Dec 282011
Dec 242011
I had a unique discussion the other day with a friend from Nigeria. She is an International Student at our local University and we have her over often to give her some family environment. The girls love showing off for her and teaching her American things like Mario Cart!
I asked her about her Christmas customs in Nigeria and what she thought of American Christmases. The American gift giving is astonishing to her. Her family does not exchange gifts with each other and this is the normal for her country. Christmas cards are also not the normal custom for her, but she has seen them before. They very much celebrate Christmas though.
That got me thinking about how our Christmas might be like with no gift giving. It is so ingrained in our culture to give gifts for Christmas that it would seem a bit empty, especially with the kids. Could we celebrate without gifts? Would we be able to maintain the holiday feelings and excitement without the boxes and bags?
Hubby and I will forgo gifts at times when money is tight or if we have recently made a big purchase. It still feels like Christmas when that happens. With my Dad out of work I have told my parents to forget about my gifts. I don’t think they did, but it would still seem like Christmas if they did as I requested. Of course I am an adult.
As a child I was aware that our Christmases were sparse compared to my friends. I can honestly say that I didn’t mind, except that I knew my mom felt bad because of it. If anything, the lighter Christmases made me a better person. I am now walking that fine line of wanting my kids to have fun things and not wanting to train them to be materialistic. Sometimes I think I am doing okay on this and sometimes I fail miserably.
I have often hoped that as the girls get older that we will do more with family projects in helping others and that they will understand that your truly do get more out of giving than receiving. It, like most lessons, cannot be taught but modeled and realized. I would love for them to give gifts of service rather than gifts of plastic. This year our spare change collected from the year went to UNICEF to help the families in East Africa and we made Christmas cards for children in the hospital. Activities that I hope taught them the importance of giving as well as made them feel good about themselves.
I have also noted in the last few years that they are very giving to others. Our tree has many, many gifts under it and they are all from the girls to other people. Some are homemade, others purchased or gently handed down but all are from the girls with no mommy-money supplemented. This makes my heart swell with love that they love giving this much.
Christmas gifts can tell us we are loved and cared for. Being able to give gifts to those we love makes us feel joyful. Not being able to provide gifts can make us feel desperate and useless. Presents are not villains of course, as they do teach us the art of giving, but they are not the reason for Christmas either. While I admire and sometimes wish our Christmas culture was more like Nigeria’s, it is a fact that Christmas gifts are apart of our culture’s tradition and that it is here to stay. Balance is the key and I think that if our hearts are sincere we will maintain the true Christmas meaning of Christ being born.
How have you come to terms with Christmas gifts? Are they super important to your family or could you have a gift-less Christmas and be like the Whos in Whoville?
Dec 222011
As I mentioned at the beginning of the holiday season, my girls are getting older and that means that some of our traditions are changing. I recently thought of a way to continue a Christmas tradition that we have outgrown by passing it down to my youngest niece.
Every year I put out lots and lots of Christmas books and DVD’s/VHS movies. They are put around the tree and on top of the TV and around our den. It used to be contained to a small basket, but in the years my collection has expanded. This year I sadly noted that many of the books we have outgrown. Part of me wants to keep all the books forever, but I have to be realistic of my space.
After reading Firemom’s book advent activities I have decided to let the girls wrap up some of our books when we pack up the Christmas decorations this year. I will buy some more books in after Christmas sales to make it a pile of 24 books and we will give it to my niece next Thanksgiving so she can have an advent of books next year.
A few books I will keep forever. Here are a couple of them that I just cannot bear to give away:
You Are My Miracle By Maryann K. Cusimano Love
Little Drummer Boy By Ezra Jack Keats
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies By Laura Numeroff
There are a few more of course by those are a few off the top of my head.
I thought I would pass on my Christmas idea to help other mom’s who also have families outgrowing the good old traditions. If you have any ideas about older kids and traditions please share them!
(Disclosure: I was not asked to write about these books, nor are they affiliate links.)
Dec 192011
The Holidays are amazing wonderful and magical at times, and at other times they can be tragic and lonely.
I am blessed in that Christmas has always been a special time, not one of loneliness or regret. Of course, I have always been aware that the holidays can be hard for those who are grieving a loss of a loved one or for people who have no one to celebrate with. Being aware of and actually living through a holiday season grieving are acutely different.
While I cannot claim to know the loss that my Ethiopian girls have suffered, I have lived with them for several holiday seasons now. We are about to celebrate our fourth Christmas as a family. The first Christmas in 2008 wasn’t too rough as the girls as I kept a low profile Christmas and skipped a lot of the events that we normally do, although I did notice Mita was agitated at our Ethiopian Christmas celebration (January 7th or Epiphany) and even left our meal prematurely.
The past two Christmas seasons have seen an escalation in emotions, misbehaviors and outbursts. Sadness that they will not be celebrating Christmas with their father is evident as they make Christmas cards for him and help make his annual photo book.
It doesn’t matter that in Ethiopia they may have received one outfit and some popcorn for Christmas, that Santa would skip over their house. It doesn’t matter that they wouldn’t have a tree with an iPod or American Girl doll underneath. He is not with them and that is what matters.
Remember that no matter how wonderful your adoption has been, there is still a loss there that needs to be recognized. December is a month for families and when your family has been fractured it cannot be ignored.
I encourage us all to remember those who have suffered a loss this year or in years passed. Let us be gentle with them in our celebrations.
Dec 182011
I adore Christmas, I’m sure I have mentioned that fact before, but I really do. Growing up Christmas was just magically. We didn’t have a lot of toys, we didn’t do Christmas crafts or go on holiday jaunts, but it was still magical.
My brother and I started a tradition of waking up in the middle of the night and pulling everything out of our stockings and seeing our big gift from Santa. Santa always brought the big gift. A big plus for in our house is that Santa did not wrap his gifts! That is how we knew the gift was from Santa.
What I didn’t realize was that Santa wrapped other kids’ gifts.When I found this out I was no longer a believer, so it didn’t matter.
Then I got married and had kids. Hubby’s Santa did wrap! He wrapped the big gift and the stocking stuffers! It was a time for copermise and Hubby’s side won!
Santa wraps at our house now. I help him get special gift wrap so that his are different looking than ours…..this parenting stuff is so complicated!
There is my five minutes of Stream Of Consciousness about Santa Wrapping! Life changing I know! Does your Santa wrap?
- Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
- Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
- Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
- Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
- Link up your post at AllThingsFadra.com
- Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.
Dec 172011
Way back in September I reviewed the DVD Monte Carlo. A fun movie that my girl love and still put on to watch. I thought I would remind you all that this DVD would make a great stocking stuffer for a tween girl in your life.
Directed by Nicole Kidman and staring Selena Gomez Monte Carlo is fun and age appropriate for those who are not yet teenagers but like to act as if they are (all my girls at this point!).
I want to thank Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for giving me a copy of this movie last September and for giving a new copy away to my local Secret Santa program! I believe in the power of giving and am thankful for all that I have from the little things to the big things. I encourage everyone to find a local organization and give what you can, even if it doesn’t seem like a lot. Every bit helps!
Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt for more info on great DVDs!
Dec 162011
Pretzels From Space!
We celebrated Elle’s seventh birthday yesterday. It is so amazing to think that seven years ago I was laying in room 207, the same room I delivered Meg, and was listening to ocean waves. It was such a nice, peaceful delivery.
Today, a school day, she awoke to a cinnamon roll in bed, a birthday T-shirt and cookies for her class. We also had a family dinner complete with Light Saber hot dogs and Star Wars pretzels. A Star Wars volcano and Yoda pie were gobbled up and then we all went and watched the birthday girl perform in her school Christmas play.
A busy day that was amazingly fun. A couple of quotes from Elle:
“I don’t want this day to end.”
“I don’t have anything else I want now!”
She is amazing.
She is SEVEN!
I really wanted to entitle this The Non-Christmas Christmas App That I Wasted My Money On And Am Incredibly Mad About, but I thought that would be a bit too long and obnoxious.
The other morning I was snuggling deep in my bed with # 3 and #4 (Enu and Elle) and we were playing Holiday Angry Birds. An add popped up for a Christmas App. It was Talking Tom’s Christmas or something of that sort. So I buy it to make the kids happy…$0.99 cents or $1.07 with tax. A drop in the bucket for my children’s Christmas happiness right?
So we play. We feed Santa, tickle Santa, make Santa laugh and so on and so forth. Then one of the girls presses a button and Santa MOONS US! That’s right, the big guy drops his pants and shows us his holiday greeting underwear. But wait, there is more! You can personalize his undies and email the picture to someone! Yeah! Just what I want to send out to my dear ones. Santa’s undies. Not. Big time not. Royally ticked off at the waste of my money not.
I have four children. I have enough farting, burping and bodily function jokes and stories told at my table and in my life. I don’t need Santa to egg them on.
So if you ever design a Christmas app, please keep it Christmasy and leave out the mooning.
Please.
I might just buy your app if you do ;)
Dec 122011
Several years ago when I only had two children and one was just a babe, I decided that we needed to cut down on the stuff. The stuff that clutters. The stuff that the kids won’t play with after a while. The stuff that keeps us from remembering why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.
We are a Christian family. We celebrate Christmas as a time to remember Christ and in remembering Christ we give gifts to each-other and those less unfortunate than us. I told the girls that Jesus got three gifts (Gold, frankincense and Myrrh) and that they would get three as well. I quickly amended this pledge to exclude stocking stuffers, I just soooo enjoy the little fun things that the stockings have.
I have found that this was easier to live by now than when they were younger. Toys are so much fun and are so exciting I couldn’t help but want to buy more. Now the kids want money or an expensive iPod. These things are just so boring to wrap and they are small. I am proud that Meg and Mita are saving money for and iPad and a iPod touch… I just like to wrap!
I’m still happy with my decision. I don’t go into debt at Christmas time, my kids are not overwhelmed with stuff and Christmas is about more than presents. In fact in the last few years I have seen the girls grow in their giving and they really enjoy shopping for each-other, making things re-purposing items they no longer use.
I still miss the days of big toys to wrap though!
Do you have a tradition to try to keep the stuff down in your house and to celebrate what Christmas means to you?
I just got back from the zoo and I am worthless right now. I went with my younger scout troop. Elle’s troop and a few of the girls from my Caddette troop. We were over an hour late due to traffic. Who knew that traffic would be so bad for the WildLights at the Columbus Zoo? I cannot believe of crazy it was. I really don’t like starting off a trip on a late note, but we pulled it together and had a great time.
We were mostly asleep by midnight and up at seven. Sleeping on an air mattress isn’t horrible, but does not make for the best night’s sleep anyway. the kids were great, the animals were so much fun. The Christmas lights AMAZING!
I just am tired and worthless in a chair right now with no motivation to make dinner or prepare for the next week.
But it was worth it! An now I can say I slept at the zoo!
- Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
- Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
- Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
- Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
- Link up your post at AllThingsFadra.com
- Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.
Today’s mail brought me Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special on DVD! It made for the perfect Advent activity for a busy day where nothing seemed to go as planned (which means mommy isn’t up for a craft or baking).
I quickly put in the DVD as I was getting dinner ready. Elle loved it. She watched it twice, once alone and once with Enu. (The older girls will probably watch it as well, but the appeal isn’t as strong since Selena Gomez isn’t in it!) Enu has declared it a winner saying that kids from three to ten will love it. She really did say that, I think she wanted quoted in my post!
The story is simple, yet funny. It has Santa and the naughty list as well as a Christmas Rock and great Christmas decorations such as fish scales and pine cones. I was impressed by Elle’s music comprehension skills when she noticed that one of the characters did an ice skating routine to traditional Nut Cracker music! Ray Romano and Queen Latifah are back as well as the other famous voices.
If you are looking for a fun Christmas movie for the family to string popcorn to this is a good choice!
It is in stores now and at Amazon for under $8 (DVD) and under $9 for Blu-Ray!
(Disclosure: I received a free review copy of the above movie from Fox Home Entertainment and no other compensation.)
Enu and Hubby at a Father-Daughter Dance in 2009
We are a trans-racial adoptive family. While I tend to forget this at times, Mita and Enu never have that luxury. From the get go the girls have always said brown and peach so that is what we say. One of the first days Enu rode home on the school bus she asked me why a boy was calling her black when she wasn’t black she was brown. I had to explain to her that the work black was used to describe people with all different shades of brown. She was puzzled.
The other morning I heard this conversation from another room (remember I have librarian ears).
Elle: Does white mean peach?
Mita: Yes, like brown means black.
Elle: Oh, so you used to be black and now you are brown?
Enu: Elle, let’s just forget this conversation. (She doesn’t say this mean, she just doesn’t want to talk about it.)
So, Elle – who doesn’t remember life without her colorful family, is now realizing that we are seen as different and Mita and Enu – who cannot help put constantly be reminded that they are different.
And then there is my nephew. Nine months younger than Elle, he was about two when we brought the girls home. I guess no one ever talked to him about the adoption and so, much like Elle it has always been this way. A few weeks ago his mom was reading him a story and Ethiopia was mentioned.
She said something like “Remember that is where Mita and Enu are from.”
Nephew: “No, they are from Uncle Hubby and Aunt Mandy.”
Mom: “Uncle Hubby and Aunt Mandy adopted them from Ethiopia.”
Nephew: “They are adopted?”
He then proceeds to inform others in our family that Mita and Enu are adopted. Over Thanksgiving he lets Elle know that her sisters are adopted. Elle of course knows this, but nephew is having a hard time getting it.
We are laughing, not at him but more at his refreshing point of view on life. He didn’t see the color differences.
I later told Mita and Enu this story. They had the sweetest smiles and laughter. Mita tells me, “I love that boy!”. They were so pleased.
While I believe in celebrating diversity and cultures and not in being colorblind, I cannot help but dream that everyone would just see my Ethiopian girls as girls and not brown/black girls. Just as Meg and Elle are not seen as white/peach girls, just girls.
I wonder if I will be writing similar post decades from now about my grandchildren?
Dec 062011
My mom has what I used to call her Librarian Ears. She worked at a library for many years and I blamed her occupation for her sensitive ears. She doesn’t like loud music, yelling or repetitive sounds.
I used to hate this about her.
Now, I have Librarian Ears and I don’t work at a library. I hear everything. I can be having a conversation with Hubby in one room and hear every word in the next. I hear the name calling, the bickering, the teasing…all things i hear. I cannot concentrate on one thing anymore it seems.
Sorry mom for the bad nick-name. My hat is in my hands begging forgiveness for all the bad thoughts I had about you once upon a time about your hearing sensitivity!
Everything also seems amplified, the TV the music…argggh. how do I make it go away? Anyway have any suggestions? Am I doomed forever to hear all things?
I’m a Registered Nurse. I have worked in the medical field for close to fifteen years now, so if you said that I believe in medical science and medications and you would be correct. I do, however, also appreciate and use other types of healing that can occur with touch (massage, acupuncture, cranial-sacral therapy) homeopathic medications/treatments and nutritional supplements.
I have been using some homeopathic products from Boiron for several years now and I was excited when the company was at BlogHer11 as they had been in 2010. I love the ColdCalm and the ColdCalm for kids, as well as the famous Oscillococcinum® (please don’t ask me to pronounce that!) The company recently asked me to review their new Arnicare Arnica Gel and I gladly have.
Arnica is an age old treatment made from a plant related to a daisy. It is helpful in aches and pains promotes healing and prevents bruising. An all-around helpful product to have around with a growing household!
My kids have aches and pains like they are ninety. They play rough and bruise hard. Me, myself have back aches often as well. I really like the Arnica Gel. It is non-greasy, is unscented without smelling of medicine and works.
Boiron is a company I feel like I can get behind, because of their helpful products, the education their site offers and the fact that they are giving! They donated a case of Arnicare Arnica Gel to our local women’s shelter! I was so pleased when they agreed to this. Haven of Hope will be quickly given the case so they can pass it out to women who are starting over, and possibly injured and in need of healing themselves.
Thanks Boiron!
To get a $1.00 off coupon click here. To subscribe to Boiron’s newsletter go here.
I grew up with the humongous colorful lights on the Christmas tree. Every year it was a tree full of color. Then sometime in the late 1990′s either I started paying attention or they really started pushing the white lights.
I fell in love with the white lights. Simple and crisp, very sophisticated. That’s all I wanted to use and see. Every once in a while I would appreciate the blue lights, but I hated the colored lights.
Two years ago Hubby bought a pre-lit tree with colored lights on clearance in a post Christmas sale. Now I have colored lights on my tree…and I like them again. I could just star at the tree all night. I still like the white lights a wee bit better, but the colored lights remind me of my childhood I think and I like that my kids also have a colorful tree.
I must state here that they CANNOT be mixed. Nothing makes me twitch more than white lights and colored lights on a house…if it is possible to pull off, I have never seen it.
What do you think? Colors or white? Are you a both kinds together person?
Is this fluff or what!? I love it this Stream of Consciousness theme!
This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…
- Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
- Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spell checking. This is writing in the raw.
- Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
- Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
- Link up your post at AllThingsFadra.com
- Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.
Meg and Hubby
Can you tell that I am a proud mama from the title of this post? Meg has started her own blog reviewing books, DVDs and other things important to her.
I give you MegsMumboJumbo! Check it out and leave her some love!
Thanks to @FireMom for working out all the techy stuff!
Nov 302011
Elle in her Christmas dress complete with tennis shoes, watching the Nutcracker!
Every once in a while I will write a letter to myself giving me advice on how to handle things differently next time the event comes around.
Christmas is a good time for reflection and I think I have finally got this Christmas my four children down. I stress the MY part, because every family is different and my hat goes off to those families who can pull of all the fun traditions I used to try to do.
This year I did not make a plan for getting an awesome themed Christmas pictures for the Christmas cards. I used to try to get the perfect picture, no more.
This year I not only didn’t get the girls matching/coordinating Christmas outfits, I did not get any Christmas outfits at all. Elle has a new dress that I bought on sale last January and she is wearing it for her Christmas play, which happens to fall on her 7th birthday! One of the girls asked about her Christmas outfit. I told her I didn’t get them, because they won’t wear them without a lot of drama. Simple.
This year I will not try to yet again get a family picture. If it happens great, but I won’t even dream of it. It is just fact that we are an adoptive family of older kids with attachment/trauma issues. If a family portrait is a power struggle, we just won’t have one. Again. Maybe someday.
This year I am not trying to get all the girls to experience what I think they should experience or what tradition dictates. I took Meg and Elle to see the Nutcracker because they had good friends dancing in it and the other two hated going the last time. I plan on taking only Elle to Breakfast with Santa. I am taking Mita out on a mommy-daughter day and since I am homeschooling Enu, we are still getting a lot of one on one time.
This year I have so far been more relaxed than I have in years. I’m enjoying myself. Meg has asked to take over the Advent quilt this year. I gave her several things I wanted in it and she is doing the rest. The younger generation carries on!
Dear Mandy,
By golly, I think you finally got it!
Love,
Mandy
Nov 292011
Deep Thinking Yahtzee Player!
It’s NoBloPOMo still. Twenty-nine days and counting and I am happy to say this is the first day that I have not thought of anything to write. Of course writing about it doesn’t change the fact that I have nothing to write about, but I am writing so that should count for something. Right?
I thought that starting to write would make the creative juices flow, but no.
I’m going to play some Yahtzee with Enu and come back later. With inspiration. I’m sure of it.
So Yahtzee didn’t help. Enu beat me again.
I go to the plastic surgeon tomorrow to discuss my upcoming breast reduction. I’m nervous. A bit worried and of course the big question remains. What size should I go for? I’m thinking C cup. Big enough to be familiar but small enough my back pain with go away. What if they are to big still? What are your thoughts on the B cup? Anyone….anyone….?
Does this count as a post?
Nov 282011
I have had my iPhone now for a month or so and I am quite smitten with it. I have not named it, but I do sleep with it within reach. My Hubby and Meg (she has a iPod Touch) are much more app-savy than I am but I did find this app that I am really liking.
It is called CardStar. You can put in all of your key chain/shopper rewards program cards in your phone! It makes life a bit more easy at checkout, and considering that I tend to have to dig for cards or forget them I may actually start saving more money.
What I really like about this program is that you can put your library cards in it as well. All four of my girls have their own library cards (so they have to pay their own fees and take more responsibility) but they always forget to bring them or loose them (where do they get that from?!). Now I have them on my phone. I know this seems counteractive in teaching them responsibility, but I could never not let them check out books because they left their card at home…I mean they are books not candy!
Now one more little issue is solved.
Love. It. Forever. What is your favorite app?
(Disclosure: I was not ask to promote this app or paid to do so!)
The days of stocking the Advent quilt with easy crafts and recipes for Santa Sugar are gone for me. I am a bit melancholy, but I am also looking forward of doing some new, fun things for older kids.
But, I have to think of them first….
Some thoughts are:
- Filming a Family Christmas Commercial to post on Christmas day…this should take a day to plan, a day to film and a day to edit.
- Continue with the Story Starters I started last year, they seemed to work well and were easy. I can do several of these to fill in busy days.
- Write Christmas Cards to ill children.
- Write Christmas Cards to solders.
- Toy shop for our local toy program.
- Caroling with Girl Scouts
- Visit nursing home with Girl Scouts
- Elf a neighbor
- Visit Courthouse lights
- Visit Olgobee (spell?) lights
- Winter hike on winter solstice
- Make baked goods a bit more advanced than simple cookies (Of course all baking is advanced to me! The girls do really well though.)
- Meg’s Christmas Concert
- Time Capsule letters (Me and Hubby this year too)
- Reading aloud from our many, many Christmas books I break out every Thanksgiving.
- Christmas movie marathon while making popcorn garlands for the birds.
- Make ornaments with applesauce dough
Now my plan is to have a Bible verse to go with each day that breaks down the Christmas story. I just have to sit down and get it done before Thursday.
I would love a few more ideas! Please help us out. The kids are older, but they still look forward to the thought of the Advent quilt, they just get bored easily.
Hubby got down the Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving afternoon per our normal tradition. The girls carried the boxes in from the garage and I opening up a lid on the first box. On top was an envelope that said “Time Capsule 2010″. Hmmm. My hand writing. Wow what a great idea! I’m so glad I thought of that, and then forgot it?!
So once all the decorations were up (the kids did an awesome job by the way, it is great to have kids who are old enough to actually help with things!) we sat down and I read the letters. They were simple questions like:
What was your favorite song in 2010?
What was your favorite movie in 2010?
What do you remember most about 2010:
What do you hope happens in 2011?
It turns out that none of the girls’ predictions came true, Elle doesn’t have long hair and Mita didn’t get to go to Washington State. We did make it to Chuck E. Cheese as Elle had hoped for and Meg did get to perform more in 2011 between her choir and being in Children’s Letters to God. Enu did not get to spend the night for a week at her friends house, but she did start doing her hair better!
A nice moment for us. I think this year I will add a few more question and have Hubby and I do one to. I am going to add this to our Advent activities (Oh yeah, haven’t started planning those yet either.)
I wonder if I will forget next year? Maybe I should go back and see if I blogged about my idea? Echinacea anyone?
Nov 252011
Books under the Christmas tree?! Have you ever heard of such a thing? At our house it is the NORMAL to get at least one book for Christmas. Books are my favorite gift to give I must admit.
My friends at Scholastic are giving me two books to give away in time for Christmas. Whoo-hoo and yeah!Look at the books we are giving away:
Book #1
Can You See What I See? Toyland Express written and illustrated by Walter Wick and published by Scholastic. The Can You See What I See? books are great for pre-readers and early readers and are both boys and girls seem to really like them. They are fun, colorful and full of life. I have to admit that when Elle was at the peak of her Can You See What I See? books I would hide them occasionally, just every once in a while, mind you ;)
Book #2 
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo and published by Scholastic
I have yet to read War Horse, but I cannot wait to read it as the description sounds great:
“In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey’s courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?”
Scholastic.com is having a great sale right now! Use the coupon code HOLIDAY for an extra 20% already great prices :)
To enter just leave a comment telling me what book you would like to win. Mandatory!
*Extra entries:
1) Like Scholastic on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so.
2)Follow @Scholastic on Twitter and leave me your Twitter Handle so I can follow you as well! I am @FourAgainstTwo btw…
Winners will be chosen on Cyber Monday at noon by random.org and US addresses only please (sorry). Good luck!
Nov 242011
Mita's First Pie - All From Scratch!
I thought about writing a snarky post blasting what I am ungrateful for as a direct contrast to normal Thanksgiving day blog posts, but I didn’t. I don’t have the time or energy to be snarky at this point!
Christmas is my favorite holiday and (not just for the gifts!) but Thanksgiving is growing on me. I, of course, like the food. I can take or leave Turkey, but the sides I adore. Noodles, stuffing, deviled eggs, pie…… I can east several helpings if I leave out the turkey! Mostly I like the time we take to be thankful. I think all of us are thankful for our blessing, and I also know that we are all so busy we sometimes forget to take the time, the space, the moment to give thanks.
I am thankful for many, many things, but here are just a few:
My hubby for putting up with me, loving me and being such a great Dad.
My girls – all of the them for bringing laughter and pride into my lift as well as challenging me to be a better person.
My parents for their continued support and help with watching my kiddos when I need it and having a great home to go relax in.
My mother in law for her love and generosity.
My brother and sister-in-law for giving hubby and I a great date weekend last week and watching my girls.
My job, for letting me come back to work for a few hours a week to help new families and help me regain my sanity.
My friends for giving me a circle to have fun with and complain with.
My upcoming breast reduction - No more back/neck pain or skin infections!
My puppy dog for cuddling with me nightly.
There is more, but I will stop there for now!
Nov 232011
(Elle with my nephew in their school costumes.)
Nov 222011
Every once in a while Enu will put out a box by her door and ask for donations to send to Ethiopia. We throw some coins in and she adds it to our coin jar that we save to send to Ethiopia around Christmas time. This is the great way to teach the kids that every penny counts and adds up.
The other day Elle hung this up on her door:
Translation: Please put money for Ethiopia.
This makes my heart swell with pride. I love my girls and that they give and have a heart for giving is amazing for me!
Nov 212011
I saw Breaking Dawn on Sunday with Hubby. Please don’t tell my friends because I went without them. If said friends are reading this I will go with you and see it again, so please don’t hate me!
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final book in the Stephanie Myers Twilight Saga, just to bring you up to speed if you are not up on the sparkly vampire series. This book is being split into two different movies (a la Harry Potter 7) and what just came out was part one. My review is more of a book made into a movie review than a movie review, as the books are usually my first love. If you have not read the books the rest of this will have spoilers, just to warn you. If you have read the book, I won’t give away any movie secrets. Though I will tell you they threw something in the beginning that was so book one I was a bit miffed, but I think it was done for the non-readers to catch them up a bit.
The movie begins with the wedding. This wedding has to be the best movie wedding I have seen in a long time…if not ever. The wooded scene with simple white flowers, the way they said their vows like they were the only people in the world, the silly and sappy wedding speeches were all perfection. I did not cry by the way, but I did hear some sniffling in the theater.
Of course Isle Esme was as beautiful as I imagined in my mind, though the white room wasn’t as white as it should have been. The honeymoon went pretty much per the book and I will not go into detail..ahem.
Bella’s pregnancy through the delivery was portrayed quite well. They really made Bella look sick and emaciated. The house (which I adore) was a big part of this movie as they spent a long time in it. It is not set up how I imagine it in the book and my mind kept thinking the rooms could have been more dramatic and kept the family closer, but that’s just my mind playing tricks I guess.
Edward looks better in this movie than the other three. All of the vampires have lost some of the ultra-heavy makeup and don’t have that startled look they once had. For those of you that don’t know me, I am Team Edward, but the book Edward, not the movie Edward (sorry Robert Pattison, but you will always be more of a Cedric Diggory than an Edward Cullin). In the movie I find Edward to be more human than ever. His character has grown and he seems less demanding than the first few books/movies. He seems to be more angry at Bella than himself in the movie, while in the books he is angry more at himself and what he has allowed to happen.
Jacob. Poor, dear Jacob. The film did well with portraying the book Jacob. The wolves were more involved in the movie than ever and it was done well. I won’t go into details but there was some changes from the book, but they were done to make the movie more action packed and the changes didn’t bother me.
I adored this movie. It made me happy. Yes. I know it seems lame to some, but oh well! Some people watch reality/tabloid TV and I enjoy sparkling vampires…life goes on for all of us!
I will give you Hubby’s review. Hubby has seen all the movies now, just because he kinda likes me ;) He didn’t like this one as much because he said it there was too much time in the house and not as much action. Then there was the imprinting part… he laughed. Out loud. In the theater. I think if there was any chance he would ever enjoy the series, it was lost at that moment. He doesn’t get it!
There is more blood and gore this time around, not horrible, but enough to warn you!
Go and see if you are so inclined and tell me how you liked it!
On my mark, get set go! I am really liking this Sunday topic. It gets me relaxed big time, because I don’t have to think about what I am going to right. Of course I don’t have to blog, it’s not my job. I like it though, so I do think about what to write.
This weekend Hubby and I went on a date! It was an overnighter at a local resort and then we went Christmas shopping in Canton. We didn’t have a to buy as we don’t go overboard on Christmas, but I did by excessive amounts of wrapping paper as I just couldn’t pick which I liked more. It will all be used (and should be recycled) so all is well. I did pick one item that was an impulse by. It was a $7 Littlest Pet Shop Walkables. Elle really wants one and I have noticed at two stores that the stock is really low, like only one or two left. As this may be a popular item for Christmas I thought I should buy one just in case. It is so cute. I love the Pet Shops.
It felt luxurious getting up when I wanted to get up, have a cozy breakfast. We shopped and then stopped for a pastry and coffee. Then, because my Hubby is awesome…We went and saw Breaking Dawn. What a man I have! Have I mentioned I love him, sooo much?!
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I received a thought-provoking comment on my Hermione post from By Word of Mouth Musings last week. She mentioned that her daughter admired Hermione from the Harry Potter series, but didn’t identify with Bella from the Twilight series. This got me thinking about the two characters that I have fallen in literary love with and then I had to throw Katniss from The Hunger Games into the mix. What characteristics would I like my daughters to look up to and which ones do I hope they pass over?
Hermione 
Years before I read Harry Potter I had had a mom at the hospital name her daughter Hermione and I thought she was a little weird to do that, I must confess. Then when I started reading the series and actually got to know her character a bit more I became to admire her greatly and totally agreed with the name choice of the mother I had met years before! Who doesn’t want their kid to be Hermione-Amazing?
Hermione is extremely intelligent and she is not apologetic for it in the least. Along with her smarts, she is brave and clever and can always come up with a plan. She has patience (poly juice potion takes a long time to make you know) and grit and can rock a Yule Ball dress. Her cause of championing the enslaved house elves showed she is a pure at heart.
Born a witch she could have gone to Hogwarts and aced the OWLS and NEWTS and become one successful professor. She, however, stood by Harry and Ron and kicked some butt! It is hard for me to find a criticism about Hermione. She was a bit precocious in her younger days, but who wouldn’t be with that brain?!
Bella
I first read Twilight after the first movie came out. I had not heard of the Twilight Saga, nor had I seen the movie, but my friend Julia gave me the book to read and I finally read it. I fell head over heels with the series and though I agree the writing could be better, the story was an intriguing one. I liked Bella. She reminded me of me a bit. Quite, not wanting to bring attention to herself thinking of others.
While I liked Bella, I made Meg wait until the sixth grade to read the first two books. I then let her read Eclipse, the third book, with some pages off-limits. I did this for a few reasons. One the sex, or I should say the topic of sex was a little too much for her to read. Also I didn’t like how Bella was so intently dependent on Edward, how he was so possessive to the point of controlling of her. As an adult I can handle this of course, but I didn’t want Meg to think this was a healthy relationship to have.
Through the series, Bella has gained confidence, courage and she has grown in to her character. Unlike Hermione, she was pure human, a muggle if you will, and got to choose her future. Bella is steadfast, determined and brave. Those are good qualities that I would love my girls to model.
She is also unable to be alone and that is not a good trait at all, that scares me a bit actually. I want my girls to be independent and I want them to find love of course, but not to have to have it.
Katniss
The Hunger Games was a thrilling read for me. My heart immediately went out to Katniss and her plight. Even before she was put in the spotlight, she was a tough provider for her family. Brave and unwavering with amazing nerve in a crisis I can only hope I would act as cool as her.
She does have a sadness about her that goes so deep I don’t think she will ever recovery fully. I certainly hope my girls can recover from any sadness they have or will encounter. Like Bella, she is totally human with no super powers or magic to aid her in her quests.
Her self-sacrifice is genuine, but unlike Bella it comes from a need to protect her family and not the need to not be alone.
So there you have it. My thoughts on the three most popular young women in young adult fiction. I know the world was waiting for my synopsis!
What do you think of the ladies I spoke about. Do you let your daughters read the books and use them as a jump off point for discussions?
