My Bookshelf: part two

Image taken from here.

I could not share my bookshelf without including the books contained within this post, because some of them are honestly my absolute favorites. I wish I had had the time and space to include these books in the last post, because I honestly feel a good book can be enjoyed by all ages, and although I understand to a certain extent why books are separated into "children's" "young adult" and "adult" I feel like people miss out on so many great stories when they restrict themselves to books only found in certain areas. I honestly wish libraries were just a jumble of books with a single "restricted section" reserved strictly for those stories with content children should not read. I love to browse my entire library and you will find me curled up on my couch reading books intended for "children" of all ages. So, I hate that my blog has these books so clearly in their own "section" so to speak as I feel they are stories that can be thoroughly enjoyed by adults and children alike. My current bookshelf is completed with the inclusion of these precious books (yes, they are found on my bookshelf--out of my daughters reach, although we do read many of them together almost as often as the ones found on her bookshelf): 

The Velveteen Rabbit: Although this is a really sweet story about a little stuffed rabbit who longs to be "real" and his adventures with the boy he loves, I have mostly saved this book because of the gorgeous illustrations this particular version includes. Count to 10 With A Mouse uses rhythm and rhyme to capture the attention of you and your child and is a tale of a mouses journey through the pages of this beautiful book. You Are My I Love You has wonderful, creative descriptions of a parents relationship with their young child and is sweet in a capture your heart kind of way. Wherever You Are, my love will find you is a parents promise to their child that they will always be loved, in a poetic way that draws you in. This book also has gorgeous, fun illustrations that will make you  wish you had them to hang on the nursery wall. Love Song for a Baby is another book that uses fun descriptions to express the love a parent has for their child in a sweet, poetic way. A Cup of Christmas Tea makes me tear up every. Single. Time. A story of a man who visits his elderly aunt at Christmas, despite all his reservations and excuses for why he shouldn't need to go. Llama Llama Red Pajama is a little llama who loves being tucked into bed by his momma and his worries and reservations on a typical night. I Know a Wee Piggy would be a great book for learning colors. A story about a pig who visits a colorful fair in rhyming verse my daughter can't get enough of. Mornings at the Truck Stop include regular customers and their vehicles the little boy in the story embraces into his routine like they are members of his own family. A great way to introduce the topic of animals and where they live and sleep is A House Is A House For Me. This is also a book written in that rhythmic rhyming style that children simply embrace. The Twelve Gifts of Birth: technically belonging to my daughter, this is a gift to her about the gifts we would hope for all children to receive at birth, things like goodness, happiness, understanding, and hope. A book especially great for helping your child understand those with physical impairments, Puppies For Sale is a heart-tugging story about a little boy who wants to purchase the runt of the litter. Harold and the Purple Crayon is just a cute story about a little boy who uses his purple crayon to create his own little world at bedtime. The Biggest Bear is special in our house because it was daddies favorite book as a boy and is about a child who wishes his family had a bear skin to hang on their barn just like all his neighbors. Green Eggs and Ham -because who can resist Dr. Seuss? My First Read and Learn Bible is a new favorite in our house. Simple, clear stories from the bible to help your child learn all about God and Jesus. I will admit that Hug can get annoying quickly when your child wants to read it over and over again because "hug" really is almost the only word in the entire book, but it is a way too cute story about a baby monkey just looking for a hug-won't anyone help him out? 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a magical grandmotherly little lady who helps resolve all the problems mothers in her neighborhood experience with their children. Everyone will fall in love with spirited Ramona Quimby-like Junie B. Jones who has just started Kindergarten! If you are looking for a book that will keep you laughing, a book that I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat, Cheaper by the Dozen is that book. A time-saving father and a quiet mannered mother raise a dozen children all their own. (For anyone who has seen the movie based on this book, I personally cannot understand how they can claim to have gotten that story out of this book-DO NOT refuse to read this book based on the movie, and DO NOT judge this book based on this misrepresentation). Trixie Beldon books are probably pretty comparable to Nancy Drew mysteries, but in my humble 12 year old (or so) opinion, better, and harder to find, so I had to save at least one. What's your favorite children's book?

Image taken from here.

p.s. with a few exceptions I have a harder time keeping track of authors of children's books. I find sorting children's books by author is a bit like just tossing them in one big pile and saying go for it. I remember titles much better at this level. :)

My Bookshelf, part one

Image taken from here

Considering I am a reader, this blog topic was surprisingly difficult for me. Partly because, due to limited space, I really don't even HAVE a "bookshelf" right now, just a box in the closet where I keep a select few books that I just couldn't bear to part with. I am the kind of reader who doesn't usually read a book more than once, and I continue picking up new books, searching for another adventure. Still, I fall in love-with the characters, the places, the ideas within a book, and cannot see it go. I also dream that someday my daughters will read the books I have saved, or I will read the books aloud to them. I realize this may be a bit unrealistic. So, in an ideal world, my bookshelf really could  look like this image on the right:

I have started a board on Pinterest to collect images of titles I wish I owned. Perhaps I haven't saved them because I currently do not have the space for them, or maybe I borrowed the book from the library (or my own personal library-Mom), or maybe I read it on my kindle, but want to own a hard copy (because those are always better). Whatever the reason, this board is still currently hugely lacking in titles. There are just way too many books I have loved to remember all the titles and collect them there. Usually it's a long process of re-discovering the book somewhere and then remembering to come back and pin it.

Anyways, I am a reader of a wide variety of books and genres, but ones that play with my emotions capture my heart the most, as I think you can tell by taking a look at the books I have saved for the future. My current box of books includes these titles:

I do own all the books in the Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling, but just chose the first two to represent them here. If you have yet to read Harry Potter-do it. Do it now. I don't care if it is one of those books that are just too "common" for you, or if you think you don't like fantasy books, or if you're afraid of wizards. Whatever the reason, I promise you, it will be worth your time. Situated in post civil war America The Help , by Kathryn Stockett, is written in the viewpoint of two black women and one white woman. Both of the black women are maids working for their white "masters" (no longer being owners) as citizens of the "lower class", dealing with the confusing and often conflicting worlds of those who work in such intimate settings. The white woman, Skeeter, is a new college graduate with a degree in journalism who has just returned home and cannot seem to fit within the social guidelines her mother and her friends expect from her. Seemingly on very different paths, the three women band together on a project that will risk their very lives and open the eyes of many around them. The Last Valentine, by James Michael Pratt, is a love story like no other. A woman says goodbye to her Navy pilot husband and then proceeds to wait for him to return home for the next 50 years-until the day she receives the last valentine he ever sent her. Sounds very blase based on my description, but just read it. ;) The very best book Jodi Picoult has written in the history of ever (IMHO): My Sisters Keeper. A tear jerking story with a surprising twist at the end. It is about a little girl who was conceived specifically to save her dying older sister from cancer and her fight for the rights to her own body. Sounds creepy, I know, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. Seriously. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hesseini. It's been so long since I've read this book I cannot clearly remember what it was about. Two little boys, one the son of a servant, the other the son of the rich man and their friendship, betrayal, and redemption....or something like that. A story any high schooler could identify with, and especially anyone who has ever been ostracized, singled out, picked on, teased, bullied would be Please Stop Laughing at Me, by Jodi Blanco. I read it in 11th or 12th grade and cried and cried.... tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom is one of those uplifting books that will seriously change your life. It is one of the few books I have chosen to read more than once. A struggling young man visits his old {favorite} college professor on his death bed and learns more lessons from this sweet, wise old man than anyone could ever imagine. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins- read the first book, then stop. I promise you you will enjoy the series much better this way. This book shocked me and tore at my heart. It is a book about sisterhood, love, loss, and humanity. Somebody Else's Kid by Torey Hayden is here to represent all Torey Hayden books. Torey Hayden is a real teacher working in a real classroom full of troubled students. She is the teacher to the children who are unteachable-the last ditch effort, you could say. Someplace for the children everyone else has given up on- and she shares their stories with a heart so big, and a will so powerful, you cannot help but be amazed. From Christmas to Christmas. A collection of short stories centered around a Christmas theme and taking place within the Laestadian Lutheran religion (which I am a part of). The Louis L'amour book is actually technically part of my husbands bookshelf, unlike me he reads the same books over and over until they are memorized, and then reads them again-Louis' are his favorite. He also keeps Vince Flynns and books in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I wanted to have them represented here because sometimes they are exactly the kind of light read I need to get through in one night without really thinking at all. :) And, The Nice Girl Syndrome by Beverly Engel. A self-help book that, though I haven't completed it and read it in starts and stops (which is why I still have it),  has really helped me grow into a stronger, more confident person. Of course, no bookshelf is really complete without including the books on the nightstand-I don't have room on mine to hold all of the books I have collected to "read later", but it does always hold one I am reading or waiting to read-currently we are in the waiting stage, but it comes highly recommended by my mom, and she is my favorite go-to place for recommendations, and so I anticipate adding it to my "must own someday" books. The top two books are the ones on my nightstand: 

What book are you into right now?

**I apologize to Sofia B. if she was hoping for a recommendation for a new book to read, I doubt she will find one here. :)

Challenge Post Topic: The Books On Your Bookshelf. Challenged by Sofia.

Connect with someone!

This is a topic that has been covered by many a blogger, but I think it's something that cannot be said enough: we need to remember to connect with others! Some say this immersion into our own private worlds is a new phenomenon, created by the invention of that ultimate attention grabbing device-the smart phone. But, whether it be today....

Photo taken from here.

Or yesterday.....

Photo taken from here.

it is a reminder that simply cannot be overdone. Talk to a stranger. Reconnect with an old friend. Call your parents. Hug your child. Spend time with your husband. Listen to your best friend. Away from the phone with all its apps, away from the computer with all its social media, away from the newspaper with all its solitude. One thing popular blog Humans of New York continually reinstates in me is the knowledge that everyone has an important life lesson to teach. We, as a society, can be so quick to judge each other- by our clothing, our hairstyles, our talents, and our bad days. We need to support each other and love each other and carry each other through the rough times. As my super-creative sister reminded me in a recent post on her own blog it cannot be said any better than this quote from the book To Kill a Mockingbird:

Purchase this mug here.

So, Stop. Listen. Learn. Connect. See.

Blog Post Challenge Topic: one important thing people should stop/start doing more. Challenged by Sofia from Star-Spangled Sisu.

I need your help!

I have read a number of "blog help" posts and idea boards that say it's important to have a purpose for your blog. Some people say this means you need to have a central theme for your blog; be it mothering, crafting, sewing, etc. But to me, the one that made the most sense is this one from the nesting place that simply includes the idea of a purpose statement (and therefore, you don't necessarily have to restrict content to a certain area). I have been seriously considering what my purpose statement would be and wondering if I will have the time I need to create the blog I want, and the blog my readers want. To help me figure that out I would love to hear from you! Please post in the comments which current blog posting has been your favorite and why. Also let me know which future post idea appeals to you the most:

*A good book appeals to all ages
*Having an open mind/acceptance and what does this mean
*Keeping my life simple
*My Crazy mothering ideas
*Family interactions/pressure
*Why third world countries may not be worse off
*Learning to care for myself
*Recipe reviews
*Being a "hands on" mom & other mothering adventures/advice
*Happiness, why we seek it
*posts that are positive encouragement for daily life


Thanks so much for your help! I can't wait to hear what you have to say!

Feeling uninspired.

While I seem to be having more energy, and I was determined to get this blog back up and running, every time I sit in front of the computer screen, I feel as blank inside as the page in front of me. I want to write something positive, inspired, and inspiring, but I just don't feel particularly positive, inspired, or inspiring. It seems that I have a bit more energy, but I'm lost on what to do with it, which leaves me feeling bored and listless. Of course there are things I could do, like plan and organize freezer meals for after baby comes, but my brain can't seem to focus on the research that takes. I Google "dairy free freezer meals" and instantly feel overwhelmed, plus unless Cheerio is in quiet time, she's at my elbow chattering away, wondering what I am doing, and when I am going to get off the computer. My husband is working twelve hour days, and even pulled an eight hour shift on one of his "weekend" days this past week. And while it feels like we were desperate for the extra cushion of money that brings in, it is difficult. We just don't see him anymore. Cheerio and I (well, really, I) had decided that it would be better for us to spend a bit more time at home, but suddenly we find ourselves car-less and spending a lot more time at home than we anticipated, while my car is excruciatingly slowly having an antifreeze leak fixed. Those two things combined, all at once, leaves me longing for a connection with someone. And I think Cheerio is noticing, too. Constantly wanting me to entertain her, asking to go to the library, to play with her 'friends' I really should focus and figure out the bus system here, since the bus stop is less than a block away from us, but it feels daunting, I have never taken a bus anywhere in my life. And I'm really terrible with street names. But, the bus could get us to many places; the mall, the library, the family museum...

But even those things are not exactly what I am looking for either. I want someone to come over and chat, and someone with whom Cheerio can interact with, too. We find ourselves bumping into each other in this small apartment, looking for things to do, people to talk to, something to inspire us. This, too, shall pass....

Photo taken from here.

Hit by a Truck....

that's all I can say. The sandman, he's been overly generous with my portion of sand lately, and I'm kinda wishing he'd share the generosity with someone else...like, perhaps, my daughter??? But, we don't always get what we wish for. I was really tired during the first trimester of this pregnancy, but I also was n-o-t NOT feeling well, so it didn't seem all that weird when I couldn't scrounge up the energy to bring my daughter to the park, the pool, the...anywhere, much less cook and clean...... I literally offered her dry cereal for one of her meals some days because that is all that I could do. And don't get any visions of some cute little picnic with dry cereal in a bowl and a nice glass of cold juice. Nope, I'd just hand her the box. Well, it's back....except, this time it's missing the whole not feeling well thing (thankfully) so it feels really strange to not have the energy to go places (and here is where I add, just a little, not thankfully about not feeling well, because now I feel guilty for being so tired, instead of blaming it on not feeling well). During the second trimester, and pre-pregnancy, we went somewhere almost every morning, and EVERY evening that Hubby Chad had to work (or sleep, depending upon which shift he had). Being so tired, It's actually not too good for my self-esteem. Who doesn't have energy to find a meal for their little one? What other mom needs to wake their husband (after he has slept for just four or five hours) because you are so tired you're in tears (even though you got a full eight hours of sleep during the night)? I feel guilty that I look forward to every moment Cheerio sits in quiet time, but still I secretly set the timer for 1 or 2 extra minutes, because that's one or two extra minutes I can sit and veg. I simply cannot function like this. And, remember, Cheerio's not a great sleeper, which makes the struggle that much more difficult. I do think I have a little more energy now than before, but perhaps that's just because I'm not feeling sick? I mean, I have still been making it to the gym to swim three times a week-well, as long as there is an open lane! I'm not so good at sharing... In my struggle with energy, it has been suggested more than once that if I just get out there and do it, exercise will actually provide me with energy, all I need to do is make it a routine. And gosh, I tried SO HARD, many times, to make it work....it doesn't. I need to give up something, like cleaning my house and making meals, in order to find the energy for exercise. And I just can't live like that, either. There are two things I found that I managed to continue with. Dojo-style Karate, which got much too expensive, plus I moved away from the...uhm...studio? I was taking it through, plus I have even less spending money now...much, much less. And swimming. Swimming is my life. Swimming is my joy. I think I am part mermaid, I love it that much. Really, I just love water; I don't even have to be in it, just near it, to be wrapped in a personal bliss, surrounded with happiness and filled to the brim with joy. I feel relaxed, stress free, happy around water. I think I *need* a house on a beach..seeing the ocean waves every day....no? Okay, a lake...a pond? At least a backyard pool! Unless I can somehow do some major convincing, none of that will happen. Hubby Chad is petrified of kids drowning when moms not looking, apparently. Which is interesting, because his parents live on a pond, and when we lived near them, we were there almost every day just to get out on the pond. Paddle boating, fishing, sitting on the grass, listening to the waves lapping gently against the dock and the loons calling to one another....he likes water, too (even if he doesn't like to get in it).

Anyways, I got lost on a tangent. So I might be feeling more energetic than during the first trimester, because I can still go swimming (only if Hubby Chad comes along to help with Cheerio, though now that I think of it we still went swimming as a family during my first trimester, too), and I can still find and make meals, for all three meals of the day. But, at the same time, maybe that's only because I finally gave in, and I am drinking the coffee I have craved off and on this whole pregnancy. Yes, dear friends and family, you read that right, coffee. Me, drinking coffee...you're just gonna have to come visit now so you can see it! (just please, forgive me if I don't do any cleaning or laundry in preparation for your stay...it might be safer to get a hotel ;) ) I never thought I would see the day. But, mmmmm, all that caffeine, its delightful! Please, please, please let this be some pregnancy thing that I'll drop when the baby is born. (yes, some women give up their coffee habit for their dear wee ones growing in their bellies, I pick it up instead). And that coffee, all that does is help me find the energy for the basics. The making of meals, the plopping of the dishes in the dishwasher, the reading of books to my daughter, the putting on of clothes in the mornings. And even then I often shed a tear or two once I lay in bed for the night, because it feels sooo good to be there, I am that tired. I have never been more thankful for modern conveniences....like dishwashers, and pizza delivery, and *ahem* Kindles with kids apps that keep a little girl entertained for a full hour...so I apologize in advance if this blog gets pretty quiet, unsightful, boring, uninteresting, lame. I will probably be in bed sleeping instead of coming up with blog posts...like I am heading for now...Hope you all are feeling much more energetic and at peace with your lives! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

I am so blessed!