The 411 for those interested

We have had some developments! After feeling like I was pregnant for a month I started my period today. So, no baby in November. Scott and I had a great conversation about the whole baby thing, and we decided to give ourselves and our other kids a little more time to get comfortable, get some more kids in school, get myself exercising, get my house painted, get Benjamin older. Instead of trying now, we are not going to start trying until September. As with most well made decisions, a feeling of peace washed over our house, and where there was stress and pressure before, now there's peace. We are excited for a little more time and we are excited for more babies, just not right now. Thanks for the interest you have expressed, we love that people think about us and are excited for the things that are going on!

Hooray for Ryan!

I was very pleased to open Ryan's school folder and find this inside! An outstanding spelling test. It came at the perfect time too, I had just started feeling discouraged about his spelling tests. I have a tendency to underestimate Ryan, but he is so capable if I just keep constant gentle pressure on him to succeed. Yea Ryan!

Okay Last One (for awhile anyway)

Okay, I'm sorry! I have just had so much fun remembering the books I have read and loved. In Inkheart, Cornelia Funke talks a lot about how we leave pieces of ourselves in the books that we read. And when we open them again after a long time, we can find ourself there, the person we used to be when we first read. How that part of ourself becomes a permanent part of that story. I feel the same way. I started reading this series The Xanth Series by Piers Anthony when I was in high school because my brother was fascinated with them. They are really cool. I'm planning to go back and read them. All I remember about this one is the main female character. And I won't say anymore because I'll give the coolest part away.

I read this book The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White (and if your interested in reading this one be careful, there are a ton of books titled The President's Daughter make sure you get the right one!) when I was in Middle School in Dousman, Wisconsin and I have never forgotten it. There is a second book, I think called White House Autumn that I liked even better!

I have read the first two in the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. I like them a lot. Artemis Fowl is a genius 12 or 13 year old boy who finds the sacred book of the fairy world which has been forced underground for fear of humans. He devises a plan to make off with some of their fairy gold! Does he succeed?












I absolutely love Gail Carson Levine, and if you have seen the movie of Ella Enchanted you have to read the book. The book is 1000% better. The movie totally slaughters the magic of the book (I made the mistake of reading the book first :( )
I also love this one by Gail Carson Levine, Two Princesses of Bamarre. In my opinion it's even better than Ella Enchanted which is on my top ten of all time reads list! There are two sisters, who are princesses who are as different as two sisters can be, and they find out how much they need one another on their perilous journeys.






I have also like every book of Vivian Vande Velde that I have read so far but this one Wizard at Work was a short and entertaining read. A wizard's work is never done, characters from known fairy tales send for him to help them figure out their problems. It's a cute, light, fast, fun read. A good one for mom's of little kids who don't have much time to spare.

Upating Book Reviews

I have had such rave reviews about my book reviews that I thought I would go back and do a little ex pos facto (in the past) reviews. These are some of the books I have read recently and love. The first one is entitled the Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. I absolutely loved it. It's themes are hidden potential and how we wouldn't get anywhere without the people around us. How it's hard for some people to show love, but if we look really hard, we can see it in their eyes, and in everything they do. And how it is so very important for each one of us to improve ourselves with the time we have been given on this earth, and if possible to help the people around us improve too.
The next one is called Inkheart Cornelia Funke. It's dark at times, but not gross scare your hair white dark. I think sometimes it's good for us to think about the darkness in this world so that we can identify the light when we see it. Meggie's father has a gift, he can read things out of books because he has such a beautiful voice. One night he reads a villian out of a book called Inkheart and his wife disappears. Because the catch of his gift is, for everything that comes out of the book, something must go back in. Meggie and her father have to find a way to defeat this villian. I am currently reading the sequel called Inkspell.

The next book is called The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. It won the Caldecott medal--enough said. It's a must read. The heir to the throne is snubbed by the royal court and the people because she is the daughter of a "witchwoman". She takes up a perilous journey to save her people and prove herself the rightful heir to the Damarian Throne. As you can tell, I really love books where people work hard to learn and grow, and go through perilous journeys having learned valuable lessons and become better people. That is what life is all about, and we may not do it in such a glorious fashion as it is done in works of fiction, but we navigate our own perilous journeys on a daily basis.

The last book that I have up here is a work of adult fiction--a genre which I usually steer clear of--except the classics of course. But this one drew me in. I think because of it's connection to Shakespeare. It is fiction, and I can't remember is Shakespeare is accused of murder or if one of the players (actors) in his company is. But a detective has to solve the case. I love this book because it really lets you understand the world that Shakespeare lived in. Beautifully done.

First Book Review

As inspired by my good friend Tami, I thought I would review the books that I read, so if anyone is searching for a good book, they can find one easily.
I just finished reading this book entitled Spindle's End by Robin McKinley for the second time. I love this book and I love Robin McKinley. She has found her nitch in writing by taking fairy tales and retelling them. It's not something I would attempt, because fairy tales are so beloved and such a part of most people's childhood memories. But she does a beautiful job. I also love her book entitled Beauty which any of you may have guessed is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
This book is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I really don't want to say much more about it, because there are so many twists and turns that I don't want to give any of it away.

Pampered Chef Party

Howdy ya'll! I am having a Pampered Chef Party on the 23rd of February, and even though ya'll can't be here, you are invited to browse their products and if there's anything you want they will ship it right to your house. Just go to: www.pamperedchef.biz/kimskitchen. Click on "Order Products" and then add my name where it says, "Host's Name". Please don't feel obligated, but I wanted to extend the invitation.

Speaking of Time Going By

Valentine's Day has me thinking about the love of my life--my sweet and thoughtful husband (or dh as they call them in chat groups online--domestic housepartner--lame huh?). Here's one of our engagement pictures.
Obviously a wedding picture.
This was taken Christmas 2006. I hate to get all sentimental and corny, but I think we look better than we did when we got married. And we are certainly more in love and work better as a team than we did those eight long years ago. What a difference time makes! 

Great Ideas Gone Wrong

I had this great idea when Ryan was born. I was going to take a picture of him with the same stuffed animal as a newborn, at six months and then every year on his birthday. And I was going to do the same thing for all of my kids. Well, you can see what actually happened. Newborn--good, two months--not in the plan, but he looked so cute, eighteen months--not what I was planning. . .
Seven years old. A five and a half years missing. Oh, well. It's still amazing to look at how much they grow and change. 

The Girl's Room

I have yet to put up the framing around the different color panels. I kind of need a nail gun. I think like it did for the boys room, that last addition will make a big difference in tying it all together.
Here's Emily's side of the room.
This is Julia's side of the room. I originally intended to paint murals onto the different colored panels, but as I started painting walls I realized that the walls were to thickly textured. I think I'm going to have to buy some canvas and paint onto that and then hang it up like a picture inside of the framing I'll put around the panels. I think it'll be cool.
There's this funny nook where the door opens, and I decided to paint it yellow, and the adjacent wall a very light purpley blue. The two walls off of those are light pink, and then the wall that hooks those together is the same shade of pink a couple of steps darker. 

It's a jungle in there!

I finished painting the boys room. I made the top half orange and the bottom half brown on three walls.
And then made the remaining wall green.
It looked interesting until I put up the jungle themed border. It definately ties it all together. I found some cute pictures of animals at a teacher store to hang on the walls. I would eventually like to hang vines from the ceiling. Wouldn't that be COOL! 

Valentine's Program

The first graders at Friendship performed a Valentine's program on Monday. They were kind of mean. They scheduled it immediately following the PTA meeting. They were definatley trying to up attendance!
What is that face? 

School Wide Picture Day

I heard a lot of noise at the school and ran over to see what was going on. They were attempting to take a picture of the entire student body in the freezing cold. They had just let a bunch of balloons go and the kids were so excited.
Here's the Vice Principal trying to restore order.
I easily found Julia in the crowd. She definately looks cold and surprised to see me.
I didn't find Ryan until he was headed back inside. I got him just in the knick of time! 

Exhaustion!

We came home from running errands and I found Benjamin ready to go to sleep outside of the hall closet. He was very tired. He is always more prone to tiredness when his asthma is bad!
Julia came over to love on her brother. She was babbling to him about how cute he was, and of course wanted in for the picture op. 

Benjamin had a friend over that day too. He liked the tea party too. I would have thought they wouldn't have liked it, but they loved drinking from the special cups.
They played so well the entire time. Here they are playing Benjamin's new favorite game. He likes to drive his Thomas and Friends engines through the Little People castle. 

Princess (and Prince) Tea Party!

Emily goes to a playgroup every Friday with the girls in our church the same age. We alternate houses and the girls love it. When it was our turn for play date we had a Princess (and Prince) Tea Party.
Here's Emily being shy with two of her friends. Emily collects friends. She'll tell anyone who will listen who here friends are as she counts them off on her fingers.
Here's Benjamin enjoying the tea party as much as the little girls.
If you haven't been privy to see it before, this is Julia's pretty pretty princess pose. I should post the one of her I have on my cell phone. It's a much better pic of the pose. But I don't know how to download it.