Mommy Brain

I put the copy Sarah won in the mail on Monday. And guess what I got from the lovely FedEx man yesterday? My very own copy to read and review. Special Ops Media contacted me to let me know they were receiving more copies than they anticipated and would be sending me one to keep and review. Woo hoo! So all of you who were concerned with the fact that I haven’t seen this yet - I will be fixing that very soon.

Oh, and I forgot to mention before that both the copy that Sarah won and the copy I will be reviewing is the new 10th Anniversary Special Edition. It includes one whole extra disc of special features, including: a Jane Austen Biography episode and an exclusive new retrospective documentary about the making of the series. There is also a 120 page deluxe companion book called The Making Of Pride and Prejudice with photos, illustrations, and interviews with cast and crew. So cool!

Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends Children’s Bible
Go West, Young Ash (A Pokemon Chapter Book) by Tracey West
Bellossom’s Big Battle (A Pokemon Junior Chapter Book) by S. E. Heller

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
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Carrot Soup by John Segal
Snail, Where Are You? by Tomi Ungerer
A Harbor Seal Pup Grows Up by Joan Hewitt
The True Story of Corky the Blind Seal by Georgeanne Irvine

The Adventure Bible for Young Readers
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Half Egg Nog, half Sprite. It’s too rich and thick otherwise, and I like the kick Sprite gives it.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
We’ve never done the whole Santa thing, but I always wrap the gifts, even though I loathe doing it.

3. Colored lights on tree or white?
We’ve had white for the last few years, but the kids have been protesting, so I think we’re going to buy a pre-lit tree with colored lights sometime in the next week or so.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Never have - no particular reason, though.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
We usually do it the day after Thanksgiving, but since we’re getting a new tree, we haven’t done it yet.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Ham and rolls.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Waiting on the stairs Christmas morning with my sisters - all of us in our jammies - for Dad to get up and get his camera ready before we headed into the room where the tree was.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don’t remember.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Not usually.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
No theme or anything. I buy each one of the kids an ornament every year. That way when they’re grown they’ll have a nice collection to start their own tree with. So those all go on. Plus there are some painted ceramic ornaments we made when I was a kid, some antique balls from my grandma, and everything else you can imagine. Plus four “Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Both. I love it right around Christmas, and I love seeing the kids have fun in it, but it gets old right after New Year’s.

12. Can you ice skate?
I tried once. Spent the entire time holding on to the wall of the rink or sitting on my (wet, cold) butt on the ice. So, no.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I remember an electronic quiz game I got once that I absolutely loved. I was such a nerd. Plus Fashion Plates. Anyone else remember those?

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Making sure we remember why we are celebrating. Helping my kids to understand that it’s not all about gifts and food.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
My dad’s mincemeat star cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Going to Christmas Eve service.

17. What tops your tree?
A lighted star - but it died last year, so we’ll be looking for a new tree topper.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Giving! My problem is that when I have the perfect gift for someone, I want to give it to them right now! I hate waiting till Christmas.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Favorite carol is Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and favorite contemporary is Precious Promise from Steven Curtis Chapman’s Music of Christmas CD. One of our family favorites - it came out our first Christmas as a married couple.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum??
They’re okay - I usually only have a piece of one during the season. But I love Candy Cane ice cream.

Found at Educating Emme.

In the dentist chair, that is. That little filling that needed repaired? It turned into a full root canal and filling. My mouth is very. very. sore. The dentist gave me a prescription for Lortab, but I’m sweating it out with ibuprofen cause I don’t like that loopy feeling.

Jonathan had three baby teeth pulled to make room for his GIANT adult teeth that are coming in, and all four of the kids had cleanings and check-ups. No cavities, yay!

The coolest thing was that the kids sat in the waiting room for most of the 3 hours and 45 minutes - minus their 20 minute check-ups - and were pretty darn near perfect little angels. I asked one of the techs how the kids were doing when she came through, and she said, “Oh, they’re doing great. You have such well-mannered children, Carrie.” Did this mama’s heart good. Of course, it helped that they had Cars on DVD going in the waiting room.

So there’s something else crossed off my “I’ve never…” list. I’ve now experienced a root canal - and I hope it’s the last!

Let’s see:

We spent all of Friday and half of Saturday at my parents again, visiting and corralling children. It was “precious chaos”, to quote my mom.

Saturday afternoon, the kids and I met Michelle and her hubby and kids to see The Santa Clause 3. It was cute in parts, but definitely not as good as the first two. And, boy, was the theater crowded!

Sunday, I caught up on laundry and housekeeping that had gone by the wayside.

Oh, I also updated the “Good Reads” section of my sidebar with some great books I “discovered” this year so far.

Thanksgiving morning, I woke up with a cracked filling on a molar. I spent most of the weekend free-basing ibuprofen and that numbing stuff that tastes horrible. Fortunately, the kids had check-ups and cleanings scheduled for this afternoon, so I’m bumping two of them so that the dentist can fix my tooth and I can stop being in pain - and chew on my normal side. Anyone else out there have a side of your mouth to prefer to chew on? Well, I do, and when it hurts, it’s a pain in more ways than one.

Tomorrow, I have a haircut appointment and the boys have Tae Kwon Do in the evening. Wednesday involves our usual craziness of Bible study, science class, Latin class, and ballet - with grocery shopping crammed in there somewhere. Thursday, the kids and I will be getting our flu shots now that the icky cold/sinus thingy seems to be abating - finally.

And, somewhere in all of that, we will be doing our last week of school for the year. We resume again after New Year’s. We’ll spend the next four weeks reading aloud, art, and music, and Christmas-y stuff.

So, what’s going on with you?

Anyone else notice this? I just realized I missed a bunch of new posts from several blogs because Bloglines didn’t pick them up. I thought at first it was all the Blogger Beta ones, but I also missed some posts from a Typepad blog. I just thought everyone was out because of the holiday, but I guess not. Anyone else having this problem?

Found this at The Bayer Family Blog:

Appearance:
I’m short: True
I have many scars: True
I tan easily: False
I burn easily: True
I wish my hair was a different color: False
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color: False
I wear glasses or contacts: True
I have 5 or more piercings: False
I have/had piercings in places besides my ears: False
I have freckles: True

Relationships:
I’m in one right now: True
I miss someone right now: True - my sister Andrea was the only one who couldn’t come for Thanksgiving this year, so I’m missing her.
I love/like someone right now: True
I’ve gotten divorced: False
I’ve had a crush on a teacher: True - in high school
I’ve hugged a stranger: False

Embarrassment:
I’ve laughed so hard I’ve cried: True
I’ve glued my hand to something: False
I’ve laughed till some beverage came out of my nose: False
I’ve had my pants rip/drop in public: Does my parents’ house count as “in public”? Cause I ripped them today on a screw sticking out of one of my mom’s drawers - a big ole hole right in the butt of my pants. ~Blush~
I was born with a disease/impairment: False
I’ve sat in a doctor’s office with a friend:
I’ve had my wisdom teeth removed: True - don’t know why this is embarrassing, though.
I’ve had a serious surgery: True - two c-sections and a gall bladder removed.
I’ve had chicken pox: True

Experiences:
I’ve gotten lost in a city: True - in Portland, Oregon. I was meeting a guy for dinner - a first date, so I didn’t let him pick me up - and there’s this bridge that if you don’t know what you’re doing will keep you going in a circles. And I did. For a while.
I’ve seen a shooting star: True
I’ve wished on a shooting star: False
I’ve gone out in public in my pajamas: False
I’ve pushed all the buttons on an elevator: False
I’ve been to a casino: False
I’ve been skydiving: False
I’ve played spin the bottle: True - in Jr. High
I’ve drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour: False
I’ve been in a car crash: True
I’ve caught a snowflake on my tongue: True
I’ve sat on a roof top at night: True - I watched fireworks one 4th of July from the roof of a frat house at WSU.
I’ve played chicken: False
I’ve played a prank on someone: False
I’ve ridden in a taxi: False
I’ve seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show: True
I’ve eaten Sushi: False

More Random:
I watch the news: True (occasionally)
I curse regularly: False
I sing in the shower: True - sometimes
I’m a morning person: Not. at. all.
I am a sports fanatic: Only Seahawks football
I know how to shoot a gun: True
I am really ticklish: True

This is the end of this post: True

How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was absolutely wonderful. The older our kids get, the more enjoyable family get-togethers are. My two younger sisters were still up chasing their respective toddlers - and while I helped corral them some - I was able to sit and enjoy great conversation and card games and even some time to crochet and read while my kids and my sisters’ older kids played to their heart’s content.

We’re heading back to my parents’ house to spend the day in an hour or so, but I wanted to leave you with a few links I discovered over the week:

~This man has an incredible gift. Thanks go to Tonia for the link.

~Interested in seeing the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix teaser trailer? You can find it here - just scroll down a bit.

~Looks like they’re making a sequel to National Treasure. Our family enjoyed that movie very much, so that’s good news.

~Homeschool eStore is offering many, many free e-book downloads today in honor of Black Friday. For my Canadian and British readers, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving here in the U.S. It’s referred to this way because so many retailers offer huge sales and so many (really, really crazy) people head to the malls at o-dark-thirty to take advantage of them. The color refers to either the fact that the huge days’ sales put retailers in the black for the year, or the malicious, greedy behavior exhibited by people trying to grab the last sale items off the shelf. Snopes de-bunks the myth that it is the biggest spending day of the year, however. Busiest in terms of people, yes, but not biggest in terms of sales. That honor belongs to the last Saturday before Christmas. Another day that I do my best to avoid all retail establishments. No matter how you feel about Black Friday, head on over to Homeschool eStore for some free stuff. The day after Thanksgiving shopping in front of the computer in jammies? I’m there.

Have a great weekend everyone!

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times… You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you’re carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

They nailed this one - autumn is my favorite season, with Christmas running a close second. I wish Christmas was in autumn, actually! Our weather is cooling down and I imagine we’re in for our first significant snowfall sometime this week. The kids will be happy. I love the way it looks - from inside a warm house, curled up with a hot drink in one hand and a book in the other. But driving in it? Ick. How about you? What’s your favorite season? Did the quiz get you right?

I finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield at 11:30 p.m. last night. I couldn’t stop reading - even though I was very tired. Aside from the Austen and Dickens, this is the best book I’ve read this year.

Sometimes a book’s plot will grab you and keep you turning the pages as fast as you can to find out what happens next. And sometimes a book is so well-written, with descriptions that put you inside the world of the book, that you read it more slowly, savoring every word. This book did both. I wanted to race through to find out what happened next, but I kept slowing myself down so as not to miss the beautiful words and phrases.

The Thirteenth Tale in some ways reminded me of the old gothic novels of Victoria Holt that I used to read off my mom’s bookshelves. It also reminded me of Rebecca. It’s a ghost story, a love story, and a mystery - all wrapped up in one perfect package. You have to read this book.

We had a good - and busy - weekend. Friday night I went shopping for Josiah’s birthday party the next day. I know, nothing like waiting until the last minute. Saturday morning I cleaned house and baked a cake - including a run to the grocery store for a missing ingredient - and at 1 pm we had his party. It was a huge - and a little chaotic - success, with Josiah loving every single one of his gifts.

On Sunday, I watched the depressing Seahawks vs. San Francisco game. Luckily, I didn’t have too long to mope, cause my friend and I went to the movies last night and saw The Prestige. Very good movie with incredible acting. Kept us guessing right to the very end.

Friday, during our weekly play date, I took the book The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield off my shelf to show my friend. When she went home, I made a huge mistake. Instead of putting it back on the shelf, I opened it up and read the first page. Then the first chapter. Now I am completely immersed in it and want to do nothing else but read nonstop until I finish it. Yes, I’m still in the middle of Orthodoxy and Patrick: Son of Ireland. And yes, this means I will definitely not finish all the books on my Autumn Reading Challenge list. But, oh, well, life is short.

I don’t know how much I’ll be posting this week. We’re taking the whole week off of school for Thanksgiving, and I’m hoping to do a lot of reading. Plus, somewhere in there, I need to make a pie, get haircuts for me and all three boys, take Natalie to ballet, and clean the house and do laundry. Two of my three sisters are coming to town on Wednesday for the holiday, and we will be spending all of Thursday and most of Friday and Saturday at my parents house. There will be lots of great food, good conversation, and Cranium and Catch-Phrase games. I can’t wait.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I found this meme at Semicolon and decided to play along.

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?

My mom taught me to read when I was 3 1/2 years old. She got tired of me “reading” the newspaper next to her by naming each letter out loud, so she taught me to actually read the words.

2. Did you own any books as a child? If so, what’s the first one that you remember owning? If not, do you recall any of the first titles that you borrowed from the library?

I don’t remember the first books I checked out from the library, but my parents bought me the complete set of Disney books when I was little. I still have a few of them - the ones that haven’t fallen apart.

3. What’s the first book that you bought with your own money?

A Trixie Belden mystery. I don’t remember which one, but I do remember the store where I bought it - not what it was called, just the way it looked and felt.

4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, which book did you re-read most often?

Yes, I re-read many favorites, including Little Women, Baby Island, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and all the Little House books.

5. What’s the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?

I’m going to have to copy Sherry on this one. My parents had Exodus and Trinity by Leon Uris on their shelves and I devoured them. Probably at a much too young age. My mom was pretty naive and didn’t really oversee my reading much. I’m much more cautious about what my kids read, since I know how much stuff I read that was totally inappropriate for my age at the time.

6. Are there children’s books that you passed by as a child that you have learned to love as an adult? Which ones?

I can’t think of any.

Let me know if you decide to do this meme on your blog so I can compare answers.