Random Friday: Ignore the duck.

Ok, I got someone to take my picture- just ignore the duck flying into my head, the bad hair day, the weird smile and the office clutter, ok?

This is 33 weeks. Officially 7 more to go!  (But I expect 3 or 4.)

Yesterday a lovely piece of fabric that I had admired showed up in my mailbox, all the way from Korea! This is very cool, as it turns out to be a nice fabric weight and even cuter in person, but... I didn't buy it. There was no note or invoice or anything in the packaging. Some very nice person sent me a gift, but I have NO CLUE who it was! Whoever you are, THANK YOU! it's adorably cute. (And please, fess up!)

In just over a week my friend TRISH will be in South Dakota! I plan to monopolize all her time.

The piles in my office are perilously small. I am starting to feel like I could leave them for a few weeks, yay!

I have finished one book and almost a second this week! The one that I finished was Someone Will Be with You Shortly: Notes from a Perfectly Imperfect Life by Lisa Kogan. It's not linear, just a collection of brief essays, I suspect from her job at Oprah magazine. It was fast, mildly entertaining, and incredibly forgettable. The second is  The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin, which I hope to write a proper review of when I finish.

I am starting to feel guilty for not sewing a quilt for baby girl. I might have to give it a shot. In my free time.

I wish I knew of a nice little wading creek that I could take the boys to. Someplace where I wouldn't have to worry that they would be swept away or fall in over their heads. I am not quite up to a full swimming pool with them this summer, but a little fast moving stream would feel awfully good.

It seems like there are other things I want to post, but my memory is shot. How about you tell me about your week instead?
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Random Friday, on Friday.

I was gonna post a week 32 picture but I am too lazy to go have someone take it.

I'd post a picture from my camera, but I am too chicken to test it and see if it's broken. Why would it be broken? Cause it lives with The Bug.  See also: chocolate covered donuts found in battery charger.

Work is insane. Mike and I are both completely exhausted. Can my kids come spend the night with you?

I took the boys to the library last weekend and what started out pleasant made me crabby by the end. WHY do parents believe that they can just turn their children loose to roam? We had a very small girl, younger than the Bug, follow us all over the place. In the end she upended the boy's fancy coffee shop drink/treat into the Bug's stroller. My back was turned, of course, because I was actually WATCHING my children. Her mother showed up from somewhere and took her away, but didn't say a word to me. Thanks, lady.

Speaking of the library, I updated my library loot over there in the left sidebar.  I've also decided to try and concentrate on just a small number of books at a time for a while. Currently this means Forget You by Jennifer Echols, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J.K. Rowling (re-read) and a re-read of an old Nora Roberts.

Do the stupid Amazon.com links show up on top of the text for anyone else when they are writing their posts?

One day soon I will post about what I've been sewing, and also pictures of my new (to me) sewing machine. Just not today.

Whoops, just ran out of time, again! Enough randomness for this week, no?

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Preparing for baby, part 1, work.

It seems like I get asked a half dozen times a day if I'm ready for this baby.  I typically make a joke and laugh, but the answer is really no. I'm about as ready as I'm going to be mentally, but there is just so much to do on an ongoing basis to ever say that yes, I am ready.  I'm at 32 weeks today, so it could realistically be anywhere from 4 weeks (when the Bug arrived) to 9 weeks (counting to 1 week late. I have no idea what this would be like!)

Today's example? Work. We've had a bit of reorganization in my office lately, my assistant and friend left to pursue other options and we hired a new person who will be doing my  job while I'm out. In the very short term, this effectively doubles my work. In the long term, it should even out.  In the context of getting ready for baby- it sucks. This means that every night I need to plan to leave my office in a state that anyone could walk in and pick up where I left off.  I am very bad at accomplishing this. I am extra bad at doing this when the person who will be walking in to take over isn't yet fully trained. I've been making a terrific effort to have my files done and notes left on pending stuff, but it's hard to get into the habit on doing some things that could be left until morning. This is not to say I shouldn't always been doing this anyway, but the sense of urgency is that much greater. As someone pointed out today, I need to leave every night assuming that I won't be back for 6 weeks. 

How do you handle something like this?  It feels incredibly overwhelming to me. What do I tackle first? How do I get it all done? Am I really that far behind? I feel like I'm working every moment I'm at work. I don't spend a ton of time gossiping, I don't venture out of my little office much, I don't stand around chatting with our members (customers/clients), and I take very few personal calls. Do you have any brilliant tips on how to leave your office ready for someone to step in? Let me hear 'em cause I could use the help!

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The problem with series

Like many (most?) other readers I have quite a few series that I enjoy. Lately I've been finding that the farther I am into the series, the MORE likely I am to quit it.  There seems to be two main reasons for this, first, the author takes the characters in a direction that I don't enjoy. An example of this is Laurell K. Hamilton. I don't believe that the Anita from book one (Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter),) which I loved, would have gone where the Anita of book 9 or so and later has gone.  This is also true of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series. I loved the first 6 or 7, but really hated Kay by about book 9 (Trace, I think).  While Kay did grow and change, she changed into someone unlikable and I didn't want to read any more of her.

The second reason I lose interest in a series is because it doesn't seem like each book is new. The best example of this is Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series (Starts with One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) and runs up to Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum) at this point). Every book is pretty much the same as the previous book, with no changes to the characters themselves. They are living in exactly one moment in time and don't vary from that.  I think this is why I enjoyed the one in which she hooked up with Ranger so much (no idea which one that was, sorry, somewhere in the middle.)  This isn't a problem that is immediately obvious either. It seems that most series can handle 3 or 4 books before it crops up. I'm a bit worried that Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden is going to turn out a bit like this, but he still has time to show some growth (Starts with Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) if you're interested), as I'm only on book 4 or 5.

The reason I bring this up is that I recently realized that the reason I haven't reviewed Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10) by Charlaine Harris yet is that I couldn't really think of anything interesting to say about it. It was better than the one before (Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9)) but that's about all I could say. The characters have some minor changes- Jason for the better, Pam for the better, not so sure about Eric or Sam- but overall it wasn't thrilling or exciting. Oh sure, I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but once I was done it was just over.  I'll probably keep reading them so long as she's writing them, but I no longer feel the need to rush out to find a copy. (This is not true for Evanovich, I think I'm done there.) It almost seems like she's just writing on the surface of the world she built, but not bothering to expand or explore it any longer.  This is in direct contrast with Patricia Briggs's Mercedes Thompson series (starting with Moon Called (Mercy Thompson)) which I love love love.

There are still several series that haven't landed in either of these categories yet for me, series that I enjoy tremendously but just haven't had time to get current on, but I live in dread (as much as you can over a book series anyway) that they will one day fall into one of these groups. I'm curious, what makes you stop reading a series? Do you agree or disagree with any of my examples? I had a very hard time thinking of non-paranormal series for this post, aside from Evanovich. What non-paranormal, non-mystery series do you read and enjoy? Do you see either of these patterns there?


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NutureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman is a must read for every parent.  It really made me think about some assumptions I've made about my own parenting and about how I would parent in the future.

This is the description from Publisher's Weekly:

From Publishers Weekly

The central premise of this book by Bronson (What Should I Do with My Life?) and Merryman, a Washington Post journalist, is that many of modern society's most popular strategies for raising children are in fact backfiring because key points in the science of child development and behavior have been overlooked. Two errant assumptions are responsible for current distorted child-rearing habits, dysfunctional school programs and wrongheaded social policies: first, things work in children the same way they work in adults and, second, positive traits necessarily oppose and ward off negative behavior. These myths, and others, are addressed in 10 provocative chapters that cover such issues as the inverse power of praise (effort counts more than results); why insufficient sleep adversely affects kids' capacity to learn; why white parents don't talk about race; why kids lie; that evaluation methods for giftedness and accompanying programs don't work; why siblings really fight (to get closer). Grownups who trust in old-fashioned common-sense child-rearing—the definitely un-PC variety, with no negotiation or parent-child equality—will have less patience for this book than those who fear they lack innate parenting instincts. The chatty reportage and plentiful anecdotes belie the thorough research backing up numerous cited case studies, experts' findings and examination of successful progressive programs at work in schools.

(Sorry, kinda long!) As I was reading, I marked a dozen passages that I might want to quote in my review, as well as having to call up a parenting friend to talk about it and I had to read whole paragraphs out loud to Mike.  This is one of the best books I've read this year and I recommend that you pick it up. (Plus, Amazon has a great price on it right now!)

One of the most fascinating chapters to me was that on lying. Of course all kids lie, but as the authors point out, all parents want to believe their kid to be the exception. (I do!)  But lying for a kid turns out to not be exactly what lying is for an adult.  "In studies where children are observed in their homes, four-year-olds will lie once every two hours, while a six-year-old will lie about once every hour. Few kids are an exception. In these same studies, 96% of all kids offer up lies." (Page 80) Wow.  The book goes on to explain how a kid learns to lie, and why. It goes on to explain that if you ask a kid why they shouldn't lie, it's because they get punished for it, not for any moral reason. This just leads a kid to get better at lying to avoid the punishment. It's all very fascinating.


One other interesting quote and then I'll let you read the book yourself. In the section about how kids play with others, there are a series of tests done on different types of aggression. Most people would assume that fighting shows (always the Pirate's first choice) would be worse to watch than educational shows like Arthur and Clifford, but this turns out not the be the case. In their quest to teach children a moral lesson, the educational shows spend half the episode setting up a moral conflict- which only teaches young children how to manipulate and insult their friends. Shows like the Power Rangers or Star Wars have physical aggression, but the studies show kids are more likely to increase the verbal aggressions than actual hitting and fighting. Suddenly I feel much better about the tv we watch around here!

For another opinion, go read Janssen's review. As always, her's are much better written than mine! In a nutshell, you really should read this one, it's fascinating.

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
Twelve
September 2009
352 pages





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The last T-Ball Game

T-Ball ended a couple of weeks ago, with both sadness and joy. The Pirate never really got into the gamehe complained that it was boring and I think he was a bit overrun by some of the other players. Most of his team were a year or so older than him, and he just wasn't quite ready.

For the last game he rallied a bit (I think it helped that several cousins and grandpa came to watch), and insisted that he lead the team across to shake hands with the other team.

He was beyond thrilled to get a trophy (they all did), and was so very proud to take a picture with his dad when it was over.

The Bug, as expected, can't wait until it's his turn.

I'm guessing that next year we'll gently try to encourage him to play again. I think having a year of school under his belt will make a big difference in how he plays with others. Just last night the three of them were outside playing baseball in the backyard and he was way more involved than he had been the entire season.  If not, there's always soccer.

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One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies is my second book by Sonya Sones. I read What My Mother Doesn't Know a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it, but for some reason it took me this long to pick up the other. This makes no sense at all, especially when you consider just how quickly you (I) can read one of them!

This one felt a little more light weight than the other, which seems odd given the plot line. In this one 15 year old Ruby's mom has died and she is shipped off across the country to live with her famous movie star dad, whom she has never met. She's prepared to hate him, given that he's never paid any attention to her and she really misses her old life in Boston.  Like What My Mother Doesn't Know, this one is written in free verse and is a very fast read.  It only covers a couple of months time, but (of course) Ruby learns a lot about her past and what really happened with her father, and that maybe life in LA won't be all bad.

If you're looking for a little light weight young adult fiction, I recommend that you pick one of these up. If you're looking for something to sustain you on a long plane ride, maybe skip it (for now), because you'll be done before the plane boards. Despite seeming like a heavy topic, this is really not a very serious book and you should not avoid it because of the death of the mother.


Have you read anything by Sones?  What about other free verse authors? I am not a big fan of poetry (ok, I'll admit it, it bores me silly!) but I did really like the style of both of these.


Other links of interest:
My brief review of What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sonya Sones website
More from Simon & Schuster


One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
Sonya Sones
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
2005
272 pages
source: my local library


I am an Amazon Associate. As such, any purchase you make at Amazon.com after following a link from this blog will earn me a (tiny) percentage back as income. Thanks.

What is this thing??

See, I thought this was a spoon rest. An item you'd set a dirty spoon on while cooking for ease in cleaning the kitchen later.  The person who does the cooking at my house seems to think that you should never ever dirty this thing, and instead put your sloppy spoon on the edge of the sink or in the middle of the stove.  I suppose I should not complain, as I am not the person who does the majority of the cooking, but we even have TWO of these things. They are completely submersible! easy to wash! lonely without a job to do!

I will not mention the four steps from the end of the counter to the sink, and the cereal bowls that do not move themselves.

(Hi honey! I love you! Do you even read this thing?)

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Random Friday, again.

So, been a while, huh?

I have several good things to blog about, I just can't seem to find time! We had our last TBall game and we camped at a very kid-friendly campground last weekend, and I have pictures of both!

I have some new items going in the shop, finally, starting with a series of  plain banners like this one:

only the patriotic ones are are sold. Check back this weekend though, because as soon as I can take some pictures I'll be listing other colorways- my favorites are the "watery" ones- blues, greens, aquas and whites! I've also started a series of knitting accessories, rolls for your double point needles and a case for circular ones. At this time I'm doing them with linen as the main fabric and a contrast.  Eventually I may branch out to more fabric patterns but it speeds things up to do a lot of one fabric.

I feel behind on my Etsy Item of the Day posts on the made by lisah blog, but have next week's already scheduled. On top of things I am!

I got pretty sick last week and missed two days of work. Turns out I had a kidney infection and now have to stay on antibiotics until the baby arrives.

I'm reading NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson and Ashley  Merryman right now. It's really given me a lot to think about and I've marked several passages to share with you. Thanks to Janssen and Marjorie for recommending it. And speaking of Janssen (Hi!), one of my friends (hi!) gave her a lovely compliment (to me) the other day,  that she is so great at responding personally to comments and I have to agree. 

It is finally summer in these parts and I'm so happy for the warmth that I almost don't care that I no longer have ankles. Which reminds me, any see any cute CHEAP sandals lately? Here's my criteria- can't have a thick band over the top, can't have ankle buckles that have to be undone, should be slightly dressier than flip flops, no heel, and not hiking sandals, a la Keens. I'm looking to spend a very small amount and wear them nearly every day, so nothing too wild, but doesn't have to be black either. Ideas?

We're still unsure of our Fourth of July plans. We may go out with family, we may stay home. What are your plans?


I am an Amazon Associate. As such, any purchase you make at Amazon.com after following a link from this blog will earn me a (tiny) percentage back as income. Thanks.