Book List 2010

When I look at this book list I think to myself, really? I read that this year? It seems longer ago than than. I chalk it up to having a baby in the middle of the year and my life definitely divides at that point: BB (before baby) AB (After baby).

The truth of the matter is that after June my reading of new books sort of fell of a cliff. I re-read a lot of books; I am definitely a re-reader. But my brain wasn't too into new books. Until the Fall when Percy Jackson came to the rescue, and that wasn't too much of a brain stretch, but we'll get there in a moment. And so, with out further ado: Allysha's Book List 2010.

Princess Academy ~ Shannon Hale

I like Shannon Hale. I like her books and her writing. Maybe it's my age, but I generally find the plot predictable, but enjoyable none the less. That was the case with this book.

American Lion ~ Jon Meacham

Biography of Andrew Jackson. Very interesting. Worth reading.

Peace Like a River ~ Leif Enger

I had to re-read this one as soon as I finished it, I loved it so much. I can't think of it without sighing a little bit. It was fabulous on so many levels. Really. Wow.

Time Enough for Drums ~ Ann Rinaldi

My sisters grew up loving this book, so I decided to read it. It's a Revolutionary War romance and it is okay. The hero is sort of meh, and the heroine is a little spunky but a little meh as well. But I say this because I am in my thirties and not thirteen. Makes a difference.

The Magician's Elephant ~ Kate DiCamillo

Not my favorite of hers, but still, classic Kate. Which means intricate story told so simply she makes her writing seem easy. But it's not.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison ~ Brandon Mull

Good end to the series, but packed. I hold that Brandon could have split it into two novels and we all would have thought it grand. Left some things unexplored, but overall, a lot of fun, just like the other four Fablehaven books.

Coraline ~ Neil Gaiman

I didn't love this book. It was okay. But I had no real reason to feel for and with Coraline, other than on a rather superficial level. That's just how the story was told. Detached.

Men of Influence & Men of Valor ~ Robert L. Millet

Both books written for an LDS audience, I found them astute and insightful and thoughtful.

Dewey ~ Vicki Myron

Well I like cats and libraries, so a book about a library cat is good stuff. Truly, it is a sweet true story about a cat and a town and a library, and also about Vicki, who like Dewey, seems rather remarkable herself.

Percy Jackson and...The Lightning Thief/The Sea of Monsters /The Titan's Curse/

The Battle of the Labyrinth /The Last Olympian ~ Rick Riordan

I enjoyed these books based on and in Greek Mythology. Percy is a likable guy, as is Annabeth and even Clarisse, in her own way. Not Harry Potter. But not that they wanted to be either.

So, I guess mostly I read kids books this year. And so what? I also reread The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Hugh Nibley bio, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and probably Other Books. So there you go.

The State of Things

It's raining snow. Snow so wet and dense I am afraid if it doesn't stop our house will turn into a boat and float away, but without the basement, because it will be filled with water.

Both of my boys, the 4 year old and the 6 month old are sick with fever and colds. It is sad. I really don't like it when my baby gets sick and he's been the recipient this season of more sibling illnesses than I like. He just fell asleep in my bed and I hope he sleeps long and hard and gets better quick. My older son is watching PBS kids and slept from about 3:30 yesterday afternoon until 8 am this morning with only a few brief interruptions. I love him for sleeping when he doesn't feel well. Daughter no. 2 refuses to sleep when ill; not a surprise, since she refuses to sleep in general, but when sick kids will sleep, that is a good thing.

My oldest daughter is on the way to Salt Lake with Ben to get a bump on her finger checked out. It's one of those things that is probably nothing, but just in case it's something she is going to see a Pediatric Orthopedist at Primary Children's Hospital and well, that't fun! Fortunately it's not raining snow up in SLC, just down here.

I could use a nap myself, since last night wasn't filled with as much sleep as I would have liked. But I might clean my room instead. Might.

Why, yes. I would like some cheese...

The box to the new monopoly game looks like it's been around for longer than three days.

The laundry drain is clogged and since it attaches to the storm drain out side our basement door whenever I do laundry it back up and forms a little lake outside that has the potential to leak into the laundry room if I wash any thing bigger than a medium sized load of clothes. The leaking that is. The lake forms regardless and then takes a long time to drain away.

Child number two is just getting over being sick (the grumpiness is sticking, though).

Child number three woke up last night with the illness du jour or illness du nuit, perhaps I should say. Or illness du plusiers jours et nuit. (Plusiers = several).

It kept Ben up, and me partially up as I tried to sleep between midnight and 5 am feedings because my baby doesn't want to sleep through the night. Sleeping seems to make him ravenous.

My girls fought this morning over what game to play, parcheesi or monopoly. Neither game ended up being played.

I may or may not have been heard shouting something about not being too fond of Christmas vacation.

Thanks. I'll take some crackers, too.

Now where did I put that darn list anyway?

My children had been whining about the lack of snow on the ground. We had cold temperatures but no snow. Then last weekend we got a dusting. And my daughter determinedly made a snowman who was then decimated by the rain we got the next day.

On Sunday night we got a nice little bit of snow covering the lawn. And then on Monday night another storm came along and dumped at least a foot of snow. Heavy, wet, white snow. Impossible to drive through, and a lot to shovel. And I woke up my kids with the news that hey! guess what? It snowed a ton! School is canceled! And they cried.

Really, they cried.

To be fair school was canceled on one of the funnest days of school: Christmas caroling, making ginger bread houses, etc., etc. Bummer. And not just for the kids. Bummer for Ben who spent his morning shoveling out the neighborhood instead of working. Bummer for me who had plans to clean, clean, shop, and make final preparations.

To top it all off, my 3 1/2 year old stuck a little sparkly jewel sticker into her ear canal when she was decorating a paper Christmas tree. I suspect she was trying to "put on" some earrings. So I spent the afternoon at the instacare. And why not? Who doesn't like to spend more money on whatever at Christmas time.

My kids spent a lot of time in the snow. My daughter learned that the doctor isn't so bad. I didn't get any cleaning done. Except for some laundry.

But it still needs to be folded.

So This is Christmas

Here are a few things about Christmas at my house:

I pick the tree. When I loaded up the kids to go get the tree I asked them who had the final say on which tree we got. "You, Mom." They know.

Our tree is nice this year, but it doesn't smell. We got a kind we've never had before and I won't be buying one again. I thought Frazier trees were mild. This one hardly has a scent, which is disappointing. But I don't dwell on it to much. If I miss the pine scent I can go over to my parent's house. They got a Noble. Smart move.

We made cookies on Saturday. Just enough for a very minor decorating session. It was perfect.

My poor baby has a cough, so now I must end this post and go take care of him.

Cheers.

The Goings-On

The tree is trimmed. The stockings are hung. (Except for the baby's. I still need to make his.) I imagine that visions of sugar plums dance in my kids' heads every night. Or at least visions of zhu zhu pets. The Christmas music is lovely. I have a few more gifts to buy, and hopefully will finish that soon, although I have my doubts.

My kids are screaming downstairs in joyful terror. Yikes. Time to go!