Rosebud begins Kindergarten, and other unbelievable events

“What I like doing best is Nothing."
"How do you do Nothing," asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time.
"Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, 'What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?' and you say, 'Oh, Nothing,' and then you go and do it.
It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
"Oh!" said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

She was so excited. She didn’t seem sad or anxious at all. I was feeling like Winnie-the-Pooh, getting left behind when Christopher Robin goes to school. At least she will be home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Friday afternoons, so we will still be able to do Nothing sometimes!

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Meet Isaac and Katherine, the start of Hummer’s betta fish family. He is researching betta breeding and hopes to sell the offspring to save money for his mission. Quite the adventure right here in our kitchen!

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Major car woes over the past month, including a sea monster infestation. The car below has about 250,000 miles on it and is being driven with a salvage title. Our Sienna has 200K. So yes, we were unsurprised when the troubles began. But still it was painful and we do hope we have given enough cash offerings to appease the car gods for at least a year!

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I have been reading Little House in the Big Woods to Rosebud, and we both LOVE it. She was especially enthralled with the dance at Grandpa’s. She set up a dance for us here at home, with refreshments, decorations, and even live fiddling from Pa!

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Rosebud’s dance attire.

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Our traditional Back-To-School Breakfast Picnic (BTSBP) was held at the area near our home we call The Buttes. It was my favorite BTSBP location so far since we moved away from Arkansas. Peaceful and lovely and no people besides us. I don’t like people besides us. JK LOL.

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9/8/15 ~ Fluffy’s 1st day of high school! It was still dark, on accounta his leaving at 5:45am for seminary.

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Hummer’s in 6th grade this year (still considered “Lower School” at their K-12 charter school) and Rosebud is in Kindergarten.

Aren’t their uniforms super cute? H can’t stand his, and changes into “nice” clothes immediately after he gets home.

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I like that they are able to leave and come home together in spite of a 6-year age difference.

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This was the first time DC got to come with me for the Kindergarten sendoff. It was really sweet.

Here’s her other uniform – just can’t resist.

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With Rosebud gone all day M/W as well as F mornings, I have taken on a couple more piano students. Two of my long-time students gave a joint-solo recital two weekends ago, and here they are with their trophies, as well as their older sibling who also studies with me. I really love this family. (Can you tell by my exploding smile? :)

Such an odd new phase for me, having my youngest start school. I’m definitely enjoying having a little more time to excavate our house and get organized, but I miss my little Friend on the days she’s gone.

“But, of course, it isn't really Good-bye, because the Forest will always be there... and anybody who is Friendly with Bears can find it.”
― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

More books. . . .

Thank you so much for your comforting and understanding words! I have read your comments over and over, and am amazed at how much they help me.

We are headed out in a couple of days on an Epic Journey, visiting friends and family in the beautiful, muggy Southeast. I wish I had a laptop so I could use some of the driving time to keep this here blog updated! Maybe it's just as well, though, so that I'm sure to focus on ENJOYing the trip. :) (And keeping things relatively peaceful in the car - three little boys and one 5-month-old will make quite the adventurous driving companions! ha)

Here are some bookish thoughts I wanted to record before making one LAST trip to the library to return these puppies. . . .

The Robe. Lloyd C. Douglas. Very interesting book. I had a little transition time getting used to the style of the writing (I always felt like I was watching a "Ben Hur"-type movie in my mind as I read), but it grew on me and I was definitely hooked. I loved the fact that it began with a character witnessing Palm Sunday and not knowing anything about who the man on the donkey was. I loved learning more about early Greek and Roman culture, and how they viewed the Jews and early Christians. The Christian-ness of this book is inspiring and not sentimental like in many modern Christian novels. (Except at the end, I suppose, which disappointed me). I want to be more like the Savior after reading it. It also leaves me wanting to learn more about those early Saints, and what things were really like after Peter had become the leader of the Church.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Rick Riordan. These are so fun!! I never would have read them if Exacto hadn't recommended them to me, because I thought they looked kind of silly. They ARE very silly in parts, but I will never forget the Greek gods and goddesses now! In fact, shortly afterward I reread D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and was amazed at how much better I connected to those wonderful ancient stories. I recommend these for age 10 and up. (They are a bit violent / gruesome. Also they have some content that you may not want to give yet to younger children, such as plenty of unmarried parenthood, taking "gods'" names in vain, trips to Hades, etc.)

Milkweed. Jerry Spinelli. A story about an orphan living in the Warsaw Ghetto. Wow. This was really an incredible book, but the ending is a let-down. I am amazed that anyone considers this juvenile fiction! It is clearly an adult book. Actually, have you noticed that a lot of award-winning "children's literature" is not enjoyed by children, but adults always rave about it? This would definitely be one of those. For one thing, it is one of the harshest books I have ever read--the author spares no detail about the living and dying conditions of those times. I felt sick after reading it. But it has some really beautiful parts, too, such as the theme of childish innocence in the midst of brutal insanity. I wish Spinelli had developed that theme through the end of the book--it really does have a strange ending. *spoiler alert* Do you honestly think any child will relate to a book that ends with the main character as a mentally disturbed grandfather? I'll probably never read this again, but I'm glad I read it, for the perspective it gave me on that part of history, and for knowing what Exacto had to experience in order to write that last report for Social Studies!

Fablehaven. Brandon Mull. Ahhhh, what a delightful book. I had already tried to read it once, was completely unimpressed by the cliche-seeming first chapter, and returned it to the library. But then my brother Russ recommended it, and I found out my sister Becky had loved it, so when Exacto suggested that we read it aloud together, I decided it was time to try it again. I'm really glad I did! Although I don't always care for Mull's style of prose (I don't think he gives enough clues about character's appearance or the expression of their voices--maybe I'm too used to Dickens), but I love his sheer creativity and gift for telling a story. The charm of the world he has created pulls me like Harry Potter's world did. Also, I love finding the little spiritual truths tucked in there, since Mull is a Mormon, too. :) (anyone out there notice those, too? Lena = Eve?) Exacto and I are well into the second book now, and loving it even more than the first.

Out of the Dust. Karen Hesse. Another award-winning book that grownups will love, and children may read and get sad and not understand. This one is written in free-verse poetry, from the point of view of a girl growing up in the Dust Bowl. She is starved for many things besides food. I just want to take her under my wing and love her. But I admire her strength, and the ending is very satisfying. Beautifully written. I think what it is with these types of books is that the authors really do express something meaningful, but children don't read to get deep meaning like adults do. They just want an interesting, good, cathartic story. Hmm, I'll have to think some more about this. . . .

 

 

 

Rosebud is still nursing exclusively, in case you're wondering how on earth I have time to read this much. I am loving this phase!

 

Post-partum Reading List

( pay no attention to the laundry in the corner. . .  :)

The first 2 months after having a baby are generally an excellent time for me to get in some heavy-duty reading. I know that sounds strange, but if you are spending hours and hours day and night nursing a sweet baby, and you don't feel well enough to be doing much of anything else, well, reading is a great thing to do with your mind in the meantime!

Incidentally, now that my body is physically recovered, and Rosebud and I are out and about more, the reading has dropped to almost a complete standstill. :)

But here are some of the worlds I "visited" during Rosebud's first two months, along with a few informal thoughts about them. . . . 

The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas - I read the 1200+ pages of this in about 8 DAYS. (My babies tend to be marathon nursers from the very beginning. :) I liked it much better than the Three Musketeers, although the ending didn't quite satisfy as much I as had hoped. There are great themes in here about handling adversity, and making use of our talents. It is a book about serious revenge, and it made me wonder if it is ever okay to take revenge into our own hands. The protagonist is a very likable person, although during the second half of the book you are no longer in his head, and that's pretty disconcerting at first. All in all, a very enjoyable read, if you're in the mood for a classic with a very interesting storyline and not terribly difficult to read.

The Actor and the Housewife, Shannon Hale - wow. This was really interesting. It was great for beating post-partum blues, as it made me laugh with almost every page. Shannon Hale takes on some pretty tough themes, like whether or not it's okay to have a serious platonic relationship with the opposite sex when you're married, and what constitutes a strong enough attraction for marriage. I'm not quite sure I agree with her, but it was certainly an entertaining ride. I'm very curious to hear what others of you think that have read this, especially what you thought of the ending! I do think this novel is MUCH BETTER than Austenland (I hated that one), and probably Hale's best writing yet.

 

The Magician's Elephant, Kate DiCamillo - Absolutely beautiful. I only wish it were longer. DiCamillo's writing is so poetic and strikes so directly to my heart. It's not often such a short book can make me cry. I would like to read this one again. Exacto also enjoyed this one. Themes are honesty, consequences to choices, and the power of hope.

 

Enthusiasm, Polly Shulman - I almost put this one down after the first chapter. It seemed too teenie-bopperish. (Aren't you impressed with my very academic style of reviewing these? :) But it's hard to get to the library when you have a newborn, and I was desperate to keep my brain active, and so I kept reading. It ended up being a really fun book. I do need to offer a warning about a little bit of language, and also verbal suggestiveness, but not worse than a PG-level. You will enjoy this book if you're can't get enough Jane Austen spinoffs and just want some escapist-type reading.

 

 

Emily Climbs, L.M. Montgomery - I've lost track of how many times I've read the Emily series. Reading Montgomery's books again now that I'm "all grown up" (sort of) has been sheer joy. Yes, I am more aware now of little faults in the writing, but I also "get" things now that I didn't before, especially some of the humorous things. Reading these is like getting all cozy again in my little twin canopy bed in the house I grew up in, with saguaros and palo verde trees outside my window. Makes me forget how many years have passed since I was a little girl. :)

 

 

The Good Earth, Pearl Buck - I was SO MAD at this book. First the author completely draws me in to this amazing little Chinese family, in a world I had never visited before, China on the cusp of revolution. I loved the uneducated but hardworking Wang Lung, and I especially loved his wife O-Lan, who is amazing in her ability to create a comfortable home for her family out of almost nothing but sheer talent. This was becoming one of my most inspiring reads in years, until Wang Lung's little downfall. Unfortunately (or FORTUNATELY, rather) my desire for catharsis does not extend to following the protagonist into vivid depictions of adultery. If Wang Lung were a real person, I think I would slap him. So anyway, I couldn't finish the book, although I'm sure it is very good according to the academic world. (This would have to be rated PG13 or even R)

 

 

Currently reading (very slowly). . . .

Barnaby Rudge, Charles Dickens - I am LOVING this. Dickens is so amazing, and I can't get enough of him. After I finish this one, I think I lack only 2-3 until I've read all of his books. His writing is so satisfying to me, like Brahms and really dark chocolate. :) Who else could pull off so beautifully a main character who is mentally disabled? Barnaby seems like a prophet--I can't wait to see what happens to him. And I love, love, love Grip, his ever-present pet raven, who is so hilarious that I laugh out loud whenever Dickens brings him onstage. Add the historical background of the Catholic-Protestant riots in 1780 London, and many other very interesting characters, and you've got a delightfully fascinating world to visit for hundreds of pages.

Getting Things Done, David Allen - ha. This is kind of a joke for me now. I thought it would help me capitalize on Rosebud's naps. Instead it makes me feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Not a good post-partum read, although I may come back to it in the future.

 

The Well-Educated Mind, Susan Wise Bauer - This book is amazing! Why didn't anyone tell me about it before? I plan to buy this one, and set off on her self-directed course for gaining a classical education. Very slowly. :)Anyone want to join me?

Return to Cranford

Just a quick stop here. . . my sweet girl is finally learning how to take naps longer than 20 minutes. . . hopefully life will start to resume a sort of routine soon.

But I had to tell you about this movie. If you enjoyed Cranford (see my gushing post about it here), or any other of those amazing Elizabeth Gaskell adaptations, you will enjoy this sequel to Cranford. Normally I am very skeptical about sequels, but this is actually a good one. I recently read the book Cranford, and I like the movie and its sequel better than the book! It is that good.

Anyway, it's available to watch for free online until February 16. It's about 3 hours long, in two episodes (or you can watch it by chapter), and has most of the same characters from the original. And you know I wouldn't recommend it if it had any bad stuff - well, there might be some very brief Biblical word swearing - but nothing worse. :) Leetle bit of medical type violence like in the first, but not even as much.

Here's the link! http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/cranford2/watch.html

You're welcome. :)

Day 23 - { the little lost library book that now is found }

Last November I checked out a library book on "Nursing School Entrance Exams". I flipped through it, and put it on the desk to read gradually whenever I had a few minutes. It got buried by Christmas cards and bills and paperwork, and I forgot about its very existence.

Then in December we sold our desk to make room for our new sectional. Before the people came to pick up the desk, we put everything from on top and in the drawers into Wal-mart bags that went into the kitchen. About a month later the bags migrated into the garage. (Obiviously, organizing is not a natural skill of mine.)

I had Chris return a whole stack of books to the library, including some nursing-school type ones, and assumed it was in there. Meanwhile, whenever I received the email from our library saying it was due, I just kept renewing it, thinking they must have shelved it without discharging it, and every time thanking my lucky stars that someone hadn't placed it on hold!

I've been trying since Christmas to get the paper mess under control, and to figure out what to do with all those bags of paper in the garage. (I think paper is my mortal enemy). Girl in a Swirl recommended a great organizing book, and it's given me the Umph to get going on the paper! Yes, ma'am. I pulled in those bags this morning, and ATTACKED them, sorting like a fiend.

 

Guess what was in the very. . . first. . . bag. . .

 

Yep! "Nursing School Entrance Exams"!!! WAHOO!!!

And my first emotion? Not shame (maybe it should have been!). Not annoyance at myself. No beating up of self going on at all.

 

 

It was just sheer GRATITUDE. 

 

 

 

Can't wait to go to the library!!!

The price of fame

DC's wonderful sister Vauna asked about his { ahem--polish fingernails } BOOK, that we very discreetly alluded to in my last post.

 

{ take a moment to pick up the buttons that popped off my sweater at the very mention of my husband's BOOK }

 

Visit this link at AMAZON.COM to see what we were talking about.

A German publisher contacted DC about publishing his doctoral treatise. He spent some time making revisions and getting permission from the artists he interviewed, and now it is a (very expensive) book!

 

It's funny because we're both kind of starry-eyed about this, and spent several minutes just gazing at the page. No idea how many people will buy it--it's listed at 49 Euros! :) --but we just think it's cool anyway.

 

DC wants me to mention that my posting about this is NOT in any way, shape or form, suggesting that anyone should feel any pressure whatsoever to buy it. (And those of you who know DC personally know that he is the absolute least pressuring sort of person on the planet. :)

 

I just wanted to brag on my cutie.

And now I'll go try to restrain the paparazzi.

Fall Into Reading 2008

I wandered into this somewhere in blog-land, and thought it sounded so fun! You choose the books you want to read between now and December 20th, and write up a post. As you finish the books, post reviews on your blog, and add them to her list for other readers to come and enjoy! :) If you're interested, it's hosted here at Callapidder Days.

I'm only going to name 3 books for the challenge, to give me better odds of following up on it. :) (Although most likely I'll read way more than three!)

Anna Karenina - I made sure to ask my brother Didier to recommend a translation, since he took a Russian Lit class at BYU before his mission, and since he's the one who encouraged me to read this book!

He says the one he read was translated by Aylmer and Louise Maude. Got it from the library, and I'm ready to go. . . .(Good thing, too, because it'll probably take me the whole three months!)

 

Authentic Happiness - This one was recommended (and given!) to me by Dr. Wallace Goddard, who happens to be in our stake*. (Maybe you've read his articles in Meridian Magazine.) He has been teaching the most wonderful firesides bi-monthly, with a focus of strengthening marriage and parent relationships. At each one he has stacks of lovely, new books. He lets us take one and keep it on the condition that we READ it by the next fireside. Awesome!

 

 

Old Testament (KJV) - I am embarrassed to admit that I have never read the entire Bible. Most of the New Testament, yes, but my Old  Testament knowledge in particular, has been sadly lacking. I started reading it cover-to-cover in 2002, and now I'm at the end of Isaiah. Yay! One of my new year's goals for '08 was to finally finish the OT, so this will be my final push!

 

 

 

 

*mormon language :) = a group of local congregations--like a diocese in the Catholic church 

Answers to your questions!

*Ike*

Mandy was curious to know how many hours our family has spent in our "tornado" closet since we moved to AR. "It seems like there's very frequent storm weather in your area--I guess we're both in regular "storm watch" areas of the country now ;) Does tornado weather happen seasonally, and if so, does it coincide with hurricane season?"

Well, we do have tornado sirens here, that go off every Wednesday at noon for testing. In fact when Becky was here, and she and Fluffy heard them go off, and she asked him, "Do you know what that sound means?"

Fluffy responded nonchalantly, "Yep! It's Wednesday." :)

So anyway, they go off on other days, too. It seems to happen when there has been warm weather, about to be hit by cold weather, or vice versa. I've heard that there's KIND of a tornado season, from about March through November, peaking in April, but I've also heard of January tornadoes. A couple of years ago we had some just after Thanksgiving. It was very odd.

Hurricanes tend to spawn tornadoes, yes. But we don't have to worry about hurricanes like you south Floridians. They tend to have died down a bit by the time they make it up here. (Whew!)

 

*Horses*

Okay, okay. I have to admit I was baiting Becky in my post about the horses.

Here's the story.

We were driving from Provo to Snowflake for the first time after my parents moved there in 1997. DC and I were newlyweds and I was expecting Exacto, having recently found out he was NOT a girl. (One of the great shocks of my life).

We had never really driven on the reservations before, and it was a bit of a culture shock, especially for Becky, apparently. (See, Becky, I told you you should have told this story yourself! ha)

If any of you have been fortunate (or not) enough to drive across the Rez, you know that it is beautiful. It is also tedious.

We passed many, many cows. Then we happened to pass a single, white horse. Becky exclaimed enthusiastically, "Look! A horse!" Yes, the big excitement was seeing a horse. After all, it had been only cows and bush after scrubby bush for many hours. She has never lived it down. Bless her heart.

Incidentally, things only got worse from there. Our car battery went out just before Chinle, and we ended up having about 7 hours'  leisure time to just sit and appreciate the scenery!

*A Good, Cleansing Friend*

Mom asked about my cleaning product of poignant fame. Yes, Bar Keeper's Friend is a gem. You know that great non-stick spray (Pam) we use for everything  nowadays? You know how it leaves that hideous brown speckled stuff cemented onto your dishes? Well, BKF gets it off! It also takes off rust and cooked on stains, without scratching. I first discovered it in a catalog of Amish stuff (it's been around for a while).

They do sell it at Wal-mart, though! Yippee!

You'll love this stuff. Try it sometime.

*Cranford*

Becky asked about which books Cranford  is based on, so she can read them. I want to read them, too, so I was glad for the impetus to look it up! Here we are. . . .

Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Mr Harrison's Confessions

 

*background*

Mom noticed my new background. Thanks, Mom! :)

Let me just say that when I first put it up and proudly showed my sons, they started giggling hysterically. "It's your PAJAMAS!"

Yes, it's true. The pajama bottoms I wear almost every night just happen to have a pattern I drool over (good thing it's dark most of the time I wear them, eh?) :). So I took a picture, tweaked it a little in Photoshop, and now you get to feast your eyes on my nightwear!

Ho, dear.

 

  ~Moma

Wisdom from Dickens

"If anything could soothe the first sharp pain of a heavy loss, it would be--with me--the reflection, that those I mourned, by being innocently happy here, and loving all about them, had prepared themselves for a purer and happier world. . . . "

"The recollection of past pleasure may become pain. . . .To remember happiness which cannot be restored is pain, but of a softened kind. . . .The good in this state of existence preponderates over the bad, let mis-called philosophers tell us what they will. If our affections be tried, our affections are our consolation and comfort; and memory, however sad, is the best and purest link between this world and a better." (Nicholas Nickleby, p. 65)