Entertainment Weekly

I just finished The Host today!!! I really enjoyed this book. I'll admit that it took me awhile to get into, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. It really makes you think about human nature, and how wonderfully complex we are. It's also a really fun love story. I must thank Stephenie Meyers for yet another FANTASTIC read. Here's looking forward to Breaking Dawn on August 2nd (71 days, 7 hours, 54 minutes!), and Mistborn 3 (The Hero of Ages) on October 14th. And I have to give a YIPEEEEEEE for tonight's first episode of So You Think You Can Dance...Paul and I's FAVORITE reality show!!!! We are also seeing the new Indiana Jones movie on Saturday which I'm quite excited for. And I haven't seen Prince Caspian yet, but I've heard it's amazing. Can't Wait!!! Oh the little pleasures in life.

The Emperor's New Hair

Spencer's first grade class put on the Emperor's New Hair last week. As you can see, Spencer was the emperor.

"With a snap of my finger, my wishes are granted!"

I must say I was quite impressed with this little production. Sorry that the camera is a little shaky. Jack kept pulling down on the camera strap while I was recording.


Spencer's little hand dance in this last clip is quite funny. I have no idea what was going on in his noggin'!! These are truly the precious moments of motherhood, and I love my little Buddy!

Shake Rattle and Roll

Here's yet another clip of our little guy. I've wanted to capture this little quark of his for awhile, so I'm glad I got it on video. Pretty cute.



Here's also a pic. of his teeth. REALLY cute to look at but NOT AT ALL CUTE when used during feedings. I repeat, NOT AT ALL CUTE when used during feedings.

Jackuare

Here's a sweet little clip of our Jackie growling. Doesn't he look fabulous in the pink bib! We sure love our little guy!


Jack is now 9 months old, has 4 teeth, still doesn't crawl (yeah for me!!!), and still won't take a bottle (not so yeah for me!). That's why this pirate shirt is so fitting for him. It's what he expresses to me in some form or another 5 times a day!


"Arghhhh Matey. I be one-eyed Capin' Jack"

You're Gonna Miss This

So Celebrity Apprentice ROCKED this year. Talk about good reality TV. Can't wait for the next season. Anyway, Trace Adkins performed his new song, You're Gonna Miss This, on the finale and I really liked it. It's on my playlist with all the other country music. Give it a listen to! It's a great reminder to live in the moment and enjoy it for what it's worth. As much as we may wish to be in a different stage, we'll never get this moment back. So now I'm going to go stop Spencer and Lydia from arguing and then I'll change a stinky poopy diaper, take the clothes out of the dryer, clean up the dishes in the sink, and get dinner going. And you know what...I'm going to enjoy it (at least for today :o)). It's hard to believe, but I'm sure I really will miss this someday!

Who Am I?

My long-awaited for "Speaker for the Dead" FINALLY came in at the library. I've been excited for this read since finishing Ender's Game. I was so fascinated with the Introduction of this book. It's always fun to "see" into the mind of the author. I wanted to share a part of this introduction.

"Characters, as most writers understand, are truly developed through their relationships with others. If there are only two significant characters, then there is only one relationship to be explored. If there are three characters, however, there are four relationships: Between A and B, between B and C, between C and A, and finally the relationship when all three are together. Even this does not begin to explain the complexity--for in real life, at least, most people change, at least subtly, when they are with different people. I have seen this time and time again with my friends, with other family members. Our whole demeanor changes, our mannerisms, our figures of speech, when we move from one context to another. Listen to someone you know when they pick up the telephone. We have special voices for different people; our attitudes, our moods change depending on whom we are with. So when a storyteller has to create three characters, each different relationship requires that each character in it must be transformed, however subtly, depending on how the relationship is shaping his or her present identity. Thus, in a three-character story, a storyteller who wishes to convince us of the reality of these characters really has to come up with a dozen different personas, four for each of them."

So my fascination and intrigue of these insights ran much deeper than I will even try to attempt to explain in words. But isn't it an interesting concept that our personalities are so complex and varied. We are not, and never could be, one way or the other--black or white. Who I am and how I act around one person, is not who I am and how I act around another. And yet, it's those differences that make us who we are. Isn't is amazing that we are capable of such complexity as human beings?

And so for the souls that are trying to figure out who they really are, this post is unfortunately dedicated to bring about even more questions and more levels on which to explore your definition of self. In truth, I don't think we can define our personalities so easily. I don't think we can label ourselves as a "red" person, or a "white" person. For sure, certain traits and characteristics will seem dominate over others around most people and in most circumstances, but it cannot be how we Always are in All circumstances. And if there even existed a "true us" or a "real me" (as we sometimes hear), who's the relationship that is privileged to know it? Can we even know it?

Okay, enough! I'm sure I've either bored you, or given you something to think about. I'll let it be at that. Here's to sunnier days and warmer weather. And since this is Paul and I's Anniversary, here's to my Sweetheart! Thanks for 8 glorious, fabulous, fun-filled, exhilarating, wonderful, fantastic, special, marvelous years!!!! I love you so very, very much.

A Great And Terrible Flu

It must never be said of me when I die, that I was patient and graceful in sickness…that I never complained and bore my infirmities with dignity. In truth, I’m NO picnic when I’m ill. In fact I’m down-right, pathetically difficult. Sickness is, and has always been, a terribly hard thing for me to go through. This is not something I’m proud of, but it is the truth nonetheless. So needless to say, the past 5 days of dealing with the flu has been anything but pleasant. And not only was I sick, but Lydia and Jack were as well. I swear, every time Jack coughed, I wanted to cry. And his fever broke my heart. As much as I HATE being sick, I HATE HATE watching my kiddies be sick. So I’ve spent many hours in bed. Most of this time has been spent rocking back and forth (my coping mechanism), and just giving into the misery that is the flu. But there were moments when I actually started to think about how lucky I was. So this little post is dedicated to blessings that come to light during sickness.

1. I’m soooo happy that I can be sick in a comfortable home and a comfortable bed with a comfortable down comforter.
2. I’m grateful, beyond words, that Paul is such an amazing man. He totally took over as Mister Mom, which with 2 sick kids is not an easy feat. When I woke up Sunday morning, I woke up to a sparkling clean living room and kitchen. WOW!!! He is my hero on so many levels!
3. I’m grateful for my sweet parents and their constant concern. I’m grateful for the amazing meal they brought in on Saturday night. By the way, the mangos from Costco are like biting into the Caribbean itself. Yummmy! It’s amazing how the simple acts of service mean so very much when you’re not feeling well.
4. I’m grateful for potpourri. Paul made a batch of it and boiled it on the stove. It was very nice!
5. I’m grateful for the morning (this morning) that you wake up and realize you’re on the mend. I’m grateful that I can breath through my nose. I’m grateful that every joint in my body is not aching! I’m grateful that I’m not freezing cold and goosebumpy, or sweating buckets, just waiting for the cycle to repeat itself. I’m grateful that I can walk up the stairs and not feel winded! I’m grateful that my head doesn’t feel like a bowling ball. Aghhhhhhhhhh, the beauty of health. How much more I appreciate it right after sickness!
6. And in the end, even though there were times I wanted to die, and was afraid that I just might live (tee hee)…I’m grateful that I’m alive and have such an amazing, complicated body.