Saturday, February 26, 2011

What I am reading.. Finishing up February...

2/2/11- The Year My Son and I were Born by Kathryn Lynard Soper
Non fiction writing, Soper shares her pain, joy, and frustrations starting with the 10 week premature birth of her 7th child. Soper and her husband soon learned that their son carried an extra chromosome sending them into the world of Down Syndrome. Soper shares her emotions in dealing with the diagnosis, how to accept a child that will not be *Normal*, and how she feels she no longer fits in with her faith and those around her.

2/8/11 Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline
Scottoline is an award winning author who also writes a column for her local paper in thePittsburgarea. This book is a compilation of her newspaper columns.. She shares stories about living alone, divorce, being a single mother, dealing with her elderly mother and all her daily chaos! Easy to read short chapters, en lightning and entertaining.

2/13/11 After all these years...by Susan Isaacs
Fictional story... Rose wakes up in the middle of the night and heads to the kitchen for a snack. When she shuffles into the kitchen she stumbles into a lump on the floor. Initially she fears she has stepped on the dog.. but quickly remembers the dog dies a few weeks ago. She flips on the lights to see her husband, lying on the kitchen floor with a knife in his chest. Her soon to be Ex husband... who moved out of the house months ago... and in with his new lover....
The story follows Rose as she is quickly named the suspect, how she outsmarts the police and escapes her house the evening before they plan to arrest her for murder, and how she goes onthe lam trying to find the real murderer and the reasons why...

2/19/11 Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
Non Fictional writing.. The best synopsis comes from the cover of the book...
"This is a story about a mother, two daughters and two dogs. This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids then Western ones. But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a 13 year old."

Chua writes about her attempt to raise perfect Chinese daughters, even though they are not really *Chinese* daughters....They are American daughters, born and bred and not as easily molded by control and manipulation...

The last two books I had never heard of. They were on the New Release Shelf at the Library and well worth the time it took to read them!

2/25/11 The Good Sister by Drusilla Campbell
Roxanne has spent her entire life caring for and protecting her younger, weaker, *fragile* sister Simone. In the end there is nothing she can do to help her... Story looks at three generations of women, Ellen, her daughters Roxanne and Simone, and Simone's daughter Merell, Valli, Victoria, Olivia and Claire... and the secrecy, the violence and lies that surround them.
Book discusses physical abuse as well as Postpartum Psychosis Disorder.

2/17/11 Mothers and Other Liars by Amy Bourret
Ruby was 19 when she was stopped at a rest area for a break on her drive cross country. When she went to toss her candy wrapper in the trash she was shocked to see an infant carrier with a baby in the can. Assuming that the child was abandoned by her parents Ruby takes her and raises her as her own. Lark was 9 years old when Ruby happened to read a story in a tabloid about a woman who admits she was part of a duo who stole the vehicle that held a newborn when the driver stepped away at the gas station. The photo accompanying the article looks exactly like the first photo Ruby took of Lark all those years ago... Ruby struggles with what to do.. and in the end decided on telling the truth.. no matter what pain that may cause....

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tonights Homework...

What sport would you participate in at the Olympics? Why would you choose that sport?

Madeline wrote...

I like volleyball. You can play in your bathing suit. You can play on the sand. It is a fun sport. You can hit the ball over the net.

(granted she only had any idea about volleyball after I had her watch a youtube video of Kerri Walsh and Misty May Trenner! )


Andrew had the same assignment and he wrote his paper out all by himself and brought it to me to read...

If I had a trofey I will put it under my bed and hide it. If I had inoer(another) trofey now I will put it in a nuer plac i will put it on my shelf..

Nice try.. but not on topic son!

Monday, February 21, 2011

See what it feels like???

This afternoon Madeline was on the kids computer trying to play one of the educational games Michael installed. Andrew was sitting on the couch behind her trying to tell her what to do next, which way to go, what she did wrong and how to fix it. This went on for almost 10 minutes. No arguing.. just a back and forth banter with Andrew getting more and more frustrated with her lack of compliance with him.
Finally, whatever game she was playing, she lost. Andrew gets up off the couch and walks away saying, " See! You never listen to anything I say Ma-de-lin!"

I looked over at Michael and turns away from them and to me and we just start to laugh...

See what it feels like kids?

Saturday, February 19, 2011

February Reading...cont...

2/2/11- The Year My Son and I were Born by Kathryn Lynard Soper
Non fiction writing, Soper shares her pain, joy, and frustrations starting with the 10 week premature birth of her 7th child. Soper and her husband soon learned that their son carried an extra chromosome sending them into the world of Down Syndrome. Soper shares her emotions in dealing with the diagnosis, how to accept a child that will not be *Normal*, and how she feels she no longer fits in with her faith and those around her.

2/8/11 Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline
Scottoline is an award winning author who also writes a column for her local paper in the Pittsburgarea. This book is a compilation of her newspaper columns.. She shares stories about living alone, divorce, being a single mother, dealing with her elderly mother and all her daily chaos! Easy to read short chapters, en lightning and entertaining.

2/13/11 After all these years...by Susan Isaacs
Fictional story... Rose wakes up in the middle of the night and heads to the kitchen for a snack. When she shuffles into the kitchen she stumbles into a lump on the floor. Initially she fears she has stepped on the dog.. but quickly remembers the dog dies a few weeks ago. She flips on the lights to see her husband, lying on the kitchen floor with a knife in his chest. Her soon to be Ex husband... who moved out of the house months ago... and in with his new lover....
The story follows Rose as she is quickly named the suspect, how she outsmarts the police and escapes her house the evening before they plan to arrest her for murder, and how she goes on the lam trying to find the real murderer and the reasons why...

2/19/11 Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
Non Fictional writing.. The best synopsis comes from the cover of the book...
"This is a story about a mother, two daughters and two dogs. This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids then Western ones. But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a 13 year old."

Chua writes about her attempt to raise perfect Chinese daughters, even though they are not really *Chinese* daughters....They are American daughters, born and bred and not as easily molded by control and manipulation...

Monday, February 14, 2011

Hacky Valentines Day.

Yes, Hacky.... as in Cough, cough, choke cough...As in Influenza!

Saturday we decided to go out to dinner. We did not even leave the house until at least 530pm. Everyone was fine. In the amount of time it took us to drive into Belden and go to CiCi's Andrew was pale with flushed cheeks and obviously fevered. He went back and forth from shaking and wearing a coat to fine. We ran our errands and headed home. I popped some Tylenol in him and sent him to bed. At midnight I took him to the bathroom and dosed him with Advil.

Sunday morning I woke up coughing, Michael woke up coughing and Andrew was still a Hot Mess.. Literally..I decided I needed to get food in the house before I was full blown sick.. Good choice on my part. Michael ended up making dinner and I ended up napping from 630pm until 9pm. I got up long enough to have a cup of hot, sodium free, chicken broth ( AKA- nasty).

This morning Madeline and Ben were healthy still so they were shipped off to school. I called the Dr office and was told to come on in since the Dr was already in. I LOVE it when that happens. Of course Andrew decided at THAT moment to start puking in the bathroom sink. Yeah for being tall enough to make in into the sink! (as a mom I have learned to appreciate the small blessings thrown my way)

We see the Dr. She checks him out. She asks if anyone else is sick. I nod.. "Michael and I are too" She asks for our symptoms. I tell her all about our joys.. She diagnoses us all with influenza. Tells me to keep doing what we are doing, Tylenol and motrin swap, fluids, and lots of rest. She advises me to not bother going to the Dr for myself, Tami flu is not all that it is cracked up to be. Will only help shorted the duration of the illness minimally, we are otherwise healthy, the cost is $$ and the side effects are nasty! Good enough for me!

So my second blessing of the day was only 1 office visit co-pay!

Since everything comes in threes I consider that Ben and Madeline got off the bus still healthy my third blessing.

Fingers crossed that I do not have to edit that last line...

Happy Valentines Day!

I bought my husband a card for Valentines Day, the same as I do every year. The same as I do for Sweetest Day, every year. He forgot to get me a card. He said he thought we did not do that.

That is O.K. though. Instead he did the dishes.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Weighing in on things that matter...

I can officially say that I am MOST definitely under the weight I was when I got pregnant with the twins!! WOOHOO!

No.. I did not say that I LOOK like I did when I had the twins.. Just under that weight.

I only gained 21lbs with them. Within 2 weeks I was easily fitting into my pre pregnancy pants.. Then reality hit.... I spent the next year sitting on the couch nursing 2 babies.

And the next few years chasing toddlers and preschoolers.

Personal exercise was never a priority of my time or financially affordable.

But things have changed and Michael and I are both intently focused on food choices, caloric intake and portion control.

AND IT IS WORKING!

Now to find a place that is affordable to start to work this mass back into some sort of shape...

After that..

To see if I can find a loophole in the insurance plans that will pay for a body that has been wrecked by an overstretched pregnancy! lol

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Andrews writing Homework...

The assignment tonight was to ~Write a letter to your Valentine~ Madeline chose to write a note to her friend Caroline. Andrew chose himself. This is is what he wrote...

Dear Andrew

I like my self

And my smily.

I like my bad.(dad)

I like my mom.

I like my famley.

Too cute!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

February Reading...

2/2/11- The Year My Son and I were Born by Kathryn Lynard Soper
Non fiction writing, Soper shares her pain, joy, and frustrations starting with the 10 week premature birth of her 7th child. Soper and her husband soon learned that their son carried an extra chromosome sending them into the world of Down Syndrome. Soper shares her emotions in dealing with the diagnosis, how to accept a child that will not be *Normal*, and how she feels she no longer fits in with her faith and those around her.

2/8/11 Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline
Scottoline is an award winning author who also writes a column for her local paper in the Pittsburg area. This book is a compilation of her newspaper columns.. She shares stories about living alone, divorce, being a single mother, dealing with her elderly mother and all her daily chaos! Easy to read short chapters, en lightning and entertaining.