How to find books to read.

I love reading.  I used to not want to list it as one of my hobbies, cause I thought it was lame, but ya know what it is, so deal with it.  I love the journey to another place, I love learning about other times, people, I have always loved reading.  Nerd alert ... in junior high I won medals for reading... I don't remember being crazy nerdy, but a reading award does seem like cold hard proof.

Anyway, I have always been really random in picking books I read.  Often I go to my Mom and she'll hand me stack (always great).  Other times I pick one off of the libraries shelf that they are advertising for the month (never gotten a horrible one, but never found a gem either).  I will get a random recommendation and then put it on my list at the library to request when I am ready (but then I can never remember who told me about it, or what it is about by the time I am ready to read it).  Classic book club, I really like this 'cause I get a good selection from people who like a variety of subjects, but I am looking for more.

Solution!   Perhaps this is not news to anyone, but I am thrilled about it Goodreads.  But not just Goodreads, I knew about that already, but I didn't find it super helpful, because unless I knew for sure that I had similar tastes or I could remember that a bunch of other people liked the book I never took the recommendations to heart.   Until I discovered a section called "Popular Books Among My Friends"  

Sorry I made great efforts to do a little picture from the website... but to no avail... I have no techy skills.

If you want to find it just go under the friends tab, and then the popular books tab.

I am excited to read some of the books I've found on this list.


P.S. if we aren't friends on goodreads let's be.  I'd love to get a more diverse list. :)

Balloon Show

Luke is the "Balloon Show"  For those of you who may not speak Luke...that means "UP"  He will not pick a character to be, he has decided that he has the imagination required to produce the whole show.  These are are pictures of his room after a nap....as you can tell this is his most creative time.  I walked in and the room looked spootless...I thought it was pretty cool that he was cleaning.  Then he showed me his rendition of the Balloon show house.  He had packed everything in the corner and wanted me to get in so that we could take off.  Then when we realize we are to heavy we throw every one of his possessions out one by one. 

I wish you could see how deep this pile actually is.

This is only one of the ways we play balloon show.  Bry and I and even Murphy get to play our own parts.  Luke will divy them out based on how he is feeling, but generally he is Carl, we have deduced this because he carries a cane, throws balls and bosses  us around, (but don't call him Carl he is the Balloon Show)  I am most often Russell, Bry is the Snipe (kevin)  Murphy is the dog Doug (but not always).  So  we walk all around the house I  give fake chocolate to Bry and whatever other schemes Luke cooks up.   He loves it.  He is hilarious. 

New Hair Product

Luke and I have this little agreement.  After we read books if he still isn't ready to nap he can have quiet time...sounds innocent enough right.  He has a a truck we keep in his room, usually he will play with that for 15 minutes and then zonk out.  I feel like a tricky mom cause I trick him into napping, he feels tricky cause he gets away with playing instead of napping, he forgets that he is going to fall asleep, everyone is happy.   This has been working wonderfully for months.

Well now it has started taking him a bit longer to fall asleep.  And apparently the truck isn't keeping his interest.  Earlier this week apparently quiet time turned into fun time and Luke turned into this.

Desitin- gives great hold and body

Does not come out !

I scrubbed his head (and carpet, clothes, and furniture) for days.  A magic combination of Dawn-the blue kind, peanut butter-I think just to be gross, and the real kicker a HAIRCUT did the trick.   His poor eyes were bloodshot for days. 

Christmas with a 2 Year-Old

The terrible two's are talked about a lot,  oft times with good reason I must admit.  But a two year old at Christmas is a dream.  This Christmas was sooo perfect.  All leading up to Christmas we were able to do so many fun holiday things and Luke just got the wonder of the thing we were doing.  He loved seeing Santa, but didn't wonder why he wasn't bringing him presents.   He loved driving through the lights, he loved cutting the countdown Christmas chain, making pretzels for the neighbors.   He loved taking the neighbors the little pretzel bags, he would say Merry Christmas, then turn to me and say I'm Santa, I have big hands.  Made Wassail.  We made a manger for baby Jesus and filled it with straw when we did nice things.  Read Christmas books everyday, became Frosty, reindeer, santa.  Sang Christmas songs...mostly just Rudolf.  Just such simple simple things and it was enough.  I loved it! 

He came down Crismas morning and just stopped and said....Santa came.  We had a kitchen there for him unwrapped.  He just played and played with that.  I had all the little accessories individually wrapped up inside it.  But he didn't care to unwrap any presents he just wanted to play with what he had it was so fun.  Of course it didn't last forever,  he did get the idea after going to house after house he started to ask for presents.  But Christmas morning at our own house was so sweet.  This was the first time we have done it on our own.  The timing was perfect, it was so sweet to be together just our family.   And then go spen time with our extended families was perfect.

Digging for Treasure

Everything is so fun when you are two.  Luke so looks forward to the snow...which I get.  I love snuggling up with a good cup of cocoa.  Okay I even love making a snowman, and a snow angel.   Sledding is super fun when I am all bundled.  Bud this is not what Luke loves about the snow he wants to go shovel.   When ever he sees it snowing he says ooo....lets go dig.  You see the first snow of the year I took his shovel out of the sandbox and told he could shovel like me.  He was thrilled and all of the sudden he was digging for buried treasure...ah to be two.

Really getting into making a snow angel...he also makes them happily indoors.