Dec 10
Everyone,
The week that I discovered that the big library in town was right next door to Butterfly’s dance class place, I was hooked. I went there every week. I picked up scads of books for the kids and loved having something new to read. I also decided to take a leap and read something for myself, beyond what my book club is reading.
This has been really hard to follow through with, despite having no book to read for book club in awhile. (We always do something fun for December.) But I’ve been trying to make time for one of my favorite past times. This is what I’ve been reading so far.
Everything by Shannon Hale. She writes mostly young adult fiction but it’s GOOD. She also wrote a book I just finished called Austenland. Awesome read. It was one of those feel good at the end books. I have read everything she has written now and am anxiously awaiting her next book.
Another author I’m working my way through is Elizabeth Gaskell. She is a Austen-like writer who was friends with Charlotte Bronte. Her books are more meaty than my mind can focus on at the moment but I do love the stories. Juice was kind enough to get me the DVDs for our anniversary in August. I’m hoping to get some time, and some sleep, to really enjoy them soon.
Wow, I’m into authors lately. Another one I’m following is Connie Willis. I think my mom first recommended a book by her to me when I was a teenager, To Say Nothing of the Dog, which I have read every year since. I picked up The Doomsday Book last year on a whim and cried at the end of it. We read it for book club a few months ago and talked about it at our last meeting. That book sticks with you! I also just finished one of her books and will be going through the rest of her list.
Other books that are in the que to be read: Bel Canto. My friend Lolli read it and loaned it to me. She couldn’t put it down and I’m itching to start it. The Striking Point is a book I just got as a present and that looks fascinating too.
Now if only I could put these books down enough to actually sleep at night, I might be sitting pretty!
Safire
Safirebook club, books I read
Jul 16
Everyone,
I am a boring blogger! Seriously can I be any more boring? I would stop reading me if I was reading this. I chalk it up to being out of the writing groove. Utah really threw off my groove. Will you stick with me while I get back up to being semi-interesting? Pretty please?
Today we decided to stick close to home and go to the Amish market for lunch. I made Butterfly cry three times. She was a princess today and “princess twirl mom. You should know that.” Well, my Miss Butterfly is not the most graceful child. Poor girl is going to be long and awkward for a long time. Anyway, twirling + awkwardness = disaster in a small shop. She was incredibly well behaved at lunch. All the kids were. Pirate was flirting with the waitresses, Professor was picking the cheese off of his grilled cheese sandwich and eating only that. And Butterfly was just eating. We bought bread and candy. We also all sat down at the table I really want to buy and I drooled over it again. I even found a china hutch that matches it with hand carved flowers and vines all over it. Beautiful.
We stopped by the farmer’s market as well. Boy I missed the farmer’s market here! It’s small (3 booths) but the fruit is amazing. We got blueberries which are almost all gone. And the peaches are so flavorful! Yum!
Book club was tonight for me. It was the last one for a member of ours and I’m going to miss her! She is moving far away (okay, to Utah…but it is far! I just drove it. I should know.) and we just needed to have time to be with each other. I love book club.
Safire
SafireAmish, book club, Butterfly, farmer's market, Pirate, Professor
May 19
Everyone,
Today has been oddly relaxing. The past few days I have actually been getting up with the boys when they wake up in the morning, between 6:30am and 6:45am. Not fun for me, but I think better. Why? Because I used to doze while the boys played until at least 7:30 or 8am. And then they were not napping for their first nap. But if I actually get up when they wake up, they are ready to nap by 8:45 am. So I’ve been doing this for the past few days and they have been napping well in the mornings.
This morning, they slept from 8:30-11am. We met my friend Lolli for lunch, ran a few errands, and then came back home around 2pm. I put everyone down right when we got home and everyone slept until 4:30pm. Almost 3 hours. It was bliss!
Pirate has a fever on and off all day. He hasn’t wanted to be put down and I ended up tying him on me for the entire time he was awake. After he woke up from his second nap, he seemed a little better and actually played. His fever was almost gone when he went to bed and I’m hoping that he’ll be fine in the morning.
Tonight is my book club so I expect to be tired tomorrow. I can’t wait. 
Safire
Safirebook club, naps, Pirate, sickness 2009
Mar 19
Everyone,
My friend Lala (not to be confused with Lolli, or maybe you do…either way, different people) came over today to exercise. We typically get together twice a week, once at her house and once at mine. She has a fascination with Belly dancing for fitness so that is what we have been doing. It’s been a lot of fun.
Today she mentioned she wanted to do some deep stretching so I convinced her we should do my post-natal yoga tape. Well, she consented to watch it, I did the yoga. She made funny comments about the ladies and their babies, I worked on stretching out my back and shoulders. She left feeling a little better, and I ended feeling A TON better. I do so love to do my yoga.
Also today, we went to the resource center with Lolli and AJ. And although we didn’t have the chance to talk a ton, the kids all had a great time. My 3 even took a 2 hour nap when we got home! Yay! (That was when I did my yoga.)
Butterfly insists lately on playing surprise. She makes up these elaborate “sets” full of her toys she has hidden underneath blankets and buckets. We are then to say, word for word, her script and she acts totally surprised. It’s very cute and fun the first 3 or 4 times. After that, I get bored and tell her to either change the toys or change the words. She opts for neither and changes the people involved. In other words, she lets me go do something else while she acts out all the parts, word for word.
Today she insisted on playing surprise at the resource center and I had to flat out tell her to play something else. We probably spent a good half hour playing surprise with the lamb, pig, chicken nesting toy. Pirate spent most of his visit slack jawed and having a great time. And Professor got himself stuck in the play house while trying to go through the door. What a fun family I have!
Book club tonight! I’m going to be tired tomorrow.
Safire
Safirebook club, Butterfly, exercising, Lala and Vinny, Lolli, P and P, resource center
Feb 20
Everyone,
Every Friday night, Juice and I try to have a date. Lately it has been movies in our living room but we are at least trying to spend time with each other.
I stayed up way too late with my book clubbers. It was fun! We laughed a lot! We discussed the book some. I actually enjoyed this month’s book which was Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir. She was 20 years in prison. Very interesting.
Okay, I fell asleep writing this so I’m off to bed. Hope Juice enjoyed his viewing of Ghostbusters tonight. I only saw the first 10 minutes or so.
Yawn.
Safire
Safirebook club, dates
Dec 17
Everyone,
Tonight is my book club meeting. We are having it at my house and I am making chocolate bread pudding for desert. We are doing our annual book exchange. This is our second one. I love book club. There are about 8 of us. I think we all bring something interesting to the table. We all like to read different books and because of that, I’ve read a lot of books I never would have before. Some have been a struggle for me to get through. Some I’ve sailed through and loved! And some I haven’t even finished before we get to discussion. But all have been unique. I always buy my books because sometimes it takes me all month and then some to finish these books. The library doesn’t always have them so I buy them used for a dollar online. I don’t care if they are brand new and look it. I figure the words are still the same, even if the cover is stained. Every time I see those books on my shelf, I think of the person who picked that book. It’s like a grown up friendship charm bracelet without the cheep metal jewelry that turns your wrist green.
Books we have read:
Leadership and Self Deception, Arbengor Institute
Persuasion, Jane Austen
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards
Crossing to Safety, Wallace Stegner
Possession, AS Byatt
The Lemon Tree, Sandy Tolan
Life and Death in Shanghai, Nien Cheng
Close to Shore, Michael Cappuzzo
Books coming up:
Stolen Lives, Malika Oufkir
Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
In Harm’s Way, Doug Stanton
All Over But the Shoutin’, Rick Bragg
To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
Fire in the Bones, Michael Wilcox
My Dearest Friend, Abigail & John Adams
I’m really excited for all of these books. I like that I have other people to read with me and then we can discuss it. I also like that I have a deadline. I always need to get started early on the books so that I can make sure I’m done before our discussion. Lately, they are the only books I’ve been able to read. I can’t read while I’m nursing (no free hands) and nap times are filled with getting things done around the house that I can’t do with the kids. Like cleaning the kitchen or hauling things up the stairs or folding laundry. So I like that book club forces me to take some time out just for me and be myself again, not Mommy.
These ladies have become really special to me. I see them all the time at church and I always feel like we have this great bond. I love that just reading books together creates that bond.
Got lots to clean before they come. I think they’d like to walk in and not have to step over several packages and then pick their way through a minefield of toys to sit down on the papers that are covering the couch. Can’t wait for tonight!
Safire
Edited to Add: I forgot January’s books by CS Lewis. The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity
Safirebook club
Dec 16
Everyone,
I have done SO much today. It’s amazing what a day at home will do for you and the state of your house. Here’s what I did:
-tried (and failed) to convince Butterfly that it was still night time at 7am
-washed all of Butterfly’s sheets again, several accidents happened today
-washed the boys sheets
-finished up my laundry
-declared myself done with my Christmas cards, finished address and stamping the last of them
-swept (twice, once before Butterfly and once after)
-mopped (amazing!)
-moved all random boxes/stuff upstairs in preparation for book club tomorrow
-payed all bills
-cleaned off table, counters, other table
-cleaned downstairs bathroom
-got all visiting teaching appointments together
-visited with friends
-made an awesome dinner
-ate way too many sugar cookies
-admired Professor’s ability to almost sit up by himself
-played several games with Butterfly on the computer
-made Pirate laugh so hard he cried (not hard to do, that is one smiley kid)
Yeah, that’s it. It was a very full and fulfilling day. The boys were great at playing or napping today, and Butterfly even took a 2 hour nap. Juice helped a ton when he got home and put all the kids to bed and made all of their beds and did the dishes and cleaned the counters and the high chairs. I’m feeling all jazzed that I did all this stuff and could probably clean all night long if I wanted to. But I know I am tired and really need to get to bed because those boys will be up around 2am. And then 4am. And then 6:30am or so.
Safire
Safirebook club, cleaning, home days, Professor mile stones
Sep 12
Everyone,
Today I woke up feeling a little bit better. And instead of canceling on my grandparents, went ahead and went to their house for the morning/lunch time. I think it’s important for Butterfly to know who her great grandparents are because I think they are wonderful people. They have done so much in their lives. My grandpa is 80 and has crossed the Atlantic Ocean by boat twice and the Pacific Ocean by boat twice. He walked across the Golden Gate Bridge on the day it was opened. He has been to over 25 countries and 47 states. My Nana lived in England during WWII and survived her house being bombed and her school as well. She was willing to leave her home country of England and be married to my grandpa (whom she met while he was on his mission there). She was telling me she had several marriage proposals at the time but liked Grandpa the best. A good reason to pick him! And I’m glad she did.
In any case, not being near them is one of the reasons I’m sad about not living in Utah. It was nice to visit today and have some actual time at their house, not just an in out and on our way type of visit. We had an awesome lunch of egg and potato omelet and bread pudding which was awesome!
The only down side to today’s visit is the fact that I still don’t feel all that great. I seem to do okay if I don’t eat anything. Because then there is nothing to upset my stomach. But when I eat, I feel awful. Still, my Nana’s bread pudding was worth feeling ill. Yum yum!
I also went to a park and met a friend who used to live in Maryland and moved here just a few days before we came here. It was fun to see her and her 2 boys but I’m sad that when I go home she won’t be there! We’ve made it a point to keep in touch and we’ll probably get together when I come back into town.
Going to bed now. (Still no progress on my book club book…sigh…)
Safire
Safirebook club, friends, Great Grands
Nov 06
Everyone,
6 Days into this thing and I seriously have nothing to say. Today has been a very quiet and unassuming day. Mostly I spent the time trying to keep Butterfly away from Juice who is working upstairs. And trying to keep her entertained…lots of blocks and stuffed animals looking for their mommies.
In between play time, I read my book club book: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. Every time I pick it up I worry that this is not the book I’m supposed to be reading. I’m getting a kick out of it…I love anything by James Herriot and this is one I haven’t read before. It’s very funny because doing some of this stuff in college, I can really relate.
Juice wants me to say that we had a soup milestone with Butterfly today. She had soup for dinner and got more on her face than on the table and floor around her. Good job Butterfly!
Safire
Safirebook club, Butterfly, NaBloPoMo, sickness 2007
