1. When someone asks you for a book recommendation, what is your go-to book?
Well, it depends on who it is and what they're asking for, but if they are open to Christian fiction I go with either Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers or anything by Karen Kingsbury. I also adore everything by Nicholas Sparks.
2. Do you buy your books, or are you a library patron?
I buy a lot of books and now that I have my Kindle, I buy them on Kindle. I actually have a back-log on my Kindle right now, though, so I need to hold off on buying any more. I LOVE the concept of the library, but it is so hard for me to get there, browse, and then get back to return them. Fuss just isn't patient at the library. She won't settle down long enough to let me browse, so if I don't know exactly what I want to get, I don't bother.
3. E-readers, yay or nay?
Yay! I was given 2 physical books I really really wanted to read for Christmas - and I haven't read them yet. Ugh. I LOVE to read, but it's so much easier to cart the Kindle around than a regular book.
4. What was your favorite book as a child?
I have a lot of memories of reading books as a child. The first book I couldn't put down was Betsy's Little Star (which I can't find on Amazon. I could have sworn it was by Beverly Cleary, but Amazon can't find it. The only book by that title is different from the one I remember...) I also read the book Jamie and the Mystery Quilt (also out of print) about 20 times. As a younger child, I loved The Little Engine that Could and My Goodnight Book (still a favorite. My mom bought us a copy for Fuss)
I also loved Pollyanna and The Velveteen Rabbit. My mom used to read me those books and I loved them.
As a teen, my favorite books were The Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn. (I couldn't find a listing for the whole series at once, so this is the first 3, though I preferred the stories more as they moved along to later years)
5. If you could be any character in a book, who would you be?
Hmmmm. I don't know. Anne Shirley, maybe? Love me some Anne of Green Gables!
6. What book would you love to see turned into a movie?
Possibly The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks.
7. What is your all-time favorite book?
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. LOVE. IT.
8. How many books do you read at once?
Usually a couple going on at once. Up to 5 if we're talking both fiction and non.
9. What is your favorite book genre?
Non-smutty romances like Nicholas Sparks. I also have really been into Christian romances over the past year, a nod back to my high school days, I think.
10. Which Harry Potter book is the best? Or haven’t you read them at all?
I've read them all. I think one of my favorites was The Goblet of Fire. I also really liked The Half-Blood Prince but I hesitate to call it my favorite because I hate that a beloved character died. (so that I won't spoil it for someone who might not have read it yet.)
For more 10 on Tuesday, visit Chelsea here.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
10 on Tuesday: 7-6-10
1. If given the opportunity, would you choose a mediocre job that paid well or your dream job that paid poorly?
It would depend on a lot of factors, of course, but I think my dream job (if I ever figure out what that might be) regardless of pay. It would be nice to be fulfilled on a daily basis - feeling as if your life and work count for something. I guess you could say that being a SAHM is like that - I am regularly made aware that this is a gift - getting to spend time with my daughter, to mold her and teach her and watch her grow - and that, despite the lack of money being made, it is a precious thing.
2. What is your favorite thing about the 4th of July? (For the foreigners: What is your impression of the 4th of July?)
Can I say the food? There is something about good, american food (hot dogs, apple pie, you get the idea) and having fun w/ friends and family.
3. What’s the most random fact you know about American history?
Recently found out that President John Quincy Adams used to swim nude in the Potomac River. When a female reporter found out, she showed up on the bank of the river and sat on his clothes until he granted her an interview. This was the first interview of a President done by a female reporter.
4. What is the best fireworks display you’ve ever seen?
Several years ago, i was invited to a small gathering at a casual friends' beach condo for 4th of July. We stood out on her balcony for hours and watched a panoramic view of about 6 different fireworks shows in the distance. All the sparkle, none of the crowds, sand, or noise.
5. Who taught you how to put on makeup?
My mom and then Valerie Schaeffer, my Mary Kay consultant sort of fine-tuned it. But I'm always learning new techniques for little things both from the internet, magazines, and make-up counter make overs.
6. Have you ever gone through a financial planning process? Tell us about it.
Depending on what you mean by "financial planning process" when we found out we were pregnant the first time, my husband got inspired to get on a budget, stick with it, get us out of debt and really clean up our financial issues. We did it, too and paid off the last of our credit cards in early 2009 and have a few other debts (student loans, mortgage) that we are working on, still.
7. What was your favorite outfit as a kid? Bonus points for pictures.
No pictures, unfortunately. I remember this cute little gray and baby pink dress I had that I outgrew so my mom wouldn't let me wear it by itself anymore (I outgrew it height-wise, but it still fit everywhere else, just too short.) So I wore it over some skinny pink capri pants and I thought I was the coolest thing. I wore ankle boots and pink scrunch socks (it was the early 90's) with it and I felt very much like a dancer or something. Loved it. No idea what happened to it.
8. Do you prefer a beach, lake, swimming pool, or no water?
Swimming pool. I do not like the "dirtiness" or natural water sources for swimming, if I can avoid them.
9. Do you recycle? If not, why?
Nope. Because it seems like it is more trouble than it is worth. When we had a regular recycling pick up in our neighborhood, I was great about it. When I could drop my stuff off at the school and they would turn it all in in bulk, I was fairly good about it. But now, I have to go way out of my way to "throw away garbage" and that is so unappealing to me, so I don't bother.
10. What are your thoughts and feelings about the Twilight Saga?
I succumbed to reading it just after the 3rd book came out (for some reason the cover appealed to me in Borders one day) and I enjoyed it. I thought the character of Bella was so relateable (is that a word?) and I've liked good vampire stories since Sarah Michelle Gellar played Buffy. (big Buffy fan here - but the movie was too cheesy) I thought the 4th book was a little over the top (even by comparison to the basic storyline of vampires and werewolves in general) so I was glad it ended then. I thought the first movie was horrible (I kept apologizing to my husband for making him sit through it - and we've sat through some pretty bad movies in the past...) but the second one redeemed itself and I'm interested in the 3rd. (haven't seen it yet)
For more 10 on Tuesday, click here.
It would depend on a lot of factors, of course, but I think my dream job (if I ever figure out what that might be) regardless of pay. It would be nice to be fulfilled on a daily basis - feeling as if your life and work count for something. I guess you could say that being a SAHM is like that - I am regularly made aware that this is a gift - getting to spend time with my daughter, to mold her and teach her and watch her grow - and that, despite the lack of money being made, it is a precious thing.
2. What is your favorite thing about the 4th of July? (For the foreigners: What is your impression of the 4th of July?)
Can I say the food? There is something about good, american food (hot dogs, apple pie, you get the idea) and having fun w/ friends and family.
3. What’s the most random fact you know about American history?
Recently found out that President John Quincy Adams used to swim nude in the Potomac River. When a female reporter found out, she showed up on the bank of the river and sat on his clothes until he granted her an interview. This was the first interview of a President done by a female reporter.
4. What is the best fireworks display you’ve ever seen?
Several years ago, i was invited to a small gathering at a casual friends' beach condo for 4th of July. We stood out on her balcony for hours and watched a panoramic view of about 6 different fireworks shows in the distance. All the sparkle, none of the crowds, sand, or noise.
5. Who taught you how to put on makeup?
My mom and then Valerie Schaeffer, my Mary Kay consultant sort of fine-tuned it. But I'm always learning new techniques for little things both from the internet, magazines, and make-up counter make overs.
6. Have you ever gone through a financial planning process? Tell us about it.
Depending on what you mean by "financial planning process" when we found out we were pregnant the first time, my husband got inspired to get on a budget, stick with it, get us out of debt and really clean up our financial issues. We did it, too and paid off the last of our credit cards in early 2009 and have a few other debts (student loans, mortgage) that we are working on, still.
7. What was your favorite outfit as a kid? Bonus points for pictures.
No pictures, unfortunately. I remember this cute little gray and baby pink dress I had that I outgrew so my mom wouldn't let me wear it by itself anymore (I outgrew it height-wise, but it still fit everywhere else, just too short.) So I wore it over some skinny pink capri pants and I thought I was the coolest thing. I wore ankle boots and pink scrunch socks (it was the early 90's) with it and I felt very much like a dancer or something. Loved it. No idea what happened to it.
8. Do you prefer a beach, lake, swimming pool, or no water?
Swimming pool. I do not like the "dirtiness" or natural water sources for swimming, if I can avoid them.
9. Do you recycle? If not, why?
Nope. Because it seems like it is more trouble than it is worth. When we had a regular recycling pick up in our neighborhood, I was great about it. When I could drop my stuff off at the school and they would turn it all in in bulk, I was fairly good about it. But now, I have to go way out of my way to "throw away garbage" and that is so unappealing to me, so I don't bother.
10. What are your thoughts and feelings about the Twilight Saga?
I succumbed to reading it just after the 3rd book came out (for some reason the cover appealed to me in Borders one day) and I enjoyed it. I thought the character of Bella was so relateable (is that a word?) and I've liked good vampire stories since Sarah Michelle Gellar played Buffy. (big Buffy fan here - but the movie was too cheesy) I thought the 4th book was a little over the top (even by comparison to the basic storyline of vampires and werewolves in general) so I was glad it ended then. I thought the first movie was horrible (I kept apologizing to my husband for making him sit through it - and we've sat through some pretty bad movies in the past...) but the second one redeemed itself and I'm interested in the 3rd. (haven't seen it yet)
For more 10 on Tuesday, click here.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Random Stuff on a Wednesday
1. My friend Jo had her baby yesterday after successfully completing a home birth VBAC. Her little girl was born healthy and fine and while the way she tells the story, it was WAY more intense than she thought it was going to be, I think it all went well.
2. My daughter has begun to notice the marketing, even on PBS where really the only major sponsors are the "Raisin Lady" (Sunmade Raisins) and now she looks in the pantry and asks for raisins and says "there's the Raisin Lady, right there!"
3. She has taken to making up songs and singing them to me/us several times a day. She tries to get us to sing along, but usually they are gibberish with no real tune, so we can either say we don't know that song or we can just make up something as she dances and sings and bee-bops around.
4. I just finished Take Three by Karen Kingsbury and I think it might be one of her best so far. She did an incredible job of making you want more (there is another book in the series) and also satisfying you with the story lines moving forward in the direction you were SO ready to have them move in. It also looks like she is finally going to show a good side of a positive, domestic adoption (in several of her books, I feel like she is giving such a bad light to those, and I feel like she's not giving them justice.)
5. My Gramma gave me some money yesterday to buy something for Fuss. She said either something fun or diapers or whatever she needs. She always needs diapers, of course, but the only other things she REALLY needs right now is another pair of shoes. Since we are still buying predominantly Stride Rite shoes, the money will only pay for about half, but that would still be useful! But at the same time, I would love to get her something fun, too - my top thoughts are either this plastic tea party set I've seen that she seems really interested in or an Abby Cadabby doll I saw recently that she was enamored with at a restaurant the other day. I want to get her something for when the baby comes (or the showers, not sure yet) so she doesn't feel like she is the only one not getting presents, etc. Decisions, decisions.
6. Work today. And then we are meeting my husband for lunch. I'm hoping for sushi, since we just discovered that our favorite local sushi restaurant went out of business when we tried to get some on Monday night. I am bummed.
2. My daughter has begun to notice the marketing, even on PBS where really the only major sponsors are the "Raisin Lady" (Sunmade Raisins) and now she looks in the pantry and asks for raisins and says "there's the Raisin Lady, right there!"
3. She has taken to making up songs and singing them to me/us several times a day. She tries to get us to sing along, but usually they are gibberish with no real tune, so we can either say we don't know that song or we can just make up something as she dances and sings and bee-bops around.
4. I just finished Take Three by Karen Kingsbury and I think it might be one of her best so far. She did an incredible job of making you want more (there is another book in the series) and also satisfying you with the story lines moving forward in the direction you were SO ready to have them move in. It also looks like she is finally going to show a good side of a positive, domestic adoption (in several of her books, I feel like she is giving such a bad light to those, and I feel like she's not giving them justice.)
5. My Gramma gave me some money yesterday to buy something for Fuss. She said either something fun or diapers or whatever she needs. She always needs diapers, of course, but the only other things she REALLY needs right now is another pair of shoes. Since we are still buying predominantly Stride Rite shoes, the money will only pay for about half, but that would still be useful! But at the same time, I would love to get her something fun, too - my top thoughts are either this plastic tea party set I've seen that she seems really interested in or an Abby Cadabby doll I saw recently that she was enamored with at a restaurant the other day. I want to get her something for when the baby comes (or the showers, not sure yet) so she doesn't feel like she is the only one not getting presents, etc. Decisions, decisions.
6. Work today. And then we are meeting my husband for lunch. I'm hoping for sushi, since we just discovered that our favorite local sushi restaurant went out of business when we tried to get some on Monday night. I am bummed.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Book Reviews
I’ve been really bad about keeping a list of books I’ve read recently. But here’s what I can remember…
Family and Forever by Karen Kingsbury: These are the last two books in her 2nd Baxter series (Firstborn series) and they were really great with a lot of focus on Katy and Dane and starting to show more of the Flannigan family (who are based on Ms. Kingsbury’s own family). I was sad to see the series come to an end, but there was another series that followed, which brings me to…
Sunset by Karen Kingsbury: I did everything all goofy, so I ended up reading bits and pieces of each series all at the same time, depending on which books I could get from which library. My church has them, and the 2 city libraries near here have them. But I was obviously not the only person to be reading them, so… Anyhow, this was the final installment of the 3rd and final Baxter series. They’ve already begun showing up as minor characters in the Above the Line series, but she says she’s done writing about them as the main characters. I loved this book, though it was bittersweet to have it end. And as a side note, it finally told me what the real point of having a VBAC was, as opposed to just wanting to do a natural birth for the heck of it. (FWIW, the answer is that it is better for a baby’s lungs to be pushed through the birth canal – more mucus and fluid is pushed out that way. I think I knew that, but that seemed to make more sense than the answer that I’ve heard from some about “I just want to know that I can do it” or whatnot.)
A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury: Obviously, I am a fan of this author. My grandmother gave me this book and I liked it, but I wished she hadn’t. It’s about 2 people who are rodeo participants who fall in love. That’s the good part. But the girl in the story has cystic fibrosis (what my nephews have) and she really struggles with it and the end of the book is very sad. There are lessons learned and a good point to the story, but I kind of wish I hadn’t read it, because when I think about it, it makes me sad for the kind of life that my nephews will have to lead eventually.
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin: My BFF gave me this book for my birthday and I really enjoyed it, even though it’s about a best friend who steals her friend’s fiancé only a few months before her wedding (the wedding was cancelled a week before the wedding date) and I kind of hate that sort of thing. But it was a fun book, despite that plotline and it intrigued me enough that I also read
Something Blue by Emily Giffin: This was the sequel to the above book and it talked about what the dumped friend did after she found out her best friend was having an affair with her fiancé. I remember telling my husband about halfway through the book that this girl was really stupid and if she never grew up, I was going to be really ticked off, but she did come to a mature realization at some point and did grow up and realized her mistakes and grew up. So that was good. I know that I tend to want to shake characters sometimes when they could so easily fix their problems by just COMMUNICATING or just doing one thing or whatever. I tend to get really wrapped up in what is going on in it and I think sometimes I bug my husband because I am always reading him some passage or talking about the plot like it’s real. But I liked the evolution of this character enough that I then went on to read…
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin: This is a new set of characters, but since they all originate in NYC somehow, the old characters are minor characters in this book (and in another there is a minor character from the first one as well) and it all flows well together. This one was good, and I liked the character, but I didn’t relate quite as well to her, since her big thing was that she didn’t want to have a child and I have never felt that way. I always knew I wanted to be a mother. But the character had a lot of depth and despite her anti-maternal feelings, I still understood her, which I thought was impressive. I am really loving this author.
Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin: I liked this one, because while I don't have exactly the same feelings for my ex (he's a real bastard), I do have an odd curiosity to run into him some how and show let him see how awesome my life is without him. With a handful of chapters to go, I was seriously debating how much damage would be done to the book if I threw it across the room if it actually ended where I thought it was heading... Since it was a library book, I was glad that she redeemed the character in the end and I didn't have to make that choice.
It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong: I’ve mentioned this here* and here* so I won’t expound too much. But I love reading bloggers books and plan to read a couple more*(Rattled!) that are already out and buy a couple that are coming out* (Alexa) in the future* (Matt). And if someone would let me read her novel….
Mommy Tracked by Whitney Gaskell: I sort of just came across this book and author while perusing the stacks at the library and the title jumped out at me. It seemed light and my type of easy reading, so I grabbed it. It was great. Perfect for mommys who wonder if they are all alone in their stresses, no matter what those stresses happen to be. The characters are a single mother, a working mother of 2 (who has a stay at home house husband), a mother-to-be, and a SAH mother of 3 (or 4, now I can’t remember) and I loved it. So read this one the next time you need some mommy-related fun and encouragement.
Testing Kate by Whitney Gaskell: Once upon a time I volunteered at Teen Court for my community service credits in high school. I loved it. I loved being part of the legal system. (I’ll have to tell you more about the experience in another post) So this book about a law student and her friends at Tulane (New Orleans! I LOVE New Orleans!) was fun for me. It also was a good reminder that sometimes you have to take the time to figure out what it is you want to do with your life instead of just following the plan you THINK you’re on. A good lesson, sometimes.
I also attempted to read a book called SuperMom and I got about 5 or 6 chapters in and quit. Seriously. It was that bad. She was changed into a super hero by breathing in a bad mixture of cleaning products in an unventilated space. She squirted out cleaning fluid like Spiderman shot out the webs. Yeah. I rarely quit books without finishing them, but I just couldn't read this one anymore.
Family and Forever by Karen Kingsbury: These are the last two books in her 2nd Baxter series (Firstborn series) and they were really great with a lot of focus on Katy and Dane and starting to show more of the Flannigan family (who are based on Ms. Kingsbury’s own family). I was sad to see the series come to an end, but there was another series that followed, which brings me to…
Sunset by Karen Kingsbury: I did everything all goofy, so I ended up reading bits and pieces of each series all at the same time, depending on which books I could get from which library. My church has them, and the 2 city libraries near here have them. But I was obviously not the only person to be reading them, so… Anyhow, this was the final installment of the 3rd and final Baxter series. They’ve already begun showing up as minor characters in the Above the Line series, but she says she’s done writing about them as the main characters. I loved this book, though it was bittersweet to have it end. And as a side note, it finally told me what the real point of having a VBAC was, as opposed to just wanting to do a natural birth for the heck of it. (FWIW, the answer is that it is better for a baby’s lungs to be pushed through the birth canal – more mucus and fluid is pushed out that way. I think I knew that, but that seemed to make more sense than the answer that I’ve heard from some about “I just want to know that I can do it” or whatnot.)
A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury: Obviously, I am a fan of this author. My grandmother gave me this book and I liked it, but I wished she hadn’t. It’s about 2 people who are rodeo participants who fall in love. That’s the good part. But the girl in the story has cystic fibrosis (what my nephews have) and she really struggles with it and the end of the book is very sad. There are lessons learned and a good point to the story, but I kind of wish I hadn’t read it, because when I think about it, it makes me sad for the kind of life that my nephews will have to lead eventually.
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin: My BFF gave me this book for my birthday and I really enjoyed it, even though it’s about a best friend who steals her friend’s fiancé only a few months before her wedding (the wedding was cancelled a week before the wedding date) and I kind of hate that sort of thing. But it was a fun book, despite that plotline and it intrigued me enough that I also read
Something Blue by Emily Giffin: This was the sequel to the above book and it talked about what the dumped friend did after she found out her best friend was having an affair with her fiancé. I remember telling my husband about halfway through the book that this girl was really stupid and if she never grew up, I was going to be really ticked off, but she did come to a mature realization at some point and did grow up and realized her mistakes and grew up. So that was good. I know that I tend to want to shake characters sometimes when they could so easily fix their problems by just COMMUNICATING or just doing one thing or whatever. I tend to get really wrapped up in what is going on in it and I think sometimes I bug my husband because I am always reading him some passage or talking about the plot like it’s real. But I liked the evolution of this character enough that I then went on to read…
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin: This is a new set of characters, but since they all originate in NYC somehow, the old characters are minor characters in this book (and in another there is a minor character from the first one as well) and it all flows well together. This one was good, and I liked the character, but I didn’t relate quite as well to her, since her big thing was that she didn’t want to have a child and I have never felt that way. I always knew I wanted to be a mother. But the character had a lot of depth and despite her anti-maternal feelings, I still understood her, which I thought was impressive. I am really loving this author.
Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin: I liked this one, because while I don't have exactly the same feelings for my ex (he's a real bastard), I do have an odd curiosity to run into him some how and show let him see how awesome my life is without him. With a handful of chapters to go, I was seriously debating how much damage would be done to the book if I threw it across the room if it actually ended where I thought it was heading... Since it was a library book, I was glad that she redeemed the character in the end and I didn't have to make that choice.
It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong: I’ve mentioned this here* and here* so I won’t expound too much. But I love reading bloggers books and plan to read a couple more*(Rattled!) that are already out and buy a couple that are coming out* (Alexa) in the future* (Matt). And if someone would let me read her novel….
Mommy Tracked by Whitney Gaskell: I sort of just came across this book and author while perusing the stacks at the library and the title jumped out at me. It seemed light and my type of easy reading, so I grabbed it. It was great. Perfect for mommys who wonder if they are all alone in their stresses, no matter what those stresses happen to be. The characters are a single mother, a working mother of 2 (who has a stay at home house husband), a mother-to-be, and a SAH mother of 3 (or 4, now I can’t remember) and I loved it. So read this one the next time you need some mommy-related fun and encouragement.
Testing Kate by Whitney Gaskell: Once upon a time I volunteered at Teen Court for my community service credits in high school. I loved it. I loved being part of the legal system. (I’ll have to tell you more about the experience in another post) So this book about a law student and her friends at Tulane (New Orleans! I LOVE New Orleans!) was fun for me. It also was a good reminder that sometimes you have to take the time to figure out what it is you want to do with your life instead of just following the plan you THINK you’re on. A good lesson, sometimes.
I also attempted to read a book called SuperMom and I got about 5 or 6 chapters in and quit. Seriously. It was that bad. She was changed into a super hero by breathing in a bad mixture of cleaning products in an unventilated space. She squirted out cleaning fluid like Spiderman shot out the webs. Yeah. I rarely quit books without finishing them, but I just couldn't read this one anymore.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Mommy Words Name Game (meme)
1. Do you have any cultural or religious naming traditions?
We have no mandatory cultural or religious naming traditions to follow, but we do both really like Celtic-based names and we both come from Celtic origins (Scottish and Irish), though for our first child we didn't actually choose one from that group. (I guess it's got some English origins, though)
2. Did you or your partner come to the marriage with pre-selected names?
Yes. My husband wants our first boy to be a 3rd. I also had a girl's name picked out that I loved, but ultimately, I changed my mind and we didn't use it. It didn't even make my short list at all.
3. Did you consider the sound of the first and middle and last names together? Did this make any sad eliminations?
Yes. Oh yes. And we looked at initials, too so that no "bad words" were spelled out by the initials. Our last name starts with a C so RA and SA were out. One of my favorite names Rebecca Aimee was eliminated because of that combination faux pas.
4. Do you have veto powers?
Both of us had veto powers over things we hated, though I can't veto his "the 3rd" and he takes a step back to girls' names if I insist.
5. Did the baby naming cause arguments?
Not really. we have a lot of similar tastes. And while there are some beautiful names that really don't fit with our last name and his logic ultimately made sense. We didn't fight but there were a lot of "really? you don't like that?" questions.
6. Do you think it is easier to name boys or girls?
Boys. We have a MUCH shorter list for boys than girls.
7. Did you eliminate names because of people from your past or present who you don’t like or because a certain image comes to mind.
Yes!!!! There are a few names I would have put on our short list in a heartbeat, but one of us hated because of negative associations.
8. Did you / would you survey your children to get their thoughts on the name?
Nope. We are much too opinionated to let other people decide what gets to be our decision. We only have the one kid, so far, and we already made the decisions on our next child whether a boy or a girl.
9. Did you tell people the name or possibler names before the baby was born or were they “in the vault”?
We were planning to take 2 secret names to the hospital and decide then. But when it became apparent what the final answer was around 7.5 months, we went ahead an announced it. But we stipulated that we didn't want to hear any negative feedback at all - the decision was final. We also stipulated that we controlled the the nicknaming options - there were some obvious nicknames that we hated, so we wanted to control of that.
10. Did you use baby name books?
Yes! I have a collection. But my favorite, by far is The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg. She also has a website full of information and runs a weekly blog. Laura's book doesn't deal with meanings, so I also have a couple of name dictionaries, since meanings are very important to us. 100,000 Baby Names is my most comprehensive.
Drumroll Please…What did you name your kids and why? Well, here, I call her The Fuss. But, obviously that isn't the name on her birth certificate. :)
We chose a very classic name. My qualifications were that I loved to say it over and over, that at least part of it (first or middle or both) had to have a nice meaning, I really wanted to have an association with a song, and I wanted us to just feel right. Her name is related to my husband's name and she has his initials. Her middle name is the name of one of our favorite female historical figures (and my husband is a history buff, so it's even more important). I had a requirement that her name not be in the top 50 of the several previous years Social Security popularity stats. Her middle name is in the top 10 and if it wasn't, we might have actually reversed the order of them. :)
This Meme is brought to you by Brittany of Mommy Words.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Reading List
I've mentioned a couple of times over the last couple of weeks that I have recently gotten interested in reading Karen Kingsbury books. I got started with Take One. I haven't yet gotten ahold of the second book, but I will eventually! :)
But I've been reading the Baxter series(es? - what is the multiple of series?) and I am enjoying them so much!
Unfortunately for me, I'm trying to read them by checking them out of various libraries, and I don't have access to them all in the proper order. I have read the first 3 of the 3rd series (Sunset, Sunrise, et al), the first 2 of the 1st series and I just finished the 1st book and began the 2nd one of the 2nd series (Fame, Forgiveness). I'm jumping around, obviously, and it takes the mystery out of some of it having read books from later series, but they are still wonderful and I am still really enjoying the characters.
I highly recommend them to any and all who are interested in a good, wholesome read with wonderfully complex characters (some are more ocmplex than others, but that's life, isn't it? Reminds me of the line from Veronica Mars when Logan says "you're not to complicated, are you Dick?" and Dick says, "I try not to be.")
But I've been reading the Baxter series(es? - what is the multiple of series?) and I am enjoying them so much!
Unfortunately for me, I'm trying to read them by checking them out of various libraries, and I don't have access to them all in the proper order. I have read the first 3 of the 3rd series (Sunset, Sunrise, et al), the first 2 of the 1st series and I just finished the 1st book and began the 2nd one of the 2nd series (Fame, Forgiveness). I'm jumping around, obviously, and it takes the mystery out of some of it having read books from later series, but they are still wonderful and I am still really enjoying the characters.
I highly recommend them to any and all who are interested in a good, wholesome read with wonderfully complex characters (some are more ocmplex than others, but that's life, isn't it? Reminds me of the line from Veronica Mars when Logan says "you're not to complicated, are you Dick?" and Dick says, "I try not to be.")
Monday, August 17, 2009
Booky, booky book book
Don't ask about the title. I'm feelin' a little weird.
I read The Time Traveler's Wife this weekend. I have been watching the previews for the movie and since I LOVE Rachel McAdams I certainly want to see it. My mother ingrained in me as a child that you read the book before you watch the movie, so when she bought the book at Target and offered it to me to read first (I'm a speed-reader and she bought another book, too, so I was guaranteed to have it done by the time she was ready for it) I took her up on it.
I had been told that it was a little weird and hard to get through, etc. And it was a little odd with the jumping around in time and age, etc. but the story was engaging and beautiful. I was hooked after the first few chapters and while often a book with a "change of voice" (where you read from the perspective of multiple characters) sometimes drives me crazy, I liked it in this case.
I HATED the ending. I could think of half a dozen ways they could have ended it differently and better. Sometimes I think an ending is horrible, but you can't really come up with an alternate ending, but this time there was so much more that could have been done. I seriously hope they do something different in the movie. Whether they change it (as I've seen a gazillion times in movies lately) or simply simplify and clarify, it really hope there is a noticeable difference.
It was nicely put together, though. Until the last little bit, I was entranced with the story and the plot and the characters. I've also been very attracted to the name Claire lately (the one in the story is spelled "Clare") so that intrigued me even more. (I'm a name-aholic, what can I say? I love stories with good names.)
I read The Time Traveler's Wife this weekend. I have been watching the previews for the movie and since I LOVE Rachel McAdams I certainly want to see it. My mother ingrained in me as a child that you read the book before you watch the movie, so when she bought the book at Target and offered it to me to read first (I'm a speed-reader and she bought another book, too, so I was guaranteed to have it done by the time she was ready for it) I took her up on it.
I had been told that it was a little weird and hard to get through, etc. And it was a little odd with the jumping around in time and age, etc. but the story was engaging and beautiful. I was hooked after the first few chapters and while often a book with a "change of voice" (where you read from the perspective of multiple characters) sometimes drives me crazy, I liked it in this case.
I HATED the ending. I could think of half a dozen ways they could have ended it differently and better. Sometimes I think an ending is horrible, but you can't really come up with an alternate ending, but this time there was so much more that could have been done. I seriously hope they do something different in the movie. Whether they change it (as I've seen a gazillion times in movies lately) or simply simplify and clarify, it really hope there is a noticeable difference.
It was nicely put together, though. Until the last little bit, I was entranced with the story and the plot and the characters. I've also been very attracted to the name Claire lately (the one in the story is spelled "Clare") so that intrigued me even more. (I'm a name-aholic, what can I say? I love stories with good names.)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Book Reviews (June '09)
I got this idea from here and thought it was great. I'm an avid reader, so my list is long (usually). I don't have any definite goals to my reading as far as numbers go, but I thought I'd share some of the books I've read recently and tell you a little bit about them.
1. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult: Loved it. Could have done without the last 2 chapters (or at least should have had a tissue), but it was really great. This was my first Picoult and I admit that I read it because I want to go see the movie (my mother ingrained in me that you read the book, then watch the movie)but I will be picking up more of her books in the future.
2. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah: This was my other vacation book and I loved it. It's about 2 friends who meet when they're in 8th grade or something and stay friends for decades. Through thick and thin (and sick and sin - lots of points to anyone who can tell me where that quote is from). It reminded me a lot of my childhood best friend and I had a really long email conversation with her to sort of rekindle our friendship.
3. Happens Every Day by Isabel Gilies: My SIL lent me this book and it wasn't what I expected at all. She kept telling me it was by the woman who played Stabler's wife on SVU and I guess I was just not expecting what it was - an autobiographical tale of how her marriage unraveled. It was really interesting, and by the end, I was very happy with the fact that I had read it.
4. The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers: I've read this book several times over the last 7 years or so. It is sad and poignant and heartbreaking and emotional. It's not light reading, but it hits on a very tricky subject (the main character was raped and got pregnant from it and her life was turned upside down because of it).
5. Take One by Karen Kingsbury: This book made me a Kingsbury fan. It's Christian fiction. I like Christian fiction, but struggle with the lack of realism sometimes. I always feel like the characters are too pure or too perfect or come to knew realizations too easily. But this book was AWESOME. I loved how real the characters seemed. It's the first in a series and I am chomping at the bit to pick up the next one and I'm looking forward to reading her other series's as well. I actually discovered that I have another of her books in my shelf and have picked it up to read beginning this week. I don't know why I didn't take my Gramma's recommendation (she has yet to steer me wrong) and read this author long ago.
That was the month of June. I'm still reading a bunch of parenting books that I began in June, but I won't mention them in review until I'm done - or closer to done with them, but suffice it to say I'm picking up a lot of info from them.
Hope you have the chance to check out these books!
1. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult: Loved it. Could have done without the last 2 chapters (or at least should have had a tissue), but it was really great. This was my first Picoult and I admit that I read it because I want to go see the movie (my mother ingrained in me that you read the book, then watch the movie)but I will be picking up more of her books in the future.
2. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah: This was my other vacation book and I loved it. It's about 2 friends who meet when they're in 8th grade or something and stay friends for decades. Through thick and thin (and sick and sin - lots of points to anyone who can tell me where that quote is from). It reminded me a lot of my childhood best friend and I had a really long email conversation with her to sort of rekindle our friendship.
3. Happens Every Day by Isabel Gilies: My SIL lent me this book and it wasn't what I expected at all. She kept telling me it was by the woman who played Stabler's wife on SVU and I guess I was just not expecting what it was - an autobiographical tale of how her marriage unraveled. It was really interesting, and by the end, I was very happy with the fact that I had read it.
4. The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers: I've read this book several times over the last 7 years or so. It is sad and poignant and heartbreaking and emotional. It's not light reading, but it hits on a very tricky subject (the main character was raped and got pregnant from it and her life was turned upside down because of it).
5. Take One by Karen Kingsbury: This book made me a Kingsbury fan. It's Christian fiction. I like Christian fiction, but struggle with the lack of realism sometimes. I always feel like the characters are too pure or too perfect or come to knew realizations too easily. But this book was AWESOME. I loved how real the characters seemed. It's the first in a series and I am chomping at the bit to pick up the next one and I'm looking forward to reading her other series's as well. I actually discovered that I have another of her books in my shelf and have picked it up to read beginning this week. I don't know why I didn't take my Gramma's recommendation (she has yet to steer me wrong) and read this author long ago.
That was the month of June. I'm still reading a bunch of parenting books that I began in June, but I won't mention them in review until I'm done - or closer to done with them, but suffice it to say I'm picking up a lot of info from them.
Hope you have the chance to check out these books!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Book (series) review
I've been meaning to write about one of my favorite series of adulthood, The O'Malley series by Dee Henderson. I love this series and have read it through several times over the last few years.
The characters are a lot of fun - they have depth and warmth and faults, etc. It's Christian fiction with a Christian message(and a little romance and a little mystery) without being too preachy or too goody-goody, which I find in a lot of Christian fiction.
Each book deals with a different member of the O'Malley family - a group of orphans who met in a foster-type house in Chicago and legally changed their names once they reached adulthood to become their own family. And each book deals with a doubt or question about the Lord or hurdle to coming to the Lord based on their own history.
In the first book, Kate, deals with the aspect of God as a loving father vs. her own history of her father not being loving at all (she was removed from her home at the age of 9 because of his abuse).
The second book, Marcus's story, deals with the belief in prayer from the perspective of a man who, as a child, prayed for his mother to be healed and lost her anyway.
In the third book, Lisa who is now a forensic scientist who deals with investigating deaths for the police, deals with the resurrection.
There are 6 books and a prequel in this series. Each member of the family is a public servant of sorts (a cop/hostage negotiator, a US Marshall, a firefighter, a paramedic, a crisis counselor for the Red Cross, a pediatrician) in each story the main character finds the Lord, peace with their own history and love.
If you are looking for a series to dig into, this is a really good choice.
The characters are a lot of fun - they have depth and warmth and faults, etc. It's Christian fiction with a Christian message(and a little romance and a little mystery) without being too preachy or too goody-goody, which I find in a lot of Christian fiction.
Each book deals with a different member of the O'Malley family - a group of orphans who met in a foster-type house in Chicago and legally changed their names once they reached adulthood to become their own family. And each book deals with a doubt or question about the Lord or hurdle to coming to the Lord based on their own history.
In the first book, Kate, deals with the aspect of God as a loving father vs. her own history of her father not being loving at all (she was removed from her home at the age of 9 because of his abuse).
The second book, Marcus's story, deals with the belief in prayer from the perspective of a man who, as a child, prayed for his mother to be healed and lost her anyway.
In the third book, Lisa who is now a forensic scientist who deals with investigating deaths for the police, deals with the resurrection.
There are 6 books and a prequel in this series. Each member of the family is a public servant of sorts (a cop/hostage negotiator, a US Marshall, a firefighter, a paramedic, a crisis counselor for the Red Cross, a pediatrician) in each story the main character finds the Lord, peace with their own history and love.
If you are looking for a series to dig into, this is a really good choice.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Injustice, In-laws and Illness.
We had a weird weekend. Of course, I started with the more intense morning sickness (the all-day type) on Thursday, so I’m feeling gross and tired, etc. Mr. Moose has family in from out of town (Aunt B. Uncle D and Cousin J and her daughter) and so everyone came over for dinner on Saturday night. We made the announcement to the extended family with a joint email to all of them, but since these family members haven’t been near a computer for a week – we told them in person. Mr. Moose’s mom suggested that I make my announcement. I made mine, and asked her if she wanted to tell the other half. She said, “no, you go ahead” and I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet and sister J yells “LB is pregnant!” at the top of her lungs and there were cheers and applause from everyone.
I know that LB has had everyone (and I do mean everyone) intimately involved with her quest for a child for over a year now. Everyone has prayed and been concerned about her potential infertility, etc. so they are more invested in the outcome. How come I sometimes feel like I’m being punished for keeping private things private? Everyone is so excited about LB’s baby – what about ours?
I know, I’m being selfish. I am genuinely happy that LB is having a child – this child will be loved and cared for by two parents who will truly cherish him or her for the miracle/blessing they are. My child will, too. And ultimately, these two cousins will probably love to get together and share their birthdays, etc. But right now I want to relish the moment of being pregnant. And I hate that I feel inferior to my SIL.
Cousin J took the reigns later and showed me “exactly” what I will need – no more no less. She’s very pushy about her opinions and so I did a lot of smiling and nodding. Some of the contraptions she showed me were cool – stuff I didn’t even know they made – but to assume I had no one else to give me input, or that I was incapable of researching and making these decisions on my own… that was frustrating for me. Sure, that may be fact for her child, but every baby is different. They wouldn’t make a dozen different options with the same safety rating if there were no different preferences out there.
On another subject: I’m currently reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter which was loaned to me by a co-worker about a week ago. Since Harry Potter is too large to carry in my purse, I’m reading both simultaneously. The book is about twins – a boy and girl. In 1964 when they were born, the boy was born and he was fine and healthy. But when the girl was delivered, she bore the signs of having Downs Syndrome. Her father, the doctor, gave her to the nurse to be placed in an institution and told his wife the baby died. The nurse ran off with the baby and raised her as her own. It saddens and disturbs me to think that people would have those thoughts about a child. Several times in the book, things are said to the “mother” that are absolutely horrible. At 6 years old she is stung by a bee and has an allergic reaction. She is hurried to the ER and she has nearly stopped breathing. When the nurse realizes that she has Downs she actually asks “do you really want me to call the doctor?” with the thought that maybe it would be better if the child died than lived with her problem. That’s sick.
I don’t want my child to have Downs. I pray each day for a healthy baby, but there is no way I would treat my child like that, or stand for her/him to be treated in that way. I pray that today (though not so far away from the early 1970’s) people have learned and are more tolerant of other’s differences.
The morning sickness lasts most of the day these days. I can usually count on a major queasy feeling followed by excessive gagging/vomiting in the mid-afternoon. I don’t think I’d even mind so much if the spasms didn’t freaking HURT my tummy.
I go back and forth feeling good about my maternity clothes and not. I love them for the comfort and I have no problem with people seeing me as pregnant at this point, but I don’t like looking FAT. Ugh.
Dinner at BURNS this weekend, so my mom and I are going shopping for a dress tomorrow. NOTHING nice fits me, so I MUST find something both dressy enough for a fancy dinner and office appropriate so I can also wear it to work.
I know that LB has had everyone (and I do mean everyone) intimately involved with her quest for a child for over a year now. Everyone has prayed and been concerned about her potential infertility, etc. so they are more invested in the outcome. How come I sometimes feel like I’m being punished for keeping private things private? Everyone is so excited about LB’s baby – what about ours?
I know, I’m being selfish. I am genuinely happy that LB is having a child – this child will be loved and cared for by two parents who will truly cherish him or her for the miracle/blessing they are. My child will, too. And ultimately, these two cousins will probably love to get together and share their birthdays, etc. But right now I want to relish the moment of being pregnant. And I hate that I feel inferior to my SIL.
Cousin J took the reigns later and showed me “exactly” what I will need – no more no less. She’s very pushy about her opinions and so I did a lot of smiling and nodding. Some of the contraptions she showed me were cool – stuff I didn’t even know they made – but to assume I had no one else to give me input, or that I was incapable of researching and making these decisions on my own… that was frustrating for me. Sure, that may be fact for her child, but every baby is different. They wouldn’t make a dozen different options with the same safety rating if there were no different preferences out there.
On another subject: I’m currently reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter which was loaned to me by a co-worker about a week ago. Since Harry Potter is too large to carry in my purse, I’m reading both simultaneously. The book is about twins – a boy and girl. In 1964 when they were born, the boy was born and he was fine and healthy. But when the girl was delivered, she bore the signs of having Downs Syndrome. Her father, the doctor, gave her to the nurse to be placed in an institution and told his wife the baby died. The nurse ran off with the baby and raised her as her own. It saddens and disturbs me to think that people would have those thoughts about a child. Several times in the book, things are said to the “mother” that are absolutely horrible. At 6 years old she is stung by a bee and has an allergic reaction. She is hurried to the ER and she has nearly stopped breathing. When the nurse realizes that she has Downs she actually asks “do you really want me to call the doctor?” with the thought that maybe it would be better if the child died than lived with her problem. That’s sick.
I don’t want my child to have Downs. I pray each day for a healthy baby, but there is no way I would treat my child like that, or stand for her/him to be treated in that way. I pray that today (though not so far away from the early 1970’s) people have learned and are more tolerant of other’s differences.
The morning sickness lasts most of the day these days. I can usually count on a major queasy feeling followed by excessive gagging/vomiting in the mid-afternoon. I don’t think I’d even mind so much if the spasms didn’t freaking HURT my tummy.
I go back and forth feeling good about my maternity clothes and not. I love them for the comfort and I have no problem with people seeing me as pregnant at this point, but I don’t like looking FAT. Ugh.
Dinner at BURNS this weekend, so my mom and I are going shopping for a dress tomorrow. NOTHING nice fits me, so I MUST find something both dressy enough for a fancy dinner and office appropriate so I can also wear it to work.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Those steamy romances...
I recently read “Everyone Worth Knowing” by Lauren Weisberger. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoyed The Devil Wear’s Prada. This was even better. Partially because I didn’t want to constantly wring the main character’s neck every other page for being so stupid and partially because, well, I don’t know. I just liked it.
Anyhow, the main character, Bette (pronounced like Midler, not Davis) has this book club. They’re addicted to those romance novels that many people read and very few people admit to. I’m totally jealous. I would love to be in a group like that. I love those movies that portray a story that’s just a bit far-fetched in the romance department. A little risky, a little dangerous. In fact, I recently watched A Friend’s Betrayal on Lifetime last night (or the first half since I was TiVo-ing 2 things already for the second half of the movie, I had to give it up.) Brian Austin Green plays an 18 yr old who falls in love with his mother’s high school best friend. It was a great movie. Not cinematically, but just really addicting. I also loved the remake of Notorius with John Shea and Jenny Robertson.
I love romance books. They’re “trash” but so addictive. Other than our old seamstress, I don’t know anyone who reads them, but I love them. Crazy, huh?
Anyhow, the main character, Bette (pronounced like Midler, not Davis) has this book club. They’re addicted to those romance novels that many people read and very few people admit to. I’m totally jealous. I would love to be in a group like that. I love those movies that portray a story that’s just a bit far-fetched in the romance department. A little risky, a little dangerous. In fact, I recently watched A Friend’s Betrayal on Lifetime last night (or the first half since I was TiVo-ing 2 things already for the second half of the movie, I had to give it up.) Brian Austin Green plays an 18 yr old who falls in love with his mother’s high school best friend. It was a great movie. Not cinematically, but just really addicting. I also loved the remake of Notorius with John Shea and Jenny Robertson.
I love romance books. They’re “trash” but so addictive. Other than our old seamstress, I don’t know anyone who reads them, but I love them. Crazy, huh?
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