3 posts tagged “books”
I can't believe my last post was April 5th!!! My Vox page is my husband's home page when he logs onto the internet, so he will be very happy that he no longer has to see my last post.
I have to say this last month has been crazy! I was out of commision for a whole week with what was most likely bronchitis or pneumonia, but -- much to my husband's dismay -- I did not seek medical attention. Major cough, fever and aches and pains kept me on the couch (one day in BED) so I was so thankful that Mike was able to step up to the plate and take over some of the more important day-to-day stuff... uh... like feeding the kids. I didn't even have the energy to crochet, let alone blog. I tried to keep tabs on all of you, though, and I just spent a couple of hours reading the last few weeks of my 'hood's posts.
The kids have been ill off and on too. This household should have yellow 'quarantine' tape around it. We have been passing colds to each other like crazy, and I am hoping we are at the end of all that business. Brianna was off school all last week with a fever, but the Dr couldn't find the cause right away, asked that we just monitor her for a couple more days before he orders tests, et voila -- the next day no more fever! She obviously fought whatever it was she had, but I can't help touching her forehead now and then.
I have not been that sick since... I just don't know when. I am usually lucky when it comes to dodging colds. Not this time.
I have finally posted a new profile pic with my new 'do. I posted about my haircut a while back, but I have had it cut even shorter since then and I just love it. My husband did not have much to say about it. I guess it was one of those "Don't say anything at all" things.
Anyway, I have so much to share with all of you. I'm just going to start with a couple of pics that I am just busting to show you:
We call this the "Cheetah Couch"... although, I think it's more of a jaguar print. We bought it for Brianna when she was about 2 1/2 so that she had something just-her-size to sit on and watch Dora and Blue's Clues. We brought it out of retirement for the twins and they love using it as a comfy reading spot.
I have often said that the twins are "The best of friends and the worst of enemies", so moments like these are so precious! That Elmo book is majorly coveted by both girls. It is now ready to be taped together -- again! -- and the front cover has been peeled off. Can't throw it out though. Major jammer would ensue and I'm not into dealing with that right now.
** I just love the way Kaitlyn plonked herself down between Ainsley's legs. See her wee stripety foot to Kaitlyn's left? Too cute!
I bought a set of Scholastic books through my daughter's school, and she really enjoys them.
The Best Me I Can Be is a set of 8 books written by David Parker. Each one is short, to the point, and nicely illustrated. Also, each book asks a question of the child to help them reflect on the subject. I find that asking questions about stories ensures that the child has absorbed what was read, and the parent can also help the child expand on the subject. These are also a great tool to use as a "reminder" when behaviour starts getting less than desirable.
Friendship, respect, responsibility, generosity, acceptance, cooperation, self-control, and honesty are all covered in the series. I would recommend this set to any parent with preschoolers.
What are five books that changed your life?
Inspired by Ms. Genevieve.
I don't think these books changed my life, but I really liked them and would consider reading them again... which says a lot because I have many, many books patiently waiting to be read and I have yet to re-read a book in my life!
1. Life Of Pi: I am still reading this one, but it deserves a place on my list. This book was a birthday gift from one of my closest friends -- I saw it during one of our trips to Costco and remarked that I had always wanted to read it, even though I knew very little about it. I love the humor, and I think my favorite quote from a novel is from this one:
"I'll be honest about it. It is not athiests who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, "My God, my god, why have you forsaken me?" then surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy in life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation."
This book is not all religion and fire and brimstone -- I am far from a religious person -- but it does respect religion enough to acknowledge many sects in a light and humorous way. Let me put it to you this way, my devout Catholic step-mom wants to borrow it from me on my recommendation alone.
2. The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: I read my Dad's box set from 1969. Some of the pages were falling out and the books were dog-eared, but it was still a very good read. I know this is actually 4 books, but they were in one set and I read them back-to-back. I still have the set and it is now one of my cherished possesions (along with a copy of The Lord of the Flies that he borrowed from his school library in Reigate, Surrey, England when he was a boy and never returned).
3. The Da Vinci Code: This book was hard to put down (I read it in about 3 days, which is unheard of for me considering I used to run a daycare and have small kids). I have the illustrated version, so the diagrams and pictures really help the novel seem believable. I read this during the hype before the movie came out, but I also read Beyond the Da Vinci Code -- which separates the fact from the fiction in the novel -- so I was not one of the fanatics that took this book as gospel. I enjoyed the story for what it is -- a work of fiction with some historic fact -- but I also liked that it is written in such a way that makes it totally conceivable.
PS: The movie does NOT do the book justice!!
4. The Shining: I have been a Stephen King fan since I was 12. My very first "adult" book I ever read was Cujo (much to my mother's distaste), and I have read many more since. This one, however, is the only book I have ever read that actually scared me. I read the bathroom/shower curtain scene just before bed, with only a lamp on, while sitting on a couch in the living room, which sat right next to a picture window. Perhaps if I had read the same part in broad daylight it would not have had the same effect, who knows?
5. Outlander: I read this book last year, and for some reason I could not put it down (it took about 4 days of every possible spare moment). I have not yet read the rest of the series, but I own them. This book definitely lands in the "re-read' catagory, since I want to refresh my memory of the story for when I read the next ones. I am not usually into "romance" novels, but this one focuses enough on the history of Scotland and the goings on of the era, that the romance that does blossom between the two main characters is kind of a minor plot line.
Honorable mention:
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
Harry Potter series
The Vagina Monologues
Sarum
London
