State of Affairs, February Edition

Trips taken:  None, sadly.
We are beginning to dream of the beach, and vaguely discussing some type of spring getaway. Maybe to Gatlinburg, TN? The girls have never been. Spring puts me in the mood for adventure, so there is no telling where we might end up in the coming months.

Jeremy and I did have a date night the weekend after Valentines Day.  Dinner and a movie is always a treat!

Books I read:  3.5
Laugh with the Moon--I finished this one from January, and I really enjoyed it.  It is written for younger teens, I think, and I will recommend it to some of the kids in my youth group who like to read.

Good in a Crisis--This was a memoir, by Margaret Overton, mostly about the years following her intense, mid-life divorce.  I have a love-hate relationship with a lot of memoirs, and this one was solidly in the middle...I neither loved it nor hated it.

Exclusively Yours--A quick, fluffy romance.  It feels very much like a classic Harlequin, which I do still enjoy every couple of months.  It's nice to have a break between more intense, in-depth books that take my full attention and concentration.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy--Full review here, but easily my favorite book of the month.  Actually, my favorite of the year so far, if you don't count Harry Potter, which was a reread.  I recommend this book if you're looking for a story to get lost in.

Music
Mumford & Sons is still in heavy rotation.  Adele has made a reappearance, and Addison is back to requesting "Rollin' in the Deep" on a regular basis.  On recommendation from my sister, I added The Civil Wars to my Pandora rotation, and I really like their music as well.

Addison & Mackenzie are into the Fresh Beat Band, thanks to a 'Wizard of Song' special we watch at least three times a week.  They have watched a few other Fresh Beat Band songs on YouTube, but the tv special is the clear favorite. 

February also goes down as the month when the girls discovered Johnny Cash.  I am not sure how long this phase will last, but right now, they are loving his music.  They listen to it in the truck with their daddy, and I love to watch them sharing those moments.  I remember listening to The Everly Brothers and Marty Robbins with my dad on the way to school in the mornings, and I still stop to listen whenever I hear any of those old songs come on.

Crafts and Projects
I made a skirt, painted a desk, and painted a frame to make a dry-erase board (picture soon!).  I also made various fabric bookmarks while playing around with my sewing machine, which I think I might give to my kids at church for Easter.  It was a good month for crafting in our house, and there are lots of ideas on tap for next month, mostly related to the birthday party coming up the last weekend of March!

The girls had a lot of fun making Valentines, both at home and at school.  They are really into "gluing hearts", and are constantly requesting I cut out more hearts.  I am happy to oblige that fairly simple request...I can cut out a mean paper heart.

Random/Notable Memories
Hmmm....apparently we had a pretty quiet month!   One thing I can think of is that we had a couple of afternoons when, for whatever reason, the girls did not get a nap or had only a very short nap.  Compared to the fiasco an afternoon without a nap would have been a few months ago, these afternoons were not so bad.  I am in NO way ready to give up our standard two-hour afternoon nap, especially on the weekends, but it is nice to know that we are to a point where we can make plans knowing that a skipped nap is not the end of the world.

We have continued to have warm weather this month, along with rain and storms on a weekly basis.  As much as I enjoy a few weeks of winter, it has been very nice letting the girls play outside a bit more than is usual for February.  Last night, they even got to run through the rain for a few minutes--which was probably the highlight of their week! 

A & M are getting very excited about their upcoming birthday.  They have begun to answer "three" or "almost three" when someone asks their age, and we have to remind them they are still two for a few more weeks.  We have also been talking about the big change that is coming up for A & M... they know that on their third birthday, we will be done with pacifiers.  It might be a rough couple of weeks for all of us, but it is way past time.

Finally, I would call this the month of the library--we are on a solid two-week rotation for Saturday morning visits--and the month I realize I have to learn to say no sometimes.  I am feeling very over-committed and overwhelmed with outside obligations, and it is stressing me out a little.  The most stressful things will be over in a few weeks, and I am counting down the days.  I am determined this will be a lesson learned, though.  I like my free time, and if I have to turn down a few things in order to preserve it, then so be it.

How was your February?

Gemma, not Jane: The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

As much as I love to read, I have never been very into reading traditional "classics".  I enjoy the themes and stories in and of themselves, but I have trouble moving past the flowery, old-fashioned language to figure out what was really happening.

That said, I have found a few exceptions to my general distaste for classics.  We read Wuthering Heights in my 8th grade honor's English class, and I have loved it ever since.  I finally succumbed to literary influences and read Pride and Prejudice a couple of years ago, and found, to my surprise, that it is every bit as good as everyone says.  Jane Eyre was required reading in one of my high school English courses, and was one I actually completed.  I re-read it about two years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit, confirming that I don't dislike all classics, just the ones that have a storyline I cannot follow or that doesn't interest me (which, naturally, holds true for modern fiction as well!).

Due in part to the recent reread of Jane Eyre, my interest was piqued by Margot Livesey's The Flight of Gemma Hardy, which is billed as a sort of modern-day Jane Eyre.  I was not sure exactly what to expect from this "recasting" of Jane Eyre, as the author describes it in her introduction, but I soon found myself just as enamored with little Gemma as I had been with Jane.

Readers of Jane Eyre will find some parts of Gemma's story immediately recognizable.  Although The Flight of Gemma Hardy is set largely in Scotland in the 1950s and 1960s, the language and surroundings make the time period easy to forget.  For roughly the first half of the book, I found myself forgetting that it was not some long-past generation, but the 20th century.  Gemma's background is similar to Jane's, though there is a tie to Iceland that brings a new aspect to the story.

Although I felt as if I knew what was coming next for much of the book, I never got bored with the story.  It was familiar in places; surprising in others.  There are more modern elements later in the story, once Gemma has left Claypoole, the boarding school she attends as a child.  Overall, I liked the second half of the book more than the first, largely because it was a little more different from the story I had expected.

The writing in The Flight of Gemma Hardy is beautifully done, especially considering the author was juggling between time periods and several different settings.  I particularly loved the characters from the second half of the book (there weren't many lovable people in the first half, after all):  Mr. Sinclair, Vicky, Hannah, Pauline, Archie, and my favorite, sweet little Nell. 

Those familiar with Jane Eyre may find themselves waiting for, and guessing at, the comparable mystery aspect of Gemma Hardy.  While there is a revelation that changes the course of Gemma's life, it was quite a bit different from Jane's story.  I would go so far as to say that, compared to Rochester's confession in Jane Eyre, it fell a bit flat.  Still, Gemma Hardy is a different time and place, and the mysterious revelation worked well enough for the story.  Had it been anything bigger or more scandalous, I might have felt my attitude toward Mr. Sinclair change.  As it was, I thought Gemma far overreacted...but a girl of nineteen in the 1960s and a girl of nineteen in Jane Eyre's world are two completely different creatures.  Ultimately, Gemma's overreaction fit her character and the resulting separation gave her time and space to grow and pursue her own dreams.

I love a story that can transport me to a totally different world, and The Flight of Gemma Hardy definitely had that effect on me.  It is a beautifully written, reimagining (having read it, I will grant that it is much more than a simple retelling) of a beloved classic.  I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in classics, or like me, in a good story that happens to have some similar elements to an old standard.

 

 **I am participating in a blog tour with TLC Book Tours.  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  The Flight of Gemma Hardy is available now.

Friday Five--Toddler Talk

• Sometimes I forget how very closely the girls listen to everything we say in their presence.  A few weeks ago, I was digging through the out-of-control sippy-cup drawer to find a matching lid.  I didn't think too much about my frustration until, a day or two later, Mackenzie was playing in the same drawer, shouting, "Where's the freakin' lid??"  Oops!  At least it wasn't anything worse, I guess?

• When the girls say something they aren't sure they should be saying (like 'freaking'), they will turn to one of us and ask, "Is [random word] nice to say?"  It cracks me up, and I love that they care enough to ask...I am sure the day will come when they seek out those not-nice words.

• We have been teaching the girls when it is appropriate to say 'God' (i.e. when we are talking about God, church, etc.).  They had heard the phrase "Oh my God" somewhere, and started asking questions about it.  We tried to explain that we are not supposed to use that phrase, and to say "goodness" or "gosh" instead.  A & M have done very well not repeating that saying, but they are VERY quick to point out when they hear it elsewhere.  (It is on Shrek, which is the ONLY DVD that plays in my car--random, I know--and they never fail to point it out.  They also never miss the phrase 'shut up', but we haven't had many problems with that one...yet.)

• Speaking of phrases the girls never miss, Jeremy and I totally failed that lesson that says if you hear something you don't want your kids to notice, don't draw attention to it.  One day last weekend, the four of us were in our bedroom hanging out.  I think I had just had a shower, so Pandora radio was still playing on my iPhone in the bathroom.  We were alternatively dancing around to the music and playing around in the floor, when this song came blaring out of the speakers.  (That link is just the lyrics--no music!)  Jeremy and both stopped in mid-sentence and looked at each other with wide eyes.  He jumped up and ran into the bathroom to skip that song, while I burst out laughing.  (Mom of the year, right here!)  Luckily, the girls somehow overlooked the whole situation, and to my knowledge, that word has not entered their vocabulary.  It was a close one, though!  

• A & M are really into playing 'babies' these days.  They take turns pretending to put one another down for naps, feeding pretend bottles, and reading to each other.  It's all very cute and funny to watch, but they are starting to put some 'baby talk' with this game...which is NOT so cute.  We are supposed to be long past the stage of unintelligible words and whines.  When they get in the mood of whining and pointing, I have to remind them to use their words and tell them they are big girls now.  I can handle the pretend baby stuff, but there will be no more deciphering noises and whines when I know good and well they can say whatever they want.

 I called this post Toddler Talk because I can't resist alliteration, but my girls really don't feel like toddlers anymore.  They are quickly moving into the little girl stage, and I really love it.  Sure, I miss things about the baby stages on occasion, but there are so many more things to look forward to!  What do we call these kids after 'toddlers'?  Preschoolers?

All I know is that my almost-three-year-olds are pretty freakin' awesome!  

I made a skirt (yes, really!)

The major item on my Christmas wishlist last year was a new sewing machine.  Jeremy took heed of my not-so-subtle hints and procured a sewing machine for me.  (Actually, I just realized that I got everything on that wishlist, except for the Veronica Mars DVDs...awesome!)

As soon as the dust settled from our Christmas morning celebrations, I pulled my new sewing machine out of the box and sat down with the manual to learn how to get started.  Much to my surprise, it went pretty smoothly.  By the end of the weekend, I was trying out different stitches on scrap pieces of fabric, practicing sewing straight lines and curves.

My sister and I worked on these headbands/bracelets, and I made a few other "scrap bracelets" for the girls.  Laura (who took a sewing class many years ago, at maybe 13 or so?  She has always been more 'domestic' than me) told me to sew something together, promising it would make me feel very accomplished, and she was right.  I had have a long way to go, but I was proud of myself for even learning how to thread the machine!

I haven't had a whole lot of time to devote to sewing in the weeks since Christmas, but I do pull it out occasionally when I have a free hour or two.  I have pinned lots of ideas to my Learn to Sew board, but so much of it is either way out of my league or would require time I just don't have right now.

When the girls decided they want a Wizard of Oz-themed birthday party, I began to consider the idea of making them blue gingham skirts and matching "3" t-shirts.  I set off looking for a simple skirt pattern.  I quickly found this one, via Pinterest of course, and marked it as something I might be able to accomplish.  Though the girls have now set me straight on the fact that Dorothy wears a DRESS, not a SKIRT, I kept the idea in mind.

Saturday night I pulled out some fabric and pulled up the tutorial on my computer.  I guessed at the measurements, and went a little shorter in length in order to use the fabric I had on hand, but within two hours, I had produced...

an honest-to-goodness, fairly decent-looking skirt!

I knew Mackenzie would love it--she loves purple--and I was right.  She couldn't wait to try it on.   To my (and Jeremy's) amazement, it fit!  Mackenzie was carried away with her new skirt, and wore it over her pajamas all afternoon.  (We all usually change back into pajamas after church on Sunday...it's my favorite afternoon of the week.)

Naturally, I couldn't wait to try again, so I let Addison pick out fabric for her skirt on Sunday night.  I made this one a little longer and a little fuller, and I am happy to report that it took much less time...maybe an hour total.  

My Mackenzie is a little obsessed with skirts and dresses, or "ballerinas", as she calls them.  When she saw that the second skirt was fuller and slightly more poufy (like a ballerina's should be, I guess), she quickly negotiated a trade with Addison to take over the second skirt.  Luckily, Addison is pretty easygoing sometimes, and agreed without argument.

I don't have a good picture of the second one, but Mackenzie is wearing it while trying out a couch at Costco on Monday:

And Addison was perfectly happy with the purple one (and my Diet Coke):

Naturally, my first attempts are far from perfect, but I'm still ridiculously proud.  I MADE something! Stay tuned--it could get all kinds of crafty up in here...

Monday on a Tuesday

We had a great weekend, complete with an extra day off yesterday.  Friday night, the girls went to spend the night with Jeremy's parents.  We decided to go ahead and eat dinner with his family instead of going somewhere else, since every restaurant seemed to be packed.  Late Valentine's celebrations, I guess...it was ours too!

After dinner, the girls went off with their grandparents and Jeremy and I went to see The Vow.  It was...alright...some things about the characters really irritated me.  Still, it was nice to sit in a theater next to my husband and do nothing but take in the movie for about two hours.

I made a quick Target run right before the movie and ran into a local blog friend (It was great to catch up for a few minutes, Iana!  We should really get our kids together sometime!).  I also snagged this necklace on clearance for $2.40 that I am a little bit in love with:

The Gemini symbol (my astrological sign)...also the symbol for TWINS!  : )

Jeremy and I spent our child-free Saturday morning piddling around the house.  I finally started a project I have been intending to work on for months.  After a morning spent in Jeremy's workshop and one trip to Home Depot, this desk

became this:

It is still far from perfect, and I have already put a couple of spots on the top (because I didn't wait long enough before setting the heavy sewing machine on it), but it is a great improvement.  I used spray paint and it was pretty easy, so there's no telling what piece of furniture I will attack next!  I do want to make a little skirt for the desk, to hide the cords and stool, and I need some baskets for the open shelves on the end.  I don't really know if the desk is going to stay where it is (in the kitchen) or move somewhere else, but at least it is now in the house and functional.  Progress!

The rest of our weekend was pretty quiet.  We hung out at home, had a fantastic Sunday lunch with just the four of us (a rarity!), and did lots of reading (rainboots optional).

--------------------

Random Addison quote from lunch on Sunday:  "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!"  

I love that my baby quotes one of my favorite shows (I Love Lucy) without having any idea what she's talking about.  (She picked it up from her silly father a couple of weeks ago.)  : )

Some things I've read lately

The Fallback Plan, by Leigh Stein
There is a shortage of fiction for characters between the ages of 20-25.  The post-college, early-adult years are vastly underrepresented, which is sad, because it can be such a pivotal point in life.  Stein explores this genre in The Fallback Plan, and I wish more authors would follow suit.

Esther has returned home to her parents house after college, and she is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life.  Like so many of us at that age, she makes some less-than-stellar decisions.  It is pretty clear that Esther has some depression issues and her listless attitude was frustrating at times.

The plot thickens when Esther begins babysitting for a local family.  It quickly becomes obvious that Amy, Nate, and little May are dealing with issues far heavier than Esther's.  Some scenes were heartbreaking; at other times I wanted to shake all the main characters and tell them to grow the heck up already.  Life is not always the way we expect, but we deal with it.  I think by the end of the book, Esther may finally be ready to face her life, wherever it may lead.

The Fallback Plan is a quick read, not completely enthralling, but a welcome addition to a very lacking representation in fiction.
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.  The Fallback Plan is available now.

How to Eat a Cupcake, by Meg Donahue
I read How to Eat a Cupcake way back during our beach trip last September.  I really, really liked this book and read it in just a day or two.  It is the story of two old friends, Annie and Julia, who grew up in the same house but came from two very different worlds.  The two fell out of touch after a major fight as teenagers and moved in opposite directions in their young adult lives.  Circumstances bring the two back together some ten years later, when businesswoman Julia convinces Annie to partner up to open a cupcake shop, where they will sell Annie's culinary creations.

From the description, this sounds like good old-fashioned chick-lit, and that is not far from the truth.  Personally, I love a light and fun chick-lit story every once in awhile, and How to Eat a Cupcake has enough mystery and plot to keep it interesting and entertaining.  I especially came to love Annie, and I loved seeing her develop a bit of confidence throughout the book.  She's definitely the type of character I would like to be friends with...plus, her cupcake creations leave me drooling!

How to Eat a Cupcake will be available in March, and I definitely recommend grabbing it up for your next beach vacation.
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.

A Crack in Everything, by Angela Gerst
I love a good mystery and I love the political world, so this book should have been right up my alley.  Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me.  The plot was a good one in theory, and I didn't really figure out the mystery until the end (I hate when I can identify the killer from the first few chapters), so it did have some good points.  There were too many characters introduced too quickly, and I never felt a connection to any of them.

Still, the book has pretty good reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, so maybe it's just me?
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.  A Crack in Everything is available now.

The Next Door Boys, by Jolene Perry
I was excited to start on this book when I received it, and not just because it is set in that college time period I was just complaining we don't see often enough.  The description pulled me in:  Leigh is a cancer survivor, trying desperately to get on with her life, when she "discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places".  Sounds fun, right?


Once I started reading, I was surprised to find that the characters are devout Mormons and their religion plays a substantial role in the story.  This doesn't bother me--I like when characters actually acknowledge religion, instead of leaving it out entirely as so many books do, to be more generally appealing, I guess.  I am not Mormon (obviously?), so I missed some of the references and had to stop and piece the meaning together in some instances, but I didn't feel like it subtracted from the plot at all.


The first time I started this book, I lost interest and put it down.  I picked it up again a couple of weeks later and ended up really liking most of it.  Despite the fact that it wasn't what I originally expected, The Next Door Boys is an enjoyable story with moral characters and storylines that can sometimes be hard to find in modern young-adult fiction.
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.  The Next Door Boys is available now.

Have you read anything good lately??

Lazy Days

As a mom who works outside the home full time during the week, I feel like our evenings are a rush of playtime, dinner, baths, and as much quality snuggling/reading/rocking time as we can fit in the hours between 4:30 and 8:30. 

Largely because of the rush-rush-rush of our weeknights, I find myself enjoying lazy weekends at home more and more.  I used to feel we had to plan something special for the weekend--you know, fun family activities to make our quality time together even more exciting.  I am sure that as the weather warms up and the spring sunshine begs us to take advantage, we will begin to fill the weekends with plans and activities again.

For now, though, we are all enjoying the peace and contentment of quiet days at home.  My favorite weekends are the ones when we have absolutely nothing on the agenda, when we are free to come and go as we please...or to spend the entire day in pajamas, playing with baby dolls, drinking coffee (both the real and pretend kinds), running races down the hall, coloring, cutting, gluing, and snuggling up to watch a movie on the couch.

Weekends with these cutie-pies?  Yes, please!

Even on our lazy weekends, the library is a must-do at least one or two Saturday mornings every month.  I love that my girls love the library!

With Paw Paw (my dad) on his birthday last week)

What do your weekends look like?  Do you prefer to have lots on the agenda, or are you happiest hanging out at home?