Oh, There's Nothing Wrong with the Children

Lydia left for Key West, Florida yesterday morning at 6:00! I had her all packed up the day before (Leah had to limit the amount of clothes and things I wanted to have Lydia bring) - she shared a suitcase with Adah and Leah. Her old, big diaper bag was used as her carry on...extra diapers, a change of clothes, books, small toys, DVDs, and lots of snacks. We woke Lydia up at 5:40 and brought her over to Leah's house. She was wide awake by that time and in a good mood. We kept her in her pajamas (Leah eventually fixed her hair and put clothes on her at some point). My mom said Lydia did really well on the flight and was well behaved and in a good mood.

Today I received pictures of Lydia at the beach and having fun! I'm so glad she's enjoying herself and is being good for my parents and sister.

Yesterday I worked half the day and then taught piano lessons. Luckily for me, I only had two lessons yesterday. Brian and I enjoyed an evening to ourselves - baby free. We went to Wal-Mart to get dessert and soda. We watched Justin Timberlake's movie, On Time - which was pretty good, although kind of silly. We went to bed late, despite Brian having to work in the morning.

This morning I woke up at 8:30! It was so nice being able to sleep in on my day off! I stayed in bed until 9:00, playing on my iphone. Then I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes while watching The Tale of Desperaux (pretty cute movie). Then I was able to really clean the house. Usually, with Lydia, I can get the kitchen and maybe the front room cleaned before she starts wanting my attention. On Thursdays, I usually get up around 7:30, give Lydia breakfast and clean while she eats and watches her morning shows. By 8:30 we head off to HEB. Then I'll clean a bit more and play with Lydia before 11:00 lunchtime and then 12:00 nap time. Today, I didn't have to worry about anyone but myself. So, I didn't head off to HEB until 12:00!

You know you have plenty of time on your hands when you have time to organize your tupperware cupboard! I organized the tupperware and the pictures on the refrigerator. I took all the old photos of Lydia off and replaced them with brand new ones. I also took off all her old artwork and put up some new artwork. I need to find something that will hold her artwork, so I don't have to throw it away and it will stay nice. This will probably be my summer project (along with making her a photo album). After cleaning the whole front of the house (everything but bathrooms and bedrooms - that will be tomorrow), I made the HEB list and headed off to HEB. I spent less than 40 minutes shopping and spent a lot less than I did last week!

When I got home, I ate lunch and watched my shows on hulu. I also researched some teaching aids for teaching the grand staff to my students. I really want them to memorize the note locations on the staff, instead of just guessing or having to figure it out. I e-mailed Brian links to several worksheets I can do with the students - he printed them off and made copies at school. Hopefully these ideas will be fun and educational for my kiddos.

I had piano lessons at 3:30-4:30, which went amazingly well. My two new boys are so smart and eager to learn the piano! It is a joy teaching them.

Brian was home by 4:45. I played some Josh Groban songs on the piano while Brian relaxed. We made beans and dogs with rice (our favorite meal) for dinner, and Abram arrived around 6:00. I love that it is lighter later so that Abram could play outside in the backyard. Brian was able to pick more loquats from our tree and he cleaned off the porch.

Tomorrow I have work until 1:30 and then I'm on my own again. I plan on cleaning the bathrooms and bedrooms and starting laundry. Brian is staying late at school, but when he gets home, we're heading downtown to walk around the Riverwalk and watch Mirror, Mirror at the AMC. We have a gift card to Red Lobster to use up this weekend, and I want to go shopping. It'll be a nice baby-free weekend for us! But, I can't wait until Sunday evening when I get to see my baby again!

Before baby trip to the Japanese Gardens.

Before baby in New Braunfels.

Yes, Well, We'll Have to Think About That One

Lydia had a rough evening yesterday. I had a rough evening because Lydia had a rough evening. And Brian had a rough evening because Lydia and I had a rough evening.

It started out as a pretty good afternoon, actually. I picked Lydia up from Leah's house, and despite having an early nap, she was in a pretty good mood. I managed to get the kitchen cleaned before Lydia wanted my full attention. We played in the living room and then painted rainbows (Lydia loves painting her hands and making handprints). Then, Lydia got fussy. I put her in her crib with her pacifiers and blankets and I laid down on the floor near her. She rested for a good 20 minutes before she started moving around and standing up. So, after about 45 minutes in the crib, I let her out.

Brian called to let me know he was leaving work, so I got Lydia dressed in her Easter dress (thankfully Leah had fixed her hair super cute and it still looked nice), packed snacks, drinks, camera, Easter baskets, and eggs and got ready to meet Brian at church for bluebonnet pictures. By this time, Lydia was getting fussy again, but I figured once we got outside, she'd have some fun.

Brian and I arrived at the church at just about the same time. Lydia wanted to immediately explore the flowers, but wasn't interested in posing the way we wanted her to. After only a few pictures, Lydia fell. I picked her up and realized she had fallen on a cactus! She was crying, so we started looking to see if she had any cactus needles in her. We found one in her foot and took it out, but she was still crying. We looked for more. I lifted her dress up and saw a whole patch of needles under her left thigh! Now both Lydia and I were crying!

We put her in the car and I held her legs down while Brian got out his Leatherman to get the needles out. Lydia is one strong toddler! It took us both to hold her legs down so she'd stay still. The whole time she's screaming and crying and I'm crying because my baby is crying! Brian was able to get out the big needles, but Lydia was moving too much and he needed smaller tweezers for the small needles. We called to see if my parents were home, and then rushed over to their house.

My dad is an expert splinter and needle remover, so we knew he'd be able to help out. It took Brian and my mom holding Lydia's legs, and me holding her arms and upper body to keep her still so my dad could get the needles out. Lydia was very upset afterwards and now has red marks on her thigh from the needles. We took off her dress and cuddled on the couch for a bit. Then Brian and my dad took her outside and she calmed down.

After mom and I started dinner, we got Lydia dressed again and put leashes on the dogs to walk over to a small patch of bluebonnets in my parent's neighborhood. As soon as Lydia saw the bluebonnets, she started crying and refused to go near them! We were able to convince her to take a few pictures with the flowers by getting Denzel in with her and making her laugh. Despite her mishap with a cactus, we managed to get a lot of great pictures of Lydia with the bluebonnets!

I think it is the hardest thing ever to watch your child in pain. I can barely handle it when Lydia gets shots at the doctor's or falls and scrapes her knees. I cried when she got sick and was throwing up. I hate seeing her in pain and not being able to help. And, what made the cactus needles worse, was the fact that holding her down scared her and using tweezers caused some pain.

If I had been by myself with her and she had fallen on a cactus, I would hope I'd be able to keep myself together for her sake. I know my crying scared her (good thing I was wearing sunglasses!) and I tried to stop, but it was hard. Brian was good and kept himself together and was calm and collected the whole time. I don't know how I'll handle anything worse than cactus needles!

Lydia in 2011 and in 2012.

Because You are the Most Important

An update on more Spring Break 2012 fun!

Monday, March 12th

We headed off to Six Flags Fiesta Texas around 10:30...and waited in the line of cars to get into the gate for 30 minutes. Brian actually got out and walked, made it to the entrance, got his season pass card and coupon book, and was waiting for us in the parking lot!

Lydia had a blast, of course. She loves the rides! If she could go on the rollercoasters, she would have even more fun! We went on every single ride Lydia could go on (minus the second tea cup ride and the little train). Dad met us outside of the park at a picnic table with lunch (he parked his car at the church and walked all the way there!). Then we headed back in for more fun. Lydia fell asleep in the stroller for about 40 minutes - the only nap she had all day!

Tuesday, March 13th

San Antonio Children's Museum Day! We invited our friends, Brandy, Thomas and their little boy, Noah to join us. We have never been to the museum and we had a blast. We left for downtown around 10:00 and the museum was already packed! Lydia's favorite part of the museum was the HEB store for little kids. They had actual HEB products, carts and even check out counters with real scanners and computers. She also liked the Tot Spot - it was the perfect place for Lydia and Noah. I want to go back to the museum when it's not packed.

Leah, Jessie, and Adah joined us for a lasagna dinner afterwards.

Wednesday, March 14th

Happy Pi Day! This is Brian's favorite day of the year. For a few years in a row, we've gone to Enchanted Rock to celebrate. We left around 7:30 for Fredericksburg and got there just before 9:00 and right before the cars started lining up at the gate! We made it before the crowd! We climbed Turkey Peak - a smaller rock - first, ate lunch, and then headed up Enchanted Rock. Lydia and Adah rode in their backpacks on the way up and back down (their daddy's are strong!).

The boys flew kites up at the top and managed to bring enough string to get the kites about 1200 feet in the air. We got home around 6:00, and surprisingly, Lydia didn't nap on the way home, so she was more than ready for a bath, dinner and then bed!

Thursday, March 15th

We had a lazy morning and I finally managed to get some house work done (finally). I also went to the library to get some Mozart books and a new book, called UGLIES...but there was only one Mozart book that I wanted and no UGLIES. Oh well.

Lydia was finally able to take her 2 hour nap, and then we headed to pick up Abram and then to mom's house. Mom and I made the foil pack meals (chicken, carrots, potatoes, onions) for grilling at the Park later. After the Carabajals arrived, we all headed off to Guadalupe State Park.

Lydia had a blast playing with Abram and throwing rocks in the river. She loves running around outside! Dinner was delicious and we all had a great time.

Friday, March 16th

Brian and I dropped Lydia off at 9:00 at Leah's house so we could head to San Marcos. I took my ESL certification test...and made a 77 - when I needed an 80! Oh well. I can try again.

Then we met up with everyone else at Landa Park in New Braunfels. Lydia loved the park and the train ride. We then got to see Brian's new middle school (still being built) and then headed back to San Antonio and went to Yogurt Zone...my first time there and it was so good!

Tomorrow we plan on relaxing a bit and then trying out the softball fields we want to get our Sunday School group to play at in two weeks. I also need to go to the library and the music store. Sunday will also be a restful day, other than going to church and HEB. I think we need a rest after such a busy, fun week!



Only During Thunderstorms, Sir.

So, it's been two days of my first Spring Break since Spring 2006.  I might as well document as I go, since we plan on doing tons of fun adventures in the next week.

Saturday, March 10th:

Lydia woke up at 5:45. I checked on her, made sure she had her pacifiers, and then turned the monitor off until 7:00. She was awake by the time I turned the monitor back on. Brian changed her diaper and put on The Wiggles in her room. She was good until 7:50! That was a nice sleep in for Brian's first day of Spring Break. Brian let me sleep in until 9:00! He's so sweet!

After I woke up and came out to the living room, Brian headed outside to start digging up our ugly bushes in the front of the house. They had looked great when we first moved in, but then they died all of a sudden. We had to wait until after winter before we could get rid of them. We had planned on going to Sea World, but it was below 50 degrees and rainy, so we opted out of seeing Elmo. 

At around 10:00, my mom, dad, and Thomas showed up to help Brian pull out the bushes. Dad also brought some of his Florida flower clippings to replace our bushes. Brian, dad and Thomas worked out in the cold drizzle while mom, Lydia and I stayed nice and warm inside. Mom and I planned her lesson for Sunday School - the history of a few hymns. I helped her choose the hymns and practiced them on the piano (I'd be playing them during Sunday School).

Lydia had lunch at 11:00 and then had fun playing. She had a great time hanging out with the family. It's so much easier to entertain her when we're stuck inside when there's other people around to help out. She went down for a nap at 12:00 and I prepared lunch for everyone. We had soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and left over chicken enchiladas - yummy!

Dad and Brian headed off to Home Depot to purchase new blinds for our four front windows. The ugly pink, plastic blinds are finally replaced! I need to take some pictures. The windows look so much better!  After they finished, Lydia got to play with Grandpa and Thomas while Brian grilled sausages and brats and I made au gratin potatoes. Dinner was yummy, too. Lydia loves sausages!

Lydia took a bath while Brian and mom cleaned up and then it was bedtime. After I put Lydia down, we played Guesstimation - dad won. 

Brian changed all the clocks - moving them up an hour. We crossed our fingers and hoped Lydia would sleep straight until at least 7:00!

Sunday, March 11th:

It stormed all night, so Lydia woke up at 2:30 and then at 3:30. Then she woke up at 7:00. I went into her room and laid down on the floor next to her bed. Lydia fell back to sleep around 7:15 and I headed off to take a shower at 7:30. Lydia slept until 8:10, which was great. Brian got up at 8:30.

We headed off to church by 9:15. I played the piano while everyone sang the hymns during Sunday School. The piano was pretty crappy, though...not even a full-sized electric piano. Then we went to the service. I headed back home after church, while Brian and Lydia went to my parent's house for lunch. I ate a quick lunch and then went to Target to buy a baby shower gift. A woman at my Mentoring Mom's table recently had twin girls who were born very premature. We had her baby shower today, and it was so fun! We had some good conversations!

I came home to an empty house and time to myself. Brian and Lydia went to a Rampage Game (hockey) with my parents. One of Brian's students sang the National Anthem. I enjoyed my alone time, although it is kind of boring.

Brian and Lydia came home around 8:00 and Lydia was in bed by 8:45. Hopefully she'll sleep in a little late tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow it's SIX FLAGS!

Eating brownie batter!

Brian removed the bushes!

Lydia's first hockey game!

You Have to Live the Life You Were Born to Live

Today was the first day in a long while that I spent the ENTIRE day with Lydia, without any help from Brian. He stayed late at school today....something started at 7:00 (I must not have been paying attention to what started at that time)...so he won't be home until after 9:30 (but he's bringing me some Sonic ice cream).

Anyway, I spent from sunup to sundown with Lydia today. She woke up around 6:15...but was content in bed until 7:00. At 7:00, I put on The Wiggles and decided (finally) to exercise. I had been running (five minutes at a time), but that's just too much for me right now. Instead, I power walked for 20 minutes (and managed to use up more calories than when I was running - since I was going faster) while watching HELLO DOLLY. After 20 minutes, Lydia was ready to get out of her crib.

Lydia had breakfast while watching PBS while I wrote out the HEB list and then showered and dressed. Instead of fixing Lydia's hair, I decided to just let it stay down and messy. We made it to HEB before 9:00 and I somehow managed to lose the grocery list between the car and HEB. I still managed to get everything I needed and Lydia was really well behaved the whole trip, even when we didn't get HEBuddy bucks to spend.  We even got home in time to catch the beginning of Elmo's World.

And this is when Lydia started getting a little fussy. She was mad when I put on another Sesame Street (this time via Netflix), since it was Gabba. I ended up turning the TV off, which just made her more mad. My plan was to clean the entire house before Lydia's nap time. And I pretty much managed it. After calming down, Lydia played very well independently (without TV). I finally put away her clothes donated by a friend (they were just laying around on her glider) - and her closet is full and stocked for summer! Lydia pretended to chat on her ipod while I was putting away her clothes. When I emptied her laundry basket and tried to fill it with dirty clothes, she had already filled the basket with her Dr. Seuss books and wanted them to stay there. If you want Lydia to sit still and quiet, get the vacuum cleaner out. While I vacuumed, Lydia sat on the couch with her baby doll, stroller, and two blankets.

I made her macaroni and cheese for lunch and she ate almost all of it! And she started getting fussier. It was only a little after 11:00 and I didn't want her to go down for a nap too early. After lunch, I tried to get her interested in some puzzles and songs, but it took awhile to convince her to have some fun with me. After a few puzzles, songs and books, it was 11:45 and nap time. She only slept an hour. I gave her her pacifiers and blankets and she laid back down.

Leah and Adah came over to get some art supplies and to chat. At 2:00, Lydia was up and we headed outside for a walk. Lydia managed to use up about an hour because she likes to look at every rock, blade of grass, and bus that we pass. Leah and I, of course, had a good conversation. At 3:30, piano lessons started. Lydia did really well this time, only a few episodes of fussiness. After lessons, we headed to Walgreens to get our free rental (which ended up being $.35 because it's a blueray) - we rented THE BIG YEAR...so far pretty good.

Once home, we got to enjoy the warm weather outside. I brought out the chalk and bubbles and we had a good time. Then it suddenly turned breezy and cooler...looked like rain. And it was almost 5:30. I was able to get dinner started (with Lydia sitting on the counter) and we had fried rice. Lydia had a great dinner - no complaints and she ate her entire serving, vegetables and all. Brian missed out on a peaceful, no crying dinner. 

After dinner, I quickly cleaned up and put Lydia in the bath. About 10 minutes in the bath, the doorbell rings. I had totally forgotten Abram stays with us on Thursdays evenings for a bit! I grabbed Lydia up in her towel and answered the door with a naked baby. Lydia was done with her bath and ready to play with Abram. After quite a bit of fussiness, she finally managed to go play with Abram. They had a really good time playing tonight. And, despite being quite tired, Lydia managed to stay awake until 8:00 in a pretty good mood.

I must admit that I got a bit frustrated with Lydia tonight because of her fussy episodes. I'm used to having Brian home by 5:00 to help out while I make dinner. And he usually gives her a bath to give me a brief break. I guess I take him for granted just a bit. I love spending my days with Lydia, but I like having Brian come home to help me out in the evenings. 

Make it an Uneven Three

I have finally finished The Hunger Games trilogy....not because it took me forever to read the books, but because it took me forever to get book three. I was unable to borrow the first book, The Hunger Games, from my library because there was a wait list....a wait list of about 200 people! Luckily, I have a little brother in middle school who was borrowing it from his school's library. Despite the fact that I personally asked him to let me borrow it when he was finished....Leah was given first dibs on the the book. She read through the book rather quickly, which meant that I got it only two days after she started it. It took me another two days to finish the first book. This was a major achievement recently...I have been unable to find a book that made me WANT to read, despite it being 10:00 at night on a weekday. I love books like this (even though I lose out on sleep). Leah read through the second book, Catching Fire, pretty quickly, so I also received that book in record time (only a day after I finished the first one). Once again (despite a few negative comments about the book from my little brother), I finished this book in only a few days. The third book was an issue. Thomas didn't like this one as much, so it took him FOREVER to finish it. Then, despite my asking for it, Leah got to read it. Then, despite my asking for it, Chris got to read it. Then, despite my asking for it, it was returned. Then it was Valentine's Day and my dad gave the third book, The Mockingjay, to my  mom for her present. It is now March 6th and I finished the third book yesterday (two days after I started it)....it took that long for my mom to read it. She had several negative comments about this book...that it wasn't a page turner like the first two...that it wasn't very interesting... But, despite these comments, I wanted to - had to - finish the trilogy! Did Katniss end up with Peeta or Gale?! Did President Snow win?! Who would end up dying?! Would there really be a war?! Was District 13 really there?! All these questions, and more, had to be answered. It only took me two days to answer them.

Now, I just have to write my own book reviews of the series. And, since my mom is my main reader, she'll just have to put up with my praise of all three books....and perhaps I can change her mind.

Book 1: THE HUNGER GAMES

I got on the band wagon super late, but just had to read this trilogy since the movie was coming out in March; and I always like to read the books BEFORE I see the movies. I just hope this movie doesn't ruin the books like the Twilight movies ruined the books for me.

"District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety." (Katniss Everdeen, pg. 6)

I love books about alternate worlds. I enjoyed Margaret Atwood's Handmaiden and Lois Lowry's The Giver. I have always found them very interesting. Part of me always liked the Giver's world....while at the same time, I was thankful for colors and choices (and being alive, since I was the smaller twin!). It isn't too hard to imagine the United States destroying itself...we think we're all powerful, are constantly coming up with new technologies and weapons, etc. I like how Suzanne Collins said she came up with the idea for Hunger Games. She said she was switching between channels - one was the report on a war and the other was those game shows where people go through obstacles and land in the water, and get hit with large objects. She just put the two together to make the Hunger Games.

I was surprised that this book is meant for young adults. It is a pretty adult concept, although she keeps it pretty PG (especially in today's ratings). There is no sex or cursing...although there is lots of violence (especially in the third book) and mature thinking (Katniss experiences very adult situations - having to fight to the death and all). I had had no idea what this book was about before I started reading. To think that a country would "willingly" sacrifice it's children to keep it under control - not very civilized. Yet, when we hear about the Capitol, it seems a very civilized place. The Capitol people don't experience hunger or death the way the other Districts do.

Each District has it's own exported product - District 12 is coal. And the farther away the Districts get from the Capitol, the poorer they are. District 13 used to be the last District, but it rebelled and was destroyed by the Capitol (and the reason for the Games is to remind the other Districts why they shouldn't rebel).

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" (Effie Trinket, pg. 19)

The Hunger Games are supposed to be viewed as a privilege by the Districts. This is what makes the book so riveting. You'd expect people to refuse to join the Games, for people to not enjoy watching them. But, when we learn about all the "rules" and that each tribute gets a "mentor" and has to have "sponsors" in order to get things they need while in the Games. As the book moves on we learn each tribute gets a stylist team and a makeover so that they look good on TV. This is not just some Game.....it's THE GAME....viewers are constantly watching the Games and want to be entertained. The Gamemakers have to make it interesting. If no one's killing each other, it's not interesting enough.

Katniss only ends up at the Games because she volunteers to replace her sister, Prim. Already, Katniss has become known for this act of kindness. Katniss goes through a lot during her stay in the Games. This is very fast-paced and very much a page turner. You want to find out who her allies will be, and why Peeta is at first against her, and then disappears. You want both Peeta and Katniss to survive. I knew Katniss had to live (there are two more books in the series), but I didn't know how she'd manage to get Peeta out. Katniss is not made out to be a heartless killer. She only kills when she is protecting herself or others. This makes her likable and a hero. You WANT her to win. But, you also want Peeta to win - who is also not a heartless killer and who loves Katniss.

The whole love story between Peeta and Katniss is at first ridiculous - why did she have to add this in? But, it makes you want Peeta live and gives Katniss more of a human quality. She, at first, only pretends to love Peeta, but she eventually realizes she loves him.

The book ends with Peeta and Katniss about to kill themselves with poisonous berries. But, the Gamemakers decide two people can win this time. There are two victors...and Peeta and Katniss must start their Victor's Tour.

Book 2: CATCHING FIRE

"I have a problem, Miss Everdeen. A problem that began the moment you pulled out those poisonous berries in the arena." (President Snow, pg. 20)

The Victors are starting their Victor's Tour, and Katniss gets a visit from President Snow. She realizes that she has created mild rebellions in the Districts because the rules were changed...which means, perhaps, other things can change as well. As Katniss and Peeta go on Tour, they must "act" like they are in love. We learn this is natural for Peeta, but perhaps not as natural for Katniss.

They see a few mild rebellious acts while on tour, but nothing Katniss seems to care too much about. Then, at the end of the Tour, we learn it's going to be a Quarter Quell...an extra Game that year. And that only previous Victors will be chosen for the Quell....something that was never supposed to happen.

And, of course, Peeta and Katniss must return to the Games. We see the Capitol and her stylists again....the trainings and the interviews. This time, the Arena they're in is pretty intense. There are tons of different "Muttations" and horrors that await them in the forests and in the water. The monkey attack made me quite anxious for them.

The whole time, Katniss believes she is going to save Peeta, no matter what. She allies herself with others, who also want to save Peeta. At the very end, Katniss fires an arrow into the force field that surrounds the arena and manages to bring an end to the Games. She is rescued by District 13 (it does exist)....but we learn that Peeta is not. Her friend Gale and his family, as well as Katniss' mother and sister, were able to escape District 12 before it was completely destroyed by the Capitol. They are living in District 13.

" The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol's plans. The symbol of the rebellion." (Katniss Everdeen, pg. 386-387)

Book 3: THE MOCKINGJAY

The Mockingjay, we have learned, is a bird that is a hybrid of mockingbirds and jabberjays. Jabberjays were created (they're Muttations, or "Mutts") by the Capitol that are used to aid the Capitol....the birds could repeat what Rebels were saying and report back to the Capitol. Unfortunately for the Capitol, the Rebels learned this and would give misinformation to the jabberjays. The jabberjays then mated with mockingbirds and created mockingjays. These birds would listen to singing and repeat back the songs - they loved to sing. Katniss and her father were extremely good singers. And Katniss was given a mockingjay pin by her friend, Madge, before her first Games.

"I had already put something in motion that I had no ability to control." (Katniss Everdeen, pg. 6)

The rebellion is in full swing by the time Katniss recovers from her injuries from the Arena. She learns that Peeta was taken by the Capitol and is being tortured. She also learns that District 13 (with it's strict, military-like rules) wants her to lead the rebellion....a rebellion she had never really thought to create. Sure Katniss didn't like the idea of the Hunger Games, but she was never one to call the Capitol out. She was only going to eat the poisoned berries so that she wouldn't have to kill Peeta and he wouldn't have to kill her (and she knew Peeta would never have killed her). She didn't want to start a rebellion - she didn't want people to die "for her" or "because of her". But, in the end, she does want the end of the war...and she wants Peeta back.

I can see where the negative comments started coming from my mom and little brother. For most of the first part of the book, Katniss is wandering around District 13, ignoring the rules, sleeping, and trying to not imagine Peeta being tortured or imagine her days in the Games. This, to me, is understandable. She just went through something traumatic - twice. She lost her best friend. She lost other friends in the arena and from the bombing of District 12. She lost her home. It kind of reminds me of Harry Potter in Book 5....how angry he was about everything....which you learn to understand; he had almost died several times!

We soon realize that this is a whole 'nother "game". There's the war, and Katniss is expected to act like the symbol of the rebellion. She's dressed and readied, just like before the Games. She expected to say and do certain things, just like in the Games. She doesn't know who to trust, just like in the Games. Yes, there's a lot of time between each video shoot (and action scene), but a lot of it is with Katniss coming to terms with who she is and what she needs to do. She's also worried about Peeta.

"My lips are just forming his name when his fingers lock around my throat." (Katniss Everdeen, pg. 177)

Peeta is in District 13, but he's not himself. The thought of him being rescued had made me so excited for Katniss! She would finally have kind, loving, brave Peeta back with her! Gale was slowly turning into a war-crazy soldier, so I looked forward to Peeta's return. However, we quickly learn that Peeta has been "hijacked" or filled with memories that are distorted to make Katniss look like the enemy. He tries to kill her, more than once.

I was very surprised by this. I guess I should have realized that they wouldn't have been able to rescue him to quickly without something else going on. Peeta is kept under lock and key and they attempt to save his memories.

Eventually, Katniss gets to go to war. Her group, which consists of Gale and Peeta (and others), goes straight into the Capitol. This is another Game in and of itself. The whole city is booby-trapped with things just as horrible as in the arenas. I was so nervous for them the whole time! Slowly, people start dying from her group and they have to make their way to the President's Mansion before they're discovered.

When the lizard Mutts chase them in the sewers - oooh I was so nervous! I even paused to tell Brian how anxious and scared I was for Katniss! (He laughed at me.) Katniss finally makes it to the Mansion, where a group of children are being held hostage. Suddenly, a plane drops gifts to the children, which end up being bombs. Half of the gifts go off. Rebel medics suddenly appear, running towards the children. Katniss recognizes Prim, her sister. Then the other half of the bombs go off, killing Prim. Man, did I cry! This was so incredibly sad!

"Don't worry. I've saved him for you." (President Coin, pg. 350)

Katniss is once again having to heal from an injury. The Rebels have overtaken the Capitol and President Snow is tried and found guilty, sentenced to be executed.

Katniss is fighting the sorrow of loosing a sister. She's realizing (with President Snow's help) that it was most likely the Rebels who sent those gifts to the children...the bombs. She also realizes, that it was probably one of Gale's ideas (he is good at snaring).
Before Katniss executes Snow, there's a dispute among the leaders about whether to execute all of the Capitol residents, or let them live. They decide to hold one last Hunger Game in which the Capitol children are expected to fight each other. Katniss agrees to this. 

WHAT?! I was trying to figure out Katniss' plan. Why would she allow another Hunger Game?! The whole point of the rebellion was to get rid of the Hunger Games and the newly appointed President Coin is going to start another one?! I couldn't believe it.

And I also couldn't believe Katniss would really kill President Snow. In the end, of course, she doesn't. And I realize that she made the right choice. She shot President Coin....creating chaos. But, in the end, peace is once again found in Panem...and will hopefully stay there.

"We're fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction." (Plutarch Heavensbee, pg. 379)

I really like what Plutarch says here. There's peace in Panem, for now. Who knows how long it will last. People quickly forget. Isn't that why we (nowadays) have so many memorials? There's the Pearl Harbor Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial. So that we don't forget. Even in the Bible, God made memorials. After the flood, He created the rainbow, which we're supposed to remember as God's promise to never flood the whole earth again. Several times in the Bible God has people create memorials to remember what God has done for them. We all need a little help remembering.

And that's what the Hunger Games were intended for - to remind people not to rebel. Hopefully, Katniss' world no longer needs that reminder and can remember another, humane, way.

"That what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that." (Katniss Everdeen, pg. 388)

"You love me. Real or not real?" (Peeta Mellark)

"Real." (Katniss Everdeen, pg. 388)

I am happy with Katniss' choice in Peeta, instead of Gale. Gale was all about the rebellion, no matter how many lives are lost (very similar to some of the Gamemakers). But Peeta was peaceful and strong. He could support Katniss and protect her and keep her calm.

Over all, I LOVED this series! It had a love story. It had fighting. It had a message. 

Come What May, I Will Love You Until My Dying Day

Today (technically in about an hour), Lydia turned 21 months! Can you believe it?! How does she get older so fast? Part of me wishes she stays young, while the other part can't wait to watch her grow up.

I meant to weigh her today, but forgot...I'm guessing around 22 or 23 pounds (maybe bigger - she sure seems heavy to me!). And she's definitely getting tall - her little skirts and dresses are getting too short for her to wear. She fits in the 12 month dresses and skirts, but now they're super short. She's got a skinny waist and long legs. I went through her closet, trying to get rid of clothes she doesn't fit in anymore to give to Adah. But, her 6-9 month dresses can still be t-shirts, as can her 12 month dresses. But, I need to go through the clothes again, since I just went through the clothes a friend gave us for Lydia a few months ago. Lydia is totally set for the summer! There are so many super cute summer dresses and shorts! They may be a tad big right now, but she'll for sure fit in them come June and July! (And, summer lasts so long here). We do need to get her some summer sandals and another pair of sneakers - she outgrew one pair. I'm excited that at the April Rummage Sale at Concordia, I can just concentrate on getting Lydia winter clothes.

Lydia has grown so much since last week - in her verbal skills, cognitive skills, and her motor skills. I am so excited for her! She learns things so fast - just soaks everything in and is constantly amazing us. She has several new words this month, and I'm hoping that her vocabulary just explodes over the next few months. She still has the habit of screaming at people instead of saying "no"....which I'm trying to break with very little success. She has a very clear "no" that she's good a using (when she's not upset), and says "yeah". She can say "Elmo" and can recognize him on TV, on clothes, backpacks, toys, etc. She says "bubbles", since those are her favorite things. She says "hi" and "bye" (which sound pretty similar). She says some version of "bless you" when you sneeze, and can say "thank you" when she wants to. She still signs for "please", but says "more". She has started saying "more milk" when she wants something to drink (not necessarily milk). We played with her doll house this week and she suddenly said "baby" when she held the baby doll. And she called the daddy doll "dada"...but also called the mommy doll "dada". She still doesn't call me "mama", but definitely knows that Brian is "dada". She says "all done" when she's finished with something, or thinks you're finished with something. She recently started saying "blankie" for her blankets that she now likes to carry around. And she says "baba" for Yo Gabba  Gabba. And, of course, she is still babbling like crazy and really seems to think she is telling you something important.

Lydia's favorite show is still Yo Gabba Gabba, although she will also watch Curious George and Thomas the Tank Engine. She also watches the morning cartoons (Curious George, The Cat in the Hat, Dinosaur Train, and Sesame Street). She really likes Elmo now, but only wants to watch Elmo's World, instead of all of Sesame Street. She loves to sit on the couch in Daddy's lap with her blankets and sippy cup, watching TV. And Daddy loves it, too.

Lydia is still very much an "adventures" girl. She hates being cooped up in the house all day and can't wait to go out exploring. She still loves going on walks with either her babydoll stroller or Duckie. She also loves going to the park. We found one only a 20 minute walk from our house that she absolutely loves (although she doesn't like riding in the stroller all the way there - she wants to walk). We go to Story Time whenever we can, even though she still won't sit still during the stories or songs. (I think she has become overwhelmed and overstimulated when we go there - the group is larger and the room is larger....to much to look at and do.) She enjoys going to HEB on Thursdays with me - especially when she gets HEBuddy bucks to "spend". Brian and I have been good at doing fun things on Saturdays and Sundays with her. When we're at home, I've been limiting the amount of TV she can watch and have been encouraging independent play and doing special circle time activities and crafts with her. TV is for the early mornings and the late afternoons (while I cook dinner)...this way, she actually enjoys the TV and doesn't just use it as background noise. I love watching her play independently. She'll end up in her bedroom, hiding in a closet, reading books, sitting in her car, doing puzzles, playing with baby....all kinds of things. She also likes playing in the sink and reorganizing my tupperware cupboard. 

We've been having a rough time during dinners with Lydia. At first, if she didn't eat anything I just figured that she'd go to bed hungry. But then, she just didn't eat anything - even things I knew she liked! I've cut out snacking at 5:00 (no snacks after 4:00), which means she should be hungry at 6:00. Then I made her take two bites of food. This caused a lot of problems, at first, and then she decided that if she just took one or two bites, she was done. Now I try to get her to eat everything I serve (or at least most of it). Which means, we have lots of crying fits at the table. Brian is getting quite frustrated with these fits, while I'm pretty good at ignoring them. Lydia eventually comes around and eats what I want her to eat (sometimes in only 10 minutes, other times in an hour). Brian is missing the nice dinners where we could chat without talking over screams. We'll eventually get there again, I'm sure. I just wish Lydia liked food as much as she liked snacks.

I'm not taking this for granted, but Lydia has been sleeping straight through the night pretty consistently. Last night, she did wake up once (probably because her milk from her sippy cup leaked on her), but she mostly doesn't ever wake up! This is sort of a problem, though. Her bedtime is 7:30, but she'll wake up around 5:30 when she sleeps straight through the night. I have taken to just turning off the monitor, and then back on again when I get up at 6:00....sometimes she's still making noise, sometimes she's fallen back to sleep. Putting her to bed later doesn't work, though. We've put her to bed at 8:00 or 8:30 and she'll still wake up around 6:00. This morning, she slept in until 6:30, which was great. We're trying to train her to sleep until at least 6:30 or 7:00. Maybe this summer, when we no longer have to get up early, she'll start sleeping in (and it will be a little darker in the mornings).

I could go on and on and on about my precious little girl! She is such a joy, even when she's screaming at the dinner table. I just love her hugs and kisses, love watching her grow and learn, and love being her Mommy!

Lydia's favorite ride at Sea World.

We got to meet Abby and Grover! We weren't allowed to take personal photos with Elmo.

Daddy and Lydia in Lydia's ball castle.

Lydia in the refrigerator. 

You're Going to be Bad For Business. I Can Tell.

I'm waiting for dinner to bake. Brian is in the living room with Lydia, watching Yo Gabba Gabba. I just had to post this picture of Lydia and her blankets! She has recently become very attached to these two blankets. One is a pink princess blanket that I got when we bought Lydia's crib from a friend's friend. The other is a quilt made by my friend, Katie. When I first started covering her up in the crib, I used a small blanket (one of her baby blankets). Then I used her princess blanket that had been hanging over her glider. I replaced the princess blanket with the quilt over the glider. Lydia saw the quilt one night and now wants both blankets in her crib, but only wants to be covered up by the quilt.

Now she's into taking both blankets out of the crib and bringing them to the couch. She likes to sit on the couch, covered up by the blankets. She has also stuffed both blankets into her baby's stroller (with her baby and her sippy cup inside)....this caused a few problems when the blankets would fall out and get stuck under the stroller's wheel. I had to constantly restuff the blankets into the stroller.When we went to Leah and Jessie's house for lunch after church on Sunday, Lydia wanted to bring her blankets over, too (we planned on her taking a nap at Leah's house).

I think it's super cute that she likes her blankets! I just wish they were a bit smaller.... When she was an infant, I tried to get her to like a "lovie" - a pink elephant blanket that is nice and small and cute. But, that never took, mainly because her comfort item was her pacifier. Now she doesn't have a pacifier during the day (only at nap and bedtime), so I guess these blankets are her comfort items.

Lydia and I had a great day today! Despite being cloudy in the morning, and Lydia not sitting still during Story Time at the library (and screaming and taking off her shoes), we had a great time together at home. We sang songs and played with her doll house. She took a 2 hour nap and then we were able to go on a walk (with baby and baby's stroller) outside, since the sun had come out and it had decided not to rain. I love taking her on walks! She waves hi to every car that passes and anyone she sees. She likes to stop and pick up sticks and rocks. She likes to stop, sit on the sidewalk, and watch airplanes fly by. She babbles the whole time, and she's really good at pushing baby in the stroller. Sometimes, baby wants to get out of the stroller to be held, and even needs it's diaper changed (in the middle of someone's driveway!).

Dinner tonight: Cesar Salad with breaded chicken, garlic crescent rolls, and fruit!