Random Bookish Thoughts

• We just got ourselves Rupert Public Library cards last week.  Last year we didn't live within the boundaries of a city with a library, so we (actually my father-in-law for my Christmas present) had to fork over the big bucks to get a library card to the Burley library.  It pretty much saved much of my sanity last winter.  They have a weekly story time for the kids, and Madeline and I would go early just to read together and pass the slow wintery hours.  When trying to check out our large stack of books and movies last week, the self check-out machine told us our cards had expired.  So, off we went to scope out the Rupert library where we knew we could get free cards for living within the city limits.  We found out when we got there that the Rupert library is interconnected with the Burley library so we can still get books there and go to our cute storytime (they do a craft every week with the kids, too - it's like our 1 hour a week preschool).  I love that this area has a pretty well functioning library system. I plan on showing my support for the library any way I can.  I grew up going to the library at least once a week with my family.  Books were important to my parents, and they became important to me.

 

• I recently discovered that Scott likes non-fiction books, especially of the biographical and self-help nature.  I've been suggesting books for him to read for years, and he never likes them.  Even when I'm SURE he'll love it and it was one of the best books I've read, he's bored out of his mind with it.  For some reason it took me until now to realize that he does read, he just doesn't read the same things I like to read.  He's a non-fiction kind of a guy, and I can support that and be done suggesting books that have a great story line, because he just doesn't care.  

• When Benson was born I discovered a little shelf at the library with most of the Newberry award winning books of the last 100 years.  I started reading a couple every week as I nursed my baby.  They were perfect for the late night, sleep deprived hours - not too long, and not too difficult.  They are wonderful little stories.  My favorite was "Bud, Not Buddy".  Read it if you get a chance.  

• We spent last weekend at my parents' home.  I was checking out the bookcase outside of their bedroom, and found treasures.  My mom is a teacher, and had kept a lot of the books she used to use in her classroom.  Some are my very favorites, like "Superfudge", "Ramona Quimby", "Bridge to Terabithia", and others.  I'm so glad she kept them so I can share them with my children.  I remember lying in bed while my dad and I took turns reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing", and laughing hysterically when Fudge ate the turtle.  "No chew, no chew.  Gulp Gulp!".  She also kept a collection of children's books on tape.  I remember spending hours sitting in front of a little tape player, listening to books on tape in my room.  Each book was a story of a different virtue, like honesty, and courage. She hadn't kept those, but she had kept others.  I brought them downstairs for Madeline.  She spent a lot of time over the weekend in front of the tape player, listening to those books at the kitchen table.  I'm glad she shares my love of books.

Late Night Pleadings

I love this girl!  She's also challenge to me.  My current goal is not to love her in spite of her challenges, but to love her FOR the challenge.  I know that our trials help us to grow, learn, and become better people if we'll let them.  I hope that little by little I'm becoming a better mother to her.

She's been doing much better at night, and I am so proud of her.  She was sick a couple of days ago and her fever kept her up at night again.  At one point around 3am, she ran into my room shouting, "Mommy, mommy!  You forgot to put the bookmark in our book last night!  I really need you to do it right now so we don't lose our place!!!"  I assured her that I would not get out of bed to replace the bookmark and promised that I remembered the exact page we left off at.  There were some tears, but she eventually went back to bed.  This reminded me of all the crazy things she used to come into my room in the night to say, or yell.  I want to record them so hopefully someday she can laugh with me about her middle-of-the-night-shenanigans.  

• "I found this string in my bed and I need to give it to you"
• "Am I sleeping well so I can have a candy in the morning?"
• "I think I'm all done sleeping tonight"
• "Can you walk me back to my room?  It's too dark for me to see." (How did you get here then?)
• "I need to go potty.  Can I use your bathroom?" (Instead of the one that RIGHT next to her room)
• "I need to put some socks on"
• "Can you take the rubber band out of my hair?"
• "I need you to find my watch.  I need to know what time it is all night long". and then...
• "Please take my watch off because I need to go potty RIGHT NOW and I can't get my footed pajamas off". (the watch was around her pajama sleeve)
• "What are we going to do tomorrow?  And the day after that?  And the day after that?"
• "I can't find Ruby.  Can you come find her for me?" (Her pillow pet)
• "Can you put an ice cube in my sippy cup?"
• "I really need to wear different pajamas".
• "Mommy, I just wanted to tell you that I really, really love you".

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, and sometimes I didn't actually hear the reason she was in my room.  Occasionally I've woken up to find her in our bed with no idea why or when she got there.  She's a child who feels speaking her mind is the most important thing in the world - no matter the time or place.  I'm sure this desire can be a strength in her life if we can teach her to use it appropriately.  Needing to speak your mind at 3am in your parents' room when mom has already been up twice with the baby - not so appropriate.  

*Wow - love the updated post editor.  I'm going to try bigger images - no promise that the photo quality will be any better.  My picture taking skills are pretty awful.  

Cereal

Grandma fed him his first bite of rice cereal -yum, yum. His face says it all. I'd forgotten how much patience it takes to teach a child to eat. He didn't swallow a drop of cereal on his first try. Nor did he swallow any for the next few days. It took a full week for him to like it even a little bit. I find it a lot easier to feed my babies laying down on the floor (them, not me). I'm sure it's a choking hazard, so please don't follow my recommendations. For some reason I don't really worry about that. And I make the cereal a little thicker than some. My mom says I feed my children "rocks".

Starting cereal did help some with his night sleeping. We had gotten to the point where he was waking every 2 hours, acting like a ravenous monster. After he actually started swallowing some of the cereal, it gegan to improve. He even slept the whole night once, for the first time since his blessing day. We're starting to slip backwards again now, so it's probably time to add another feeding. My babies seem to get big fast, and my body can't quite keep up with their needs. No worries - that's what solid food is for.

Projects with the Parents

My parents came up a couple of weeks ago to work on some home improvement projects. The big project of the day was to build a workbench and shelving in the garage. All of the boxes that had been lining our garage are now up and out of the way. Just what projects will be done at the workbench? No one knows. But, Scott has installed ipod speakers out there, so he's ready.

I also have shelves above our washer and drier, which I love very much. I can now hang my non-dryables in the laundry room instead of draping them all over our bedroom. It's a significant amount of clothing due to genetically inherited monkey arms.

Thanks to pinterest, my mom and came up with a project to work on as well. We made a mobile out of balloons, yarn, and watered down glue. Since this picture was taken we've finally bought Benson a real crib. I'm a little sad that I can't rig up his crib mattress like I had the pack'n'play. I had it set up like the cribs in the hospital with the head of the bed elevated and a "nest" for him to sleep in. It really helps with congestion. We're happy with our purchase, though, and will hopefully get many years of use from it.

Halloween 2011

Halloween 2011 marks the holiday Madeline has been most exited about in her short life. She found out about 3 weeks before the big day that there would be a Halloween party at church on the evening of Halloween. She was sure this party was being thrown just for her. She invited everyone she knew. She would tell me daily, "In two more Sundays and then one more day we're going to the PARTY!" She decorated our house in hand-drawn halloween art.

The big day finally came. She was wild with excitement. And she had reason to be exited, because she looted more candy than a 3 year old should eat in a whole year. After dinner they had all of the adults at the party move their chairs to the perimeter of the gym to hand out their candy. The kids just had to make a big loop around the gym, and ended up with overflowing trick-or-treat buckets. What would have taken us hours in the cold outside only took 15 minutes inside. I'm a big fan. That is THE way to trick-or-treat with a 3 year old.

Chunky Monkey himself

Our container for handing out candy

This video is sideways, and I don't know how to fix it. Madeline's reciting a cute halloween poem Grandma Serr taught her.