Book Review

I just finished reading a book. For the past year or so, I have really been on a kick for reading books that I read as a child. I have also been reading books that Savannah expressed interest in. It has been a lot of fun, and I have really enjoyed going back in time, through a book anyway, to the things that excited me years and years ago.

So, this is the most recent book I have finished-
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's "Frankenstein."
I had to read this book in my 9th grade Honor's English class. Anyone else from Mrs. Roach's class reading this?!!?!! At the time, I remember thinking it was a little too long in parts, and it really wasn't one of my favorite reads from that class.
Oddly enough, when I began to re-read it a couple weeks ago, none of it seemed familiar to me. Isn't that strange? There were a few parts of the book that seemed kind of familiar, but, by and large, I felt as if I was reading it for the very first time.
To be fair, it has been twenty years since I was in 9th grade, but still, I found it so strange that most of the book was very new to me.

Result of reading it a second time?

I LOVED this book! It moved me in so many ways, and brought so much to my attention.
Colby will not be at all surprised by this, but I cried. Three or four times throughout reading this.
I cried for The Creature. A lot. My heart breaks for him, and I found myself wanting to yell and scream at the book, and show my contempt for how badly and horribly The Creature was treated. I found myself wanting to yell and scream at Frankenstein, for the odious and rotten way that he treated The Creature. I felt that his mistreatment of The Creature was infinitely more sad and unforgivable than the suffering caused by others.
Even so, I also found myself feeling slightly sympathetic and sorry for Frankenstein. It is hard for me to describe, but, I felt bad for him sometimes. He made a terrible mistake, yes, but, he really saw no way to correct it, or to make things right, without inflicting terrible sadness on himself, on the people in his life that he loved, and on the general human population at large.
I still find him to be mostly a "bad guy," but, at times, I did pity him.

Really, I loved this book. It just might be one of my favorites. It was a book that made me think of scientific ethical dilemmas. It made me think of religious and societal dilemmas.
It made me think.

I have nothing against books that are read merely for fun. I LOVE books (and movies, for that matter) like that. Sometimes I just want to read something and laugh, or enjoy simply for enjoyment's sake.

But, I also love books that make me think, long after I have finished reading them. Books that inspire thought and debate, sorrow and pity, anger and fear, and many other emotions.
Books that seem to arouse your mind and intellect, and seem to stir your very soul.

I loved "Frankenstein."
5 stars.


Next up: Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities."
I had to read this in high school at some point.

(although I just got an e-mail from the library, and one of the books I had on hold has come in. Grrrrr!! Should I continue with Dickens, or should I pick up Jules Verne's "A Castle in Transylvania?")

Hey, sports fans...

Charlotte is not a fan of sports, generally speaking. Not a great shock to anyone, I imagine. Still, she has seen her big sister play soccer for two seasons a year, for the last 5 years; or, in other words, for Charlotte's whole entire life.
She has seen her father obsessively watch every Red Sox game he can find on TV, and she has gone to several Salt Lake Bees games in her life.
She has seen her little brother play teeball for the past year.
She has seen her father watch every Utah Utes football game he can find on TV (and has been "asked" to watch them, as well. :o) )
So, even if she isn't so much a "fan" of playing sports, she has at least been greatly exposed to them.

Which makes the following experience all the more entertaining, and so very "Charlotte."

The other day, we were flipping through the channels looking for something to watch for a few minutes. We happened upon a college women's softball game. Charlotte said, amid great wailing and indignation-
"No, I don't want to watch a stupid soccer game!"

Huh. Softball=Soccer.
Yep, she really isn't a fan of sports!

Who's the boss?

Today, I had to work from 7am - 3pm.
As soon as I got home, I asked Colby how the kids were, and if they had been good all day.

Colby then told me something that Barrett had said...

After breakfast, when all the kids were finished asking Colby "where's Mommy?" a thousand times, he and Barrett had this conversation:

"Dad, when Mom's not here, you're in charge."
"Oh, okay. So, who's in charge when Mom AND Dad are home?"
"Mom's in charge, because she's the boss."

Poor Colby!

:o)

Don't worry, I won't let all this power go to my head!!!

Note to Self...

Remind me that I
HATE
putting together gingerbread houses.



It does not matter how adorable the gingerbread house may look on the box.
It does not matter how cleverly advertised as "easy to build!" it is.



I HATE THEM.

And, just in case you wondered,

NO-
our stupid Halloween gingerbread house came out looking
NOTHING
like the picture above.

We demolished it, and ate the pieces.

Stupid gingerbread house anyway....

Counting down...

4 more days...
or 100 more hours...
or 6000 more minutes.

Miss him already.

Can't wait until Friday when he comes back home.

It's a really good thing Colby only has to travel twice a year at most.

Big questions...

Today at lunch...

Charlotte: "When I die, I'm going to ask Jesus why He made me love oatmeal SOOOO much, because it's my favorite, and I love it!"

(gales of laughter from the kids)

Barrett: "When I die, I'm going to ask Jesus why He made my Mom not give me cookies at breakfast."

(more insane laughter)

Charlotte: "Well, when I die, I'm going to ask Jesus why He made Mom SOOOO scared of spiders, because they are soooo yucky and gross, and they freak her out."


Hey, Charlotte- get in line for that question!

Kids are endlessly amusing.

Music Theory

We have already established that I love music. Hopefully, you have caught on to that from previous posts, or from visits to
my house, or whatever.
Love music.
Always have.
Probably always will.

My kids love music, too.
Hopefully always will.

Which brings me to my point of this post:
"Why I Do Not Fear My Kids Listening To Music."

Let me explain.
A little bit ago, I was having a discussion with someone about music. About what we like now, what we used to like, what we wish we could still find, etc. And then it turned into what our kids like to hear and listen to.
Interesting conversation.

My kids like to listen to a wide variety of musical styles, genres, etc. Some of the things they like happen to be the same things that
Colby and I like. Go figure!
Not all, but much of their musical taste is shaped by what they have been exposed to at home. My kids have a constant diet of music fed to them at our house. Depending on our mood, it could be anything from Billy Idol to Beethoven; Ella Fitzgerald to My Bloody Valentine; A.F.I. to Elvis; Metallica to Enya; ABBA to The Clash; Depeche Mode to Disney Princesses. And anything and everything in between.

I was asked how I thought my kids react to some of the
music that I like.
I asked what she meant by "react."
Basically, she meant what kinds of things does "my music" teach my kids, or say to my kids.

You know what? Honestly, I really don't think of things that way. Whether music, or movies, or clothes, or hairstyles, or anything else, I don't categorize them into "what could this
possibly 'make' my kids think or do."

Because I remember what my childhood was like.
My dad is one of the biggest old-school style cowboys you'll ever meet. Deep, twangy, hillbilly country music for him. The closest to "rock" music he likes is Fleetwood Mac and Kim Carnes.
A good ol' country boy, through and through.
My mom likes almost every kind of music you can think of.
Growing up, I had exposure to the old classic greats of country music, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Sr., and many others. From my mom, I also heard a lot of the Moody Blues, The Pointer Sisters, The Beatles, Tina Turner, Blondie, and a whole lot more.

I still love a lot of the same music I heard as a little kid. I still hear the Pointer Sisters, and I am immediately transported back in time, and I love that nostalgic feeling! Whenever I hear a good old classic country song, it reminds me of my Dad, and I love that feeling too.

But, I also found music that was uniquely mine, in a way. It was music that I came upon on my own. Music that my parents didn't have at home, and didn't always "love."
It was music that spoke to me, for whatever reason. Music or lyrics, or a combination of both, that touched me. It touched my heart, my soul, whatever you want to call it.
It was music that was Mine.
Music that meant something to me, deeply.

I was then, and I remain now, very grateful to my parents for allowing me to become whoever I was going to become, and for letting music play an important role in that 'becoming.'
Even when the music wasn't exactly their taste. I mean, my Dad tried really hard to like Depeche Mode and The Cure and Skinny Puppy, but it just wasn't for him! But, he let it be 'for me' and I will always be appreciative of that.

I am certain there were times when my parents were concerned, and worried about me. And maybe they even questioned if 'my music' was playing the wrong part in my life, but they still chose to
let me be 'me.'
They allowed me to be myself, even when that meant they had to listen to Depeche Mode or The Cure VERY LOUDLY because that was what I needed.
I love that about them.

And I intend to give my kids the same chance.

Because I know that even if I had the personality type that would allow me to be a dictatorial parent, and force my kids to listen to the "right" music, or to force my kids to stop listening to the "wrong" music, they would still find music they could call "their own."

I know that eventually my kids will gravitate toward whatever music speaks to them.
I know that it may or may not be music that I love.

And I know that I will be so proud of them, and so excited to see glimpses of whoever they are going to be.

I am not afraid of music, and I am not afraid of
what it "might do" to my kids.

Stupid News....

Had a great two weeks....NOT!
My hip is killing me, enough that I actually made an appointment with an orthopedic specialist.

Diagnosis: Greater Trochanter Bursitis.
Okay.

Treatment: Lortab every six hours. Why Lortab? Well, in a nutshell, because I don't react well to Percocet.

End result: I don't react well to Lortab, either.
I think I'll take the 'holy crap, this HURTS' pain from the bursitis over the constant nausea, dizziness, alternately shaky and numb hands and feet, and total fatigue from the Lortab.

Apparently, my body does not like narcotic pain relievers.
And just when I was thinking of becoming a pain-killer addict, too.

Hurry, Tooth Fairy!

Charlotte has officially joined Savannah in the "big girl" club-
she has lost her first tooth!
She is very excited about it, and cannot wait until the Tooth Fairy takes it away and leaves her money instead.

Welcome to the "Big Girl Club," Charlotte!

Random Savannah...

Savannah is wonderful. Let me tell you why.
Well, actually, let me briefly highlight some of the reasons why, because if I don't, you'll be here reading for a VERY long time. Yep, she's that awesome!

So, Savannah is sweet. Inside and outside, she is sweet.
Tender. Loving. Kind. Sincere. Thoughtful.

The other day, I was downstairs, and noticed that Savannah had made her bed, and pretty much cleaned up her room before she went to school. But, the best part is, I never asked her to do it. She just did.

I have been told many times, by many people, that my Savannah is very sweet and caring to other people. All of her teachers have said that she is a wonderful student to have in class, because she is so willing to be a friend to everyone, and tries so hard to help.

She tries so hard to make sure everyone around her is feeling good about themselves. A few days ago, Charlotte was trying to put together one of her toys, and it evidently was not working the way Charlotte intended. Charlotte, who is just a tiny little bit like Dani, was not pleased, and having a slight impatience-induced temper tantrum over it. Savannah tried to help her, and pointed out that the way Charlotte had put it together made a great bed for her Little Pet Shops. Charlotte was so glad, and proud that she could "build a Pet Shop bed all by myself!"

And, just because I love this about her:
Savannah loves music, and appreciates and favors a more soft, mellow and quiet range of music than I do. Not that I don't like soft, mellow music or anything, but she LOVES it, much more than I do.
A little while ago, Savannah put in a CD while we were cleaning up a bit, and getting dinner ready.
Her choice?
"The Best of Ella Fitzgerald."
And her remark after the music started:
"Mom, it's impossible not to smile and be happy when you
listen to Ella."

LOVE my Green-eyed Beauty!

How do I love thee...

Yesterday at lunch, Barrett was eating his sandwich, and then said "Mom." Anticipating that he was going to ask for chips (which he knows he can't have until his sandwich and banana are all gone), I said "After your sandwich and banana, Bear."
Then, he just said "Mom" again. So, I just said "What, Bear?"
And he replied with: "Mom, you're so pretty."

This morning, we were on the couch reading a book, and he looked up at me and this conversation took place:
"Mom, can I marry you?"
"Definitely."
"Can I be your Prince, and can you be my Princess?"
"I'd love that, Bear!"
"I love you, Mom."
(me choking back tears of utter joy) "I love you too, my Little Prince."

Oh, how I love that boy!!!

Proof you're a Mom...

I think there are just some things in life that prove you are a Mom.
Like wiping a nasty booger off your kid's face with your hand because you don't have a napkin, kleenex, baby wipe, or anything else handy.
So, boogers on hands=Mom.

Or like fibbing about how delicious and yummy those brussels sprouts are, because you really want them to eat, and because you are desperate for them to eat something other than chicken nuggets and fries now and then.
So, lying (in a nice way!)=Mom.

And then there's this:

My Ipod.

Now I know what you are thinking-
"How can an Ipod prove you are a Mom?"

Well, let me tell you.

First, I LOVE music. All kinds of music. And I generally have music playing at my house all the time. I think I have mentioned this before, but, I think I may have some secret and undiagnosed phobia of silence. Oh well.

So, I love music. Consequently, all three of my kids love music too. All of them have their own Ipods. Not because we spoil our kids, though! Only because Savannah destroyed her Ipod Shuffle that Santa brought her, less than 24 hours after receiving it, and therefore inherited mine.
And then, Colby got a new one, so I got his old one.
And then I got a new one, so Savannah got mine again, and Charlotte got Savannah's.
And then Colby got a new Ipod Touch, so I got his old one, Savannah got mine again, Charlotte got Savannah's again, and Barrett got Charlotte's.
Everyone clear?!!!

Anyway, despite the fact that all of my kids have their own Ipods, with all the music that they want and love on them, I still have music that they want and love on MY Ipod.
Why?
Because I am a Mom.
Because my Ipod will play music without headphones, and they think it's so much cooler than their's.

So, because I am a Mom, my Ipod is full. No more room.
Because it has Hannah Montana on it- and I don't even like her music.
Because it has 3 Jonas Brothers Cds on it- and I don't like their music either.
Because it has the Toy Story soundtrack on it.
Because it has the Disney Princesses CD on it.
Because it has all of the kid's music on it, even though that same music can be found on their own Ipods.

So, now my Ipod is full, and I have no more room for music that I like.
Yep, I must be a Mom.

Pleasant Valley Saturday...

UTAH: 38 UNLV: 10

Air Force: 35 Team that does not deserve to be named: 10


All in all, a great day of football!!!

Back to school for Barrett...

It is official. My kids are getting too grown up. Here it is, the first day of my baby boy's last year of preschool!!
Barrett was pretty excited, and ready to go!!

So, I really don't know why the dagger was necessary. Maybe he expects bad guys to be at school. Maybe he just likes to be prepared. Maybe he's just a 4 year old boy who LOVES guns, knives, swords, any weapon of any kind. Maybe he's just too dang funny and cute!!

After I told him that he couldn't take the deadly weapon to school, he was kind enough to smile for me anyway. Such a good boy!

At the front doors of the school. Never fear, he wasn't scared or sad.....he just didn't really want me to follow him in. He's big, he told me.
Yeah, maybe so, but, I'm still a mom, and I just have to walk you in the first day!

And inside his classroom. He is so excited to be in "the big class" also known as Pre-Kindergarten. It's a big deal, he goes to school three days a week now!
On another note, he was pretty impressed with the shirt he picked out for his first day of school.
In case you can't see it clearly, it has three trees that are mangled or injured, and then the caption below then says,
"homework kills trees....it must be stopped."

So funny!

In the minority....

I find myself in the minority about several things.

For example, I think the music of the band U2 is absolutely and ridiculously overrated. Seriously, for a band that has been around nearly 30 years, I can't think of more than 2 songs of theirs that don't make my skin crawl and my eardrums want to burst. But, it seems that most humans on this earth think their music is amazing, inspiring, great, whatever else. Not me. Yuck.

Also, I couldn't care less about what I wear, how I look, how old the clothes in my closet are, if they're in fashion, whatever. Don't care. Never have. If they are clean, and if they fit me, hurray!! I'm happy. It kinda bugs my poor sister, who has been telling me for decades that I need a major style overhaul.

But, I have officially found another area where I am a definite minority:

Oh, how I detest that place! I have eaten at Cafe Rio on a few occasions, and every time, I hate it.
I honestly think I am the the only person on the planet who hates Cafe Rio.
Bring me Taco Bell.
Bring me Del Taco.
Bring me Taco Time.

But, DO NOT bring me Cafe Rio.
Yuck.