What I've been reading

I actually finished Blink some 3 or 4 months ago. I found it completely fascinating. Gladwell is able to write about some rather technical and complex ideas in a vernacular that makes it all seem so understandable and entertaining. This book caused me to take a look at the way I think about things, the way I make decisions, and the way I watch commercials. As I got to the end of the book, I got a little frustrated because it seemed that he was arguing both sides of a debate: is it better to go with your gut (because there is so much that we subconsciously understand) or is it better to really reason things out. It seemed to me that he spent half the book in either camp. But his concluding chapter reconciled all this. He describes how gut instincts are best for certain kinds of decisions, while reason and comparison are best for others. I won't spoil it by telling you which is which. :D

Of course, we picked up The Deathly Hallows as soon as it was released. I'm proud to say that life as we knew it did not get put on hold for an all day read-a-thon. Our whole married life long, we've read these books together. Yes, we sit side by side and nod to each other when we are ready to turn pages. Actually, it is a really fun way to read a book because we can speculate about events as they unfold. But last summer, we were toooooo busy. I think I started it during our camping trip at Payson Lakes, and finished it on the way to Woodbadge. Cori didn't read it until a little later. I had to keep all my thoughts and predictions

to myself as I read. But we loved it, of course. Not only for its great literary merit (please read my sarcastic tone here), but for its wonderful fantasy and adventure. And we just wanted to know how it would all turn out. It was a fun little ride.

As soon as we got home from the hospital, I started a few re-reads. On Becoming Babywise is the sleep-guide book I referenced most when Gracie was a baby. I noticed a few months ago that this issue of baby sleep was being discussed a whole lot in my little bloggy circle. It can be a bit of a touchy subject. I really love the approach and most of the methods suggested in this book. I never had to "Ferberize" Grace, and she started sleeping through the night fairly early, and has been a good sleeper overall. Though, I should say that I have nothing against the Ferber method. I don't find it cruel or abusive. I'm just very grateful I didn't have to use it. (Yet) Grant is a more fussy baby than Grace was, but he is developing good sleep habits too. I really attribute their success to following the methods in this book. I also like the book Secrets of the Baby Whisperer.

Wordless Wednesday: Grace, December 2005

Zzzzzz

I got so much sleep last night! I feel like a new woman and just had to share. Gracie had been having trouble sleeping through the night ever since our Thanksgiving trip and Grant is still just a little lad... but last night Gracie slept from 7:30PM-8:00AM and Grant slept from 10:30PM-6:30AM. This I can do.

And when I ran the spellcheck on this paragraph I saw a message rarely seen by my eyes: "No Misspellings Found." I should sleep like this more often!

Blessings

• My mom. This Monday was an awful, no-good, very bad day kind of day. When I'm having days like these, I can pick up the phone and my mom still knows how to make everything better.



• My Grandma Bettie and Mama Jo are safely in Nevada. For about a year now, plans have been in the works to move these two precious ladies to Gardnerville to be closer to my parents. Attempt #1 had to be aborted, but attempt #2 was a success.



• Sharing my testimony in Church today. Usually sacrament meeting is a little interesting because of Grant's feeding schedule and because Cori sits on the stand- leaving me with a hungry baby and a busy toddler. But Grant slept in this morning changing his schedule up a little, and Gracie was happy to run up onto the stand with me to be with her dad. It was strengthening for me to share what was in my heart.



• An afternoon in a quiet house. Right now all my babies (Cori included) are sleeping. I should probably be sleeping too. What a waste of free time when there are dishes to do, food to cook for or Branch activity tonight, scriptures to read, and Christmas music to listen to.



• The First Presidency's Christmas devotional tonight. I love this broadcast. Its the best way to bring in the Christmas season.

The Reason

"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles

Tagged

So, I've been tagged a couple of times to complete a little list of things about myself that I've not posted before, or that are strange or largely unknown. I hope my dear friends won't mind if I combine their requests and bend the rules a little. Here is a list of 7 things about me that you may or may not know. If you feel like telling the rest of us about yourself in similar fashion, consider yourself tagged, and leave a comment on this post letting us know that you've accepted the challenge! I'd love to learn more about you.

1. Though I've spent my life dreaming of travel in far off places, I find I'm becoming some what of a home body. I think this is due mostly to having children now, and the reality of traveling with kids is not an easy one. I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to travel as much as I have. I'm so lucky to have a husband who loves travel as much as I do. We've taken off on some pretty cool adventures. But the more I see of the world, the more I love being in my own space, on my own schedule, with my own babies. (That being said, I'd still be willing to drop it all for two tickets to Europe. I'm not completely cured. Just very happy in my more home bound state)

2. I have an unnatural fear of bees. Once, while stopped at a traffic light, a bee flew into my car and I actually tried jumping out. My seat belt restrained me, and I fought it. It must have been quite the scene. The light turned green, cars were honking, I was still frantically trying to free myself from the seat belt... The most pathetic part of it is that I've never actually been stung. Its probably not that bad, right?

3. I'm so anxious to see the good in people that I often overlook their flaws. Though this sounds like a good thing, its gotten me into trouble more than a few times. There is such a thing as righteous judgement.

4. Twice in my life I really wanted to quit the piano. I will be eternally grateful to my parents who didn't give me the choice.

5. I've never been good at spelling. Through the last few years of elementary school I was in a Gifted and Talented Education program (G.A.T.E. to any of you who endured So. Cal. schools back in the day) and I thought I was pretty hot stuff. We had a spelling test at the end of each year--only ten words taken from a larger list. Those who scored 100% on the test got a special t-shirt that could be worn on Fridays. I coveted those shirts my whole childhood and never got a-one. My sixth grade year, my last chance for redemption, I misspelled the word 'sentence'. So bad. To this day, I cannot do anything without sending it through spell check. Even when I hand write notes, I double check words in a Word document.

6. My favorite color is the hue that is created by late afternoon sun on a field of wheat. It makes me feel happiness, longing, joy, peace, and completion all at the same time.

7. I talk to myself a lot. Out loud. Really, I do. If you could be a fly on the wall while I cook, you'd think I was auditioning to have my own show. When Gracie catches me in the act, she'll tug on my pants and calmly say, "Mommy, stop it."

Wordless Wednesday: Double Feature

Happy with his Dad

Nap time vs. Lunch time

She enjoyed that whole apple with eyes wide shut