tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-301738372024-03-14T04:37:56.687-05:00it's the little things...spurts of productivity . the kids making each other laugh . scotland . wonderful grandparents . medication . napping . good coworkers . hairy coos . naps . springtime . flowering trees . dreaming . pinterest . being able to breathe . underpants! . swimming pools . dates with my girl . my joyful boy . neighbors . progress . family . taking breaks . new friends . camping . the new job . rainy days . being crafty . renovations . inspiration . a good bookcjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.comBlogger727125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-86777537513390878672024-01-29T13:59:00.004-06:002024-01-29T13:59:45.826-06:002023 reads<p>Books read this year, favorites in bold. Also a big favorite is reading the Harry Potters as a family.<br /></p><p><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"></span></p><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">1. Blue Shoe</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">2. Gone Crazy in Alabama</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">3. Beartown</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">4. Going Rogue</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">5. How to Trap a Tiger</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">6. The Foundling</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">7. Mr. Pengachoosa</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">8. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">9. Shadow School Dehaunting</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">10. The Way I Heard It</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">11. The Stories We Tell</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">12. The Rabbit Hutch</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">13. Raymie Nightingale</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">14. Crenshaw</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">15. Other Birds</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">16. The Seven Good Years</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">17. Inside Out and Back Again</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">18. <b>The Bandit Queens</b></div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">19. Spare</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">20. Louisiana's Way Home</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">21. I'm Glad My Mother Died</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">22. Beverly Right Here</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">23. It Starts with Us</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">24. Daisy Jones & the Six</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">25. Nora Goes Off Script</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">26. House on the Cerulean Sea (again)</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">27. The Seat Filler</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">28. The Upside of Falling Down</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">29. Anxious Children, Anxious Parents</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">30. The Woman in the Library</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">31. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">32. Diana: In Her Own Words</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">33. Creative Mending</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">34. The House Across the Lake</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">35. Playing With Anxiety: Casey's Guide for Teens & Kids</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">36. The First Magnificent Summer</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">37. Really Good, Actually</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">38. A Long Walk to Water</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">39. Just the Nicest Couple</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">40. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">41. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">42. The Story of the Blue Planet</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">43. Someone Else's Shoes</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">44. We'll Always Have Summer</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">45. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">46. <b>Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow</b></div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">47. The Rachel Incident</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">48. <b>The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry</b></div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">49. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">50. Blue Hour</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">51. some of The Martian Chronicles</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">52. Everybody Fights</div></div><div class="uJNFP"></div></div></span><span class="PbnGhe oJeWuf fb0g6"><div class="anUHnf ElmLkc"><div class="i8VmRc"><div class="DSF0Ud">53. The Breakaway</div></div><div class="DSF0Ud">54. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire</div></div></span><p></p>cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-65611075844329905272022-12-30T18:51:00.000-06:002022-12-30T18:51:01.373-06:002022 reads<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I still tried to read daily but less stress on myself than last year. I think it's safe to say I'm back in the routine of reading and I love it. Some of these were family reads--I'm so glad we've moved beyond picture books. * were my favorites.</span></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How To Stop Time*</span></span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Last Thing He Told Me</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue*</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wonder Seeker</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't Put a Cactus in the Bathroom</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Summer Job</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Game On: Tempting 28</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Call Us What We Carry</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Four Winds</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">part of the first Bridgerton book</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Supernatural Society</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Gentleman in Moscow</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Nest</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">State of Terror</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wish You Were Here</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We Were Never Here</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mysterious Benedict Society</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Seven Day Switch</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Porch Lies</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Personal Librarian*</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Red, White, and Royal Blue</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Art of Gruene</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beautiful World, Where Are You</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Panda and Tiny Dragon</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One Crazy Summer</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dreamer</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tanqueray</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No Cure For Being Human</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Love Hypothesis</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Emily Out of Focus</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Gift of an Ordinary Day</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Black Beauty</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Paper Palace</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Sleeper List</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Run Rose Run</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Millionaires For the Month</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Paris Apartment</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Starfish</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy-Go-Lucky</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Playing With Myself</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Long Live the Pumpkin Queen</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Nightingale*</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Book Lovers</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">P.S. Be Eleven</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lessons in Chemistry*</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shadow School 1</span></li><li style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lucy by the Sea</span></li></ol>cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-57390790071342106892022-01-01T19:24:00.000-06:002022-01-01T19:24:08.015-06:002021 reads<p>It was a banner year for reading! One of my goals was to read 21 minutes a day in 2021. I was successful 97% of days (only missed 10). And obviously read a lot more than 21 minutes on many days... Really reading again (after not reading many non-kid books over the last decade) helped me feel like I was claiming something for myself. What an idea!</p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">1. The Girl With the Louding Voice</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">2. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">3. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">4. Better Than Before</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">5. To Kill a Mockingbird</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">6. The Twenty-One Balloons</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">7. Dark Water Rising</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">8. The Book of Lost Names</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">9. Diamond as Big as the Ritz (novella)</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">10. Fried and Prejudiced</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">11 & 12. Nancy Drew #1 and #3</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">13. Locker Hero (audiobook)</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">14. New Kid (audiobook)</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">15. Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day (audiobook)</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">16. Fortune and Glory: Tantalizing 27</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">17. The Sidewalk Story</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">18. West With Giraffes</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">19. Attracting Native Pollinators</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">20. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">21. Percy Jackson: The Lightening Thief</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">22. The Commuter</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">23. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">24. The Legend of Jack Riddle</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">25. The Giver of Stars</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">26. How Y'all Doing?</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">27. Evvie Drake Starts Over</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">28. The Indian in the Cupboard</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">29. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">30. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">31. The Journey That Saved Curious George</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">32. The Human Comedy</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">33. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">34. The Vicar of Nibbleswicke</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">35. A Man Called Ove</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">36. Anxious People</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">37. Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">38. Maya and the Rising Dark</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">39. Breaker</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">40. Scary Stories for Young Foxes</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">41. Leading Teams</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">43. A Good Neighborhood</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">42. Normal People</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">44. Conversations With Friends</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">45. The Guest List</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">46. Imperfect Courage</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">47. Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">48. Transcendent Kingdom</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">49. The Midnight Library</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">50. Homegoing</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">51. Coping With Anxiety: 10 Simple Ways to Relieve Anxiety, Fear, & Worry</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">52. Bass Ackwards and BellyUp</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">53. Crying in H Mart</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">54. My Time Will Come</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">55. The Paris Library</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">56. Footfree and Fancyloose</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">57. The House in the Cerulean Sea</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">58. Charlie Hernandez and the Castle of Bones</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">59. Educated</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">60. Unidentified Suburban Object</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">61. Effigest</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">62. People We Meet on Vacation</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">63. Juliet Takes a Breath (graphic novel)</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">64. There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">65. The Comfort Book</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">66. Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">67. Where the Crawdads Sing</li><li style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">68. Harry's Trees</li></ul>cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-79240352164421335092021-01-05T13:13:00.001-06:002021-01-05T13:13:56.299-06:002020 reads<p>Seems like a lot of good books this year. And a more reasonable amount that I've read for myself (although, as usual, many kids/YA books).</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tricky Twenty-Two</li><li>Turbo Twenty-Three</li><li>The Witches</li><li>Fantastic Mr. Fox</li><li>Hardcore Twenty-Four</li><li>Look Alive Twenty-Five</li><li>The Testaments</li><li>The Book of Delights</li><li>The Phantom Tollbooth</li><li>The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me</li><li>Lalani of the Distant Sea</li><li>The Moomintroll Series (#1-3)</li><li>The Penderwicks (#1-4)</li><li>The Four Tendencies</li><li>Twisted Twenty-Six</li><li>Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy</li><li>Becoming</li><li>Outer Order Inner Calm</li><li>The Obituary Writer</li><li>Magic Misfits: The 4th Suit</li><li>The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane</li><li>Humans</li><li>The Great Shelby Holmes</li></ul><p></p>cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-28414294465630382632020-01-05T14:15:00.000-06:002020-01-05T14:15:44.399-06:002019 readsWasn't a terrible year for reading. And it's nice that the kids can hear more complicated chapter books these days when we read before bed. And road tripping for Spring Break led to some audiobooks for the first time in a long time. Hopefully 2020 will see more books, fewer crazy internet stories.<br />
<br />
<li>The Woods</li>
<li>The Time Keeper</li>
<li>Hocus Pocus & the Sequel</li>
<li>The Legends of Greemulax</li>
<li>Still Life With Breadcrumbs</li>
<li>Stuart Little</li>
<li>Hello, Universe*</li>
<li>The Incredible Magic of Being*</li>
<li>Finding Gobi (*Audiobook)</li>
<li>The One and Only Ivan (again)</li>
<li>Matilda</li>
<li>How to Not Hate Your Husband After Kids</li>
<li>The Prince and The Guard</li>
<li>The One</li>
<li>The Elite</li>
<li>Born a Crime</li>
<li>The Selection</li>
cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-42589214720788346832019-08-01T09:20:00.001-05:002019-08-01T09:20:40.969-05:00seven years (the boy edition!)Happy birthday, my sweet boy! We had your birthday party last Saturday and things are just kind of hectic this week, so it wasn't the first thing I thought of when I woke up. But I at least remembered before you left for camp. <br />
<br />
Speaking of your birthday party...for the second year in a row you picked some weird, obscure theme. This year? Treasure X. Lucky for me it's sort of like a pirate theme so that's what we went with. We had some fun decorations and favors. You requested doughnuts again instead of cake. We had a scavenger hunt which went way better than I expected. And a piñata. You asked for that specifically. A good, crazy time was had by all you little boys. <br />
<br />
This summer has gone by so fast. You've had lots of camps since y'all didn't want to go to real day care anymore. You've done several technology-related ones and have enjoyed them. You got to learn to fly drones, build robots, design video games, do Legomation. Lots of cool stuff. <br />
<br />
You're still in swimming and are doing so well. I think this next semester will be the highest level of lessons. Then you'll switch to more competitive-type stuff. You also have shown an interest in tennis again so we'll see about that once school starts. You're still a (super adorable) Boy Scout. You leveled up at the end of the school year. <br />
<br />
You'll start 2nd grade in a few weeks. I can't believe that. You and your sister are just barreling through elementary. You're a great reader. There really isn't anything you struggle with at school although I'd like for your handwriting to be neater. You love GT and basically anything that involves a screen (like computer lab).<br />
<br />
You are still a great little brother. The other day you were trying to love on your sister and she was actually the one trying to stop it. Crazy kids. You read to her at night once y'all are supposed to be going to sleep. Still in the same room. Y'all have had a few camps together this summer and at one you two miscommunicated and we're partners. I think it hurt your feelings more than hers. I think y'all would have fought as partners so it probably worked out for the best. But I do like that you both wanted to be.<br />
<br />
Other than screens and video games, you do enjoy reading. You did the library reading program this summer. You and your sister will binge cartoons. Lately it's been Captain Underpants, The Croods, Total Drama, etc. And the usual Legos. You also love playdates and having friends over. We had some awesome vacations over the last year and you realized you like roller coasters. Luckily I still seem to tolerate them in my old age.<br />
<br />
You're somewhat helpful around the house. It feels like I just need to get you into a routine and you'll stick to it. It's your job to take out the recycling every week. You hate putting away clothes and cleaning in general. But you'll do it. Eventually. Especially if you have to do it to earn screen time.<br />
<br />
You still look the same but have stretched out a little. Still smaller than the average bear. Still with the strawberry blonde hair. You live in athletic wear (I got you in jeans twice this year). You finally lost two teeth! It was very exciting. Your 6-year molars are coming in and no other loose teeth.<br />
<br />
Yearly questions:<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food? McDonald's and Menchies</li>
<li>Favorite movie? The Croods</li>
<li>Color? Red and blue and green and gold</li>
<li>Thing to do? Play video games</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Sammy</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? McDonald's</li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? Video game tester (to see if the games are too hard)</li>
</ul>
I hope you have a great year, Mr. Seven-Year-Old. It's been such a joy being your mother. I can't imagine life without you. Last night I was trying to get you to agree to stop growing. We decided we'd need a witch with a spell who would keep us both our current age forever. Then I saw a video of you from 5 years ago and I sure could use more time with that little kid. Ah, parenting. Love you, bubs.cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-52013172641166912892019-02-07T17:17:00.000-06:002019-02-07T17:17:04.111-06:00eightSo you're 8. And a few weeks because I've apparently been too crazy to remember to write this. But! I made it through your year of 7 without losing all my marbles. (Refer to last year's post.)<br />
<br />
You're in 2nd grade! You've made so much progress in the last year. Reading is smooth sailing now. We still read to y'all before bed but sometimes we reverse the roles. I'm happy to have made it through the excruciatingly slow reading stage. You also were finally tested for GT, and you got in! I wasn't sure what you'd think of it, but so far you're a fan. I love that your teacher mentioned that she didn't expect y'all to finish some assignment because you've finally found someone who speaks your language. You have 2 main teachers this year--that's a first. You enjoy them both. Your science fair project was about density this year. We let you incorporate a little craftiness into it with food coloring. Always artsy, you.<br />
<br />
For extracurriculars, we're still swimming. You're doing great. Working on all the strokes. I really want y'all both to do summer swim league. We'll see if I can convince you. You're still doing after-school art. Last semester you did Leadership Club which we ironically stopped this semester. This semester is also Makerspace and Culture Club. And you moved up to Brownies. You had your first overnight summer camp (just one night, though) last summer. Y'all have camped several times as a group. The next one I have to go with you since I've skipped all of them so far. But that's part of why I like for you to be in Girl Scouts. Independence. It's cookie selling season and you've sold I think about 175 boxes. This year we'll do booths for the first time so you'll get more there.<br />
<br />
Last year I wrote that "You enjoy binge watching cartoons, playing with your brother, starting hundreds of projects that never get finished, coloring, playing with Callie, having playdates." That still applies. All of it. You've told me that your favorite weather is hurricanes and then cold and rainy. You like the first because you get to stay home for days on end (thanks, Harvey) and the latter because it's nice snuggling + tv weather.<br />
<br />
You're still pretty awesome. You're mostly happy and a great friend. And a good big sister. You really love your cousins, too. Oh! You were a flower girl again (in Aunt J's wedding). You looked so pretty and did a great job even though you get shy when all eyes are on you. You proudly told me that you DIDN'T land a part in the Christmas musical.<br />
<br />
You shockingly cut several inches off your hair in the last year. It was still long, though. Now you don't want a haircut until after we get back from Disney so that you can have Rapunzel hair. You're still a relatively tall kid (check-up in a few weeks) and have so many permanent teeth. You're still not a fan of real pants. That has to change at some point, right?<br />
<br />
This year you had a mermaid party. We had it here at the house. Lots of folks, per usual. Y'all had some craft activities and also (FINALLY!) a piñata. It was super well-made. I'm looking forward to smaller parties, I won't lie. But at least I've learned how to not be all crazy beforehand. See? We're both growing up.<br />
<br />
Last year I know I asked you these questions but then never came back to write them here. Oops. I'm sure they're on a scrap of paper somewhere...<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food? Chocolate ice cream Oreo cake</li>
<li>Favorite movie? Sleeping Beauty</li>
<li>Favorite color? Gold</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do? Color</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Kelsey and Mireya</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? Home</li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? Artist</li>
</ul>
Happy (belated) birthday, my dear! Looking forward to another year with you.cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-34867517747929548122019-01-05T11:38:00.001-06:002019-01-05T11:42:46.965-06:002018 readsI've apparently not kept good records of these this past year. I read so much to the kids that I end up not reading much for myself. I'm going to try to change that this year. More books, less internet. <br />
So for 2018:<br />
<ul>
<li>The remaining Series of Unfortunate Events (maybe 8-13?)</li>
<li>The Yellow Envelope</li>
<li>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</li>
<li>Charlie and the Glass Elevator</li>
<li>James and the Giant Peach (again)</li>
<li>George's Marvellous Medicine</li>
<li>the first Wollstonecraft Detective Agency book</li>
<li>and bits and bobs of several others for myself</li>
</ul>
cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-87096399272595366962018-08-03T19:58:00.001-05:002018-08-03T19:58:36.063-05:00six years! (the boy edition)And you’re 6! And I’m late at writing this! I have no excuse (but plenty of excuses). While your birthday was on Tuesday, we celebrated this past Sunday with a pool party in the neighborhood. That was your first choice of venue. And after some discussion, I convinced you NOT to do a Mario party for the second year in a row. Unfortunately for me, you chose Kirby. A theme that has absolutely nothing premade. As someone on Pinterest said, it was a whole lot of me drawing Kirby on things. It was a cute theme, though. Lots of pink. And folks had fun so that was good. You again didn’t want cake but doughnuts. There’s a place near here that makes them decorated more like cookies so you even had Kirby doughnuts.<br />
<br />
You’re about to start 1st grade in a few weeks. Kindergarten just flew by. You did great! You have an excellent accent when you speak Spanish. Your reading level is at least a year ahead of where you need to be. You’re good at math. You are in GT. Absolutely no worries (knock on wood) there. You also did well with behavior. You get so silly here at home; I wasn’t sure how you’d be at school.<br />
<br />
This summer you’ve done a few camps—science and STEM-related. You’ve also taken tennis lessons. I got to see you practice today and you’re starting to get the hang of it. You and your sister do swimming year round. You can keep yourself alive now. You love jumping off the diving board. Over and over and over. Last year you also did afterschool Spanish (mostly because your sister would be in it and you doing it as well made it easier on me). You’ll start Boy Scouts in the fall. I’m anxious to see what that will be like for you.<br />
<br />
You and your sister still mostly get along. We’ve had some discussions recently about sticking up for one another. Y’all still sleep in the same room. Wonder when that will change? You told me the other day that you love me most in the world. Video games come in second. But you love Daddy, too. And Callie. Y’all are so crazy together.<br />
<br />
Other than video games, you love any screen time. You have games on the iPad. You and your sister binge watch cartoons when you’re allowed to. Zig and Sharko has been a favorite of late. You still like building and Legos.<br />
<br />
As I’m reading what I wrote about you last year, I’m realizing that I can just copy/paste this entire paragraph: You still have your strawberry blonde hair. Even though you're a ginger, I noticed yesterday that you really are pretty tan where you actually get sun--it's weirder than a farmer's tan. You generally dress yourself and the outfits are sometimes insane. You still love your shorts and often wear them with tall socks. You don't like to dress up; you're more of an athletic-wear kind of guy. Still no loose teeth. You're still a little guy but you'll get there. <br />
<br />
This year’s questions:<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food? Chocolate</li>
<li>Favorite movie? I don’t know</li>
<li>Favorite color? Red</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do? Video games</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Sammie</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? McDonald’s</li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? Video gamer where I test video games</li>
</ul>
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Oh, Bubs. You’re the best. I love your sense of humor (we had a mutual giggle fit last night which was THE BEST). And how you are still filled with so much joy—although you told me no when I asked if you’d be this happy as an adult. I hope you’re wrong. Try to keep that with you always. It makes the world so much brighter.cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-2790249631238422782018-01-24T09:33:00.000-06:002018-01-24T09:33:06.301-06:00sevenGirl. Seven. I'm going to just throw it out there that I may be crazy for the next year. Seven was when my whole world changed. I look at you now and think of me when I was your age. So young to lose a parent. I'll cross my fingers and knock on wood and say all the chants to the universe that you don't ever know what that's like. And then I'll move on to happier things.<br />
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<br />
You're in 1st grade! You're doing fine. Reading hasn't come effortlessly to you but we're working on it, and you've made progress. You definitely still love it when we read to you two before bed. We've gotten into "The Series of Unfortunate Events." Y'all LOVE THEM. We're also working on incorporating more math into our daily life (for both of you). It's fun to see that developing as well. You like doing experiments with the science kits, and your science project this year was Lemon Volcanoes. I think you still love art the most. You are very crafty, too. You're also doing a bit more Spanish this year.<br />
<br />
For extracurriculars, we're still swimming. You're finally moving forward from the plateau you had been on. You do after-school art and Spanish. And you're in Daisies. You've sold over 200 boxes of cookies now, I believe. You've learned how to start a fire, and y'all are practicing for your first camp out later this year. Exciting stuff!<br />
<br />
You enjoy binge watching cartoons, playing with your brother, starting hundreds of projects that never get finished, coloring, playing with Callie, having playdates. You're a big fan of the snow; that was all you wanted in a winter vacation this year.<br />
<br />
You're still a great kid. You think I love your brother more...even when I spend entire days with you alone and then just kiss him goodnight. You're still slow--most likely to teach me patience. You sometimes get in the cleaning zone (which I should try to harness more often). You can be sensitive but are also very kind and generally happy. You are a very good friend, remembering to include folks from all aspects of your young life. You make the best connections between things--like MLK and Gandhi.<br />
<br />
You still refuse to cute your long hair any more than a trim. You're getting taller, and now I'm realizing I haven't scheduled an annual doctor's visit for you. Oops. You've lost I think 7 teeth now. You love ankle boots. You often wear leggings (not a fan of "real" pants). You love fuzzy sweaters/sweatshirts. <br />
<br />
This year you're having a Barbie birthday party. But instead of wanting a girly party, you wanted it at a place that does Ninja Warrior stuff. I think that's kind of awesome. Very well-rounded. That's coming up this weekend so hopefully it will go well. I'm being more low-key this year.<br />
<br />
I'll have to update with your answers later but just to remind myself:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food?</li>
<li>Favorite movie?</li>
<li>Favorite color?</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do?</li>
<li>Who is your best friend?</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go?</li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up?</li>
</ul>
Happy birthday, sweet girl! Even though you doubt me, no one loves you more than I love you. ;)<br />
<br />
<br />cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-1765788295120832522018-01-03T08:46:00.001-06:002018-01-03T08:46:48.047-06:002017 readsOh, my. So two books in a whole year?! The Handmaid's Tale and The Shack. And both of those were read by March. Hmm...did I really not read more? Or is it that I have about 900 books that I've started and never finished? Or that I've read like 7 books in the Series of Unfortunate Events with the kids and I don't count those. Who knows. cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-90674110544066413912017-07-31T09:45:00.003-05:002017-08-05T18:18:17.188-05:005 years! (the boy edition)Oh, my tiny love. You are five! Technically, you'll be 5 in a few hours but still... You celebrated yesterday with a Super Mario party at the jumping place. It was a good time that was low stress for your poor mommy. And today you're at space camp. I'm so excited to hear how the day went!<br />
<br />
It's a time for changes right now. You had your last day of daycare last Thursday. Then you start kindergarten in 3 weeks! I can't believe it. I'm actually pretty thrilled that you and your sister will be in the same place again. You're going to be in the dual-language program, and I'm so jealous. Maybe I'll go through elementary school with you. I'm sure you won't mind. I'm looking forward to see how much you learn and how you change. You've done so well at daycare this past year. You can sound out some words and know a few sight words. You're a pretty smart kid.<br />
<br />
You're also a great friend. We had a birthday party to attend the day before yours and you were sad because you didn't want to share the birthday boy with his other friends. You were used to being the best friend at school. The other mommies tell me how you're nice to their daughters even when some of the other boys torment them a little bit. I've talked to you about standing up for them and some days you come home to tell me that you did just that. I'm so proud of you. <br />
<br />
You and your sister also get along most of the time. There are fights; I'm not gonna lie. But y'all still sleep in the same room. By choice. You're also still the funniest little guy and almost always so happy. I think you're a mama's boy but you love Daddy, too. You also love Callie. The two of you play like y'all are both puppies. You're just so cuddly still. I told you that when you turned 5 I wouldn't be able to carry you anymore. This morning I pretended I couldn't lift you up. But, my youngest, I'll keep doing that until I'm physically unable. I can't imagine that day; it breaks my heart.<br />
<br />
You've taken swimming lessons this summer and are doing so great! You had hit a plateau for awhile there so we just took a break, but this new school has done wonders. You can swim underwater for a bit, and you moved up a class. You're also doing basketball again. We took a break from that in the spring just due to scheduling. You're making improvements there, too. We'll see if you stick with it in the fall or switch to something else.<br />
<br />
For fun, you love to play video games. I wasn't ready for Daddy to introduce you to them but boy have you taken to them. Age-appropriate ones, of course. But you are good. Like crazy good. You also still like Legos and building with anything. You still are a fan of Transformers and dinosaurs. You also love movies and tv and the iPad. Ninjago and Rescue Bots seem to be the favorites right now. <br />
<br />
You still have your strawberry blonde hair. Even though you're a ginger, I noticed yesterday that you really are pretty tan where you actually get sun--it's weirder than a farmer's tan. You generally dress yourself and the outfits are sometimes insane. You still love your shorts and often wear them with tall socks. You don't like to dress up; you're more of an athletic-wear kind of guy. Still no loose teeth. You're still a little guy but you'll get there. <br />
<br />
This year's questions (that I'll have to ask after you come home from camp):<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food? Cheese</li>
<li>Favorite movie? Iron Man</li>
<li>Favorite color? red</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do? Play video games</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Tyler & Zen</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? Jump N Jungle</li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? Mario</li>
</ul>
Oh, little one. I'm so happy it's finally your birthday. You've been anxiously awaiting it all month. I really love being your mother. You bring such joy. And still think I'm cool. I'll hang onto that while I can. I know most mothers think their kids are the best, but you really are something special. I love that I get to watch that happen. Happy birthday, Bubs!cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-38298895562705194562017-01-24T16:39:00.001-06:002017-01-24T16:39:18.146-06:00sixDear daughter, you are six. I was actually with you at lunch today right when it happened. I walked with you to the restroom, and when we were walking back I saw that you had actually turned 6 five minutes earlier. I mentioned it to you (since you had been asking when exactly your age would change), and you happily skipped back to the table singing about being 6. That is pretty much you these days.<br />
<br />
So yeah, school. You started kindergarten this year. It has been quite the adjustment for me. You and your brother are both so busy, and this is our first year where you two are going to school in different places. With very different schedules. My work has been very flexible, and I think I finally have it figured out. You started off so well with school. I must admit I was worried a bit. You had been with your old friends for so long and aren't quite as outgoing as your brother. Plus, you know, the actual change from daycare to actual school. You did fine, though. As the year has worn on, I do get mornings where you tell me you don't want to go to school but I think that has more to do with your brother still getting Grandma/Grandpa days. Today you told me that y'all don't get to play enough at school. I feel ya, honey.<br />
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I mentioned your schedule. This year you kept taking swimming lessons. You can keep yourself alive now so that's good. We still need to work on strokes. We're currently taking a break but will start back up again at a different place. You have kept taking art classes and still enjoy them. And you joined Girl Scouts. You're a Daisy. It's been a learning curve for me since I wasn't one. You sold cookies for the first time ever. Your goal (driven solely by wanting to earn the stuffed llama) was 200 boxes. You sold 231. I'd guess that you yourself sold about half of those by going door-to-door and to your grandparents' Sunday School. Pretty good for a 5-year-old.<br />
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You really enjoy books and hearing stories before bedtime. You like playing with dolls and ponies and Legos and your brother. Y'all build forts. You enjoy playdates. You like watching tv or playing games on the iPad. You're still interested in drawing and coloring and crafting. You love your family and Callie.<br />
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You're a good kid. You generally do what I ask (sometimes way more slowly than I'd like). You can be sensitive (you come by that honestly). You're kind and mostly happy. Sometimes dramatic. You're very smart. I can hear the wheels turning when we read about history or people or different time periods. You ask me really thoughtful questions that make me proud of you. You basically have a really good heart. <br />
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Your birthday party this year was My Little Pony. You do really love watching that show. Your grandparents have a friend who made a giant MLP and we borrowed it for the party. Your friends also got pool noodle ponies and generally just ran around our house being crazy. I let you invite who you wanted (with limits on numbers) so it was your first "kid" party. I liked that you invited friends from school, your old daycare, and the neighborhood. I didn't have friends from different places like that when I was growing up. You have so much opportunity. Anyway, it's interesting to watch how these parties evolve with age. I think we're close to having girls-only parties since the boys sort of segregated themselves. <br />
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You still keep your blonde hair long. We don't have fancy hairstyles very often because we're just trying to get out the door in the morning. You wear tennis shoes more now due to PE, but no other real trends on clothes. You pick out what you like or--if I'm trying to speed y'all along some mornings--I make it a game to have you and your brother pick out each others' clothes. You lost your first two teeth this year and two more are loose. So for your first tooth? The tooth fairy brought you two sparkly dollars. Shortly thereafter, we were watching something on tv (Amazon Prime) and you and your brother wanted to watch an old Ghostbusters cartoon that was not free. I told y'all as much and asked if you had $2 (as one episode was $1.99). You jumped up and said, "Yes!" You ran upstairs and brought down your money. After confirming you really meant it, I went ahead and bough the whole season for just a few dollars more just because I was so impressed with you (and thought you were pretty funny). <br />
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And this year's questions:<br />
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<li>What is your favorite food? Chocolate</li>
<li>Favorite movie? Beauty and the Beast </li>
<li>Favorite color? Silver</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do? Watch TV</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Mireya</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? Home </li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? Artist </li>
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Oh, kid. You're something else. I'm very proud of you and the person you're becoming. It's weird to sometimes feel like you're a real person. Not just my kid. And at the same time, I see the 5th graders (who look HUGE) and can't believe that will be you before I know it. Daddy mentioned that you're 1/3 of the way to moving out of the house for college. Kill joy. I'm just going to hang onto you as long as you'll let me. Happy birthday, girl!cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-71815450440329156692017-01-02T16:13:00.000-06:002017-01-02T16:13:12.394-06:002016 readsI guess if nothing else, I keep track of the kids' birthdays and what I read. Perhaps I need to start blogging anew.<br />
<ol>
<li>The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls</li>
<li>The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion</li>
<li>The Boys in the Boat</li>
<li>As Always I Smiled</li>
<li>The Ladies of Garrison Gardens</li>
<li>The Friday Night Knitting Club</li>
<li>Everyone Worth Knowing</li>
<li>Been There, Done That</li>
<li>Hamilton: The Revolution</li>
<li>Top Secret Twenty-One</li>
<li>A Grown-up Kind of Pretty</li>
</ol>
At least I read more this year. I had been keeping a list of recommendations for the last several years but never found time what with raising two small children. Vacations helped a little. I think all of the books were interesting in their own ways. I've recommended #3 to others and even gifted it. And #9 helped fuel an already unhealthy obsession. cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-3080840380486800722016-07-31T16:33:00.000-05:002016-07-31T16:33:17.556-05:004 years! (the boy edition)Buddy Bear, you're finally 4! I feel like we've been leading up to this birthday for quite some time. You wanted to go with Transformers this year, and it was pretty fun. Because there are a TON of kids in your class, we stuck with a kid party this year. You wanted to have it at the splash pad, and that worked out well. In order for us old folks not to die at an outdoor party in Texas in July, we had it at 9am. That meant breakfast foods! It was fun. You had a doughnut tower instead of a cake (which was your decision). <br />
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You still have lots of nicknames. Buddy, Buddy Bear, Mojo Jojo, Jojo, Joji (for when you say "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy"). You're not really Buns anymore. Funny how that happens. You're still my tiny guy. I think you're in size 3 usually. Skinny minny. We won't have official measurements from your well check until September since I totally missed your appointment last year and now we're off schedule. <br />
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You are still full of joy at 4. You do have an occasional meltdown or tantrum but usually it's when you're tired, hungry, or need to potty. Your friends (and their parents) seem to love you. We do, too, obviously. You're a spunky kid. Very funny, smart. You have a big ol' heart and are a softy. We were watching the first "Land Before Time" yesterday and when the mom's memory said "You'll always be in my heart" or something like that, you said "Aww" and then repeated it to me. You are free with the hugs and kisses and cuddling and "I love yous." It's awesome.<br />
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We're back in the house for this birthday. You and your sister have your own rooms but you sleep together. Sometimes it's in your bed and sometimes it's in the twin beds she has in hers. Y'all usually jibber jabber before you go to sleep but almost always sleep all night. Then in the mornings you each wake up and join us in the big bed for a few minutes before we start our day. I really love that. You still nap almost daily, and you're the best napping partner. You'll cuddle but you don't move a lot and you're quiet. The same cannot be said for your sister. <br />
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She'll start kindergarten in a month, and I'm interested to see how y'all handle that. You're both a little anxious, I think, to be separated. Y'all get along so well. It's such a relief. You're definitely a mama's boy these days but you do love Daddy, too. <br />
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You enjoy all things building like Legos, etc. And anything science-y. You took a programming class last month at the university and enjoyed that. You like robots, dinosaurs, Transformers, super heroes. You did karate for most of this year and you've done a lot of swimming. You also played a team sport for the first time--soccer. That was interesting. You love riding your scooter...your bike not so much. You enjoy being read to and we started lessons to learn to read. You're REALLY catching on. It's surprising how easy it seems for you. And it's pretty exciting for me, too. You'll switch classrooms next month at daycare, and I know you'll do great with your new teacher. She's my favorite one at your school as far as teaching goes.<br />
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You are a picky eater these days. I think you could survive solely on cheese and sausages and gummies if I let you. You seem to like protein more than lots of kids. You don't really go for ice cream or cake or cookies very much. But you do love your candy! And the aforementioned doughnuts. You eat a peanut butter sandwich for school lunches (no jelly). And your preferred breakfast these days is a Pop-Tart straight from the pantry. (At first, you called them Tart Pops which was pretty fun). Speaking of, you say almost everything correctly these days which is bittersweet. I miss "gils" for "girls," but you do say "patteren" for "pattern." I guess I'll hang on to that one.<br />
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This year, I'll start asking you some questions about yourself. Here we go...<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food? Cheese</li>
<li>Favorite movie? Scooby Dooby Doo</li>
<li>Favorite color? Purple</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do? Play with Transformers and transform them into cars and robots</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Jacob</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? to the new splash pad</li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? a Transformer</li>
</ul>
Oh, Buddy. You are my heart. I'm so happy I get to be your mom. Happiest of birthdays to you. Looking forward to what the next year holds!<br />
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cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-16069612248582860532016-02-02T07:42:00.001-06:002016-02-05T15:50:11.754-06:00FiveFive! How is my firstborn so old?! Well, you are and you're getting super fun. You are your own person, for sure. When I asked you what kind of birthday you wanted this year you said "Wonder Woman. And I want all my friends to dress like their favorite superhero." I thought that was a GREAT idea so we went with it. And let me tell you, it was so fun seeing all your friends in their costumes. The neighbors said it looked like Halloween all over again. Y'all are the cutest. This year, I mostly bought the food but spent more time on favors (capes!) and games (superhero training!). Everyone seemed to have a good time, and the weather held up again this year. I'm also not gonna lie--it was nice to be back in the house for your party.<br />
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This last year was a challenging one what with us moving all the time and living everywhere but home. But you and your brother handled it like champs. You were so well-behaved in the hotel and apartment where you had to change your behavior a bit to be more considerate of neighbors. You usually are pretty well-behaved in general. You and your brother sometimes bicker but are typically best friends. You have a few favorite friends at school (including your little boyfriend) and of course still love your cousin. And babies. ALL babies. Sometimes I'm not sure how you're going to do when in a new situation around a bunch of kids who are strangers, but you had a camp at NASA and did great. I hope you keep that up since later this year you'll be starting kindergarten with all new kids.<br />
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Speaking of school, you're still a smartypants. You're learning to read and are doing some math. Your writing, coloring, and drawing have gotten much better. You love crafty things (yea!) and reading stories before bed. We've started reading chapter books, and they keep your attention. I have to admit that I like that more than reading the same books a million times. You remain super chatty and ask a ton of questions all the time. You also enjoy movies, going to the park, playing with the neighbors. I think you're ready for a new dog but still talk about Maggie. You do have that fantastic memory.<br />
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You have been taking karate for quite some time now. It has held your attention better than ballet. You have the yellow (gold? I have no idea) belt with one stripe. You also are better at tumbling and with balance. You like riding your bike at your grandparents'--still with training wheels but you have much better endurance. <br />
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We don't go to your 5-year-old doctor's visit until Friday so I'll update your stats then. You're a pretty big girl, though. So tall. (Edited to add: Yep, 70th percentile for height and ~60th for weight.) And you still have your long blonde hair. I mention cutting it shorter but you have no interest. Your self-cut whispies have finally grown out.<br />
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You and your brother still sleep in the same room even though you now have your own. What's funny is that where y'all sleep changes. You will pick your room (in twin beds), his room (in his tent or in his bed), or will sleep on these pallets that you got for Christmas. Sometimes we put you to bed in one place and a few minutes later y'all change things up. Whatever. You sleep well so that's all that matters. You have mostly given up napping at home although you sometimes do at school or the grandparents'. We had a good run so no complaints there. You do take awhile to get dressed, though (both in the morning and at night). You are slow, slow, slow. But you kind of are in general. This should not surprise me as your labor lasted FOREVER.<br />
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You still eat well. You could probably survive on fruit alone but also love yogurt and sweets. You have a pretty balanced diet but I think meat is lower on your list.<br />
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This year, I'm starting to ask you some questions about yourself. Here we go...<br />
<ul>
<li>What is your favorite food? Chocolate </li>
<li>Favorite movie? Where the Red Fern Grows </li>
<li>Favorite color? Pinkpurplesilvergoldbluered</li>
<li>Favorite thing to do? Color</li>
<li>Who is your best friend? Caleb and Olivia</li>
<li>Where is your favorite place to go? The Children's Museum in Galveston </li>
<li>What do you want to be when you grow up? Rock star artist </li>
</ul>
Love you, girl. I hope we're always as close as we are now.<br />
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<br />cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-62129707596332752272015-12-31T11:34:00.001-06:002015-12-31T11:38:44.321-06:002015 readsPretty lame year on the reading front but things have been a bit hectic. Perhaps 2016! Here's the list for posterity's sake:<br />
<ol>
<li>A Lesson Before Dying</li>
<li>The Baker's Daughter</li>
<li>Notorious Nineteen</li>
<li>Takedown Twenty</li>
<li>The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox</li>
<li>The One and Only Ivan</li>
</ol>
And the usual tons of children's books. #6 is one, too, but it's a chapter book. I thought we could read it aloud but it's still a little old for the kids. I liked all of them. #5 was probably the one I wanted most to not end. It felt like I needed to know what happened after the final page. Good sign...cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-62687426687113857282015-11-11T08:32:00.000-06:002015-11-11T08:44:07.613-06:00update #12: satisfying progressWe are finally (FINALLY) at the portion of the program where the progress is something that I care about. Not that I didn't care about progress before but things like new plumbing don't exactly make me giddy. I couldn't fall asleep last night (even though I'm sickly AGAIN) because I really wanted to see the progress from yesterday. Freakin' time change. The guys were working late and I don't really want to drop by at night. Them having a heart attack doesn't get me in the house any sooner.<br>
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So we're looking at the end of the month. I'm disappointed we won't be in by Thanksgiving but we'll work it out and will be thankful regardless. I've been told by multiple people that they feel like they're going through this with us. I take that to mean that they crammed their family in an apartment (and various other places) for nearly a year in solidarity. No? Ok, fine. What it really means is they want pics. Here you go. Obviously a lot of small things to go (and a few big ones).<br>
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<br>
So things are better. I feel like we may actually live in our house again...something I was doubting before. I started treating the contractors like I treat folks at work--I badger until I get a response (in a relatively nice way, of course). It has actually resulted in--gasp--responses. And I told them that I was going with the more generous part of the date range they gave me during our last big meeting. So November 13th it is. Please ignore that that's a Friday the 13th. We're basing furniture delivery and leaving the apartment on that date so they have to stick with it. Or else we'll be camping in the backyard, I guess.<br>
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We've had a lot of progress in the last few weeks. We have all the walls textured and several rooms painted. All new doors and trim--all painted. Bathroom vanity bases in. About half the kitchen cabinets in. A new back patio (as the fire damaged the concrete--crazy). We picked out all the flooring and tile. Ordered odds and ends, which is an ongoing thing around here. So it's coming along. Finally. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UnQvOgu-CcTmxsJCoCQocB3vqlnkLJ4joKh0p1d_8rjTQoXkCsUGoVfMP8FRUJv0B8nhAYrfT8jXL8sz116MPznhOplAbAqRw12IizUBLwkUR3A60eIU0yUfMLUtBVkyohyphenhyphenBuA/s640/blogger-image-1304349677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UnQvOgu-CcTmxsJCoCQocB3vqlnkLJ4joKh0p1d_8rjTQoXkCsUGoVfMP8FRUJv0B8nhAYrfT8jXL8sz116MPznhOplAbAqRw12IizUBLwkUR3A60eIU0yUfMLUtBVkyohyphenhyphenBuA/s640/blogger-image-1304349677.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsQwnb680hisEcsapvW_YAf13BfvH47rpPvkBxKJFVCCvpoLCbRIDdnM3sdyZy5iI-GUBvyDEBK_BrtfiOp8ZalGurr1x6Vlax8YHKd6vxQxKKzchZ7GuA2tqwAXDQnW8zexkKA/s640/blogger-image--738713428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsQwnb680hisEcsapvW_YAf13BfvH47rpPvkBxKJFVCCvpoLCbRIDdnM3sdyZy5iI-GUBvyDEBK_BrtfiOp8ZalGurr1x6Vlax8YHKd6vxQxKKzchZ7GuA2tqwAXDQnW8zexkKA/s640/blogger-image--738713428.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVDcCn2iAxXL4NO-Va26Kt4bSUSDhRHZi1hblHXNDTKS2eCwATYP_D_pw0fInPwNupQJFTqJojkXKwsLCbZlzEvwLvaHiNn3mmoKtgd7hh4npNONwqmw95H3L-7uNaVcH92GgOw/s640/blogger-image--280505448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVDcCn2iAxXL4NO-Va26Kt4bSUSDhRHZi1hblHXNDTKS2eCwATYP_D_pw0fInPwNupQJFTqJojkXKwsLCbZlzEvwLvaHiNn3mmoKtgd7hh4npNONwqmw95H3L-7uNaVcH92GgOw/s640/blogger-image--280505448.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFbdZPzwscYtOsLOw-uuRnPaXWJ4vC8vidhD-hZuMM9QxyyGR3s-3rHkFU35zTiZkveziiF6nU-cuGAL9ERuwmumOvPm5sBEnq9nUvxTzZeMfc32cytb2Wq4iNS8ri7tXLdgkpQ/s640/blogger-image-112082208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFbdZPzwscYtOsLOw-uuRnPaXWJ4vC8vidhD-hZuMM9QxyyGR3s-3rHkFU35zTiZkveziiF6nU-cuGAL9ERuwmumOvPm5sBEnq9nUvxTzZeMfc32cytb2Wq4iNS8ri7tXLdgkpQ/s640/blogger-image-112082208.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacBfuUL-ay9AQ-mbw2uL-yLe6UQIT917f2cTWDwslQbqL6YssfPL9QZmqhAqc06m0H45JNvM7WCmGmAHVaY1wpxzu63g8rmNkLX37rNbAL288FXCQ62DRn2fMl3IFuWCrXp_jfw/s640/blogger-image-72515229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacBfuUL-ay9AQ-mbw2uL-yLe6UQIT917f2cTWDwslQbqL6YssfPL9QZmqhAqc06m0H45JNvM7WCmGmAHVaY1wpxzu63g8rmNkLX37rNbAL288FXCQ62DRn2fMl3IFuWCrXp_jfw/s640/blogger-image-72515229.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AuEu74vEbYqvhk0h0zU21QllImCRezMbVERAn2eEyj241dWSUODj-uMa6Hcs3hAU_Gjl7hN0SUKUgAbE_AdM0kLGRJye40c5jN1Gqt_5KpqJuENJ2dad6jQFuCPz1et_3N8cRA/s640/blogger-image-1218790761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AuEu74vEbYqvhk0h0zU21QllImCRezMbVERAn2eEyj241dWSUODj-uMa6Hcs3hAU_Gjl7hN0SUKUgAbE_AdM0kLGRJye40c5jN1Gqt_5KpqJuENJ2dad6jQFuCPz1et_3N8cRA/s640/blogger-image-1218790761.jpg"></a></div>cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-25562141338511312602015-09-25T09:32:00.000-05:002015-09-25T09:32:53.556-05:00update #10: the one with the crazyI feel like making it 8 months out of the house before losing my mind was a pretty good run. We're about a month past that and probably have almost two more to go before we're back in. I'm honestly thinking of starting a GoFundMe campaign for my mental health care costs. I try to go to sleep at night but just get angry and think of how I'd go on a tirade Julia Sugarbaker-style. (Instead of, you know, slightly misplaced anger at strangers in a parking lot.)<br />
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Also? I waffle. I try to calm down and think that none of this is a big deal in the grand scheme of things. So many people are going through much worse. At least I live in a safe place. I don't feel the need to flee my country to bring safety to my children. We have food and jobs and our general health. But then I think that if I don't get mad we will literally never move back home. NEVER. And I want to scream. <br />
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So here's where we are. We have walls and ceilings. Allegedly they'll be textured starting tomorrow. We met with the contractors a week ago and really tried to pin them down on costs and timelines. I was feeling better then but I'm clearly already over that. I get that we're taking this opportunity to make some changes that we would have had to pay for had the fire not happened. We figure now's the time to do it. In the long run, it makes more sense to do it now than spend more money ripping out new material down the road. But. It also feels like I'm the only one concerned about the budget. I'm not willing to pay an endless amount in upgrades. I'm not willing to pay jacked up prices for materials. So that leaves me with basically a part-time job as a sub-contractor who researches materials, bargain hunts, negotiates. You know, on top of my full-time job. And the tiny task of raising two small kids. <br />
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But where does that leave me? I have no problem with the quality of work thus far (which is good since we'll be living in this house a long time). It's the timelines and budget. And the fact that we're out of housing money about halfway through next month. Which, again, we're fortunate enough to be able to pay mortgage for a house we're not living in AND outrageous apartment rent but it's the principle of the thing. Can I fire these folks? Um, not if I don't want to avoid a ton of additional delays. I'm super tempted to just say, "We gave our notice at the apartment for this date based on our meeting with you last Friday. That means we will be moving in on X. You better be done by then." Sigh. I don't know, people. I'm probably going to flip out on someone today. You've been warned.cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-25628026980264842892015-08-05T10:34:00.002-05:002015-08-05T10:34:26.456-05:00great girlI saw this comic strip one time where a dog was complaining that he or she was always good, never great. I don't know why "good girl" flows so much better than "great girl" but it does so that's what you tell them. This morning, though, I told her she was a great girl. And she was.<br />
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We got Maggie about 6 months after we got married. We knew we wanted a rescue, and I really wanted a Boxer. I don't know what it was about her little ad that I liked over the others. <br />
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<em>I am so sweet and I just roll with the flow where ever I go. Everyone who meets me says that I am just the sweetest little girl! You see, I was lost...and I got picked up by the county animal control. They put me in a large cage with lots of other dogs...but, that did not bother me...I just waited there because I knew that someone would come and see how sweet I am and get me out. Sure enough, one day a nice lady showed up and got me out of there. She put me in her car and I had a lovely ride to the vet. I am all healthy and now they are feeding me so that I can gain a little weight. However, I must admit that I am on the small side at about 45 pounds.</em><br />
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And then they posted these pictures of this totally emaciated Boxer girl. <br />
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We had to drive way north of town to meet her at her temporary foster location. They hadn't even had her long enough for a real foster placement. She was so skinny and seemed kind of scared and timid. She could walk well on the leash. I don't know what it was about her but we took her. It turned out she was crate trained as well. More than likely she was used for breeding and then who knows. But I think she had a rough life on the street because she was always uncertain of other dogs. Never people, though. She loved them. (Selfies from this morning.)<br />
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They were calling her Flo but I decided on Maggie. Maggie Waggie. Maggie C Boxer. Maggie-roni. Maggie Mae. You apparently can't be a small mammal in this house and get away without many, many nicknames. We fattened her up (appropriately) and she went on lots of walks. She looked great. So much healthier, all muscle. Our vet guessed she was probably 2-3 years old. Looking back, I'm betting that they underestimated her age because of her small size. Our current vet was thinking she's probably older than 8. That oddly makes me feel a little better. <br />
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Anyway, she was the best dog. It seemed like she was so well-behaved to begin with but we did teach her a few things. We never had any trouble with her. She was calm for a Boxer. You could leave her in the front yard with no fence and she'd never wander off. She was super well-mannered and maybe would get a little overbearing with visitors because she wanted <a href="http://theittybittythings.blogspot.com/2010/04/im-model.html" target="_blank">ALL THE LOVE</a>. <br />
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She was with us through a ton of changes. Unemployment, a new baby, selling a house, buying a house, another new baby, several job changes, three new cars, the infamous house fire and the crazy living situations that followed. She was a trooper. We never had to worry about her being a disruption anywhere we stayed. I mean, seriously? How many dogs can live in a hotel for a month and you'd probably never even know she was there besides the jingle of her collar... She occasionally got into trouble because she was a dog afterall--the deer incident. Um, and the more recent skunk encounter.<br />
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Maggie loved people but she loved my husband the most. By far. She enjoyed being outside when the weather was nice. She loved walks and jogs. She'd even tolerate crazy outfits to protect her against the weather. She loved being loved on. She didn't really play with toys, just people. But she loved <a href="http://theittybittythings.blogspot.com/2010/04/happy-easter.html" target="_blank">Daisy and Tessa</a>, her auntie dogs. And she loved photobombing. She was very skeptical when we brought home baby #1 but as they've grown up, they grew on her. <br />
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We put her down this morning. It was the worst decision to have to make but it was all very quick and peaceful. My husband asked if we could do it outside, which I think was a great idea. The vet said he agreed that it was time and that we had already tried more than a lot of people would. He thinks she probably had cancer in her brain and possibly elsewhere. The other options didn't seem to be very good considering her age and size. And I just don't think she would have been happy if she couldn't follow us around wherever we went.<br />
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We all loved her very much. She was my coworker for 5 1/2 years. I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through the workdays. And I'm not sure how my husband will get over losing his best friend. You were a truly great dog, my dear. We will miss you terribly.<br />
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cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-3587724100439622092015-07-31T10:04:00.006-05:002015-07-31T10:04:42.401-05:003 years! (the boy edition)Hey, Buddy! You're 3! I can't believe my baby is three. Sigh. These days you go by a lot of different names other than your own--Buddy, Buddy Bear, Buns, Jojo, Joj. I think Jojo came from the Power Puff girls' Mojo Jojo. I'd change it to [your name] Jojo. And then dropped your name altogether. Daddy calls you Super Son sometimes. <br />
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So, Jojo, what are you like these days? Mostly awesome with a little bit of the whole "threenager" thing sprinkled in. Oh my, speaking of sprinkles I guess I should start with a story from when we went on vacation in the Hill Country a few weeks ago. You met your first love. It was so funny; as soon as we got to the campground, we went to the pool. You quickly found an age-appropriate little girl to woo. After we changed, we went to the playground. There you flirted with 3 sisters. The oldest one (who turned 14 while we were there) is the person you say you're going to marry. She was very sweet to you and your sister. She was pale, thin, had the red-haired gene (so I couldn't be too mad at you for loving another) and had freckles. You asked me where the girl with the dots was. I knew you meant freckles and told you that was what they were called. You called them various things--spreckles, sprinkles, and more recently you've taken to frinkles. So to say you're charming is an understatement. <br />
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What else? You're still strawberry blonde. We've stopped letting you have crazy long hair, and that makes you look so much more grown up. You're still a skinny minny and I think a little short for your age. We don't have your 3-year appointment until about a week from now so we'll see then. You wear mostly 2T clothes still but can do 3 in some things. The one thing that feels above average is your feet. We got new shoes this week and you went from a 7.5 to a 9. Huge. It's the toes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWspHHDXSlkh3eOZ_dHYbCx00FmMhfGohh2MEPbtoYfXJaj7VcfXrmF71UllEQBHP280S_S6yIZtOYYqItdRgvv0Yt4DAiAvsV7cxkkA9cXLhoCRGOKbdzy2RuxwlgctilKAkWLA/s640/blogger-image-474095638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWspHHDXSlkh3eOZ_dHYbCx00FmMhfGohh2MEPbtoYfXJaj7VcfXrmF71UllEQBHP280S_S6yIZtOYYqItdRgvv0Yt4DAiAvsV7cxkkA9cXLhoCRGOKbdzy2RuxwlgctilKAkWLA/s320/blogger-image-474095638.jpg" width="240" /></a>You are still very cuddly and request cuddles at times. If I'm sitting on the floor you'll come and plop down in my lap. You're mostly happy but are quick to anger. And again, quick to recover most times. Except, you know, when you pitch fits--you can show some stamina then. Your old teacher calls you Smiley [your name], which suits you. You seem to love all of us, Mommy and Daddy equally (although when I have to go out of town, you prefer me when I return). You and your sister get along and generally play well together. You'll help each other out. I'm so glad you're a pretty easygoing kid since we've been in close quarters for slightly more than half of your last year due to the Christmas fire.<br />
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You love to be busy; you're a pretty active guy. You enjoy water, being outside, going on walks, playing with Duplos or Lincoln logs, doing puzzles, reading stories, dinosaurs, super heroes, all things transportation, going to HMNS. You love Tumblebus at school and have taken more swimming lessons this summer. You had your first karate class (with your sister) yesterday and did well. I'm glad we'll be able to do one class for the both of you. You ride your tricycle and I think have tried out the bike a few times. Daddy got you a scooter today so we'll see if you can get the hang of that. You do like the iPad and movies but we try to limit those. We took you to see your first movie in the theater this summer--Home. And we saw the Minions movie last week. You did great. We also took you to see The Music Man at the real theatre since Shapoopi is one of your favorite songs. <br />
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You enjoy school. You've had quite a few changes there this year but are doing well. You'll move up into the 3-year-old class in about a month. I'm looking forward to the changes that that will hold--you'll be even smarter! No, you're really doing great. You're so verbal and know so much already. You tell me your best friend is Tyler.<br />
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For your 2-year post I said, "You're a pretty good eater. You like a lot of sweets--gummies, chocolate, etc. but you're less of a fan of ice cream. And, like Mommy, you prefer the cake to the icing. You eat a lot of meat and like pre-packaged fruit cups, bananas, raisins, breakfast bars, cereal, pancakes. You're not a big vegetable fan and really don't eat many fruits that don't come in cups." You are pretty much still like this. You love mac and cheese but don't want anything to do with potatoes of any kind. I still don't understand that. And you dislike whipped cream. Wha?! You do love Gatorade and want to drink my sweet tea when I have it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQaBja1yCGiNbsrolYalYmpzzepdC689pTi22-4-hPQhcqJxXKiDmVwf0F2QUJf1PBLvv4a6HBavWr6Ge9j7qnbJqpQOPUs6mS1KgERMxXZ5G5Atab_nbMWlxtv62MkhafCWLFQ/s640/blogger-image--1929010270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQaBja1yCGiNbsrolYalYmpzzepdC689pTi22-4-hPQhcqJxXKiDmVwf0F2QUJf1PBLvv4a6HBavWr6Ge9j7qnbJqpQOPUs6mS1KgERMxXZ5G5Atab_nbMWlxtv62MkhafCWLFQ/s400/blogger-image--1929010270.jpg" width="266" /></a>You are totally potty trained. Woohoo! I swear, as our house was burning one of the things I thought was "well, now he'll never be potty trained." I knew we'd have so much disruption for awhile. But your school encouraged you even before I thought you were ready. You had tons of accidents and then got the hang of it. Unlike your sister, though, you had some regressions and we had to get you back on track a few times. But yea! No diapers! Even at night. So great.<br />
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Since you and your sister have had to share a room, you're mostly good at going to bed. The getting ready for bed is sometimes a pain but sometimes it's a race! And that's fun (unless you're the loser). You don't mind brushing your teeth anymore. Once we've read stories and talked of your day, Daddy and I leave. You and your sister then jibber jabber. Sometimes for minutes, sometimes for an hour. Sigh. But I guess it's better than fighting. You usually sleep all night (but, oddly, had a bad night last night). And when y'all wake up, you come in our room and say, "It's the babies!" and climb into bed with us for awhile. I get to cuddle y'all, and I love it. I'm very much looking forward to moving back home and into a king bed.<br />
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Well, Buns, another year. Hopefully the next one will be less dramatic in regards to our living situation. I'm so, so happy to be your Mom (which you call me now--sob). You're my favorite boy, and I couldn't love you more.<br />
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<br />cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-23846424716094683342015-07-22T10:12:00.000-05:002015-07-22T10:14:54.232-05:00update #9To say I've fallen off the blog wagon would be an understatement. Ho hum. So, 2 months have gone by, and I have to say that my positivity is waning. Being in relatively good spirits while being out of the house 7 months was a good long run. I think (in addition to just the length of time) it's because we've spent too long doing tasks that don't have a lot of gratification but are necessary. Like electrical and plumbing. Definitely want those but you don't get terribly excited seeing new pipes and wires. Ok, I did get excited to see that the kitchen fluorescent lights had been replaced with can lights and pendants. <br>
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So what's been happening? We have windows (except for a few downstairs) and siding and exterior paint. The garage is almost completely done--need a few trim pieces and the garage door. Everything inside has been sealed. We have ductwork but no AC units. All the flooring has been removed. We've made decisions regarding changes we want to make now since the house is gutted. Hubby has been running some Cat6 cable himself. Probably some other things I'm forgetting as building a house is a pretty long list.<br>
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Up next? We have brick delivered. Two sides of the house will need to have it removed and replaced. Then we can move to the inside--insulation, drywall, exciting things like cabinetry and paint and flooring and light fixtures and a million other things. We've had various delays that I don't blame the contractors for...just life, nature, insurance. Once we get to the pretty stuff I think I'll be more excited again.<br>
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In the meantime, we took advantage of the July 4th sales and ordered living room furniture and a new mattress for us. I've been thrifting and have found some things for the kids' rooms. I purchased lots of light fixtures when the ones I want go on sale. And we ordered nearly all of our appliances (#sendmoney #kiddingnotkidding). So a lot of research and bargain hunting but at least it makes me feel like I'm doing something. <div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyok2pmUeEVYMJguxTHprBs9DwEiwNPmwpneJLtVm33yRYH7sA1CUr0DRu25BoPB9p9Sb6UdXieXUeei1trqs6_xZZ5MNU0xNTlnNl4JZpa2Bgf5OXi3JYwFT3nXKjyMp8SweSw/s640/blogger-image--2104188901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyok2pmUeEVYMJguxTHprBs9DwEiwNPmwpneJLtVm33yRYH7sA1CUr0DRu25BoPB9p9Sb6UdXieXUeei1trqs6_xZZ5MNU0xNTlnNl4JZpa2Bgf5OXi3JYwFT3nXKjyMp8SweSw/s640/blogger-image--2104188901.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H6XAlDV-9Y0Zkp2lhJH2KVTYehFk4TYbi4e7Hpi56bL4j2J4wDul7rF1ca58siElWatxMVf00CeOTEthmCYyncb7LZ5HT4e_lIngHdcOr9RAzTApo3K2bpek2SH1vZ5e422RwA/s640/blogger-image-1150591472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H6XAlDV-9Y0Zkp2lhJH2KVTYehFk4TYbi4e7Hpi56bL4j2J4wDul7rF1ca58siElWatxMVf00CeOTEthmCYyncb7LZ5HT4e_lIngHdcOr9RAzTApo3K2bpek2SH1vZ5e422RwA/s640/blogger-image-1150591472.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivU-wAE1xZ-e4QIxOcdx2a5Vbg4UmyJbj8-fTFNJq722DJY_6cSSD8EwwqbKhTzwEmdQdgYwFw_QF2L7A2xU_M3km2CtA9Uz1qSMCa4P70UEJ7C3FHi3YVwiITOB6qwalprvnQNA/s640/blogger-image-172570793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivU-wAE1xZ-e4QIxOcdx2a5Vbg4UmyJbj8-fTFNJq722DJY_6cSSD8EwwqbKhTzwEmdQdgYwFw_QF2L7A2xU_M3km2CtA9Uz1qSMCa4P70UEJ7C3FHi3YVwiITOB6qwalprvnQNA/s640/blogger-image-172570793.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSYMegmL7xKJQWNJxg2BDeKyEQAaB5hFl_hVAJkuo1hiM61Ds3EkineY2aAQqXvmC3IhOGLd713iFI-wQgzzFKdye3NYEDeGRpHcugtRYQOmFov1acxhj-kLXZDPLmZeaD1S5WQ/s640/blogger-image-392618522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSYMegmL7xKJQWNJxg2BDeKyEQAaB5hFl_hVAJkuo1hiM61Ds3EkineY2aAQqXvmC3IhOGLd713iFI-wQgzzFKdye3NYEDeGRpHcugtRYQOmFov1acxhj-kLXZDPLmZeaD1S5WQ/s640/blogger-image-392618522.jpg"></a></div></div>cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-8171081965127677662015-05-21T09:25:00.000-05:002015-05-21T09:25:07.405-05:00update #8I can't believe I used to blog so much. Of course, that was pre-children. Anywho, it's been awhile since an update. We're still working on the exterior so that it's secure before moving on to the interior. And, you know, we've had more rain in the last few months than we've probably had over the last 5 years. <br />
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But! Other than where windows need replacing, we have exterior walls! And our covered patio was rebuilt.<br />
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And we have lots of interior wood replaced including all the rafters. So basically everything that was above the 2nd floor ceiling has been replaced. It wasn't just a quick shingle replacement. Really, it's like a 3rd of our house has been rebuilt. And then nearly all of the interior will be. This is the kitchen looking into the laundry room.<br />
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And the attic above our bedroom. <br />
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So things are really coming along. We've had a few days without rain (even though it looked like it could rain at any moment pretty much all day yesterday). It's amazing how much the guys can get done if the weather actually cooperates. They'll have to finish out all the framing and then we'll need to pass inspection. Then roofing, windows, siding, brick. And I guess THEN we can start focusing on the interior. That part is way more exciting to me. I have collected almost all the light fixtures we'll need--some were just replacements of the ones I had replaced since we moved in. And I've picked up a few replacement furniture pieces. Since we need to replace so much, it's easy to watch sales and get really good deals. I guess that's all for now. I wish I had more time to write more about other things. Maybe one day...</div>
cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173837.post-75804929846317964442015-04-03T09:30:00.003-05:002015-04-03T09:30:58.262-05:00update #7 (it's a lucky one)Last week, exactly 3 months to the day later, demo started on our house. They've made a lot of progress since then, and we usually stop by almost daily to see what's happening. It's interesting to see the guts of your house. We also have electricity hooked up. Finally. So many hoops to jump through before you can even make the request. I wanted to post pics here but just don't have time to upload everything right now. I'll put some on FB. <br />
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Doing a lot of shopping these days. Lots of decisions to make but I love it. So, yeah, if you hate shopping? Don't ever (re)build a house. <br />
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One interesting thing is that everything inside the house was black/grey because of all the soot and ashes. Now everything looks clean because of drywall dust. And from the outside? Time just keeps rolling on. Spring is here. Flowers and bulbs are blooming. Can't wait to get back home. cjmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02010307698215832511noreply@blogger.com0