What We're Reading

I had to finally admit I just don't have the brain cells right now for Updike and Chesterton. They remain on the bookshelf, staring at me and making me feel slightly guilty. Them and the pound cake.

So, instead, I've read some easier and enjoyable reads, starting with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I saw the book ages ago when it first came out and wasn't quite sure it would be worth reading until I saw LuAnne Schendel's review on GoodReads. Mom picked up the book to read and then mailed it to me in my Mother's Day package. (Our lending library is going to get more expensive now that I've moved.) A quick read, predictable but satisfying, and persuasive. Mom and I are determined to visit Guernsey some day. I had never known the story of the German occupation of the Channel islands, the closest the Germans got to invading England. I also enjoyed the novel's epistle structure. Letters reveal a character in personal, intimate ways and I appreciated this change in narration. Side note: I knew a woman in our church growing up who lived in post-WW2 Yugoslavia under Tito as a child. Because her family was German, they were sent to an internment camp as retaliation. After escaping, their life was difficult. Ever resourceful, her mother made a type of cake from potato peels and I always remembered that, wondering if I would be able to one, eat something like that and, two, be that determined and plucky. Her mother also used a giant pumpkin shell to bathe the children in so they wouldn't get lice while in the camp. Mom just read The Zookeeper's Wife, set in German-occupied Poland, and we've both wondered if we would have survived that type of life.

I also just finished Olive Kitteridge, a novel told in short stories. The author says she chose that type of structure since she figured the reader would need a break from the hard-to-live-with Olive, who permeates every story and every life in the tiny Maine town of Crosby. Though almost every tale involved infidelity or contemplations of suicide--a bit depressing!--they are well written, complex, and engaging. I love the short story genre and every chapter left me thinking about what would happen next. Strout's stories perfectly follow those New Critic values of irony, ambiguity, and tension. I love stories like that! It would be a good teaching text, though I would pick and choose which stories I taught.

Finally, the ducklings are discovering the Frances stories. I was reminded about this series through a radio segment on NPR about a couple who try to make reading to their kids more enjoyable for the parents by creating voices for the characters and making reading a competition between Mom and Dad (listen to/read "Bedtime Story Showdown" here). I love these stories. They are a perfect challenge for Rebekah who reads them to Ben. In fact, I've employed her reading services a lot lately while I've been otherwise occupied. They take a stack of books into Ben's room, lay down on their tummies, and read and read. She has pretty good voices too.

Welcome to the World, Baby Boy!

William Nathanael Fleming

Born on June 12, 2009 at 1:45 PM

8 lbs, 10 oz.; 21 3/4"

Pratically perfect in every way!

We just wanted the easy-t0-remember birthday, so we induced on Friday. My OB, after seeing how big William was, reminded me that she offered to induce me a week earlier. A few post-delivery complications meant I had to remain in the delivery bed until the next morning, hooked up to all sorts of things--including my epidural for almost 8 hours and an IV line. All I wanted by the morning was to get things off of me!

Despite proclaiming that she would take one look at the new baby and then run away to her room, R is quite smitten with Will, partly because she had voted for "William" from the beginning (it's Olivia's little brother from the children's books). Big Ben checked him all over, pointing out his eyes, nose, arms, and mouth. Granddad got to hold his third grandbaby at the hospital instead of weeks later like with the other two.

We had visits from friends at church, including our pastor and wife, who was due with their first child on Sunday like me. She's still waiting but will deliver by Friday! Nice to have babies come in pairs like that so they can be buds.

William definiately wins the prize for best baby of our three. He's eating like a champ, sleeping well, especially at night, and has a quiet disposition so far. We've successfully eaten our dinners with both hands while the food was still warm. He has very nice coloring, lots of dark hair, and looks like Rebekah. We brought out some "first days" pictures to compare and while William looks all boy, the two are very similar. He's made a few faces here and there that are "Rebekah faces" if we ever saw one!

So, we're recooperating well, managing just fine with the extra grandparent help. I haven't washed a dish or dirty clothes in days, thanks to Mom! It's hot, hot, hot here which makes sending the kids out to play rather difficult but we're trying to keep them occupied.

Thanks for all your prayers, wishes, and congrats! I'll keep posting as much as three kids will let me!

Big-Bellied Brunette

For the Diva, since she insisted...

Here's the belly this week. The lady at the deli counter yesterday told me I was tiny. I told her she was very kind. The photography is from R, hence the interesting angle.

And, the blond is gone if you can tell from my glamour shot after a trip to R's Beauty Shop. Certainly the fun has not ended. The purple boa was the only thing in her costume box that fit me (obviously) so I had to wear that. She chose the pink leotard with the tulle skirt.

Mom and Dad arrive this afternoon so it's one last outing to Guadalajara for dinner tonight. I've been there twice and gotten their signature enchiladas both times--shredded chicken with a roasted corn salsa on top. And salsa I could eat by the gallon. Yum!

When in Texas....

this is how you celebrate a birthday!

For D's birthday we slapped some big steaks on the grill accompanied by baked white potatoes (that's a treat for us!), Caesar salad, and, for dessert, homemade sopapillas.

The sopapillas were better than merely edible though labor intensive. I don't enjoy deep frying things. But fried dough sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with honey can't be that bad. Some puffed nicely, some were good and crispy, some were doughy and raw-tasting, and some were almost burned.

But all were eaten!

Let your voice be heard

For those on Facebook, we put a poll of our six baby names in contention. Place your vote and do so quick; we only have two weeks left--maybe!

Monday Reflections

Here I am, my 2nd Monday in Texas. One week and a few days of actually living here. We've had two Sunday services--one outdoors for groundbreaking at the new church property, one indoors with nursery and Children's Church--and A/C! Attended one baby shower for the pastor's wife--who is due on June 15th at the same hospital as me with a boy. We could be there together with our newbies! One playdate invite for sometime this week. One evening with Houston relatives: four fun boy cousins, two fun uncles, two sweet aunts, and good BBQ brisket. One upcoming ladies' Bible study/book club night this evening. (They're discussing the final section of Ginger Plowman's Heaven at Home which I have read and can locate on the shelf!) And a dwindling number of boxes left to unpack.


I've successfully located two grocery stores, Costco, David's office, Target, Home Depot, and a Chick-Fil-A. I have not gotten lost, really, thanks to my Mother's Day gift--a Garmin navigational system, loaded with all the essentials for me (the aforementioned stores and restaurants).


This week will be another adjusting week: there is not as much chaos, grandparents have departed for the other cousins' house. We'll be following Mommy's routine, establishing boundaries in a new house, learning how to two-parent again, and more discipline than last week.


A kind friend inquired if I had cried yet. And the answer is no. Partly because I've been busy, tired, and not by myself. And partly, I think, because I'm done with that part. The grieving is ending and the moving on to the "new normal" is beginning. It doesn't mean I'm not sad or not missing Orlando people or things, but I'm ready to be happy here.

Tuesday morning update: Didn't finish the post yesterday afternoon. Kids melted down in the afternoon. Disciplining made dinner late. Didn't make it to the book club night. Garmin got me confused and almost lost. Cried. Came home. Ate cookies--very good oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Now, I'm enjoying an unseasonably cool morning. The birds are all over the backyard (we have six birdhouses around the yard. Nana has plans for a bird feeder project when she comes). I can see the zinnias and knockout roses from the breakfast table. Deep breath. Warm coffee. Quiet house still at 7:06 AM. Today is a new day.

One down...

R's girly pink room is pretty much done. Hers is the only room in the entire house that doesn't need painting. Pictures are hung, new bedspread is spread, and lots of cute girly items that haven't been seen since her nursery are back out, including the letters Nana painted for her baby room.

The boy's room has just a bed, a hamper, and some toys. The walls are hot pink but Nana and Granddad said they would take care of that in a few weeks.