Mommy Brain

Garfield Eats Crow by Jim Davis
The Animal Rescue Club by John Himmelman
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Jennifer Dussling
The Adventures of Ratman by Ellen Weiss

Egermeier’s Bible Story Book: A Complete Narration from Genesis to Revelation for Young and Old by Elsie E. Egermeier
Favorite Poems Old and New selected by Helen Ferris
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight by Ogden Nash
Cheep! Cheep! by Jule Stiegemeyer
Something Special by David McPhail
What Dads Can’t Do by Douglas Wood
Rude Giants by Audrey Wood
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole
Dragon’s Merry Christmas by Dav Pilkey
It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles by Jack Prelutsky
Ten Little Lambs by Alice B. McGinty
I Don’t Want to Go to Bed by Tony Ross
That’s Good! That’s Bad! in the Grand Canyon by Margery Cuyler
Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
That New Animal by Emily Jenkins
Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer
Don’t Make Me Laugh by James Stevenson
My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
Best Friends for Frances by Russell and Lillian Hoban
I’ll Do Better Tomorrow, I Promise by Maurine Reynolds Adamek
He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown! by Charles M. Schulz
Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
The Grannyman by Judith Byron Schachner
Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel

The Adventure Bible for Young Readers
Anastasia Again by Lois Lowry
Joy Sparton and the Vacation Mix-Up by Ruth Johnson
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Aliens for Lunch by Jonathan Etra
Scooby Doo and the Karate Caper by James Gelsey
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets by Dav Pilkey
Phoebe the Spy by Judith Berry Griffin
Scooby Doo and the Vampire’s Revenge by James Gelsey
Scooby Doo Mysteries: Toy Store Terror by James Gelsey
Scooby Doo and the Mummy’s Curse by James Gelsey

(Presumed Guilty by James Scott Bell was provided to me free of charge by Active Christian Media, who received it from the publisher for the purpose of being reviewed.)

If you have a blog and are interested in becoming a reviewer for Active Christian Media, click on the above link. There is a one-time reviewer fee of $25, and then you get sent free books! What is better than that? If you do sign up, please tell them that I sent you.

I can’t remember the last book of James Scott Bell’s I read, but I do remember I enjoyed it. I don’t remember, however, not wanting to put it down and devouring it in two days, which was what happened when I started reading Presumed Guilty.

Dallas Hamilton is a woman of faith. Her husband, Ron, is pastor of a rapidly growing church in L.A. and a published author. She is satisfied with her work helping battered women and children and supporting her husband’s campaign against the pornography industry. The fact that their marriage has grown a little distant is something she’s sure will change.

Her world is shattered when one morning she comes downstairs to police lights and her husband being arrested for murder. Pastor Ron Hamilton, outspoken warrior against the pornography industry, is being accused of sleeping with and then murdering an adult film star. Her husband could never have done it – or could he have?

James Scott Bell has written an unrelenting thriller. He doesn’t shy away from the damage done to people by pornography and adultery. He’s honest about the fact that sin exists even in the church and that it needs to be dealt with. And I especially enjoyed the fact that I couldn’t figure everything out. I hate reading a mystery when I know the answer before I reach the middle. With this book, I thought I knew what was going on, and then the ending totally surprised me, which is what I like in a thriller.

If you like legal thrillers or mysteries, definitely pick up this book. Just make sure you have lots of time for uninterrupted reading!

Kevin took Noah, Jonathan, and Josiah fishing this morning. Natalie and I are headed to the library and then to Grandmama and Papa’s house for a quick visit. When we get home, we’re going to bake lemon squares, recipe courtesy of Randi. Lest I throw all my Weight Watchers progress out the window, we will be taking said lemon squares to my friend Heidi’s house tonight for a spa party. Hand massages, facials, chocolate-dipped strawberries, lemon squares, and girl-talk. What could be better?

…at Club Mom: Homeschooling Styles: What’s What.

My doctor’s nurse called Tuesday to tell me the results of my sinus culture. It’s a combination of yeast and strep/pneumonia bacteria. We discussed the options and decided it didn’t make a lot of sense to thrown antibiotics into a system as out of whack as mine is, and especially since there is already an overgrowth of yeast.

So I’m taking an anti-fungal to clear up the yeast and using a new sinus rinse apparatus that works really well. It actually forces the saline solution into one nostril, through the sinus cavities, and out the other. Sounds painful, huh? But it’s not – at all. I’m hoping this will clear it up.

On doing some research on systemic candida infections (systemic because I don’t have the typical yeast infection women think of), and one of the symptoms is endocrine disorders. The endocrine system includes the adrenals, which produce dopamine, which I am, for some unknown reason, making too much of. Aha! Now this makes sense. Especially since they can’t find anything else wrong with me. (At least not physically – we won’t get into all the ways I’m slightly crazy.)

I’m looking into some natural ways to take care of an overgrowth of yeast. I still need to make a chiropractor appointment, too. And I still have the appointment with the endocrinologist on May 26th. But I’m hoping I won’t need it and that we have (finally) discovered the answer.

Thank you so much for all the kind comments, prayers, suggestions, and concern. You are all terrific! Blogging has brought so many wonderful things to my life, but you are the best of all.

Just wanted to let you all know I set up my comment options so that all first-time comments will be held in moderation. Once you’ve had an approved comment, all of yours will automatically go through. Since I just turned this on, everyone will probably go to moderation at first, but I’m on the computer off and on all day and it shouldn’t take long to get it approved. I’m trying to fight all the evil spammers that think I’m stupid enough to want to buy from an online pharmacy who can’t even spell their spam correctly.

We had our bi-yearly dental check-up today. My mommy pride came out in full force when one of the technicians said, “Your kids are always so well-behaved!” Natalie and Noah did great – no cavities. Jonathan has a baby tooth that is not coming out as quickly as it should and so will go back in two weeks to have it pulled. Natalie also has one that needs to come out, but the dentist said she could have a month to get it out on her own, so she’s highly motivated. Josiah has a small cavity between two teeth. Bad Mommy for not helping him floss often enough.

Nice to have all the check-ups over at the same time, but makes for a long afternoon. On the plus side, I almost finished The Unschooling Handbook while I waited. Recommended for all homeschoolers, not just unschoolers, in my opinion. Lots of good stuff in there.

Home in time to throw a load of laundry in, clean the kitchen and eat dinner and now we’re heading out to a T-Ball game. We are playing the team of one of my best friend’s sons, so I’ll have someone fun to sit with and chat. Last year, we signed up with several friends from church, and it was so much more fun. They’re all doing different things this year, and the other parents aren’t real friendly. Not near as much fun.

Have a great evening!

Three quizzes. Hat tip: Ron

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have high extroversion. You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends. You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation. Enthusiastic and fun, you’re the first to say “let’s go!” Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You’re generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you’ve been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You’re generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed – making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there’s no way you’ll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You’re a great thinker and a true philosopher. You’d make a talented professor or writer.