Thursday, February 25, 2010

Oh, the agony

So, tomorrow marks the last official day of my maternity leave. Monday it will be back to a world filled with commas, prepositions, and pronouns. To say the least, I'm just not feelin' it. I want more than anything to stay home with Hollyn. It's not that I don't trust the people who will be keeping her, it's that I'm insanely jealous. I want to be the one who gets to stare at her sweet face all day and make her smile (we're still working on this, but she's very, very close). I think that Obama needs to revise that budget of his to include paying me to stay at home and be a mom. Think he can work that into his schedule????

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy heart day












And thank you for a house full of people I love. Amen. ~Ward Elliot Hour



Thursday, February 11, 2010

Just a thought o'mine

I wrote this a while back in response to a tag on facebook. The challenge was to talk about fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. As you can guess, this was a really tough task for me being that I love books so much that I chose to spend my days teaching them to the youth of America. I reread it today and just thought I'd share it with any of you who might be looking for a good read as we start the new year. :)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- one of my all-time favorites. I've read it at least five times and taught it more than that, and I love it more every time I open it.
2. The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres- This is by no means a literary masterpiece, and it's a bit mature (by that I mean it is indeed scandalous), but it inspired me, interested me, and made me laugh-- outloud. It is my very favorite non-literary book.
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury- I love this book b/c I totally agree with his ideas on human nature and laziness and totally think we as a culture are headed in this direction.
4. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens- This remains the greatest love story I've ever read...I read it in 9th grade and can tear-up just thinking about it to this day.
5. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy- This book, while it is a bit graphic, tells the story of a woman who loses part of her face due to cancer. It really made me think about how we treat each other and deal with differences.
6. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom- This simple story really made me think about what my life has been so far and what I want it to one day be.
7. Peter Pan by James Barrie- This was my favorite book when I was little, and I think everyone has that one special childhood book they will always treasure; this is mine.
8. Ellen Foster by Kay Gibbons- I read this in college and loved it. I really liked how even though Ellen is a child, she still has a voice and takes a stand to better her situation.
9. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd- I love the overall message this book sends about the South and stereotyping.
10. The Life of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck- Well, I love Steinbeck in general, but I just remember the emotions this book brought out in me when I read for the first time in high school. I love teaching it and seeing my kids get as fighting mad as I did.
11. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley- I know, I know-- there are a lot of preconceived notions out there about this book, but have you actually read it? It really is a timeless tale of greed, selfishness, and how sometimes good intentions don't turn out to be so good after all...
12. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston- I love, love, love this book despite its difficult dialect. I just really like what it says about finding yourself and how the people we love shape who we become.
13. Believing God by Beth Moore- THis book really changed, and I think strengthened, my relationship with God. It is fabulous, and I highly recommend it.
14. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo- I love this book because I saw myself as a child when I read it.
15. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner-- I love anything by Faulkner. Period.

I'm so glad....

that God has blessed my girls with the gift of having a sister. :) What could be better than that?

A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double. ~Toni Morrison

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Anything but that....

Today I broke the news to Hollyn that in a mere two weeks and five days, mommy will have to go back to the trenches (aka the high school known as my day job). This is the face she made:

Pray hard, folks. Pray hard.

Friday, February 5, 2010

A month gone by


I can't believe my little girl is one month old today. Where has the time gone? I guess I've been too busy staring at her and memorizing every little inch of her face to notice the days quickly passing from one to another. We went in for her four week check-up today, and, to my astonishment, she's gained a pound and a half in the past two weeks! She now weighs 8 lbs. 2 oz., meaning she's gained two pounds since the day she left the hospital. She is the sweetest little girl and is truly content to just sit and take in the world around her, which is something we never experienced with Libby. She's just so snuggly....I could seriously spend all day in bed with her just loving on her....in fact, I think I'll do that one day next week. :)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

You might like....

I don't talk about products on here very often, but I think both of these are too good to keep all to myself.
First, let me proudly say that little miss Libby is now a great big reader! That's right, folks; the little girl has gone off and learned how to read. I guess this means daddy and I can no longer spell out things we don't want her little ears to hear. Bummer. Anyway, the English teacher in me is always on the lookout for good, quality children's books. To be honest, so many kids books that are published these days aren't very good. It seems like anyone can get a book published, even a book filled with bad lessons and grammatical errors. However, we have found some that we truly LOVE: the llama llama books by Anna Dewdney. Not only are they adorable, but baby llama, who isn't always so well behaved, learns good lessons from his llama mama. They're also really funny, have great pictures, and have a good balance of 'easy' words and more challenging words, such as fret, ponder, whimper, etc. Oh, and they rhyme, which helps Libby to figure out unfamiliar words.



My favorite is when Mama Llama tells Baby Llama to stop all that llama drama! Anyway, these books are super cute, we love them, and we think you might too. We're hoping the Easter bunny will bring another one our way. ;)

And product number 2 is:


this umbrella stroller. Seeing as Hollyn is a second child and I have fabulous friends who let me borrow all of their baby things, we've had to buy very little for Hollyn. By this I mean, we've gotten her all of one outfit and some bedding thus far. I still have my huge monster stroller that goes with my infant carrier. However, I remember with Libby just how inconvenient and cumbersome that thing can be. I also remember buying a cheap-o umbrella stroller with her and kicking myself everytime I used it because, low and behold, I got what I paid for with that one; it was wobbly, hard to push, and oh-so-very frustrating. So, I decided to treat myself with this new addition. My cousin has a Jeep stroller that has successfully survived four children, so I knew it would work. It's also the cheapest of what I consider to be the 'quality' umbrella strollers. And, best of all, it comes in hot pink. :) Oh, and my favorite part is that the handles are taller than most umbrella strollers, which seem to be made for people who are even shorter than I am, and that's saying something. My six foot two inch tall hubby pushed it earlier with no problem or back-hunching required. Now if only Hollyn were big enough to use it......



And another birthday shout-out goes to....





my super-cute, ever supportive, doesn't look a day over thirty-five mom. Think your mom is better than mine? Doubtful. My mom rocks. :) On that note, happy birthday to one of my favorite people ever! I LOVE YOU, MOM!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Happy birthday, Heather!









Today is the big 3-0 to one of the greatest friends I've ever known. Heather-- you have inspired me, helped me, encouraged me, motivated me, comforted me, and made me laugh in more ways than you can imagine. Here's hoping the next thirty years are as inspiring as the first. Love you! :)