Reading Snapshot-October

One blog I saw had a list of the books the kids were currently reading.  It sounded like a fun idea so I thought I would do it too.  

Elizabeth is reading: Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson.  Where one sister is cursed to have jewels and diamonds fall out of her mouth and one sister is cursed to have toads and serpents fall out of her mouth.  Follow that with tough choices, possible 'prince charmings' and life lessons.  She read it in a day (typical).  I picked it up and started reading it in between lunch and dishes but there were a lot of Indian names that tied my tongue so I got frustrated.  I find that if I can't pronounce a name in my head, I can't keep the characters straight.  But I am going to try again because it sounds really good.

Sarah brought home Rapunzel's Revenge!!  I was very excited for this one.  It is one of Shannon Hale's stories (she did it with her husband and brother).  I read about it on the cover jacket of one of her other books but couldn't find it at the public library.  Sarah found it at the school library this year!  It has a long list of 'holds', but one of Sarah's friends checked it out and after she read it, she let Sarah bring it home (what a nice girl).  Loved it!  It is a graphic novel/comic book, but other than that it is done in true Shannon Hale style.  Rapunzel grows up in a 'wild west' like setting.  She escapes from her tower without a prince and her quest is to free her mother who she found out was being held captive by Mother Gothel.  Along the way she--and her new friend Jack--help many people who have also been affected because of Mother Gothel's selfishness.  The pictures are fun and I love how Rapunzel uses her hair against the 'gun slingers.' 

Rachael is reading all of the above as well, but she also read "Tumtum and Nutmeg" stories about a nice mouse couple who live in Rose Cottage with a family who have two children.  It is a compilation of three sweet stories.  I love how Tumtum and Nutmeg love each other and care about the family of humans they live with and the other mice they meet.  Rachael loves these feel good animal stories.  In fact when I was pregnant last year at this time, and feeling so sick, she would read to me from the books that she checked out of the library while I lay down in my bed.  She is as sweet as these mice.

Maire has library day once a week now!  I love kindergarten :) 

She came home this week with Princess Penelope Takes Charge.  When Penelope gets a baby brother, she is very disappointed because boys can't be princesses, and she wanted the baby to be a princess with her.  But as the baby gets older Penelope realizes that he can be just as fun to do things with and finally realizes he is a prince.

Maire has adjusted well to Erica being around.  I don't think she wishes Erica was a boy, but perhaps that Erica was more fun to play with at this point.  But for now, Maire sings her songs, makes her laugh, picks up the toys that are dropped, and reads books.  And, she likes to check out new books every week.

Six Months

Curiosity

I have discovered something about Erica over the last few weeks.
Curiosity > Hunger
I have never had a baby so curious!  She wants to know what is going on all the time.  And actually, she never knows what is going on, but she wants to be a part of what is going on.  If she hears a noise, she snaps out of sleep or away from food.  Anything that has to do with her sisters being home, she does NOT want to miss.  Columbus Day weekend was horrible because everyone was home all day for three days. She didn't sleep or eat very well. She was so tired (and so was I) by Monday afternoon.
I finally realized that I can't fight this curiosity.  If she doesn't eat for four hours, she doesn't eat for four hours. And hopefully when she does eat, she will pay attention and eat a full meal.  It seems to be working.  I was even in the habit of offering to nurse her before we went someplace because I knew we would be gone when she needed to eat, but she didn't know I was offering a meal.  To her everything was just snacktime. Now I wait at least three hours, sometimes four.  And she EATS!
Better eating also brings about better sleeping.  And that makes everyone happier.
Whose idea was it for mothers to be woken up continually through the night?  We all know that a tired Mom is a grumpy Mom and that does not bode well for anyone in the entire family.  When Mom is tired- not taking out the garbage can somehow prevent her from being able to make dinner?  When Mom is tired, she starts making absurd threats, "If you don't clean your room you won't be able to read a book for a month." (there is no way of enforcing that punishment).  When Mom is tired all her energy is spent changing diapers (again), feeding the baby (again), and trying to get the baby to sleep (again).  Chocolate Chip cookies just don't get made.  And if they do, most of the dough is eaten before the kids come home anyway.  Then I just feel guilty, and tired, and fat.
But I'm feeling better now and I am going to bed as soon as I'm done typing this. :)

Just a few other things about the rest of life:
Elizabeth is going to try out for the fall musical at middle school and is writing a TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) fan fiction story.
Sarah is trying to put together a bake sale to donate money to the red cross.
Maire is learning to read.  There is nothing more fun than watching a child have the world open up to them with words.
Rachael CRACKS ME UP!!  she is the cutest 8-year-old blonde you'll ever see with a grin full of mischief every second.  I hear her tell Maire, "Maire, did you know you are in mid-air?"
"You are. You are in mid-air right now.  Do you see this?  It is air.  It is everywhere, all the time.  So, we are mid-air."  
One night we were playing Apples to Apples and everyone was counting their cards to make sure they had enough.  Rachael starts counting her cards which are in one stack in her hand.  As she starts to count, she puts the card she just counted back in her hand on the bottom of her stack.  She just kept counting and counting, all the while putting her cards back in the stack.  I lost it!
Shoot, I can't remember the other funny things I was going to share about Rachael.  I'll have to remember later.