have my book signed, that I don't act like a total lackwit.
At least Michael will be there, too, to stop me from doing anything too dumb, right?
Bucket, at first didn't get why these tickets were cool.
But I explained it in terms she understood --
Me: He's an author. You remember The Graveyard Book? With Bod?
Bucket: Yeah ... a bit.
Me: And Coraline?
She and Bruise LOVE the movie. We need to buy the book. Bucket: OH!!! YES!!!!
Me: So he's the one who wrote those. And other books. And these tickets are to go hear him talk. AND they come with his new book, too! We'll get his new book.
Bucket: Will that be our new story-story (our term for bedtime story)?
Me: ... Um ... I think that this is a grown-up book. Not all his books are for kids.
Bucket: Oh. Okay.
But, yeah ...
It WAS a surprise. Michael was looking on his phone just the other day ... and remarked that it was all sold out. (Due to our upcoming vacation, I knew that tickets would probably sell out before we would get a chance to buy them.)
And I was resigned to the fact that we wouldn't make it. (We've missed other things, too. And We've survived. Somehow.)
So, this morning, Michael texts me from work --
Michael: Did you open your gift?
Me: The one from your mom? No, not yet. I need to open the card from Grampy ... and mail him and [J - his wife] a thank-you.
Michael: The one at your computer!
(I look around ... and notice something taped to the top of my monitor, dangling behind it.)
Me: Oh! It was mostly behind my monitor, so I hadn't noticed it!
...
Squeeeeeeee!!! Oh my gosh! I thought they were sold out?
(I was very surprised. And, until I started tearing up, I didn't realize how much I really DID want to go!)
Michael: [Bucket] must have moved it back. It was behind your monitor last night. ... They were [sold out]. But not on the 3rd.
And he had already arranged babysitting ... so we'll go up and play the whole day in Portland. Yay!
(Also - It's at the Crystal Ballroom! I've only wanted to go there for, what, the last sixteen or so years! Ever since my Drama teacher told us about it, I thought it'd be cool to go there ... and NOW I WILL!)
I made sure to thank him for spoiling me (and not JUST with authors and books).
Seriously, I wish that every girl had a spouse as thoughtful and awesome as I have!
(Wouldn't the world be a much better place?? And the boys all need awesome spouses, too. But I think they'd need to be better spouses than I am. I leave a lot of room for improvement.)
--------------
Today's Book of Mormon reading was Mosiah 4:4-15.
The last three verses stuck out to me most ... about how to treat others and raise our children.
The most important things in raising children (in these verses) are:
But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another. (Mosiah 4:15)And I see how that would really help ... It goes along the lines of love God, love everyone, and show your love through your actions.
If we're teaching our children (and loving them, too, through our actions), we will take care of them and provide for them as Heavenly Father provides for us. They will learn to recognize His love ... and will be able to pass that love to everyone around them.
And, well, wouldn't that make the world a MUCH better place?
I try to teach Bruise and Bucket (and, to a lesser extent, for now at least, Bubbles) to love everyone.
You don't have to LIKE what they're doing.
But you DO need to love and respect them as children of God.
People can be mean. They can say and do awful things ... BUT ... more often than not, when people aren't nice, it's because they are hurting inside.
And when people lash out at you, with harsh words or unkindness, you have two choices.
- You can be mean right back
OR - You can kill them.
WITH KINDNESS!!!
(Not like with manslaughter. That's illegal and mean and a sin. Don't do that.)
Yes, I did give my kids, as we drove around yesterday, those two options as what to do when people are being mean to you.
It did make me sad that we had to have this particular conversation ... Bucket's been having to deal with girl-drama at school and at the bus stop.
A girl in the neighborhood called Bucket a liar (Bucket said she knew one person in the neighborhood, but didn't know his name to prove it ... and the other girl was like, "You can't know him! He's OUR next-door neighbor!" .... Whereas, in our household, we use the term a little more loosely ... anyone on our (short) road is, to us, a neighbor. Not that we know all of them ... which we should work on, yes?) ... And another neighbor girl told the younger girls that they were annoying.
(I had to tell Bucket that So-and-so wasn't "a brat" ... She was ACTING like a brat. ... Because, well, I don't always like labels. It's too easy to internalize bad labels. But I'm TOTES DOWN with labelling actions.)
Then, at school, two girls told Bucket that she's ugly and her clothes are ugly.
I just have to roll my eyes at this one ... but, yeah. Sometimes girls are just weird. And not in the cute, kooky, Zooey Deschanel-type way ... but in the "THE HELL are you THINKING?!?"-type way.
And, seriously, these are First Graders ... can't we still be nice and share our graham crackers at this age?
... But ... yeah. So, like I told her, either you can NOT be their friend and avoid them, you can be mean and snotty back, or you kill them with kindness by treating them how Jesus wants us to treat each other. He was kind to people, even when they weren't kind to Him. There are choices. And, if you want to be His disciple, it helps to narrow down your choices.
Still, it makes me SAD that these girls (and other people) seem to figure that the only way to make themselves feel better is to hurt/degrade other people.
So, I made sure to tell Bruise and Bucket that, when I'm having an off day and I have to be around people, one of my tricks to feeling better is to smile at a stranger.
And here's my secrets behind that:
"KILL THEM??"Yup, that's top parenting right there.
"Yes. WITH KINDNESS. You just be kind to them and be nice to them WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR NOT."
It did make me sad that we had to have this particular conversation ... Bucket's been having to deal with girl-drama at school and at the bus stop.
A girl in the neighborhood called Bucket a liar (Bucket said she knew one person in the neighborhood, but didn't know his name to prove it ... and the other girl was like, "You can't know him! He's OUR next-door neighbor!" .... Whereas, in our household, we use the term a little more loosely ... anyone on our (short) road is, to us, a neighbor. Not that we know all of them ... which we should work on, yes?) ... And another neighbor girl told the younger girls that they were annoying.
(I had to tell Bucket that So-and-so wasn't "a brat" ... She was ACTING like a brat. ... Because, well, I don't always like labels. It's too easy to internalize bad labels. But I'm TOTES DOWN with labelling actions.)
Then, at school, two girls told Bucket that she's ugly and her clothes are ugly.
I just have to roll my eyes at this one ... but, yeah. Sometimes girls are just weird. And not in the cute, kooky, Zooey Deschanel-type way ... but in the "THE HELL are you THINKING?!?"-type way.
And, seriously, these are First Graders ... can't we still be nice and share our graham crackers at this age?
... But ... yeah. So, like I told her, either you can NOT be their friend and avoid them, you can be mean and snotty back, or you kill them with kindness by treating them how Jesus wants us to treat each other. He was kind to people, even when they weren't kind to Him. There are choices. And, if you want to be His disciple, it helps to narrow down your choices.
Still, it makes me SAD that these girls (and other people) seem to figure that the only way to make themselves feel better is to hurt/degrade other people.
So, I made sure to tell Bruise and Bucket that, when I'm having an off day and I have to be around people, one of my tricks to feeling better is to smile at a stranger.
And here's my secrets behind that:
- Smiling, just the ACT of smiling, releases endorphins. Just like Elle Woods says.
- Almost all people, when smiled at, will return that smile. And when you see that smile, you know that they are happy.
- So you feel even happier because you've made someone else happy!
(I also will give an honest compliment. Sometimes, the surliest/saddest-looking individual will be completely chuffed when you compliment her awesome haircolor. ... And, face it, doesn't it feel GOOD when someone tells you that your new haircut looks amazing? Or that you look great in a certain color? ... Why not BE the stranger (or friend) that GIVES those compliments? ... I figure that if I can make ONE person feel better about him/herself, that's one less person being sad. And there is MORE THAN ENOUGH pain, suffering, and sadness in this world. Let's get happy. ... Because, face it: happy, appreciated people who feel noticed, valued, and cared about don't do things to tear down other people (or commit crimes, I'd bet).
Caring isn't a bad thing. So, why don't we care a little more?)
Caring isn't a bad thing. So, why don't we care a little more?)
But, yeah ... that's most of what I have to say.
I've done a load of dishes, refreshed the laundry, ... I should practice my German and Spanish (Yay, Duolingo!) ... and be ready for the kids to come home in a couple hours.
And be so proud of me because I am dressed. I know. Sometimes I amaze myself. >.<
I've done a load of dishes, refreshed the laundry, ... I should practice my German and Spanish (Yay, Duolingo!) ... and be ready for the kids to come home in a couple hours.
And be so proud of me because I am dressed. I know. Sometimes I amaze myself. >.<
Monday, December 17, 2012
Why does it ask for a title? I'm no good at titles.
Well ... where to start?
I'm still not full of humor and amazing witticisms today.
I'm close to seven steps from bursting into tears (unlike this weekend, where it was more like three steps away).
Howsabout we just start with a recap of the weekend...
I'm still not full of humor and amazing witticisms today.
I'm close to seven steps from bursting into tears (unlike this weekend, where it was more like three steps away).
Howsabout we just start with a recap of the weekend...
- The kids got home from school shortly after Michael got back from doing some visits for Elders Quorum. I made sure to give them hugs ... and not to burst into tears, which would probably freak them out.
- We ran some errands with the kids ... picked up a hold at the library, turned in some books, took them to the bank to put the contents of their piggy banks into their accounts (Bruise and Bucket also made their first withdrawal from their accounts. Money to buy each other Christmas presents), and to the mall to pick up our portraits (I had to go back later to get our cards) and for Bruise and Bucket to get each other gifts.
- Michael made dinner while I ran back to get the aforementioned cards. As I went, there were lots of sirens approaching the mall. Apparently, as I headed back home, a fire truck was stopping at a local restaurant. I have no idea what was going on ... but I hope it all went well.
- Michael had me watch a couple episodes of Psych to help get me cheered up again. It was a good effort. I wasn't feeling like crawling into the shower, curling up into a ball, and weeping. ... But I wasn't about to break out into a Vaudeville-esque routine, either.
- Saturday morning, our ward (congregation) had our Ward Christmas Party/Breakfast. We ate pancakes, scrambled eggs (well, not Michael. He's anti-egg.), sausages, orange juice, and hot cocoa. We sang hymns and the youth put on a little production. Bucket didn't want to get up and sing. We didn't force her to. She also complained that she had a headache and a stomachache. Then she was mad/sad when I, shockingly, wouldn't let her run around with the other kids (Hey, if she's not feeling well, running around screaming is NOT any cure for a headache. And I'm not taking a chance that she'd throw up the hearty breakfast she'd bolted down shortly before). So, after the breakfast was over, I took her and Bubbles, who was getting fussy, out to the car. They fussed and cried and I read a book and waited for the menfolk (Michael and Bruise) to finish helping clean up so we could go home.
- I know that we cleaned the house. Bruise ate mashed potatoes! And we did talk to the kids about Sandy Hook (I'd much rather they hear about it from us than from kids at school. I learned that one quickly after last year ... a car got caught in some flooding [which they passed on their bus route]. A mother and little boy drowned. The other passengers were able to get out. I hadn't thought about telling my innocent Kinders about it. However, one of their fellow bus-mates did. So much for keeping them sheltered, right? ... Well, at least I always knew, even before they were born, to talk about the birds and the bees with them.)
- Speaking of ... we finished reading "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" on Saturday evening. And, since one of the lines in it was about some kids being accused of always talking about sex and underwear, Bucket asked me, "What's sex?"
"Sex is how babies are made. It's what mommies and daddies to to make a baby." And I told them that it should be between married people. And that they should wait until they're married, please.
If they ask any more, I can give them more specifics ... They're aware that people make babies. And that, as we've stressed, they shouldn't be doing any of the things to make babies until they're married.
(I strongly stress to them that if they respect a person, and that person respects them, they'll wait. I know that not everyone feels this way ... but, well, I figure that if someone genuinely loves you, they'll take your well-being with more concern than their being able to satisfy a biological impulse. ... That and I've seen so many wonderful girls [and boys] hurt when they're so intimate and things either don't work out ... or things go VERY badly. ... Again, I'm aware that you might not share that opinion. And I'm not going to judge.) - We went to church yesterday. I got to make it through MOST of Relief Society (the women's class) before Bubbles started squawking. Oh well. At least, after we left the room, we got to talk to a couple people in the hallway. That was nice.
- Had to do ANOTHER factory reset on my phone. Looks like we'll be getting new phones soon. What with how this one is starting to freeze up or turn off when I plug it in to charge ... It's an old phone. At least, unlike Michael's phone (my older phone), it stays on when it's in my pocket ... so it could be worse, right?
- Michael had more EQ visits. The kids watched more Schoolhouse Rock (yes, they are my kids. Now to get them started on Bill Nye, Science Guy. And Mr. Wizard).
Bubbles had a fever this morning. I gave her Tylenol and, as she was acting tired after playing for a half hour or so, laid her down for another nap.
The kids headed off to school, all bundled up, with their lunches and a gift for their teachers. (I'd rather get it to their teachers early than late.)
Washed some laundry. Emailed Michael. Made some phone calls for my calling (church responsibility) and reported back to my Relief Society president. Got a shower. Put a load of dishes into the dishwasher. Talked to my dad and his girlfriend on the phone.
The kids headed off to school, all bundled up, with their lunches and a gift for their teachers. (I'd rather get it to their teachers early than late.)
Washed some laundry. Emailed Michael. Made some phone calls for my calling (church responsibility) and reported back to my Relief Society president. Got a shower. Put a load of dishes into the dishwasher. Talked to my dad and his girlfriend on the phone.
I'm about halfway through A Christmas Carol. Then to read The Forgotten Carols.
Before I put Bubbles down for another nap, I cuddled her on my chest/abdomen until she fell asleep. But her fever's gone ... so that's good.
And I'm battling the ants again. They're trying to take over the hall bathroom. And, well, anywhere else they can think of. I'm hoping that this is their last stand of the year/season. We'll see.
Regardless, I need to buy another container of the organic/child-and-pet-safe ant killer.
And ... I need to paint my toenails. I'll feel better. I just need to get round to doing it.
And I should paint Bucket's and Bubbles' toes, too. Why not, right?
And I'm battling the ants again. They're trying to take over the hall bathroom. And, well, anywhere else they can think of. I'm hoping that this is their last stand of the year/season. We'll see.
Regardless, I need to buy another container of the organic/child-and-pet-safe ant killer.
And ... I need to paint my toenails. I'll feel better. I just need to get round to doing it.
And I should paint Bucket's and Bubbles' toes, too. Why not, right?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Still haven't cleaned off my desk ...
... because I am GOOD at procrastination.
It's like an ART, y'all.
So, since we last chatted (Ha. Most like, "since I last chattered away at you and you pretended to listen, nodding and smiling placatingly"), what's gone on ... Hmmm....
Monday afternoon, I got a call from L (a gal from church. I VT her. Our kids ride the same bus home. In fact, her son gets off one stop after mine).
L: Are [Bruise] and [Bucket] already home?
Me: No, not yet. *checks clock. It's about 15 minutes past when they normally get home* I suppose the buses are running late again.
L: Well, [her son] just got home. He said that there was a lot of commotion on the bus and that the bus driver missed the stop, couldn't turn around without getting stuck, and that [Bruise] and [Bucket] are still on the bus, crying.
Me: Well. ... I'm going to call the bus garage and see what's up. Thanks for letting me know. Thank [her son] for telling you.
So, I call the school. The office worker I talked to called the bus garage. The driver had also called the garage, telling them that they'd missed the stop and he'd drop the kids off after the route's done. The gal at the school asked me to call her back when the kids got home.
(Which I did. I also texted L to let her know, too.)
Bruise and Bucket came, half an hour later than normal, RUNNING down the street, CRYING.
Like crying so loud and hard that I could hear them halfway down the block.
Bucket was worried that they'd NEVER get home.
Bruise just told me, "MOM!!! I MISSED YOU!!!!"
I got them calmed down ... (reported back to the school that they were home now) ... and shared a story about when I was in first grade. (I rode the bus, like, once a week to go to my aunt's. Once, I got on the bus on the wrong day. I told the driver, as soon as I realized it, and he just told me to hang out while he drove the rest of the kids home. Then he took me back to the school and I ran home from there. No biggie.)
They felt better that I'd been there, done that. (So has Michael, in full disclosure.)
I called the bas garage yesterday to get the full story. I was told that the kids forgot to get off the bus.
Which is odd, since THAT never happened before. And that NONE of the six-or-so kids that get off at our stop remembered.
And that L's son, when I've talked to him, is not one given to overexaggurate.
I quizzed Bruise and Bucket about it after they got home.
No, they didn't FORGET to get off the bus. (Theirs is the first stop. That makes it difficult to forget, no?)
And all of the kids were on the bus for the whole trip.
What they reported was that kids on the bus were being REALLY LOUD. Some were using inappropriate words (Yes. "Inappropriate words." That's a direct quote.) One kid was screaming.
The driver drove past the stop. Then he called in to the garage, went through the route, and swung back around to drop off the first-stop group.
Ah! On the answering machine is the response from the bus barn. Not only were kids loud, but the windows were REALLY steamed up from the rain and all the kids' body heat. It was an accident.
And I need to let my kids know that as long as they're on the bus and the driver's there, they're safe. And that sometimes a wrong turn is made and these things do happen.
(For the record, my kids have already experienced a driver making a wrong turn. They can handle that. It's when the bus barrells past their home ... I'd be a little worried, too. But it all ended well enough.)
Besides that, I've tried a few recipes from Pinterest. Most have been great.
I'll warn you that making mac 'n cheese with cooking the noodles in milk ... the sauce gets REALLY THICK REALLY FAST. The flavor was fine. The texture wasn't so great.... since it was done before Michael got home from work. So the noodles were really mushy in a THICK sauce.
I'll give it another try sometime ... I'm giving it the chance that it was totally MY fault, not the recipe's.
We finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Monday night. I got through it without crying ... too much ... this time. (It's Michael's favorite of the series. I still like Goblet of Fire ... plenty long without too many people dropping like flies. *sigh* Between Joss Whedon, Steven Moffat, and J. K. Rowling, I should have embraced the fact that every character I've ever loved will DIE. ... But, hey, I'm an optimist. I go into every book thinking that every character will come out alive. Well, unless it's a murder mystery. Then someone will die. And I always hope it's the most repugnant character in the novel.)
We've started Half-Blood Prince ... Then it'll be Deathly Hallows ... Then .... I'm going to have to figure out what to read to them next. Maybe The Little Prince and some more Roald Dahl... Such choices.
I cleaned the fish tank (well, most of it) today. It was getting gross.
Let's hope that I haven't given the fish a death notice by removing the grossness of their tank.
I did squirt some StressCoat in there ... Let's hope they make it through.
If not, Bucket's asking for neon Tetras for her birthday. Or another goldfish. Since, as I told her, I'd worry that the goldfish she has would nibble on the Tetras.
Bubbles has started waving. And she'll give high-fives ... especially to my face. *rolls eyes*
But, overall, she's still her affable, sweet self ... even though she's not sleeping as thoroughly as she could.
Someday, hopefully soon, she'll start sleeping through the night on a regular basis. Instead of falling asleep around 8 and waking up at 2 AM. Or midnight. It depends. But I'd like for her to sleep from around 8 PM until ... how about 6:30 AM? I could settle for that. I'd prefer 7 AM ... but 6:30 would be nice. I'd even be willing to get her for a dream feed around 10, if she'd consistently sleep until 6:30.
Well ... I can't think of anything else to write ... So ... yeah.
It's like an ART, y'all.
So, since we last chatted (Ha. Most like, "since I last chattered away at you and you pretended to listen, nodding and smiling placatingly"), what's gone on ... Hmmm....
Monday afternoon, I got a call from L (a gal from church. I VT her. Our kids ride the same bus home. In fact, her son gets off one stop after mine).
L: Are [Bruise] and [Bucket] already home?
Me: No, not yet. *checks clock. It's about 15 minutes past when they normally get home* I suppose the buses are running late again.
L: Well, [her son] just got home. He said that there was a lot of commotion on the bus and that the bus driver missed the stop, couldn't turn around without getting stuck, and that [Bruise] and [Bucket] are still on the bus, crying.
Me: Well. ... I'm going to call the bus garage and see what's up. Thanks for letting me know. Thank [her son] for telling you.
So, I call the school. The office worker I talked to called the bus garage. The driver had also called the garage, telling them that they'd missed the stop and he'd drop the kids off after the route's done. The gal at the school asked me to call her back when the kids got home.
(Which I did. I also texted L to let her know, too.)
Bruise and Bucket came, half an hour later than normal, RUNNING down the street, CRYING.
Like crying so loud and hard that I could hear them halfway down the block.
Bucket was worried that they'd NEVER get home.
Bruise just told me, "MOM!!! I MISSED YOU!!!!"
I got them calmed down ... (reported back to the school that they were home now) ... and shared a story about when I was in first grade. (I rode the bus, like, once a week to go to my aunt's. Once, I got on the bus on the wrong day. I told the driver, as soon as I realized it, and he just told me to hang out while he drove the rest of the kids home. Then he took me back to the school and I ran home from there. No biggie.)
They felt better that I'd been there, done that. (So has Michael, in full disclosure.)
I called the bas garage yesterday to get the full story. I was told that the kids forgot to get off the bus.
Which is odd, since THAT never happened before. And that NONE of the six-or-so kids that get off at our stop remembered.
And that L's son, when I've talked to him, is not one given to overexaggurate.
I quizzed Bruise and Bucket about it after they got home.
No, they didn't FORGET to get off the bus. (Theirs is the first stop. That makes it difficult to forget, no?)
And all of the kids were on the bus for the whole trip.
What they reported was that kids on the bus were being REALLY LOUD. Some were using inappropriate words (Yes. "Inappropriate words." That's a direct quote.) One kid was screaming.
The driver drove past the stop. Then he called in to the garage, went through the route, and swung back around to drop off the first-stop group.
Ah! On the answering machine is the response from the bus barn. Not only were kids loud, but the windows were REALLY steamed up from the rain and all the kids' body heat. It was an accident.
And I need to let my kids know that as long as they're on the bus and the driver's there, they're safe. And that sometimes a wrong turn is made and these things do happen.
(For the record, my kids have already experienced a driver making a wrong turn. They can handle that. It's when the bus barrells past their home ... I'd be a little worried, too. But it all ended well enough.)
Besides that, I've tried a few recipes from Pinterest. Most have been great.
I'll warn you that making mac 'n cheese with cooking the noodles in milk ... the sauce gets REALLY THICK REALLY FAST. The flavor was fine. The texture wasn't so great.... since it was done before Michael got home from work. So the noodles were really mushy in a THICK sauce.
I'll give it another try sometime ... I'm giving it the chance that it was totally MY fault, not the recipe's.
We finished reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Monday night. I got through it without crying ... too much ... this time. (It's Michael's favorite of the series. I still like Goblet of Fire ... plenty long without too many people dropping like flies. *sigh* Between Joss Whedon, Steven Moffat, and J. K. Rowling, I should have embraced the fact that every character I've ever loved will DIE. ... But, hey, I'm an optimist. I go into every book thinking that every character will come out alive. Well, unless it's a murder mystery. Then someone will die. And I always hope it's the most repugnant character in the novel.)
We've started Half-Blood Prince ... Then it'll be Deathly Hallows ... Then .... I'm going to have to figure out what to read to them next. Maybe The Little Prince and some more Roald Dahl... Such choices.
I cleaned the fish tank (well, most of it) today. It was getting gross.
Let's hope that I haven't given the fish a death notice by removing the grossness of their tank.
I did squirt some StressCoat in there ... Let's hope they make it through.
If not, Bucket's asking for neon Tetras for her birthday. Or another goldfish. Since, as I told her, I'd worry that the goldfish she has would nibble on the Tetras.
Bubbles has started waving. And she'll give high-fives ... especially to my face. *rolls eyes*
But, overall, she's still her affable, sweet self ... even though she's not sleeping as thoroughly as she could.
Someday, hopefully soon, she'll start sleeping through the night on a regular basis. Instead of falling asleep around 8 and waking up at 2 AM. Or midnight. It depends. But I'd like for her to sleep from around 8 PM until ... how about 6:30 AM? I could settle for that. I'd prefer 7 AM ... but 6:30 would be nice. I'd even be willing to get her for a dream feed around 10, if she'd consistently sleep until 6:30.
Well ... I can't think of anything else to write ... So ... yeah.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Reporting Back for Service!
Sorry for deserting you (yet AGAIN) ... Okay, let's see what I've been up to ...
- The kids had school pictures. I ordered everything online ... and printed out the picture passes for them.
Somehow, Bruise's pass disappeared by the time he got to school. So I, between phone calls with an office aide (also mother of twins), got a QUICK shower, threw on clothes, printed out a new pass, and scurried over to the school, lugging Bubble's car seat, to drop it off. PHEW!!!!
I was horribly sweaty by the time the whole ordeal was over! - We helped landscape a park for our church's Day of Service a couple weeks ago.
I now know how to spread mark mulch like apronot-TOTAL-amateur.
Bruise had fun helping Bishop H (from another ward. But we USED to all be in the same ward. He's known us since Bruise and Bucket were 1) drive a utility vehicle ... like how I used to get to "help" my Pop-pop drive the riding lawn mower. - I taught the RS lesson a couple weeks ago. It went really well. Even though I had gals from the Stake RS in there. Ha ha ha. I barely had to talk, which was great. And I had TONS of participation from my awesome RS sisters. I wore Bubbles in the Moby wrap and she was well-behaved for the entire lesson ... besides trying to grab papers that I held. Ha ha ha.
So ... sisters in RS think that I'm awesome for some reason. It's sweet that they're so delusional. :P
Bubbles is happy as long as she's held. (I was hoping that she'd be asleep the whole time ... oh well. But she was happy and QUIET.)
My favorite compliment was from our friend in the Stake RS Presidency. She liked that she couldn't even tell that I was reading the lesson as I was teaching. (Thanks, Mom!! You raised a good reader!!) - I taught the kids' Primary class yesterday. There were four kids in there. It went well. Bruise and Bucket told me that I did a great job. ^_^ Awww!
- Our ward (but anyone interested is invited!) has started up a free Zumba class on Tues/Thurs mornings. I survive ... but, OH MY, is my face red by the end of the class. And I'm sweaty and breathing hard for what feels like FOREVER ... because I'm out of shape and have no stamina.
But I've made it through a week of classes. And I'll be there this week, too. ... And hopefully, I can keep it up indefinitely! I've got some baby weight (and more) that needs to be sent packing! - My Grampy and his wife (so, technically, my step-grandmother, but she's rather young for that ...) came up to visit. Which meant that I got my house clean. We had a nice visit and all went out to dinner.
- There was a funeral for a friend's father this weekend. Very sad ... I mean, I know that he's not hurting or anything anymore ... But we're going to miss him.
- The kids got their flu shots on Friday (Bubbles got the first of hers, since the first time flu shots are done in two doses for littles. She goes back next month for her other shot). They did pretty well. Not a whole ton of screaming and crying.
Saturday, I went to Safeway and got mine ... bringing Bruise and Bucket back with me to see me get mine and if I cried. Which I didn't. However, I told them my tricks: Don't look at the needle. It hurts less. Don't tense up. It hurts less. Don't hold your breath. It hurts less ... AND I got an awesome bandage.
I was telling the kids that I probably wouldn't get a cool band-aid like they had, since grown-ups usually just get plain ones. BUT!! The pharmacist opened another drawer and let me choose what kind of COOL bandage I wanted. (MUPPETS, all the way. So I sported an Animal bandage on my way out. Oh yes!)
Now, I need to take the kids along when I donate blood ... so they can see that I can ALSO handle BIG needles. Since immunization needles are dinky in comparison to those ones. - Michael and I watched Shuffle last night.
It was REALLY GOOD.
Michael wasn't surprised by bits, since he's pretty much Sherlock Holmes and can piece together everything. But the acting was really excellent. So was the soundtrack. The story was well-written ... I cried a bit. (Though I AM due for PMS anytime now, not going to lie.)
Michael admitted that he ALMOST shed a tear or two near the end.
But, really, it's an awesome story. I need to buy it.
If you're wondering what else is kind of like it, if you've seen Validation (with TJ Thyne. The full short movie is on YouTube), it's by the same writer. And I love that one DESPERATELY, too.
... Also ... I may have a little crush on TJ Thyne. He just seems to be such a lovely, kind man.
Reminds me of Michael, I suppose. ^_^ - I've been getting through some library books. Always a plus. Now, I'll need to return some tomorrow. And pick up another hold.
- I also have read through the first half of Schooled by Tali Nay. I bought it (1) to support her, since we went to high school together ... and (2) ... to see who I could recognize in the chapters about high school. (I was a year ahead of her in high school.)
Well, except for the people in her class, I think I recognized almost everyone. And I got a chuckle of some of the name changes ... especially for the towns and schools.
Mom asked if I found myself mentioned in there ... No. But Tali and I didn't cross paths a whole, whole lot. (Now, the question asked during the kissing scene from Music Man? ... I'll admit that, though not mentioned, that was totally Stevie and me talking. I think it was Stevie who made that remark ... whereas I? I was the one watching and muttering back to her, "Their jaws just moved in sync. Are they REALLY kissing? Like FRENCH KISSING?!?" ... Seriously, Stevie and I should have brought a microwave to have made popcorn as we analyzed. Gosh, it makes me miss her and the rest of the Comedy Troupe SO DANG MUCH when I reminisce like that. *sigh*)
Now, I need to read through the second half of the book, where Tali's gone off to college ... and I won't recognize ANYONE, since we didn't attend the same college at all. But her writing is fun, so it'll be nice. I just won't get to feel all sneaky and tabloid-trashy reading it. ;P
I think that's about everything ... everything fit to print. Ha ha.
Yeah. At least, for now.
Oh, in other (NOT) news, I totally LOVE the Essie "Penny Talk" polish. I had it on my fingers last week. I had to redo my toes ... so now my toes are all pretty and shiny. Why is "Penny Talk" never in stock at the local Target? And why does it have to be a limited release?!?!?!??? Because, if I had a bazillion dollars, I'd totally be stocking up on it RIGHT NOW.
Just sayin'.
Yeah. At least, for now.
Oh, in other (NOT) news, I totally LOVE the Essie "Penny Talk" polish. I had it on my fingers last week. I had to redo my toes ... so now my toes are all pretty and shiny. Why is "Penny Talk" never in stock at the local Target? And why does it have to be a limited release?!?!?!??? Because, if I had a bazillion dollars, I'd totally be stocking up on it RIGHT NOW.
Just sayin'.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Another HP Meme (rife with spoilers)
Though, really ... the books and the movies have been out long enough that I'm not going to apologize for any spoilers.
- My favorite of the books, generally, is Goblet of Fire.
Why? Because it's the last one where things are generally happy. After that, things get hard. And Harry's all emo for a bit. And too many people die. - You can tell that when this meme came out, not all the movies were out.
My favorite movie of the series? ... Gosh, I don't really have a favorite. I like them all. - Which film(s) made me angry for leaving stuff out? Well, I can handle most of them ... but I'm ALWAYS irritated with Goblet of Fire's film for NOT having that Rita Skeeter getting her comeuppance.
- Least favorite character? Delores Umbridge. She's the perfect example of why NOT to get fanatical and arrogant. She gives pink and cats a bad rap. Grr.
- Favorite male character? There are lots to choose from ... Probably Arthur Weasley. (Though Snape -- always trusted him!! -- and Gred and Forge are right up there, too.) I love that he loves his family and takes such good care of them ... even though finances are always tight. And his obsession with Muggle artifacts is pretty cute.
- I'm SO Ravenclaw. Always. And I think that the sorting hat would agree with me.
But I could be in Hufflepuff, since I do believe that you need to follow rules and be polite. But, really? I'm all about seeking knowledge. And I look better in blue. - For my favorite female character ... it's really a toss-up. My all-time favorites are Hermione, Luna Lovegood, Molly Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall. They're all very strong women. (Thanks, J.K. Rowling for giving me LOTS of characters to adore!!)
- Again, I'm not totally sure about which Hogwarts subject would be my favorite. DADA is always great ... but Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration all sound VERY intriguing. (And Astronomy? TAUGHT BY A CENTAUR?? TEMPTING!!)
- Least favorite male character ... hmm ... Maybe Peter Pettigrew. I just can't respect him. Or ... what's his face ... Fenrir Greyback. I don't like that he targets kids. It's NOT cool.
- HALLOWS. No contest. I'm not a Horcrux type of girl.
- Off the top of my head, I most relate to Hermione. But I love Luna. And, since I have kids, I'm starting to relate more with Molly.
- I do adore Hermione and Ron together. They are the OTP of the book.
I'm bummed, though, that Rowling has declared that Luna and Neville don't end up married to each other. I really wanted that to work out. - Again, I rather like all the movies ... so I don't have a least favorite.
- Team Harry. Most definitely.
- Oh, goodness ... I'd want to hang with Gred and Forge, of course. They'd keep things interesting.
And, since I only get ONE more, um ... Luna. Since she's smart and will accept that I'm a total weirdo. - As much as I adore Snape, he's not a very good teacher (some just aren't suited to the profession), so he wouldn't be my favorite teacher.
I'm going with McGonagall. She seems to love her profession ... which translates to striving to foster a love of learning in her students. - Well, after looking at the Pottermore Forum on this subject, I'd like to say that I'd get a cedar wand (or applewood wand) with an unicorn hair core. ... That's not what I have in Pottermore ... but it sounds nice.
- I suppose that either Half-Blood Prince or Order of the Phoenix could be considered my least favorite of the series. Harry's rather emo ... and I don't like that people start dying off like flies (not nearly as much as in Deathly Hallows, though. *sniff*) ... I don't like books where I end up sobbing ... so maybe I don't like Deathly Hallows that much ... since I didn't even get 1/3 of the way through before I was crying so hard that I couldn't read aloud to Michael. *sigh*
- The books. There's so much more detail.
HOW CAN THEY LEAVE PEEVES OUT OF THE MOVIES?!?? - Um ... would it be shallow to say Alan Rickman? ... that voice ... It's just ... well, it's awesome.
If not, then John Cleese (Nearly-Headless Nick). We could talk about lemurs.
(If you haven't seen his documentary on lemurs, you should go check it out! I kind of NEED my own DVD of it.) - Is this one character per book??
Yeah, I didn't think so.
I'm kind of torn ... At first, I'd say Sirius. Then Tonks. But, really, I think that I'd go with Fred. It PISSED ME OFF that the twins were separated. And I think that Hedwig's death was a cheap blow... mostly because I sobbed so much due to it. - Harry Potter, naturally.
I'm sorry, Twi-hards ... Edward Cullen is an Inferi of Cedric Diggory. He hangs out with an unregistered Animagus. These are serious charges.
And that's not even getting into (1) how weak of a character the LEAD FEMALE is or (2) the fact that this series AND the smut fanfic based on it have topped the best-selling charts.
I could handle The Book Thief outselling Harry Potter. But the fact that a story whose vampire legends would make Bram Stoker spin in his grave outsells it? And then BDSM fanfic on THAT hits the Bestsellers? ... I don't think I want to live on this planet anymore. /booksnobbishness. - Sirius' death.
Dumbledore's death.
Hedwig's death.
Lupin's death.
Tonk's death.
Fred's death.
"And all was well."
But, really, Sirius' and Hedwig's deaths were the ones that had me SOBBING. - As I mentioned, I'm always IRRITATED that Goblet of Fire's film doesn't show Rita Skeeter getting blackmailed by Hermione (NEVER MESS WITH A SMART GIRL. That's the moral of that story. If she can read? She can THINK. And knowledge is power.) Because, dude, Skeeter needed to learn a lesson.
... Shoddy reporting, too. If not for Umbridge, she might be my least favorite female character. - Overall, yes, I'm satisfied with the epilogue.
Like I mentioned, though, Luna and Neville really seem made for each other.
I want them married, having adorable courageous-and-intelligent babies, dang it!!! - I think "repario!" would be a great spell to be able to use. It'd save me a lot of grief. :P
I'd be willing to settle for having to use a wand ... if I could use magic. ^_^ - I've already answered this within the last few posts ... but, as much as I'd want to use the Resurrection Stone, I think it'd be safest (and best) to use the Invisibility Cloak.
- I'd hope not to have a nemesis ... but if I HAD to have one ... um ... I suppose Peeves. He's very irresponsible.
But if I hand out with Gred and Forge, THEY could handle him, right? He listened to them. (On occasion ... if it suited him.) - Being an Auror sounds interesting ... Or being a Hogwarts professor could be cool. Still, Molly Weasley makes being a wife and mother look fine, too. ^_^
- I think that HP has a little something for everyone. And I'm so glad that it got a generation (or MORE) to read and to dream and to think. I'm glad that I've read it and shared it with Michael and that we're sharing it with Bruise and Bucket.
I think that it's an important series because, though it, you do see that (even with magic) life isn't always easy or fair. You have to accept that people die. Things go wrong. People's choices affect others. You are in control of your actions. Love is powerful and cannot (and should not) be forced.
.... there's more, there's always more to write ... But it's still early and I'm not that well-rested. So I'm closing up. But it's a series that resonates with me. And I'm glad for that.
Friday, July 06, 2012
Book meme
I stole this from my Cynthia. Just so you know.
And I'm sure I've done this before (at least on Facebook). But, well, it's been a while.
The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Put an asterick next to the books you'd rather shove hot pokers in your eyes than read
5) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)
(Allanna edit: You DON'T have to do this unless you want to. I always hate it when forwards or whatever are like "Send this to five/seven/fifteen friends!!" Even the recipe ones. Yeah. I'm a jerk. I'll admit it.)
1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (Even though I've TRIED. And I read that first chapter over and over again and have NO. FREAKING. CLUE. what's going on.)
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Does this really count? It's PART of the Chronicles of Narnia. Whoever made this list has lost some respect. *sigh*)
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (Started it once. Didn't get very far. Need to try it again)
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert (One of Michael's favorites. I NEED to read it. And Children of Dune, too.)
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (Again, another of Michael's favorites.)
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (I only got through maybe HALF of it. And that was about 20 years ago. *sigh*)
And I'm sure I've done this before (at least on Facebook). But, well, it's been a while.
The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Put an asterick next to the books you'd rather shove hot pokers in your eyes than read
5) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)
(Allanna edit: You DON'T have to do this unless you want to. I always hate it when forwards or whatever are like "Send this to five/seven/fifteen friends!!" Even the recipe ones. Yeah. I'm a jerk. I'll admit it.)
1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (Even though I've TRIED. And I read that first chapter over and over again and have NO. FREAKING. CLUE. what's going on.)
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (Does this really count? It's PART of the Chronicles of Narnia. Whoever made this list has lost some respect. *sigh*)
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (Started it once. Didn't get very far. Need to try it again)
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert (One of Michael's favorites. I NEED to read it. And Children of Dune, too.)
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas (Again, another of Michael's favorites.)
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (I only got through maybe HALF of it. And that was about 20 years ago. *sigh*)
So, there are a lot of books that don't have any markings ... because I'm not that familiar with the titles.
I didn't do the astericks, because -- even though there are some books on the list that I'd prefer not to reread (as opposed to the underlined ones that I HAVE reread. More than once, for most of them) -- I could possibly go through a change of heart and want to reread them ... give them a second chance, per se. When I have time. Which seems to be, oh, NEVER right now.
Besides, if I shoved hot pokers in my eyes, I wouldn't be able to read OTHER books ... more worthwhile ones. So, yeah.
Besides, if I shoved hot pokers in my eyes, I wouldn't be able to read OTHER books ... more worthwhile ones. So, yeah.
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