"The other Boleyn girl" by Philippa Gregory is historical fiction. It is set during the 16th century, during the reign on Henry VIII. This novel was surprizingly enjoyable. I have never read historical fiction, but I look forward to reading more after reading this book. This book is told from Mary Boleyn's point of view, and examines issues of classism, sexism, and plenty of other ism's while never feeling "textbooky". There is plenty of sex in this novel, but absolutely no graphic depictions of the action, which I appreciate. Sex is a "fade to black" phenomenon in this novel.
Gregory's Mary is very likeable- she is a thinker, but also a hopeless romantic. Anne, her sister, is abrasive and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
When the 664 page novel was over, I found myself wanting more. I wanted to know what else happened to Mary and her children. Maybe I'll google her ;-)
I give this book an B+/A-. It was a great book, but I'm not totally sure if I would read it again. I will be reading more of the author's works.
January 26, 2011
Book 1 "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
This year, one of my goals is to read more. Originally, I wanted to focus mainly on "The Classics", but I have to be realistic... some of that crap is really boring. Instead, I decided to just focus on reading more, then maybe next year throw in more classics.
I have heard over and over again how great Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" is, how it really makes you think, and how it makes you feel glad to live in the time we do, but cautious for the future, blah, blah, blah. Atwood's use of Biblical and religious justification for this future civilization's way of life was fascinating, as through these two avenues women were stripped of their rights and freedoms. But at the same time, the novel felt like a rehashing of "1984" and "The Giver", both of which I felt were written better and also kept my interest much better.
I give this book a nice solid C+. It was a quick read. I enjoyed the religious overtones and the use of religion as a means of justifying grossly unjust behavior. This made me think and examine the role of religion in my own life, and in my own society. If the book wasn't so much like 1984, I could have even given it a B.
I have heard over and over again how great Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" is, how it really makes you think, and how it makes you feel glad to live in the time we do, but cautious for the future, blah, blah, blah. Atwood's use of Biblical and religious justification for this future civilization's way of life was fascinating, as through these two avenues women were stripped of their rights and freedoms. But at the same time, the novel felt like a rehashing of "1984" and "The Giver", both of which I felt were written better and also kept my interest much better.
I give this book a nice solid C+. It was a quick read. I enjoyed the religious overtones and the use of religion as a means of justifying grossly unjust behavior. This made me think and examine the role of religion in my own life, and in my own society. If the book wasn't so much like 1984, I could have even given it a B.
January 19, 2011
Mid January Update
Our taxes are done and filed. Woohoo! Such a relief.
Both boys were nominated for Gifted and Talented. I am really proud of them. They both work really hard on their school work, so it is great to see them being recognized for their hard work. Collin was tested last week, and Cameron will be tested some time this week. We are excited to hear how their tests go.
Cameron was invited to read a part to the school board for School Board Appreciation Month. It was quite an honor, as less than 10 children from his advanced reading group were invited to participate. The personnel director took a picture, so when she posts it to the district website I will steal it and post it on the blog :-) He did really well, and even though I knew he was nervous, he didn't show it.
Collin's basketball team is still undefeated. He's the second string point guard, but he usually ends up playing 3 quarters. His team is AWESOME! They don't just win, they win big! I can't wait to see him in Eagle Green! This is his 3rd season. It would be his 5th, but we skipped the past two seasons at the Y. He is looking forward to going to basketball camp with Layton this summer!
Caleigh is officially on the growth chart again! She was having a really hard time gaining weight, so I started putting heavy cream in her sippy cups, and she has gained about 3.5 pounds in the past 6ish weeks. Woohoo! I put 4 oz whole milk, 4 oz heavy cream, and a couple tablespoons of Ovaltine in a sippy cup and have her drink it. It's between 500 and 600 calories per sippy cup-ful, and she drinks 2-3 of them a day, so she's gaining quite well now. The mixture is the consistency of melted ice cream, but she seems to really like it. She now weighs 23.6 pounds.
Caleigh is also starting to potty train. It's amazing how your attitude changes. When Collin was her age, I couldn't wait to get him potty trained and out of diapers. Now that Caleigh is potty training, I'm almost SAD. It's not that I WANT to be changing poop diapers into my 30s, but she's my baby, and I want her to stay a baby for as long as possible.
Caitlyn has been watching Angelina Ballerina, and has convinced herself that she is a Ballerina. She is constantly practicing her dancing moves and humming classical tunes. She's adorable! We are going to try to put her into ballet for a couple of months, so she can see whether she likes it or not.
Both boys were nominated for Gifted and Talented. I am really proud of them. They both work really hard on their school work, so it is great to see them being recognized for their hard work. Collin was tested last week, and Cameron will be tested some time this week. We are excited to hear how their tests go.
Cameron was invited to read a part to the school board for School Board Appreciation Month. It was quite an honor, as less than 10 children from his advanced reading group were invited to participate. The personnel director took a picture, so when she posts it to the district website I will steal it and post it on the blog :-) He did really well, and even though I knew he was nervous, he didn't show it.
Collin's basketball team is still undefeated. He's the second string point guard, but he usually ends up playing 3 quarters. His team is AWESOME! They don't just win, they win big! I can't wait to see him in Eagle Green! This is his 3rd season. It would be his 5th, but we skipped the past two seasons at the Y. He is looking forward to going to basketball camp with Layton this summer!
Caleigh is officially on the growth chart again! She was having a really hard time gaining weight, so I started putting heavy cream in her sippy cups, and she has gained about 3.5 pounds in the past 6ish weeks. Woohoo! I put 4 oz whole milk, 4 oz heavy cream, and a couple tablespoons of Ovaltine in a sippy cup and have her drink it. It's between 500 and 600 calories per sippy cup-ful, and she drinks 2-3 of them a day, so she's gaining quite well now. The mixture is the consistency of melted ice cream, but she seems to really like it. She now weighs 23.6 pounds.
Caleigh is also starting to potty train. It's amazing how your attitude changes. When Collin was her age, I couldn't wait to get him potty trained and out of diapers. Now that Caleigh is potty training, I'm almost SAD. It's not that I WANT to be changing poop diapers into my 30s, but she's my baby, and I want her to stay a baby for as long as possible.
Caitlyn has been watching Angelina Ballerina, and has convinced herself that she is a Ballerina. She is constantly practicing her dancing moves and humming classical tunes. She's adorable! We are going to try to put her into ballet for a couple of months, so she can see whether she likes it or not.
January 13, 2011
It's 3 am...
...my baby princess is going through a bit of an annoying, albiet semi-endearing, phase right now. For some reason, she has decided to forsake her afternoon nap. She falls asleep between 6 and 7 each night; however, she wakes up between midnight and 2 each morning as well. The first couple of times this happened, I thought it was a fluke. Now, I think this may be a more permanent arrangement.
I understand why she does this. The house is quiet. The big kids are asleep. She gets free reign of the Netflix que, the DVD player, and MOMMY. She can go through Collin's stuff without his squacking. Big brother's yo-yos are fun, especially when you are two, and he never shares. She can play with Caitlyn's barbies or Moxie Girls without being bopped on the head. She never fights with Cameron. They are best buds. But he always tattles on her when she climbs onto the top bunk, so that doesn't always set well with the baby princess.
If you see me, and I seem a bit "off" or "tired" now you know why.
I understand why she does this. The house is quiet. The big kids are asleep. She gets free reign of the Netflix que, the DVD player, and MOMMY. She can go through Collin's stuff without his squacking. Big brother's yo-yos are fun, especially when you are two, and he never shares. She can play with Caitlyn's barbies or Moxie Girls without being bopped on the head. She never fights with Cameron. They are best buds. But he always tattles on her when she climbs onto the top bunk, so that doesn't always set well with the baby princess.
If you see me, and I seem a bit "off" or "tired" now you know why.
January 7, 2011
New Year's Resolutions
I posted some of these on my weight loss blog, but I wanted to go more in depth on this blog. This year I want to work on the following:
1. Finish losing weight and move on to maintaining the loss.
2. Read one "classic" novel per month, or 12 total. I have read quite a few, but I need to read more of the classics.
3. Read to the girls more often. The boys read well, so they would rather read a book themselves, but the girls enjoy listening to me read to them.
4. Work on patience.
5. Quit, or at least minimize, the yelling in our house. In high school, I was reading the definition of "temple" in the bible dictionary, and it is, "A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness." -from the LDS Bible Dictionary, bolding and emphasis is mine. I want to focus on treating our home with the sacredness and dignity is deserves.
6. Along with number 5, I want to keep the house in better order. So far this year, I am failing miserably, but once I get moving for the day that will change...I'm just sure of it!
7. Make birthdays fun and meaningful. Make sure to celebrate everyone's birthday and to make them feel special.
8. Treat my husband with more kindness.
9. Blog at least weekly. My memory is really horrible, so if I don't write it down, I WILL forget it!
10. Get more sleep.
This time next year, I will revisit these goals and see which ones I have accomplished :-)
1. Finish losing weight and move on to maintaining the loss.
2. Read one "classic" novel per month, or 12 total. I have read quite a few, but I need to read more of the classics.
3. Read to the girls more often. The boys read well, so they would rather read a book themselves, but the girls enjoy listening to me read to them.
4. Work on patience.
5. Quit, or at least minimize, the yelling in our house. In high school, I was reading the definition of "temple" in the bible dictionary, and it is, "A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness." -from the LDS Bible Dictionary, bolding and emphasis is mine. I want to focus on treating our home with the sacredness and dignity is deserves.
6. Along with number 5, I want to keep the house in better order. So far this year, I am failing miserably, but once I get moving for the day that will change...I'm just sure of it!
7. Make birthdays fun and meaningful. Make sure to celebrate everyone's birthday and to make them feel special.
8. Treat my husband with more kindness.
9. Blog at least weekly. My memory is really horrible, so if I don't write it down, I WILL forget it!
10. Get more sleep.
This time next year, I will revisit these goals and see which ones I have accomplished :-)
2010 Year in Review
I did not keep up on the blog nearly as well as I wanted to this year. One of my goals for this year is to write more often. There is so much that goes on in our lives that I forget if it is not recorded. This year was full of more ups and downs, but, fortunately, the ups outnumbered the downs. Here are some memories from the year:
January- Collin turned 8! I remember it felt so weird to have an 8 year old! We opted not to baptize him, but will eventually, maybe. My sister got married on January 22, so we made a trip out to Arizona to "help" with the wedding and visit. She seems very happy. I laugh because you almost go into a sugar coma around them because they are so sweet to each other! I thought it would calm down after a bit, but they're just as sweet as ever! Josh is an awesome brother in law and he loves to fish, so he fits in well.
February- Caitlyn turned 5! I can't believe my little princess is 5! We adopted two cute little guinea pigs. They were adorable little pets and we LOVE them!
March- We celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. We aren't mushy at all, so I'm not going to sit here and gush about how he completes me and how if I could go back I would do it all over again, blah, blah, blah. Gag me. We made it another year without driving each other crazy- yippee! My (step) sister Shanda got married. Reed's fun and it seems like he treats her well. They had a very small ceremony, and we weren't able to come out for it. Man, I hate being 1000 miles away from everyone! I also started my weight loss "journey" in March.
April- John joined a slow pitch softball league. We had fun watching his games. He was the catcher. John passed the first part of training and was knee deep in paperwork and audits. Collin earned his Bobcat in scouts.
May- The last full month of school. Caleigh and I went to the zoo with Cameron and his class. We rode with Molly and had lots of fun! I also got my first ticket since being married. I was driving our old car, Squeak, and was pulled over and cited for not having a current inspection sticker. Luckily, the judge dismissed the ticket.
June- School let out for the summer. Collin was honored at his awards assembly for participating in UIL, reading, having a great attitude, and a bunch of other stuff that I have since forgotten. Yup, mother of the year... He ended up with three medals, several ribons, and a couple of certificates. I was really proud of him! Cameron finished up the year strong and was able to go from being behind in reading to being one of the most advanced in his entire grade. Caitlyn finished pre-K and was ready for summer!
We spent a week in Arizona. We went camping, played lots of wii, rode my step-dad's horse, and just enjoyed being with my family. We camped at west fork. I think that is my favorite camping spot. The kids could go fish in the creek and the rest of us could hang out and visit. I am looking forward to going back this summer!
July- We celebrated two birthdays in July. First, our baby princess Caleigh turned 2. After that, our baby boy Cameron turned 7. We swam a lot in July and went to the lake. The summer sped by, but we had fun. We bar-b-que'ed a lot, too.
August- Back to school. The kids were blessed with great teachers again! Caitlyn has Mrs. Bland for Kindergarten. Cameron's 2nd grade teacher is Ms. Gardner. Collin's 3rd grade teacher is Ms. Orr. Cameron was placed in Mrs. Miller's advanced reading group. He was really excited about that! Collin was in Mrs. Miller's group in both 1st and 2nd grade, so when Cameron did not make the cut in 1st grade, he was determined to make it in 2nd! I was proud of his hard work! Collin was placed in advanced reading and advanced math. He is very responsible and enjoys school. Caitlyn attends school and enjoys it mainly for the social aspects. She isn't much of a scholar, but she'll catch on ;-) Caleigh enjoyed having the house and the tv to herself after the kids went back to school.
September- John celebrated his 1 year anniversary with the IRS. I "ran" my first 5k. I finished in less than 40 minutes and didn't die, so it was a success! It was really rainy, so I ended up soaked! It was fun, though, and I am looking forward to doing more races in 2011. Nanny visited for about a week, and we had a BLAST!
October- After months of contemplation, John decided to separate from the IRS and return to school to become a teacher and a coach. I feel like this is a much better "fit" for him and am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives!
November- The kids and I went to Arizona. Nanny and "Unky Sussin" flew out to drive us home. Justin and I (read: Justin) drove through the night while Nanny and the kids slept. I don't think I've laughed that much in a long time! From admiring truck stop delicacies to solving the world's problems, we had fun. We got to go to my family's Christmas party for the first time in YEARS! It was great! My mom spoiled us rotten. Whenever my mom is in town, we always eat really well and we end up REALLY, REALLY SPOILED!! Also, my first nephew on my side Kayson was born! He's a cutie pie and I'm excited for Shanda and Reed :)
December- I turned the big 3-0. We celebrated Christmas with John's dad, Erin (John's sister), Jesse (our nephew), Bart, and our entire family at a bed and breakfast in Mineola, TX. It was beautiful. John's dad rented the entire house. The entire thing was decorated for Christmas. There were 3 Christmas trees, two fire places, and plenty of room to spread out and enjoy! We stayed up and played scrabble and visited around the fireplace. We also ate WAY too much! It was a blast! Santa found us at the house, and the kids were really excited about their gifts. The boys got BB guns. Caitlyn got a Moxie Girls doll and furry boots, and Caleigh got a new stuffed animal. Aunt Erin got the kids all new sweaters and a new book. Uncle Bart gave us some cash. Uncle Justin sent us gift certificates for Pizza Hut and a Sponge Bob Operation game. Nanny got the kids Wii Party and a new controller, barbies for Caitlyn and Caleigh, a pressure cooker for me, a BBQ set for John, a framed family picture, and a really pretty necklace and book for me. I know I am forgetting something! Grandma and Grandpa Rhodes got Super Mario Wii for the boys, snuggly blankies for all the kids, sent jam (blueberry and peach), cute little baby dolls with their own blankies and cribs for the girls and I know I'm forgetting more from them, too! Grandpa Bryant got the boys basketballs and the girls barbies. We had a really fun Christmas this year.
I guess that wraps up the year! Hopefully I will do better at keeping up with the blog this year!
January- Collin turned 8! I remember it felt so weird to have an 8 year old! We opted not to baptize him, but will eventually, maybe. My sister got married on January 22, so we made a trip out to Arizona to "help" with the wedding and visit. She seems very happy. I laugh because you almost go into a sugar coma around them because they are so sweet to each other! I thought it would calm down after a bit, but they're just as sweet as ever! Josh is an awesome brother in law and he loves to fish, so he fits in well.
February- Caitlyn turned 5! I can't believe my little princess is 5! We adopted two cute little guinea pigs. They were adorable little pets and we LOVE them!
March- We celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. We aren't mushy at all, so I'm not going to sit here and gush about how he completes me and how if I could go back I would do it all over again, blah, blah, blah. Gag me. We made it another year without driving each other crazy- yippee! My (step) sister Shanda got married. Reed's fun and it seems like he treats her well. They had a very small ceremony, and we weren't able to come out for it. Man, I hate being 1000 miles away from everyone! I also started my weight loss "journey" in March.
April- John joined a slow pitch softball league. We had fun watching his games. He was the catcher. John passed the first part of training and was knee deep in paperwork and audits. Collin earned his Bobcat in scouts.
May- The last full month of school. Caleigh and I went to the zoo with Cameron and his class. We rode with Molly and had lots of fun! I also got my first ticket since being married. I was driving our old car, Squeak, and was pulled over and cited for not having a current inspection sticker. Luckily, the judge dismissed the ticket.
June- School let out for the summer. Collin was honored at his awards assembly for participating in UIL, reading, having a great attitude, and a bunch of other stuff that I have since forgotten. Yup, mother of the year... He ended up with three medals, several ribons, and a couple of certificates. I was really proud of him! Cameron finished up the year strong and was able to go from being behind in reading to being one of the most advanced in his entire grade. Caitlyn finished pre-K and was ready for summer!
We spent a week in Arizona. We went camping, played lots of wii, rode my step-dad's horse, and just enjoyed being with my family. We camped at west fork. I think that is my favorite camping spot. The kids could go fish in the creek and the rest of us could hang out and visit. I am looking forward to going back this summer!
July- We celebrated two birthdays in July. First, our baby princess Caleigh turned 2. After that, our baby boy Cameron turned 7. We swam a lot in July and went to the lake. The summer sped by, but we had fun. We bar-b-que'ed a lot, too.
August- Back to school. The kids were blessed with great teachers again! Caitlyn has Mrs. Bland for Kindergarten. Cameron's 2nd grade teacher is Ms. Gardner. Collin's 3rd grade teacher is Ms. Orr. Cameron was placed in Mrs. Miller's advanced reading group. He was really excited about that! Collin was in Mrs. Miller's group in both 1st and 2nd grade, so when Cameron did not make the cut in 1st grade, he was determined to make it in 2nd! I was proud of his hard work! Collin was placed in advanced reading and advanced math. He is very responsible and enjoys school. Caitlyn attends school and enjoys it mainly for the social aspects. She isn't much of a scholar, but she'll catch on ;-) Caleigh enjoyed having the house and the tv to herself after the kids went back to school.
September- John celebrated his 1 year anniversary with the IRS. I "ran" my first 5k. I finished in less than 40 minutes and didn't die, so it was a success! It was really rainy, so I ended up soaked! It was fun, though, and I am looking forward to doing more races in 2011. Nanny visited for about a week, and we had a BLAST!
October- After months of contemplation, John decided to separate from the IRS and return to school to become a teacher and a coach. I feel like this is a much better "fit" for him and am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives!
November- The kids and I went to Arizona. Nanny and "Unky Sussin" flew out to drive us home. Justin and I (read: Justin) drove through the night while Nanny and the kids slept. I don't think I've laughed that much in a long time! From admiring truck stop delicacies to solving the world's problems, we had fun. We got to go to my family's Christmas party for the first time in YEARS! It was great! My mom spoiled us rotten. Whenever my mom is in town, we always eat really well and we end up REALLY, REALLY SPOILED!! Also, my first nephew on my side Kayson was born! He's a cutie pie and I'm excited for Shanda and Reed :)
December- I turned the big 3-0. We celebrated Christmas with John's dad, Erin (John's sister), Jesse (our nephew), Bart, and our entire family at a bed and breakfast in Mineola, TX. It was beautiful. John's dad rented the entire house. The entire thing was decorated for Christmas. There were 3 Christmas trees, two fire places, and plenty of room to spread out and enjoy! We stayed up and played scrabble and visited around the fireplace. We also ate WAY too much! It was a blast! Santa found us at the house, and the kids were really excited about their gifts. The boys got BB guns. Caitlyn got a Moxie Girls doll and furry boots, and Caleigh got a new stuffed animal. Aunt Erin got the kids all new sweaters and a new book. Uncle Bart gave us some cash. Uncle Justin sent us gift certificates for Pizza Hut and a Sponge Bob Operation game. Nanny got the kids Wii Party and a new controller, barbies for Caitlyn and Caleigh, a pressure cooker for me, a BBQ set for John, a framed family picture, and a really pretty necklace and book for me. I know I am forgetting something! Grandma and Grandpa Rhodes got Super Mario Wii for the boys, snuggly blankies for all the kids, sent jam (blueberry and peach), cute little baby dolls with their own blankies and cribs for the girls and I know I'm forgetting more from them, too! Grandpa Bryant got the boys basketballs and the girls barbies. We had a really fun Christmas this year.
I guess that wraps up the year! Hopefully I will do better at keeping up with the blog this year!
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