4th "Edition" Coming Next Spring!!

So in case you haven’t spoken to my mother recently (love you mom!) or you thought the sudden and horrifying weight gain was due to extra trips to Krispy Kreme, then I’m here to inform y’all that we are expecting baby number four!!


Here’s the scoop in list form. I’m too tired to write paragraphs.
• I’m 11 weeks.
• Yes, I’ve been throwing up. It’s as fun as I remember it.
• I found out I was pregnant the day before my 34th birthday. I told my family on my birthday. It was kinda cool.
• I’m due March 21st (my mom’s birthday)
• My house is in ruins and I often feed my children chicken noodle soup from a can.
• Yes, this was planned.
• I know, I know. I told you all we were done. Sucka!!!!
• I think I’m having a girl.
• I’ve discovered that orange & spice herbal tea helps with the nausea.
• One night I wanted guacamole so desperately I cried when I didn’t have the ingredients to make it. Casey was in Mexico.
• Hannah found my pregnancy test. She kept asking me about it, but I played dumb. She wasn’t fooled. Who taught her how to read anyway?
• If it’s a girl, Sydney wants to name her Flower Power.
• When we told Jack there was a baby in mommy’s tummy, he said, “What the heck?”
• At my first appt. my doctor asked me for some parenting advice. She’s awesome.
• I don’t like the taste of diet coke right now. Tragic.
• Every night Hannah pats my belly and says, “Good night, peanut.”

New Books

I always intend to use the library more often and check out loads of books with my kids, but I usually end up buying them instead. I have this idea that I'd love to fill my home with hundreds of books I've read and that way my posterity would know what to read. It would be a part of me passing on to them. Do I think too much? Anyway, these two caught my eye recently and I thought I'd share.

The first one is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This book was mentioned to me during a late night at Girl's Camp. I didn't remember what it was about, but when I passed by it at Target, the book's title rang familiar. I picked it up and read the synopsis.

Who, you might ask, is Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951) and why is she the subject of a book? On the surface, this short-lived African American Virginian seems an unlikely candidate for immortality. The most remarkable thing about her, some might argue, is that she had ten children during her thirty-one years on earth. Actually, we all owe Ms. Lacks a great debt and some of us owe her our lives. As Rebecca Skloot tells us in this riveting human story, Henrietta was the involuntary donor of cells from her cancerous tumors that have been cultured to create an immortal cell line for medical research. These so-called HeLa cells have not only generated billions of dollars for the medical industry; they have helped uncover secrets of cancers, viruses, fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping.

Whoa. I was seriously denied in my biology classes. I would have loved biology if I'd learned about this. I started it a couple nights ago and it's very interesting. I hope to post a review soon.

Now on to the second book. My kids and I made an impromptu trip downtown and found ourselves in the local bookshop. Shocking, I know. Anwyay, my 9 year old was determined to find a new book. We just didn't know what to get. After several minutes and attempts to find the right book I sat down on one of the stools and just started looking at the titles closest to me. It turned out to be a pretty good method of book finding. I picked up Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede and read the cover.

It's about a princess who doesn't want to do the girly princess things. She's tomboyish and wants to seek an adventure of her own. And she finds one...with a dragon. I thought, okay this seems like a good fit for my daughter. She agreed. When we were checking out the cashier said she loved this series and it was a good choice. When I got home and looked it up on Goodreads and was even more delighted to see it averaged 4 1/2 stars. There were more good reviews on other sites as well. Score.

Don't you just love it when that happens? You just pick a book at random and it turns out it might actually be worth reading! Brilliant, I know.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Premiere

You can't really see it on the ticket, but it says July 14--my birthday! Sweet deal, right?

Our theater showed part 1 before part 2, which was great, and we didn't have to wait in line more than 30 minutes. They allowed us to stay in the theater and have first pick of seats. So...those waiting outside for 6 hours plus were none too thrilled.

My Harry cupcake. It's was pretty gross.

Snape!!!!!

Neville!!!!!

Now about the movie. I loved it. However, I felt like the destruction of Voldemort was a little underplayed. Meaning, there was no reaction from anyone about what Harry had just done. I don't remember feeling that way after reading that part in the book. Also, zero chemistry between Harry and Ginny. I feel like they didn't portray her character as well as they could have. That's all my quibbles. Overall a wonderfully done movie from a series I grew to love. No, wait. Adore.

My oldest is currently reading book 4 and I find myself eager to discuss things with her. I keep asking her what part she just read and she like enough already, mom!

summer reading plans

I told a friend we were reading Magician's Nephew and she said, "You have to listen to it on tape. Kenneth Branagh does the reading and it's excellent!"
So...we did. And it was delightful.

Now we're on to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I always have big plans for lots of summer reading, but I'm off to a slow start. Still reading Jane Eyre. I'm enjoying it, but for some reason I have a short attention span right now.

I kinda wanna re-read Deathly Hallows before the movie. Can I just say...again...I cannot wait for this movie!!

What are you going to read this summer?

The Magician's Nephew

I haven't read a full novel to my kids yet. We read plenty of books, but never a long chapter book. I wanted to revisit one of my favorites and thought reading it to my girls was a good way to go.

They were captivated from page one.

I love C.S. Lewis and his sense of humor and imagination.

It's very satisfying reading out loud to my kids. I feel like I'm part of an age old tradition.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2

This gave me chills...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Trailer

I CANNOT WAIT.

Plus, the midnight show will be on my birthday. I really scored on that one!

A Ferris Wheel in August

Sometimes at the end of a crap day you just need to read something that makes you feel like you're somewhere else. Reading is therapy. I don't know how I haven't read the entire planet by now...

I was just staring at my pile of books on the nightstand beforing picking up "Tuck Everlasting" by Natalie Babbitt. I bought it for my oldest daughter for Christmas. For some reason it hasn't made it to her shelf. Anyway, I love the first paragraph of the prologue.

"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the hightest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from the balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white danws and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone. There is no thunder, no relieving rain. These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after."

Don't you just love that? So beautifully written.

How I long for it to be the first week of August, sitting on the highest seat of the Ferris wheel at the Beach Boardwalk. To have my back to the ocean, looking down at all the people with their friends or families, and sitting next to one of my kids who's just eaten pink cotton candy.