You know when kids pass notes to each other? This is what I found between Keilani and Natasha after church one day in December. Keilani starts out, Natasha's responses are in purple. This is what we deal with EVERY day. The girls and their little deals and the repercussions if one of them doesn't follow through.
Here goes:
OMG Vivian's annoying
NO WAY! You just noticed that?
:) Hey, can you help me today? Cuz I need to study for my Finals & write a paper & I want to interview you...So can you just pick up little stuff around my room & kinda organize/tidy please? I will give you 3 gum pieces!
No.That's not interviewing, plus I need to hang up all my clothes.
Please! I still have HOURS of homework to do, at least 3 hours or 4 hours & I need to interview later for a class I have.
Depends what the interview is
Just random questions & can you do my room too? Cuz like I said, I still have homework & I have to pack since I have finals & school for the next 2 days, you guys don't have school.
That's because we are awesomerest than you. And I have to pack too. And you can do your own room because it's not that messy as b4.
YOU don't have to pack til Mon or Tues because like I said YOU're home then.Do you know how important finals are? It's more important than any other tests or Homework. If you fail, you fail the whole entire class. You can't make it up. YOU don't have to deal w/it. In fact your life is almost carefree, your biggest worry is if you get grounded. I don't even have time for things like that.
NO!
WHY??? You don't have anything to do! AT ALL!
maybe
Really!? Good. I will give you 4 pieces of gum.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
What I've done...
So, an extension of my last post. I don't know if it's because I'm reading this book right now:
But I have definitely been simplifying my life, cutting back on time on the computer. I'm no longer addicted to Family Feud on Facebook. In fact I am no longer tied down to Facebook either. I'm missing what a lot of my friends are posting, but I'm living my OWN life more completely.
As I've said, I've cut back on my reading BIG time. I used to HAVE to read something every day. I'd go on vacation and have to pick up a book at the store or airport if I forgot one, I'd have to read a newspaper or magazine if I wasn't currently reading a book. Reading blogs online could count too. But NOW, for some reason, I just don't need to anymore. It's partly due to my new commitment to thoroughly understand and retain the information I read, it's no longer just a filler or escape from life, but an enhancer to the life I already live. The one that doesn't need to be tied to a computer or book anymore. Interesting, huh.
So, I read too much. I had over 350 books on my to read list. When friends used to tell me to cut back I always said, no way. I WANT to read all of these books. Well, now, I've decided if I don't think I'll love it, it goes. I have 50 books sitting here I plan to sell, and another 50 books I took off of my to read list at the library. That's over 100 or 1/3 of my books I just cut off of my to read list.
I'm going to post them here so I never forget. I vow to stop buying books at thrift stores or library sales just because they look good or I remember a friend had read it. It has to be a topic I love and know I will enjoy. I know some of these are good books, but if I'm not going to get to them sooner, let's just wait until later .
So here goes, I didn't bother with capitalization or authors, this is just a record.
keeping faith
down these mean streets
pillars of the earth
queen of your own life
when the heart waits
everything is illumunated
patriot hearts
size 12 is not fat
i am the messenger
the measure of a man
the tenth circle
wicked
i know this much is true
city of ashes
the travelers gift
words without borders
princess academy
the midwifes tale
valiant
tithe
ironside
nanny diaries
austenland
goosegirl
something borrowed
something blue
baby proof
love the one you're with
the probable future
and ladies of the club
shortcut in time
shades children
the secret family
if you come softly
the far side of evil
an enchantress from the stars
make lemonade
american chica
the boy on the bus
the door into summer
somewhere in time
woman on the edge of time
kindred
the x president
doomsday book
passage
the last time they met
the namesake
i want to grow up
the magicians elephant
olive kitteridge
to say nothing of the dog
the testament of youth
windup girl
why gender matters
little giant of aberdeen county
the undomestic goddess
dreamers of the day
a mothers book of secrets
emma
boy in striped pajamas
as the ward turns
inside my heart
life and death in shangai
why we buy
biggest elvis
english passengers
gateway
nickel and dimed
time for the stars
the science of everyday life
flavor of the month
velocity of honey
how proust can change your life
hot flat and crowded
satellite sisters uncommon senses
writing your life
open house
here on earth
reading lolita in tehran
our word is our weapon
empire falls
my life in france
enchantment
we were the mulvaneys
vanishing acts
confessions ugly stepsister
hes just not that into you
the wonder of children
theres a spiritual solution to every problem
the prayer of jabez
for the love of god
handbook for the heart
handbook for the soul
simple abundance companion
family tree
knit two
more than you know
the heart is a lonely hunter
comfort food
belong to me
rv there yet
the girl who stopped swimming
hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet
winning with integrity
flowers for algernon
the hour i first believed
mr darcys daughters
the pursuit of wow
if minds had toes
how to be good
zero limits secret hawaiian system
christmas letters
dr kings refrigerator
That's all folks.
But I have definitely been simplifying my life, cutting back on time on the computer. I'm no longer addicted to Family Feud on Facebook. In fact I am no longer tied down to Facebook either. I'm missing what a lot of my friends are posting, but I'm living my OWN life more completely.
As I've said, I've cut back on my reading BIG time. I used to HAVE to read something every day. I'd go on vacation and have to pick up a book at the store or airport if I forgot one, I'd have to read a newspaper or magazine if I wasn't currently reading a book. Reading blogs online could count too. But NOW, for some reason, I just don't need to anymore. It's partly due to my new commitment to thoroughly understand and retain the information I read, it's no longer just a filler or escape from life, but an enhancer to the life I already live. The one that doesn't need to be tied to a computer or book anymore. Interesting, huh.
So, I read too much. I had over 350 books on my to read list. When friends used to tell me to cut back I always said, no way. I WANT to read all of these books. Well, now, I've decided if I don't think I'll love it, it goes. I have 50 books sitting here I plan to sell, and another 50 books I took off of my to read list at the library. That's over 100 or 1/3 of my books I just cut off of my to read list.
I'm going to post them here so I never forget. I vow to stop buying books at thrift stores or library sales just because they look good or I remember a friend had read it. It has to be a topic I love and know I will enjoy. I know some of these are good books, but if I'm not going to get to them sooner, let's just wait until later .
So here goes, I didn't bother with capitalization or authors, this is just a record.
keeping faith
down these mean streets
pillars of the earth
queen of your own life
when the heart waits
everything is illumunated
patriot hearts
size 12 is not fat
i am the messenger
the measure of a man
the tenth circle
wicked
i know this much is true
city of ashes
the travelers gift
words without borders
princess academy
the midwifes tale
valiant
tithe
ironside
nanny diaries
austenland
goosegirl
something borrowed
something blue
baby proof
love the one you're with
the probable future
and ladies of the club
shortcut in time
shades children
the secret family
if you come softly
the far side of evil
an enchantress from the stars
make lemonade
american chica
the boy on the bus
the door into summer
somewhere in time
woman on the edge of time
kindred
the x president
doomsday book
passage
the last time they met
the namesake
i want to grow up
the magicians elephant
olive kitteridge
to say nothing of the dog
the testament of youth
windup girl
why gender matters
little giant of aberdeen county
the undomestic goddess
dreamers of the day
a mothers book of secrets
emma
boy in striped pajamas
as the ward turns
inside my heart
life and death in shangai
why we buy
biggest elvis
english passengers
gateway
nickel and dimed
time for the stars
the science of everyday life
flavor of the month
velocity of honey
how proust can change your life
hot flat and crowded
satellite sisters uncommon senses
writing your life
open house
here on earth
reading lolita in tehran
our word is our weapon
empire falls
my life in france
enchantment
we were the mulvaneys
vanishing acts
confessions ugly stepsister
hes just not that into you
the wonder of children
theres a spiritual solution to every problem
the prayer of jabez
for the love of god
handbook for the heart
handbook for the soul
simple abundance companion
family tree
knit two
more than you know
the heart is a lonely hunter
comfort food
belong to me
rv there yet
the girl who stopped swimming
hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet
winning with integrity
flowers for algernon
the hour i first believed
mr darcys daughters
the pursuit of wow
if minds had toes
how to be good
zero limits secret hawaiian system
christmas letters
dr kings refrigerator
That's all folks.
Monday, January 10, 2011
One of those stupid words...
Before the New Year was up I ran into one of Gretchen Rubin's posts on Facebook.The author of this book:
It was one of those, "Choose a word that represents you for the next year" posts. That one word then sets the tone for your New Year and the goals you want to achieve. Much easier than having a list of resolutions you may or may not keep, and then feel bad when you don't. She's not the first one to come up with the idea, but I like it.
My first thought was the word, HOPE. And I responded with that as my word. That's because I have a lot of HOPE that this year will be great. But after looking at the goals I want to accomplish this year, I changed my word to COMPLETE. These are the 3 things I plan to do in my life this year relating to the word COMPLETE.
1. COMPLETE the projects I start. As I sit here right now I am looking at 5 picture frames in my front room that I have yet to put the pictures in. I have little projects like that all over that I start, and then lose momentum in finishing. It's a weakness of mine, but I'm working on it. So, FINISH things. Goal #1.
2. COMPLETEly understand the books I read. I normally tear through a book a week. I used books as my escape, as my entertainment, and not enough for my education. I wasn't retaining much of what I was reading. If you asked me what the main charcters names were, I probably couldn't tell you. I enjoyed the words, thoughts, ideas and stories, but I wasn't internalizing them enough to be able to have an intelligent conversation about it.
So this year, I will SLOW down on my reading, make notes in the books I read. Summarize thoughts, feelings and ideas as I come across them, sticky notes, notebooks, whatever it takes for me to REALLY appreciate a book. I want to REMEMBER more than just how I felt about the book.
This hasn't been going well for my reading so far though. I took a huge CS Lewis book on vacation with me, and I didn't read much because I thought I had to have a pen with me to write notes. So all the sudden book reading became really book studying. I lost the ability to just ENJOY it. At night I would look at a book on the nightstand and decide NOT to read it, because I don't feel like taking notes when what I really want to do is read myself into blissful sleep. So this will be a fine line I will have to face. Maybe I need to give myself permission to let go and just read for fun at least sometimes. Goal #2.
3. COMPLETE in my relationships. Not having to work has helped me invest more in my relationships with my family, especially with Ken. When I was being stretched too thin I had no time for anyone else, let alone myself. I plan to continue working on that, and becoming WHOLE in my relationships with those around me. Friends, family, strangers I meet. Never leave anything unfinished there either. Goal #3.
And that's it.
Wait, no it isn't. So, New Years Eve I asked the family to all choose a word they would like to focus on. Keilani's first response was SLEEP. Natasha's was CHOCOLATE and Vivian's was READ. Of course, their favorite things to do. I mentioned you have to have a goal around that, something positive. Vivian has now joined Goodreads so she can keep track of the books she has read. Don't ask me what the rest are going to do. Zane actually said something really profound like PRAY and Kalel, I'll have to come back and update you on that one when he's awake and I can ask him.
Ken, he just scoffed and said, "He doesn't do those things" When I asked him why he said, "Because I make goals all year long, not just now." So yeah, this is one of those stupid word things in his book. But for me, it has helped me to keep focus and not forget. Like I said, easier to remember one word, then a bunch of goals. Try it, if you COULD pick one word, what would yours be?
It was one of those, "Choose a word that represents you for the next year" posts. That one word then sets the tone for your New Year and the goals you want to achieve. Much easier than having a list of resolutions you may or may not keep, and then feel bad when you don't. She's not the first one to come up with the idea, but I like it.
My first thought was the word, HOPE. And I responded with that as my word. That's because I have a lot of HOPE that this year will be great. But after looking at the goals I want to accomplish this year, I changed my word to COMPLETE. These are the 3 things I plan to do in my life this year relating to the word COMPLETE.
1. COMPLETE the projects I start. As I sit here right now I am looking at 5 picture frames in my front room that I have yet to put the pictures in. I have little projects like that all over that I start, and then lose momentum in finishing. It's a weakness of mine, but I'm working on it. So, FINISH things. Goal #1.
2. COMPLETEly understand the books I read. I normally tear through a book a week. I used books as my escape, as my entertainment, and not enough for my education. I wasn't retaining much of what I was reading. If you asked me what the main charcters names were, I probably couldn't tell you. I enjoyed the words, thoughts, ideas and stories, but I wasn't internalizing them enough to be able to have an intelligent conversation about it.
So this year, I will SLOW down on my reading, make notes in the books I read. Summarize thoughts, feelings and ideas as I come across them, sticky notes, notebooks, whatever it takes for me to REALLY appreciate a book. I want to REMEMBER more than just how I felt about the book.
This hasn't been going well for my reading so far though. I took a huge CS Lewis book on vacation with me, and I didn't read much because I thought I had to have a pen with me to write notes. So all the sudden book reading became really book studying. I lost the ability to just ENJOY it. At night I would look at a book on the nightstand and decide NOT to read it, because I don't feel like taking notes when what I really want to do is read myself into blissful sleep. So this will be a fine line I will have to face. Maybe I need to give myself permission to let go and just read for fun at least sometimes. Goal #2.
3. COMPLETE in my relationships. Not having to work has helped me invest more in my relationships with my family, especially with Ken. When I was being stretched too thin I had no time for anyone else, let alone myself. I plan to continue working on that, and becoming WHOLE in my relationships with those around me. Friends, family, strangers I meet. Never leave anything unfinished there either. Goal #3.
And that's it.
Wait, no it isn't. So, New Years Eve I asked the family to all choose a word they would like to focus on. Keilani's first response was SLEEP. Natasha's was CHOCOLATE and Vivian's was READ. Of course, their favorite things to do. I mentioned you have to have a goal around that, something positive. Vivian has now joined Goodreads so she can keep track of the books she has read. Don't ask me what the rest are going to do. Zane actually said something really profound like PRAY and Kalel, I'll have to come back and update you on that one when he's awake and I can ask him.
Ken, he just scoffed and said, "He doesn't do those things" When I asked him why he said, "Because I make goals all year long, not just now." So yeah, this is one of those stupid word things in his book. But for me, it has helped me to keep focus and not forget. Like I said, easier to remember one word, then a bunch of goals. Try it, if you COULD pick one word, what would yours be?
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Books Part Two
Here's the books I've been reading since August of last year.
Star Rating System:
*Didn't like it
**It was ok
***Liked it
****Really liked it
*****It was amazing
August (of course, the month I DID NOT have school):
I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson ***
If I stay by Gayle Forman **
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel ***
The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo *****
When you look like your passport photo, it's time to go home by Erma Bombeck ****
Cut by Patricia McCormick **
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert ***
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell *****
This world we live in by Susan Beth Pfeffer ***
Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning *
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby ***
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi ****
September: (still read a lot this month too):
Children of god by Mary Doria Russell *****
Dance with Them: 30 Stumbling Mothers Share Glimpses of Grace by Kathryn Lynard Soper *****
Dear Mom: Everything Your Teenage Daughter Wants You to Know But Will Never Tell You by Melody Carson ****
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins ***
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender **
Etre the Cow by Sean Kenniff ****
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Friedman ****
The Sunday Philosophy club by Alexander McCall Smith **
On being NonProfit by Peter Frumkin **
October:
Freshman Orientation by Edward Sidlow ***
Managing the Nonprofit Organization by Peter Drucker ****
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin ***
Expect Nothing by Clarice Bryan **
Day After Night by Anita Diamant ****
The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel *****
Pitching My Tent: On Marriage, Motherhood, Friendship, and Other Leaps of Faith by Anita Diamant *****
Food Rules: An Eaters Manual by Michael Pollan *****
November: (it's getting to be less, but ONLY good books):
French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano ****
The Year of Living biblically by AJ Jacobs *****
December:
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri ****
Started, but not finished yet:
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver
C. S. Lewis Signature Classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally by Patti Digh (At this rate I might be done with this one in 37 years, lol)
Coming up next, the post where I tell you WHY this year 2011 I am sure to only read 1/2 of what I've been reading in the past. 63 books read last year, so maybe my goal for the new year will be to do at least 30?
Star Rating System:
*Didn't like it
**It was ok
***Liked it
****Really liked it
*****It was amazing
August (of course, the month I DID NOT have school):
I am a Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson ***
If I stay by Gayle Forman **
Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel ***
The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo *****
When you look like your passport photo, it's time to go home by Erma Bombeck ****
Cut by Patricia McCormick **
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert ***
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell *****
This world we live in by Susan Beth Pfeffer ***
Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher Browning *
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby ***
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi ****
September: (still read a lot this month too):
Children of god by Mary Doria Russell *****
Dance with Them: 30 Stumbling Mothers Share Glimpses of Grace by Kathryn Lynard Soper *****
Dear Mom: Everything Your Teenage Daughter Wants You to Know But Will Never Tell You by Melody Carson ****
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins ***
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender **
Etre the Cow by Sean Kenniff ****
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Friedman ****
The Sunday Philosophy club by Alexander McCall Smith **
On being NonProfit by Peter Frumkin **
October:
Freshman Orientation by Edward Sidlow ***
Managing the Nonprofit Organization by Peter Drucker ****
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin ***
Expect Nothing by Clarice Bryan **
Day After Night by Anita Diamant ****
The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel *****
Pitching My Tent: On Marriage, Motherhood, Friendship, and Other Leaps of Faith by Anita Diamant *****
Food Rules: An Eaters Manual by Michael Pollan *****
November: (it's getting to be less, but ONLY good books):
French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano ****
The Year of Living biblically by AJ Jacobs *****
December:
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri ****
Started, but not finished yet:
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver
C. S. Lewis Signature Classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Life Is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally by Patti Digh (At this rate I might be done with this one in 37 years, lol)
Coming up next, the post where I tell you WHY this year 2011 I am sure to only read 1/2 of what I've been reading in the past. 63 books read last year, so maybe my goal for the new year will be to do at least 30?
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