Pretty Good Weekend.

So... we had a pretty good weekend. Saturday morning at the insane hour of early we woke up and headed out. It was Homecoming you see. And part of that is the annual 5K. I fortuitously opted against running myself as I sprained my ankle/foot really good on Thursday and spent all of Friday hobbling around. It was much better on Saturday but not 5K worthy. Okay and let's be honest, I use the term "running" very loosely. 

So we watched the 5K which was kind of fun, it was a really nice morning anyway. Then... the kids get to run. 0-3 run a .1K and it is just the best thing in the world. If you ever need a pick me up find a .1K to watch. C did so well! Plus we got to see some friends from college. That's never a bad thing. 

Husband and C before the big race!

As a bonus he took a really really good nap too! During the nap we managed to tidy up and that is always a good thing. I always feel more comfortable in a clean house don't you? Then after nap and lunch was over we embarked in a family journey to make ravioli. It started with a new pasta recipe and ended with yum! Husband made the pasta, I made the filling, C put the finished raviolis on a tray to dry. And we ended up with 58 of these bad boys. (Plus some fettuccine.)  

I mean besides the fact that fresh pasta tastes so darn good, there's something especially thrilling about making your own. We are having these for dinner tonight and I am pretty darn excited. 

In other news of the weekend I don't know why Old Navy considered Baby to be through size 5 but I'm pretty glad they do because everything was 40% off. So I picked up the final things to get C through the winter/fall season. PLUS we had a coupon that if we spent $ at Old Navy we'd get a $50 Restaurant.com gift card, which we achieved AND we got Old Navy Super Cash. Win Win Win.

And Sunday Dinner was fresh bread and Dixie Stampede Soup which is just the best best best! Plus I started buying Halloween Candy. Oh and my ankle doesn't hurt anymore unless I go down the steps so that's great too. This blog post has been interrupted for 2 readings of Hipopposites, 1 reading of Happy Hippo Angry Duck and 3 removals of a child from on top of the coffee table since he finally figured out how to climb up there. I should probably get back to the whole learning/literacy thing right? Yeah okay. Have a good Monday. 

Theme Thursday: Out

Yesterday was gorgeous. It was just perfect. So C and I went to the zoo. I know what you're thinking. "Madeline just went to the zoo with C and blogged about how it was perfect and made it her Theme Thursday. That's getting a leetle bit old now."

Now let me add my two cents here for a moment: in August it was 90 and humid as heck. Yesterday it was weather wise perfect. And I took this picture all prepared to make it my Theme Thursday to show you just how nice it was. Lame? Yep. But it was pretty nice there.

Then we left the zoo and entered the parking lot. And... my submission did a 180. You see, I am a nervous parker. I always have been. I can drive and honestly I am a very good driver. But when I learned to drive parking made me very nervous. So I often park far away from other people and make sure I do a good job. 50% of the time I tend to "pull through" park. I will find two empty spots and pull through them so my car will not need to go into reverse in order to leave the spot. (This number used to be closer to 100% but I have done a lot of driving since I was 16.)

Husband and I have a tendency to watch other people park and mock. We are mean. I know. We particularly find it ridiculous when people needlessly back into a spot. I understand that at certain events where there will be a lot of people exiting at the same time you have the edge if you can just drive out of a spot, i.e. your concerts and large sporting events.

That's not what I am talking about here. I'm talking about huge trucks driven by short men who back into spots in the Red Lobster parking lot just to prove.they.can. We tend to refer to that as "D-Bag" parking. (We actually use the phrase D-Bag I am not just taming it down for the internet and I'm sure this even puts me at PG-13 right?)

So when I arrived at the zoo I parked way off in the distance. Because that's what I do. And I considered "pulling through." But I had the stroller in the trunk and if someone parked behind me that could get annoying when I went to leave. So I parked normally and went about my zoo day.

We came out to the parking lot. I loaded the sleepy 16 month old into his seat. Put the diaper bag into the car etc. Loaded up the stroller and sat down in the drivers seat. And I paused. When I parked at the zoo we were the only people in the row you see. And now this was directly in front of me.

Someone D-Bag parked in front of me.

And  I looked around.

Nope the TWO spots next to me were open so this driver could have easily pulled through into either and accomplished the same task of being able to drive out of the spot later.

In fact there were only 3 cars in the entire row. Me. That minivan which did the whole pull through thing I am so fond of. And the guy who D-Bagged parked in front of me. For absolutely no reason. I can't think of one. Not one reason why with all this other parking THAT spot was so much better and required backing into it. Okay unless your child loves that particular spot... nope still doesn't require the aforementioned style in which you parked.

So, Illinois driver... I am calling you out. You'll never see this and that's okay. But seriously, stop it. You need a parking intervention because that is ridiculous.

Later that afternoon we were playing outside and it was just as gorgeous. But I was still shaking my head.

Linking up with Cari. Everyone should. This is your peer pressure to Theme Thursday.

WWRW & 5 Favorites Mash Up

So I am going to do the whole WWRW and Five Favorites mash up this week. Mmmkay?

1.       1. The Read Aloud Handbook. M at JBTC mentioned it a while back and I bought it and consumed it fairly quickly. What can I say about it? Well… it’s not overly earth shattering with the facts. It’s pretty cut and dry really. However it did make me feel inadequate as one of my favorite things to do is read and you know what I hate more than anything? Reading Aloud. It was one of my biggest concerns in parenting if you want to know the truth. And I do read to C, every day. But it is painful for me.

 I didn’t even like reading aloud in school. The first day of classes, when you read the syllabus so that the moron in the back can’t say he didn’t know that the class policy was such? Excruciating. I have always loved reading. Always. And I’ve always been pretty good at it. And I read fast. When we did read alouds I was always chapters ahead. I never got in trouble per say but no teacher I ever had (3rd grade-grad school) was overly kind about the fact when they called on me to read I never knew where we were. (And as someone who went to school for theatre we read aloud a lot because plays are meant to be heard you know.)

Anyway.  This book freaked me out so much that by the end of chapter 2 I started reading it aloud to C and Husband while I read to make sure that I was picking enough varied materials for him. And we’ve started reading Harry Potter now. The book list is a really nice resource and overall I did enjoy this book. I am just a Type A, Virgo, Not-Chinese-therefore-I-can’t-fully-subscribe-to-tiger-mothering-techniques-though-some-of-it-wasn’t-so-bad kind of a person who’s only question to judge people’s character is “What’s Your Favorite Book.” (The ONLY wrong answer is “I don’t read” or a variation. I will even accept Where’s Waldo for a grown adult as long as they name it without being prodded.) Honestly along with all the What to Expect books and how to make your baby sleep/eat/birth the way you want books this should go right along as a book to read while expecting. It’s that important. And not just because I'm who I am but because who doesn't want their child to like reading?

2.       2. Peppa Pig. There’s just something about a British pig having adventures that’s fun. Plus each Peppasode is 5 minutes long. With theme song and credits so… that fits my attention span. C also seems to like it as one of his words (granted the list grows daily so it’s not that ridic) is Peppa.

3.      3..  When your child picks a new book to read over and over and over again. C has taken to shoving books in your face/throat/head when he wants a book NOW. I’m a bad parent and after 3+ days of the same book it may or may not go up on a high shelf take a nap.

This book is possibly currently napping.

4.       4. Rearranging furniture. 2 weeks ago we did an overhaul of our living room because my parents were coming to stay with C while we were in Chicago. This served 2 purposes, deep cleaning and making room for a desk to set up a docking station for a laptop so it would be a desktop as my mom isn’t a fan of laptops. Yada yada yada… this is a long story to get to my point which is I love the new arrangement. The initial newness has since past and now it’s super comfortable. Other than needing to buy a lamp I am a huge fan. It’s fresh and different. And I like it.

5.      5.  Getting ready for Advent. In September. I know. But the Jesse Tree Ornament Swap needs to be planned for. Join in--what a fun way to count down and keep Christ first. 

Finding Hygge

I had kind of a great weekend.

It was one of those weekends where everything fell into place and I accomplished it all. I had family time, alone time, one on one time with both of my men, and time with friends. That is a pretty great feat. And I needed it. The nap. The sunshine. The food. The fun.

I didn't even realize I was in a funk until I was out of it.

And Saturday night was the best night ever. No really. We ordered really good stuffed pizza and baked a cake while we waited. C was already asleep at this point. Then the pizza came and we watched Notting Hill, which is my all time favorite movie. Plus I was in sweatpants with the windows open letting all the wonderful Fall night air in. Oh. I could gush on and on. But I won't .

I will say that I felt all warm, squishy, fed and loved and that is a great feeling that. The Danes have a word for all of this rolled into one: hygge. If you look it up it a word that can't quite be described the same because nobody feels it exactly the same. But there is it. My hyggeligt weekend.

And now that goodness has seeped into my Monday where I am preparing a cozy Fall dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls. Well I hope there are rolls. Husband is the baker and I try really I do. But he doesn't mark the yeasts in the fridge because he just knows. And I was trying to surprise him so I didn't ask. And I am not 100% sure I picked the right yeast for the recipe. (I'm cheating and making the dough in the bread machine because they're still from scratch even if I don't do the kneading and rising part.)

Got to go check on the dough now.

7 Quick Takes: Getting Ready for Fall

1. Last weekend some of our good friends got married. Well... church married. Kind of a long story really. Anyway, we went out to dinner with them the night before and they were telling us everything that was going to go down because I missed the rehearsal. Anyway... as it turns out they warned us about a family that would be there that only eats fried chicken. KFC preferably. I thought they were kidding. They weren't. After the mass I distinctly heard the "will you have chicken there?" from one member to the father of the bride. (The food and merriment was at his home.) I'll make a long story short: There wasn't friend chicken until they brought it in. And one family member had not one other food item other than the 10 pieces of fried chicken. It was ridiculous.

2. I can begin decorating the house for Fall/Halloween on Sunday. It has always been Husband's rule that I can't start decorating for holidays too soon, so for Fall I have to wait for Fall. Since this time last year we were for sure moving at the end of October I never really got anything out of boxes at all. But this year... oh man. I am excited. PLUS we live in THE neighborhood for trick or treating so I am bringing my A game on the decorations. Now to ask BIL for a hay bale... since really who wants to pay $50 for one am.i.right?

3. We were supposed to be going on a mini-vacation next weekend but I don't think that's happening anymore. But we've been traveling a lot lately. A lot. So I understand Husband's hesitation. But still it would be fun to go somewhere just the 3 of us. What I am unsure of is whether it is being rescheduled or if it's not happening at all.

4. Still yet to come this fall season is going to the orchard and then a fall family day at a pumpkin patch. I really really really wanted to go last year but see #2 about moving. It didn't happen. But it will this year. So let it be written, so let it be done. This farm close to us has a pumpkin patch with wagon rides, a corn maze and a whole lot of other things to do. I cannot wait.

5. I know that it's just not even Fall yet but I am totally into Christmas already. I have my shopping list almost ready to go. And I have lots of C activities I would like to have sorted out, and that takes some major planning. I really want to make him a felt tree so that he can decorate that instead of un-decorating our tree. (I have no proof he'll do that, just a really safe guess.) And if you are interested in a Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange... you should totally sign up!

6. With all this planning ahead for the rest of 2013 (Because seriously that's what it's turning out to be.) I am definitely letting things go. I wanted to can apple sauce and apple pie filling--but based on all the stuff I'd have to buy it's just not going to happen. I am not going to purchase any decorations at all this year. If we don't already have it that's just going to have to be okay.

7. I am fresh out of things to talk about. And one certain one year old is pushing a book into my face so clearly it's reading time.

Theme Thursday: Store

I went out to take pictures for this week. I looked like a creeper. And even after devoting an hour to looking like a creeper I hated all the pictures. But never you fear, I am dedicated to the Theme Thursday cause and I wasn't about to quit because I hated all the pictures. 

Oh no. No I was not. 

Instead you get this lovely piece of photography genius. 

One time I was going through the Drive-Thru and was waiting behind someone for a minute or two. And I was utterly perplexed by this molded plastic sign to my immediate left. I understand that the little gouge in the yellow underneath the D is the final point of the two golden arches coming together but it looks so sad up close. Like some bored teenager took a lighter and melted the sign like it was any old piece of playground equipment. (I've been to some really nice parks in my life that have been previously frequented by upstanding members of society so I speak from experience.)

Lucky for you and me, the little gouge of plastic provoked my thoughts long enough that I returned to the place with the $1 Fountain Coke and captured this picture for all eternity. Because I couldn't bear the idea that my thoughts on the tiny indentation under the D go unrecorded and unshared. You are welcome. 

Linking up with Cari for Stores. 

Next week's theme is Out. Thinking cap is already on for that one folks. Godspeed. 

WWRW: Legend and Prodigy

I think I am going to quit my book club. No. I am probably not. It's a totally empty threat because I like socializing and reading even though I so rarely like or even enjoy the book.

This month we are reading Legend by Marie Lu. I went ahead and got it's sequel at the same time because I like to just read books in one fell swoop. In this case... Legend was bad. Really bad. It was disjointed. The plot was unbearable. Just so uninteresting.

Basically there is a North Korea like version of the Western United States--called the Republic. Day is almost a Disney Aladdin/Robin Hood-esque teenager on the streets and June is the exact opposite as a Republic prodigy. They of course wind up in cahoots, though for entirely different reasons and just as quickly as they meet they wind up sharing a kiss. Like all bad YA books. I mean it is a very G-Rated kiss but why do authors suppose that teenagers are so willing to just kiss whoever without so much as 3 conversations? Anyway just as you adjust your mindset that they have feelings for each other the major plot twist comes. Only because the book is written from 2 perspectives you know the plot twist is coming.

Luckily I finished Legend quickly. I was all set to write about how authors should just stop trying to write dysotopian trilogies because they're just getting bad. The Hunger Games I enjoyed. Matched was just okay. Divergent was probably the concept that was the most thought provoking to me. Legend was terrible. It really was. And I had the second book already? I figured if I had it, I might as well read it. And Prodigy was SO much better.

It's honestly too bad that in the world Lu created, her story had to start where it did. All that is interesting starts in Prodigy. And second novels in trilogies historically have been the weakest. I am here to tell you this is not the case. I read them on my Kindle so I'm not sure of the exact page amount but I do wonder if she pitched her idea and the publisher it was decided it was a trilogy so instead of writing one or two cohesive books we were forced to read Legend on it's own?

I don't even want to try to summarize what happens in Prodigy because so much does. It is better than Legend. Way better. But it's still not as good as some of the other series. Because it really doesn't take much to be better than it's predecessor.

The third book, Champion comes out the same day as an another book and I don't have to tell you which one I am going to read first. Though I will eventually get around to Champion because I want to see if it improves or not. And though this is easily the weakest series of the bunch I am sure the movie rights are just around the corner--but who knows? All this dysotopia is really starting to blur together, all these tests and medical manipulations. If I were a slightly more conspiracy theorist... nope I'm not even going to go there. Oh this will be the new Scary Movie format to mock me thinks.

Okay yes. The movie rights have been sold already. Read it. Or don't. You're not missing a whole lot. But if you do dive in--try to have Prodigy at the ready... it redeems it's older brother.

Linking up with Jessica for WWRW. What have you read lately? What's your book club reading lately?