So Much to Read, So Little Time

Most of my down time lately has been spent reading. Studying is more like it. Up to my ears in non-fiction reading. Here's a sampling of titles, all from the local library:


Secret Lives of Boys: Inside the Raw Emotional World of Male Teens by Malina Saval
*Graphic language at times—the first chapter has it the heaviest.*
Over-all, a fascinating read. Boys are a lot like girls when it comes to worries/fears.



Exiting Nirvana : A Daughter's Life with Autism by Clara Claiborne Park
It's refreshing to find a book dealing with an older child on the spectrum. And one that's artistically inclined, like my son. Since I have so many informative books to read right now, I'm using this one as my light/nighttime reading. As interesting as it is, I look forward to some fluff.


1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger's by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk
Lots of good ideas: some old, some new. Taking notes...



The Everything Homeschooling Book by Sherri Linsenbach
Need I say more?


On a good—possibly pathetic—note, I've written over twelve chapters of Corroded. Eleven of those (89 pages) have been through the mill in the awesome critique group I'm in. Thank you, QuillMasters!
My main character is based on me as a teen, but amplified. The more she stretches her limits, the more fun (and harder!) it is to write. It's almost like reliving high school, thinking about all the “what ifs” and if I had that chance, would I have been brave (or stupid) enough to do or say something... For the most part the answer is no. And, an enormous NO for ever wanting to actually go back and live through it again.

Speaking of me as a teen: back by popular demand (well, all four people who voted wanted to see more) is a random poem from a seventeen year old me.

Lost

Crashing waves against the sand.
The tempest whirls in my head.
A soul
dragged down
by Satan's grasp
Has left the world
victim of the
sacrifice.

Celebrations

The Little Princess turned one on Friday. She slept through most of her dinner party- thank you, Nana, for preparing the turkey feast- but was in good spirits when she woke up from her late nap. I allowed her to eat an ice cream cone cupcake without eating dinner. (She enjoyed the left-overs Saturday for lunch.)

She did keep her tiara on long enough for me to get several great photos of her wearing it. I had to get a doll stroller for her present- girls are fun to buy for! Thankfully Fisher-Price makes a sturdy stroller for toddlers. Of course big brothers have enjoyed playing with it, too. Whether it's because large, pink toys are a novelty or because it allows them to push something while running and crashing remains an enigma.

The most memorable moment... well, at least the funniest... was when she opened (with help) some clothes and actually held them up to admire them and exclaimed “oooh!” Such a girlie moment! When opening clothing gifts my boys always throw them behind their backs and grab for the next gift. Classic!