Books

I've read five books in the last 4 weeks!  I'm on a roll!  It's nice when you have a good routine... plus night shifts.  I read the majority of my books all night long.

I enjoyed them all, so I thought I'd share...

The House At Riverton, by Kate Morton
Downton Abby in a book.  Takes place in the twenties, from the perspective of a lady's maid.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Takes place in Victorian England, at a girl's finishing school.  Has a lot of mean girl antics, mixed with magic and the occult.  It was fun and got suspenseful, but definitely a Young Adult book. I don't think I'll read the sequels unless I find I don't have anything else to read.

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
By the author of the Princess Academy.  She writes so well, I love her stories.  I read the Book of a Thousand Days by her as well and really liked it.  It's a coming of age story that all wraps up in a pretty perfect ending, but it's a fairy tale and I loved the characters. 

A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly
Takes place in the early 1900's I do believe, in northeastern US.  A hick girl tries to find a way to pay for college and get out of a tiny town.  I liked it, it made me really grateful for what I have and that I live when I do. 

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
The recent best seller, made into a movie.  From the perspective of two black maids and one white woman in 1960's Jackson Mississippi.  (Jim Crow laws and segregation, etc.)  The white girl wants to be a writer and ends up secretly writing a book documenting the experiences of several black maids working for white families.

I borrowed the first book, then bought the the four others at a library sale.  I picked them mostly at random.  I picked the first because it was like Downton Abby, which I have a small unhealthy obsession with right now.  The rest were just ones I had heard were good, had once come up on my recommended list on Goodreads.com, and were, of course, on the for sale shelf at the library.  They were almost completely random, yet all had a big theme in common: 

Social class.  Each one had problems and plot lines that all had to do with class.  They all had characters that were on drastic ends of the spectrum.  I was struck most by how each character didn't necessarily notice the difference--particularly the upper class people-- that's "just how it was".  There was also so much about how people blended across the lines to be friends, to learn about how the other half really lives, etc.  It was funny that these books were so different, yet so similar in that respect.  I really liked my little sociology lesson I've given myself via fictional stories.  It helped me to think about how I treat and think about those less fortunate and those more fortunate than me.  It made me grateful to live the way I do, and when I do.  I really have nothing important to say, I'm not an eloquent person by any means, plus, this is not an english literature class and this is not an essay.  So I'll refrain from getting to deep into it.  What I mean to say is, how weird that all these random books turned out so similar, and hey!  Theses books were good, read them if you want!

The End.

Picking Pumpkins

 On Wednesday night, we went out to find us some pumpkins for Halloween jack-o-lanturns.  There's a little roadside spot around the block from us that is a nursery, a pumpkin patch, or a christmas tree shop depending on the season.  We headed there to see what we could find.  The pumpkins were great!  and there were bunches of them! I settled on one with an extra long stem, Ryan picked a pretty big one, and then we got one of the cool white ones for Malcolm, because he couldn't really pick anyway, and I have plans for a white one.  ;)    Of course, we got some pictures.  Malcolm is less easy to get to pose and smile for the camera now a days, but what can you do?

First Words

I wrote a post about Malcolm's language a while ago.  Now, some of that gibberish has turned into real words.
Many times, Mal uses real words, but not in the proper place.  He uses "What" to mean "I want that", "Look at that/this", "Give that to me" etc.  My theory on why he uses "What" in this way, is because when he would use his gibberish words to try to ask us for something, we would anser with, "What?  What is it?  What do you want?" 
Malcolm also uses "Good" all the time, usually to mean food.  Maybe because it rhymes?  He'll also repeat good when I tell him "good job".

Just yesterday, Malcolm used two words in an appropriate place.  He asked me for grapes.  He's been able to repeat the word grapes when we say it to him for a while, but this time he used it on his own and knew what it meant.  He crawled into the kitchen and was gesturing and saying "grapes", (It really sounds like "grts"). I couldn't figure out what he kept pointing at, it seemed like he was just gesturing to one side of the kitchen.  Then a realized it was the fridge and when I pulled out the grapes, he started giggling and doing his excited arm flapping leg wiggling. 
Later that day, he crawled over to a ball in the basement and was saying "Ba! Ba! Bah!"  The whole time until he picked it up. 

Ta da!  Ball and Grapes!

I know most kid's first words are usually "mama" and "dada", but Malcolm only uses "Da" for both of us.  I try and try to get him to call me mom all the time, but he just grins and then when I give up he wanders around saying "mumm mummm mummmmm ma ma ma ma ma" for ten minutes after.  Little stink.

Since I'm recording things to remember about Malcolm, I'll throw in that he also LOVES flags.  He watches the back yard neighbor's big US flag out the back window all the time.  He also points them out to me when we're out and about.  He is usually trying to get my attention and making all sorts of noise in a parking lot and then I notice there's a flag.  He even pointed out one of those stick in the ground kind at the pumpkin patch and the grocery store the other day. 

I swear, he just gets better and better.  I've been really really loving being a mom lately.  I think it's because he's been so much more independent and I can enjoy him more and do less.  I am so blessed that I can work part time and still spend 5 days a week with him. 

Runaway Malcolm!

Malcolm is really into chasing--er--that is, running away.  He sees you coming and then takes off as fast as he can.  Which isn't fast really.  But it is accompanied by fast paced giggle-pants that alert you to the game that is happening.  Malcolm started this a few weeks ago, shortly after mastering crawling.  He started it on his own, with none of us prompting him or having ever chased him. 

The best part is, that now a days he's been playing "chase" with the cat, only Afro doesn't know it.  Mal crawls around the house and when he finds the cat, he goes right up in his face until Afro looks at him.  Then quick as can be he's off!  Full crawl, giggle-panting, the whole bit.

And there's Afro.  Just sitting there, eyes half slits, like, "You're kidding me right?"  Though, Afro does like Malcolm, and so sometimes he follows him.  But it's a generalized meander with lots of rubbing on inanimate objects and such.  It never deters Malcolm though.  He just turns around and heads back to the cat until Afro looks at him and he's off again!

Malcolm has spent the whole morning being "chased" by the cat. I smile every time.  

Last weeks pictures 10/15-10/22

These are all out of order because I loaded them from my phone, but hey! 



This is Malcolm taking each tiny piece of cereal one at a time and putting it back in the bowl.  Just after this he picked up the whole bowl and shook it.  Yay toddlers!



It was a little too quiet for a while, so I went looking for Malcolm.  There he was reading books!  So cute.
 

After an afternoon at the Mall with Grandma, these two were all sorts of tuckered out.
 

I watched Denali on Friday while Laura taught a TRX class. 
 

Ryan got Malcolm this walking toy from DI, I stood him up on it, and he's now walking all over!  He can't pull himself up to standing yet, but once there, he sure does okay!

He was killing me with his faces the other morning.  I just couldn't stand how freaking cute he was! 

 

Wearing his sunday best!
 

He stacks and builds things all the time.  he stacks his dishes, stacks tupperware from the drawer, stacks blocks.... you name it, he's probably tried to stack it.

 

I caught this on camera because of this video.  So funny!

This is little bitty Seth.  He's Ryan's new cousin, we just went to his blessing on Sunday.  It was lovely.  He looks so much like his dad, no?

 

 

Mommy powers

Malcolm was kicking his crib, making all sorts of banging. Lots of jabbering and screaming too.

I walked into his darkened room and politely asked, "What are you doing?"

Malcolm turned over to his tummy, found his blanket, and laid down on it. He didn't even move while I tucked him in and told him goodnight for the second time that night.

I know it won't always be like this, but it's my first experience of true mommy power. :)

Last Week's Pictures 10/8-10/15

Last Week's Pictures has kind of turned into the only thing I do.  It's really "What Happened Last Week",  I don't remember anything except I've got all these pictures. 

This picture makes me laugh every time I see it.  I took it in the bathroom at Kneaders last Wednesday, when I was there with Brenna.  I was changing Malcolm and he was just yelling at the top of his lungs for fun.  Brenna thought I was torturing him.  The whole restaurant probably did too.

I think it was Wednesday as well, when we went to a new store here in Sandy, UT: Scheels.  The sky was lovely, so I took it's picture, and then got some other ones from our little outing.

They have bronze statues by the store entrances.  Some athletes, and then Thomas Jefferson.  Malcolm was kind of like... What is up with this guy?

Scheels is a sporting goods store, like a big Dick's mixed with a Cabella's or something.  They have a big aquarium, a Ferris wheel, and other neat features.  It's huge, like a mall all in one store.

Oh, I made a new friend while we were there, we share a love of jogging.

Mal has been a slow waker-upper lately. He is cranky and sad when he first gets up from his naps, etc.  I sit with him for a few minutes and get snuggles while Malcolm decides he's ready.  This picture is from a day that I put his blanket on his head to kind of tease him from his nap.  He seemed to find it comforting and liked having it there.  Such a funny kid.

This is from our Thursday night Date Night.  We went for sushi (Living Social deal) and then saw Frankenweienie.  We ate outside, and the sun went down just as we were done eating.  Good thing too because it got cold fast after that. 

I traded someone my Saturday shift for a Friday one this week, and this left us with a full Saturday without me working or sleeping!  That hasn't happened in at least 6 months.  It was so nice.  I made pancakes for breakfast, complete with a Mickey shaped one.  :)

My little minion.  Mom brought this back from Universal Studios in Florida.  Malcolm laughs just like the little yellow minions on Despicable Me.  It's hilarious.

In the Afternoon on Saturday, we went to the home show.  We can always go for free because Just Right HVAC is always there.  Ryan was especially excited to see the star of "Rehab Addict" on HGTV, who was presenting.  We saw her, and wandered around a bit, then stopped by Babies R Us.  We still have a little money on a gift card for there, and were looking at their car seats, Mal is almost big enough to graduate from his infant seat.  (I know, he's a little guy...)

That evening, I went to Witches Night Out at Gardner Village with my nursing school friends.  We hardly get together anymore, but have a tradition of Witches Night.  It was so nice to spend the evening with them catching up!  We missed Nina, who is in Wisconsin.  No C-walk this time!  :(

Rachel and I trying on old lady glasses.



Caramel apples, yum!

 The next pictures are from our Sunday afternoon walk on the Jordan Parkway.  My boys are so cute...



Took a picture of this because of the grammar issues.  What is Milk Chocolate shaped like?  Because this frog is shaped like milk chocolate...

Laura put Denali on the table near this glass, and she started licking it like a sucker fish.  It was hilarious!

Last Week's Pictures 10/1-10/8

I was about to start this post by saying some sort of sarcastic thing about how it's not Tuesday, I can't be blogging!  Then realized, actually, it is Tuesday...  Where is my brain today?  It was my night shift weekend, so I'll blame that. Yeah?

Every time I go to get him from his nap he'd be sitting, apparently he sleeps that way too.  How, I don't know.  My legs would fall asleep.

Staring down his bath toys.  No week's pictures are complete without a bath picture, right?

making silly faces at me at breakfast with his raspberry face.

  The next few are from a hike up Ferguson Canyon I took Malcolm on on Friday before I went to work.  It was the first hike I ever took him on when he was itty bitty and we went when the fall colors were out around this time last year.  Aw...

 

My night shift booty.  Sometimes patient families bring stuff...  (If you like your nurses, bring them food.  Lots of food.)

 Saturday, after I woke up and before I had to go to work again, we went to the Utah Jazz scrimmage.  It was free and fun! Though we didn't see them play much.  They gave interviews at the beginning, and then had to warm up for like an hour.

 

Interviewing Hayward

The Jazz Bear's motorcycle was really loud.

Sunday afternoon.  What was Malcolm smearing all over the floor?  His own spit up.  Blech.

Family of Three!  The sun is getting lower in the sky these days.

Briget Smash!
Yesterday, I had the mission of distracting Bridget while her mom bought her birthday present. 

Got Malcolm this super cute hat, it's the size for a 6-8 year old?  Surely not!?

"helping" daddy with the dishes.  He's all over the place in the kitchen now.  There's never not tupperware or something strewn about.