If I could go back

Before I start my intended post, I must clarify something simple. The post below this one isn't really a mistake. I started it, and Natalie (my 17-month-old) sneaked in and submitted it! I originally was going to delete it and start over, but decided to keep it. For sentimental reasons. And now, I bring you the post for which you've been waiting - I hope!

Whenever people want to get to know someone, many questions are routinely asked. One of them is "If you could go back in time, what would you change?" My answer is usually one of the following (or some combination thereof):

• I would change nothing, because every bit of it has made me who I am today and brought me here.
• I would avoid getting into debt - excepting the standard student loans, auto loans, and mortgage.
• I would have chosen a different major.
• I would use another similar thing as my answer.
  

Those are mostly true - generally speaking. But, tonight, I was thinking. And there are actually a bunch of (mostly) smaller things I would change, if given a chance. And, since this is the place to unload my mind, I'm gonna subject you all to it.

So, if I was able to go back and change things, there are some things I'd do differently.

• I would not have moved before my family did. The summer before I started high school, my parents decided it was time to move to a different suburb. It would put me into a completely different school district in which I knew no one. The house was put up for sale in July. We figured it'd take at least a few months, as often is the case. But, well, that wasn't how it worked out. The house sold in FIVE days. That's less than a week! My parents found a house, etc. The Big Move was going to be toward the end of September - after school had started. I was given the choice of either transferring after starting school or staying with a friend and starting school in my new district. I opted for the latter. I didn't want to be The New Kid that everyone wonders about mid-year. I didn't want all of that attention. I didn't want to have to struggle in my classes as I figured out where I was academically. I thought starting school in my new school would be best. Well, that worked out OK. Staying with my friend was cool, and I suppose there's something to be said for not transferring about a month into the school year your freshman year of high school. But, there were things I never saw coming.
  For one, I wasn't able to get into the right classes. I registered about a week before school was starting, and the guidance counselor didn't have my transcripts. He gave me the choice of physical science (I think that's what it was) or biology. I chose biology. I ended up in a class full of sophomores, rather than in the advanced biology classes with the other freshmen! (Interestingly, I didn't figure this out until my senior year, when my resulting GPA was just a smidgen too low for the National Honor Society, of which I desperately wanted to be a part.) This was one of many classes in which this happened. Not only did it happen freshman year, it did the following year, too. My first semester I was in a class full of juniors - intermediate level. My second semester, they finally figured out their mistake, and I was put into the advanced level with my peers. But, by that point it was too late. I was confused as hell and didn't do so well.
  The other thing was that socially it was rough. I had grown up with most of my classmates, and been through the toughest years - known as junior high - with them, and never got closure. With the exception of my closest friends, I never got to say good-bye to anyone. I just disappeared off the face of the planet, so far as many of them were concerned. In fact, ironically, during college I actually ran into one of my junior high classmates at a concert. He was sitting next to me - I didn't recognize him at all, but he was able to place me. (This strikes me as particularly ironic, given the fact that I had a big crush on him in junior high and he didn't seem to notice me at all. LOL) He said hi, then asked "What happened to you? You just disappeared." So, I explained the situation and he understood. But, that was one of the first times I really thought about the social side of my move.
  Recently, thanks to facebook, I have been able to re-connect with some of these people. It's been so neat, but at the same time it raised my awareness of what I've missed out on. Perhaps I could have remained in touch with many of these people if I had attended the first few weeks of school with them.
  
• I would have majored in something different. Don't get me wrong, I love my English degree. I enjoyed studying it. And, well, it was easy! LOL But, it wasn't necessarily what I wanted to study. I had considered studying in something music related, but my mom wouldn't let me. She told me she wouldn't help me pay for school if I did, so I went with English. Turns out, I should've followed my heart - my parents hardly helped me with my education anyway. They took out one small loan my freshman year, then I was on my own. I had loans up the wazoo, and a very generous gift from my mom's uncle at the beginning of the school year. (And, yes, I'm still paying off my loans.) If I could go back, I'd major in music engineering so I could produce music. I think that would be awesome!
• I would have left Shadow at my parents' house when Dan and I first got married and moved into our apartment. She was a very, very sweet cat, but she wasn't a fan of the litterbox. She'd pee outside it, but never inside it. After having taking a couple of animal sciences classes about pets, I thought I could fix her. Generally, cats who do that do so because of FLUTD - Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Not Shadow. It was behavioral. Nothing we did helped her get it right. It probably didn't help that she was an indoor/outdoor cat when she lived at my parents' house. Finally, shortly before Grant was born, we got rid of her. But, by that point, the damage had been done.
  
• I never would've suggested we get the dog. He's a nice dog, and he's not all bad, but if I could change things we'd have stopped with the cats. I definitely am NOT a dog person. I prefer my cats. One thing is that dogs are so friggin' gross. There are things he does that just about make me sick. The other thing is the back yard isn't the haven it used to be for Abby. Before we got the dog, I'd take her out back and we'd play and sit on a blanket and blow bubbles, etc. Not anymore. Our yard's not big enough for us to section off part of it for the dog. So, he gets free run of the yard - which means there's dog pee and dog shit everywhere. Yes, we scoop occasionally - I mean Dan scoops occasionally. I don't do dog shit. He doesn't have time to scoop it every single day, so the kids and I generally play out front or go to the park. I miss playing out back with them.
• I would not have joined a sorority. Don't get me wrong, I made some good friends. Two of them stood up for me at my wedding. But, I am hardly in touch with anyone from it anymore. And, really, I think the sorority is why I ended up with so much debt coming out of school. Yes, living in house is cheaper than the dorms - until you factor in the general costs of being in a sorority: dues, social events, etc. It was so friggin' expensive, and not the amazing thing I was hoping it would be. The kicker for me is that they ("they" being the national offices of said sorority) wouldn't let me use my deceased grandmother's badge (really, it's a PIN). She died a horrible, painful death from cancer when I was in the third grade. I'm sure she had other things on her mind than her stupid pin. They wouldn't let me use it (nevermind she's the main reason I chose that particular sorority in the first place) because she didn't do what she was supposed to do with it when she died - either be buried with it or send it back to them. Whatever. I still have it, and they are NOT getting it back. Anyway, my pissed off self wanted to refuse to initiate at that point, but I didn't. I had already moved into the house and I felt stuck, so I initiated. If I could go back, I'd have chosen not to initiate when they refused to let me honor my grandmother.
  

And now my mind is mush. I'm spent. I know there are more things, but apparently I've tired myself out writing what I have. So, until the next time I feel like playing the could've/should've/would've game, I'll just say regret sucks. I'm trying not to sweat this stuff, as nothing can change any of it - it's in the past. I just need to master the art of self-forgiveness, something I've never done well at all.

If I cou

Book Review: Speak

Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition by Laurie Halse Anderson

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I won this book through GoodReads' firstreads program. I probably never would've picked this up otherwise, but I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed it. I loved Melinda's persona. I cracked up a few times because of some comment she made. While the subject is sad and disturbing, I think it was handled wonderfully. The characters are believable and well developed. I will be honest, though, and say that I wasn't blown away by this book. I would prefer to give it 4.5 stars, but Goodreads still doesn't allow for half stars. (They so gotta fix that!) So, because I really enjoyed the story and the characters, I chose to round up.

I did really like the extra material in this 10th Anniversary Edition. "Listen," the poem at the beginning, is amazing. It's clear that Laurie Halse Anderson has really helped reach people who might not have been reached otherwise. There's an essay at the back about whether she's going to write a sequel. I hope she does - I'd love to see what happens next. She mentioned an idea from some guy to call it "Spoke" - I love it! Genius! ;-) There also is a bit about censorship, and what is wrong with it. That little essay was amazing - and so right on. I promise that when my kids are old enough to be reading stories like this, we will read them together and discuss.

Overall, this was a very good book. I might have to look into more of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, as I really like her style.

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Now I Remember

Not that I really forgot, but now I really remember why I HATE Walmart. HATE it. My husband is out of town for a couple of days, so it's me and the kiddos. We're doing fine, but last night I found out we have hardly any cat food, as in what I fed them last night was it. No more. My wonderful husband usually feeds them, so I don't generally know when we need food unless I'm told. See where I'm going?

While DH is gone, I have to drop Abby off at school. That's fine, we've got a good routine down now. Yesterday we needed groceries, so we just went straight to Jewel before heading home after dropping Abby off. I wanted to go to Target, b/c I generally prefer it over Walmart, but they didn't open for another 15 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes to get there from Abby's school. I didn't want to sit in the parking lot for 10 minutes. So, I headed to our 24-hour Walmart. Dumb move. Really dumb move.

Firstly, it's like a black hole of time. I never, ever can get in and out of there quickly. For one, it takes me forever to find what I need - they keep moving the damn store around. And, well, there often are things I wanna check while I'm there. I go there so rarely that there's almost always a good-size list of what I want to check out there. That part, I'll admit, is not Walmart's fault - well, at least not my having a list! ;-)

Secondly - and finally - they never, ever, ever have enough checkout lanes open. NEVER. Today was the worst I've ever experienced. Some stupid buyer three people ahead of me was causing all sorts of trouble. I waited in that line for half an hour - that's THIRTY MINUTES, folks - before finally getting checked out! If I was at Target, the second I lined up (three deep), they would've opened a new lane and taken me right away. But, it wasn't. So, the kids (minus Abby) and I sat - er, I guess stood. And stood. And stood. They did remarkably well, although Natalie got tired of being strapped in the cart after about 10 minutes. Poor kid.

So, this just reaffirms my hatred of that stupid store called Walmart. Ironically, I probably would've gotten in and out of Target faster - and home earlier, despite the fact that they weren't open yet! Teach me to make that choice again!

Politics in The Lion King

I have to take Grant and Natalie with me to pick Abby up at school every afternoon. On cold and/or wet days, we wait in the car for her to come to us. (On warmer/dry days, we meet her at the door.) Regardless of which we have, it is imperative that we arrive at the school as early as possible so that we can park nearby - and in a legal parking spot. I have gotten there as much as 25-ish minutes prior to school's release, and there are ALWAYS at least 4 cars there - with people inside! I don't get it - do these people have nothing better to do than sit by the school waiting for class to get out? Anyway, the waiting can be difficult with two little ones in the back seat. They get bored - and who can blame them? It took me more than half of the school year to figure a good way to handle that. (Why it took me so long, I'm not quite sure. I have a couple of theories, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say, I wish I'd figured this out at the beginning of winter, rather than the end of winter.) We have a factory-installed DVD player in the van, so now I play a movie while we wait. It keeps Natalie and Grant occupied, and my sanity in check! Added benefit: I can read while we wait for Abby. The current movie is - you guessed it - Disney's The Lion King. And, finally, I get to the point of this post! LOL

Today's "segment" (we generally get through about 30-45 minutes most days) started just after Mufasa rescues the lion cubs from the elephant graveyard. I don't know when it ended, but the beginning was shortly before Scar sings "Be Prepared." DH and I have always noted the dripping references to the USSR (man, haven't seen those letters together in who knows how long) and even Nazi Germany in this part of the movie. But, well, today, it hit closer to home for me.

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'm a strong Republican. While I generally avoid too much talk of politics - simply because I'm not a fan of the conflict - the current state of our country worries me, to say the least. The USA is a republic - not a democracy, not a socialist nation. At least not at its birth. I hate seeing where we're headed. I hate seeing the big government we have headed our way. I hate seeing the class warfare that is being brought into our country. I hate that there's so much negative press about the corrupt, GREEDY people who make loads of cash. For every one of those, there are several hard-working Americans who also make loads of cash, but no one hears their stories. We'd rather hear about the CEOs who abuse their position for personal gain. I think it's criminal that those who make more pay a majority of the income tax in this country. Income tax should be flat and fair. Why should people be punished for making more than some "magic" amount of money? Just not right. Talk about killing productivity and discouraging those who would otherwise be driven. But, alas, I'm on a tangent. Sorry.

That said, there's a part of the aforementioned song, "Be Prepared," in which Scar and the hyenas are speaking between verses. And it goes like this:

Scar: Be prepared!

Hyena: Yeah! Be prepared. We'll be prepared! For what?

Scar: For the death of the king

Hyena: Is he sick?

Scar: No, fool! We're going to kill him. And Simba, too

Hyenas: Great idea! Who needs a king? No king, no king! La la la la la!

Scar: Idiots! There will be a king!

Hyena: But you said...

Scar: I will be king! Stick with me and you'll never go hungry again!

That last line is what struck me as so ... America right now! Sorry, but I hate Obama. I know I shouldn't, but I do. For many, many reasons. But, that's not my purpose in writing right now. It just sounds to me like what he's saying between the lines of his speeches: "I'm king of America. Stick with me - back me up - and you'll never go hungry again. We'll take what we want from the Haves and give it to the Have-nots ..." Yes, this is me simplifying my thoughts on this - and what I think Obama is doing. (It's getting late; I'm exhausted; and we have an early morning tomorrow.) People totally miss the point. The Declaration of Independence says everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness. To me, that means we have the right to do what we can to make the most of our lives - but that does (or at least so far as I'm concerned, SHOULD) NOT include taking what belongs to someone else, even if that someone else has plenty to spare.

"But, you're a Christian. Doesn't God say to give, give, give. Not to hold onto your money and things?" Well, yes. But, God gives us free will. He tells us what we should do, but we can choose our own actions. If we choose to do as He says, He will reward us. If not, well, we're on our own. But, they key here is free will, something that doesn't apply to taxes and other ways of taking what belongs to the Haves. Christian or not, these people aren't given a choice - their hard-earned (in most cases) cash is taken out from under them, without their consent. Like it or not, you have to pay taxes based on your income. As a Christian, I'm happy to give - so long as I'm able to choose if, when, how, and to whom I give.

OK, wow, this is one long rant about something I'm not very qualified to argue. Sorry. These are my thoughts and feelings on this subject. No, I don't have all of the facts. But, know this: I am not in the class of the Haves, so I am not arguing this as one who wants to keep what is hers. I'm arguing this as one who sees big-time unfairness. Yes, people argue about it being unfair that these people have what they have when there are others starving to death or barely able to make ends meet. But, if these people are honestly working hard for what they have, how is it unfair for them to have it? You're not entitled to it simply for being American - and even in some cases merely for being in America, whether legally or not. (And that is a whole other ball of wax I'm just going to avoid, as I have even stronger feelings about that.) Let's not forget that these Haves are also the people with the money to employ others. When we tax the hell out of these people, there's less for them to share with others - whether it's by gifting, hiring, or something else! I'm sorry, but Reagan was right. Trickle-down economics does work. It did work. It would work again, if we went back to it. Alas, Obama is going the opposite way. Except, it's not going to work.

Finally, has anyone else thought how ridiculous these stimulus plans are? Wanna get the country back on its feet? Spend, spend, spend! You don't have the money? Borrow, then spend. Nevermind that's what's got us into this mess in the first place: spending money we DON'T have! And printing more money. REALLY? Do you really think that'll help? I did HORRIBLY in my economics class in college, but even I know that'll just cause recession. That means higher prices for everything. More money floating around means it is worth less than it was before the newly printed money was released. That means it'll take more money to buy EVERYTHING! How do people not see this? *sigh*

This totally ended up being something I never intended it to be. But, since this is my place to share my mind, here you go.

Book Review: The Gnostic Mystery ***SPOILERS***

The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book wasn't much of a story, but more of a preaching. It's clear that the author believes what is being preached in this book. There is very little action in the book - most of it is just people explaining why Christianity is a farce. Or at least why some people think that. The characters weren't very believable. For Jack to be such an intelligent businessman you'd think he'd be a better conversationalist and you'd think he'd not be such a simpleton.

To be honest, this book has instilled a little bit of questioning into my head. I'm a born-again Christian, and won't take something like this at face value. However, I'm also educated and somewhat interested in possibly doing my own research into this subject. I'm not going to take what one man writes about this and accept it as fact - I don't care how many sources are cited. Where am I starting? Mere Christianity is my starting point. So, stay tuned to my reviews if you'd like to see the impression I get from that.

One thing I wanted to say about a specific plot point. And that's about the differences in the disciples from the main Gospels to the Book of Acts. I believe Chloe and Punjeeh called it a "transformation" and as though the Disciples were re-born. Despite the author's intentions, this does not prove that these are fabricated stories. On the contrary, it shows the change that happens once someone becomes a Christian. There's a radical transformation, and the individual becomes a new creation. So, despite the author's best effort to use that to show another reason to believe the New Testament is just a bunch of stories, this actually was a comfort to me. Because that's what being a Christian is: it's becoming a new person who (hopefully) bears little resemblance to the original.

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Product Review: Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Conditioner

My back is doing much better, I am finally able to get to another product review! My humblest apologies to anyone who's been waiting - especially to the folks at EcostoreUSA, who were kind enough to send me these products in exchange for my reviews.

Tonight I'm going to share the Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Rosemary Orange Conditioner. I'm doing them together because, well, I use them together. My hair is such that I cannot go without conditioner, so using them separately isn't gonna happen! The shampoo's description on the Web site says:

Combining nature's best products and aromatherapy Ecostore USA has created a wonderful shampoo that will bring volume and life back to your hair. (6.8 fluid ounces)

The description of the conditioner on the Web site says:

Use the Rosemary Orange Conditioner to give body to oily, lifeless hair. This gentle formulation is made with NO NASTY CHEMICALS that could possibly strip hair of essential oils. (6.8 fluid ounces)

And both bottles say the following:

Extra body for fine/oily hair

I am big on scented shampoos and conditioners, and one of the first things I did was smell them. And, I'll be honest, initially I wasn't too sure. The rosemary seems to be the dominant scent, and usually I go for flowery stuff. This is a far cry from what I usually go for - and I couldn't help but think I should've asked for the Vanilla Shampoo and Conditioner instead. But, that is for chemically treated hair, which mine is not. At least not at the present time. Perhaps when I get back into coloring it, I'll give the Vanilla a try.


Anyway, back to the products at hand. I really like both products. I have used both several times now - I wanted to get a really good amount of experience with them. I used them exclusively for a couple of weeks to make sure I was seeing results strictly from these products, rather than something else I'd normally use. The shampoo really gets my hair clean - I'm talking squeaky clean. It's really cool - and probably cleaner than my usual shampoo gets it. It lathers very nicely - and without using a ton of the product! That means more bang for your buck - you can use less of the product to get your desired result. The conditioner works very well, too. The best part is that, used together, these products have done wonders for my naturally curly, but VERY fine hair! My hair is so fine that it doesn't hold its natural curls well without a LOT of help. But, this product actually enhances my natural curls! I'm guessing it is significantly better at NOT leaving any residue or build-up on my hair, making it lighter and more apt to curl - and KEEP the curl! It's awesome!

Outside the bottles, the scent is actually very nice. It's natural-smelling and pleasant. And after my hair is dry it smells nice. My husband says he likes the scent, too - and that's always a bonus! ;-)

In summary: EcostoreUSA's Rosemary Orange Shampoo and Rosemary Orange Conditioner are wonderful products. They clean and condition my hair better than my usual product; they smell great; and, big-time bonus, they are safe for our environment! It doesn't get much better than that! For those of you in the Midwest, if you have a Meijer store nearby keep an eye out for EcostoreUSA products, as they're coming soon - if not there already! For those of us without Meijer, their products can be purchased via the company's Web site.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

My husband shared a very informative (and even a bit entertaining, IMO) video with me. So, I thought I'd share it with you all. Basically, it very well explains exactly what happened to bring down our nation's economy.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized

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God Bless Miss Rosa

As the parent of an unreasonably picky eater I can't accurately express just how frustrating it can be to feed my children. Interestingly, my girls are my good eaters - it's my son who is a PITA to feed. (I thought boys eat their parents out of house and home, but apparently either that's coming later or he'll be the exception to the rule.) Some days, I will try almost anything to get him to eat something other than cheese as the main part of his lunch and/or dinner. I have even mixed peanut butter and honey, hoping he'll like it extra sweet. Nope.

Somewhat recently I participated in a BzzCampaign with BzzAgent for Smucker's Uncrustables. I was skeptical - they sounded kinda gross to me! But, I gave them a try. (For free, I'll try almost - key word here is "almost" - anything!) I was pleasantly surprised. They are VERY good - and I actually bought a stash for me to eat! LOL Anyway, I knew Abby would love them - she's all about PB&J. Natalie doesn't have PB yet, and Grant won't touch it. Although, he would eat just jelly - like almost any kid! LOL But, they have a Cheese variety - kinda like grilled cheese. I tried it back then when I was doing the BzzCampaign. Grant kinda nibbled at it.

Enter Miss Rosa! Who is Miss Rosa? She's one of the hosts on PBS Kids mornings. Grant seems to think she's cool, as do my other kids. But, there's one segment she does that apparently inspired him. Unfortunately, I can't find a clip online anywhere, so we'll have to go with my (probably not entirely accurate) description, but I think you'll get the idea. Between shows, she sits there with a sandwich. She says she's going to try a new sandwich: cheese and pickles. She takes a bite (or pretends to, it's hard to tell), and says "mmm. It's actually pretty good. I like it." Then she says how good it is to try new things, etc.

Well, today at lunch, I was feeding Grant some of the aforementioned cheese sandwiches by Smucker's. He started acting out this little clip with Miss Rosa, and ate more of that sandwich than I'd ever seen him eat before! More than half! Knock me over with a feather! I kept thinking "God bless Miss Rosa!" LOL So, I decided to share. It's amazing what these seemingly insignificant things can help with!

Oh! My aching back!

It occurred to me that I've been pretty quiet around here. With the exception of a few reviews (more of which are coming - I still have a couple of EcoStoreUSA things to write up), I haven't said much. I'm not meaning to be negligent or anything like that. I have a valid excuse, I swear.

Three weeks ago, I injured my back. Big-time. How? I have no idea. I think I somehow aggravated an old injury. Anyway, it was quite painful, and my third day of serious pain was enough. I decided to call a chiropractor. Fortunately, we live in the Land of Chiropractic - aka, in the same area as Palmer College of Chiropractic. For those who don't know, this is where what we now know as Chiropractic was born. So, I decided to take advantage of their clinic. My husband has been there off and on over the past few years now, so I was confident that their interns wouldn't cause any damage other than what I'd done.

We'll call my doctor Dr. B. and my intern J. I will say that they are great. The doctor is very personable, and clearly knows his stuff. And J. is pretty cool, too. He is friendly, funny, and compassionate. I brought Abby with to most of my appointments, and he does great with her. Talks to her and doesn't seem uncomfortable around her. (You know how these mid-20 guys can be sometimes. I was glad he's not like that.) She seems to like him, too, as she plans to attend my next appointment! LOL Anyway, that first appointment was not fun. I couldn't move very well at all. Fortunately, it was just an evaluation. I went back the next day, and man was that bad. It was an extremely painful adjustment. I actually felt bad for J.! Every time he did something that resulted in me somehow responding to the pain (reflexes cannot be helped LOL), he'd apologize up and down. I kept telling him he didn't have to apologize - he's doing what he needs to for me to get better. But, I was in a decent - or is it indecent? - amount of pain. But, I'm in my third week of treatment (I seem to be going twice a week now) and doing amazingly well. I still get stiff and sore, but nothing like I had been. I go back tomorrow, with Abby in tow!

OK, wow, that was more detail than I'd intended. My purpose was just to say I've been quiet because my back injury has forced me to spend less time on the computer. There was awhile there when sitting at the computer at all was EXTREMELY painful. Then there was time when short bursts were bearable, but left me in pain upon getting up. Now, I'm just trying to keep from sitting too long. Did you know that sitting is actually harder on your back than standing? It really is - even a healthy back. So, I'm trying to move more.

Anyway, all that to say I've been quiet not because I have nothing to say, but because saying it would bring me to tears - or close to. I hope to get the last of my product reviews for ecostoreUSA done soon. But, I'm still waiting to be able to sit and not feel rushed. (Feeling rushed is because I want to get up before the pain and/or stiffness returns.)

Book Review: Vanishing Acts ***SPOILERS***

Vanishing Acts: A Novel by Jodi Picoult

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I wish we could do half-star ratings, as I would prefer to give this four and a half stars. It was a VERY good book, but there are things that make me want to mark it down. But, I think it deserves more than four stars, which is why I decided to just go up rather than down from 4.5 stars.

So, what are my problems. Well, for one, there are too many loose ends. I was VERY happy to see how things played out, but one more chapter with what was next would've been nice. I want to know a few things:

What happens with Eric? Does he stay in Arizona? Does he sober up and stay sobered up?
What happens with Fitz? Where does he get a new job? Does he get the girl?
What about Delia? Who does she choose?
What happens to Andrew? Is he able to get back to his life in New Hampshire, or does his legal trouble cause him to fall in his standing?

In short, I loved the story. Very well-written, and great curves thrown in there. I didn't see the sexual-abuse angle coming at all. Shocked me as much as it shocked the courtroom. But, I will say that Victor wasn't someone I liked at all. I couldn't figure it out at first. But, when Sophie disappeared and she's found getting ice cream with him. He took Sophie without asking - I couldn't believe Delia was OK. I understand she was relieved that Sophie was OK, but seriously? She hardly knew the man - had only met him a couple of weeks prior. As a mother, I would have been PISSED! My reaction would've been something to the effect of "Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you EVER take my daughter anywhere without my consent - EVER!" And then when the sexual-abuse thing came to light, I cringed. Scary, scary stuff. I really think this (aside from the questions I want answers to) was my main problem with the book. Overall, a great read that I highly recommend.

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Book Review: American Rust ***SPOILERS***

American Rust: A Novel by Philipp Meyer

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was OK. Not one of the best I've read. Not an instant classic. Not something I couldn't put down. The story was all right. It had promise. The characters were interesting. But, that's about it. I didn't like the writing style. I thought it was kinda neat to have the perspective of so many characters. I did like that. I liked that each chapter took one character's take on everything. I liked that we learned a lot about each character because we got to see inside their heads. I did not like the way it was written otherwise. Missing punctuation, poor grammar. I'm guessing it was intended to be train-of-thought but it confused me at times. There were some times that I had to reread a bit to figure out what was being said. While I understand the idea behind train-of-thought writing, we have punctuation for a reason. What good is an interesting plot and good characters if the writing isn't easily understood. No, don't dumb it down, but also don't forgo things like punctuation. Finally, the ending left me wanting more. I didn't like it at all. I don't want some hint at what might have maybe happened to these people. I want to know. I want closure. I hate when books don't tell me the end. Did Isaac really go with his sister as he said he would? What happened with Harris? Did he get figured out, or did he end up in prison? Did Grace go to Texas? When did Poe get out of jail? The "vision" Grace had at the end - was that how he found out that she wasn't there anymore? What about Lee? Too many questions to leave me satisfied with this book. Throughout the book, I actually liked it - for the most part. But the end just did it for me. Again, I hate when books don't tie up loose ends. And that is why I gave it two stars - I would've given it three otherwise.


View all my reviews.

Book Review: Inkspell

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Unlike many second books in a trilogy, this one was VERY good. There were plot twists and turns that were surprising but wonderful. Character development continued from the first book in the series (Inkheart) and also took unexpected turns.

In the first book, I really liked Fenoglio. But, wow - how different he turned out to be from what I'd expected. He's an arrogant, pompous, pig-headed jerk! I hope that in the concluding book (Inkdeath) gives him a chance to redeem himself!

Dustfinger is still my favorite character - and I just love his martens. I am not happy with the turn his story took, but hope things look up come the conclusion of this tale.

I did think there was too much Meggie and Farid stuff. I preferred how it was handled in the previous book, where there only were subtle hints. I don't really care to hear about the adolescent puppy love those two share.

That said, I still thought this was an amazing book. I cannot wait to get my hands on Inkdeath!

View all my reviews.

Product Review: Baby Sleepytime Bath

As promised in this post, I am happy to finally get around to my product reviews for EcostoreUSA. I apologize for taking so long. Things have been nuts, as I'm sure you can guess if you follow my blog! ;-) That said, let's get on with this. For more information on EcostoreUSA and their products in general, please see the aforementioned post.

I am starting with what's the easy product for me: Baby Sleeptime Bath. The description on the Web site says:

Ecostore’s aromatherapy blend of Lavender and Geranium will help your little one fall into a relaxed, calm sleep. Just use one capful in the bathwater. NO NASTY CHEMICALS are used in the SleepyTime bath and this helps keep the planet’s water pure and safe. (6.8 fluid ounces)

On the bottle it says:

Aromatherapy oils to soothe, calm & relax your baby

Now, I'll be the first to admit. I'm skeptical of aromatherapy. But, I'm all for trying something that says it'll help relax my baby. We've used it a couple of times, and it's really hard to say if it's really doing just that. We do baths so close to bed time that it's hard to know whether it's their tiredness in general, just taking a bath, the product we use, or some combination thereof that calms and relaxes them.

That said, I love this product. For one, it smells lovely. In the bottle, it's kinda strong - woodsy, for lack of a better description. But, once we have it in the bath water, it smells WONDERFUL. It's light and pleasant. I'm all for that! ;-) My baby smells so nice after her bath. And I noticed her skin's not getting very dry after her baths. I'm not sure what, but something in there seems to help her dry, itchy skin hold more moisture - or something. That alone makes me a fan of this product! Then there's one added benefit not on the bottle anywhere: my bathroom smells LOVELY for quite some time after my kids' baths! :-) Bonus points for this product! ;-)

In summary: EcostoreUSA's Baby Sleepytime Bath is an excellent product. It smells great, helps keep my baby's skin from drying out, and - perhaps best of all - is safe for our environment. For those of you in the Midwest, if you have a Meijer store nearby keep an eye out for EcostoreUSA products, as they're coming soon - if not there already! For those of us without Meijer, their products can be purchased via the company's Web site.

Wow. This is so me.

A lot has happened since my last post. A lot. And, amazingly, I'm doing OK. I'm on the verge of tears almost constantly, but I have amazing peace. I have decided NOT to walk away from my site after all. It's MY site. I built it from the ground up. Before I did this, we were just a buddy group that moved from one forum to the next - often because the site went paid. I did this so we - the group, not just I - could have a home. Our own domain. A place we wouldn't have to leave. A place we could always go to. Every time we had to move, we lost people. I didn't want that to happen anymore. I didn't want anyone to be left behind. Even if someone chooses to leave, they will always know where to find us. We're not going anywhere. And I am not going anywhere. It is my site. My e-baby. My blood, sweat, and tears. It is time away from my kids, my husband, my family. It is MY money that pays for the server. What was I thinking in wanting to go away? Well, I know - I wanted to keep the peace. I thought if I quietly disappeared, things would be OK. The person I've had a problem with can go on and enjoy the site - sometimes I think she needs the board more than I do. I suffered in silence for two years. I sucked it up and dealt with it. I tried not to let that stuff get to me. I guess it was just festering under the surface, though. Honestly, I don't even remember what caused this whole mess in the first place. I mean, I do remember the post. There was a post about kids' cartoons, and I felt she was being snarky - she felt I was being snarky. I think, honestly, I was just finally lashing out against what has been a long, hard problem for me. But, I don't know when it went from that to me saying I'm gone. Oh, I do know. My co-Admins and I decided to bring up the matter (in general terms) with our Staff. See what they thought. See if anyone else noticed me being picked on and bullied. The very first response to the question about this was in support of the individual in question. Something about that post made me feel like it was over. Forget it. If no one else saw what I did, no one would support me. No one would care how this person made me feel. So, I decided to leave. I didn't want to hurt anymore, and I KNEW that this issue was going to be explosive if I didn't. It exploded anyway. I'm going to spare the details, as it's really no one's business. But, I'm torn up. I'm so sad and so exhausted and so - I don't know how to say what I'm feeling.

I was afraid this would look like a personal vendetta. It's NOT. Despite my feeling bullied by this individual, I didn't want to see her get hurt. I didn't want to see her lose something that I know she needs. I am as torn up over this whole thing as anyone else involved.

Anyway, I have been starting to feel better. More at peace. More accepting of the way things are playing out. I can only control me. I cannot control someone's reaction or emotions. I cannot force someone to see things from my perspective. I can just pray - and hope God shows one of us something we hadn't seen before. So, that's what I'll do.

That said, now I get to the point - or at least the explanation of the title of this post! LOL DH and I took the kiddos out to Chili's for dinner tonight. We had a gift card to use, and he didn't feel like cooking. I can respect that - plus, we love Chili's. On the way there, we were listening to KLOVE. There were some good songs, but the best came on shortly before we got there.

I have loved this song ever since I first heard it - and it's in my playlist thingy toward the bottom of this page. (If you wanna listen to it here, make sure to pause the playlist thingy first.) As I listened tonight, I heard it anew. I heard it in a way I'd never heard it before. I knew it was for me. I knew it WAS me - no, not was, rather IS me. Every single word to this song rings true. Every single word. I am going to give in and let God do His thing. I thank Him for this song, as it has ministered to me in a way I've not experienced for quite some time.



And after you listen to this, scroll down and listen to the song Strong Tower by Kutless. That's the other song that really reaches me right now.

My heart is breaking

As many of you know, I own and run a Web site. It has been a labor of love for me - my e-baby, if you will! But, I think the time has come for me to move on. It kills me to say that. It kills me to walk away, but I fear I must. I don't want to go into too much detail - because the last thing I want to do is slander anyone - but I need to get this out.

I have mentioned in the past how there is someone on the site who has made my life hell. She ruined the get-together we had in September, and she has done her damnedest to shut me out of my friendships. On the board, she has been rude, condescending, and anything-but-supportive for me. She has been a part of that site for a couple of years now, and I cannot tell you the last time I shared my inner most thoughts and/or feelings with my friends because she is there. I feel like I'm always being ridiculed and judged and belittled by her. I don't love being on my site anymore. I go there out of a sense of duty, nothing more. I hardly share much of anything. I can't bring myself to face her lippy bullshit anymore. I can't. I'm done.

What hurts the most is somehow I'm being made out to be the villain here. I never did anything wrong! I let her into my site - my inner circle of friends. I tried to embrace her as a sister in Christ. I got paid back by repeatedly getting belittled and ridiculed. I got paid back by getting pushed out of my own site. I am sick over this. So sad and so upset.

DH is watching Leno, so I'm now losing my train of thought. So, that's it for now. Maybe tomorrow I'll have better thoughts.

Book Review: Inkheart

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book! I was quite surprised. It started out kinda slowly, but after a couple of chapters I didn't want to put it down. The plot is amazing - so imaginative and so well developed. I loved most of the characters - especially Dustfinger.



I wondered if Fenoglio's reaction to seeing his characters in the flesh is how Cornelia Funke would react if she was able to see her characters brought to life. It was really neat to see her writing about an author. I wonder how much of it was derived from her own experience.



Anyway, this was an excellently written book. I cannot wait to get started on the sequel, Inkspell!


View all my reviews.

Coming Soon ...

Product reviews. I recently was contacted via e-mail about possibly being sent some products to review. I agreed to give it a try, and I will share my thoughts here. (Probably on Vox, too.) I am going to share part of the text of the initial e-mail because who better to tell you about the company and products than the individual who is representing the company. So, here is the important info:

... I represent ECOSTORE USA which is an extension of a 20 year old New Zealand company http://www.ecostore.co.nz/ that makes plant based, non-toxic HOUSEHOLD CLEANING, BABY, and PERSONAL CARE products that contain NO NASTY CHEMICALS(tm)** ... We are an e-commerce site that will be launching at a major Midwest retailer, MEIJER, in early spring.

This is a small part of the initial e-mail I received. Anyway, I immediately checked out the Web site to see what this is about. If you haven't caught on yet, I'll spell it out simply for you. They sell products that are plant-based and containing No Nasty Chemicals™. They have a wide range of products from baby care and pet care to laundry and cleaning products. I was sent the following:

• Front Loader Laundry Powder
• Pure Oxygen Whitener
• Rosemary Orange Shampoo
• Rosemary Orange Conditioner
• Baby Sleepytime Bath

I have tried each of them once, but would like to try them a bit more before I form an opinion to share. After that, I'll post reviews of each in separate posts - with the exception of the shampoo and conditioner! ;-) That said, my first impression is good. The products seem to be a good quality, and I'm enjoying the scents! For those of you (like myself) with no Meijer stores nearby, it's nice to know that you can purchase their products via their Web site, too.

For more information about EcostoreUSA and their green - and safe - products, check out the following links:

• EcostoreUSA home page
  
• Ecostore USA FAQ page
• Ecostore USA "What is green" page
  
• Ecostore USA company info page
  
• Ecostore USA product page
• Ecostore USA blog

Watch for my first review coming soon!

Short Update

Sorry to be absent so long. I've been busy and really haven't had much to write about. I will be back soon, though, with some new product reviews. Until then, I thought I should update.

I GOT ONE! :-) What you ask? Well, read this post. If you don't wanna, read it, I'll just tell you. I got my Wii Fit! :-) A friend of mine in a neighboring community (which is smaller than the community in which I live) happened upon a new shipment at Walmart earlier this week. They got about 20 in on Monday night, and she called to see if I still wanted it. Of course, I said YES! :-) The plan was that she'd pick it up Tuesday morning and bring it to me Wednesday. Of course, she woke up sick and wasn't able to get there. But, her son was going to Walmart that afternoon and she had him get one! :-) There were only two left, so I'm glad he was able to get there when he did! I'm so excited!

No, I haven't used it yet. I've been sick all week! :-( I have had hardly any energy. I'm still not quite well, but hoping to get started with it tomorrow or Monday!

Anyway, I realized I'd complained about no Wii Fit here and thought I'd update. I'll share my opinion of it when I get going with it.

Never Saw It Coming

It's amazing how having babies changes your life - or at least how it changed my life. I'm not talking about the stuff like years of being sleep-deprived, suddenly loving driving a mini-van, having leftover baby fat, or other typical - and somewhat expected - changes. I'm talking other things. Things I never in a million years saw coming.

Seven years ago (I say seven because six years ago I was pregnant with Abby and the changes were under way), I was so different it's amazing. Well, not just me - my life. My husband and I had some close friends with whom we'd stay up into the wee hours of the morning playing games and just hanging out. (We still have those friends, but they moved to another state and we don't see or hear from them much.) Oh, yeah, and I worked second shift as a copy editor - a job I generally hated. I hated reading all those boring news stories, then having to write headlines. I think I've mentioned before that I'm not very good at that - and knowing that made it all the worse, especially when TPTB like puns. I hate punny headlines - so overused - and I could never write them. Well, not never, per say, just VERY rarely!

Seven years ago we had a nice house (we still live in it) with new carpeting and a dinky garage we were hoping to replace in the near future. That garage was so small that one of my sisters thought it was a shed the first time she saw it! LOL Pathetic - and, really, that's all it was worth. We could barely fit a Dodge NEON in it, let alone anything else! In that house, we had one cat and were planning to get another one - we ended up with two more. The first cat, Shadow, was our "first baby" - as I'd referred to her many times. She was a sweet cat, and was my pet before DH and I were married. So, naturally, she was part of the package - marry me, marry my cat. And I was one of those people who doted on her cat. I bought her birthday and Christmas presents (and presents from her for DH) and loved her to pieces. All that despite the fact that she was literbox-challenged to the worst degree. She would NOT pee in a litterbox to save her life. She had had a couple of UTIs, but even healthy she flat out REFUSED to pee in the litterbox. Thankfully, she did at least poop in there, but the pee's almost worse. The smell - and the fact that it's next to impossible to get out! Let's just say I wish we'd gotten rid of her long before we did. It was heartbreaking to do so - she's such a people kitty and really was my furbaby. We gave her to my ILs, who were planning to keep her outside. She's disappeared. :-( I feel guilty - a tiny bit - but less so than I did a couple of years ago. Anyway, what compelled me to get rid of her was - you guessed it - the kids. I was pregnant with Grant when finally I'd had it. I was ready to let her go. By that point, we already had Zeus and Huckleberry - angels compared to Shadow. Well, unless Huckleberry's antics were bothersome - he'd attack the toilet paper, shredding an entire brand-new role when we weren't looking. He'd done plenty of other things, but that's the one that most sticks out in my mind. I think what Dh and I referred to as "the voices" would tell him to do it. Either that or the toilet paper was taunting him! We'll never know, but - thankfully - he has out grown that. My point is I was one of those people who doted on her pets. Loved them and even referred to them as her babies. Until I had babies. Poor cats were forced to take a back seat when Abby was born. I still tried to give them attention and whatnot, but they definitely became second-class citizens. That's something I'd NEVER thought would happen.

Between Grant and Natalie we got a puppy. I don't know WHAT possessed me, as it was my idea. And, yes, I'm still kicking myself for that one! Grant was 6 months old when Sawyer was born - on Abby's third birthday. He was about 8 months when we brought Sawyer home. The cute thing is they are like buddies. They're growing up together, sorta. It's neat to see their bond. Anyway, Sawyer is a PITA. Now, I grew up with cats. So, perhaps part of the problem is this dog is much needier than any cat I'd ever had. I'm sure I'd have enjoyed him more if we'd gotten him before kids. Now, he's just extra work - an extra kid, if you will. But not an extra kid - they trump him. ALWAYS. I found myself thinking of him today as just a dog, and all of the pets in this house as "just animals." GASP! That's what prompted this post. It made me realize just how much kids change things you never see coming!

I had more on my mind, but it's gone. Maybe having to write between feeding the kids, letting the dog out, and other things is to blame! LOL Yeah, that's it! ;-)

Woe is Me

Like almost every other American, one of my goals for this year is to lose weight. No, you don't get to find out how much I weigh! LOL No one needs to know! ;-) But, I have had three babies in the past six years - and you can tell! It sucks. I gotta do it a little at a time - I'm getting close to my first goal, but not close enough! After my first goal, I have to lose about 10 more pounds to get to my pre-Natalie weight. That will be cause for much celebration indeed! Then, there are another 10-15 lbs to get to my pre-Grant weight. That will be cause for even GREATER celebration. Beyond that, there are another 20-25 lbs to get to my pre-Abby weight. THAT will be the celebration of a lifetime - well, at least since the birth of my babies! ;-) Beyond that another 15-20 lbs would be nice, but I'll be THRILLED just to get to my pre-Abby weight. Can I do it? I sure hope so - but I'm skeptical. See, as much as I hate to admit it (out of shame), I'm lazy. If something's work, I don't wanna do it. BUT, if that work can be made fun, I'm all for it! For instance, I HATE exercising - it's a chore and takes a long time to get noticable results. BUT, I love dancing - I was on the poms squad in junior high and in high school and LOVED it. Lost weight when I joined both (there were 3 years between the two - for various reasons I'll spare you for now), and looked great. If there was a way to do that kind of thing again now that I'm 32, I'd be there - and I'd likely lose the weight! But, well, anything even remotely close to that - Zumbo, I think is what it's called, for instance - is pricey. I don't have money for that right now. Plus, if I were to take it and get results and want to keep going, it'd be a recurring expense - no room in the budget for that right now. What I really wanna do is get a Wii Fit and use that. I know it's not anything like Zumbo, but I know I could enjoy that. But, of course, I can't get a Wii Fit to save my life - and I'm sure as hell not paying upwards of $100 for something that regularly is priced around $80. No way, no how. But, let me tell you, it's all I can do to keep from just saying screw it and ponying up the money! I am sure part of the problem is the aforementioned other Americans with the same goal - and likely a similar plan. I just wonder when the Wii Fit craze will die down so I can walk into Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Target and buy one then and there. I feel like the king dude (I can't remember what they are - lemurs?) in Madagascar - "HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE!" So, for now, I'm using Wii Sports. That tennis gets me moving pretty well. It's better than nothing, right?

Another endangered show

This is another one of my FAVORITE shows. Apparently I'm great at picking unpopular shows! :-( I personally think the writers' strike last year killed it, as it started last year with pretty good success. This year, it fizzled. There was too much time between the first and second seasons. It's a shame. This show is funny, dramatic, tongue-in-cheek, and just a ton of fun! So, again, with it being endangered, I never know when it's on next. So, I'll be watching my widget for this one, too! ;-)

One of my favorite shows

This is one of those shows that's soon-to-be no more, much to my dismay! :-( As such, I never know when another one's scheduled. So, I'm posting this to help me remember! ;-) I don't know if there's a chance that ABC will change their minds, but maybe if more people watch the last few episodes ...

Year in Review

A follow-up to my New Year's post, if you will. My friend Lisa posted this on her blog and I had to follow suit! You go back through your blog and copy the opening sentence from a post (or two) for each month. I began this blog in March, so I will start there - obviously! LOL

Below is the opening sentence from a post from each month. (Any italicized text is a comment I'm writing NOW.) To read the whole post, click on the date/month name:

March: I had a bunch of stuff that I wanted to write. (Is that the story of my blog or what? LMAO)

April: I saw my allergist yesterday, and he said it doesn't sound like an allergy to food!

May: I've never been good at titles - or writing headlines, for that matter.

June: That sums it up perfectly!
June 25: My precious baby girl was born.

July: Around 9:30 p.m. our power was restored!

August: A few months ago, once my daughter got into the wonderful world of Webkinz, I bought her a couple I knew she'd LOVE off eBay.

September: I was just starting up a Baby Einstein DVD for Grant.

October: At this point exactly 12 months ago I was getting to know my sweet new baby girl, Natalie.

November: There is so much going on in my mind right now.

December: DH got home yesterday!

In looking this over, I have to say a couple of things. One, I need to blog more. And two, I need to be more creative in my first lines of my posts! It was hard finding something interesting. No more first sentences being one-word sentences! LOL So far as blogging goes, for 2009 I resolve to write more and better! Wish me luck!

Book Review: The Crown Conspiracy

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I must admit that when I obtained it I was slightly skeptical. But, I was given a great deal - and even got a signed copy! :-) So, I set about reading it. And I could NOT put it down! I read this book in a few days - and probably would have read it faster if I wasn't sick this past week. That said, I'm going to be somewhat vague in my review, as I hate spoilers and prefer to avoid writing anything that might ruin the book for others! ;-)



Anyway, this book was so much better than I'd expected. I loved Hadrian and Royce - despite the fact that they were master thieves! Most of the characters were well-developed and quite interesting. The plot moved quickly and had very interested twists and turns. The descriptions were detailed and really helped me "see" everything as I read.



One thing - the description of the sword fights lost me. I know nothing about fencing or whatever, and some of the terminology was over my head. But, the plot was awesome and I couldn't put the book down.



I do wonder if Mr. Sullivan is planning to make this into a series. There were things that happened that made me wonder if more was coming that would expand on some of the events in this book. I certainly hope so! If there is another book (or more) to follow this one, I won't waste any time obtaining it. I might even pre-order it! Either way, I will be looking for more books from Michael J. Sullivan!


View all my reviews.

Happy New Year!

I cannot believe that 2008 is now a mere memory and 2009 is upon us! Wow, that happened fast! A year ago I had a 2-month-old baby and was just beginning my stint as a stay-at-home mom. Abby was in her last year of preschool before starting Kindergarten in August. Grant has grown from a 2-year-old toddler to a talking, running, reasoning 3-year old. Natalie, well, she's gone from newborn to full-fledged toddler - they go through so many changes that first year or so that it's impossible to catalog it all! Me? I dunno - I've continued to slowly lose the baby weight. Slowly. I weaned Natalie about a month ago, so hopefully more weight will come of quickly! DH - well, he's working. He spent 30 days in Austin, TX, for work - working with FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. It was all about the money - that's a lot of OT and extra cash. And we desperately needed it. In fact, I suspect he'll be doing it somewhat regularly (not necessarily Austin - wherever there's need) to help make it possible for me to continue to SAH. Oh, and he had his vasectomy - no more surprise babies for us! ;-)

So, what are my hopes for this year? That's a very good question.

• Lose weight - at the very least get to my pre-Natalie weight. That's a start. I eventually want to get to my pre-Abby weight, but that's 60 lbs away, so I'm not kidding myself that it'll happen this year!
• Get off the Zoloft - I've been on it for three years in February. I didn't get to wean off after weaning Grant like I'd wanted b/c I got knocked up. Now that there's no chance of that, I wanna get off it. Natalie's weaned, so the only thing working against me is possible PMS issues. But, I don't wanna be on the Zoloft forever!
• Be a better housekeeper
• Stop spending and help us get out of debt. Don't know how yet, but stopping spending is a first BIG step! ;-)
• Get back in the habit of attending church regularly.

I'm sure there are more things I'd like to change, but really having too many goals can set one up for failure. I already might be setting the bar too high. Time will only tell. That said, HAPPY 2009! I wish you all many blessings and much happiness this year!

Stopping in to say

May you all have an absolutely wonderful, blessed day!

Book Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. It's a nice addition to the Harry Potter series. I found the descriptions of the magical creatures to be quite imaginative and fun. While I wouldn't call it spectacular, I would say it's a must-read for every Harry Potter fan.


View all my reviews.

Book Review: The Shack

The Shack by William P. Young

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a very good book. I found it to be a fast read, because the further I got into it, the more I wanted to keep reading. It's a sad tale about a man whose 6-year-old daughter was murdered by a serial killer. He meets with God to come to terms with both that and his troubled childhood. (I'm going to refrain from saying much more, because I don't want to reveal the plot.) In some ways, it's a story of redemption. I didn't find this book to be life-changing, as I've heard others label it, but it did make me think about my own faith. All in all, I would highly recommend this book.


View all my reviews.

We made it!

DH got home yesterday! :-) His flight ended up delayed by about a total of an hour - not too bad, especially not when flying out of ORD (more commonly known as O'Hare). The kids and I picked him up at the airport. We got there as his plane was landing, and could see it taxiing to the gate. By the time we got settled in the waiting area just outside the security checkpoint, DH was coming down the hallway. I saw him and asked Abby who that was. She took off running "Daddy" - and Grant followed suit. Natalie had to be brought over to him - she was too distracted by the new surroundings to notice people! LOL When she first saw him, she hesitated a little. But once he spoke to her, she came running! It was so sweet! She clearly missed him much more than I'd realized. She was big-time clingy with him last night, and still some today. She's more animated and just doing better overall. It's amazing the difference. She hadn't acted all that different during his absence, so I really thought she was somewhat indifferent.

Me? I must've been running on adrenaline while he was gone - once he was home, I just got DEAD tired! I couldn't believe it! LOL I had to take a nap this afternoon, too. I have been just so very tired. Must be the adrenaline crash! He's super tired, too - falling asleep on the couch since about 7:30! LOL But, he worked almost constantly, so it's not unexpected.

Well, in my super-tired state, I'm feeling not too eloquent right now. So, I'm gonna jet - maybe go to bed early. Night, night (to quote Natalie)!

The Home Stretch!

That's right. We're about to enter the FINAL week of DH's deployment! :-D A week from this very moment, he will be HOME. I cannot wait! I pray this last week flies by, as I am so ready for him to be home. He said today he's finally getting tired of living out of a suitcase and not being home. Saturday, December 6, cannot come fast enough! I had to get groceries today, and I picked up some things that he typically uses and I don't so that we have them when he comes. (I'm hoping that was my last trip while he's away. I also hope I have enough diapers for this week - I'm pretty sure I do.) He gets home about 2:30-ish in the afternoon, so the kids and I will pick him up at the airport. I'm so excited about that. I remember when he went on his first deployment - a little over three years ago. Abby and I picked him up, and were walking from the baggage claim area to the waiting area. He turned round the corner into the hallway, and Abby was so excited! She screamed "Daddy" and took off running to him. It was so sweet (and a little funny, as she had been eating some fruit snacks and left a little trail behind her LOL)! It's definitely a memory I'll cherish. I can't remember if we picked him up last time - I think we did, but clearly it wasn't quite as sweet! LOL I'm hoping this time he'll have all three of 'em running to him. We've talked using Gmail's video chat, and they just LOVE getting to see him while talking! Even Natalie - who shies away from the phone - loved it. She was blowing him kisses - very sweet. Anyway, we're entering the home stretch of being without DH. C'mon, Saturday - GET HERE ALREADY! ;-)

It's All Downhill from Here ...

... or so they say. The halfway point of DH's time away has been reached and passed. Two weeks from now he will be HOME. :-) December 6 cannot come fast enough! I will say that overall this has gone better than I'd expected. The kiddos are generally doing great, and I'm holding up better than before - maybe that's because I'm not pregnant this time! LOL I just miss HIM. His companionship. His hug. His voice - which sounds different IRL than over the phone! ;-) His smell. His smile. Two weeks - I can do this. Really. I can. Plus, my mom's coming out in a few days to be here for a few days - including Thanksgiving. So, that'll help. I'll finally have some much-needed adult company! And maybe, just MAYBE she'll let me get away - even if it's just to run to Panera and get a chai tea latte. Here's hoping! ;-) Anyway, we are over the hump. We're closer to the end than to the beginning. It feels SO GOOD! Oh, Lord, please help these two weeks fly by - and me to make it through with my sanity in tact - or at least what's left of my sanity! ;-)

Thanksgiving will be weird this year. DH and I haven't ever been apart for Thanksgiving in I don't know how long. This is our ninth Thanksgiving since we were married, and I know we'd spent a couple together prior to our marriage, too. So, it's been 10+ years since we last were apart for a major holiday! I really don't think it'll feel like Thanksgiving. Not even with a meal. But, we'll do our best.

What I haven't decided is whether to get the Christmas stuff down Friday like we normally would do or wait until he's home. Maybe it'll depend on how my back feels - and how heavy everything is! Perhaps I should ask him about it - that might be a good idea. Yes, I will tomorrow - assuming I remember.

Well, I think I'm gonna head to bed early. Grant was up around 5:30 this morning, and wouldn't go back to sleep. So, I am exhausted. Night, night!

Happy Hump Day!

Yes, I know, it's not Wednesday. But, it's still hump day - and, no, I'm not being dirty! LOL Today is the midway point of DH's absence. We've reached the hump - it's all downhill from here! :-) In some ways, it's energizing. In others, it's EXHAUSTING. But, I'm excited. Two weeks from TOMORROW, he comes HOME! :-) I'm so excited. It's odd, but I think I've missed him even more this time - which I so didn't expect. The other times I was pregnant, and I thought my hormones made it worse. But, perhaps this time it's b/c I don't work. It's me and the kids, day in and day out. Always. No breaks for me, unless right now counts, but even then I have to be ready in case I'm needed. I miss his companionship more than I have in the past. I'm sure our new situation accounts for that. But, I'm not complaining - especially with Thanksgiving being a few days away. My mom is coming out - and probably bringing my niece and nephew - so that'll keep us busy. Hopefully the time will FLY! Abby only has 2 and a half days of school. Part of me wishes she was off all week, but I know it's better NOT that way - we clash way too much! LOL

On a completely unrelated note, I decided I wanted a more seasonal template. So, I found a Christmas/winter one. It was so hard to choose! I again went with Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates - I just LOVE her stuff! She recently released her seasonal templates, so I decided to switch. She does an absolutely lovely job!

I have another post I want to write - about my faith. But, it'll have to wait until I'm not falling asleep at the keyboard! ;-) That said, I gotta get to sleep. I'll write more tomorrow.

Day 7: Blah!

I feel like writing, but don't know what to say. I hate when that happens! But, today's been awful for me. I think a large part of it is PMS. Add that to DH being gone and me getting very little adult interaction over the last week and you get what I've been today. My poor kids. I am seriously considering begging my mom and/or sister to come out this weekend!

On a brighter note, I got a very welcome tidbit of good news this morning. DH e-mailed me to tell me that he was off in his calculation of when he comes back - instead of December 7, he'll be home December 6! WOOHOO! Let me tell you - he totally made my day! I was so happy, and I just keep focusing on that. Most of the time.

I'm exhausted, but my hair's still wet from my shower an hour ago and I don't want to look too funny in the morning. *sigh* I'm currently doing a product study for some shampoo, and I'm LOVING this stuff - much more than I'd expected. It's really helping my curls do their thing! :-) EVEN WITHOUT CONDITIONER! That's the amazing part, at least in my eyes. I'll share more about the test somewhere down the road. I'm sworn to secrecy for any product tests and/or surveys in which I participate. I'm not sure when I can talk, but I'm sure once I see the product in question on the store shelf it's likely safe! ;-)

Well, I've run out of coherent thoughts, so I'll go for now. Maybe tomorrow I can post more when I'm actually feeling somewhat cognizant! LOL

For Crying Out Loud ~ Day 6

I woke this morning to find dog puke in two places in the kitchen. Nice. Good morning to me! At first I thought it was puke in one spot and shit in another, but cleaning up set me straight. It smelled like vomit. That's quite the interesting pile of doggy vomit, that's for sure. And it's enough to kill the breakfast appetite! That is for sure! Yuck. Now Scooba is running, and so far not getting the worse of the two puke spots. Of course! Scooba just might have to do double duty today.

Aside from that, the morning actually went pretty well. I got Abby to school on time for the first bell, which is a first for me I think! LOL Then I took the other two shopping for groceries. It went pretty well - Grant is definitely a morning person. There's no doubt about that. I've never had him so well-behaved in a store before! (Note to self: Always go as early in the morning as possible if Grant's coming!) There's the added bonus of not many people being there yet - that always helps expedite the trip. Plus, shelves were almost fully stocked throughout the store. Nice. Of course, I forgot to grab a frozen pizza, but oh, well. I remembered all of the milk I needed to get - and with three different kinds to get (skim for me, 2% for the kids, whole for the baby) that's quite a feat! ;-)

Well, Scooba needs some attention. So, I'm gonna get going. Plus, Abby gets off school in 30 minutes. Time to start changing diapers in preparation!

Day 5

Seriously? Only? We have 25 days still to go? Man, this time is creeping by slowly!

I had a ton I wanted to say about an hour or so ago, but - of course - could not get here to write until now. So, I've lost most of it. But, as I type, Grant is supposed to be lying down on the couch. He and Abby AGAIN were bouncing off the walls a little while ago. This is deja-vu, as Sunday night was like this. Why is it only school nights when they pull this shit? I love my kids ... I love my kids ... I love my kids.

OK. The boy is now in bed. Heads will roll, should they start screwing around again tonight!

Today wasn't nearly as bad as the weekend was. Thank God Abby had school yesterday! It'll be a lifesaver this time around, I am quite certain! Poor kid is having a bit of a hard time with her daddy gone, so I'm trying not to be too rough on her. But, I'm also not going to cut her too much slack. You know kids - you give 'em an inch ...

I have so much to do right now it's not funny. I don't like being the only person around to do stuff. But I think that's the lazy side of me. The other side of me thrives under these circumstances. It's fulfilling to get everything done that needs to be done. Even stupid things like taking out the trash. Of course, that could be in part b/c I finally get an opportunity to get rid of a bunch of crap DH had been letting pile up in the garage! But, that was yesterday. Today I have dishes - again. Thankfully, we have a dishwasher, so that means I need to empty, load, and start it up. Not too bad - not even when it's on a daily basis. But, I'll do it tomorrow. (LOL No, I'm not going to say that tomorrow, too!) Today has been nuts, and I need some downtime. I also need sleep. See why I'll do it tomorrow? ;-) I did get a small package to send to DH ready to go. After dropping Abby off at school, the other two and I will be heading to the grocery store. Milk - it's always about the milk! Either after that or before we pick up Abby (or maybe immediately after - it all depends on Grant and Natalie), we'll mail the package. He forgot something, and Abby wanted to send him a couple of things. He's also getting a bunch of candy! LOL

I gotta sit down and look at the checkbook. I've no idea where we're at right now, but my brain is mush. The good thing is with Abby gone, I can get more done during the day. Natalie sleeps all morning, and Grant's pretty easily occupied. So, I can get the dishes and maybe even checkbook taken care of after shopping. I just gotta get us ready to go before I go to bed - make my list, find any coupons I have, put my reusable bags where I won't forget them, etc.

I must say, though, that I did get a TON of stuff done today, not the least of it is finally getting the clean clothes put away - on time to start laundry again in a couple of days! LOL I also got the drawer under Natalie's crib back in place. A couple of months ago, Abby jumped on it while it was open. DH and I could NOT get it back in, so it had been placed under the crib, out of the way of walking feet. Today I decided it was enough. It'd be a PITA to have to deal with that next time I change Natalie's sheets. Plus, I was tired of not using the drawer! We paid for the damn thing. I had better get full use out of it! ;-) I'm not entirely sure how I got it in, but I did. I cleared plenty of room for me to work at getting it back in place. I said a quick prayer "Lord, please help me get this thing back in its place" - or something to that effect - and set to work. Once I finally got the rollers in place, I pushed until it resisted. Then I sat and pushed with my legs. That was cake - and I still can get it open. It sticks a little, but it's easily opened anyway. And, yes, I did remember to praise and thank God for that little bit of help. Proof once again that He does care about the little things, too! :-)

Well, it's getting late and I gotta prep for the morning. I also need to sleep.

No One's Dead ~ Yet

Man, I cannot wait for school tomorrow! Absolutely cannot wait! Abby had a half day Thursday, no school Friday, and DH left early Friday. It's been a long weekend, that's for sure! And they're driving me bonkers. It's been cold, so I've been dragging them around town getting Christmas shopping done to get them out of the house. Oh, my, gosh! I never want to do it that way again! I've never had them misbehave like this. Now, granted, shopping with me likely is EXTREMELY boring, but c'mon! I became one of THOSE moms - you know, the one with the out-of-control kids running through the aisles! I tried to give the kids away to passers-by, but no one wanted them. I wonder why ...

And now, I got interrupted writing this because Abby and Grant decided now would be a good time for playing - LOUDLY, I might add - in their room. Grant had already been asleep for about an hour, and Abby was apparently incapable of going to bed without him waking. Usually, he goes right back to sleep. Not tonight. So, I brought him back downstairs with me so Abby can fall asleep. She's got school tomorrow, otherwise I'd bring her back down until I'm confident Grant's asleep.

Have I mentioned how EXHAUSTED I am? I'm on Day 3 of DH being gone and have no idea how I'm gonna make it another 27 days! Well, I know how - by the grace of God. Without His help, this wouldn't work. On one hand, I'm grateful for school - gets one of the three out of my hands for a bit. (And, honestly, it's the one who tends to be the least cooperative.) On the other hand, I'm not happy about school - because it just adds to the stress. I gotta worry about getting her to bed early enough, getting her to school on time, getting back to the school on time to pick her up (which rarely allows for the other two to get decent naps), some days packing a lunch ... I figure by the time we get into a good routine DH will be home. That's typically how it goes.

Anyway, I gotta go. Dishes are calling my name. Yippee! Hopefully I can go to bed after that.

One day down ...

and 29 left to go. DH left this morning. Fortunately, his travel days are Day #1 and Day #30 of his deployment. I've spoken with him a few times today, and he made it to Austin no problem. So, all is well on that side. Tomorrow is when he starts working.

Today went pretty well, even with Abby having a day off school! :-) The morning was laid-back, with us doing not much of anything once DH left. we just hung out together and did whatever. After Grant's nap, we went to pickup my new battery for my laptop. (My previous battery had suddenly stopped charging - apparently Apple's got some sort of problem with the older batteries, b/c they sent me a new one free of charge!) It took me forever to find the damn place Apple shipped the battery to. Where I live, we have streets and avenues. The streets run north/south, and the avenues are east/west. I was thinking the Apple service shop was on 19th St. But, after driving around a bit, I figured there was no way that was possible. (Where I was driving was where the road ended by the river. It was pretty easy to tell I wasn't in the right place! LOL) Suddenly it hit me - 19th AVENUE, not street! DUH! Sure enough, they were right there - which also is closer to my house, of course! Blond moment? Perhaps - except that I'm not blond ... hmm.

After the Apple store, we (the kids and I) checked out Toys R Us. They were having a sale from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. tonight, which also carries over into the morning tomorrow - but I don't know the hours. I have most of the kids' Christmas stuff bought AND most of Grant's b-day stuff! :-) Christmas shopping is almost done - I ordered Dh what he wanted (a new hard drive for his laptop) and purchased some stuff for my nieces and nephews last night. Now the other adults on our list are the only people left for whom we need to get something! :-)

The one downside to the new battery for the laptop is I have to calibrate it - which means I couldn't go to bed yet! :-( I forgot how long it takes and started it a couple of hours ago! DOH! LOL I should soon be able to continue the process - hopefully it'll complete most of it's stuff overnight.

I gotta get to bed. I'm too tired. So, I think I'll finish the calibration tomorrow morning. Wish me luck! ;-)

Deep Thoughts

There is so much going on in my mind right now. I don't know where to begin. Oy! I hate when this happens. I don't have writer's block - I just can't keep up with the thoughts running through this head of mine! It'll probably take me all day to write this. Between interruptions (I love my kids) and my own distraction, it's inevitable. Plus, I gotta pay the bills today. We also need to go to Sam's Club today. DH is going to be gone to Texas for 30 days for work, so I want to stock up on stuff like diapers, TP, etc. He doesn't know this yet, but I'm sure he'll understand when I talk to him about it. More on the Texas stuff later, as I don't feel like talking about that yet.

Or do I? OK. That's the easy topic, so here it goes. DH works for the Army Corps of Engineers, and has the opportunity to deploy for 30 days to help with hurricane recovery efforts in Texas. He's done this twice before - after Hurricane Katrina in LA. The good thing is it's a TON of extra money, and we REALLY need that right now. He said it looks like it'll be 11-hour days with one day off every other week, plus there are two holidays in November for which he'll get holiday pay. Not to mention working over the weekends. This is the first time he'll be gone with me NOT being pregnant! LOL The first time he was gone about three months before Grant was born. The second time he was gone about five months before Natalie was born. But, this is the first time I'm not working. It'll be me and the kids, 24/7. Thank God for school, b/c without it Abby might end up dead (more on that later). But, that means I'll have to drop her off and pick her up - every day. That'll be a HUGE disruption to our usual routine, and will necessitate an entirely new routine. But, I know we'll be fine. It'll be hard - especially since I won't have work as time away - but I know we'll be OK. God wouldn't have given me all three kids if I couldn't handle them. Plus, I think this was somewhat of a Divine appointment. Thursday, I had told DH that if he had an opportunity to go on a 30-day deployment, I'm behind him. He had been thinking of doing one, too. Yesterday he got notification that they're looking for someone. Now he's just waiting for his tasker and travel orders. I pray it comes soon, b/c I want him back for my birthday - December 12! I'm not sure what we'll do about Thanksgiving, but we'll figure it out.

Now the tricky part begins. It all started when I checked out my page on MySpace yesterday. I only get there once every month or two, and yesterday was my first time in quite a while. There was a ton of stuff on there, and getting caught up was a time-consuming venture. I knew that going into it, though. But, when I get to the blog updates, well, the one right on top says "P broke up with me" and is posted by my sister. About a year ago, my sister moved 800+ miles to be with him, and he out of the blue breaks up with her. He basically told her that he woke up one day and didn't love her anymore. Right. Asshole. Oh, yeah, and about a month ago she renewed her lease for another year, which makes it that much harder for her to come home. She's all but said that's what she wants to do. :-( My other sister and I were talking about this last night, and we are going to try to help her find a way home. Her job is another consideration, but I have no doubt that she'd be able to transfer back to her previous location without a problem. For starters, they loved her there. Plus, I've been told they're losing half their employees to a new store that's opening up. So, I think she'd have no problem on the job front. She'd likely move back in with our parents, which means she wouldn't have to pay rent or utilities. So, if worse came to worst, she could live there while paying her lease where she's at now. But that might work in her favor - I'm sure her landlord doesn't want her apartment vacant for almost a year. So, perhaps things can be worked out in her favor. I hope so. I know she needs to be home now - I can tell. When I read her blog and talk to her, I can sense it. My poor sweet sister! :-(

The only bright side to this is that it appears to be working to bring my other sister and me closer than we've been in quite some time. She and I were up late IM'ing last night, and got to talk about all sorts of things. We discussed our other sister's situation and are planning to light a fire under her ass to get her to come home. After talking about that, we discussed other things that I'm glad we did. Very personal, very old things. Family stuff, which I'm not going to share here. Probably not ever. Stuff that personal stays on Vox, where I have full control over who gets to read it. Anyway, that talking was good for us. We've not done any really substantial talk in so long. We needed that. I feel much better about our relationship now.

The flip side, though, is that it made me wonder. Without going into too much detail, I will share some of my thoughts. We discussed family stuff, which I mentioned previously. Part of what we talked about was how neither of us remembers much of our childhood at all. It's like we've got amnesia or something. We were talking about what we did remember, and I'm now wondering if things were much worse than I remember. Did I block it all out? Do I need therapy? Do I want to dig all of this up? I really don't know. To some extent it bothers me not knowing about my childhood. You know those questions people sometimes ask, like "what's your first memory?" or "what's your favorite childhood memory" or pretty much anything along those lines. Am I more fucked up than I'd ever even considered? It could explain a lot ... but, again, do I even want to go there? Maybe it's better not knowing. I guess I have a lot to consider. It won't be now, as I'll be busy enough during DH's absence for the time being. Plus, we also have to look into the financial side. Will insurance cover this? If so, how much? Do we need a referral? If not, can we even afford it? I really hate that the financial picture has to limit this. If I need therapy, I should be able to get it. But whatever. I guess for now I'll just keep on with my considerations. There's a lot to think about and a lot to consider. I suppose I should do so on my knees, too. Pray for wisdom, discernment, etc.

So, in my ponderings, I have many things I wonder. Is healing possible if you don't even know what the injury is? I'm sure superficial healing can happen, but can true - complete - healing happen when there's no idea what's the cause of any pain? I just don't know. So, I guess I'll be in prayer about this. I really can see no other way to go about this. I'm just grateful that I have the Lord to help me discern the right way to approach this.

I am running out of things to say, so I'll just stop here. I'll likely post more about this down the road. If you read it all, thanks for reading! :-)