And happy Valentine's Day. Whoooooo. Here, let me shove some hearts, confetti, more hearts, lame cardboard valentines with Scooby Doo - or, even better, Disney Princesses - on them, and more hearts at you. Blah, blah, blah. Do you feel all fluttery inside now?
I know, I know, I'm so romantic.
Actually, I am *very* romantic. You should see my house. The Daddy teases me that it looks like a Victoria Magazine threw up all over it... He teases, but he's nearly right. It's very girlie. And romantic.
I'm one of those who grew up daydreaming about castles and princesses and knights and being served breakfast in bed every day and, of course, bouquets of fresh roses adorning every corner. Of moonlit walks on the beach and weekends whisked away to exotically named places. Of candles and champagne EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.
And then I married the Daddy. Who is also *very* romantic, but tends much more toward the practical and thoughtful than I ever have. He has redefined my idea of romance. Of what love means. Of what it means to celebrate our love. And I love him the more for it.
So I'm rather over Valentine's Day as a holiday. The Daddy and I haven't really celebrated the day, such that it is, in years... But I would say that it is mostly because my birthday is just around the corner, and it's MUCH easier to do something awesome then, a week - or twelve - later, than to overpay for roses, candles, champagne and food because American society dictates, "It must be so and verily on this, the 14th day of February."
This year, my Valentine's Day present was to go to the Antiques & Garden Show. ALONE. Like an adult. One that does adult things. Nary a cartoon character, singing mouse product, or whining child in sight. *Sigh* Having the Daddy watch the girls for a full five hours while I got to roam and linger, and ooh and ahhh to my heart's content was seriously romantic in my book. *Swoon*
And oh, boy, did I EVER have fun.
But that's not what this post is about. And besides, what's the use in me talking about all the fabulous things I saw when I didn't get any good photos of them?
I did, however, bring home an exquisite antique linen-and-lace tablecloth. *Swoon* Love. How romantic. Utterly and COMPLETELY. Photos to follow... Sometime.
So anyway, on to reading. The loooooooooooooove edition.
Books
I finally finished Scarlet, and very much enjoyed it. Of course, it totally leaves you hanging, so I'm off to the library tomorrow to get Tuck. Fortunately, I have appeased the local library powers-that-be, paying my dues (*Sigh* Don't ask.) and thankfully, averting any crises that might require a limb or my firstborn.
I hope that Tuck ends the trilogy satisfactorily - I have been caught in several trilogies that have been GREAT all the way to the last book, and then, suddenly, the storyline or something just stops working. However, I have great hopes for it, and the second book really puts some different things into perspective and some new characters into play, while continuing to develop the characters from the first book. I also really like the historical background - it is obvious that the subject matter was pretty thoroughly researched, and I always appreciate that. The author, Stephen R. Lawhead, even includes a Welsh pronunciation guide in the back of the books so that you know that you are pronouncing the names of certain characters and places correctly. In my opinion, VERY nice!
I am about fifty pages into another book - this one non-fiction - entitled, The New Concise History of the Crusades, by Thomas Madden. The Daddy asked me to pick it up for him last month (there is a long, convoluted reason behind this, but I'll not go into that right now) and thoroughly enjoyed it, so he recommended I read it. I am enjoying it - its insights into the Crusades (a period about which I know very little) and connections to the modern jihadist movement is fascinating - but I am easily distracted, so I find myself putting it down and picking up other things and then coming back to it again. I'll finish it eventually, I'm sure, and I'm equally certain that it is a worthy, well-written read.
In the midst of this, we watched Kingdom of Heaven with Liam Neeson, Orlando Bloom and Jeremy Irons, which I had never seen. I can't believe I haven't watched it before now, as I LOVE Liam Neeson AND Jeremy Irons. Both are fantastic actors whom I greatly admire. Orlando Bloom... Meh.
Anyway, it's a good movie, and fits the theme nicely... It also has encouraged me to finish the book, because I'm fascinated by certain aspects of the storyline and want to see how the movie fits with the actual history. One of my favorite characters was this awesome knight/priest/monk guy who was a Hospitaller (from which our modern term, "Hospital" is derived) - whoever wrote his part did a great job, because he had some really thought-provoking lines about God and life and death and destiny... Written from a Hollywood perspective, of course, but still good, and enough to make one pause and consider what's been said. It's a bit gory and bloody, but fortunately, I can generally tell when things are about to get ugly and hide my face in the Daddy's shoulder. And in comparison to the reality of the Crusades, I'm sure it seems like a walk in the park...
I'm also two-thirds of the way through Museum of Thieves, by Lian Tanner. I've looked at this book and read reviews of it on Amazon at least a dozen times, but haven't gotten it because I wasn't quite sure if it would be appropriate for KayKay or not. So last library trip, I happened upon it while looking for another book and grabbed it. *I* am really enjoying it. Whether it's appropriate for my eight-year-old, I'm still not quite certain. While what the character does is not necessarily questionable, I don't know if KayKay's maturity level is there yet or not. We shall see.
However, I am quite pleased with a scene in the middle of the book where one of the characters quite plainly illustrates that while STEALING is not a good thing, but that the snatching of power from the tyrant is quite acceptable (among other things) - and I most completely agree. It is a poignant and profound moment, so much so that I read it aloud to the Daddy the other night, subjecting him to my God-awful, sensory-assaulting reading aloud. Whether the moment made it across the bedsheets to his brain (without it bleeding) has yet to be seen, but it's a good one, I tell you!
KayKay did just finish up with The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes. This short, powerful little book is perfect for her age, and teaches a fantastic lesson in kindness to boot. I haven't had much of a chance to discuss it with her yet, but I am excited to hear her thoughts, as it is the type of book that I am CERTAIN she will have thought about. Definitely recommend it, and I will share more once I hear from her.
Anyway. Moving on to some of the online reading I've been doing...
Links
Oh, SO VERY MANY links to love today!
First, for my husband, my love, the Daddy:
The Love of a Practical Man: Baby Rabies. Oh, she's so right. I laughed when I read this, but more out of recognition than anything else. I love you, sweetie!
And then... Lots more reading. Enjoy!
Little Angels of Today: Oh Charm of Nothingness So Madly Decked! Wow. Just look at the title of this blog, and tell me it doesn't make you melt a little bit? So perfectly poetic, just like the author. I think I've found a little slice of heaven in this post... It certainly seems that she did.
Paper City: Made By Joel. Love, love, love. I'll be printing these for little hands to play with straightaway. Followed by this. And these. Definitely those. Oh, and let's not forget the whole reason why I went on his site to begin with - THESE - the Indoor Ring Toss. Awesome! Thank you, SimpleMom for sharing!
Red, Green, Or Black?: Lille-Ursus. Totally fun blog, totally FUN post. Check out the SHOES. The *Swoon and awed-whisper* aqua shoes. Oh, do I love them!
Right Now: Soule Mama. I think I shall take a page from the queen of homemaking, Soule Mama Amanda, and do a "right now" post sometime this week. It's too good a post not to. And I completely agree with her assessment of February.
How to Quit Your Job and Go to Italy: Small Notebook. Ah, Italy. *More swooning* Oh, Rachel, I am so envious! But in a happy-for-you sort of way. One day, it WILL BE ME. In the meantime, I can live vicariously and enjoy the gorgeousness through her photos.
The Sweetest Hour: Minky (Moo). Oh, goodness. I'd forgotten those moments, those snuggles with tiny toddlers and swelling baby belly. I'm so glad to be reminded.
Five Reasons Public School Socialization is Undesirable: Opting Out. This is a great read about, well, socialization and public schools.
Forest for the Trees: Sage Parnassus. What an interesting post about language and it's use, and how a fully-engaged child can make connections.
What the French Revolution Can Teach Us About Parenting: Laura Grace Weldon. Wow. Just... WOW. This is a truly powerful post. I think I may need to print it out and read it about a dozen or so times. It is so true.
Kinda Like 1995: Scary Mommy. I discovered this post earlier today, and at first I thought this was a serious post and was pretty horrified that ANY self-respecting mother would find herself in such a situation... And then I realized that it was about her children and I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. I think it makes it funnier because I actually THOUGHT she was serious at first. None of it is anything I would have done, even in 1995, but it sure was fun to read about! Ha!
Capitalizing on Crunchy: Hormonal Imbalances. I had to click on this link, if for no other reason than the title of the blog. And actually, this post is fantastic. It's so totally true, and a fine line that I have begun to walk myself. Finding the balance between as-healthy-as-possible without living in a bubble. Or spending five thousand dollars a month on food/other green-crunchy things.
Getting Kids To Write - Write Around The Room: TeachMama. Ooooooh, great idea! I'm going to try this with the Ladybug pronto. Should be fun, because she ADORES notebooks and pens so long as I'm not actually trying to dictate anything to her.
One last post - We Heart Nature: Living and Learning. A post by my friend Sherry, on her lovely homeschooling blog. Love the heart-shaped rocks!
Well, that's all the love for today, folks. Catch you later, my lovies. (Have you had enough LOVE yet?!?! Yes, I know, I'm cheesy. That's why you love me.)
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