Snapshot

Wet Horses

2012-01-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

When they moved some employees of my husband's company from Houston to Portland, Oregon, they tried to make the infamously rainy Pacific Northwest more appealing by relaying the true fact that it rains more in Houston than in Portland.

Moving to Portland in the middle of the very long rainy season and expecting the worst was actually a good thing. That first winter/spring, there were sunbreaks almost every day, and though it truly does rain more often than not between October and June, it's a fine drizzle that doesn't really impede people's activities. Everyone just slaps on a a rainjacket with a hood and goes about their business.

Houston rain is another issue entirely. When we have thunderstorms, we get inches of rain in a matter of hours. It's the kind of rain that defies the use of an umbrella and a rainjacket. After a year of the biggest drought in hundreds of years, we've had our typical rainfall this fall and winter. Remembering the drought and the fires makes it a little harder to complain about the inconvenience of the rain.

Driving home from Bible study (past the empty shopping center parking lots, since a really bad thunderstorm is about the only thing that keeps the busy suburbanites home), I drove past this pasture (right in the midst of the suburban sprawl -- yet another unique and interesting Houston fact of life).

These horses were wet. Noticeably really wet. They had been standing in the rain for 3 hours. But they continued on -- eating, waiting to air dry, enjoying little horsie fellowship. There are times that my plans get interrupted. Lunch dates have to be rescheduled, leisure time takes a back seat to work or meeting others' needs or something. But rain is good. The Maker of man, horses, rain, and even droughts knows this. I'm trying to learn to be flexible -- to go with the flow. Maybe the next time my fur is ruffled, I'll think of the complacent wet horses, moving on with their life's work after the downpour.

What's on My Nightstand -- January

2012-01-24T10:40:00.003-05:00

I made some reading goals along with my other 2012 goals this year: read 12 books "just for me" this year, and keep accurate records of what I'm reading. I'm doing okay on both of those, having read one book "just for me" (in addition to another one I read in December, pre-goal!).

Reading breakdown for the month: Read: 1 1/2 adult fiction, 2 YA fiction, 2 1/4 nonfiction. Audiobooks: 1 YA and 1 Nonfiction.

Recently reviewed:

Steve Jobs audiobook (5 Stars!)
How to Be a Best Friend Forever (giveaway still open!)
Crossed (giveaway open through today!)
Issues-driven historical fiction

Goals for this month:

Roam: A Novel with Music by Alan Lazar -- carried over from last month
Finish Falling Together, from last month's list
Finish Tim Challies' The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion -- from last month's list, not doing very well!
Also carried over the Middle Grade novel The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Amanda and I just snatch a few minutes a day with our read-aloud, but we'll finish this month for sure: Home for the Holidays (Mother Daughter Book Club)The reading of Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic with Kyle has been slower, because I haven't really been making an effort, so I'd like to finish it.

New on the list -- all for review:

Maybe (but probably not!)

Audiobooks (getting behind on these as well!)

Life is Funny -- YA
They Never Came Back -- YA from Caroline B. Cooney
The Fault in Our Stars -- a new YA John Green book I'm looking forward to (this month or next month)
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie, by Dean Koontz, maybe (or next month for sure)

What's on Your Nightstand?

Words I Never Thought I'd Hear

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

The view from my room

I stepped into the elevator ready to hit the Santa Monica pier promenade. A hotel employee was in the elevator as well (in a good hotel, the hotel employees are everywhere, and the Casa Del Mar is an amazing hotel). I got off before him, and as I exited he said, "Enjoy your run!"

Proof -- After!

Who me? Yes, me. I had my ipod, my hair was in a ponytail, and I was appropriately dressed in my running shoes and capris! What's even weirder than being pegged as a runner was my mental response to his exhortation: "Yes, I am looking forward to it."

Here I was on ~~vacation~~ a business trip and I was choosing to take up part of my morning with a run. And I was looking forward to it. Yes, I've stayed on track with one of my 2012 goals to start running. I've increased my speed and endurance fairly slowly, but I'm up to running 3 minutes and then walking 3 minutes (which I do 5 times in one session). Next week I'll officially be running more than I'm walking. After starting and failing a few times, I'm amazed (and proud).

The weather in Houston is okay for year-round running, but in Southern California, it's perfect. After I got to the hotel Friday, I did my first exploration of the area. Walking down to the beach, I saw a dude getting out of his BMW wearing a wetsuit (stripped to the waist of course) and unpacking his surfboard. On the boardwalk, people biked, skated, walked, ran -- you name it.

In fact, I found out that this site was the original "Muscle Beach." And indeed there were people using the rings and other stationary equipment to tone up (or show off). A grassy square invited stretching and yoga (and on one occasion when I passed by -- hand-walking).

I did enjoy my run, and I look forward to more runs, in my boring neighborhood, and hopefully in other places as vibrant as Santa Monica. I love New York, but LA has a laid-back comfortable vibe that's growing on me.

*****

I posted some more pictures of this beautiful hotel and told why I think that the Casa Del Mar is a great Readers' Hotel over at 5 Minutes for Books in the On Reading column today. Please check it out.

Lunch for/with the New Mother

2012-01-20T01:11:00.000-05:00

A dear friend of mine recently had her second child. Last week I went over to her house (making it easy for her -- keeping her baby and toddler in their own setting), but I brought the lunch and I also brought her dinner for that night.

It was all a big hit, and I got all the recipes off the Hidden Valley Ranch Recipes page. I'm really proud to be on the parent panel again (changed from the "mom panel," since we have two dads contributing this year!), and one of the things I hope to do is to try out some of the recipes and share the ones I like.

Double Onion Quiche, Hidden Valley Ranch recipe

For lunch I made the Double Onion Quiche. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Angela and I both loved this dish. I'll definitely make it again, and she thought it was the kind of thing she could make and serve on a mom-friend playdate. On the side, I served the veggie-filled Crunchy Pea Salad, another total keeper. Her two-year-old enjoyed this as well. This made a great ladies' salad lunch, but I think it would be a good side salad for any meal.

Hidden Valley Ranch Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese

The dinner I left her was the Smoked Sausage Macaroni and Cheese. I had also made this for my kids the weekend before when my husband and I went out to dinner. I'll be honest -- it's very very Ranch-y. If you don't like Ranch, you won't like this**. When I made it for Angela (after verifying that she and her husband did indeed like Ranch dressing), I used slightly less than the cup called for, and I increased the milk. I also used half Bacon Ranch and half Hidden Valley Ranch Light. I think that this made it a much better dish because the flavors were more complex.

Both times I used regular smoked sausage instead of the mini smoked sausages called for. I used small shells one time and rotini pasta another. It's a very kid-friendly meal, so I think it's a perfect meal to give to a new mom with other young kids at home. My 13-year-old daughter really liked it, and asked me to make it again soon. My 7-year-old son, who probably eats more Ranch than the rest of us, wouldn't really try it, because "You know I don't like macaroni and cheese," and he was reading the recipe on the computer as I was making it, so once he read the title, he decided against it. I told him it was more of a Ranch sauce, not mac-and cheese (and that's true -- it doesn't have the consistency of a mac-n-cheese dish either homemade baked, or out of the box), but no go. I'm hoping that he might try it the next time.

I'm excited about mixing up our mealtime over the next couple of months.

**My husband doesn't like that creamy Ranch taste, so recipes using the bottled dressing aren't probably going to go over well with him. The recipes that use the dry seasoning are fine, but I'll have to be cautious with ones using a large amount of the bottled dressing, such as the mac and cheese.

What Friendship Means to Me

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

"I got it for you with extra pickles, because that's how I like it. I hope you like it with extra pickles."

My second pregnancy ended early in my second trimester. I had to go through labor and delivery, which I wasn't looking forward to. I was in a drug-induced haze much of that morning, but I remember things very clearly from that day over 9 years ago: Terry's concerned face, nearby the whole day, our pastor and his wife and my Sunday School director there praying with us before the procedure started, my best friend holding the tray when the drugs made me sick, and Allie's sandwich. She brought Terry and me some Chick-Fil-A for dinner, infinitely better than hospital food, which was nice enough in itself, but what struck me was that she wanted us to have the best chicken sandwich that she could order.

That was obviously a low point in our lives, but the outpouring of love and concern -- the way people went out of their way to come alongside us, the phone calls and notes I received from others who had gone through similar ordeals -- all of that sweetness made the bitterness much easier to swallow.

In How to Be a Best Friend Forever, Dr. John Townsend explores friendship, and one of the things he opens with is friendship in crisis. Yes, I like to laugh with my friends, I like to travel with them, to celebrate with them, but knowing that my friends are there for me when times are hard bonds us together in a way that a good time never could.

When there's conflict in my marriage, when my kids disappoint me or I blow it as a mom, I have friends I can turn to. I know that they'll listen, I know they'll understand, and they'll support me -- or if necessary, tell me that I need to modify my thinking.

One of the qualities of a best friend is being there. Last week, one of my best friends told me that she had committed to spend significant time last week to figure out a direction she should go. I called her towards the end of the week and asked her about it.

"I was hoping you'd call," she said as she shared what decisions she had made.

Was she testing me? Not really. By telling me her plans and asking me to pray for her, she showed her trust and expectation for me to follow-through. She was expressing her need that I as a friend express my care by remembering.

GIVEAWAY: I really enjoyed this slim volume that reinforced what I know I do right in friendship and challenged me to go even deeper. If you read my full review of How to Be a Best Friend Forever at 5 Minutes for Mom, you can leave a comment and enter to win (U.S. and Canadian shipping addresses are eligible). You can also leave a comment here for an extra entry (but you must leave a comment on the review post).

You can also get an additional entry by reading and commenting the Five Friendship Rules to Live By excerpt from the book on 5 Minutes for Books.

I'd love to hear about a special friendship memory you have.

In the morning and in the evening

2012-01-14T09:41:00.001-05:00

Last night Kyle and I dropped Amanda off at a friend's house (because that's what parents of teenagers do). We came home and had about half an hour before Terry would be home for our "night out as a family of 3" dinner. I cranked up the gas logs, and we both did this:

Twelve hours later, as the early birds in the house, we were both doing this:

His beverage was hot chocolate, mine was coffee, but we both had our blankies and our books.

It was a great way to start the day.

Standing Tall

2012-01-12T18:50:00.000-05:00

For the last several months, there's been an ongoing debate about who is taller -- me or Amanda (13). We frequently assume this pose.

In late November or early December, she went to the doctor and she measured 5 feet 5 1/4 inches, so I knew she was getting really really close, but I was still taller. However at a recent family gathering, Amanda was measuring up to her 14-year-old cousin (she was taller) and my grandmother who says she's 5' 8," but at 91 years old she's way shorter than me. In fact, the last time I saw her, she asked me if I was still growing!

And so Amanda and I stood back to back, and the overwhelming consensus was that she was taller. I couldn't believe it -- I demanded a picture. And the picture speaks for itself.

What strikes me about this picture is how exactly our hair color and texture matches. I have never ever put anything on my hair -- highlights, dye, etc., and I was beginning to feel a little drab and faded, but look -- I'm lustrous like a teenager!

People say we look just alike. I see a resemblance, and we are to the point where we are confused on the phone by her friends, my friends, and even my husband/her father!

I'm proud that she's like me in some ways, but it seems that week after week, month after month, I see her standing taller and prouder as her own person, and I like that even more.

My Kids' Book Picks

2012-01-09T15:11:00.000-05:00

As always, I'm joining in at 5 Minutes for Books and sharing what my kids have enjoyed reading this past month.

Amanda, age 13:

Last month she had just started Twilight. Between now and then she finished that one and then also read the 2nd and 3rd books in the series and has started Breaking Dawn.

I asked for her thoughts on the books for this post:

"They are stupid. They are good enough to keep reading, but they are still stupid."

I think that's her way of saying that the plot is good, but the writing isn't great. Also, I know that she is very annoyed by Bella.

Then I asked her about Crossed, which we both read this month: "I loved Crossed. It was more romance book-ish than Matched" (book 1 in the series which she also liked).

I've linked to my review of Crossed which will be live on 5 Minutes for Books at noon Eastern today. There's a giveaway too, so you should definitely check it out.

Kyle, age 7 1/2:

Kyle is still firmly ensconced in Calvin and Hobbes, but he did like the Peanuts collection I got him at Christmas as well.

As for "real books," he has found out that he enjoys some of the Boxcar Children books (the later, cheesier, more modern ones), but he's still reluctant to try out some books that are on his AR level (4th grade). Since I work in his school library, I always do research for him. The Hank Zipzer and Encyclopedia Brown books are both on his level, and I keep suggesting them, but so far he is resisting. Any real kid endorsements I can pass on to him regarding either of this series??

Christmas in Washington, D.C.

2012-01-09T15:10:00.001-05:00

Whenever my kids have had to do school assignments looking at our family culture and tradition, we are sort of left out in the cold. We're American. We don't really have any deep ethnic or cultural roots. From what I can tell that's common in the South, whereas in New England some people were more tied in to their Italian or German or Scandinavian roots (I'd love to know if this is your perspective as well).

When it comes to traditions, ours are fairly traditional. We invite people over for Thanksgiving, and as I've thought back on on the years that we hosted, we often welcome a wide variety of friends and family. We eat traditional dishes unique to our own family. That's tradition, right?

Christmas again involves get togethers with family and specific gift-exchanging traditions. But one thing that I always remind my children of is the tradition of seeing the decorations in Washington D.C.'s President's Park. Since my husband's family lives there, and we spend practically every Christmas there, it's something that we've seen every year.

There are many families who visit there each year. There are many people who visit from different states and countries. But our tradition is all our own. For one thing, though we plan the evening we're going to visit well in advance of a weather forecast, it is often the coldest night of our entire stay. This year, the temperatures were quite mild for December, but the night we went? Cold and in the 40's. And after viewing the big tree and the state tree and watching the trains for a while, there's usually ice cream. You really can't go wrong with a traditional night out that involves ice cream, can you?

Washington, D.C. is a pretty magical place. Anytime you drive in and see all the monuments lit up it almost takes your breath away, but Christmas is an especially awe-inspiring time.

********

If you like Washington, D.C. as a setting, be sure you click over to 5 Minutes for Books and enter to win a copy of the unique collection of stories Cherry Blossom Capers.

Also, I have to say that I am very irritated with Blogger at the moment. I've spent many hours trying to upload pictures (even downsizing them before I do so), and something is happening where they aren't coming through (the one above is nothing compared to the gobbledygook I've gotten). It reminds me of the old days when Blogger used to take ages when traffic was high, and since I'm trying to blog better -- which I actually did in the old days -- maybe it's okay to tap into that frustration. Since it's been almost 2 weeks since we returned from this trip, it was time to post regardless.

My 2012 Goals

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm intentionally not calling them resolutions. I don't know why. Perhaps it seems trite, and yet, here I am posting a list on my blog, which is just as expected and hackneyed. But somehow I like the idea of setting goals as opposed to making resolutions, though I do like this particular definition: A course of action determined or decided on.

Lately I've been plenty aware of my shortcomings -- how precious my time is, and how I'm wasting much of it -- and that leads me to make tweaks in my habits throughout the year, which is wise, but I can't let the calendar switch over to 2012 without aggregating some of those goals and yes, even dreams:

Reading: I posted some reading goals in the "On Reading" column at 5 Minutes for Books today.
Writing: Oh, I could say so much here about how I'd like to blog more, but it will fall on empty ears, because it is truly a hackneyed and trite thought. However, I'm setting a goal to write more this year. I started this blog as a place to write -- not necessarily to journal the trivial events of my life, but as a place to express my thoughts and pull them together in a somewhat organized fashion. Years ago, I think the blog served that purpose, but now it doesn't. So, some of this "writing" might appear on this blog (theoretically and wishfully about 3 to 4 times a week); some of it might be in the "On Reading" columns at 5 Minutes for Books. I might make steps towards a pie-in-the-sky dream of writing fiction by actually writing some fiction.
Doing: I am not gifted in the home arts -- cleaning, organizing, home finances. All of that falls short. I'd like to set a goal of spending 2 hours per week on these activities. That can include meal planning, which I used to love but don't do so much anymore, or reorganizing a closet, or cleaning out a junk drawer. By the time I tackle all the "need to's," it will be time to hit them all again.
Running: Last year, I decided to be a runner. I tried. I floundered. I still had the desire, but I was frustrated. I'm going to give it another try, largely thanks to this book, which has given me some additional instruction and inspiration. I want to do this for general fitness, weight control, it's a hobby that Terry and I could share, and it's exercise that I could do pretty much year-round outdoors here in Houston.
Connecting: I don't want to use busyness as an excuse to crowd out people. There's no quantitative (or is it qualitative) goal attached here, but I know when I'm doing it and when I'm not. When I follow through with that instinct to call a friend or invite someone to lunch, I'm connecting. When I surf the net, go through a drive-through alone, or watch mindless TV instead of phoning a friend, I'm not.
Devoting: This is the word that's been in my mind and on my heart in regards to my spiritual life. I don't want to simply go through the ritual of church and Bible study and prayer. I want my life to be marked by devotion. Again, I'm not exactly sure what this looks like, but I think it involves a conscious effort to feed my mind with Christian teachings and writing, to respond to God when He guides me in a certain direction. I think that Christian music will help keep my focus on Him throughout my day to day life.
Accounting: I'd like to evaluate myself monthly or quarterly in these areas.

Do you set goals? Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for me in any of these areas??

What's on my Nightstand -- December 2011

2011-12-27T11:48:00.002-05:00

Forgive the lack of formatting or pictures or anything. I've been visting family, and have forgone computer time for real-time interactions with real-life breathing people. Crazy, right? I've also interacted with my new Kindle Fire< and some real books too. On my Nightstand this month, I have some books that will help me reach my new goal for 2012 (find out more about that in the On Reading column this Sunday at 5 Minutes for Books). I also have review titles, of course.

I have enjoyed some "free reading" time and would like to finish these three books that I've started this week: Promise the Night, Run Your Butt Off! and Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.
As soon as Amanda finishes Crossed by Ally Condie (the sequel to Matched) I'll be reading that for a Scholastic book club review that I need to post this week.
Hopefully One Moment, One Morning is waiting for me when I get back home so that I can do a quick read for an upcoming giveaway.
I got a lovely note from author Katherine Applegate asking if I'd like to review her new middle grade fiction novel The One and Only Ivan. I was a bit star-struck to be honest, because Katherine Applegate is a very well-published author. This book looks quite different from her other titles like Animorphs.
Roam: A Novel with Music by Alan Lazar
Falling Together will be my first Marisa de los Santos novel, and a friend has said that it's good, but not her best. I still look forward to it.
I've started Steve Jobs on audiobook, and it's very long, but quite riveting. I also hope to listen to The 10 p.m. Question.
A friend and I are going to try to go through Tim Challies' The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion which is a sure-fire way to insure that I finish it.
The books I'm reading aloud with the kids right now are Home for the Holidays (Mother Daughter Book Club)- Amanda, and Toys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic with Kyle.

You can find out what other bloggers are reading each month on the 4th Tuesday of each month at What's on Your Nightstand at 5 Minutes for Books.

Gone too Soon

2011-12-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

My aunt's husband, my husband's grandfather, my grandfather.
My friend's best friend, my friend's father,
and most recently -- Just a few weeks ago --
My friend's husband, my contemporary.

They all were gone too soon.
Their lives shortened by cancer.
It's too late for them, but there are so many who it's not:
A friend who just got the dreaded diagnosis,
A friend in remission, who holds her breath at every checkup.

We've all been touched by cancer.
We've seen victory and we've seen defeat.
Here's to more victory, more birthdays, less defeat.

This post is sponsored by American Cancer Society, but my opinions, and the poem, are my own.

Unexpected Reading Choices

2011-12-13T08:52:00.000-05:00

My Kids' Picks post this month revolves around some very unexpected choices (see more at 5 Minutes for Books)

The first is the fact that my chatty and self-control challenged son has now been grounded from books!

Specifically, he's been grounded from Calvin and Hobbes. A year ago, I was concerned that though Kyle could read well, he never wanted to. Now, after a wonderful summer of reading, and specifically a found ~~obsession~~ love of Calvin and Hobbes cartoon books this fall, it's something SO dear to him, that I'm leveraging it against him.

That's what I call unexpected.

He's already lost computer privileges and been disciplined in other ways, but after a bad report last week, I told him that if he got another note on his conduct chart before Christmas, he'd be grounded from Calvin and Hobbes. He came home yesterday with a somber look and the news that he had gotten a note. I asked if he knew what that meant, and he did, and boy was there some sadness at that punishment being put into place!

For the past few months, I'd say he easily logs 5 or more hours of week of comic reading. When he gets up in the morning, he spends a few minutes reading, then takes the current anthology to the table to read while he eats his Pop Tart (Do you allow reading at the table???). He always takes a collection in the car with him when we are driving anywhere, even for the 10 minute ride to church.

A punishment should be felt, and this one will be. I've made my point, and I hope that I have confirmation that his behavior has improved, and I'll lift the ban for the weekend. I don't allow him to count the comics towards his school 20-minute a night reading homework, so he does still read -- and enjoy -- other books. He's currently reading his longest book ever, at 209 pages (since long books are still intimidating to him even if they are on his level), Melonhead by Katy Kelly. He's also enjoyed checking out the Franny K. Stein: Mad Scientist books at school, as recommended by his 2nd grade classmates.

Amanda (13) has let her curiosity (and her friends' badgering) get the best of her. She's now on book two of Twilight Series. She's been trying to get her friend to read The Hunger Games, and they made a deal to swap favorites. Her friend loves romance (and apparently sparkly vampires), and sure enough after getting into the Hunger Games, the romantic triangle is appealing to her.

When Amanda started Twilight, she said the writing was bad (That's my girl!!), but then I saw a post on her Facebook page once she had gotten 100 or so pages into it: "That awkward moment when you actually like Twilight..."

She says Bella annoys her (yay!), but she likes the plot, which I've heard from my adult friends who have been sucked in as well (no pun intended, but it's pretty punny, no?). Two years ago I posted about young girls wanting to read Twilight. I was quite sure that I was right in not letting her read them then, but it's fine now. And looking back at that post, I look forward to discussing it with her when I read it. I don't know if the whole series will suck me in or not, but I am going to read the first one, maybe even over Christmas.

Have your kids surprised you with any reading choices? I invite you to follow me on twitter @jenndon or subscribe to my feed

Under 35? Listen up! Over 35? Commiserate!

2011-12-11T22:36:00.001-05:00

This is not really the season to be discussing this, but I feel I must. In spite of the fact that all of you are going around guzzling eggnog* and eating fudge and pie and hor d'oerves, there's something that must be said.

It's all uphill after 35.

If you have 5 (or 10 or 20) pounds to lose and you are lucky to have the metabolism of someone in her early 30's, buckle down and shed those pounds now, because if your body is anything like mine, the pounds will come on more easily and they will not come off.

I had Kyle when I was 33. A couple of months after he was born, I buckled down and lost the weight. In fact, I think that at some point after I was as small as I've ever been. But something happened a few years later. Pounds crept back on and the scale inched towards its all-time high. I would have a week or two of concerted good eating and exercise -- and . . . .

That's right -- nothing. Or very little anyway. It's frustrating.

Last spring was the worst. Those of you older than me can tell me if I can expect it to keep on getting worse, but I was 40 years old, I was doing a very intense workout and was dedicated to doing it 4 times a week. I did it for two months straight. I also watched what I ate, but I wasn't majorly cutting calories. However, the net loss was approximately nothing. Talk about discouraging!!

This is a public service announcement. If you are under 35, it's not too late, but it might be soon!! Lose weight now while you can!! The alternative is that you can just buy some bigger jeans and bras and learn to live with the new you.

I'm not giving up yet, and when I started tracking my eating last month, I realized that my "occasional" splurges were probably more regular, so that could be more at fault than I reckoned last Spring.

*Kyle loves the stuff, and at Thanksgiving I bought him some pumpkin eggnog, but I happened to look at the calories for a 4 ounce serving -- yes half a cup -- and my first sip was my last.

An Empty Square

2011-12-08T08:13:00.001-05:00

I really love my BusyBodyBook Planner. I use those little squares to fill in my regular weekly activities, like Bible study and school volunteering, and then I use the space/squares to the right of that first column to just scrawl, as you can see.

This morning I noticed I have an empty square -- blessedly free of any commitment, any place to be, and even anything that doesn't usually end up in that square like a trip to the grocery store (but sometimes ends up somewhere in the scrawl to the right). I'm wearing my big oversized hoodie sweatshirt and jeans and I probably won't even put on makeup.

When I was getting Amanda off to school, she reminded me of something that is not on there. On Tuesday, she told me she was staying after school all this week to work on a mural with her art class, so I will be going to pick her up later, but honestly I don't even have to put on shoes if I don't want to, and because this is the last day, she's staying until 5:00pm or so, so that's a long way away.

There are other things that are swirling through my head this morning. There are Cybils books that need to be read, there are reviews to be written, and posts covering my recent press junket that have to be finished (Chipwrecked and We Bought a Zoo). Closets need to be culled and presents need to be wrapped. There are a couple of friends on my mind who I'd love to call. My dog is whining at the front door for her morning doggie playdate walk that will occur after the kids get on the bus this morning.

There's never a truly empty square, but even though there's much to be done, I'm thankful that I get to stay home and do it all.

Decking the Halls -- I Finally Did It!!

2011-12-06T08:40:00.001-05:00

You may wonder why the word "finally" is in the title. After all, it's only December 6, though Thanksgiving weekend is when many people decorate especially here in the South (I did notice that in New England, many people waited a week or two longer). The "finally" refers to the fact that unlike recent years where I've been a little Grinchy about decorating, I've done it up right. I even got out my Christmas dishes and coffee mugs. It's been years and YEARS since I did that. Christmas cards? Well, that's another story. Sigh. Where does the time go??

More on the "A" sweatshirts that they both LOVE coming soon!

We picked out our Christmas tree Texas-style. Instead of trudging through the cold and chopping down a tree off a family lot as we did when we lived in Connecticut (that is, when we actually got a tree, which might just have been 4 or 5 out of 7 Christmases -- shame!!), we visited our local home improvement warehouse. For less than $30, we got a lovely 6 - 7 foot tree. However, with our high ceilings, it looks a little tiny, so we definitely need to go with the 9 foot next year. Baby steps. And it was so cute watching Kyle help Terry set it up (and much better than the marital disharmony that results when I try to help).

You can read all about it, and see even more pictures over at 5 Minutes for Mom. Please click over there now.

What's on My Nightstand, November

2011-11-22T08:05:00.001-05:00

If it weren't for the 2 monthly link-ups at 5 Minutes for Books, I would be blogging even less frequently! I do plan to post more, but the subject of this Nightstand post explains why it hasn't been happening much over the last 6 weeks. It's Cybils time. As a Round I Middle Grade Fiction judge all of those books are on my list!

At this point, I've read over 60 books, but there are 143 on the list! I know I will not read all the books, and I'm not required too. I am part of an incredible panel, and at this point, over 100 of them have been read by 3 or more of the 7 panelists. So they are all being given a fair shake. But I would like to tackle at least 40 more before we deliberate in late December.

So my "Nightstand" has consisted of books everywhere.

Books in progress under my coffee table:

Recently received review copies on the shelves in my closet:

And most of all, a giant bag of library books:

There are some great books here, and I just need to get to reading!!

You can find out what other bloggers are reading each month on the 4th Tuesday of each month at What's on Your Nightstand at 5 Minutes for Books.

What my Kids are Reading - November

2011-11-08T13:09:00.001-05:00

As always my kids have been reading, and they do have some recommendations. Amanda's 8th grade schoolwork is keeping her busy, so she's not reading as much as usual, but she has enjoyed reading some of the Cybils nominees with me.

One of her favorites (which I have not yet read) is The Detention Club. She highly recommends it, and it's in my stack, and I hope to get to it soon. She also loved revisiting Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero, and I think she enjoyed it as much as she read it the first time.

My 2nd grader Kyle has been doing a fair amount of independent reading. He and Calvin and Hobbes are inseparable! When he wakes in the morning, he reads a few pages. He generally takes them to the breakfast table with him. He brings them along in the car as well, frequently reading aloud a strip that he particularly likes. I'm so glad that he's become so immersed in the world of books and find them to be a friend to cheer him.

However, though I'm thrilled and encourage him, I still insist on "real" books, and fortunately, he enjoys them too. He has particularly enjoyed reading through the Magic Tree House Merlin Missions, and I've even got him reading one of the Cybils nominees that I liked and that is aimed to a younger audience. You can read my full review on Cinderella Smith today over at 5 Minutes for Books (with his full review to come later).

Find more Kids' Picks over at 5 Minutes for Books the 2nd Tuesday of each month!

Costumes!

2011-11-01T18:30:00.000-04:00

I love letting my kids think about their costumes each year and getting creative with them as we put them together. I've probably only bought a handful of costumes (and many of the more homemade ones look just that way -- not necessarily a good thing!).

This year Amanda wanted to be "a girl Where's Waldo." Apparently there are even names for the "girl costume" online, Wenda. She had the blue skirt, and searched for a red and white striped shirt to no avail. So we ordered the shirt and beanie as a part of the costume, and she rounded it out with the tights. She also bought the Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail stickers in red and white that I hope will make a yuletide appearance as well (she loves these and likes to give them as gifts as well).

Kyle at first planned on being a mad scientist, but he wavered. He finally decided on the Ninja. The $6 plastic Ninja tools that I bought at Target have been worth the money so far. He plays with them all the time (run to Target and get them on clearance now for even less!). Add those to black wind pants and a black turtleneck, and he was set.

We also had some other opportunities to dress up last week. Friday was crazy hair day, so we sprayed on the blue color (which was mostly worn off by the time he got home -- strange).

At church Sunday, they were encouraged to wear their "non-scary" costumes. He asked and a Ninja was deemed as scary, so I got to use my creative juices. We had a Team Impact rally all last week. They are a group of Christian strong men who use their skills and strength to draw people so that they can share about how Christ changed their lives. They were incredible, and if you have a chance to see them, I highly recommend you go! So -- Kyle was a member of Team Impact. He has the logo on his tank, and we used an off-white shirt (the closest we could find to flesh-colored) to cover his "muscles." The muscles were floaties on his arm (half inflated and taped on), and his abs and pecs were those smallish air packing bricks. Very fun and easy!

The dog was not happy for me to try to dress her. The bandana stayed on, but the hat did not :)

Our neighbors were very generous, to the point where Kyle complained that his bucket was too heavy! We went with the neighbors across the street, which was fun.

We went with the neighbors across the street, which was fun. The boy is road kill, another cheap homemade idea. Boys of that age LOVE blood, so he has some blood on his face and his shirt, which his mom ran over after she painted her tires!

What's on my Nightstand, October

2011-10-25T08:40:00.000-04:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. My last post was exactly a month ago -- last month's Nightstand post. Well, THIS month's Nightstand post might explain why.

Since the beginning of October, I've been furiously reading as many of the 2011 Cybils Middle Grade Fiction nominees as I can. That has meant spending hours browsing my online library catalog, putting books on hold, and taking trips to the library -- as well as hours spent reading, of course!! My goal has been a book a day, and I've read at least 25 books in the last three weeks, but that's not going to get me through all of the 144 nominees before the end of December when I'll be deliberating with my panel to narrow the list down to a group of finalists to send on to the judges. I have to get busy!! (Edited after reading several comments to clarify that I am not required to read all the nominees. As a group we have to read them all and then we focus on the ones that people think are worthy of further consideration, but I would like to read as many as I can). I'm not going to list the books, but you can browse through the whole list on your own. I will say that I have about 25 library books here at home with me right now. I can also share a couple reviews in which I shared about a few of the titles that I've read recently (I also need to make time to write more reviews):

I did manage to squeeze in a non-Cybils book that I enjoyed a lot. My review of Running Away to Home is up at 5 Minutes for Mom (with giveaway).
The Grand Plan to Fix Everything
Middle School Magic
The newest Alvin Ho
Short and Meaty fiction
Fitting In --- 3 delightful books that explore this common theme
and an On Reading post sharing why I enjoy reading KidLit so much

Find out what others are reading at What's on My Nightstand at 5 Minutes for Books.

September - What's on my Nightstand?

2011-09-27T11:09:00.002-04:00

I love to read. I know that I needed to clarify that for some of you who think of me as an exercise junkie or a baker extraordinaire or a green-thumbed genius. Nope, I'm none of those things. I just like to read. What's that you say? I didn't need to clarify that for you? Am I that obvious? My nightstand has two parts. Part one are books that are currently 1/3 to 1/2-way finished. I would like to finish these:

In addition to mine and Amanda's read-aloud 13 Gifts by the understated-ly humorous Wendy Mass, shown above, Kyle and I are still working our way through The Secret Zoo. I am listening to The Distant Hours by Kate Morton on my ipod. It's a bookish gothic-type story, very similar to the Thirteenth Tale.

I've never read Ellen Hopkins' novels in verse, but I'll be getting immersed. I have Perfect, a YA novel, as an audiobook, and her first adult novel Triangles to read in this upcoming month.

I'm also looking forward to my first Marisa de los Santos novel Falling Together, and am quite intrigued of A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown, which is loaded on my Kindle.

I also hope to participate in the Maud Hart Lovelace challenge at A Library is a Hospital for the Mind (one of the best blog names ever!!). It's good timing, because the next book in the Mother-Daughter Bookclub series Home for the Holidays features Betsy-Tacy (and that will be mine and Amanda's next read-aloud)! I read some of the younger books I think, and I know Amanda read one or two, so at the author Heather Vogel Frederick's suggestion as the best tie-in to the new book, I will for sure read Betsy in Spite of Herself.

Find out what other booklovers are reading at the What's on Your Nightstand carnival at 5 Minutes for Books.

Fall into Reading, 2011

2011-09-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

When I did Katrina's first challenge, several years ago now, I made a commitment to read more books. I've always loved reading, but I realized I missed reading, since I was spending my time in other ways. Since then, I've become an online book reviewer at 5 Minutes for Books and 5 Minutes for Mom, the number of books I read isn't an issue.

Including reading chapter books aloud with my kids, which I try to do, I easily complete 4 or 5 each month, and often many more (especially if you take into consideration my love of audiobooks, which adds at least one to the total each month).

I do still have the same problem of buying books and not reading them, and continuing to push aside books that I really want to read.

So, for this challenge, in addition to many review books that I know I'll be reading, I am going to make a short list of books I'd really like to get to from my personal collection. I've done this before, and failed, but we'll see what happens.

My Own Country: A Doctor's Story by Abraham Verghese (I first read this memoir years ago -- many years ago, and have always wanted to revisit it)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Next Story by Tim Challies
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

There are more. Many many more. I'm not even putting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) on the list because I've lost all my credibility in regards to that title, since it's shown up on so many of my What's on Your Nightstand lists or Fall and Spring Challenges. If I read it, I'll be shouting from the rooftops, but I'm not making any promises.

Also, want to commit to keep reading with my kids. I'm in the middle of two different books with Kyle and Amanda, and I'd like to finish those and read one more with each of them before fall's end (The Penderwicks at Point Mouette being one of them). If you want to participate in Katrina's Fall into Reading challenge, and even be eligible to win some prizes, check out her informational post. She's even made it easy for non-bloggers. You can also just browse through other people's lists (but be warned, you'll suddenly become aware of many books you HAVE to read).

I invite you to subscribe to my feed, or follow me @jenndon on twitter. You can also subscribe to the 5 Minutes for Books' feed or on Facebook

What My Kids Have Been Reading - September

2011-09-13T11:39:00.001-04:00

Seriously, is there anything more satisfying than THIS scene?

The last Kids' Picks came right in the midst of our vacation to the Grand Canyon (which I am still in process of sharing), so I missed it, however I'll make up for it now.

What Amanda is reading a series that she started right before we left and is still chewing on, and in addition to what Kyle's been reading this last month, I'm going to share the series that he discovered around the time of our vacation as well.

Kyle, 2nd grade, age 7

Kyle has been enjoying two new literary characters: Humphrey and Alvin Ho.

I saw Surprises According to Humphrey and Friendship According to Humphrey in the audiobook section of the library, when I was looking for some books to take on our vacation. I didn't even know those existed, but Amanda read The World According to Humphrey in 4th grade as part of her school's "One School, One Read" program, which means it's the kind of book that will appeal to 1st through 4th grade, so I thought that would be perfect for him. I got the two audiobooks (which is an awesome way to enjoy a long road trip), books 2 and 3 in the series, and a print copy of the first one. He loved them!

When we were in Flagstaff, Amanda and I went to Barnes and Noble (more on that below), and I noticed that Summer According to Humphrey was one of the books that children could select after completing the reading challenge. I grabbed the form, went back across the street and filled in all of the books he had already read (over 6 just on the trip!), and then returned and got the book.

I asked him why he liked the Humphrey books, which take place in a school classroom and is told from the point of view of Humphrey the hamster. He said that they are exciting and interesting. I don't care what they are. I am just happy that he got lost in the story.

I read the 3rd book in the Alvin Ho series (first to me, linked to my review) for the Cybils last year. After Kyle plowed through some other books this summer, I introduced him to Alvin Ho, who is neurotic, funny, with just a tad bit of attitude. He loved them! In the last few weeks, he's read all 4, culminating with the most recent one that just published today (that I was offered as a part of the Amazon Vine reviewer program): Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances.

Amanda, 8th grade, age 13

Amanda has been all about Michael Grant's Gone series, about a society in which all the adults disappear. The teens experience all sorts of things including Hunger, Lies, and Plague. She's reading that one now, after plowing through the first 3 500+ page books on vacation (We made the trip to B&N in Flagstaff to buy the 3rd one for her, since she was almost out of books, and we still had a long trip home). These books have been around a while. I'm not sure why she hadn't read them, but I know she'll be anxiously awaiting the 5th book, which isn't coming out until April.

I'm sharing my Kids' Picks, and you can read others and share your own at 5 Minutes for Books on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Collecting Quarters

2011-09-11T23:19:00.001-04:00

Each morning as my children get ready to head out the door to catch the school bus, I issue last-minute reminders.

Brush your teeth -- with toothpaste!
Pack your backpack. Make sure you have homework/notes/signed papers/your lunch.
Turn off the lights upstairs on your way down.

Every day the reminders are the same. Most of them are pretty routine to them and would probably be accomplished without the reminders. However, I feel like the gentle nudges keep things moving along and avoid a last-minute rush or panic.

But then whenever I go upstairs during the day, I end up turning lights off in Kyle's sink area, their shared bath, Amanda's bedroom and closet.

Every day.

I decided that I would start issuing an electric surcharge. I told them so, and even gave Kyle a final reminder as he headed out the door, "Did you turn out the lights?"

"Yep."

When he came home, I told him that he owed me 50 cents, because he left the lights on in his sink area and the bathroom. It didn't really bug him. "I'll pay you when I go to bed, because I'll be near my money."

I forgot to ask when he went to bed, but he remembered the next morning and brought it to me. The threat of a fine has worked better for Amanda, who is truly learning and appreciating the value of a buck (and even of silver). However, when she went out with her dad for the afternoon on Saturday, she left the light above her vanity area on, and her straightening iron plugged in. She coughed up 50 cents when she got home.

I've always believed in logical consequences -- in theory -- but the cold hard reality is that I still rely too much on yelling or nagging. So far, this is working for all of us. In general, they are little more mindful of turning off the lights behind them. If I do have to turn off a light, I get a quarter. I may even stop issuing the reminders. I'm not really irritated about it, because I'm collecting those quarter-dollars in a lovely little dish.

They're adding up, and soon I'm going to treat myself to something good.

What kinds of logical consequences help you to stop nagging and yelling and encourage your kids to take responsibilities on for themselves?

I have a teenager!

2011-09-07T08:37:00.001-04:00

Thirteen. Wow. Amanda's been excited about this birthday to say the least.

I've definitely seen the onset of teen behavior, both good and "bad." I have bad in quotes, because testing boundaries is a part of the independence that adolescence spurs on. I noticed this summer that she wanted to spend more time alone (up in her room or the media room watching TV or reading as opposed to being downstairs with me). She's also had her share of emotional outbursts (as have I!).

But in general? It's all good. We are very proud of her.

Thirteen will bring some privileges, but some others are still on hold. She still may be the last girl at her middle school NOT to have a cell phone. She uses my old pre-paid phone when she's out and about (because I did finally get a new one), but she's embarrassed to take it out of her bag. She calls it the dinosaur. With this behavior, she proves that she doesn't really need a phone, she wants a cool toy. And we're holding off for now.

She actually helped make the decision when her ipod Touch got water damage this summer. It did come back to life, but the WIFI was at first spotty, and as of last week, non-existent. She used the Text-Free app to text her friends (which is really what middle school girls use their phones for, lest you think that we are cutting her off from all social interaction), so this had become a hardship. She's wanted the new ipod Touch with the camera, and after constant use for 2 years, her battery was almost shot, so she decided that she'd prefer a new ipod Touch, where she texts, to a cell phone. We aren't buying her one -- she's had to save up, but I think that her birthday cash will put her over the top.

The other big thing that she's waited and waited for is Facebook. She'll be setting up her Facebook account when she gets home from school. Oh happy day! Since she's younger than her classmates here (due to starting school in Connecticut, where the birthday cutoff was in December), she really might be the last 8th grade girl to have Facebook (that, and other kids go on before you are 13, in defiance of the Facebook rule). Rule number one is that she friends me first. Rule number two is that she can only friend people she really knows in real life (not friends of friends). Any others I should put in place?