Avid Book-Looker

"Reading" Arthur

I was regularly amazed when other moms would bring books for their kids to look at quietly during a meeting/church/etc. Neither Graeme nor Blaire Rose were likely to be entertained very long by looking at a book. (That all changed once they learned to read - now they hardly put books down.)

Then along came Paige.

She has been an avid book-looker since she was very small. If she was quiet and you went to check on her, there was a pretty strong chance that she had a basket of books and was looking through all of them - absorbing every detail.

I find this quite refreshing. Especially since she is home during the day while they're at school full-time. She can often be found with a big stack of books and a curious expression on her face as she 'reads' them.

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What aspect do you find refreshing in your child(ren)?

A home without books is a body without soul

Grandpa Ken & Paige Elizabeth

Grandma Pat & Blaire Rose

I have very fond memories of my dad reading to me. With 8 kids in our family, it's not like the one-on-one time happened all that often, but the memories are strong. I remember leaning into his chest and feeling him breath in and out - then wondering if my breath had the same reaction to my body.

My parents had the opportunity to come up to visit us for a quick over-night stay this month. The kids were thrilled to have some one-on-one time with Grandma & Grandpa and made sure to get some reading time in. We miss living close to them, but are honored that they support us in our pursuit of God's will and in ministry here at North Kitsap Baptist Church.

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What is your favorite childhood memory involving a parent/grandparent?

An Ache for Meaning

I am still enjoying the book Affluenza and thought I would share this humorous tidbit with you:

Cincinnati -- the blank, oppressive void facing the American consumer populace remains unfilled despite the recent launch of the revolutionary Swiffer dust-elemination system, sources reported Monday. The lightweight, easy-to-use Swiffer is the 275,894,973rd amazing new product to fail to fill the void - a vast, soul-crushing spiritual vacuum Americans of all ages face on a daily basis, with nowhere to turn and no way to escape...Despite high hopes, the Swiffer has failed to imbue a sense of meaning and purpose in the lives of its users.
--- From The Humor Newspaper, The Onion - February 9, 2000

The Mom List

I got a kick out of this article in the Parenting magazine:

4 Ways Kids are like Peeps

1. They're sweet, though almost always a bit sticky
2. You can give them a little squeeze if they're yours - but not if they're a stranger's
3. They're a known cause of stubborn belly overhang
4. It can be hard to stop at one, but after two or three, the mere thought of having another may make you queasy.

Affluenza - Epidemic of Overconsumption

Duncan and I were invited to some friends house for dinner the other night and had a fabulous time. While chatting over dessert, the topic of marketing came up and our friends began discussing the issues of advertising today - in movies, commercials, etc. They referred to a show about Affluenza and to the book and then loaned us their copy so we could read it. I am not that far into it, but so far it is very good.

As a Personal Organizer, I have a love/hate relationship with stuff. I love helping people organize their stuff, but find that they cling so tightly to things that have very little value, allowing those items to add stress to their lives so they aren't really enjoy the people around them. This applies to my own life as all of my friends can attest to: I love the thrill of getting a good deal on something, but hate the feeling of over consumption that often goes along with it.

As the book points out on page 8: "The message of this book isn't to stop buying; it's to buy carefully and consciously with full attention to the real benefits and costs of your purchases, remembering, always, that the best things in life aren't things"