Book 2: Before I Go to Sleep

My second book of the year is Before I Go to Sleep, by SJ Watson.  Its a bit different then my usual kinds of books, which I would classify as fiction.  This book was more of a thriller then what I normally read.  I did really enjoy it, but it kept me up very late the night I got to the climax of the book.  I just couldn't read it fast enough to figure out what was going to happen. 

The easiest way to explain the book to people is, to say it's like 50 first dates, but a thriller.  Each morning the main character Christine wakes up in a strange bed with a strange man (at least to her) and her husband has to explain her life to her.  Then she starts to write a journal to record everything she learns about herself each day and what she finds out is very interesting. 

If you are a reader I would certainly recommend the book, especially if you like thrillers.  It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but that could be because it's not my usual genre. I got through it quite quickly as it was very exciting.

Onto #3... which I'm not sure what it will be yet.... there was a free itunes book with the 12 days of Christmas, it might be that... or if a good hold from the library comes..  I'll leave you in suspense.

Jenn

Next Stage...

This morning I registered Nathan for kindergarten and I'm feeling a bit sad about it.   There is part of me (not sure how big) that is not ready to leave this 0-5 age stage of life.  Soon my kids will both be in school full time and they won't be spending more days with mom then with others.  There are lots of things going through my head, like maybe I shouldn't have worked so much these last couple of years or maybe we should have another baby so these years aren't over. I love being a mom.  I saw a friend of mine yesterday and she is just about to have a baby.  There was part of me that was envious of her, just starting and there was another part that wouldn't want to go through all of that again.   

There is also part of me that loves that the kids are growing up and becoming more fun and more able to do stuff.  Deena posted on the last blog about how they can't do much outside stuff with a toddler in the winter, and that's so true, we didn't either.  But now that Lucas and Nathan can do up their own seatbelts and brush their own teeth and wipe their own bums we are out of hard stage.

Plus when they get a bit older I get more time to myself again.  When making plans for Nathan next year my neighboor who is going to take him (and takes Lucas) after school was hoping he would have afternoon kindergarten as the other kid she has is just there in the mornings, then she would have afternoons to herself.  She felt selfish saying it, but it's true.  Those first 0-5 years are filled with giving of yourself and giving and giving.  It's nice that when they are in school you have some time back to yourself again.

I guess that is what life is, a bunch of stages.  Does it ever get easier to move from one to another?  Or is it the change that makes is so hard.  You get use to what you have and don't want to go into the unknown. Post secondary, marriage, babies, big kids, no kids, retirement...   Lots of stages, if you are lucky.....

But I'm having trouble imaging them being away from me so much... I'm not sure about adjusting to this new stage.  I wish I could stop time.  They are both at really great ages.  I guess the key is to just enjoy where I am now.  Cherish the moments, play...

Jenn

Family Resolutions

As in most couples there is usually a ying and a yang.  Darryl and I have lots things in common, (wine, food vacations, comedies) but we are also very different.  One of the ways we are different is that Darryl is a homebody and I love to be out and about.  Lucas is certainly like his father.  If I make him go out to the grocery store on his day off, he thinks its a big deal. If I ask him if he wants to come with me to run an errand or stay home, he gives me a look and then an answer that says "are you crazy, of course I want to stay home". Nathan can be kind of the fence.  He loves to be with me, but that could be because he's 4.  He also like to play with his brother and be at home.  So with my homebody boys I always am pushing us to go out and do stuff.  Generally everyone loves it and gets on board quite quickly, but I don't like feeling like a nag either.

In December Darryl and I talked about having a family resolution or plan, that one day of the weekend we would do something together as a family.  The other day we could do our own thing or stay home the whole day.  The other thing that came with it so it wasn't always me deciding is that each week someone different would pick what we would do.  We sat down at the beginning of the year and talked about it as a family, the boys were on board so we have been doing some really fun stuff.

Last weekend we went skiing, with our family and friends.  My dad was so happy.  Happier then I've seen him in a long time.  He threw kids over his shoulder, thought Nathan how to ski, helped Lucas to ski better, gave me some tips too.  Our family was so happy too.  I love the happy endorphins we all get with the sunshine and the exercise. Naskiska is a great place to take the family.  There is a really wide variety of runs, including lots of green and blue runs.  We also have really fun time there. 


This weekend we went to the Science Center and had a really fun time.  It's funny as it was Nathan's pick, but the whole time we were headed there he couldn't remember what it looked like or what we did there.  This was my second time there and I really like that place.  My favorite is making animated movies, the boys love the "play room" when they first get in and Darryl loved making the funny photos below.  Darryl is so animated in them they are hilarious!  I do find it expensive for admisson but the boys and I had a fantastic time with all the exhibits.   Here are some photos. 

We also went skating too.  It was Nathan's first time out this year and he did really well.  I'm not sure if practicing skiing has helped or just age and better coordination is it, but by the end of it he was going faster then me walking could keep up with him.  Lucas got new skates this year and wanted to try them out. Lucas had a really fun time with Darryl and his friend Chris playing hockey.   Nathan, Linda and I went home we were too cold, but the big boys stayed out and played for another hour. Winter is not my favorite season, but we have really been enjoying it this year. 

Till Next Time

Jenn

Book 1: A Week In WInter

Maeve Binchy is my very favorite authour.  Her books are very "fiction" based, not necessarily romance or mystery or biography, but about people and there lives.  The other thing I like about them is they are generally quite a light read.  I might shed a tear or two, but I'm not sobbing. The other thing she does is write alot of great characters.  This last book really reminded me or the first book I read by her Evening Class.  Each chapter is about a different character and their "story".   She writes men just as well as women and old people just as well as young.  This story is about a woman, Chicky, who changes an old Irish house into a hotel where people go for vacation.  The stories revolve around the people who work at the Stone House, as well as the people who come to visit the first week.   It was a great read and I enjoyed hours of sitting on the couch this week enjoying it.   Although I had trouble with the last chapter as Maeve Binchy died last year, so this will be her last book.  What a bitter sweet moment.  A good book I've enjoyed, but the last time I'll read something new from her....

Onto the next on When I Go to Sleep. 

Jenn

Resolutions for 2013

I'm a person who really likes New Year and making new years resolutions.  I love to reflect on my life and learn from it and try to do better.  I agree with everyone who says that you shouldn't wait till the new year to change your life and I agree with that, but really all in all I have a great life and so the new year is the perfect opportunity to make some goals and reflect on the goals I had last year.  The only problem is last year I didn't make them.... or I at least didn't record them in the blog.  So I can't really reflect on them... but here are some goals for 2013.

1. Read 12 books.  Which at first I thought was not very many, but when I looked at how many I had read the last two year (5 and 6), 12 seems like a really good goal.  It's one a month.  I hope to blog about most of them too. 

2. Go to 5 new places this year.  I already have 3 on the agenda: San Diego, Prince George and St. John's Newfoundland.  So I think two more should be do-able.  Maybe we could go to Jasper or Seattle.  Last year we went to two Puerto Vallarta and Spokane/The Gorge, and it reminded me how much I enjoy discovering new places.  And I like to add stars to our map of the world.  =)

3. Focus more on what I do have and not what I don't have.  Of course this is something I believe in my head whole hearty, but it's something I've had trouble practicing in my heart.  Whether it's material things or not, I need to work on being happy with this excellent life I have and being happy for others and not wishing for what they have. 

This year Nathan also starts kindergarten this year and Lucas grade 3.  I'd like to put a waterfall in the backyard.  But other then that I hope 2013 is pretty similar to 2012.  It was a happy and healthy year.  I did lots of fun things and had new adventures and I hope to continue that. 

Till Next Time

Jenn