Books I've read: Part 2

It's June!  So I'll make another list of what I've read since January.  You can read what I read the second half of 2012 here.

1.  The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan   A 37 year old writes of her battle with cancer as her beloved dad fights bladder cancer at the same time.  It is a memoir of her childhood and her relationship with her dad growing up juxtaposed with their current battles.  It was not depressing, just touching and funny and wonderful.  It made me want to call my dad and give him a virtual hug.  I recommend!

2.  Winter of the World, by Ken Follett   This is book 2 of the series...Fall of Giants was #1.  It follows the same 5 families through WWII.  Not nearly as good as Fall of Giants.  But good enough that I will read #3 when it comes out.

3.  Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell   A non-fiction book looking at data surrounding human success stories or outliers from the norm.  I found the first few sections really fascinating, but it quickly got repetitive.  Not great, but an interesting quick read.

4.  Sophie's Choice, by William Styron  No, I had never read this book before (or seen the movie).  Yes, I rather liked it.  A young writer meets a Holocaust survivor and her mentally ill boyfriend...we learn her stories in pieces through their summer together.  Sophie's downfall is her unthinkable choice she made while at Aushwitz.  And now I finally know what people are referencing when they say Sophie's choice.

5.  Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom  Non-fiction.  Albom discusses his meetings with his childhood rabbi after the rabbi requests he write his eulogy.  There is also a parallel story about a really influential and unique pastor of an inner city church in Chicago that Albom gets involved with during the same time period as he is meeting with his rabbi.  It was really funny, very touching, thought provoking...I highly recommend.

6.  Fragile, by Lisa Unger  Psychologist is at the center of things when her son's girlfriend goes missing and it dredges up a mystery from long ago.  That is the description I wrote in my journal.  I have basically no recollection of the book other than that.

7.  Then Came You, by Jennifer Weiner  I keep trying her books because I see her name everywhere.  I need to stop.  This is a very contrived story of intertwined lives..egg donor, surrogate, and step-daughter of the people who hired the surrogate.  Boo.

8.  The Secret Keeper, by Kate Morton   My favorite book of 2013, so far.  A fantastic book.  A woman explores her mother's secrets from the past after her mother turns 90.  Book jumps from the daughter's perspective with the present day investigation to her mother's perspective during 1940s.  Wild twists and turns and really really fun to read.  Highly recommend.

9.  The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green  I think this would have been my favorite book if I hadn't read it just after The Secret Keeper.  It is the story of a young girl with terminal cancer who falls in love for the first time.  Sounds depressing, but it is funny and wonderfully written.  You will cry many times, but you will also be glad you read it.

10.  Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes   A young woman takes a job as companion to a young quadriplegic.  Turns into a love story.  Funny in parts and sad in parts.  I liked the main character.  I probably would have liked this even more if I hadn't just finished #8 and #9 on this list.  Good books are ruined by even better books.  ;)

11.  A Widow for One Year, by John Irving   The story of a girl left by her grieving mother at the age of 4.  Then it jumps to her story as a 37 year old writer.  Then it jumps to her story as a 40 year old widow.  Well done.  A bit drawn out.  If you like John Irving you will like it.

12.  Little Face, by Sophie Hannah   A mother swears her newborn has been switched with another.  Lots of family secrets are uncovered as the family is investigated.  It was okay.

13.  The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman   A childless lighthouse keeper and his wife keep a baby that wash up on their island and pass it off as their own.  There are devastating results when they take her back to the mainland for a visit and their secrets begin to unravel.  I finished this book unsatisfied.  However within a few hours, I decided I liked the book.  Each character is likable and unlikable...which is quite a feat.

14.  Beautiful Lies, Lisa Unger   A woman discovers her entire past is a lie and uncovers the truth bit by bit.  A typical thriller.  A bit predictable.  I think I am done reading Lisa Unger books.

15.  The Hangman's Daughter, by Oliver Potzch   A 1600s hangman searches for killer of 3 children when the midwife is accused of using witchcraft to do it.  I just didn't like this.  I wanted to, but the characters were too one-dimensional, and I found it trying too hard to be surprising and thrilling.

16.  Where'd You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple   An agoraphobic mother with a famous past goes missing on the eve of a trip with her family.  I didn't like this book as much as other people.  I just didn't enjoy the story premise or something.  But I did like the style of the book, as much of it is written in letters and e-mails.  It was funny and entertaining...I guess.

17.  Defending Jacob, by William Landay   A D.A.'s son is accused of murdering a classmate.  This follows the whole process from when the kid is found murdered to after the trial is over.  Frustrating and yet riveting, I would love to discuss this book with a group.  Lots of issues to mull over once this book is finished.

18.  Blessings, by Anna Quindlin   A caretaker for a giant estate finds an abandoned baby on the steps one morning and secretly keeps it...even after the 80 year old owner finds out.  She helps him and remembers her past at the property.  Kind of boring.

19.  The Last Talk With Lola Faye, Thomas H. Cook  A man has a chance meeting with his murdered father's alleged mistress and rehashes his troubled youth in a small town.  Oddly enjoyable.

20.  Bel Canto, Ann Patchett   Terrorists take over a private party and keep the guests hostage.  It is all about the bonds that form between the people involved and also a lot about opera music.  I think I just don't like Patchett.  It was...okay.  I finished it.  But...sigh...I just...this is exactly how I feel after every book of her's that I've read.

21.  The Age of Miracles, by Karen Thompson Walker   An 11 year old girl describes her life after the earth's rotation begins to slow.  Interesting to read/ponder about all the effects of the rotation slowing...but the story was a bit contrived and many leaps of faith had to be made.  Meh.

22.  The End of Your Life Bookclub, Will Schwalbe   True story of a man and his dying mother discussing books and using them to bridge conversations about dying.  As someone who has read a lot and values books above much else, I really enjoyed their perspective on books and was touched at their relationship.  But while I thought I might get a lot of ideas about books to read...there were lots of spoilers :)  Oh well.

23.  The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Jan-Philipp Sendker   A girl travels to Burma to find her father who disappeared 4 years earlier.  She finds a man who tells her a story...about her father's childhood.  It is very much like a fairy tale.  This book was easy to read and satisfying...although the ending was a bit different than I would have liked.  I think...although I can't think of another ending that would have worked.

Trudging to the end

One thing that really stinks about having friends all over the country?  School lets out WAY earlier.  So as I read happy facebook posts about last days, first day/last day pictures, enjoying summer freedom...we still have NINE DAYS left...not 9 calendar days, but nine actual school days.  Andrew still has homework every night and I am supposed to help keep him on top of reading logs and projects and...DEAR GOD IT IS JUNE.

And yes, YES, we go back to school later.  But that is not a good thing.  By the end of August, everyone is ready for less together time.  So I'm jealous then too.  Next year, our first day is September 3rd!  But then we have off the 5th and 6th for Rosh Hashanah.  Urgh.

Whatever.

Michael is having a blast, at least.  His preschool ended May 30th...3 full weeks before the other 2.  So we decided to have him spend a week, all by himself, with Grandma and Grandpa.  He is doing all sorts of fun things, and even got to spend the night at Memere and Pepere's too.  But don't expect any pictures of those trips.  Grandma and Grandpa guard their pictures like Fort Knox.  Sometimes I'll be at their house and see an absolutely adorable picture hanging on their fridge.  They like to keep the cuteness to themselves ;P

All teasing aside, Michael has done spectacularly well.  He never shuts up and is just fine all by himself, thank you very much.  He does seem to miss Andrew and Lily more than he misses Jeff and I.  On the phone he tolerates talking with me for a few seconds before requesting to talk to his brother and sister.  And the sweet and caring way that Andrew and Lily ask him what he is doing melts my heart.  They really really love each other.

In order to facilitate the hand off of Michael, we planned a day at the zoo in Pittsburgh...which while not quite halfway (6 hours from us, 3 hours from them), was way more fun than what is actually halfway between us (farms, windmills).

Lily was quite the poser at the zoo.

 Getting the 3 of them in one shot was nearly impossible.

 That is not me in the black shirt.  But Lily is doing such a cheesy smile, I just had to add it anyway.

 The log ride that you had to be "shorter than this" to ride.  Michael was THRILLED.  Finally!  A ride that catered to his smallness (relative to Andrew).

 Michael had a natural ability on these things.  His brother and sister COULD. NOT. FIGURE. IT. OUT.  Funny.

Back here at the ranch, we had school.  And more school.  And Lily got to practice eating lunch at school (very exciting).  Andrew had Market Day, the culmination of a 2 month economics lesson that 3rd grade does.  Each class is a country, and each table group is a state.  Each student had to apply for a job in their state (Andrew was treasurer), which they got paid for each week.  Each state had to pay taxes and got bonuses for various things.  Each student had to create a product to sell on Market Day.  They had to pay rent for their set up spot, got to set the price and adjust as supply and demand required.  I also got paid as a helper in the production of the product.  It was really really cute.

Andrew did "Geography Fun Fact" sheets.  His idea.  His original idea was to do 2 countries for each continent.  Then after he did all the research and typed up the sheet for his first country, he decided to do just one country from each continent.  And then after spending HOURS doing a few more, he decided that 4 countries was just fine.

One side had pictures and the other side had basic facts and fun facts.  We printed them on card stock and laminated them.  Every other kid made things like pet rocks or rubber band bracelets.  Not my little nerdlinger.

Oh!  And then my new washer and dryer!  Most life changing event in recent times.  Below is how I was drying my clothes in the last few weeks.  If I machine dried it, each load was taking 90-120 minutes to dry.  And this is a house that does 9-10 loads a week.  It was MISERABLE.  But with my new fancy washer and dryer, not only to the clothes come out dry, they are such a higher capacity that I am only doing 5-6 loads a week.  CRAZY!

Shadow.  Turns 11 next month.  Crazy.

Some random shots of playing in buckets before Michael left.  We are so classy.  Our new neighbor (a 2nd grader), was so confused.  She came over and kept asking, "Wait.  You are playing in buckets?  Don't you have a pool?  Why are you playing in those?  How long will you be playing?"  I finally had to shoo her back to her house...she clearly couldn't comprehend playing for hours in these things (which Michael and Lily ended up doing).

Not a good week to be sick

Michael obviously didn't get the memo.  It is NOT a good week to be sick.  His fever is really going to put a damper on this week if he doesn't kick it soon.

Unlike many of my Ohio and Kentucky and California friends, we aren't exactly close to the end of school yet.  Well, Michael is.  He only has 5 days left...and it looks like he'll be missing today.  Bummer.  But Lily and Andrew still have a month left.  Our last day of school is June 19, so we are still entrenched in projects, homework, and "real" school work.  Okay...they're in 3rd and Kindergarten.  "Entrenched" may be a strong word :)

This is also a week when I wish grandparents and aunts and uncles lived close.  Because if we have to stay home with a sick Michael, that means only one parent gets to attend the event...not an impressive audience representation.  Not to mention they may actually enjoy witnessing some of these things.

This week includes:

--Tonight is Andrew's first (and last?) orchestra concert.  I would like to say he has been working very hard towards it...but I haven't heard him practice in over a month.  Still, it is impressive how much he has learned this year and I think he is actually kind of a natural at it.  Hence the not practicing.

--Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Lily has actual t-ball games.  I submit there is nothing cuter that Lily in a softball uniform.  She is really good at stopping ground balls...and...well...she smiles and has fun through all the rest of it!

--Thursday night is a Media Festival.  Andrew has been nominated for an award for a photosynthesis glog he created...a computer project they did in his class.  Only 55 projects were nominated in our district...and since we have 8 elementary schools in the district (our school alone has 800 students)...that's pretty impressive that he has been invited.

--Wednesday is Michael's school field day.  Which they are having from 10:30-1:00.  Which makes me wonder how exactly I am supposed to get Lily to school that day (her bus comes at 12:35).

--Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I have set up playdates at our house.  These are with people that we've been trying desperately to connect with.  Lily has no school Tuesday (it is a half day for Andrew...only AM Kindergarten is to attend), so it is an opportunity to meet up with those allusive AM Kindergartners.

--Friday is Lily's field day...which they are having in the morning...once again the afternoon kids get shuffled around and shafted.  Second class citizens.

--Andrew has field day on Friday as well...but I am not planning on attending or contributing at all.  Mother of the Year.

--I am getting a filling on Thursday afternoon.

--Sometime Thursday our new washer and dryer will be delivered...YAY!

--We have the normal swim lessons scheduled (Tuesday and Thursday afternoons) and lacrosse practice (Wednesday evening).

Yup.  Not a good week to have to stay at home with a feverish kid.

Michael-isms

Story Part 1: I told the kids that I was drinking a lot of fluids because going to give blood.

Part 2:  Michael gasps, looks at me with a very alarmed look on his face, takes my hand and says, "No, Mom!  You need your blood to LIVE!"  I explained that while I do indeed need blood to live, I can give a little bit of it away to help sick people.

Part 3:  While making dinner that night, Michael commented that the ground meat looked bloody.  He asked if I could give that away instead of my own blood.  I said no.

Part 4:  While I was away donating, Jeff put Michael to bed.  Michael explained to Jeff that I was going to be giving cow's blood away to help sick people.

???


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While passing the party supply aisle at Target, Michael hollars, "Mom!  We have GOT to get one of these!"

"What is it Michael?"

"A Hi-yah-ta.  You know...you go 'Hi-yah' to it."

"You mean pinata?"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff was reading a story to Michael before bed.  It had a mare, a colt, and a stallion in it.

Jeff asked, "Michael, do you know what a mare is?"

Michael looks him like he's crazy.  "Yes.  It's the person in charge of the town."

And he's the one that has never lived in the south!

A photo post to distract from the fact I haven't written in 2 months...

So.  2 months.  

First, I went to Ohio.  Alone.  Well, with the 3 kids...but no Jeff.  It was actually easy (until the ride home...but whatev's).  And then my wonderful in-laws watched the kids while I went down to Cincinnati to help my parents pack up their house.  They have now moved to their new house in Columbus where both my sisters live.  

Next, there was the yearbook project.  Hours upon hours of computer time spent begging parents and teachers for pictures, creating pages and formatting pictures, and then there's all the trips to the school to take pictures that were needed.

Someone will not be volunteering to do yearbook again.

And then...just as the yearbook was submitted (April 29th!), I got a call last Tuesday, that my very good friend Alwyn (mother of Michael's co-birthday party buddy) has cancer.  Stage IV rectal cancer.  At the age of 40.  So the last week has sent me reeling...and given me 4 children instead of 3 as I watched Michael's friend, and cooked her family meals, and did lots of computer searching about her cancer while she went to a million different doctor's appointments.  I am still processing this whole thing.

But I have pictures!  And not just of random children in random classrooms from a random school in PA.  

So enjoy!  Here's what we've been up to...

Softball!  Lily has started this spring...and she doesn't actually have very many games because not very many girls signed up for t-ball.  But she got a really cute uniform, and seems to just love it.  Even after she got hit with a ball in the thigh (ouch) and the top of her foot (ouch!  and why mom told her to put shoes on...ahem...)

We've been trying to learn chess.  Actually, since this picture was taken, Michael has totally lost interest.  Shocker.

The children's choir sang at church.  Not sideways.  But I am not spending the time to figure out how to flip this picture.  So you can turn your head.  ;)

We had Easter.  After a marathon drive home from Ohio, where Lily and Michael and I were sick with fevers, coughs, and general malaise.  No barfing.  So that was good.  But Michael didn't eat any candy out of his basket for 3 days!!!  I almost called 911 on the 3rd day, but he choked down a Peep...and then devoured the rest in less than a week.

 The Easter bunny always hides the eggs outside...no matter how cold or wet it is.  What a dumb tradition.  Who thought of that?

Michael and Jeff tried out the Home Depot project.  Michael wasn't feeling good that day, so it was a little anti-climatic.  We will have to try again.

Andrew has started lacrosse.  It's a lot more serious this spring...2 practices and a game each week.  He LOVES it...and he's actually holding his own on a team of 3rd and 4th graders.  He's been asked to join a summer tournament team.  The boy who used to dramatically fall down and wince at every little injury is getting checked in the head, and stepped on with cleats, and shooting goals (2 out of 4 for his team one game, and the only non-travel team kid to score in another) and pumping fists and having a grand time.  He's just found his sport, I think.

Michael turned 5...for real.  After 2 birthday parties (on with his friends and one in Ohio with grandparents), it was time to finally finish the birthday month.  But I think I love 5 year olds most of all.  It was so cute how excited he was to be FIVE!  and how much more he could do because he was FIVE and how he spent all his time telling random strangers that he was FIVE!

May is the season of performances...Mother's Day, spring, etc.  Andrew's was last week...the entire 3rd grade performed the Star Spangled Salute.  It was really cute to hear them all singing patriotic songs and reciting poems (yawn) and all the rest.

The kids have really been enjoying climbing our little Japanese maple tree in the front.  It isn't so little anymore, I guess. :)

And then last Sunday, Lily had her dance recital.  The video is priceless.  ;)  Here are some shots from before and after the performance.  Slicking her hair back just made her look so much older!

Okay.  I'll try and make it less than 2 months.  There are so many cute stories that happened and now I won't be able to remember them in 5 years, because I haven't written them down.  Must do this for myself if noone else :)

An early birthday party

We don't really do birthday parties around here.  But Andrew had one when he was five, Lily had one when she was five, so it was Michael's turn.  With the older two, they were in their 3rd year of preschool with the same bunch of kids, so it was easy to just invite their best friends to our house for an old fashioned party.  But Michael is at a new school this year, and he is pretty much glued at the hip to his best friend Matthew and nobody else.

So what to do?

Have a joint birthday party with Matthew!  Matthew's birthday is 6 weeks before Michael's, so we planned the party for the weekend exactly in between their birthdays, invited the whole class, and split the cost.  

It was a bounce party at our gym.  Everything was included except for the party favors.  So it was easy and fun.  Our party hosts (we had 2), were fantastic at supervising the children and keeping them occupied when they weren't in the bounce house.  It went really really well.

And, yes, I am quite in shock that my baby is turning 5.  But that emotional retrospective will not come for a few more weeks, thankyouverymuch.

And some pictures...

Our party favors.  Each child went home with a bucket of chalk and an Angry Bird helium balloon.  I just wanted no candy...since we are right in between candy excesses from Valentine's Day and Easter.

Michael eagerly waiting for his friends.  He couldn't believe that they were going to bring him presents!  We are a little uneducated about birthday parties around here.

The cake.  Nothing fancy...but, hey.  It was included.  And delicious.

Our party hosts getting the kids ready to bounce in the gymnasium.

I don't think Michael ever left the bounce house.  And we were in the gym for an hour and 15 minutes.

Most of the other kids ran in and out of the bounce house.  They had fun playing tag, bouncing and throwing balls, dancing by the speaker.  The dads also had fun shooting hoops off in the corner.  Andrew had fun...but he had to leave for a basketball game before the party was over.  He's dressed like Deter from SNL (remember Mike Meyers?), because he'd come straight from lacrosse practice.  

The bounce house had climbing walls, punching thingies, a basketball hoop, and a slide...and of course lots of space to bounce.  Michael was in heaven.  His friend Matthew also stayed by his side for most of the bouncing part. 

 A blurry shot of the group

 A silly pose of the group.

 For the last 15 minutes of the gym time, the host got out a parachute and played games with them.  Who doesn't love a parachute?  The kids were so intent and well behaved during the whole party.  Very good listeners.  Very nice kids.

Popcorn!

 Going camping in their tent.  They told stories under the "tent"

 Finally it was back up to the party room for cake!  And lots and lots of drinks.

All in all, a success!  I am so grateful to my friend for agreeing to do a joint party.  I am way too cheap to do this kind of thing on my own.  When it was over, and the boys had passed out the party favors, Michael put on his coat and left.  I had to drag him back and remind him that it was HIS party, so he had to leave last.  Poor kid...with his lack of birthday party experience.  Hopefully he'll remember for his next birthday party...you know, when he turns 10.

(this every 5 years precedent means that I am going to have to do another party this year...Andrew turns 10 in November.  WTH???  2 parties in one calendar year.  WTH???  Andrew is turning 10???)