Lala Rules: Read the Book 2017 edition

Y'all. I failed at my 2017 reading goal. I literally had only one book on my reading list for the year and I didn't finish it.

<insert, audible dramatic sigh>

Team of Rivals is my nemesis. It's been haunting me for going on 8 years now.

Let's review:
Adam gave me his copy of Team of Rivals, perhaps as far back as when we were dating but not engaged? (That's in the range 2009-2010)
I tried to read it, but let's be honest, I had other, more pressing matters to attend to. (Read: we were having too much fun being bright young things in the DC area. It was a 'wild' time.) In my defense, I did start it.
So, then we're married (2010 if you're keeping track) and I definitely have more down time. However, Team of Rivals is (literally) not a light read. You can't read that in bed. Because the 900 something pages make it impossible to hold for any length of time. I don't have a kindle at this juncture in my life.
2011 rolls around and I get Team of Rivals on CD from the library (this was pre-Overdrive for me) and it turns out deep dive history doesn't make for stellar audiobook content for me. I want to take notes, and be able to go back and check out "now who was Kate Chase again?"
Between 2011 and last year, I made several attempts to start and finish the book again. It's sort of become a standard piece I decorate living rooms with by this point.

In 2016 I decided that this was it. I was getting Team of Rivals on my kindle and I was going to read it all! That did not work out. Turns out Team of Rivals isn't that easy to get from your library. Probably because there are scores of fools like me trying to make their way through it and they keep having to check it out. Again. And again. And again.However, 2016 was also the year I figured out the trick that will save us all. Did you know that your kindle can be switched to offline mode? And when your kindle is offline, your 21 day library loan doesn't automatically expire?  Well paint me pink and call me Danny, y'all! It's true.
So, in 2017,  with my goal to finish just this one book in mind, when I finally was first in line for the long awaited kindle version of Team of Rivals from one of the 5 libraries I borrow from? (Keep those library cards kids) I kept that sucker. And it's still there. For anyone still counting - it's now 2018.
How come I didn't finish it in 2017? I got nothing.

All I know is that I still have it on my kindle. I finished multiple books in 2017 but Team of Rivals remains. As of last night, I have 300 pages left. However, I've also already read 4 other books this year. (My Lady Jane, How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids, A Wrinkle in Time and Small Great Things) A house divided cannot stand, Ladies and Gents.

Maggie Rules: Empty the Disher

Maggie loves to empty the 'disher' (dishwasher). Today before her nap, I got her milk cup out of the dishwasher and she immediately wanted to empty the 'disher.' I had to promise her I wouldn't empty it without her, that we'd take care of it together when she woke up. I was bargaining to get my two year old not to do chores.

Post-nap Maggie took to the 'disher' without me. When she didn't know where things belonged, she'd bring them to me and ask. Of course, some things she decided for herself where they went - I just found the garlic press on top of the clean laundry.

I love this part of the two-year old stage. When they want to organize, put things away and learn how to do things independently. So many things to figure out and connections to make. Maggie likes to talk about all the things she's discovering.

She also loves to help with laundry - she wants to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. (She can't actually do this but likes to take the wet clothes out of my hands and put them into the dryer, I get in trouble if I do too many of them myself) She wants to close the dryer door and start the cycle (our new dryer has buttons on the front).

She also loves to instruct me on how to do things and I'm not allowed to deviate from doing things the way I've taught her. She loves to follow a verbal to-do list - I tell her the things we need to do and she repeats it back to me and she's on board to do that list of things in that order. She doesn't like to add more items though, that's an outrage. We're working on building her patience.

Two. It really might be the best age there is. 

Lala Rules: Read the Books!

I think, as it's now less than 30 hours until the new year, we can officially declare my reading list for the year complete.
I've had a reading goal for several years now and I think I've only ever reached it once? I've come close but have fallen short more often than succeeding. I have discovered that having a prescribed list of books to read for the year doesn't really work for me. Sometimes you're not in the mood to read anything you picked out in January, no matter how well intentioned your choices were. Sometimes you need to follow a heavy book up with some excellent YA fiction or a hilarious comedy (Thanks Jim Gaffigan). Sometimes you find an authour and want to read everything they've written. Sometimes an audiobook performer leads you to other works they've performed you've never even heard of.
Anyway, this year my goal was 24 books and I nailed it! As of today, I've read/listened (science says listening counts!) to 33 books. Even without the YA fiction, which Adam maintains shouldn't count, I made it.

They are as follows, in no particular order, with my unsolicited thoughts:
(bold items were audiobooks)

Non Fiction:

1.The Examined Life - I listened to this and thought it was great but it might have been better to read so I could apply the lessons better. It's the same thing I think about Brene Brown books - they need a slow thorough reading in order to absorb properly

2.Why Not Me - I already loved Mindy, this just confirmed my enjoyment of her.

3.Yes Please - I love Amy too. I'm a big fan of comedians who read their own stuff.

4. As You Wish - Delightful. At some point I'd like to read 'Princess Bride' watch the movie and then listen to this again.

5. Upstairs at the White House - enjoyable to the max, so much so that I recommended it to my bestie and my Mother in Law.

6. I am Malala - a Christmas gift from Adam last year. This took me a long time to read because I owned it so it kept getting pushed to the back of the line in favour of books with deadlines.

7. The Big Short - this was shocking, disturbing and disheartening. Everyone should read it.

8. Not my Father’s Son - powerful memoir by Alan Cumming. I thought he did a fantastic job.

9. Dad is Fat - I needed something light and enjoyable after reading about the OJ trial and this was great. Plus, I keep thinking about some of the things he said, both hilarious and meaningful. Well done Jim.

10. The Run of His Life: The People vs O.J Simpson - I watched the mini-series of this earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to get more into the actual facts. Disheartening when you get down to brass tacks though and the fact that he literally got away with murder. Very accessible.

11. Dead Wake: the Last Crossing of the Lusitania - I've read both 'Devil in the White City' and 'In the Garden of Beasts' by this authour and this was more of the same - his skill at making history come to life is enviable.

Fiction:

12. The Luckiest Girl Alive - this was a hard one but one day I might want to read this with my girls, as a conversation starter.

13. East of Eden - get out! Why have I never read this before? Loved it.

14. The Lake House - Morton delivers enjoyable storylines, even if I HATE jumping between narrators/time periods device.

15. The Girl On The Train - gah! Full of frustrating and unpleasant characters but I could not put it down. Gripping stuff. Reminded me of 'Gone Girl'

16. The Martian - I still haven't watched the movie but now I totally would because the book was enjoyable and funny

17. Redeployment - this book of short stories from a writer who served in Iraq was HARD to read. Very upsetting I kept going though because I felt like I owed it to the people who have real stories like this. I left with my belief reconfirmed: we ask too much of these people. We ask too much of their families.

18. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - I thought I was getting the book the Tina Fey movie of the same name was based on. Nope. This was science fiction/conspiracy theory and I kept waiting for it to be funny/enlightening. Interesting but I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise.

19. Their eyes were watching God - book club delivers again. Loved this.

20. Sunset Song - every time I read this I love it and the place I grew up even more.

21. Laddie - I think this is sort of like the American, Norman Rockwell version of 'Sunset Song'

22. Still Alice - powerful and haunting

23. The French Lieutenant’s Woman - I want to read this again, I didn't care for the audiobook and I wonder if the main character would seem less obnoxious on the page

24. The Client - my first ever Grisham; not as gripping as I had hoped to be honest. Enjoyable, but maybe I've seen too many Grisham movies which might play to all the books strengths making the books seem lackluster by comparison

25. Big Little Lies - Moriarty does enjoyable twists and I loved the accents in this audiobook

YA Fiction

26. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - fairly enjoyable YA, fast read

27. P.S. I still love you - ditto

28. Wildwood Dancing - a retelling of a fairytale, not my favourite YA of the year, but clean and enjoyable

29. We were Liars - a last minute twist that made me want to re-read the WHOLE book. Those are the best kind

30. Finnick of the Rock - enjoyable fantasy, not enjoyable enough to get me to read others in the series though

31. The truth about forever - meh

32. Eleanor and Park - dark and sad but good.

33. Liesel and Po - this was a Jim Dale audiobook (he read the Harry Potter series)

34. Girl In The Blue Coat - loved this. WWII Amsterdam - tense and twisty and thought provoking.

Wow, that got a lot longer than I intended it to be.

And now, for next year. The goal for 2017 is one book and one book only.

TEAM OF RIVALS

I'm coming for you Kearns Goodwin.

Maggie Rules: Grow Your Hair

The thing is, when your first baby comes with hair (which was a surprise to be honest, both in colour and amount) you expect subsequent babies to come with hair. Behold Jo's newborn locks.

She wasn't going to win any hairy baby contest but she had hair, no doubt about it. She continued to have hair too. She never really got that bald patch in the back that some babies get. 

There's an old blog post about the advent of her pigtails, at 8 months old even. 

Her pigtail game continued to be strong at two years old. Basically, Jo's hair went from strength to strength. Nowadays it's sort of off the charts in gorgeousness. People stop her and ask if I curl her hair. Nope. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

    It's just a thing that happens when you're Jo.

Now don't get me wrong, Maggie did come with hair. When they handed her to me, she had the tiniest little curls of red hair. I started telling all and sundry she was a red head. I was ecstatic on her behalf - I spent years envying my sister's lush red curls. Nobody was convinced though, and when you look at pictures it isn't hard to see why. Maggie's hair when not wet was nonexistent. She had fabulous wrinkly old man bald head. 

I was firmly convinced though that she was a red head and as time marches on I continue to hope she's got some curl. 

The lack of growth in Maggie's hair has led to an ongoing series of updates on her hair status. This results in a weird collection of pictures and outtakes that lead to much hilarity when viewed as a whole. Behold, just some of your Maggie hair updates:

So, our hair situation has recently moved firmly into the pigtail category. Not only that, but Maggie will now ask for her hair to be done. If she watches Jo get hers done first that is. And as such, I had to document the pigtails on the Christmas card. Oh what a joy they are, even the second time around. Perhaps especially the second time around.

Oh this girl! 

Flying Rules: Restore Your Faith in Humanity

Here's the thing about flying with two small people. It's stressful, and there's not a thing you can do about it. You have to get on the plane. You can't opt out, (at least you can't if you join the foreign service) and a lot of times there seems to be nothing you can do to improve the outcome. Also, sometimes you have to fly with a person who isn't interested in being confined to her car seat, or watching a movie, or sitting in your lap, or reading her books, or eating her food, or playing with the toys you brought. <cough, Maggie> However this person may also be accompanied by another who watches her movies and goes to sleep like the best traveling child known to man. I pray this saving grace upon you.

There's another thing that no one tells you about flying with small people - it can restore your faith in humanity*. Occasionally to the point of tears. You'll sit between two Grandmas with your 16 week old and they will help you get all set up to nurse and coo over your baby when she's awake. People will help you with your bags. Or your stroller. Or those stupid car seats. Or almost anything really. Airline personnel will let you board early. Or do a magical thing called bag valet. People will watch your sleeping toddler so you can go to the bathroom. They'll point at their teenagers and tell you it gets SO much easier. A flight attendant will grab you while you're struggling and tell you "Breathe! You can do this -you've already done the hard part!" and then she'll get you a glass of water. Folks will play peek-a-boo over the seat with your never-endingly restless one year old.  They'll tell you your kids were great on the flight, even when you know it was their worst flight yet. It's amazing. People can be totally incredible. 

*With one caveat. You have to be alone with your small people. If you've got a second adult you are often completely and utterly out of luck. A cute child or two helps too....

Cousin Rule: They're the Best

Today as I was sitting on the couch I let Maggie watch some videos from our recent UK trip. I pulled up one of her baby cousin (almost four months old) and Maggie pointed and exclaimed with glee "Bea!" At which point my heart melted and I thought "I would spend any money in the world for that!"
One of the coolest parts of the parenting gig so far (in my book at least) has been introducing and having my girls spend time with their cousins. It's sort of like more siblings but with less work. Less work for me at least; my sister-in-law's who have four or five babies are definitely doing more work :)

Jo Rules: Say Funny Things

Jo's a pretty hilarious kid at times. She's verbal to the nth degree and this can sometimes be overwhelming for her Mother - sometimes I have to tell her I need quiet time. Of course, quiet time to Jo means her going into the next room (where she can still see me) and doing something loud. I should probably just let her talk, it might be less noisy.

Anyway, she can say some random and hilarious things. Here are some examples from the last little while.

'Mummy, you know what? If bugs would be good bugs, they could be nice and help me clean up my room.'

In regards to a hungry Maggie while we are out and about: "Mummy, you can feed her" <pause> "with your chest"

J: What are you doing?
Me: Getting the hair off my legs
J: Why
Me. Because I like it better with no hair
J: Well, that's the way Heavenly Father made me and Daddy

'Mummy! You're so bouncy!" (This was in reference to my tummy)

'Good job Mum! You're a great grown up!'

J: Mummy, so you know who I don't like?
Me: who?
J: Boys. Except my Daddy boy. He's the best.

'Reece was pretty funny cause he was yelling his head off. Silly penguin' (Reece is our neighbor and most definitely not a penguin)

Singing during a silent moment at dinner; 'there's so many things I want to touch....that are not mine' (we have an ongoing struggle to get Jo to leave things alone that don't belong to her - she touches everything, and it seems like it's all the time)

In regards to jumping SO high on a trampoline: 'Look at me jump Mum! It's like I'm 50 years old!'