Five

Years I've been married.

This weekend...

We visited the Wolf Creek Indian Village. It's a reconstruction of a Native American village about 15 minutes away from us, that was lived in in approximately 1200 A.D. That's a long time ago, y'all. :) I'm trying to learn a little more about the Eastern Woodland Native Americans so that I don't sound like an idiot when teaching my students about them. So, a family field trip was in order. Ainsley and Jack got to do lots of hands-on stuff! It was pretty neat. Like, for instance, they got to saw with a deer jaw (ew). Scrape a deer hide (ew). They enjoyed it though since they didn't realize how gross it was :)

We let them each pick out an item from the museum store before we left. Ainsley got a beaded bracelet. Jack picked out a raccoon tail (ew). As we were leaving, he said, "How'd dey get de tail off de raccoon, dad?"

Jason replied, "Um, I guess the raccoon was dead and they just cut the tail off, buddy."

To which Jack said, "Awwwwww. Poor raccoon. Dat not very nice DAD!"

He hasn't picked it up since.

Blogging For Books: Book Tour 1

I joined (before my life got so crazy) the Blogging for Books Program. This program gives bloggers free books in exchange for posting reviews on one's blog. The greatest things is that you only have to sign up for the book tours that you are interested in. I signed up for two right away. The one I'm including in this post, and one coming next week that includes a GIVEAWAY :)!

Here are my reviews for the two books I received in this blog tour:


Limelight by Melody Carlson:

Claudette Fiore', the main character in Limelight, is an aged Hollywood star. She once lived the glamorous lifestyle because she was beautiful and rich. After the death of her husband and the crooked shenanigans of her accountant, Claudette must sell her Beverly Hills home and move back to her deceased mother's little bungalow in Silverton. Claudette is dreading the move, She feels she is a failure and that people will look down on her. She also thinks she has nothing in common with the small town people of Silverton.

Throughout the book, we find Claudette growing in many ways. She learns how to do and enjoy doing simple things that others have always done for her. She grocery shops, does laundry, orders oil for the furnace and entertain neighbors. She becomes involved in the small community and reforms a relationship with her sister, Violet, who has been estranged from her for some time. In the end, Claudette is a different person inside. SHe has learned to enjoy the simple life and is happier thatn in her Hollywood dyas.

Though simple in writing style and storyline, Limelight was an enjoyable book. It was a fast read, a light confection of fiction, a nice way to spend a weekend when looking for something to read that is not difficult or weighty.

You can buy this book here.

What Matters Most: Diary of a Teenage Girl
by Melody Carlson

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

You can buy this book here.

These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Halloween

Ainsley likes to pose.

Jack doesn't.

Happy Halloween!

P.S. In case you can't tell, like most of the people who answered their door, Ainsley is a Rainbow Princess y'all.

Some classic fall pics

This is how Ainsley cares for a sick dog...

Doesn't he look happy :)

Fall Leaf Suncatcher (Super Easy Craft)

What you need:

Two pieces of contact paper
Leaves

1. Go on a leaf hunt. We found all different colors in our own backyard.

2. Stick leaves to one piece of contact paper.

3. Stick one piece of contact paper to the other.

4. Hang in the window. Pretty!

Wordless Wednesday (But not really, cause there's words)

It's so rare...



But sometimes they do act like they love each other... :)

Comfort Zone

I don't have a very large comfort zone. I'm one of those people who doesn't mind being in the background. I'd rather not have all eyes on me. I don't exactly love living in a small town where everyone knows everyone's business, and I have to talk about who I am and blah blah blah blah.

Student teaching is really testing my comfort zone. People are always watching me, observing me, judging me, grading me...It gets to be a bit stressful. I don't mind the 7-year-old eyes. It's the grown-up eyes that bother me.

Next week I will be halfway done, and I've gotta tell you, I couldn't be happier. I'll still be out of my comfort zone though; there will just be a whole new group of eyes on me.

You know the saying, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger."? Well, is it true? I sure hope so.

What do you do when your comfort zone boundaries are pushed? Does it make you stronger? Am I doomed?

We like to move it move it

One of our favorite things to do in the evening is visit the tennis courts behind the community college. There is usually no one there, so we have the whole court to ourselves. Jason and I "play tennis" while Henry chases our balls, Jack runs laps and Ainsley rides her bike. I say "play tennis" with quotes around it because I can't actually "play tennis." It's more like I get lucky every once in a while and make contact with a ball. Sometimes I make an effort to hit balls that are out of my reach. But, any exercise is better than none, right?

My Bulletin Board

My class learned all about spiders in science class the last week in September; how they differ from insects, their life cycle, and other fun facts. I had an ulterior motive. I had to do the LARGE bulletin board in the hallway for part of my student teaching experience. It is so big, I had to take 3 pictures of it and attempt to merge them together. It didn't work so well, but here it is:

My dog ate my laptop...

And my camera cord...and who knows what else in this house. I've patched up my laptop for now with some electrical tape, but the camera cord has had the end completely chewed off. So, unfortunately, there will not be any new pictures for a while until

a)I get to Walmart and upload my photos to a disk
b)I get a new camera cord (you need money for that)

Sorry!

My 10 Favorite Children's Books

1. Where the Wild Things Are--by Maurice Sendak--I just love Max. He's such a typical little boy. And we all have a little "wild thing" in us.

2. Owen-- by Kevin Henkes--It tells children that it's ok to hold on to that special "lovey."

3. Madeline--by Ludwig Bemelmans--I love the rhyming, musical tone, and I love the two straight lines. It's so mathematically correct! :)

4. Pinkalicious!--by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann--I love pink, and I love this book. Just what would happen if you ate too many pink cupcakes?

5. Alice the Fairy--by David Shannon--If Max is a typical little boy, Alice is a typical little girl.

6. Goodnight Moon--by Margaret Wise Brown--this book still makes me sleepy every time I read it. I want to jump right into that great green room and go to sleep by the fire.

7. Swimmy--by Leo Lionni--I really like the teamwork in Swimmy. He becomes the eye? Genius!

8. The Monster at the End of This Book--by Jon Stone and Michael Smollin--This book is hilarious! Grover tries and tries to warn my kids, but they just won't listen!

9. When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry--by Molly Bang--What kid doesn't get really really angry at times? Sophie shows a good way to calm down.

10. Puff the Magic Dragon--by Peter Yarrow, Lenny Lipton, and Eric Puybaret--Aww I love it! The song, the pictures, the story, and the CD that goes along with it. Great, great book! A new favorite of ours.

A year ago...

Was my second blog post. I can't believe it's been that long! Anyway, I was posting about walking my children as opposed to a dog. Things that are different now:

*I now have a dog I can walk.
*Jack can stay out of traffic now.
*Jack doesn't have his cute hair now :(.
*Ainsley's not quite as sweet to her little brother.
*They're both older...sob...sigh...I need a new baby...as soon as I get a job.