Monday, June 22, 2015

Vacation!!!

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how many bloggers seem to be quitting their blogs. I'm still not quitting, but will definitely admit to feeling a healthy dose of blogger burnout. Now that my kids' school year (which I thought would never end) has finally ended, I'm going to take a couple weeks off from blogging. I'll still be thinking, idea-ing, and writing; just not posting. I probably won't be doing much reading or commenting on other blogs either. 

I hope that summer is off to a great start for all of you (or winter depending on where in the world you are!) and I'll see you back here relaxed and refreshed the week of July 6th! 


If you are here for Tuesday Ten, please head over to Rabia's blog.
If you are here for the One Word Linkup, please go visit Janine or Marcia.

Neither linkup is happening during the week of June 29th so that everyone can take a little vacation! 

Friday, June 19, 2015

Order of Seven: A Book Review From My Daughter

I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. I hate that I can think "I'll just check Facebook quickly" and, then, an hour later I realize I have been sucked into the Zuckerberg time vortex. I also dislike that people use it as a platform to spread hate and gossip.

However, I love the connections that Facebook makes possible. I love that I can connect with people from my past; with people from my present who are far away; and with other people that I have never even met but find myself connected to through other friends or groups. 

That last one there is how this post and book review were born. In a Facebook group for bloggers, I saw Beth Teliho put out a request for some tweens and teens to review her book - she is a published author y'all!!! So cool! 

I had seen Beth's name in the group but didn't really know her and honestly, didn't read her blog. However, I looked up her book on Amazon and read the following synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Devi Bennett is surrounded by mysteries: her unknown heritage, a recurring dream about an African tribal ceremony, an inexplicable attachment to a certain tree and a psychic ability she’ll never understand—unless she finds her biological parents. Things take a shocking turn when she meets Baron, an intense and alluring energy healer who receives prophetic dreams which all seem connected to her. Devi must rely on an empath, a seer, and Baron to help research her roots to discover who she is and what she is capable of. But when Baron’s visions lead to an ancient legend which may link to her birthright, Devi learns her gift is more imperative than she thought imaginable. Equal parts suspenseful and sexy, philosophical and adventurous, Order of Seven delivers a story that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the hands that carry fate.

It sounded like a book my oldest daughter would love. Rachel is 12 (almost 13- gasp!) and just finished 7th grade. She is an avid and advanced reader. She is also a writer, herself, and, today, I am handing my keyboard over to her so she can share her thoughts on Beth Teliho's YA novel, Order of Seven.



Recently, I read Order of Seven by Beth Teliho. The beginning of this book does a good job of setting the main plot line and foreshadows later events, as well as introduces the characters. I loved the way that all of the characters were tied closely to every event in the book, as well as to each other. The story takes place in a small town, which to me emphasizes the unknowns to the characters. As the main character, Devi, travels outside of her home town, she learns more about herself and her history. 

While there were many things I enjoyed about Order of Seven, a few things left me wondering. There were many places in the story where more detail would have been of much help. A few events in the text also were discussed so quickly that you couldn't really comprehend what had happened. The end of the book is very vague and left me wondering if there will be a sequel. 

All in all, I enjoyed the book and would suggest it to my friends. However, certain people may be offended by the language. The book is overloaded with a variety of curse words. I didn't feel that was necessary and I know some of my peers would not be willing to read the book due to this fact.  

Overall, I enjoyed reading Order of Seven. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good book about magic, mystery, and friendship. 
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Notes from the mom:

Beth was very honest with me about the language in the book. I allowed my daughter to read it because I felt she was mature enough to handle it. However, I would have to, in good conscience, note the strong use of language if I was recommending this book to other parents.

We were provided with a free copy of the book in exchange for our honest review.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

8 Realities of Having Three Kids

When you are pregnant with the first kid, you read all the parenting books and follow all the advice. The second time around, you give the books a quick review and realize that you don’t have to listen to all the advice. By the third time, you don’t have time to even knock the dust off those parenting books and, even if you did, you wouldn’t read them again because by then, you are a pro at this parenting stuff! You’ve got two kids under your belt and you know the ropes. Heck, now you’re the one giving advice to others! 

Then, the third one finally takes up residence outside of your belly and you realize that maybe you weren’t quite as prepared as you thought you were. You bring your little angel home form the hospital and your world is suddenly turned upside down. 

I brought my third one home over seven years ago and, since then, I have had to come to grips with some of the realities of being the parent of THREE kids!
  1. The World Is Designed for Families of Four. Case in point - hotel rooms. If you have a family of four, it’s easy. One room, two beds, done. When you have three kids, you either have to request the roll away cot or get a suite with a sleeper sofa. At restaurants, you will watch several families of four be seated before you because you and your three kids have to wait for the larger corner booth. You can buy a family four pack of tickets to a baseball game or the circus, but not a five pack. 
  2. You can no longer drive a sedan. Whether you like it or not, three kids requires an upgrade to a minivan or SUV. There’s just no way to fit three car seats in the back of even the largest sedan.
  3. Hand me downs only go so far. By the time your third child is born, chances are the care seat you used for your first and handed down to your second is out of date - or at the very least has so many spit up, poop, and applesauce stains that it’s just too gross to use it again. Toys are worn out and broken after being used by the first two kids. Any clothes that haven’t yet made their way to Goodwill are probably ripped, stained, and faded.
  4. As the saying goes, once you have three, the parents are officially outnumbered. You will never have enough hands on your own to get a grip on all the kids in the Target parking lot. You can never be beside all of them at the same time. Even if you hold one and your hubs holds one, there will still be another one screaming in the corner. 
  5. You will never be able to make life “fair.”  One of them will have to sit the the far back of the minivan. One of them will have to be the one who is NOT beside you. Two of them will agree on a movie or activity and the other will feel ignored.
  6. Kids are seriously expensive! Of course, three is triple the cost. According to my research, the average college tuition for one year at an in-state public university is $23,410. Multiply that times 4 years and, in my case, 3 children. Do you know how much money that is?!?!?! It's $280,920. If they choose a private school, double it. Ouch!!! Not to mention three times the clothes, the food, and the toilet paper.
  7. Kids are also really, really loud! One kid can make noise, for sure. Two are even louder. Three? It's like everyone is screaming all the time! Can someone pass me some ear plugs?
  8. I once heard a saying that, when you add more kids to the family, love is not divided among them; it is multipliedWhether you have two kids or ten, I think this is true. Sure three kids is triple the money, triple the noise, and triple the “stuff,” but it’s also triple the love, joy, and laughter. 
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This post was part of the One Word Blog Linkup hosted by, Janine of Confessions of a Mommyholic, Marica of Blogitudes, and me! This week, the word prompt choices were Together and SmallIf you would like to join the linkup you can find more information HERE, sign up for weekly emails HERE, and/or join our Facebook group HERE. Every Friday, two prompts are emailed. Choose one and write a post using that word as inspiration. Linkup up any time between 6:00am EST on Wednesday-9:00pm EST on Thursdays on any of the host sites.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

What's in Your Junk Drawer? {#TuesdayTen}

Everyone has a junk drawer, right? It's the drawer that just collects stuff - papers, coupons, notes, Happy Meal toys, pens, and who know what else! 

For past Tuesday Ten posts, we've shared what's in our cars, our purses, our closets, and even our freezers! We thought, today, it would be interesting to share exactly what kind of junk is in our drawers!

(Is anybody else giggling immaturely at that last sentence? Would you laugh if I told you I almost titled this post "What's in Your Drawers?" ) 

I actually have a few junk drawers. There's one in the end table in the den. It has oodles of random papers, take out menus, pens, and other miscellaneous stuff. There is also one in my nightstand. At one time, it contained papers that I had deemed "important." Right now, I couldn't even begin to guess what all those papers are,s o they must not actually be all that important! 

Since today is my kids' last day of school (finally!), I decided it would be most appropriate to tell you about what started out as our homework drawer, but has become a big mess. My kids sit at the kitchen table to do their homework, so a couple years ago, I took an awkwardly placed drawer and put all their school supplies in it. As with other spaces, over time, it has become a cluttered, disorganized mess! 

Here's what's inside:


  1. Crayon boxes - My youngest just finished second grade, so we could probably stand to downgrade to just ONE box of crayons. I don't remember any of them needing crayons for homework this school year!
  2. Colored Pencils - I don't remember any of the needing to use colored pencils either, but they are always on the supply list in the fall.
  3. Math Flash Cards - My youngest was working on memorizing her math facts this year, so we got some flash cards. Eventually, they ended up in this drawer.
  4. The Best Dictionary for Students- I don't even remember where we got these and my kids have never used them. To them, the best dictionary for students is Google! 
  5. Watercolor paints - No idea why these were in the drawer!
  6. Craft sticks - My middle daughter used these for a project early int he school year. The leftovers got stuffed in the drawer.
  7. Glue sticks - Truthfully, I don't think my kids used these for homework much either, but, again, they are always on the list! 
  8. Rulers - My youngest learned about measuring this year and these came in handy!
  9. Papers, papers, papers! - I had a bad habit of tossing school related papers int he "school" drawer, but then I never went back and discarded the ones that were e out of date. 
  10. Kid scissors - All three of my girls now prefer regular sized scissors, so these didn't get used very much.
  11. Erasers - For when the erasers not he pencil get wrong down, but there is still lots of pencil left! 
  12. Pens and Pencils - Got to have these for the homework and, obviously, we have quite a collection!
  13. Highlighters -Yet again, not sure they ever actually used these, but we seem to have several.
Since I had to pull all these things our of the drawer to show you, I figured I might as well take the opportunity to straighten it up, so  . . . . . Voila! 

Hopefully, it will all stay this organized until school starts again in the fall! 

How many junk drawers do you have in your house and do you know what's in them?


Your Tuesday Ten hostesses are:

TheLiebers


The Teacher Wife
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We hope you have enjoyed our #TuesdayTen lists! If so, please link up one of your own and share your post using #TuesdayTen!
RULES:
1) Link up a post, old or new, pertaining to the TuesdayTen topic for this week and add our TuesdayTen button to your post or sidebar.
2) Please do not link up contests, product reviews, or sponsored posts. Links not pertaining to the topic will be removed at the hosts' discretion.
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4) Visit as many other linked posts as you can and show those bloggers some love by commenting and/or sharing.

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Come link up again next Tuesday, June 23 when we're asking you to list 10 people you would like to switch places with for a day! 
The Golden Spoons


Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Sisters

The first two times I was pregnant, we decided not to find out the gender until delivery. My first baby was almost two weeks late and it felt like we had to wait forever to finally hear, Its a girl! The second time the waiting didnt really matter. I was certain all along in my mama heart that it was another girl. The doctor only confirmed what I was already knew.

The third time my due date landed two weeks before my oldest would start kindergarten. Faced with juggling that new schedule, a two year old, and a newborn, I needed to be as prepared as possible, so I decided I wanted to know the gender as soon as possible. In the weeks before the ultrasound, my cravings and nausea were different from the first two and I convinced myself that our third (and last) child was most certainly a boy. I was wrong. The ultrasound technician was confident we would be welcoming another daughter.

I was, admittedly, a bit disappointed by the realization that I would never have a son. However, it didnt take long for the news to spread and I was bombarded with people gushing about the bond shared between sisters. I have a sister(s) and we are best friends! they would tell me. How wonderful that you will have three daughters! You will be well taken care of when youre older and they will have such a wonderful bond! With only one brother myself, I didnt fully understand this sisterly bond people spoke of, but I pictured them chatting about fashion and boys. I envisioned them sharing clothes and shoes. I thought, perhaps, someday they may even go out on a few double dates.

Well, those three sisters are now 12, 10, and 7 years old and they could not be more different. The oldest is super smart, sporty, stoic, and driven. The middle one is a ball of energy, chatter, and silliness. The youngest is a little princess who wears her heart on her sleeve.


Oftentimes, the differences make these sisters mix about as well as oil and water. They fight. They bicker. They intentionally annoy one another and point out every flaw they see in the other. The bond people told me would be so deep and strong is buried under yelling, arguing, and tears.

But, its there.

Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of it.

I see it when they set up a pretend salon and paint each others nails. I see it when they ask if they can all have a sleepover together in someones room. I see it when they help each other with homework or learning to ride a bike. I see it when one of them is sick and the others are concerned.

Its there when they cheer for each other at a soccer game or a piano recital. Its there when they bake cookies together. Its there when they stick up for one another and do their best to protect the other. Its there when they work together to achieve a greater goal.

They quarrel just like any siblings do, but the sisterly bond is there and I see it - even when they dont.

I cant say for sure that they will grow up to be the best of friends. I can say, however, that I truly believe they will grow up to love and support one another always. I see them clash frequently, but I also see them come together and, when they do, they are a force to be reckoned with. Their differences are great, but their bond as sisters and love for one another is even greater.



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This post was part of the One Word Blog Linkup hosted by, Janine of Confessions of a Mommyholic, Marica of Blogitudes, and me! This week, the word prompt choices were Together and SmallIf you would like to join the linkup you can find more information HERE, sign up for weekly emails HERE, and/or join our Facebook group HERE. Every Friday, two prompts are emailed. Choose one and write a post using that word as inspiration. Linkup up any time between 6:00am EST on Wednesday-9:00pm EST on Thursdays on any of the host sites.

   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

A Fly on the Wall: A "CURRENTLY" Post

There are not many places I think I would really like to be a Fly on the Wall. I might like to be a fly on the wall inside my kids' minds so I could see what's going on in thier thoughts - but, then again, maybe not. Perhaps it would be interetsing to be a fly on the wall of thier classrooms at school. That way, I wouldn't have to ask "How was your day?" and "What did you do in school today?" every single day just to get the same "Ok" and "Not much" answers time after time. It might also be rather intriguing to be a fly on the wall of the White House. I'm pretty sure they don't tell the American public everything. Maybe, however, there's a reason for that and perhaps I'd be better off not knowing after all.

As I contemplated today's topic of 10 Places I'd Like To Be  A Fly On The Wall, those were the only three I could come up with - my kids' heads, my kids' classrooms, and the White House. Then, I was procrastinating doing research to come up with something better, I came across a couple of "currently" blog posts in which the bloggers list some things that are going on in their lives right now. I love the idea, so I decided to do my currently post and give you ten things you would see and hear if you were a fly on my wall at the moment! 

Currently I am . . . . . . .
  • Reading Me Before You. It's great! It was one of the books on my original list of books I wanted to read this year. I've read two other books form the list as well as one other one that wasn't on the list!
  • Planning for our trip to the beach! Every year we rent a big house and spend a week at the beach with David's whole family. This year there will be 13 of us and I cannot wait! 
  • Stressing out about this week's insane schedule! It's the last week of school for my kiddos, so we have end of year parties & awards programs. Of course, they are taking place on the days I usually work, so I've had to change my schedule around completely.
  • Wishing it wasn't going to be quite so hot this week. Yes, I know it's summer, but my two youngest both have end of year school parties at a park near their school and it is supposed to be in the 90's both days. I like the slower pace of summer, but I cant stand the heat! 
  • Feeling relieved that, if we can get through this week, school will finally be out and our days being a little more relaxed! 
  • Listening  to a new song called "Buy Me A Boat." It's a country song and, if you don't like country, you'll hate it. However, my middle daughter put it on my iPod and I think it's kind of funny. I need a few laughs to make it through this week! 
  • Thinking about all the fun we are going to have this summer! I made a bucket list a couple weeks ago. It's a pretty relaxed list if things we would mostly do anyway, but I can't wait to get started! 
  • Loving that my oldest daughter has written a novel!!! She's been working on it for almost a year. I can't wait to read it and see her creativity! 
  • Wearing shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops because summer is here! 
  • Hoping that i can come up with a better post for next week's #TuesdayTen! :-)
Where would you like to be a fly on the wall? What would I see if I was a fly on the wall in your house right now?

Your Tuesday Ten hostesses are:

TheLiebers


The Teacher Wife
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We hope you have enjoyed our #TuesdayTen lists! If so, please link up one of your own and share your post using #TuesdayTen!
RULES:
1) Link up a post, old or new, pertaining to the TuesdayTen topic for this week and add our TuesdayTen button to your post or sidebar.
2) Please do not link up contests, product reviews, or sponsored posts. Links not pertaining to the topic will be removed at the hosts' discretion.
3) Visit your hosts and follow them on social media.
4) Visit as many other linked posts as you can and show those bloggers some love by commenting and/or sharing.
 
If you would like to be added to the mailing list without linking up, click here.

Come link up again next Tuesday, June16! We'll be sharing ten things that are in our junk drawer! (C'mon - you know you have one!) Vlog it if you like! 

The Golden Spoons


   
   
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