Snapshot

What's on My Nightstand, April

2013-04-22T22:27:00.001-04:00

I may have become the worst blogger ever. I'm still reviewing regularly over at 5 Minutes for Books, but I guess that's all I have in me right now. Looking back at last month's Nightstand post, I read every single book except one on the list (A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri, which I might get to this month, but might not). But in addition to what's listed, I finished two other books:

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham -- I loved it and my full review will post next week when it is published
Honey, Do You Need a Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner by Jennifer Graham (no relation, but interesting coincidence), which I will also review next week in conjunction with a blog tour. I also enjoyed this one.

Three of my reviews from last month's post have already published on 5 Minutes for Books (As Sweet as Honey, Nowhere But Home (giveaway still open through today!), and This Journal Belongs to Ratchet). but three others are still to come. I also have a handful of children's books to write reviews for, and hopefully I'll make some time to wipe my slate clean and get all caught up. I was glad to truly think about what I needed/wanted to read last month and sort of stick to it. So what's in store for the next month?

I'm so happy to have received a copy of this! I've read about 1/3 and it's lovely!

This is for a blog tour, so I'll get to it for sure. Deadlines are working for me these days.

I took this book when a publisher pitched it to me as a YA/adult crossover. We had a nice little email back and forth about some of our recent faves, so I'm hoping I like this one. I have it scheduled for a giveaway in May.

Kyle (9) has already read the 1st one and is partway through this one. He's shared parts aloud with me. It sounds fun, and I look forward to reading it.

This is my 1st book by this author, and the intrigue has me intrigued.

I might get to The Last Camellia, which I'm looking forward to after enjoying a novel by Sarah Jio last year.

And I have to add in one last title, that I had been waiting on, but forgot about until it arrived today:

I've been waiting for this book, being a big fan of the author, Elissa Brent Weissman

Do you like this new format? Click on the pictures for more info. And be sure to click through to the What's on Your Nightstand meme at 5 Minutes for Books to see what others are reading.

What I'm Reading This Month

2013-03-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

My poor blog hasn't seen any action since last month's "What's on Your Nightstand" carnival. There are a lot of things I mean to write, most notably my fun mother-daughter trip to Los Angeles that Amanda and I took in February. I still want to document that, so hopefully soon.

But now on to books. . . . I'm reading a lot of middle grade fiction this year. It's always satisfying for me, so I'm making an intentional effort to accept those titles for review. Here are some:

This Journal Belongs to Ratchet looks like sweet heartwarming story. It's next up on my list, because I have a review and giveaway scheduled for this weekend.
Before I read that one, I'd like to finish The Center of Everything by Linda Urban. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it, and it's okay, but I think I've decided that Linda Urban isn't really for me.

In addition to those two, I hope to get to at least one of these:
Paperboy is a story about a young boy who stutters, sure to be heartwarming and inspiring.
The Sasquatch Escape (The Imaginary Veterinary) by Suzanne Selfors seems fun and interesting.

As for other books, I have a whole big stack. These are two I know I'll get to, because I have blog tour deadlines:

Nowhere but Home is a "touching and funny novel" by Liza Palmer, which are two things I love, especially when added to a small-town Texas setting.
Maya's Notebook is an entirely different sort of read, a coming-of-age story about family secrets. It's by Isabel Allende, who is an author I've wanted to read.

I was excited about these books when I selected them, because they are both by "foreign" authors with "foreign" settings (India and Iron respectively), but I've passed them over a bit. We'll see if I get to them:

As Sweet as Honey by Indira Ganesan
A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri

What I'm Reading -- February

2013-02-26T17:21:00.000-05:00

I've been in an interesting reading pattern. In January and the first part of February I was focused on finishing the Cybils Middle Grade Finalists (I've just published some of my reviews). Then I had to read Michael Connelly's The Black Box for my Sony Reader VIP bookclub meet-up in LA, and I've felt a little aimless since then. In fat, I still feel a little aimless, reading-wise, but here are some books that are coming up soon on the pile:

A Nearly Perfect Copy is a story about a family of art dealers, promising family drama, "reckless behavior" and "disastrous consequences."
As Sweet as Honey -- "an enchanting story of family life that is a dance of love and grief and rebirth set on a gorgeous island in the Indian Ocean."
The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping Our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life -- a book that sounds interesting, but has been on my pile for a while, since it lacks the lure of fiction for me right now.
When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories by Molly Ringwald that is the Sony online bookclub pick for March. I'm actually almost finished with it and have enjoyed it so far.

And as always -- after looking at my calendar and books that I have coming up, these are some that I'll be sure to get to:

Slow Family Living: 75 Simple Ways to Slow Down, Connect, and Create More Joy for an upcoming 5 Minutes for Mom review/giveaway.
I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp -- which is also for a review and giveaway of the book and CD, but I will have to get to it soon -- as soon as I actually receive it, since it was delayed.

What's on My Nightstand this month

2013-01-21T22:13:00.001-05:00

I enjoy this monthly opportunity to make some reading goals for myself. I've been feeling

I am a round 2 judge for the Cybils, so I have a few books that I'll definitely be reading this month:

Chomp - This is my first novel by Carl Hiaasen. I'm almost finished with this one.
Liar & Spy - I loved Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me (linked to my review), so I'm pretty sure this one won't disappoint.
Wonder has received a bunch of buzz, and even before it was selected as a finalists, I had downloaded it to my Kindle hoping I'd get a chance to read it soon.

The thing I love about reading Middle Grade novels (well, ONE thing) is that I can generally get through one within a couple of reading sessions. It's so satisfying! So getting through the 7 finalists in about 6 weeks is no problem at all. Here are some other books I'm hoping to get to for upcoming review:

I'm about halfway through The Tragedy Paper, a YA book that I'm thoroughly enjoying.
I've loved everything I've read from Jennifer Haigh, so I definitely wanted to read her new book of interconnected short stories, News from Heaven: The Bakerton Stories.
I'm so happy to be a part of the Sony VIP Reader program, and in February, I'll be able to be a part of a live bookclub chat in LA with author Michael Connelly on The Black Box (A Harry Bosch Novel).
Fuse is the sequel to Pure (linked to my review). It comes out about this time next month, so I may or may not get to it before next month's Nightstand.
I've also received some unsolicited review copies that look great, so I'm hoping to get to at least one of them: The Typewriter Girl and Crossing on the Paris.

I've had The Fruitful Wife: Cultivating a Love Only God Can Produce sitting on my shelf for a month or two, and Carrie's enthusiastic endorsement has made me look forward to it even more. I'm reading through this with a good friend, which I know will help me get even more out of it. Find out what other people are reading the 4th Tuesday of each month at 5 Minutes for Books' What's on Your Nightstand.

Reading Goals Revisited and Refined

2013-01-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

Last year I set some reading goals, specifically I wanted to make sure I was taking some personal non-review reading time, by reading at least 12 books that I didn't specifically request for review.

I also wanted to keep an accurate record of what I read, which I did, so thanks to that I can share my results.

I did in fact read 15, and here's the breakdown. It affirms my desire to read with intention as well, focusing on more Christian nonfiction and putting effort into reading with my kids.

Christian Nonfiction 4
Nonfiction 1
Fiction 4
Middle Grade/Young Adult Fiction5
Memoir 1

Here are my totals, mostly review copies, with some surprising results:

Biography/Memoir 12
Christian Nonfiction 6
Nonfiction 10
Fiction 41
Middle Grade Fiction 16
Young Adult Fiction 15

That's 100 books, on the nose (there are probably another 10 or more that I didn't finish so aren't included in this number). A pretty large number, 23 of them, were audiobooks, which speaks to the power of using time doing other things (driving and cleaning mostly) to read.

This year, I'd like to do more of the same. I want to continue to make sure I'm feeding my mind and soul with Christian nonfiction, being more particular about what I accept for review. which I have been doing for the past 6 months or so and makes that gap between "personal reading" and "review reading" shrink. However, I'd still like to be sure I take time to read "just for me" if there are backlist titles that interest me.

Home is where the heart is

2012-12-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

Home is where the heart is, and right now my heart is in Newtown, Connecticut.

I don't feel quite at home here in Houston right now. I'm headed to Connecticut tomorrow. It will be hard. It's the worst reason ever to visit a place, but I will still be able to see friends and loved ones. I'll be able to hug necks. I'll be able to see that in the midst of the unbelievable tragedy that has hit my town, there is some sort of normalcy (is there?) or at the very least that it's still the same town that we love.

2004: Amanda and Kyle 3 months before we moved to Newtown

I lived there for over 6 years and have been away just under 2. I suppose that six years is long enough to claim a place as home. I'm not sure, but what I do know is that certain times of your life hold more of your heart: college, the first place you lived on your own, the places your babies were born, and the places they grew up.

2006?: Amanda and Kyle in Newtown

The years my kids spent in Connecticut were formative ones. It's Amanda's childhood home. She started school there. She was baptized there. She started Middle School. She was a child when we arrived and was on the cusp of adolescence when we left. She left behind friends who she had known what seemed to her to be her entire life.

Kyle was just a newborn baby when we left Texas for Connecticut. By the time we left he was a confident 6 1/2 year old boy. His world expanded as he left my home and went to preschool. I relinquished even more control as I put him on the bus each day for Kindergarten, and even more when he started school full time in first grade. He made friends -- good friends. He left behind people he had literally known his entire life.

2010: Amanda and Kyle in Newtown, about 6 months before we left

Whether it's because I "got" Connecticut and it got me, or because of the time in our lives that we lived there, Connecticut will forever be home. I claim my dual status as a Connecticut Yankee and a Texan. It doesn't matter why, but it is home.

*******

This video has made me a bit of a blubbering mess. The song "This is Home" speaks to my heart. Seeing the sights that were so dear to us makes my heart ache for home: the library, the beautiful view from the flagpole down the hill, the exit I took off the highway several times each week, the flag that someone painted on a tree that we saw on the side of the highway just as we entered Newtown, the Labor Day parade, ice cream at Ferris Acres dairy farm, snow in Sandy Hook Village, Edmond Town Hall.

What I WILL read this month

2012-11-26T21:10:00.002-05:00

When I was trying to figure out my reading goals for the month, to write up for the monthly What's on Your Nightstand carnival, I decided to look back at my post for the Fall into Reading challenge since it will be over just before Christmas.

I've done well of keeping my goal of doing some personal non-review reading, and specifically reading more Christian nonfiction.

However, due to the fact that the group that I was reading it with stopped reading/discussing it, I haven't yet finished Soul Detox. I was liking it a lot -- I just happened to get derailed. So, I'll finish that, and get it moved out of my Bible study box and replace it with one of the other books that is awaiting my attention. There are many more I am looking forward to.

Another book that is on my list that I haven't gotten to is Embracing Obscurity. I'll give it a go, but due to some less-than-stellar reviews (like Carrie's), I'm not as interested as I once was. And my reading time is too valuable to finish a book just because it's on my list, so I'm not going to promise anything except that I will start it and give it a fair shake.

But looking back at my list, a certain book glared at me. A book that I still haven't read. A book that I even stopped putting on my Callapidder Days' challenges because I was so incredibly lame about it.

I WILL read it. In fact, I may start it now. And I won't say anything else about it until the deed is done.

What about you? Is there something that you really really want to or need to read this month? Let us know over at 5 Minutes for Books.

Black Friday Bust

2012-11-23T12:30:00.002-05:00

We don't do Black Friday.

Last year Amanda really wanted to go. I figured things would be quiet mid-day, so we did go out after lunch. We couldn't even get into the outlet mall parking lot, but did go to a freestanding JC Penney and got a few deals -- clothing "needs," not gifts. She was happy, and I didn't die, so I guess it was worth taking one for the team.

This year, a store offered something that enticed me:

I managed to convince Amanda, and we dragged Kyle along reluctantly. We decided to try to leave a little before 7:00. We were running a little late, but we thought, "Certainly there will not be 100 people lined up before 7:00 a.m. waiting to get into a used bookstore. Surely if we are there by 7:30, we'll still be one of the first 100."

As you may have guessed from the title of this post and my tone, we were wrong. We got there before 7:20, and saw the people in the store with their bags and gift cards, but there was no smiling store employee standing at the door with one for us.

I had two bags of books to sell back and had wondered if the other 100 people might have had the same idea, but they didn't, so I got my credit, and then went on to spend as much or more as I've ever spent in one shot at that store. I did get $15 off with my Black Friday coupon, so I guess that's not bad. But Kyle talked me into a game that I probably only agreed to because of the special oxygen that reacts with tryptophan to cause unprecedented buying urges.

Half-Price Books - 1, Jennifer - 0

A new Waffle House opened this year near the bookstore. Amanda has been wanting to go, and there wasn't a crowd, so we capped off our shopping with some waffles and hash browns.

Shop-owners - 0, Jennifer - 1

Kyle needs a bath mat for his cold floor, so I thought we'd go to Kohl's, since it was just across the street. We got a bath mat -- two, actually -- one for him and one for Amanda. Amanda got some clothes she needed for her Christmas church performances, I bought Kyle some jeans and pants that he "needed," picked up some wrapping paper at the "don't forget me" station near the cash register, and left almost $100 poorer. But now I have Kohl's cash, I have $30 that I can spend next week. That's where they get you: Come back, soon. Save even more money!!

Kohl's - ?, Jennifer - ?

We'll wait to score this one until next week. If I actually remember to go, and if I only spend $30 or $40, then I might win. Otherwise Kohl's got me.

Did you shop last night or this morning? Will you shop today? Are you shopping online right now?

We Loved Wreck it Ralph

2012-11-05T00:13:00.001-05:00

My 14-year-old daughter was dying to see this movie (perhaps because of the Owl City song attached to it? ** See update below). I was going to take her and her friends, and so I asked my 8-year-old son if he wanted to go with me. He did.

I didn't know much about this movie. I'm not that interested in wrecking. I knew it was Disney, but didn't realize that it was John Lasseter. I'm always a fan of Pixar movies, so knowing who was behind it increased my interest.

It started off in an arcade 30 years ago, and quickly fast-forwarded to today, when the game Fix-It Felix, Jr. is still going strong and about to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The problem is the Ralph is tired of being the bad guy, the one who always wrecks things. But the game characters (who come to life after the arcade closes) don't even want him around, and he's tired of it.

If he gets a hero's medal, they'll treat him right, so he goes into a different video game in the off-hours to earn one.

The story is fully developed and really wonderful. The message -- of being a true hero, figuring out who you are -- is uplifting but not at all didactic.

We all three loved the movie. It's probably one of my all-time favorite animated pictures.

CONTENT: I didn't hear any swear words, which I appreciated. The "sexualized" humor that always seems to crop up unnecessarily in children's movies was mostly absent. There is a little love story (between two animated characters), and they kiss twice, which caused audible groans from the boys in the theater.

The violent content wasn't too bad either, considering that much of the movie takes place in video games, including a shoot-em-up commando sort of game, Hero's Duty. It didn't seem intense to me, but there are several scenes featuring cartoon violence (think about typical Looney Tunes fare).

The only content that people might choose to avoid, especially for younger viewers, is the potty talk. There's a whole riff on the name "Hero's Duty" as "Hero's Doody." Just as the kissing caused groans, these jokes definitely caused loud laughs.

Have you seen it? Did you love it? +++++ Updated 11/5: I was just sent a link to the Owl City video:

Praising God in song, with Hillsong

2012-10-14T15:10:00.001-04:00

I've been making an effort over the past six months or so to focus more on God throughout the day. By far the most impacting choice is to listen to Christian music. I turn it on when I'm home in the mornings or while I'm on the computer (like right now!). In the past, I've avoided extra noise, thinking I needed the quiet, but this has turned out to be so much more beneficial.

One of the new CDs** I've been listening to is Hillsong's newest: Cornerstone [Live]

One of my favorites is the first song, "Endless Light." It's inspiring and very singable. And that's important to me, because when music moves me, I want to sing along (be glad you can't hear me when I'm in my car!).

There are different styles, from upbeat to more contemplative, and different lead vocalists, so this collection will definitely have broad appeal. I also found out from the press release, when I was sent the CD to review, that Brooke Fraser wrote some of the songs. I LOVE her.

I have to admit (not that it's a horrible sinful act or anything), that I've only recently become a real fan of praise music. I think that older praise music, and some of contemporary music, sounds a bit like elevator muzak, so I'm happy to have singable praise choruses that are also in the more contemporary musical style that I appreciate.

**Yes, I mentioned that it was a CD. I'm totally old school and actually like to have real CDs to listen to in my car. At home I'll listen on my computer or via my TV sound system, or occasionally my ipod.

Do you listen to praise music? When and where and how?

My Kids LOVE to Read (and here's what they are reading)

2012-10-09T10:44:00.003-04:00

My daughter (14) recently read a book I got for review (for both of us). I haven't read it yet, but she said it was REALLY GOOD (that's how she said it, I promise). The book is Pure by Julianna Baggott:

I don't think she's read any more of the Mortal Instruments series that she started this summer. She's number 91 on the library waitlist for the newest one in the series, so hopefully by the time she gets #4, she'll have moved up. However, on a recent trip to Half-Price books, I bought her Clockwork Prince, which is a prequel series, so she is currently reading (and enjoying) it.

Kyle (8) is so proud of the volume of reading he's done. I think he finished 4 books last week. Three of them are George Brown, Class Clown books, shorter chapter books. He had read one last year, and he came home from his school library with one last week. When he had already finished both library books (that one and the second book George Brown, Class Clown by Lisa Yee) by Wednesday, I got him 2 more George Brown books from the public library and he finished them.

He's now almost finished with Zoobreak which is a bona-fide full-on middle grade novel. I'm so excited for him to be making this transition (but have no problem with him still reading shorter/easier early middle grade novels). I just realized that this is a sequel to Swindle, which Amanda read when she was in elementary school, so I'll have to get that one from the library, because I think he'd be ready to read it, since it will feature the same characters.

You can find out more kid approved book picks over at 5 Minutes for Books.

Art is imitating my life

2012-10-06T17:04:00.001-04:00

Sometimes reading a novel that mirrors my life is not the escape that I want it to be. However, as I said in my review of The Sweetness of Forgetting, the similarities between my life and the characters in this novel were so striking, and helped me connect with them right away, as one would with a new friend.

"This isn't up for debate, Annie," I say. "Do it now, or you're grounded." I hear the coldness in my voice. . . .For a minute, I hate myself, but I stare Annie down, unblinking. She looks away first, "Whatever!"

The Sweetness of Forgetting page 8

I have a teenage daughter, and though she doesn't often verbalize the "Whatever," I know she's thinking it. Annie is still in middle school, and I definitely remember those struggles with Amanda at that age. at 14, I do think that Amanda and I have more of a good understanding of each other (Is that just me, or did you find early adolescence to be more of a challenge?).

"Where is your mother?" Rose asked Hope politely. "Is she coming, dear?" "My mom -- Josephine -- died," Hope said gently. "Two years ago, Mamie. Don't you remember?"

The Sweetness of Forgetting, page 28

Unfortunately, this is a very familiar situation. My grandmother reverts to topics we generally cover: "How's your family? Have you talked to your sister? Have you seen your mother?" And since mom passed away two months ago, I have to remind her of the fact. Fortunately, my reminder jogs her memory, and she's not reliving it all over again (unlike her brother's funeral which she's been telling me was "yesterday," each time I've seen her over the last few weeks, when in fact it was many years ago). There were many more things that made The Sweetness of Forgetting a great read. Click through to read my full review, and there's even a giveaway.

Fall Reading Goals

2012-09-22T14:43:00.001-04:00

So apparently today is the first day of fall, and thus the first day of Katrina's Fall Into Reading Challenge. Since I'm a book reviewer (at 5minutesforbooks.com), it's been hard for me to make lists, because I don't know which books are going to land on my doorstep and that I'll be reviewing 3 months from now.

That said, I've also made a goal for 2012 to read more books "just for me." I set a goal of 12, roughly equivalent to one per month, and I've read 8 so far. I'm also in the middle of 3 that are also "just for me" picks, so I don't think I'll have trouble reaching the goal. That said, the spirit of the law was not to finish them as quickly as possible, but to make time for reading for myself, specifically within the realm of Christian non-fiction. At least half of the titles have fallen in that category, as are the 3 I'm reading now.

Why am I reading 3 books right now? Well, because I'm weird, I guess (and to be honest, I'm really reading FIVE books right now). The 3 personal books I'm reading now are on my FiRC list to finish:

Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World by Craig Groeschel -- This is a good book, an easy and enjoyable read (yet also quite though-provoking). I'm reading it with a group, so it's slow-going.
Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places by Charles DeGroat, which I have loved from the first page (follow the link to see why). But because of all that goodness, I'm intentionally taking it slow.
7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker was a book in my goodie bag that I received as one of the DotMom blogger attendees this weekend, and having already heard good things about it, I dug right in and am loving it. Don't worry, it won't mess with your mind tooooo much.

On top of those books, I'm reading a novel and a project memoir (both for review, so I won't mention them here). So that makes five, and it doesn't sound THAT weird, right? In addition to finishing those three, here are a few more personal goals:

The Vow: The True Events that Inspired the Movie was also a DotMom swag bag goodie. I've been wanting to watch the movie, so I might as well ruin it thoroughly by reading the book first, right?
I was thinking that I needed a good personal pick in the Middle Grade/Young Adult range, and though anyone who's followed me is tired of hearing this goal, I think I'll actually finish up the Harry Potter series. Yes, I've read the first six, and in fact finished the 6th at least 3 years ago. So I'm putting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on my list (AGAIN -- though to be fair I've left it off for the last year or so). Since HP is now available on the Kindle, and are part of the free lending library for Prime members, I'll probably forgo the tattered paperback (that my daughter has read at least twice), and use my Kindle Fire.
Embracing Obscurity: Becoming Nothing in Light of God's Everything by Anonymous -- I had seen this book while browsing amazon just last week, and lo and behold it too was in my blogger goodie swag bag from B&H Publishing, so I'm definitely going to read it. Check out the cover. You can't beat that:

So, take a minute to link up your own list and link it up at Callapidder Days. *****
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Wrong Words

2012-09-21T09:39:00.000-04:00

This is one of those songs with which I just can't help singing along:

Oh, I'm running to your arms; I'm running to your arms.

The riches of your love, will never be enough.

Wait -- scratch that. That doesn't sound exactly right. In fact, it sounds exactly wrong if I'm singing about the sufficiency of God's love. I don't know why, but I've always sung it incorrectly. The "never" naturally comes out of my mouth.

As you probably know, and can hear in the video of the song above, the correct lyrics go something like this:

Oh, I'm running to your arms; I'm running to your arms.
The riches of your love will ALWAYS be enough.
Nothing compares to your embrace.
Light of the world, forever reign.

I've had to sort of train myself to stop singing the wrong words. And when I sing them -- so loudly and without a shred of shame (or dignity) -- usually in my car, alone -- and yet so incorrectly, so opposite of their intent, it makes me think. What do I really believe? Do I really believe that nothing compares to the riches of God's love? Is it enough? I hope it is, and hitting that "always" hard, with conscious effort, reminds me, that yes, it's always enough. Always means always: through loneliness, through busyness, through uncertainty, and disappointment.

It also means it's always enough, and incomparable in the light of success, and riches, and friendship, and personal hopes and dreams.

I know I didn't do it consciously, so I'm not going to over-analyze the opposite-inducing effects of singing the wrong word. In fact, I think I used to sing the whole line incorrectly as "The riches of this world will never be enough," which is in fact a true statement, or should be anyway.

The point is that when I saw a wrong -- in my sung theology in this case -- I corrected it. It took effort, but I did it. For me it was obvious. I was singing the exact opposite of the Truth. But I think there are other ways that we find ourselves forgetting Truth, forgetting who we are. And because they are so deeply ingrained into our culture of self-sufficiency and self-importance, they are harder to recognize and correct.

*****
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You've Just Invalidated My Entire Existence

2012-09-17T08:28:00.001-04:00

Last weekend the kids and I were enjoying what will probably be one of the last swims of the year. We were just floating and chatting a bit. Kyle summed it up nicely by saying, "We're just having relaxed family time. I like that," as if we are generally uptight and rigid. But anyway. . . one of the benefits of spending quiet times like this, as well as those many hours in the car going to and fro, is that kids tend to talk.

Somehow we ended up talking about Amanda's future. I think I made some sort of reference to the fact that she had joined Key Club and Speech Club, which happened to be the same things her mother joined.

"Well, I'm not going to be an English teacher like you. Or just a Mom for my job."

I responded quickly, "You've just invalidated my entire existence."

We both laughed. Though she was firm in the conviction behind her statement, she wasn't being mean. We've had this conversation before. And besides, she's a teenager. She has to develop her own identity. I think the first step in doing that involves seeing herself as completely different (not to mention wiser, but time will change that!).

Kids' Picks, September

2012-09-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

Kyle (8) has begun to use reading as an excuse not to do his homework. As of yet, I haven't heard about any sort of home reading requirement. In the the past, he's had a home log to keep track of his 20 minute nightly reading assignment. I do know for certain that the 3rd grade has opted not to use AR testing. For Kyle, the challenge was finding books that were on his required level, because it was above his grade level, so we had to find books that interested him and that were appropriate, yet also fell in the range. It also motivated him to read more, because they kept track of the points. However, on the flip side, I am glad that he can read what he wants without constraints of level.

Just like last month, he's still enjoying the Hank Zipzer series and the Garfield comic collections that are hand-me-downs from his sister. But the pick that makes me happiest is that he finally decided to give Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms a chance, right at the end of our August vacation. He wanted to take a break with some less-challenging reads, but he did move on the second book Horten's Incredible Illusions which is the book that is currently keeping him from his homework. He agrees with me that this one is even more exciting than the first one.

As for Amanda, she also read one of my favorites, The Fault in Our Stars. She really wanted to read some John Green, and of the two I've read, I thought that was the most appropriate. As I said in my review (linked above), I think that readers should be in high school to enjoy this one. There is some language (though not nearly as much in the other John Green book I read) and also some "mature situations" for these 17-year-old characters. She loved it, and is ready for more John Green, but I need to read some others to see what I could recommend.

Fortunately (or un-), she's so busy with school, that she does not have much time for pleasure-reading.

See more Kids' Picks over at 5 Minutes for Books.

One down, 37 to go

2012-09-03T11:54:00.000-04:00


Image credit: CollegeDegrees360

My kids are students. Homework is their labor, so on this Labor Day, I couldn't help but think what this year might bring. They've finished their first week of school, and discounting holiday weeks, have about 37 more to go.

Kyle is in 3rd grade, and he's excited. I don't see any big hurdles, even though this is the year of memorizing multiplication tables and learning cursive. However, I do think that in May I will be looking back at the physical and emotional changes.

Amanda is jumping right into her high school career. She's determined to put her best foot forward as far as keeping up with homework and striving for grades that will help her to have choices in this ultra-competitive Texas college market. She's done a great job. She's slow and distracted when she's doing her homework, and she often chooses to multi-task, so what I think should take her an hour and a half often takes two or three hours, but she doesn't complain. I'm very proud of her.

She's also joined up, which is not just a transcript-booster, it's who she is. She knew she wanted to do Key Club. It's pretty intense, but I think she'll enjoy it (and it does look good on her transcript). She was worried when she decided not to do marching band this year that she didn't have "a thing." She does art, and will be involved in competitions with that, but she said that didn't count. When we were at the electives fair and freshman registration meeting in the spring, I told her I thought she'd like/be good at Speech club. I explained to her that she'd be able to present pieces from books and that sort of thing.

She saw the poster about the informational meeting and decided to go, so she's going to give that a try. When I suggested it, I forgot that things have changed in the twenty-five years since I was in high school (Seriously? Yes, 25 years. I'm moving on from that topic quickly). One can't just dabble. One has to commit. She's supposed to stay after at least twice a week to prepare for the meets. I honestly think that this is more for debate, which does take that sort of time, but that seems a little extreme for the preparation of a couple of speech events.

She said that when she went and said she was interested in speech that she was told it wasn't as competitive, that most people are doing debate, so it makes sense that the guidelines would be applicable to that. But it still seems excessive, and it's part of my beef with how things have changed, but I'll commit to the two or three meets each semester that she's "required" to attend in order to be stay an active member of the "team." Again, I'm not sure if this is geared at debate, which I do think is a different animal, or if it really matters.

She'll decide if it's what she wants to do or not, and if it is, then I'll support her. In this case, my support means picking her up at school twice a week, and waiting for the bus to return her to the high school parking lot at midnight. I'm reminded that my primary labor is that of Mom, and that means encouraging both of my kids to do what will benefit them in the short-term or on the long-haul. It means making sure that Kyle learns his multiplication tables and making sure that Amanda doesn't shy away from trying something new. It means a lot of driving. And a lot of encouraging, even if that simply comes in the form of writing checks for entry fees and dropping off or picking up when necessary.

I've linked this post up to the 5 Minutes for Mom Labor Day Link Up.

Do you know who you are?

2012-08-31T10:39:00.001-04:00

We have all read in scientific books, and indeed in all romances, the story of the man who has forgotten his name. This man walks about the streets and can see and appreciate everything; only he cannot remember who he is. Well, every man is that man in the story. Every man has forgotten who he is.

This quote from G. K. Chesterton opens the first chapter of Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places by Chuck DeGroat. I started it this morning, and several points have already hit me -- hard. I think this is going to be a wild ride!

Instead of adding my own commentary, I'll simply let them find their own target:

"Identity erodes as ordinary people lose themselves in their personal Egypts. If you stick around Egypt, you lose your true story, and sooner or later, you'll come to believe you are a design flaw" (DeGroat, page 22).
"Are we not all slaves?. . . As free as we might imagine ourselves, each of us continues to wrestle with the 'old self' (Colossians 3:9), parts of us that have never left the slavery of Egypt for the flourishing we are made for" (DeGroat, page 15).
Another quote from Henri Nouwen followed Chesterton's: "But now I realize that the real sin is to deny God's first love for me, to ignore my original goodness. Because without claiming that first love and that original goodness for myself, I lose touch with my true self and embark on a destructive search among the wrong people and in the wrong places for what can only be found in the house of my Father."
DeGroat went on to explain this quote in light of Calvin's "total depravity" doctrine. We are all a mess. "But Calvinists also believe that God made the world --and us-- good, in fact very good (Genesis 1:31). We can only grasp the doctrine of original sin if we first grasp original goodness" (page 20).
He explains Nouwen's quote: "Sin's real devastation is in it's strange capacity to erase our memories, to cause us to forget our noble origins" (page 20).

I can definitely relate to those "desert times," which is one thing that drew me to this book. And I'm also fully aware that those desert times have brought me closest to God. I've come to understand myself and God better. But the big a-ha, and what I think might be a theme in the reading of this book is that I don't really have to understand myself better. God already knows.

As I was reading this morning, this song from Jason Gray sprung to mind. Doesn't it fit perfectly with the thoughts from this first chapter?

Nothing?

2012-08-29T08:56:00.001-04:00

image from cathdew

When my kids go back to school, I try to ramp up to my "back-in-gear" mentality. This year, I even made a list of things I needed/wanted to do in these first couple of days when my kids would be out of the house all day.

The List

I had grand ambitions that I set specifically with Monday and Tuesday in mind.

Sort mail and organize my grandmother's papers -- or at least set up some file folders so I'd have a good system going forward.
Clean my closet, which has become an unfortunate mess and a general dumping ground for those things with which I don't want to deal.
Write several book reviews and blog posts.
Write some thank you notes.
Clean out bathroom drawers and closet.

When Monday ended, I felt as if I had gotten nothing done. What happened to all those empty hours? Tuesday those hours before lunch did stretch out, but I also felt unmotivated, yet not motivated to do things like sit and read either, so I was unproductive and uptight.

What really happened?

When I thought about it (unmotivated Tuesday morning hours aside), I realized that I had not really done "nothing." Much of what I did took time and mental energy, yet was not measured by bags of clutter that I could give or throw away. Instead of taking clutter out of my house, I put love into the hearts of those around me.

Is this nothing?

This is the way I spent some of those "non-productive" hours on Monday and Tuesday:

calling a friend and catching up
sitting and watching a movie with Mimi for an hour
walking the dog and connecting with neighbors
beating the school-supply rush, which meant heading straight to the store as soon as Amanda got home Monday
sitting with my children while they did their homework to help and encourage
taking Amanda to the orthodontist (which took 3 times longer than it should have)
talking to another friend
preparing dinner for my family

I still have time this week to "get things done," but today I need to go to the store; I'll see Mimi; I'll probably be sitting at the table helping with homework again; I'll walk the dog; I have lunch dates I want to schedule, and I'm going to. I'm probably going to feel like I've done "nothing."

Though my closets may not be clean and I can't cross these items off my list, I'm going to try to remember that people aren't "nothing." They are something -- something big.

So Many Books, So Little Time

2012-08-28T06:59:00.000-04:00

I love being a book blogger. Truly. I enjoy reading, and I know I'd read whether or not I "had" to, but this responsibility (privilege??) insures that I always have a book on hand ready to go.

Lately I've been getting a lot more unsolicited books, and the ones from this month actually look great. I know I won't get to them all, but I have the freedom to pick and choose, since I didn't specifically request them. However, there are a few that I did request that I should read this month for sure:

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin, a follow-up to the much-loved (by me!) The Happiness Project
The Power of Poppy Pendle -- a fun magical middle grade novel about a little witch who wants to be a baker
Following Atticus: Forty-eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship -- I was drawn to this book, recently released in paperback, because I recently read and enjoyed Up! another book that looked into these same peaks, but with a young daughter instead of a dog.
The Language of Sisters - a novel which I'm going to start as soon as I finish writing this post!

Other unsolicited goodies that I don't know how I'm going to find the time for, yet definitely want to:

The Making of Us by Lisa Jewell
And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman
The Pigeon Pie Mystery
Fireproof: A Maggie O'Dell Novel
Monstrous Beauty, an audiobook that intrigues me and is read by the very talented Katherine Kellgren

This post is linked up to What's on My Nightstand at 5 Minutes for Books.

Ch-ch-ch Changes

2012-08-27T11:57:00.002-04:00

Kyle is in 3rd grade this year. Other than the fact of him being firmly a "middle grade" student as opposed to a young elementary kid, not much has changed. He's ready to go. I expect that we'll have a good year.

Amanda is a different issue entirely. You are now looking at a young woman: a full-on teenager, a high school student.

She is ready to go as well. I know she has some nerves, but for the most part, she's looking forward to tackling high school. She's committed to starting off on the right foot with schoolwork, knowing that now that she's in high school that every grade counts.

Early in the summer she decided that she wanted to buy a plain backpack and decorate it with Sharpie markers. I have to admit that I didn't really see her vision, but in the last few weeks, it's come together really beautifully. I think it's a great representation of who she is. She's talented and creative and she has vision. When she's committed to something, she follows through with it. The fact that she didn't give up and saw it through, and the fact that she's paid attention to things like the straps being decorated as well gives me hope for her high school career.

**This is not finished. You can see in the picture where it's on her that the top part is filled in more. She still has a bit more to do, and in fact didn't want to take it today because it wasn't finished, but it was finished enough, so I encouraged her to do so. That reminded me of another thing about her that I need to be careful not to forget. Though she seems to have it all together, she's got some insecurities. She knows that she's going to be judged, and she wants to put her best face forward.

Who wouldn't like this girl?

The Summer of the Sandwich

2012-08-26T20:57:00.002-04:00

Neither of my kids are big sandwich eaters. They'll go in phases, with Amanda's recent lunchbox faves including peanut butter and Nutella or fluffernutter (or a combination of all 3). Kyle also recently ditched the jelly on his PB&J for some reason, and lost interest in sandwiches in general.

And then last Spring we met Terry at his office, and he took us to Jimmy John's for lunch. Kyle went on and on about how good it was. And that renewed his love of the sandwich. I stocked up on lunch meat and let him use a hot dog bun instead of "normal" bread so that it felt more like a sub, and that became his go-to lunch.

Enjoying beignets from the cart next door while waiting on our sandwich

I wonder if the fact that we've been watching Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America has anything to do with it??

When we went to Portland on vacation, we actually visited the Big A** Sandwich Food truck that was featured on the show. We had to try the sandwich with roast beef, cheese sauce, and french fries. Amanda decided she wanted that one, and the rest of us found our picks at other food carts for variety. I opted for a very smoky roasted chicken and spinach sandwich on a flatbread with a homemade garlic mayo. It was gooood.

Terry definitely won the extreme sandwich award. He was drawn to the grilled cheese cart, where he ordered the hamburger that had a grilled-cheese sandwich on each side for the bun.

Kyle still salivates over Jimmy John's, Subway, Schlotzsky's, and even the sub sandwich that I picked up at the supermarket one day when we were on the go. We tried out a new Cuban restaurant that just opened nearby, and he was quite excited to have the Cuban sandwich. If it's called a sandwich, his eyes go wide and he grins with anticipation.

I'm hoping that this love of all things sandwich will continue, at least as far as lunchtime goes. He's even said he'll take bologna or turkey or ham in his lunch at school, but I'm not sure that will stick. I'm going to try, because the I like the lunchbox to maintain some variety.

Is it just me -- or do your kids go in and out of sandwich phases?

Doing What Must Be Done

2012-08-20T18:42:00.002-04:00

by mhartford, used with permission

We've had lots of rainy days this summer. We got some more of those Texas-sized storms this weekend, and it reminded me that last month we were having a virtual monsoon one morning. One neat thing about a good rainstorm is that it's fun to watch. As I was doing that, feeling so very thankful that I didn't have to go out anywhere, I heard the rumble of the garbage truck. I changed my viewpoint from the back yard to the front to watch those men at work.

Honestly, I was surprised that they were out in it. It was the kind of rain that not even an umbrella can protect you from. If you have to dash from your car to a building, the umbrella might keep your head dry, but the blowing rain will get your legs and arms wet. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that the garbage men were just wearing regular clothes -- pants and T-shirts. I guess I imagined some sort of rain suit. But no. It was their job -- rain or shine, hot or cold -- and they were doing it.

Since April, I've been dealing with a lot with my family, helping to care for my grandmother in her old age since my mom, her primary caretaker, was battling her own fight with cancer. People keep telling me that I'm doing a good job. That they can't believe how much I've been doing. But really, I'm just doing what must be done. I'm doing what any of you would do in similar circumstances, and what I know many of you have done. You've cared for colicky infants, children born closer together than you intended, children with special needs (or very average needs for that matter). You've helped friends who are in crisis, you've continued to show up at work or care for your children or serve the Lord when your life has been turned upside down by death or divorce.

I'm sure that doing their job under extreme circumstances gives those garbage men some stories to tell. I'll admit that my circumstances have gone beyond ordinary, but as I seek to care for my husband, my kids, as well as my mom and grandmother as well as doing all those things I do, I know that I've been given a story to tell. I've changed for the better. I'm learning to act on what is truly important.

For my mom, her battle is over. She did what she had to do. She fought as long as hard as she could. Longer or harder than any of us would have, I think.

I haven't written much about any of it. I was too busy doing to capture my thoughts and record them, but I hope to write a bit more about it to preserve the reality of now, because they are already being distorted by memory and circumstance, and I know that will only happen more as weeks and months and years go by.

Kids' Picks, August

2012-08-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Amanda (almost 14) read the City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) sometime last year. I think that the books look pretty weird and slightly creepy (Right? What's with burnished gold chest guy rising over the city?), and I'm not sure what they're about exactly, but she likes them. She re-read the first one recently and after not being able to get the next books at the library or Half-Price Books, she was happy to find some used copies at decent prices at Powell's when we were on our vacation, and she has devoured the 2nd book (a chunkster) and is partway into the 3rd one less than a week later.

I asked Amanda about content, and when pressed she said that there's some kissing and "yearning and burning." I asked who she'd recommend them to, and she said, "I don't know. Everyone. Probably girls, not boys. People who like books." Clear as mud?

After thinking more she said, "It's fantasy, sort of I guess. And it's funny. Not funny all the time, but some of the characters say funny things."

Kyle has been continuing his love affair with the Hank Zipzer series. I love watching him get involved in the books and hearing him chuckle aloud while he's reading. His most recent is Day of the Iguana, and he said it's one of the best ones he's read.

This month, he's also been enjoying some Garfield comic compilations that we had around from Amanda's comics phase. Between Garfield and Hank, Kyle did a lot of reading during our downtime on vacation and not a whole lot of playing of the Nintendo DS. I'm astounded that he's truly become a reader.

Have your kids had a lovely reading summer? Have they made any new novel friends? Find out about what kids are reading all over the blogosphere at Kids' Picks the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5 Minutes for Books.

Maybe you CAN go home again

2012-08-12T20:33:00.003-04:00

There are several types of vacations -- the visiting family sort, outdoorsy recreational, kid-focused, city glamour, beachy relaxation. I've enjoyed all of these over the years, and the one from which I just returned, ended up combining several of them.

We weren't really visiting family, but we were going back home. We lived in Portland for almost four years, and during that time it was home. Amanda was born there. We didn't mind the ever-present drizzle (yes, it truly rains 9 months of the year). We traversed the entire Pacific Northwest, enjoying apples, blackberries, skiing, books, and more.

It always comes back to books, doesn't it? Last year I wrote about my favorite bookstores in the cities in which I've lived, and reflecting on it made me realize that after 10 years away from Portland, I still missed Powell's. I knew that, but until visiting there on our trip last week, I didn't even realize what I was missing!

When we lived there, I was going through a cookbook phase. I had quite a collection, and I loved browsing the cookbook section. If one that I purchased didn't meet my needs, I'd just sell it back on my next trip to further feed my habit. I bought novels too, of course, and non-fiction bargains that I stumbled across. Powell's has rooms and rooms of discoveries.

The store is so big, it needs a map! Kyle loved helping us find our way.

I wasn't reviewing books then, and now that I am, buying books for myself doesn't hold much appeal. While Terry browsed the sports and finance sections, I happily stayed occupied in the children's/YA room. This area was the size of a small independent bookstore in itself, and it was really awesome. I know that I bought Amanda a few Dr. Seuss books when we lived there, and I probably found some board book bargains as well, but since we left there when she was two, I didn't understand what Powell's truly had to offer children and teens. It was amazing. You can read about what I found there in my Mailbox Monday post at 5 Minutes for Books.

Amanda and I both loved this cover on a mass market paperback copy of The Mysterious Benedict Society (look in the middle of the bottom shelf in the photo above). I'm not sure if it's a foreign version or what, but it's pretty cool. We also looked at the traditional covers and talked about the white-washing of Sticky, and looked at the new versions in which it was corrected.

As we were browsing the YA section together, she was looking for John Green books. I didn't think she had read his books, but I found out she's familiar with him through his YouTube channel.

I told her that I had copies of two of his audiobooks: The Fault in Our Stars and An Abundance of Katherines, which was one of the books on her list, in addition to Paper Towns. I remember An Abundance of Katherines as having a lot of bad language and more mature teen behavior, so in spite of the fact that I found it a pretty delightful book, it's not one I'd want her to read. When I reviewed The Fault in Our Stars in February, I even mentioned that I had hoped I could pass it on to Amanda, because it didn't seem quite as mature until one plot twist at the end. I said there that I decided to wait until she was in high school.

Well, now that she's asking and is about to start high school, I told her that she could listen to that one. She wasn't thrilled because she fears it will be "too sad" since it's about cancer kids, but since I've read it and loved it and find it mostly appropriate enough (I must let go sometime -- I'm trying), and we could discuss it, I told her that she should start with that one. I might re-listen to An Abundance of Katherines, but I've told her I think she should wait on it. I will be on the lookout for a good used copy of Paper Towns (which we couldn't find at Powell's), and I'll read it first, which won't be a sacrifice at all.

The combination of the awesome selection, finding books for both kids and having some good chats brought up by the selection, made the hours we spent there so special. But it was the nostalgia that pushed me over the edge. I so vividly remember years of pushing Amanda around in her stroller while I browsed.

This bookstore trip was one of the highlights of a very nice family vacation. Is that weird?