May Book

So I'm embarrassed to admit that I had no clue that Agatha Christie was a mystery writer. I've heard her name a lot, but in my mind I assumed she wrote of the hardships of prairie life. (I have no idea where this idea came into my mind; I think the name Agatha threw me). So when I typed in "best mystery novels" in google, I was surprised to see her name EVERYWHERE. I went to the library and chose this book at random; Five Little Pigs. It's a story of a detective trying to solve a 20 year old murder mystery. He interviews the 5 people who were there when the murder occurred. It was a fun read; reminded me of my Mary Higgins Clark days. Gotta love mystery.

Next month I'm going to attempt to read a horror. I've read Dracula, Frankenstein, Hyde and Jekyll and the Invisible Man. I don't know if those are considered horror, but I'm going to attempt something a little more modern. Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is my current choice, so if you'd like to read along, please feel free.

Maddie's 2!

Today is Maddie's birthday. We've enjoyed her cuteness for two years now; it's so hard to believe. Last night we celebrated with family and had such a fun time. Maddie loves everyone in our family and was so excited to have them all in one place just for her entertainment. We had a Madeline themed party (Mom's choice) complete with balloons, goodie bags and a Madeline dress. Maddie was spoiled with merchandise from the Disney Store, art supplies, cute clothes, movies and lots of new toys.
Now to end with praises to my daughter, who truly is the cutest and smartest two year old I know. I'm so proud of the sweet enjoyable girl she has become. She gives out hugs and kisses on demand, loves to get dressed in girly attire, eats Rice Crispies any chance she gets, free falls into our arms, dances and sings with her crazy parents and is all I could ask for in a child. Happy Birthday Maddie!

Two-fer April

For April I read Blink. I must confess that I didn't reach the end. I was on a wait list to get the book, got the book while I was still reading my March book, started reading Blink, book was overdue and could not be renewed due to its high demand, etc, etc. I did read 3/4 of the book and felt I understood his concept. Basically, it's a book about how our mind makes snap judgments, and how those judgments are oftentimes (not always) the best decision. He gives example after example and study after study. It's very interesting to read his research. He talks about speed dating, hospitals, marriages, war strategy and so much more. I enjoyed this book and would like to read more of his work in the future.

Because I only read 3/4 of Blink, I was able to finish another book this month. I read Everything Matters by Ron Currie Jr. It has language, which seemed forced to me. I hate that. Bad language is bad enough, but when it's forced, it's even worse. Anyways...this book is about this guy who has known about the end of the world since he was growing in his mother's belly. He hears voices in his mind that tell him, among other things, exactly when and how the world is going to end. It's a story about his life, which is not very pleasant, and how he deals with his knowledge. It wasn't great writing, but it was an easy read and a page turner which I finished quickly.

May's genre is mystery. I'm so excited!

Birkenstocks and Recycling Bins

My inner hippy loves to emerge now and again, and what better day than Earth Day? I started my day by slipping into my comfy cozy, but not quite fashionable, birkenstocks. I had full intentions to replant some flowers on our patio, but the day got the best of me, so I had to cut that from our activity list.

We've lived in Westbrook Townhomes for three years now. There has not been a recylcing bin in the complex in those three years. When we first moved in, we were outraged. Well, I was outraged; I'm pretty sure Casey cares more about his ingrown hairs than he does about recycling.

My laziness got the best of me, and eventually I forgot all about my recycling rage issues. Today I decided I needed to make an effort and do some good. So Miss Maddie and I made a trip to Target, bought a trashcan, then colored the sheet above to label our new recycling bin. I will have to make weekly/daily trips to Dobson and Baseline, but I babysit near there so it shouldn't be too hard. Right? Eeek! I'm nervous my laziness will again get the best of me. Have I mentioned I haven't been to the gym once this week? Nor have I done any sort of cleaning improvements at my house. Yeah, I'm lazy, but my intentions are always always good.

Happy Earth Day!

A long trip to St. Johns

My little sister Mercedes turned 5 this weekend; complete with a Princess and the Frog party. Maddie loved just about every minute of our stay in St. Johns. For days before our departure she would randomly spurt out, "Mercedes? Birthday?" Then, once we arrived, every time we would get into the car she would say, "St. Johns!" "Yes Maddie, we're in St. Johns." Her and Mercedes played themselves silly; blowing bubbles, cruising the Jeep, dressing up, time in the playhouse and just being good friends. My favorite part of the trip, though, was that Maddie opened up a lot more to my dad. She's not around him as much as her other grandparents, so she gets a little shy around him. But we stayed the night at his house one night, and she had so much fun. He let her use his brightly colored satin pillow (it's Naomi's, I'm sure) and she was attached to the thing. It's in her crib now. He also sent her home with a collection of coin poker chips, which she also loves. It was one of my favorite trips to St. Johns.

I totally forgot my camera, but I did have it handy for when Dad came home from work. He had a soccer tournament on Saturday so couldn't come with us. Maddie and Dad were both so excited to see each other. These photos of their 3 minute hug is proof. Three minutes of hugging and just chatting about the trip. Melts my heart.

Easter for the Lewis'

We had a bunniful Easter this year. Some ladies from the neighborhood gathered on Wednesday for a lunch/Easter egg hunt. Maddie found a total of 3 eggs because she insisted on eating each find before she moved on to the next. Casey's parents also had a hunt for her in their yard where she had no need to race others to her treats. The Easter Bunny brought her a basket with a bead kit to make her own jewelery. She is such a girl. He also left a beautiful print of the Savior in a gorgeous frame found at Goodwill; such a savvy shopper. We of course watched General Conference, with just a few naps and interruptions from Maddie. We ended our night with a Mediterranean inspired meal, bunny cake and watching Easter Dream.

March Reading

Book three was completed around 1 am this morning. It took me the longest of the three, but it was my favorite by far. I've had Willa Cather on my list for a long time and I'm glad I finally got around to it. It's set around the time of WWI. It's the story of a young man who is continually trying to find meaning in his life; which, I think is something we all do at times. The main character, Claude, struggles with accepting his inheritance, adopting his mother's religious faith and taking on a new wife. He eventually enlists in the war, where life is quite different than it was back home. I'll definitely read more Cather in the future. For April I will be reading Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.