January Reads

In no particular order, here are the books I read in January:

I enjoyed them all and was really proud of myself for reading 3 non-fiction books in a month! In regards to The Hunger Games, I have to say that I thought it was good but I'm not dying to read the second book. Is that weird? Probably. While I enjoyed the general concept of the plot, it was almost too much fantasy for me. Maybe I'll eventually finish the series- who knows.

If you are a mom, I highly recommend The Mission of Motherhood. It challenged me in so many ways that I probably could write a whole post about it.

I have a preschooler who is spelling words like crazy, so I had to get my hands on something that would give me guidance on basic reading skills. Ready, Set, Read! gave me some great ideas.

Finally, I have a hard time turning down a Holocaust memoir, so when The Secret Holocaust Diaries appeared on my "Daily Kindle Deal" (i.e. a FREE book!) I couldn't pass it up. This was a different than any other Holocaust book I've read and I liked it so much that I recommended it to my mom... and she loved it too.

Here's to a great year of books!

If I May...

... Please allow me to vent about a couple of current pet peeves.

For the record, I have a much more sophisticated post in the works about some wonderful books I just read, but right now I need to get a few things off my chest :)

1. When did it become socially acceptable to complain via Facebook all the time? And I do mean all the time. People, I am really really sorry that you have a headache for the 3rd time this week and your kid has been sick all winter, etc etc... but seriously... tone it down. Please.

2. If your last name is Smith (for example) please don't sign your cards "The Smith's". It should be "The Smiths"... no apostrophe. Am I correct, English teachers? I have seen this on WAY too many Christmas cards and it drives me nuts!

3. My second born child is NOT a girl. Nearly EVERY time I go out in public, people either assume that he is a girl baby or have to "guess" (as a lady in Nordstrom said yesterday) as to whether or not he is a boy. I seriously don't get it. I don't dress him like a girl (I don't even put him in smocked boy clothing) and he doesn't have a cross-gender name. My mom says he's a "pretty baby", which he is... but just in case you are ever confused... If you see a baby in a green stroller, dressed in all blue, wearing a hat that says "Cooper" written in blue, sucking on a baseball pacifier... it's a boy. All boy. I never had this experience with Carter, so it has really taken me by surprise.

Ok, that's all. Happy Thursday!

Welcome, 2012!

Whew.

Let me just start by saying that I LOVE the holidays. From Thanksgiving to New Year's is one of the most wonderful times of the year, but is anyone else absolutely exhausted when it's over? Most years I wait as long as possible to take down my Christmas decorations, but this year I was done with them immediately.

Done. done. done.

Before that, however, we had a wonderful time at the Christmas Eve service

And a nice little Christmas

Followed by a fun day trip to Chattanooga to celebrate with Jer's family

Then Carter came down with the stomach flu

(which I LOATHE every single second of)

Then Jeremy left for Philadelphia

Then I spent New Year's Eve alone on my couch

Then this happened on January 2...

I was frantically trying to get myself + 2 boys ready to pick Jeremy up from the airport. I was SO beyond ready for him to be home. I had spent the last several days nursing Carter back to health and obsessively trying to keep Cooper and I from catching that nasty illness. This also was his last trip with the Redskins until next season, which increased my anticipation even more. Anyways, somehow in the midst of me running around the house,

Carter locked himself in our master bedroom closet.

No biggie, right?

I figured I'd just unlock it the same way we've unlocked the other doors in the past.

Except this one was different.

It had a keyhole... to which I had no key.

Jeremy was in mid-flight somewhere over the East Coast.

I searched for the missing key, attempted to pick the lock with a bobby pin, safety pin, and every tool I could get my hands on.

Cooper was hungry and started screaming.

While nursing, I watched a video on You Tube about how to pick a lock.

No luck.

I called my mom.

No answer.

I called my sister and talked to my brother in law about how to pick a lock.

Fail. fail. fail.

Meanwhile, Carter is unusually calm and quiet.

So quiet that I think he might have gone to sleep.

I am not proud of how many curse words I said under my breath,

but let's be honest.. I was at my wits end...

And it takes A LOT to get me at my wits end :)

In a final act of desperation, I called a locksmith.

(And said a prayer that he wasn't a serial killer)

As it turns out, the lock was installed upside down (who does that?)

and he ended up having to drill it out of the door.

We were 2 hours late picking Jeremy up from the airport.

But we were alive and safe. Thank God!

Needless to say,

I was very ready for the fresh start that the beginning of 2012 brought.

My next post will include some of my resolutions for this year.

I, for one, am hoping for a few less of these days... :)

three

This is the week I have looked forward to and simultaneously dreaded at the same time. He's turning 3. How is that possible? On one hand, I am ecstatic to be leaving the two's, but I'm also keenly aware of the fact that the "baby" in him is slipping through my fingers everyday. Yes, I'm sentimental. Perhaps overly sentimental, but I'm ok with that.

Here's a short interview I did with him a few days ago:

What is your name? Carter

How old are you? Two

What is your favorite color? {looks down at shirt} Blue

Who is your best friend? Mommy, Daddy, and Cooper

What do you want to be when you grow up? A big boy

What is your favorite animal? Just lions

What is your favorite movie? Mickey

What is your favorite book? the Little Einsteins pirate one

What is your favorite tv show? Little Einsteins

What makes you happy? Mashed potatoes

What makes you sad? Boo boos

What is your favorite food to eat? Mashed potatoes

Favorite thing to drink? Chocolate milk

Where is your favorite place to go? Starbucks

Here's a little more about where he's at:

{according to mommy}

-Carter loves to talk and talk and talk and talk. This is most evident around his family, as he tends to clam up in new or unfamiliar circumstances.

-He has been fully potty trained for a couple months now. I am very thankful for this!

-He adores his little brother. He wakes up asking about him and wants to know where he and what he's doing at all times.

-Carter is extremely opinionated. (NO idea where this attribute came from..ha!) He knows what he wants, when he wants it.. and isn't afraid to say it.

-That carries over into bossiness.. especially when he's tired, frustrated, or in need of attention.

-He is an absolute sponge when it comes to learning. I'm baffled every day that a kid with his energy level (think energizer bunny ++) has any desire to sit and sound out every letter to every word in a book (no joke). His favorite toys are educational and I have to admit that I LOVE this about him. He is so easy to teach and constantly wanting new, challenging activities. I'm hoping to start some at-home preschool lessons with him in January!

-He does not love crafts. Or coloring. This makes me a little sad, but I'm continuing to try these things on a regular basis.

-Current obsession: Spiderman and Captain America. Allll day long he asks, "What's your favorite person who wears a mask, mommy?" "Do you like Spiderman? Batman? Ironman? Captain America? The Incredible Hulk?" "Who is daddy's favorite?" ... and on and on.

-The most unusual, standout characteristic about Carter is his love for music. This goes beyond normal kid music or lullabys or songs he learns in church. He is absolutely obsessed.. specifically with country music. The artists, the songs, what they wear, what instrument they play, their videos... you get the point. He can identify just about any song on the CMT top 20 countdown within 2 seconds of hearing and/or seeing it. He sings these songs all day long. At home, in public.. it doesn't matter. He turns any, and I do mean ANY, object into a guitar or microphone. I've seen him turn a dustpan, plastic shovel, pillow, place mat, and even a pretzel stick into a guitar. His favorite "microphones" include a remote control, nasal aspirator, and bendable coaster. We reached a new level of creativity when last week at Starbucks he turned the "Wet Floor" cone into a microphone so he could sing Michael Buble (whom he currently LOVES).

-Needless to say, this year for his birthday and Christmas he is getting several musical things (one being a black guitar "like Keith Urban's") and LOTS of Spiderman stuff.

-These are really just the highlights. I could write for hours about the funny stuff he's said and done, but I'll refrain. He is such a unique child and I couldn't love him more.

Sweet Carter,

You are my funny, charming, precious boy and I cannot imagine my life without you. You are the sunshine in SO many people's lives and I know God's plans for you far exceed anything I could possibly imagine. I am beyond proud to call you my son.

Love,

Mommy

*Photos by Amelia Hambrook Photography

Gettin' Crafty

Having a baby has forced me to put any "craftiness aspirations" on the back burner, but I decided to make an attempt at a few SUPER easy projects.

Don't laugh when you see these pics...

I'm telling you they were like elementary school easy :)

Carter showing off his turkey cookies from a play date with friend, Addison

Mod podge + food coloring + glass =

More colored glasses

I found these foam blocks at the dollar store. Carter loved this activity, though it was way too easy for him. We also did cards with different numbers on them and he had to count out the appropriate number of colored blocks for each card. That activity was more on his level.

"Bob the Turkey" according to Carter

Autumn tree

Food for Thought

I saw the following, "10 Thoughts on Whole Living", in my most recent issue of Whole Living Magazine. Every one of these points resonated with me, so I thought I'd share.. in hopes that they may impact you too.

1. Warm your soul: Savor a hot drink.

2. Be aware of the difference between anticipating and living.

JOY IS ROOTED IN THE PRESENT.

3. LET GO OF PERFECTION;

the most delicious moments are often the messiest.

4. Living better doesn't always mean trying harder. Ease up.

5. Avoid getting trapped in someone else's story.

Be the author of your own life.

6. Forgiveness isn't about them.

It's about you.

7. Make something, ANYTHING, from scratch.

8. You can remember good times

without losing yourself in nostalgia.

9. The best gifts let someone know how much you love,

not how much you spent.

10. Rest is not a luxury,

it's a necessity.

*Number 2 was my favorite. What about you?*

Thank You, Pinterest

Awhile back, I pinned this picture to my "DYI" board on Pinterest:

The instructions for how to make this card super cute card can be found here.

We celebrated my mom's birthday last night and

I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

What do you think?

Not bad, right? Give this easy, fun (and cheap!) card a try.