Roses are red
My toilet is white
When I need to hurl
It's an unwelcome site
I'd have to kneel down
With my face where butts go
When out of my mouth
My last meal starts to flow
If food's coming up
And I must hold back my hair
Then at food in the toilet
I don't want to stare
I could close my eyes
To block the view
But then I couldn't watch out
For the backsplash of spew
So when I am preggo
And feel the puke coming
Into the kitchen
You'll see me go running
I don't have to kneel
I just stand at the sink
I turn on the water
But don't take a drink
Instead I just hurl
And it goes right down the drain
No staring at vomit
To make me insane
The flow of the faucet
Also muffles the noise
So the sound of my wretching
Won't bug the girl or the boys
When I'm throwing up
My head gets really hot
So I splash running water
To cool down that spot
When it's all said and done
When the chunks are all blown
I flip on the disposal
And hear the thing groan
There's no mess to look at
And my puke is all gone
That's why I like the sink
Instead of the john
And, yes, in case you were wondering, this poem was inspired by preggo puking this morning. I only puked once per pregnancy with the other little Ws, so I'm hoping today's excitement was the first and last time it happens.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
4/28/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for Michelle. Knowing how exhausted I've been, she wrote to me last week and told me she'd be bringing dinner to our family this week and let me choose the day. The second half of the week is harder than the first, so she's bring our dinner today. So thankful for her thoughtfulness!!
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
Monday, April 25, 2011
4/25/11 MEMORIES ON MONDAY
This picture was taken in February 2009. We've lived between two minutes walking and three hours driving from Granny for about 10 of the last 11 years. Last Monday, however, we said goodbye as she moved to Arizona to live with her son. It was a sad day around here.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A GOOD DAY THAT WORE ME OUT
Today was the best day I've had in a while, but it's 8:30 right now and I feel like it's midnight.
Tim left early this morning to go fishing, so it was just the kids and I for a few hours. I'd prepped stuffed French toast last night for this morning's breakfast, so Silas preheated the oven and popped breakfast in after he woke up and I stayed in bed a little longer. Devon came in after he woke up and quoted some lines he'd memorized from a Tim Hawkins song he'd heard last night. Then Naomi wandered in for some morning snuggles. It was such a mellow way to start the day.
I discovered after breakfast that I actually had a some energy. Not a ton, but far more than I've had lately. So, I ran three loads of laundry (we all fold & put away our own, so I only washed it), baked chicken for a couple dinners, and boiled eggs for dyeing. About that time I realized I didn't have as much energy as I thought I had. Oops.
Tim came home and teamed up with Naomi to get dinner in the crockpot, the boys goofed off together, and I took a shower. I also changed out of the jammies I'd been wearing since Wednesday night. Gross, I know, but it's been that kind of week. It's hard to get motivated to get dressed when you can barely get yourself off the couch.
Anyway, right about the time I was ready to eat lunch and crawl into bed, we headed off to an Easter party. It's the third year we've gone and I didn't want to miss it, but I was definitely sleepy. It turned out to be a good outing for my mental health. The sun was out, temps were in the high 60s for the first time in months, there was a truckload of yummy food I didn't have to prepare, and I got to chat with a bunch of people. I even got my first sunburn of the year. That's always a sign of a good time.
Now, two of our kids nap every day and they'd missed their naps to attend the party. So, by the time we left those kids and I were pretty wiped out. We got home with the plan to dye eggs before Tim had to go do parking duty at church, but ... well, let's just say I was grumpy. So, Tim got the kids squared away and they happily dyed eggs while I vacuumed.
I realized that there was no way things were going to go well once Tim was gone, as I had negative energy to expend. So, I made an emergency run to the library for some movies while he gave Naomi a bath.
All kids bathed. Tim left. We ate. The kids watched a movie while I dozed off. The two nappers went to bed way early. Tim came home. I've sprawled on the couch while catching e-mails and other online stuff.
So, it's been a really fun day, but I've done more today than I've done all week. Needless to say, I'm pretty fried. My head will be hitting my pillow soon!
Tim left early this morning to go fishing, so it was just the kids and I for a few hours. I'd prepped stuffed French toast last night for this morning's breakfast, so Silas preheated the oven and popped breakfast in after he woke up and I stayed in bed a little longer. Devon came in after he woke up and quoted some lines he'd memorized from a Tim Hawkins song he'd heard last night. Then Naomi wandered in for some morning snuggles. It was such a mellow way to start the day.
I discovered after breakfast that I actually had a some energy. Not a ton, but far more than I've had lately. So, I ran three loads of laundry (we all fold & put away our own, so I only washed it), baked chicken for a couple dinners, and boiled eggs for dyeing. About that time I realized I didn't have as much energy as I thought I had. Oops.
Tim came home and teamed up with Naomi to get dinner in the crockpot, the boys goofed off together, and I took a shower. I also changed out of the jammies I'd been wearing since Wednesday night. Gross, I know, but it's been that kind of week. It's hard to get motivated to get dressed when you can barely get yourself off the couch.
Anyway, right about the time I was ready to eat lunch and crawl into bed, we headed off to an Easter party. It's the third year we've gone and I didn't want to miss it, but I was definitely sleepy. It turned out to be a good outing for my mental health. The sun was out, temps were in the high 60s for the first time in months, there was a truckload of yummy food I didn't have to prepare, and I got to chat with a bunch of people. I even got my first sunburn of the year. That's always a sign of a good time.
Now, two of our kids nap every day and they'd missed their naps to attend the party. So, by the time we left those kids and I were pretty wiped out. We got home with the plan to dye eggs before Tim had to go do parking duty at church, but ... well, let's just say I was grumpy. So, Tim got the kids squared away and they happily dyed eggs while I vacuumed.
I realized that there was no way things were going to go well once Tim was gone, as I had negative energy to expend. So, I made an emergency run to the library for some movies while he gave Naomi a bath.
All kids bathed. Tim left. We ate. The kids watched a movie while I dozed off. The two nappers went to bed way early. Tim came home. I've sprawled on the couch while catching e-mails and other online stuff.
So, it's been a really fun day, but I've done more today than I've done all week. Needless to say, I'm pretty fried. My head will be hitting my pillow soon!
Friday, April 22, 2011
THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND
Questions about gender preference - Now that we have kids of both genders, no one is asking us if we're hoping for a girl. So thankful for an end to that nonsense!
Midwives - Due to circumstances beyond our control, we've had a different midwife with each pregnancy. We thought we'd use A Gentle Beginning again, as we loved them during my pregnancy with Naomi. We still highly recommend them, but convenience trumped loyalty and we're actually going with Andaluz this time around. Fourth baby, fourth midwife.
Prenatal appointments - I've had three pregnancies and all my prenatal appointments have been done in my own home. In fact, when I was pregnant with Naomi I had narrowed my midwife choices down to A Gentle Beginning and Andaluz. The deciding factor was that AGB did prenatals in the client's home and Andaluz didn't. I stuck with what I was used to and loved AGB. However, they've changed things up since that pregnancy and now prenatals are done at their office. Due to the fact that their office is about 25 miles away, the cost of gas and the extra travel time lost in our school day prompted us to go with Andaluz this time. So, for the first time in my life I'll have to haul myself down to an office for my prenatal appointments, rather than having my midwives come to my house while my other kids nap. At least their office is only five miles away, not 25.
Exhaustion - I'm always tired during my first trimester, but this pregnancy is blowing the others out of the water. I am thoroughly exhausted. Constantly. In fact, I was in tears multiple times today and there wasn't anything wrong. It was just tired tears.
Older kids - At this point in pregnancy, where I'm queasy and tired, I've had kids that were between 15 months and 4 1/2 years old. This time I've got an almost 9 year old, almost 7 year old, and a 3 1/2 year old. Oh, what a blessing that is, especially since I've proven myself to be pretty worthless lately! I'm so thankful that we have our kids start helping with household stuff once they can walk, get them comfortable working in the kitchen early on, and expect them to do much of their school work independently. It's made it possible for me to rest the last few weeks, rather than being responsible for everything while running on far less than a full tank.
Birth month - We currently have five people in our family and three birthdays. Three of us are in June with two sharing a birthday, two of us are in August and they share a birthday. The mystery W will arrive in December.
Of course, some things are the same - The baby, barring any complications that necessitate a transport, will be born at home. We have no preference in gender and won't be finding out what it is. We'll have fun hearing people make their guesses as to what color and gender the newest W will be.
Midwives - Due to circumstances beyond our control, we've had a different midwife with each pregnancy. We thought we'd use A Gentle Beginning again, as we loved them during my pregnancy with Naomi. We still highly recommend them, but convenience trumped loyalty and we're actually going with Andaluz this time around. Fourth baby, fourth midwife.
Prenatal appointments - I've had three pregnancies and all my prenatal appointments have been done in my own home. In fact, when I was pregnant with Naomi I had narrowed my midwife choices down to A Gentle Beginning and Andaluz. The deciding factor was that AGB did prenatals in the client's home and Andaluz didn't. I stuck with what I was used to and loved AGB. However, they've changed things up since that pregnancy and now prenatals are done at their office. Due to the fact that their office is about 25 miles away, the cost of gas and the extra travel time lost in our school day prompted us to go with Andaluz this time. So, for the first time in my life I'll have to haul myself down to an office for my prenatal appointments, rather than having my midwives come to my house while my other kids nap. At least their office is only five miles away, not 25.
Exhaustion - I'm always tired during my first trimester, but this pregnancy is blowing the others out of the water. I am thoroughly exhausted. Constantly. In fact, I was in tears multiple times today and there wasn't anything wrong. It was just tired tears.
Older kids - At this point in pregnancy, where I'm queasy and tired, I've had kids that were between 15 months and 4 1/2 years old. This time I've got an almost 9 year old, almost 7 year old, and a 3 1/2 year old. Oh, what a blessing that is, especially since I've proven myself to be pretty worthless lately! I'm so thankful that we have our kids start helping with household stuff once they can walk, get them comfortable working in the kitchen early on, and expect them to do much of their school work independently. It's made it possible for me to rest the last few weeks, rather than being responsible for everything while running on far less than a full tank.
Birth month - We currently have five people in our family and three birthdays. Three of us are in June with two sharing a birthday, two of us are in August and they share a birthday. The mystery W will arrive in December.
Of course, some things are the same - The baby, barring any complications that necessitate a transport, will be born at home. We have no preference in gender and won't be finding out what it is. We'll have fun hearing people make their guesses as to what color and gender the newest W will be.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
4/21/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful that we haven't found new mold in several weeks.
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
Monday, April 18, 2011
4/18/11 MEMORIES ON MONDAY
This picture was taken during the summer of 2003. We were at Lithia Park watching Ballet in the Park and the ballet photographer, unbeknownst to us, was taking some practice shots before the show. She came up to us at one point and said she'd snapped a great shot of Silas and wondered if she could e-mail it to us. This was the shot. I love it!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
HEAR CRICKETS? SEE TUMBLEWEEDS?
I have sorely neglected my blog lately. It's just dead, dead, dead. So boring! My excuse? I've got a major case of first trimester exhaustion.
My goal each day is to feed my family, keep the house fairly clean, and get school done with the boys. Everyone is eating, but I'm not completing the other goals. We're just a little behind in school, though I hope to catch up this week, and while the house isn't how I'd like it to be, it's also not a health hazard and you can walk through it.
I'm living a life of low expectations these days and my blog is one of the first things that got bumped. I miss blogging, though, so I'm going to try posting a little more this week. We'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I probably just dropped off to sleep.
My goal each day is to feed my family, keep the house fairly clean, and get school done with the boys. Everyone is eating, but I'm not completing the other goals. We're just a little behind in school, though I hope to catch up this week, and while the house isn't how I'd like it to be, it's also not a health hazard and you can walk through it.
I'm living a life of low expectations these days and my blog is one of the first things that got bumped. I miss blogging, though, so I'm going to try posting a little more this week. We'll see how that goes. Meanwhile, know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I probably just dropped off to sleep.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
4/11/11 MEMORIES ON MONDAY
This picture was taken in February 2009. It's the last picture of Naomi with a full mouth of teeth, as she took a header off the piano bench shortly after this picture was taken and knocked a tooth out. She's been a cute hillbilly ever since and each week lets at least one person know that she lost a tooth, despite the fact it happened over two years ago.
Friday, April 8, 2011
A BIG, HUGE, HONKIN' VENT
I hate school debt. I hate that the financial decisions someone makes as a teen and young adult impact others for years to come. I hate that some people never get told the most basic concepts of how to be wise about money until they've dug themselves into a huge hole. I hate that someone with a Master's degree who is working in their field has to choose between having insulation or not having mold when choosing a rental because they're forking out hundreds of dollars each month toward school debt. I hate that school debt payments can keep a frugal family from buying a home that isn't falling apart at the seams or sitting on a railroad track. I hate that the cost of renting an apartment in decent condition is the same as the cost of buying a house, but that school debt payments keep you from buying because you'll have no cushion to pay for things that need repaired or replaced. I hate working your tail off to get rid of school debt before your 60 years old, which is how long the assigned payment plan would take, and, despite passing the halfway point, still having a huge amount of debt left to pay off.
Ugh.
I really hate school debt. A lot.
This is not about being broke. We're not. This is not about struggling to pay bills or buy groceries. We're not. This is not about being upset with anyone. I'm not. It's about being sick and tired of our lives being hugely influenced by school debt. I'm over it. So over it. Yet, there it remains with a big, fat dollar sign in the front of it.
Teens & young adults, please think long-term before accepting loans that are offered to you or signing up for credit cards, consider how it will impact your life and that of your future spouse and/or children. Consider the worst-case scenario, not just the one where you find a great job, make a six-figure income, live a low-ish five-figure lifestyle, and get everything paid off in two years. Not sure what the impact of debt will be? Then ask someone who is paying off debt that was acquired 5, 10, or 30 years ago.
Parents, please teach your kids to live within their means, to realistically weigh the pros and cons of acquiring debt, to delay gratification, to distinguish between wants and needs, to make and stick with a budget, and show them what debt looks like 5, 10, or 30 years down the road. Start teaching those things as soon as they can talk. Not sure how to do that? Then get ideas from people who are teaching their kids how to handle money wisely.
Vent over.
Little addition - For those who are sharing this with their kids, I'd like to add a link to a post I did about three years ago about school debt, both questions about school debt in general and our specific numbers. It also includes an update on our current situation and remaining debt. Maybe some of the info there would be helpful to your kids.
Ugh.
I really hate school debt. A lot.
This is not about being broke. We're not. This is not about struggling to pay bills or buy groceries. We're not. This is not about being upset with anyone. I'm not. It's about being sick and tired of our lives being hugely influenced by school debt. I'm over it. So over it. Yet, there it remains with a big, fat dollar sign in the front of it.
Teens & young adults, please think long-term before accepting loans that are offered to you or signing up for credit cards, consider how it will impact your life and that of your future spouse and/or children. Consider the worst-case scenario, not just the one where you find a great job, make a six-figure income, live a low-ish five-figure lifestyle, and get everything paid off in two years. Not sure what the impact of debt will be? Then ask someone who is paying off debt that was acquired 5, 10, or 30 years ago.
Parents, please teach your kids to live within their means, to realistically weigh the pros and cons of acquiring debt, to delay gratification, to distinguish between wants and needs, to make and stick with a budget, and show them what debt looks like 5, 10, or 30 years down the road. Start teaching those things as soon as they can talk. Not sure how to do that? Then get ideas from people who are teaching their kids how to handle money wisely.
Vent over.
Little addition - For those who are sharing this with their kids, I'd like to add a link to a post I did about three years ago about school debt, both questions about school debt in general and our specific numbers. It also includes an update on our current situation and remaining debt. Maybe some of the info there would be helpful to your kids.
THINGS THE BOYS SAID
Each of the boys said something yesterday that made me smile, so I thought I'd share.
Devon - He asked to make lunch and chose to make smoothies and cinnamon toast for everyone. The blender whirred and the toaster popped. Soon he was getting all the food on the table and asked if I wanted a smoothie. I told him I did and he responded, quite seriously, with "There are some things that pregnant ladies shouldn't eat and I didn't know if you were supposed to eat smoothies or not." How thoughtful is that?! I assured him that smoothies were safe and proceeded to eat a yummy lunch that I didn't have to prepare.
Silas - He was working on a school assignment that involved coming up with alternative names for himself. The names were supposed to be relevant to something about himself, much like Native American names are. He came up with a few ideas, then I asked him to come up with names for the rest of the family. When I asked about Devon and Naomi, who had been butting heads all morning long, he said, without missing a beat, "Cats and Dogs." Hilarious!
Devon - He asked to make lunch and chose to make smoothies and cinnamon toast for everyone. The blender whirred and the toaster popped. Soon he was getting all the food on the table and asked if I wanted a smoothie. I told him I did and he responded, quite seriously, with "There are some things that pregnant ladies shouldn't eat and I didn't know if you were supposed to eat smoothies or not." How thoughtful is that?! I assured him that smoothies were safe and proceeded to eat a yummy lunch that I didn't have to prepare.
Silas - He was working on a school assignment that involved coming up with alternative names for himself. The names were supposed to be relevant to something about himself, much like Native American names are. He came up with a few ideas, then I asked him to come up with names for the rest of the family. When I asked about Devon and Naomi, who had been butting heads all morning long, he said, without missing a beat, "Cats and Dogs." Hilarious!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
4/7/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful that Jessie B. has a smile on her face every time I see her. That stood out to me when we first moved here, before I even knew her name, and it's still standing out to me 5 1/2 years later.
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
What's one thing that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
A QUICK HOUSING UPDATE
The apartment - Our lease is up at the end of this month. We can switch to a month-to-month arrangement while we wait on a house, but our rent will be increasing. We originally signed a one year lease under a promotion that gave us two months free. We had those free months prorated over the year, so without that promotion we'll have to pay the current market value for our apartment, which is $140 more than we've been paying. They're also supposed to increase our rent by $100 a month because we won't be signing a lease, but are choosing not to charge us that extra expense. I'm grateful for that.
House #1 - We made an offer on a house last month. The pros? It has an extra room that we could use for school, is newer and would be insulated well enough that we could probably afford to keep our home warm, has a double garage. The cons? The yard is tiny and oddly shaped, the location isn't very neighborhood-ish. It's a short sale and we're still waiting to hear whether or not our offer has been accepted.
House #2 - This house went on the market about 10 days ago and was the same size as our apartment, which happens to be the biggest place we've lived. The pros? Huge yard, smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood that's perfect for bike rides, etc. Cons? It needed a little bit of work. We definitely prefer a bigger yard over a bigger house, but someone beat us to the punch. The house is off the market, as of today.
Options - One family has offered to let us stay in their guest room. Another family has offered to let us stay on the bottom floor of their house. We've turned both offers down.
The plan - We're going to wait a bit and see what happens with House #1. As much as we appreciate the offers to stay with other people, we really don't want to move twice or have to put everything in storage. As we move through spring toward summer and now that we have many of our belongings stored in a free garage, we're thinking that the mold problem should stop. We're willing to wait a little while on House #1, but if it doesn't work out and nothing else comes through by mid-summer, then we'll give notice here and just move into another rental. We will not stay here through another wet season.
House #1 - We made an offer on a house last month. The pros? It has an extra room that we could use for school, is newer and would be insulated well enough that we could probably afford to keep our home warm, has a double garage. The cons? The yard is tiny and oddly shaped, the location isn't very neighborhood-ish. It's a short sale and we're still waiting to hear whether or not our offer has been accepted.
House #2 - This house went on the market about 10 days ago and was the same size as our apartment, which happens to be the biggest place we've lived. The pros? Huge yard, smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood that's perfect for bike rides, etc. Cons? It needed a little bit of work. We definitely prefer a bigger yard over a bigger house, but someone beat us to the punch. The house is off the market, as of today.
Options - One family has offered to let us stay in their guest room. Another family has offered to let us stay on the bottom floor of their house. We've turned both offers down.
The plan - We're going to wait a bit and see what happens with House #1. As much as we appreciate the offers to stay with other people, we really don't want to move twice or have to put everything in storage. As we move through spring toward summer and now that we have many of our belongings stored in a free garage, we're thinking that the mold problem should stop. We're willing to wait a little while on House #1, but if it doesn't work out and nothing else comes through by mid-summer, then we'll give notice here and just move into another rental. We will not stay here through another wet season.
Monday, April 4, 2011
MENU - FIRST HALF OF APRIL 2011
Ready? Set. Go!
BREAKFASTS
oatmeal x4
Tam's granola (crockpot) x4
egg & potato scramble x2
yogurt streusel muffins (double & freeze half)
oat & almond breakfast bars (bake the night before)
easy cranberry granola
stuffed French toast (prepare the night before)
veggie scramble
DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos with pork x2
Papa Murphy's (taking to a friends, rescheduled from last menu)
Italian sausage & rice/spring delight (Silas planned & will prepare this meal)
vegetable barley soup/homemade bread (friend made the dough)
honey lime chicken enchiladas/beans (crockpot)/frozen veggies
orange cashew chicken/rice/Napa cabbage salad
new recipe/green salad
black bean tortilla pie/green salad
orange lentil soup/whole wheat drop biscuits
death by garlic/green salad
teriyaki chicken salad/sesame noodles
new recipe
DESSERTS
oatmeal cookies
apple brownies/vanilla ice cream
BREAKFASTS
oatmeal x4
Tam's granola (crockpot) x4
egg & potato scramble x2
yogurt streusel muffins (double & freeze half)
oat & almond breakfast bars (bake the night before)
easy cranberry granola
stuffed French toast (prepare the night before)
veggie scramble
DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos with pork x2
Papa Murphy's (taking to a friends, rescheduled from last menu)
Italian sausage & rice/spring delight (Silas planned & will prepare this meal)
vegetable barley soup/homemade bread (friend made the dough)
honey lime chicken enchiladas/beans (crockpot)/frozen veggies
orange cashew chicken/rice/Napa cabbage salad
new recipe/green salad
black bean tortilla pie/green salad
orange lentil soup/whole wheat drop biscuits
death by garlic/green salad
teriyaki chicken salad/sesame noodles
new recipe
DESSERTS
oatmeal cookies
apple brownies/vanilla ice cream
Friday, April 1, 2011
BOOKS I FINISHED - MARCH 2011
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham
School for Silas. This is the true story of Nathaniel Bowditch, a mathematical genius who lived in the 18th century and changed the world of sea navigation. We liked this book, but I definitely enjoyed the first part of the book, which was more personal, more than the second part, which was about his time spent at sea.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, by Betty MacDonald
School for Devon. We absolutely love this book!! It was fun reading it a second time. In fact, the boys have picked up some other books in the series from the library to read on their own. I think it would do a lot of parents good to read this light-hearted book that points out some common, yet foolish, approaches to parenting and gives some logical and creative solutions.
The Story of Eli Whitney, by Jean Lee Latham
School for Silas. We thoroughly enjoyed this story of the man who invented the cotton gin and kick-started mass manufacturing through developing standardized pieces to muskets. A neat story of perseverance through hard times.
The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear, by Seth Mnookin
I saw a review of this book in the Oregonian and it intrigued me. Our first two kids were born in the most unvaccinated city in the country, per capita. Since we homebirth, we were also surrounded by people with even more hesitancy to vaccinate than the rest of our community. We've chosen to do limited and delayed vaccinations, but it's a decision that I constantly wrestle with.
I've always said that I think the most important thing is to be educated - know what the diseases are, their risks, and what the vaccinations are made of. I respect an educated decision on the matter, regardless of what that decision is. But, like the vast majority of moms I know, the decision can be overwhelming.
I reconsider our stance on vaccinations with every pregancy and have actually been pondering it over the last year, just to keep myself fresh on the subject. As I'm pregnant again, we'll be deciding whether to keep with our current plan or change things up a little.
Anyway, I found the book informative and an easy read. The author is clearly pro-vaccination, but I feel he gave a pretty balanced view of both sides, pointing out where they've each dropped the ball. His main focus is the controversy about whether there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
I didn't save the review I'd read, so this is not a direct quote, but the person questioned why someone would rather risk death from lack of vaccinations, than risk having an autistic child. I think that's a good question and it's what prompted me to read the book.
Follow My Leader, by James B. Garfield
School for Devon. This was our second time through this book and the boys love it. It's a fictional story of a boy who is blinded because of someone else's actions. It deals with friendships, family, anger, and the blessing of guide dogs.
The Swan House, by Elizabeth Musser
I heard about this one on the Sonlight forums. Loved it! It's a neat coming-of-age story set in Atlanta during the 1960's. Mystery, tragedy, friendships, racial tensions, romance ... a little of everything.
Hidden Portland: Museums & Collections, by Carye Bye
I heard about this one in the Oregonian. It's filled with little reviews about a ton of places in our neck of the woods. Here's some trivia I learned. The deepest U.S. train station is here at 260 feet below ground, Portlandia, the second largest hammered copper sculpture in the U.S., after Statue of Liberty, is here and measures 38 feet tall. Powell's Books, which fills an entire city block, has the only 3-door elevator in the West
The Stoning of Soraya M.: A Story of Injustice in Iran, by Freidoune Sahebjam
I blogged about this one earlier in the month, which you can read here. It's the true story of a woman who was stoned to death in Iran.
Gooney Bird Greene, Gooney Bird and the Room Mother, Gooney the Fabulous, Gooney Bird is So Absurd, by Lois Lowry
After finishing up Gooney Bird Greene for the second time in February, we decided to listen to some other Gooney Bird stories on CD. Fun stories!
School for Silas. This is the true story of Nathaniel Bowditch, a mathematical genius who lived in the 18th century and changed the world of sea navigation. We liked this book, but I definitely enjoyed the first part of the book, which was more personal, more than the second part, which was about his time spent at sea.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, by Betty MacDonald
School for Devon. We absolutely love this book!! It was fun reading it a second time. In fact, the boys have picked up some other books in the series from the library to read on their own. I think it would do a lot of parents good to read this light-hearted book that points out some common, yet foolish, approaches to parenting and gives some logical and creative solutions.
The Story of Eli Whitney, by Jean Lee Latham
School for Silas. We thoroughly enjoyed this story of the man who invented the cotton gin and kick-started mass manufacturing through developing standardized pieces to muskets. A neat story of perseverance through hard times.
The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear, by Seth Mnookin
I saw a review of this book in the Oregonian and it intrigued me. Our first two kids were born in the most unvaccinated city in the country, per capita. Since we homebirth, we were also surrounded by people with even more hesitancy to vaccinate than the rest of our community. We've chosen to do limited and delayed vaccinations, but it's a decision that I constantly wrestle with.
I've always said that I think the most important thing is to be educated - know what the diseases are, their risks, and what the vaccinations are made of. I respect an educated decision on the matter, regardless of what that decision is. But, like the vast majority of moms I know, the decision can be overwhelming.
I reconsider our stance on vaccinations with every pregancy and have actually been pondering it over the last year, just to keep myself fresh on the subject. As I'm pregnant again, we'll be deciding whether to keep with our current plan or change things up a little.
Anyway, I found the book informative and an easy read. The author is clearly pro-vaccination, but I feel he gave a pretty balanced view of both sides, pointing out where they've each dropped the ball. His main focus is the controversy about whether there is a link between autism and the MMR vaccine.
I didn't save the review I'd read, so this is not a direct quote, but the person questioned why someone would rather risk death from lack of vaccinations, than risk having an autistic child. I think that's a good question and it's what prompted me to read the book.
Follow My Leader, by James B. Garfield
School for Devon. This was our second time through this book and the boys love it. It's a fictional story of a boy who is blinded because of someone else's actions. It deals with friendships, family, anger, and the blessing of guide dogs.
The Swan House, by Elizabeth Musser
I heard about this one on the Sonlight forums. Loved it! It's a neat coming-of-age story set in Atlanta during the 1960's. Mystery, tragedy, friendships, racial tensions, romance ... a little of everything.
Hidden Portland: Museums & Collections, by Carye Bye
I heard about this one in the Oregonian. It's filled with little reviews about a ton of places in our neck of the woods. Here's some trivia I learned. The deepest U.S. train station is here at 260 feet below ground, Portlandia, the second largest hammered copper sculpture in the U.S., after Statue of Liberty, is here and measures 38 feet tall. Powell's Books, which fills an entire city block, has the only 3-door elevator in the West
The Stoning of Soraya M.: A Story of Injustice in Iran, by Freidoune Sahebjam
I blogged about this one earlier in the month, which you can read here. It's the true story of a woman who was stoned to death in Iran.
Gooney Bird Greene, Gooney Bird and the Room Mother, Gooney the Fabulous, Gooney Bird is So Absurd, by Lois Lowry
After finishing up Gooney Bird Greene for the second time in February, we decided to listen to some other Gooney Bird stories on CD. Fun stories!
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