Mommy Brain

Michelle’s two boys, Jacob and Nicholas, are here for the weekend, which means many Orcs will be killed, Pokemon battles fought, Nascar races won, and Madden NFL games played. The boys are ODing on gaming this weekend before we have our 2nd Annual Two-Month Game Free Break. That’s right - June and July will be game-free at our house. At least for the kids. And me, but I don’t game anyway. I don’t think it’s likely Kevin will completely give up Call of Duty 4, but he limits his gaming to evenings anyway. The kids and I will be spending lots of time at the park and the pool, and enjoying the good weather before the unbearable hotness known as August in Eastern Washington descends upon us.

So, anyone watch the Lost finale? Man, that was good.

While the boys are gaming this weekend, I plan to finish Gone and Tigerheart and then start and make a good dent in New Moon (the sequel to Twilight), which came yesterday.

Here are a few links for your weekend surfing:

~ Volumes to Go Before You Die - the NYT on 1001 Books to Read Before You Die.

Assume, for the sake of argument, that a reasonably well-educated person will have read a third of them. (My own score, tallied after I made this estimate, was 303.) That leaves 668 titles. An ambitious reader might finish off one a month without disrupting a personal reading program already in place. That means he or she would cross the finish line in the year 2063. At that point, upon reaching the last page of title No. 1,001, “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro, death might come as a relief.

~ In case you’re curious about which books are actually on the list, you can find all 1001 of them listed here. The above quote says that a “reasonably well-educated person will have read a third of them.” I am definitely not “reasonably well-educated.” I counted 39 that I’ve read, 29 that are on my to-read list, and 2 that I started, hated, and didn’t finish.

~ Spunky has blogged about the embarrassment that is being called Subwaygate. She sums up my feelings nicely. Here’s a snippet:

Let’s be a bit more adult about it, accept their decision, and if you must quietly remind them that you exist too, but then it’s time to move on. Let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot clamoring for a boycott. Marketing expert, Ned Barnett said that Subway made a marketing blunder with this contest, but this outcry makes us appear arrogant and immature. Do we really want to cultivate that image?

I’m actually surprised that Tennesse state officials can tell homeschoolers in that state that they need not apply to any government job and there is nary a peep from the homeschool community, but let a company exclude homeschoolers from an essay contest and the homeschool community cries foul, demands their right to enter, and starts eating at Quiznos!

I say, let Subway exercise their right to hold a contest and allow the entrants to be of their choosing not ours. It’s not fun to be excluded from a contest, but the alternative is to limit their freedom based on our choices. As homeschoolers, is that the message you want to send out to the watching world?

~ Our worship leader showed this video at church on Sunday - pretty wonderful stuff. I love to see creative ways to express worship.

~ I’ve decided to give Twitter a try.

What will you be doing this weekend?

It seems spring has finally sprung in our neck of the woods. The snow is all gone, and we’ve had some sunny days. Of course, on Sunday when I was overly optimistic and took the boys to the skate park, I froze. The sun was out, but the breeze was still frigid. A few more weeks, though, and we should be able to pack away the sweatshirts and bring out the t-shirts.

I’ve had more time to read this week, since my freelancing has dried up for a few months (unless I pick up another client, of course). Anna Karenina has finally grabbed me - it sure took awhile! I also finished listening to the audiobook of Blasphemy by Douglas Preston. It was a good sci-fi thriller, but it was sure apparent that he has a very low opinion of Christians. Or maybe just Christians in the media. Sadly enough, the horrible things that the televangelist and other “Christian” characters do in the book seem altogether plausible given the state of the church, which is terrible to admit, but true.

I started listening to Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. Usually, I do not like it when authors read their own books on audio. I put up with Frank Peretti’s reading of Monster, although it was extremely exaggerated; I could not listen to Elizabeth Berg read her Dream While You’re Feeling Blue. If you’re an author, you should never read your own book aloud unless you have been assured repeatedly (by people not on your payroll) that you are a terrific read-aloud-er; just don’t do it. Gaiman, on the other hand, is a wonderful reader. You can tell that he loves words; he seems to taste each one as he speaks it. I read his Coraline aloud to the kids (we all loved it) and I tried to read American Gods, but couldn’t get past the graphic nature of it. Michelle read Ananzi Boys, though, and assured me it was completely different, so I guess he’s one of those authors who writes a completely different book each time. Fragile Things is a collection of short stories and poems, and so far I’m enjoying it very much. Anyone else read any of his work?

~ Hey, it’s not a rumor! The New Kids on the Block are reuniting for a CD and a tour. The music of my high school years.

~ Poetry180 is a web site sponsored by the Library of Congress. It contains a list of 180 poems - one for each day of a school year. The poems are meant for high schoolers, and I haven’t read them all, so definitely pre-read before sending your students there.

~ This Grand Avenue comic should give fans of math and art alike a few chuckles.

~ The Telegraph has an interview with author Jodi Picoult.

~ Lawanda is celebrating her 3rd Blogoversary - head over, congratulate her, and enter to win a free book.

I am nobody.
I hide in myself,
Velvet-lined
Against the cold stares
Of the world.

I am nobody.
I keep away from the hatred,
Stone-clad
Against those who mock
And deride.

I am nobody.
I remain in darkness,
Wool-insulated
Against the pain
Of their contempt.

But when I am asleep
I am somebody.
Stripped naked
Of all the trappings of myself.
An empress of lands of plenty,
With sackfuls of love, respect
And self-worth.

So please,
Let me sleep.

Author’s Note: I wrote this poem in empathy with anyone who suffers at the eyes of others whether disabled, depressed or just a bit sad. My nights are filled with such joy travelling the worlds beyond wakefulness and I wish such release for everyone who needs it.

~ The above poem was written by this amazing 10-year-old girl who has cerebral palsy. My mom e-mailed about her after she saw her story on ABC News. Be sure to click on the link to read her essay that won the Times Educational Supplement Write Away Competition in Jan. 2006. She’s truly remarkable.

…long time passing? (to be sung to the tune of “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”)

I’ve noticed a big drop in the number of readers and comments, and I’m wondering why. Is everyone simply reading on Bloglines or Google Reader? Or are you having trouble with my blog not loading? They have been having some server issues at Homeschool Journal - and they’re working hard to resolve them - so if my page doesn’t load right away, please try again in a few minutes. Hopefully, the problems will be short-lived. And if you’re reading on a feed reader, take a few minutes to click over and say “Hi!”

Shannon of Rocks in My Dryer and Bloggy Giveaways fame is hosting the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival. Click on that link to go to the ginormous list of blogs participating and giving away prizes. If you want to participate, click here for the guidelines.

Now, what would you expect me to be giving away? Books, of course! Six pre-read, gently-used books. That means there will be six winners! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me your top three picks out of these books:

~ Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout. You can read my review here.

~ The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler.

~ The Awakening and Selected Short Fiction by Kate Chopin - my review. Please keep in mind that the copy I’m giving away is the mass-market paperback edition of the Barnes & Noble Classics, not the trade paperback one that is pictured in the review.

~ The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

~ Echoes by Maeve Binchy.

~ The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy.

Now, leave a comment here before Saturday, February 2, 2008 at 12:00 am PST. I will use a random number generator to draw six names sometime Saturday. (Duplicate comments will be deleted, so just one, please.) Don’t forget to tell me what your top three picks are! That way when I draw names, I can hopefully match you with a book that you’re actually interested in reading. Good luck! And be sure and check out all the other giveaways - some have much more extravagant prizes than I’m offering.

What are you doing this New Year’s Eve 2007? I am sitting on the couch with my new laptop, watching the kids jump and sing and dance along with their High School Musical game on their new Playstation 2. They are happy, especially since their daddy told them they could stay up until midnight to welcome the New Year. Without asking their mommy. He’s the crazy one - I’ll probably head in to bed, and he’ll be up. And he’s still getting over the flu. He did, however, take a long nap in a quiet house this afternoon while the kids and I were visiting at Michelle’s.

I’m also listening to the song Revival from the CD Revival in Belfast by Robin Marks. We found a new church home this year. It has been nearly two years since we left our old church home. And yet, as soon as this song comes up on my MP3 player, I am fighting back tears. This CD came out when I was worship coordinator at that church, and we did many of these songs on Sunday mornings. Hearing this song brings me right back, and I am sad again. How long until that goes away?

I remember when New Year’s Eve was an occasion to stay up late, party hard and celebrate. I must be getting older, because it is now just fine with me to stay at home with my family, and mentally reminisce about the past year and plan for the new one, while they party around me.

My heart is full tonight, and I want to get these thoughts down before they are gone in the flurry of the rest of the week.

I have many things to be grateful for as I look back on 2007.

We were able to refinance our house and get out of debt. Because of that, and in spite of the fact that Kevin still faces the possibility of unemployment this year, we are better off financially than we were last year at this time. God is good.

I wish you could see what I see right now. Josiah is laying on his back with his ankles crossed, hands under his head. He looks like he should be laying in a hammock. He’s watching his sister and brother sing and compete, and when each song ends, he jumps up and shouts, “You got an A!” (The game grades you on your performance of HSM songs.) And on my MP3 player is playing the song This is a Moment Made for Worshipping by Steven Curtis Chapman. “This is a moment made for worshipping, because this is a moment I’m alive…”

I’m grateful for a husband who believes in my writing to the point that he would buy me a brand new laptop because I need something better for my work. And a husband who bought me a second MP3 player for Christmas, because he remembered that I jokingly said in passing that I needed one for music, one for audiobooks. And he indulges my book obsession.

I’m grateful for friendship. We’ve lived in this town for 10 and a half years now, and during that time I have made many good friends. They have all been exactly what I needed at the time, but each friendship has been for a season. And now, for the first time since I was in college, I feel like I have a true best friend. God ordained that Michelle would move here for me; you’ll never convince me otherwise. Our friendship is still relatively new - although I can hardly believe we just exchanged Christmas gifts for the second time - but I have no doubt that our friendship is for a lifetime. Some things you just know.

All right, answer me this: how can I go from lovingly gazing at my children having fun and thinking about how wonderful it is to be their mother to being completely annoyed that they are interrupting my blogging? My blogging about how grateful I am? For them? (The song on my MP3 player is now Fabulous from High School Musical 2. I’m not as selfish as Sharpay, honest.)

I’m grateful for happy, healthy kids. Other than the occasional cold and flu, my kids are healthy. They are also good kids. Yes, there are days when I want to pull my hair out, but there are also days when the receptionist at the orthodontist’s office tells me how much she enjoys it when we come in, because she knows my kids are well-behaved.

I’m grateful for Natalie. My 11-year-old. Just typing those words makes me sigh. She is changing so fast, from an adorable little girl to a beautiful young lady. She is goofy, feminine, able to break a board with her foot while blushing over the cute boy at Tae Kwon Do, and - most importantly - she has a strong desire to follow Jesus.

I’m grateful for Noah. He’s 9. When Kevin gets the pictures off the camera and onto my computer, I’ll post the picture Kevin snapped while we were opening gifts Christmas Eve. Noah has always been a joy to watch open gifts - he is thrilled with each and every one. And though he loves the Playstation and his camera, the gift that got the biggest smile was Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide of the Fantastical World Around You.

I’m grateful for Jonathan. He’s 8 and his energy is astonishing at times. He is like contained electricity; he buzzes with it. I love the fact that he is now an accomplished reader, and likes to share with me what is happening in his book. It makes me laugh to see how fast he can go from picking on his sister to defending her honor. (Now, I’m listening to Long Train Running’ by The Doobie Brothers: “Without love, where would I be right now?” Yes, my musical taste is varied and odd.)

I’m grateful for Josiah. He’s 6 and still comes running up to me to say, “I know what you need, Mommy. You need a snuggle from me.” And he’s right; I do. As he has completed the familiar pages in Abeka’s Letter and Sounds this year, it has been startling to realize that this is the last time I will be leading a child through this phonics program, the last time I will watch a child experience the joy of reading for the first time. I am now the mother of four readers.

I’m grateful for parents who live close enough that we can watch football games and go to the movies together. I’m grateful that we found a church that our kids love. I’m grateful that there is a (however tentative) peace with our neighbors. I’m grateful that my kids have good friends. I am grateful that we are on our sixth year of homeschooling, and I still enjoy it and I am still convinced that it is the best path for our family. I’m grateful for weekly phone conversations with my sister Andrea, chatting online with my other sister Debra, and visits with my sister Marni while she still lives close enough. I’m grateful for quiet evenings with a book, a glass of Pinot Grigio, and dark chocolate. I’m grateful for 24, Numb3rs and Ballykissangel on DVD. I’m grateful for all the blogs on my blogroll - and some I haven’t added yet - for making me think and laugh, for giving me encouragement, and for suggesting some brilliant books.

May your New Year be filled with books that make you think, friends you can be “you” with, and days bright with joy and laughter.

Penelope at The Cafe at the End of the Universe honored me with this award, and I’m passing it on. My choices for the “Your blog is a treasure” award are:

~ Crissy at Soliloquy. I was so glad to discover that Crissy was blogging again. She is a fellow bookaholic and likes to share what she’s reading and thinking. Her posts are thoughtful and heartfelt. Plus, she’s a fellow ‘Hawks fan. She even has an in - her hubby is the team photographer.

~ Jill at The Crib Chick. Jill is another gal who took some time off from blogging, and recently returned. She makes me laugh until I snort. ‘Nough said.

~ Sallie at A Gracious Home. I have enjoyed reading Sallie’s posts in the last year about becoming a mother for the first time. She is very honest about the ups and downs of motherhood, marriage, and faith. I appreciate her openness and willingness to share.

Shannon of Rocks in My Dryer and Bloggy Giveaways is hosting the Fall Y’all GIveaway - and there are a TON of blogs participating, which means there are a ton of great prizes you can win. Be sure to click on the graphic above to go the main giveaway page and check out all the participants.

And now on to my entry in the giveaway. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Click Communications, I have five - yes, I said five - copies of the It’s A Wonderful Life (Two-Disc Collector’s Set) to give away. (Actually, I don’t have them yet, the DVD releases on November 13th, but ya know what I mean.) This new special edition includes both the original black and white version, and a color version. Of course, this is the best holiday movie of all time, and I am so excited to be able to give away five copies!

Here are the details:

1. Leave a comment on this post by 12 a.m. Saturday, November 3rd.
2. On Saturday, I will use a random number generator to choose five winners, and I will notify them by e-mail.
3. The DVD releases on November 13th, and as soon as I receive the copies, I will put them in the mail.
4. Because of shipping costs, this giveaway is restricted to readers in the US and Canada.

So, what are you waiting for? Leave a comment, then head on over to the the Fall Y’all Giveaway by clicking on the graphic above. Good luck!

My thoughts of late have gone something like this:

Articles due - need to finish Gryffindor scarves - why doesn’t Wal-mart have crowns or wands? - grocery list: can’t forget yarn to finish scarves and ingredients for dessert to bring to Tae Kwon Do party - more articles due - need to write review - haven’t written a personal blog post in ages - miss my books - ah, girls’ night - need to plan party for Mom and Dad’s 40th anniversary - oh my gosh, Josiah lost a tooth - oh yeah, Josiah’s birthday is coming up - which Harvest Party are we going to? - more articles due - forgot to call that lady about that thing - need to cancel satellite - stacks of papers to correct and file - etc. - etc. - etc.

Is it any wonder that this frantic feeling is building up and I just need to stop and take a breath? In the midst of all this busy-ness, I don’t want to just breeze past the things that really matter. Like:

~ Josiah is reading. Short-vowel words and some sight words so far, but he’s reading. Four down, zero to go. What a strange feeling - no more non-readers in the family.

~ He also lost his first tooth, and he’s turning six next week. Thank God, he is still a cuddle-bug. Lately, he has taken to jumping on my lap, wrapping his arms around my neck, and saying, “Amo, Mommy!” (Amo is “I love” in Latin.)

~ The kids and I have been doing origami every afternoon this week. We just finished the chapter on Japan in Story of the World II: The Middle Ages, and we are enjoying origami as part of that study. We also wrote haikus. These are the days I love homeschooling.

~ My parents are celebrating 40 years of marriage! I’ve watched them go through a lot of ups and downs, and they’re still together and still love each other.

~ Christmas is coming. This will be the last Christmas that Marni and Hans and their little boys, Peter and Andrew, will be with us for a while. They have sold their house and moved into an apartment and are planning to move to St. Louis in the spring. Hans will be attending Covenant Theological Seminary. Right now, they live in the Coeur d’Alene area, which means Marni is the closest sister geographically. (Andrea is in Boise; Debra is in Silverdale.) When they move, there will no longer be any siblings within a distance that takes less than a day to drive. Sob.

~ Natalie is not a little girl anymore. She is turning into a young lady - she’ll be eleven in December. Oh. my. goodness.

~ We’re in the process of… starting to… begin to get our house ready to sell. ~grin~ I’m very excited about moving into a bigger house in a different neighborhood, but… This was our first home. When we moved in, Natalie was 3 1/2, Noah was 2, Jonathan was 1, and Josiah wasn’t even being considered yet. It is bittersweet to think about moving.

~ We are slowly getting more involved with our new church. It’s the best choice we’ve found for our family, but I still feel a longing for something more. More community, less programs, more worship, more tradition, more authenticity, more loving God with all your mind as well as your heart. The kids are thrilled with Awana, and I’m glad they like it, but I have some reservations about making the studying and memorizing of God’s Word into a competition. And can anyone please tell me why children’s programs and obscene amounts of candy have to go together?

~ I have a bounty of riches when it comes to my to-read shelves. (And stacks.) The extra income from the freelance writing is so needed, but I don’t like feeling guilty whenever I sit down to read. Every once in a while, my stacks catch my eye, and such a feeling of longing comes over me - when will there be enough time? There are so many things I want to know, to understand, so many stories I want to dive in to. Sigh.

In the midst of all these thoughts, I want to thank you for sticking around. There haven’t been many comments lately, but I know people are still reading and visiting, and I appreciate
that more than you will know.

That’s what’s been going on with me. What’s going on with you?

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a links post, but I’ve been too busy to have much time to surf the net or even post on this blog. Our October is shaping up to be a little less busy than our September was, but I’m finding ways to fill the time. More freelancing. Crocheting Gryffindor scarves for Natalie and Noah to wear to the Tae Kwon Do Halloween Party. (Noah and Natalie are going as Harry and Hermione, Jonathan is going to be Aragorn from LOTR, and Josiah wants to be a Celt. He liked Celt dress-up day for history.)

Tomorrow we are headed to Trail, B.C. to spend the day at the aquatic center. I don’t think we’ve been up there since spring, and this may be our last chance before the winter weather sets in and the roads are too icy to make the trip.

Sunday afternoon, we will have dinner with Mom & Dad, and then watch the Seahawks play the Saints. Actually, Kevin and the kids will head home after dinner, and I will stay and watch the game, since I’m really the only football fan in the family.

Well, I have some writing that needs to be done, and a movie to watch so I can write a review. Plus, Michelle loaned me Grey’s Anatomy: Season One, and I’ve only had time to watch the first episode, and half the second, and I’d like to finish at least that one.

Before I sign off, though, here are some links for your weekend:

~ Do you remember the Anita Renfroe Momsense video I linked to a while ago? It was only a partial version. Here is the whole thing in all its hilarity. Be prepared to laugh until you pee.

~ Grab the kids, and check out this link of amazingly weird sea creatures.

~ Principled Discovery has been on a roll lately. Check out A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unhappiness and If You Want Your Child Socialized.

~ All of you parent bloggers can appreciate this Adam@Home comic.

~ Here is Dove’s follow-up to their Evolution ad: Dove Onslaught. Watch this alone first; it is more geared toward us moms than to our daughters, but it is definitely a good warning. Hat tip to Sallie.

~ And on a much, much lighter note, here is a parody of the Dove Evolution ad.

Lastly, for those of you who have made it through to the end of this post, a question. I have a few books on the Unread Books Meme that I have considered adding to my to-read list, but I want opinions on whether or not they’re worth my time. Here are the titles:

Catch 22
Wuthering Heights
Life of Pi
The Name of the Rose
Vanity Fair
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Wicked
Brave New World
A Clockwork Orange
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Gravity’s Rainbow

I guess that’s more than a few! So are there any about which you would say definitely, yes, or definitely, no?

Tonya at Mother Wit just nominated me for a “Nice Matters Award!” Just what I needed this morning after having a huge argument with Kevin last night, in which I wasn’t very nice. But I’m usually nice on my blog; good things you readers can’t peek into my house on my not-so-nice days.

Be sure to check out Tonya’s blog - she’s a fellow homeschooling mom, aspiring writer, and she writes honestly about her faith and her weight loss journey, as well as her kids and their homeschooling adventures. She’s also a photographer, and you can see her gorgeous pictures here.

Now, I’m supposed to nominate some other blogs for the “Nice Matters” award. Everyone in my blogroll is nice - plus some people I read now and haven’t had time to add to the blogroll. But people can be both nice and snarky and sarcastically funny, and I read those kind of blogs, too. So what to do? Here’s my list - and don’t think that anyone I left out isn’t nice, and anyone I included can’t be sarcastic and funny when they want to:

Okay, this nice award is putting too much pressure on me - I’m afraid I’ll hurt someone’s feelings!

Check out these blogs - I’m not sure if any of them have already been given a Nice Matters award, but they sure deserve it:

Diane, Carol, Faith, Randi, Laura, Janie, Jennifer, Michelle, and Kris.

Meg at Get In, Hang On has nominated me for a Thinking Blogger Award!

I am especially honored since I feel like lately my blog has lacked posts that require much thought at all! But what can I say, it’s summer vacation.

I already nominated my five Thinking Bloggers last time, so I’ll re-post them:

~ Staci at Writing and Living, one of the first blogs I read back when I figured out what they were. She is humorous, and thoughtful, and writes great book reviews.

~ Jennifer at Snapshot writes about a broad spectrum of topics, including reading, writing, and parenting. I have added many titles to my To-Read list on her recommendation.

~ Janie at Seasonal Soundings: Her Fine Art Friday posts are one of my favorite parts of the week. Plus, her reading challenges have helped me be more intentional in my reading throughout the year. And, she’s been-there-done-that with homeschooling.

~ Carol at Magistramater. The kids started taking a Latin class this year, so I finally figured out what her blog title means! Carol’s reading lists are amazing! I remember last year she was reading something on music and math (or at least that’s what I thought it was about) - and I couldn’t even understand her posts about it! She’s a smart lady and fellow homeschooling mother. Plus, she is as addicted to books as I am!

~ Ron at Atypical Homeschool is a homeschooling dad. He hasn’t been posting as much lately with their work/house situation, but when he does post, he makes me think about learning, homeschooling, and, well, thinking. (Now, if this was a Laughing Blogger award, I’d have to give it to his wife. Not that she doesn’t also make me think at times, but she makes me laugh far more!)