We have a crawler and sitter

I think I mentioned my baby is hands and knees crawling, tummy off the floor. Sometimes he comes and joins me in the kitchen. Thankfully we put up a baby gate. On Monday he started sitting all stinking day long. Occasionally he could get sitting from crawling. Well Monday he mastered it. He would crawl a pace or two, then sit and look around to see what there was. Then would go another pace or two on repeat. On a different topic he is our first baby that truly loves vegetables. Just found out he loves carrots.

Scouts

If you have been following my blog the last 5 years you will remember that my husband as a Scout Master has always been a trial of my faith.  If you haven't and you have talked to me you would probably say, Scouts, a trial of your faith? Nah, Not Lesli.  But yes its true, its hard for me to be supportive.  I try very very diligently.  I think my husband sometimes gets annoyed with my lack of support, but overall, I think he is grateful for my effort.  
Today at breakfast I mentioned to my husband, I would be interested to meet another wife of a Scout Master who isn't LDS, to see her perspective about the time it takes.  His response was the only people who volunteer outside of the church have sons in scouts, I said I know that's why I want to ask her about her opinion on the time involved. As far as I can tell, other than a jr. pro team that travels, Scouting takes up more time than sport teams.  Sure its not an every week thing, but when it is, its an all day, all weekend, or all week thing.
Yes it true, I don't like Scouts.  I see the value, I know boys need to learn to become men, but that doesn't mean I like it.  I truly feel like I'm sacrificing my family time for a bunch of boys I barely know.  But that's what I've been taught sacrifice brings blessings. In my basement in a shadow box with my husband's mission name tag, it says, Missionary- someone who leaves their family for a short time so other can be with theirs for eternity.  Scout master is a similar thing for me.  People sacrificed to help my husband when he was a snot nosed teenaged boy, so and hopefully someone will sacrifice when my boys are teenagers.  So....
But all of that isn't actually true, I decided my membership in my church was far more important than not liking scouts.  If I hadn't made covenants to sacrifice everything I posses, then I'm pretty sure scouts would have driven me to not going to church 5 years ago. Blut yes.  But whats the point of a blog if you can't put your honest thoughts out there.  That and there is a fair chance my marriage would have failed, without my tried effort to support scouts.  So yes, my husband and the religion are the only two reasons.
I really do think scouting turned my husband into a better man.
Its a good thing, all my brothers eagle scouts, or I would have really struggled.

No nap

Cute boy here decided to not take a nap. I'm sure it was because he wanted to go to the quilt store. I'm also pretty sure that the long sleeve onesies and matching jersey knit pants are my favorite outfits this time around.

More Aquarium

Look the baby came too! I'm excited to have this picture, it seems like my babies never get photographed when we do fun things.

 My daughter is a very unphotogenic age, so I posted this, so we could see a picture of her without her purposely closing her eyes.

 Boy with the Shark

 Now the Jelly fish

I learned something while at the aquarium, if I ever want to do anything fun with my kids I have to bring water and high protein snacks, or else I would just brick wall before its over. Then I become a very mean mom.  I lasted until it was time to find lunch, I was so proud of myself, then I became an mean mom.  I should have drank a quart of water when I nursed the baby, and probably a handful of craisins or nuts.  Instead I thought I might pass out from faintness on our walk to get lunch.  I had my baby in the sling, and so I put the four year old in the stroller, and I made my 7 year old hustle as fast as his short legs could take him.  I knew it was unfair to him, but I really thought if I go slow or stop I might faint.  I thought I need water, but I was afraid if I stopped to pull out the water, I might not get back up to finish our walk to get to the food.  My husband suggested I suck on hard candies when I do things like this with my kids.  Aquariums make me sick, so I brought a coke to drink after the aquarium, took dramamine before I started, and ibuprofen during. I think if I would have drank water and had a protein boost in the middle, I would have made it.  Unfortunately I didn't, so instead I got tunnel vision near the end.  I tried not to notice many of the tanks to combat my aquarium sickness which did not help the tunnel vision.  Its very hard to carry a baby and watch two kids with tunnel vision.  A few years ago I figured out I get tunnel vision if I have to carry things in my hands.  We use to do lots of fun things without dad before we moved, and I figured out I can't stay more than two hours and be fun, I just get too tired. I have to carry water in my pocket, my camera in my pocket, and a high energy snack in another pocket. Its been so long I forgot. I often left the diaper bag in the car, if we needed something we would leave.  Its the only way it works for me, although I think if I want to continue to be a fun mom, it might be good to utilize a backpack if I don't bring a stroller.  I often don't like a stroller, because the baby never seems to stay for long, then you have a stroller and a baby.  Not good. But if you have to park far away from desired even, you need a diaper and a cover up if you are planning to feed said baby, which would be where a small backpack would be useful. I often wonder why I'm weak sauce, but then I realize it is what is. We all have our own trials, and so I just need to remember how to survive and enjoy.  I'm glad I did this, so now I know what I need to do to take care of myself in Costa Rica.  Plus the kids had fun.

P.S. I just realized, sour hard candies, that is what I need.  I don't know what it is about the sour, but it totally gives me a jump start.  Then again too much candy just makes me drag.

Day after

I felt so invigorated that I was a fun mom on Friday, I wanted to be a fun family on Saturday.  I woke up and told my husband such.  Eventually we ended up at Home Depot, which was serendipitous since they had kid craft day.

They made red camarys just like Grandpa's car.  Plus they are fuel efficient just like grandpa's too.  His is a hybrid.

Then they got to race them.

I want to go back each month on the first Saturday.  Then we looked at countertops.   How my husband knows how to woo me. Have I ever mentioned I love walking around Home Depot telling my husband all my dreams for the house. It was very useful, family date, I've now decided what Brent wants, and so its nice to have a clear goal.

New Counters are #2 priority on my house 

#1 Is painting my last two bathrooms, which could easily be a weekend job, I just have to do it.

Since I'm not getting new counters for probably at least 6 months, (I'm hoping before the Holidays) I finally pulled out all my bleach cleaners and cleaned our current white grout tile countertop.  Still awful, but much better.

Aquarium

Last Friday we went to the Aquarium with a bunch of friends so we got a group discount wahoo!  My kids wanted to go so bad the first year we moved here, the second year I was pregnant and we never ever went to Denver anymore. We finally made it, but it had been so long they forget they even wanted to go.  Yes, my daughter looks terrible in this picture, but I love my son it in.

They have mermaids! at this aquarium.  My daughter and I thought it was super fun!  They were really people who swam in the fish tank.  Yes, I know this picture is terrible.

Hmm, how did this picture get uploaded.  T-bone is very special. He was given to us when my daughter's head-wound wouldn't stop bleeding, so he has a special place in her heart.  T-bone is the toy, not the baby.  We also love Baby A.

This too is blurry, but I wish it wasn't so I posted it.  Aquariums make me very sick, so my hand was shaking too much to get a clear shot of these boys.

The end, it was fun.  Hopefully I post the pictures from my camera too, not just my phone.

Book Group is killing my reading!

I've been reading lately, just not happily.  Most of the books I've read lately, I've hated, which does not make reading fun.  It reminds me why grade school kids normally don't like reading.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy this book.  I thought it was painfully boring.  I have to admit, I'm slightly embarrassed by my opinion-- 12 million copies in print! "A life changing book" "Written by a Holocaust survivor." It was written like a text book, which normally isn't a hang up of mine.  I loved school-- once I could study social sciences.  It was just very dry, and I wasn't in the mood to read a psychology manual.  It didn't change my life, I had heard the point many times before... your success it is dependent on your attitude, finding meaning in your life affects your actions in life.  As the book progressed I could see why it was so life changing for most, but to me it was just dry.  I was glad to finish it, and probably would have quit a 100 pages earlier if it wasn't another dreaded book group selection.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was not too thrilled to read this book, it was for book group.  Are we sensing a theme?  I don't like my book group selections. I have no interested in this author.  I was rather pained through the first half.  I wasn't interested in any of the characters.  Then the last quarter perked up a bit.  I enjoyed the moral of the story.

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book!  I had never read any of Heyer before, I found the author through the author's notes in Edenbrooke.  I will definitely be reading more Heyer.  I loved Sophy, she was wonderful. This is a regency book, about romance of course.  It was harder to read than Edenbrooke, but much easier than Austen.  If you love Austen books, you will love this.  I always complain that new authors are undisciplined and put details in they should be left to the readers' imagination.  Heyer is definitely not undisciplined, and she is definitely not new, the story resolves it itself, in a timely manner. It was a reflief to read a disciplined author that I enjoyed. Once the story is over, I found myself thinking wait what? That is it? Already? But its perfect that way.  I loved this book.

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book for book group, and found it subpar.  I would have quit in the first 150 pages if I wasn't in charge of book group.  (Someone else picked the book.)  After page 200, the book got more interesting, and by the end, I thought well I guess this was a fun book.  It was a comedy about how a small Missouri town reacts when old lady
Elner falls out of a tree and gets rushed to the hospital to be
declared dead.  The characters were suppose to be funny, but I often found it forced.  In my opinion, the most interesting subplot to the book was the loaded Revolver found in the bottom of the laundry basket.  I have to admit I was surprised how often the Lord's name was taken in vain in the book, considering it is a church book group.  A few characters sex life is also mentioned, which once again I found surprising because it was church book group. But this book was picked by the previous book group leader.

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am only slightly embarrassed to admit I read this in a day.  But I also did other things that day, like mostly feed my children, feed my baby every two hours, play with my baby, wash the laundry (not fold) and exercise... although I did skip dinner.
I loved this book, I could not put it down, it made it challenging to play with the baby while reading this book, so sometimes I did put it down, but reluctantly.  Its a cheesy romance, but you forget its cheesy and just fall in love with Phillip.  Its predictable, but I found myself, hoping it was predictable because I wanted everything for the characters. At first I thought the author writing a Regency era story with our vernacular showed she wasn't very skilled, but in the back of the book it says, "I wanted to keep the flavor of the Regency period but make my story accessible for modern readers. So I intentionally made my language a little less formal and moved my plot along with greater speed."  Thankfully, she did that, so I could devour it in a day, it was like watching Pride and Prejudice because you don't need to think, you can just be in love with it, because at least for me, I have to think when I read Jane Austen.  This all being said, I think the two many characters physically touch more than reality would have permitted.  Then again the book was fiction.  I think this was the first book I've loved from a mormon female author.  Normally I find the books subpar at best, even when I like the plot, I feel like they are unrefined in their writing.

Reached by Ally Condie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was pretty lame, but in my opinion the whole series was, with that said it was my favorite book in the series.
I was incredibly annoyed through the first 100 pages.  My thoughts were the same as many others out there, what is with these teenfic heroines?  In real life woman out earn men, are more education yet all the current popular teenfic feature a lack luster female. Females with multiple boys pining for their affection, and they are paralyzed with indecision. This truly is fiction because no one worth the time of day is going to want a female who is spineless and lamenting she doesn't know what side to believe, or who to love. But just for the record I was team Zander, so the ending of the book did make me happy for Zander.  Ky's character was almost as bad as Cassia's.
After I made it through the first fifth of the book, I became overwhelming sad, the worst part of book three is it reminds us there are never any bloodless coups. The world always has famine, pestilence, or war. Sure they didn't fight, but there was plenty of death, governments don't change without death, then again governments also survive without plenty of death.
Lastly there were two quotes I liked from the book
"If you let hope inside, it takes you over. It feeds on your insides and uses your bones to climb and grow. Eventually it becomes the thing that is your bones, that holds you together." 255
Oker snorts. "If they feel something they fight" he says. "If you were in a place with no pain why would you want to come?" 315-316

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was so excited to read this book, and then so disappointed as I read it. It was lack luster and predictable.  Its about a murder on the grounds of Pemberley. Normally I quite enjoy Jane Austen spin offs, but the only reason I kept reading it was because I was so excited to read it in the first place. I never really enjoyed it, through the whole book I kept telling my husband, I just want to be done. 

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