a.rose

Reading Beowulf  My sister recently shared with me an article that I found to be both humorous, disturbing, and sort of sad.  Until I thought about it.  I'm still thinking about it. So I have decided to take a close look at the journey that the English language has taken.  I have chosen excerpts from what are generally considered to be classics in our language.  I start off with the poem of Beowulf, simply because it is the earliest writing in our language of which I am aware. (See how I avoided ending my sentence with a preposition?)  Chaucer is considered to be the father of English literature, and Shakespeare is known as England's national poet.  Jane Austen I selected simply for being my personal favorite, and Stephanie Meyer I think was an obvious choice with which to end my review. (See how careful I am being?)  I wonder what Stephanie Meyer will be hailed as, a hundred years from now? From the first line of the poem Beowulf (3rd o...

I have this weird road block when it comes to posting on my blog.  First of all, I can't bring myself to publish a new post until at least one person has commented on the current one.  Like, I'm afraid someone will feel left out if they don't get a chance to read and comment on a post if they so choose.  That means that if, say, I have something else that I want to write about I have to either write it and save it or I have to try and hold it in my brain and remember it until I feel like everyone has gotten a fair chance to speak their piece. I have written some 284 blog posts, give or take, and my sister has posted on all but one, maybe two of them.  She is frequently my first commenter. Thus, when my last post went three 3 tres whole days and not a word, I was starting to feel like it was time to move on, but I was stuck. Without a comment from my sister the post didn't feel "official" and how could I write a new one if that one had...

Hanna has been getting bigger, the way babies do, and as a result I have been spending time going through all the clothes that I packed up after Hallie grew out of them.  I sort and reorganize, and in the process, Hallie has seen some old favorites that she insists on wearing.  I have learned that I have to pick and choose what I say "no" to, and this seemed relatively harmless, so I helped her put it on. The last time Hallie wore this was a little over a year and a half ago.  Clearly, she has grown some since then, although, to my surprise, I was still able to fasten every single snap.  She wore it all morning, and didn't even complain of wedgies like I thought she might. As I watched her walk around in this ridiculous looking get up, it was obvious that she was very happy to be wearing it.  Sure, she's grown up, but has she really grown up? I wondered if I have really grown up... Sure, I'm taller now and my body has changed shape, expanding, shrinking, d...

I don't like when it's five thirty and Devin isn't home, because he won't be home until late late Thursday night. And when he's gone I don't like eating dinner because the chair across from me sits empty, and all the food tastes sort of blah, because Devin is the one that makes food interesting. I don't like taking a shower because all I see is the empty spot where his soap and shampoo are supposed to go. I don't like to put Hanna to bed, because Devin is the one that always burps her.  He does a much better job than me. I don't like to put Hallie to bed, because Devin always reads the scriptures and she doesn't really like it when I do. I don't like it when it gets dark outside and the memories of too many scary movies or crime tv shows linger in my mind. I don't like it when it's time for me to go to bed and I don't know how to fall asleep without laying with my nose nestled in his neck, breathing his smell. I do...

Would you like a glimpse into how quiet my life usually is ?  Let's look at Sunday afternoon. We're all relaxing after church, and a nice lunch of Spanish Rice.  I made chocolate chip pumpkin cookies (still have a lot of pumpkin from the garden to go through!)  and Devin is working on grilled cheese sandwiches and rice pudding for dinner.  The girls were playing... Link to Video on Youtube ...and this is what I wish my life looked like all the time. If I fooled you into thinking this is typical, I apologize.  I do appreciate it whenever I get it.  (Listen closely to what Hallie is saying, there are some real gems in there.) What do you like to do on Sunday afternoons?

I do not like adventures. I am not brave. I am not a thrill-seeker.  I like peace.  I like calm.  I am like a quiet-junkie, if that would be the opposite of an adrenaline junkie.  The first few months after we moved here Devin had to go to a lot of conferences and meetings.   He promised me in June that he would not go on any more trips until October.  Then he got invited to give a talk at a conference in Minneapolis. I told him of course he should go.  He found out there were no good flights, so he would either have to fly out the day before, and stay an extra night, or drive.  He decided he would drive. I told him that if he was going to be driving, we'd be going with him.  I had my motives. So we get to Minneapolis and I remembered that I have some friends that live in the area, so I looked up the lovely Nicky and asked her if I could come visit her. She said ok!, and we made quick plans.  As I was packing the diaper bag and fin...

I've made a number of discoveries over the past ten minutes. 1. When Hanna chokes on something, she vomits.  The nasty kind of vomit, not your average sweet-smelling, pretty baby spit up. 2. The risks of choking are much higher than I had anticipated with Hanna. Apparently I overlooked a small factor named Hallie. 3. A quick wetted towel and some disinfectant are pretty handy to have, you know, on hand. As long as they are out of reach of both the baby and the two year old. 4. Bees AND butterflies are highly attracted to basil. That last one I discovered when I was looking out the window of our kitchen sink, while rinsing out the vomit/disinfectant soaked towel. Thankfully, not all of my minutes are filled with such discoveries.  Have you made any discoveries lately?

Where Was I? Today as I sat on the couch, feeding Hanna and listening to the rain and the wind buffeting the house, I played a little game. It's called, "Where Was I?" and it's a pretty simple game: I try to remember where I was at this time, in years past. September 2000 - I was beginning my junior year of high school.  My sister was a freshman, I was on the soccer team, and I had the coolest friends around. I'm pretty sure that I was on top of the world. September 2005 - I was just home from an amazing summer in Maine, a summer which completely changed my life.  I had a great job, great friends, and my sister came to live in Maine too.  I was still on top of the world.  I was just about to start dating Larry, and I was in the process of getting to know Devin. I was terrified of marriage. September 2006 - Devin had proposed a month earlier.  I was just starting my student teaching, and planning a wedding. I'm pretty sure I was on top of ...

All great stories have a beginning.  I don't know if this is a great story, as it starts off with a rocky beginning, and I admit, it ends the wrong whey.... but we thought it was funny. Once upon a time in a far away land called California a boy was growing up to be strong and handsome.  He was becoming a soft spoken, gentle hearted, tenderly handsome yet cunningly intelligent sort of man.  In his spare time he liked to run, cross stitch, and eat things like curds and whey. He went to college to get a fancy degree and there he married, ahem, me.  (Insert years of joy, bliss, contentment, happiness, and hours and hours of endless non stop fun and laughter.)  One night, he and his lovely wife decided to make a pumpkin roll.  Oh dear, perhaps I've started at the wrong beginning. Once upon a time there was a little girl, whose grandparents had a large garden that required lots of work.  Whenever this little girl and her family would visit they would ...

It is time to make peach jam. It is important to start with high quality, fresh ingredients. It is important to have lots of good helpers when picking the fruit. It is good, clean, wholesome, old fashioned fun. It is hot, sweaty, unglamorous work. It is a great way to spend an evening with your mister.  Assuming that you both enjoy spending time in the kitchen, that is. It is an opportunity to wear a cute apron. It is turning summer's bounty into a winter treat. It is sure to make your home smell like a Scentsy candle. And it is going to make Saturday's pancakes taste oh so so so good. It is a really good life.

The question "where are you from?" almost ruined any chances Devin and I had of a bright and happy future, before it had even begun.  We met the first Sunday of August at church, and had exchanged some silly, pleasant small talk.  At a gathering that evening we sat next to each other around a table playing Rummicube, at which time I devoured an entire plate of brownies. Rude, I know, greedy, I know, gluttonous, I know already, I know - but listen,  I eat when I'm nervous.  Then, the next week, we were sitting next to each other on the back porch at another activity and I was eating my third bowl of apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. ( I know , but please remember that I was nervous.)  We had been again making some silly, pleasant small talk, when he decided to ask. "Where are you from?"  I stammered. I stuttered. I shuddered.  I couldn't think. Where am I from?   Born in New York, raised in various other states, my parents in the process of mov...

Call everyone to gather.  Welcome to Family Home Evening. Opening Song: Choose the Right click here to watch the video if you can't see it on my blog Opening Prayer: Hallie, "Heavenly Father, thank the Christ, Amen. Please bless Family Night. Please bless Hanna and Daddy"  (we're still working on saying prayers properly.) The Lesson: Devin, "She said bless Hanna and Daddy in her prayer, but not mommy." Amy, "Don't you worry about me.  Ok Hallie, today we are going to talk about how much Jesus loves you.  There are lots of people who love you very much, like Mommy, (Hallie gets up and runs out of the room. Hanna drools. Hallie runs back in) and Daddy, and sister, and Gramby, and Pappy, and Grandma and Grandpa, and Aunt Mimi and Uncle Kenny and lots and lots of people love Hallie (Hallie runs out of the room. Hanna squawks. Hallie runs back in) so much. But Hallie, do you know (Hallie runs out of the room. Hanna wiggles on Daddy's lap. ...

It was Saturday afternoon.  We were doing what we like to do on Saturdays.  Yard work, of course.  Hanna was sleeping after a grueling trip to the grocery store.  We had the baby monitor outside with us, issuing a steady stream of static, over which we were hoping we'd be able to hear her little I'm awake now chirping. Hallie had been playing "I'm the Daddy and I go to work now" (so named because that is what she says every five minutes as she plays) and going in and out of the front door.  This eventually began to disturb Devin's peace, so he locked the front door and told her to play somewhere else.  Her next game was "I'm the Daddy and I drive the orange car to work." (so named because that is what she says every five minutes as she plays) so she got put in the driver's seat of Devin's car. As I'm sitting in my grass by the mailbox pulling weeds our neighbor stops by on his way past on his motorcycle.  Now this neighbor is kin...

I tend to be one of those occasionally irritating "why, yes, the glass is half full!" people.  You know, the "Well would you look at the silver lining in that cloud" type persona.  I can't help myself. And, overall, even though I know that sometimes it's not what people want to hear, I think it's a good thing.  Although, last night, it struggled a little bit in returning to me.  Don't worry though, it did. For the most part. Bright side : It rained!  A lot!! Double Bright Side: The basement did not flood! Gloom side: Our roof leaks. Bright side: The storm did not wake up the babies! Gloom side : Our house warranty does not cover the roof. Bright side: I love a good thunderstorm, with the thunder booming and the lightning flashing can be so exciting, invigorating, if you manage to ignore the fact that you are trying to sleep... Gloom side: While rain falling outside can be soothing, and thunder and lightning only slightly jarring,...

A few days ago Hallie wanted to ride her bike.  By bike, she means the tricycle that our friendly neighbor in Peoria gave to us over a year ago.  It has a long pole in the back so that you can push your child if they are not yet ready for the pedals, and the steering mechanism has a lock so it does not turn and wobble if you are pushing them.  When Hallie was first given this tricycle, she wasn't even 18 months old yet, and her feet came nowhere close to even reaching the pedals, let alone knowing how to push them.  So, we used the pole and pushed her around. A lot. Fast forward to the aforementioned few days ago.  It's a good thing I'm fast and knew where the camera was, because I don't always get these first moments recorded: And as I ran to get the camera, and jumped and clapped and cheered and possibly cried, I thought, "Wait a minute..." Hanna started crawling yesterday.  She had been doing the rocker baby stance for a while now, and we had be...