Paperbackswap.com

I've just discovered a website I love! I get to shop for books for free.

No, its not too good to be true. While I can't get any book immediately, I can get any available book for only the cost of shipping. It is a really cool, free service, and I have ordered 4 free books so far.

Here's how it works: If you have books to trade, you upload them to paperbackswap.com

Then, when someone requests one, you pay the shipping to send them the book.

When they receive the book, you get a book credit to order any book anyone else has listed for free!

You can see what books are available without registering. If you love books, and you enjoy shopping for free, check out paperbackswap.com! I love it! (Thank you, Priscilla!!! And, for everyone else, Here is Sienna in Nursery on Easter.)

Our Music Makers group

The one week countdown

Well, Friends,

I'm officially starting my new workout in less than a week! June 1st- next Monday- is the big day! I hope you don't get bored hearing about this, but you can always skip these posts!

I'm doing an 8 week challenge! I've got a group of ladies (local and long-distance) who are starting it with me. Our workout is called the 12 Second Sequence, and it requires 2 twenty minute workouts each week.

Physical Fitness, here I come! (If you didn't get the email inviting you to join me, email me, and I'll send it to you!)

Hammocking

Royal's favorite part is apparently his tickling access! He can tickle me from underneath, with no danger of my retaliation!

My Dad is visiting again, which means an endless supply of partying, and lots of extra help. He just hung the hammock I've had for 2 years. I've always wanted to have it hung...

Jimmy Boy!

Our cute little ball of blubber, James Michael, often goes by nicknames. Here's a partial list of whatever pops into my head that I call him:
Jimmy
Jimmy Boy!
Buddy
Little Buddy
Caterpillar
Pooh Bear
Pooh Head (When he's wearing his Winnie-the-Pooh hat)
James Tiberius
James Orenthal Winifred the Second
Jimifred

I'm partial to Jimifred.

2 Men and a Baby, and a Donut, and a Wife, and 2 daughters...

So, my Dad was visiting, and we went through the usual "rush-on-Sunday-morning". And, as we were pulling out of our driveway only about 5 minutes late for church, a Thump-thump-thump-thump greets us.

Royal and Dad changed the tire at the church which is our next-door-neighbor. And, the clergyman was very polite. I didn't even have to trot across the cemetery to get something from home. Fun times! Of course, at least we had a real excuse for being an hour late this Sunday.

$pending Money, here I come!

We use a cash budget. (That means at the end of every month we divide up our income into a stack of envelopes, such as "Groceries" and "Car repairs".) So, on the first, we empty the leftover cash from all the envelopes and refill them with the next month's budget. We have always had money left in the envelopes at the end of the month (except 2 months out of the last 3 years.).

So far, we have never developed a consistent way of dealing with these wonderful "leftovers". For all practical purposes, they are gone with the wind.

This vanishing cash (to the tune of $100+ every month) has created an interesting phenomenon which follows: I have zero incentive to save cash. In my mind at the end of every month, whatever money I haven't spent will be taken away from me and wasted on something I don't know about.

The other thing is, I have no spending money. Our budget has been way too tight since we used all our savings up last December paying off student loans. So, I've been feeling exceptionally deprived. (Of course Royal advised me against using up all our savings, but I finally talked him into going with my over-achieving, overly-optimistic preference of just paying the debt and hoping we won't need savings for awhile.)

Now, I need an incentive to spend less, so I have come up with a plan! Royal should give me (and himself) a certain percentage of the leftover $$ for spending fun.

So, I present my plan to my attentive husband. And, he wisely sees that I have been somewhat starved for a little spending freedom. (I am sure I'm the only one who feels that pinch when you have to be pinching pennies...) So, he suggests that I use all the leftovers for awhile. Then, in a few months, when I'm feeling spoiled instead of pinched we can re-evaluate. WOW! I'm so excited! I've been saving money all week now! And my wish list is growing and growing and growing.

Royal is just simply the best.

Hatching Adventures part 4

Our wounded chick died.

We have combined Chichi and the other 3 full-sized chicks into one box. They are doing fine.

We are officially out of the hatching business! I never intended my (tiny) livingroom to become a mini-chicken farm! And neither did my landlord!

Grace's first portrait

Okay, Grace drew this picture of Royal around her 4th birthday... It was her first! And, I love the little details! (Please note the beard stubble among other things...)

Redefining Success: Dry Panties All Day!

We finally gave in to Sienna's begging for us to let her use the Big-girl potty.

I was caught up in the desire to do it the "right way", (for all you perfectionists out there, the "right way" can be found in the book, Toilet Training in Less than A Day. Its very detailed, and usually works. We did it with Grace.)

And, finally Royal convinced me with a, "Let's just get some pull-ups and let her try."

So, I let Sienna pick out the coolest Pull Ups she could find, and she chose Lightning McQueen Cars. And I told her she could have one everyday that she put her Poopoo into the potty.

Well, long, unnecessary story short: This is our 3rd day with a dry bed, dry panties all day (including nap time), and we haven't even used a Pull up every day.

Sienna is truly a woman with her own mind. And, since becoming a "Big Girl", she seems a LOT more content and happy in general. In celebration, I'm going to have a "Mommy Date" with just me and her and we're going to go pick out the coolest panties ever, and some new Potty-friendly pajamas. I am really happy for her. (And me!!!)

7 Years and A Bag of Chips

This past weekend Royal and I made the trek to Atlanta to witness my brother getting sealed to his adopted daughter Leah Grace.

Being sealed means- to mormons- being bonded as a family by the power of God for all eternity. You can only be sealed by an authorized servant of God in a dedicated Temple of God. So, anyway, its pretty darn special.

Royal and I were married (for all eternity) in that same temple 7 years ago. So, going back was even more special.

And, I am so grateful for how we've grown our marriage since then. I love how much I've become more like who I ultimately want to be, and I love how dramatically different Royal has become.

Before we were engaged, Royal (in a characteristically (whoa, that's a long word!) bold move) said to me on the phone one day, "You're everything I want in a wife, and a bag of chips." What a lucky guy! ;-)

Hatching Adventures Part 3 (Tragedy awaits)

Well, we got back into town from our trip to Georgia this morning.

And, today was the scheduled hatching date for our latest batch of theoretically fertilized eggs (see previous post).

So, as soon as we got home (10:30 AM) I ran into the coop to investigate the situation. Four beautiful, fluffy, dried out chicks! We got them some water. The other eggs had either been broken or rejected by the hen.

Our intent this time around was to allow the mother to raise this batch of babies herself. So, we left them alone.

Later tonight (6:30PM), I went into check on things with the girls... And there was one baby chick who had walked a little away from his mom, and was lying there with a very large, bloody wound. So, I sent Grace into the house for an empty box to take these babies away from their mother. Before she returned I did a little test to see whether this mother had inflicted the wound or one of the other chickens. And, the mother didn't defend her other little ones, but she didn't attack them either. So, I think another chicken came over to lay and attacked the little fur ball.

And our not-too-bright mom didn't defend that poor baby.

Well, she was still alive. So I tried to clean her off, and then put her under the warming lamp to dry. I am sure she will die, but for now she is dry, peeping, and dragging her bedraggled self to the water and food (VERY good sign). I don't want to kill her. Although I sense that if I had any sense I would just put her out of her misery, I don't know how and I don't want to.

The other three are doing great. Very plucky.

Grace in Real Life

(Okay, I feel in order to tell this incredibly short, cute story, I must first make a discourse about my parenting philosophy. So, for those of you who might appreciate a little brevity, skip past this section in parentheses. Okay, so my personal feeling on my children's academic achievement is this:
My kids don't need to be "above average." I want my kids to have responsibilities. I want my kids to feel the joy of achievement. They will be expected to complete all their school responsibilites when they get into school. But I will not push them to learn academic things before they get into school. I want my kids to love to learn, but I don't need or want them to need to be the best. I believe in teaching them other than academic things while they are still at home full time with me.

Now, that said, I am perfectly happy to teach my kids anything academic they want to know. I even encourage them to want to know. I especially enjoy reading to them aloud.)

The other day Grace said to me, "I want you to teach me to read, Mommy."

"Sure, honey. I'll teach you whatever you want to know."

Grace reflected for a minute and then said solemnly, "I want to know all the words in the world- before my 6th birthday."

The Happy Worm Dance

Well, if you are a regular here, you know we had one chicken hatch 2 weeks ago that we took into our house so the mama hen would set on another batch of eggs...

Here's the rest of the story.
We've been raising her in a little box with warming lamp, food and water. Grace and I named her Chi chi (prounounced chee-chee). She is very plucky, and I will even have a pic in a few days.

Well, Royal and Chi chi are becoming very attached to one another. I was just having a chat with him online, and I thought you might enjoy reading a transcript of it. Notice how Royal relates what happened this morning between him and the pet chicken. (Note: I was typing one-handed while breastfeeding the baby.)


me: chechee flew the coop

Royal: I have gotten a lot done today. I misread the note and thought I had to read the scriptures for 30 minutes instead of 10!

What?!?!?

me: i put her back in

Royal: That's good.

me: and covered box w/ that netting

Royal: Good.
What netting? Where did Chichi fly?

me: just out onto the floor

Royal: oh. Good.

me: i cut it from excess from chicken run

Royal: Okay
I didn't think there was any excess.I'm glad you had some!
She's a good bird, really.

me: you silly thing

Royal: But she's getting just a little big for her box, I think.
She really likes worms! She asked for one this morning.

me: what!

Royal: At least I'm pretty sure that's what she wanted.

me: you sound very happy

Royal: She made a couple loud peeps and did a shortened version of the "Worm happy dance"
I AM happy--thanks to you!

me: thats what i like to hear...

Royal: Anyways, so I gave her a worm and she did the worm dance and gobbleit right up!@
gobbled it right up!
Alright, honey, I've got to get back to your love note, okay?
(I've got a schedule, you know)

me: okay see u later

Royal: Love you.

me: love u 2
Sent at 4:23 PM on Tuesday

A lovely visit from Dad K