true boy tales: Why can't they all be like this?

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Why can't they all be like this?

This was one of those extremely rare days where everything was just lovely. (I love that word...makes me feel British). The four of us went to Bass Pro Shop after lunch (a great FREE winter activity) where Dawson slept the whole time and Bennett led the way through the store, in awe of all of the animals. Then me and the boys went to the library, one of my favorite spots these days. I brought some tea and snacks (really wanted Starbucks but used my better judgment and went the cheap route :) so we could stay a while. We were there for about 3 hours. I get to sit and read magazines while Bennett does their entire of stack of puzzles. Its just the most peaceful place--I guess because its quiet.
Then we came home and I fixed a quick dinner (Jon was at a basketball game). I actually got to eat my entire dinner without getting up once. I was SHOCKED. Its usually, "I need my water. I dropped my fork. Can you wipe my hands? I need something else to eat." I'm one of those people who wants my food piping hot. So that's probably my biggest parenting pet-peeve...having to get up for this and that while my food continues to get cold (the unfortunate status quo these days). He didn't even play with his food. He literally sat there and ate his entire bowl of pasta like a normal human being! And then I gave him a popsicle which kept him busy for at least another 20 minutes and I actually got all the dinner dishes done right away...another huge feat for me! Then we did another big puzzle together (seriously...you'd think he'd be sick of them!), read a couple of his new library books and then lights out for Bennett. Ah...my treasured "me-time". And I'm not even sitting here guilty because the dishes aren't done :)
How I wish there were more days like this...

2 comments:

phyllisgFebruary 7, 2010 at 6:59 PM
Enjoy it------but you will have many me days to come. I always thought it would never happen when ours were little, and now I wish at times I had some of the hype back!! One day you will turn around and your house will be empty and too quiet! Your are a great Mom---cherish the moment!

Love you all, Auntie
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Jennifer HandsakerFebruary 8, 2010 at 6:31 PM
This makes me so happy for you!
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for the book lovers {my recent favorites}:

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan: An incredibly haunting medical memoir. There's a lot of medical info to read through but I didn't find those parts boring and difficult to wade through. I thought she shared just enough. But if you like a book that's easy to read, this isn't it. I couldn't get this one out of my mind for a very long time. An unforgettable true story.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty: I'm just going to lump these two together because they're in the same category. I'm calling them deep chick lit. A perfect summer book to get lost in. Read them. Both. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you will LOVE them. (I liked them both way better than Where'd You Go, Bernadette.)
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner: Most of my favorite books have a main character with a whole lotta grit. I wasn't quite sure about this one when I first started it but, oh, did it sweep me in and not let me go til the last page. I also love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it. This one had me smiling all the way through and crying my eyes out at the end. It follows a young girl through her life in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I LOVED this book. Its a very well researched historical fiction novel about a young girl kidnapped from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows her through her whole life and the unbelievable heartache and trauma she lives through. I've been telling people I liked it as much as Unbroken but the main character is so much more endearing and has so much spunk.
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison. I have a thing for modern day memoirs of utterly heartbreaking stories (Like Breaking Night and Blackbird). This is a Foster mother's first-hand account of the children she took in over the years and the unbelievable trauma they went through before they came to her.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I loved this lighthearted yet emotional story of a strong woman making the best of a hard life in the Southwest, beginning in the 1930's. I love her writing style--just cuts to the point of every story without too much "fluff" and yet tells it in a way that you can picture everything in vivid detail. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, is one of my all-time favorites, and this true-life novel about her grandmother didn't disappoint.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Modern day fiction about a girl raised in Foster homes and her struggles throughout life. She learns about the Victorian Era language of flowers and that becomes a huge part of her life. I finished it in two days. An easy read but very emotional and moving.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The true story of a man's experience after Hurricane Katrina when he decided not to evacuate in order to look after several properties he owned. Quite an unbelievable story and so hard to believe this happened in the US only a few years ago.