Waking Lazarus

It's time for the next blog tour. This month is Waking Lazarus by T.L. Hines. This is my favorite of all the books I have read for the blog tour. Check out his blog and website for the first chapter and links to all the blog reviews, also Amazon has a good plot synopsis, so I won't repeat it here.

I read Waking Lazurus through in one sitting because I really needed to know how it turned out. Also, the religious/spiritual element, while playing a crucial role, was never obtrusive or preachy. This was definitely not formula fiction. This book is now on my highly recommend list.

It's been a slow week at the Chintzibob household. Our niece is staying with us this week, she is 12. So we've all spent alot of time playing video games. I really like Jak 3. The niece has been playing Ratchet and Clank, another good series of games. The boy has been playing Spyro and Ratchet, and Lego Star Wars. Splitcat's had the computer playing Civilization IV and redoing all his AP History notes. The girl has been playing dinosaurs and ponies. Right now a dinosaur is chasing Barbie. She wants to play games, too, but she lacks the coordination.

I had something funny to relate, but I don't remember what. On Sunday after church as we walked in the sanctuary, the boy asked, "So what did you learn today?"

On Tuesday I took the boy out for a mother/son date. We got his haircut and went to Chuck E. Cheese and he helped me run some errands at Target and Babies-r-us. He's seemed really bored lately and is having some attitude problems. I was hoping some one on one time would help. It did for a little while. But I am afraid the summer doldrums are here. It took all day yesterday for me to recover being gone for a few hours on Tuesday. Otherwise we might do more fun stuff. Today we are taking a trip to the Walmart. That's always an adventure.

I am officially 31. I have had a very pleasant birthday weekend. Yesterday was our day of celebration, so Splitcat grilled me steak and it was accompanied by baked potatoes, and corn, cucumbers, and green beans from our garden. The corn was small, but very very tasty. The children made me a birthday card, and apparently the girl accidentally signed her cousins name instead of her own. How she knew this since she cannot write is beyond me, but she was concerned, lest I wonder why my niece signed my card. They also made me an angel food cake. I was merciful and didn't demand seven minute icing, which is my favorite on angel food. But I did claim the brown crusty part from the top of the cake. Splitcat got the hint, and I received the new Keane cd. I've only listened through once so far, but I really like it. I bought myself Jak 3. We've been having fun playing all weekend. I also received my cd for June/July from IHOP. It has songs from various worship sessions at the House of Prayer. I had forgotten I should be getting one, so it was a nice extra. today I went out to lunch with my family. We had a nice time as always.

P. was thrilled when I told him he is now 5 1/2. Apparently life is better at this age. I can't believe he will be starting school in a month and a half. So much to do, so little time and energy.

My dr. visit went fine yesterday. Baby A is 3.2 lbs and Baby B is 2.8 lbs. They are both breech again, but still have time to turn. Their sizes are getting a little far apart, so I get to have another ultrasound in 2 weeks. They aren't concerned yet since they are still within a two week range of each other, but if it gets any further than that they get concerned. So they like to keep an eye on things. They both had heartrates in the 140's. I lost two lbs since my visit 2 weeks ago. The reality of having a baby, or in this case babies, really hits when you start going to the dr. every two weeks. That is the signal that the time is near.

My mother was babysitting for me and my sister, who also had a dr. appt. When I got back, she was just leaving. I hung out so the kids could play. I was sitting at the computer drinking a Barq's and I put it on the bookshelf next to me. My three yr old neice came by with a blanket and was trying to put it on the shelf where my drink drink was residing. I said, watch out, you can't play on that shelf because it has my coke on it. She regarded me coolly for a moment, then looked at my drink, then back at me. Then she replied, "that's a root beer" and ran off. (for my non-southern readers, we tend to refer to all soft drinks as "coke.") My niece is a fascinating little girl. Way too smart for a 3 yr old. My mother always told us stories about how my sister was when she was that little, and it was hard to believe. Not anymore. We have a new little version running among us. The world is her best friend. But my daughter is her very best friend. She carries her around in her hand and makes my sister set a place for her at the table. She shares her food with her and gets her special treats. When they are together they plan sleepovers. They were born just 12 days apart. They are complete opposites in body and mind. It's like watching my sister and I grow up again, but as the same age.

The Depot

Well, we had a successful trip to the Depot. We left with grout, a toilet flange(I think) and a toilet. I was a little disappointed when the toilet I wanted was out of stock, or rather, they had not yet received the stock. Leave it to me to pick the one thing they didn't have. It was the right price and, for a toilet, pretty stylish. So we ended up with an American Standard toilet in a box. It was nice that it came with all the pieces, including a lid. We looked at a Kohler, but it had a spaceship look about it, too modern. So we ended up with a toilet that just looks like a toilet. This is the second time I have received a toilet for my birthday. Hopefully I won't need another one for a while since they've all been updated.

On another topic entirely, As I was randomly flipping through the tv yesterday(I'm actually worse than splitcat about this) I found a show on a music channel counting down the viewer's choice of the top ten grunge hits. It was certainly a walk through memory lane. I remember that what I liked about grunge was that it was made by actual bands rather than just a singer/dancer with a studio band back up. It was the first time I actual chose(as a teenager) to listen to new music rather than 70's or 80's rock. It was also the era of bands such as the Cranberries and the Sundays. Splitcat and I were talking the other day about how there aren't that many popular bands(not pop stars) today with female lead singers(yes I know there are a few). I felt officially old one day when they played "Wild Horses" as sung by the Sundays on the radio and I realized how many years it had been since I'd heard it coming from the radio instead of my cd(from which it comes pretty often). I wonder if one day my children will be shocked when I sing along(or mumble along) to "Smells like Teen Spirit" on the Oldies station. I remember being slightly shocked when my good Christian mother who listened to Sandi Patty and Amy Grant and Keith Green sang along to a 60's hard rock tune. It was something like Iron Butterfly or a similar group. I knew she had a interesting past, but I didn't know it involved "rock music." Somehow I don't think my children will be as shocked, since their favorite band is They Might Be Giants. And the Girl regularly gets down to the New Wave and 80's rock stations on our satellite. We have definitely exposed them to an eclectic mix of music. I never know what I'll hear after splitcat has been driving the car. It can be anything from Steve Taylor to Dave Matthews to Van Morrison.

I've been trying to expose myself to new music so I don't get lost in an 80's-early 90's time warp, but I've only found a few new bands that I really like. Honestly, alot of the new bands sound way too much alike. The music all has the same pattern and all the voices sound the same. If I can't figure out who I am listening to by the lead voice, what makes you special? The one relatively new band I really like is Keane. Their lead singer has a beautiful and distinctive voice. I'm hoping splitcat got the hint about their new album coming out and my birthday. I use to follow christian music alot more closely, but now all the bands I like are old. My sister occasionally exposes me to something new, but I haven't heard much I want to rush out and buy. The few Christian bands I like I probably only like because I have been in several worship services led by them which were beyond incredible. And they all come from IHOP, not the radio.

Am I like totally rambling now? Well, back to my original topic in case you wondered, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was voted the number one grunge hit. I have to agree. If you say "grunge" it is probably the first song I think of. It is one of those songs that immediately brings me back to being 18 or 19 at the back to school dance, trying not to make a fool of myself(which I was generally unsuccesful at). I remember tugging on my ponytail in hopes of keeping myself from really embarrassing myself by dancing. It only helped a little. That's one of those songs that still makes me want to jump up and down and have hair long enough to swing around.

Happy Birthday to Me

It's not really my birthday yet, it's not till next week, but all the celebrating is done. It seems a little anti-climatic. But I guess 31 is not an age to have a big party for. Being pregnant at my birthday always poses a problem. I usually ask for clothes, but this year it was home depot gift cards, which I received. My mother-in-law hated buying me just home depot cards, so I also received a blanket rack to put our gazillion throws and a very pretty bracelet. So we are finally able to renovate our third bathroom. Even though it is just a half bath, it is the biggest of our bathrooms. Splitcat is getting ready to lay the tile as I write.

This bathroom had been sort of updated when a friend lived with us for a few months before we had kids. But last year my washing machine flooded the laundry room and it seeped under the floor into the bathroom, so we had to pull up the awful, awful yellow linoleum from 1981. There were no tears shed at this loss, but we've just had concrete as a floor ever since. I wish I had pictures of the wallpaper when we moved in. It was gold and blue and was supposed to be a colonial map with big ships sailing all over it. It was truly horrible. Now it is just blue because I found a can of oops paint for $5. We aren't sure what color to change it to. The tile splitcat chose is very earthy looking, it's base color is a dark mossy green, but it has rusty highlights when the light hits it just right. Well, I was just told we're going to the depot. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Tonight as I was serving myself the dinner that splitcat had made I found myself in a flash back to the early years of our marriage. I commented on this to splitcat and he said he had the same thought as he was cooking. It was a simple meal of stir fried chicken, rice, green beans, and cucumbers soaked in italian dressing. This was the staple meal of our home when we were first married. With both of us working full-time the simpler the meal the better. The only difference in tonight's meal was that the beans and cucumber came from our garden rather than the grocery store. And we ate at a dining table rather than an old card table shoved precariously between our bookshelves and another card table with our computer on it. Our first apartment was a simple one bedroom arrangement. Its best feature a large kitchen. We were lucky that it was also on the ground floor. Except the nights our neighbors upstairs had screaming fights and then made up. As I sat down to eat tonight I wondered if we were still the same people that inhabited that place. I think that when we are alone together, we are.

We have always been an old married couple. When we go out for breakfast, we sit and read the newspaper, occasionally commenting on an article of interest. We still can't figure out what to do when we have a night off and usually end up at home going our separate ways, usually splitcat at the computer and me with my nose in a book. But it is done in companionable silence. There is not always a need for us to talk. We have no need to go to trendy restaurants or trendy places. We spent our honeymoon in that first apartment, sightseeing around Atlanta. It was home. And we could think of no better place to begin our lives together. A month or so after our wedding we did go on a trip up to the mountains courtesy of splitcat's parents.

But over the years we have found that we are much happier in a tent than a hotel room and that staying home is much more relaxing than a vacation. That silence speaks more deeply than chatter. In the past few weeks and months splitcat has more than proven himself as both a husband and a father. Taking care of me and the kids. I don't know if he truly understands how grateful I am of his uncomplaining and generous help. So I'll leave you with the poem I had printed in our wedding program.

Sonnet XXVI

I lived with visions for my company
Instead of men and women, years ago,
And found them gentle mates, nor thought to know
A sweeter music than they played to me.
But soon their trailing purple was not free
Of this world's dust, their lutes did silent grow,
And I myself grew faint and blind below
Their vanishing eyes. Then THOU didst come--to be,
Belovèd, what they seemed. Their shining fronts,
Their songs, their splendours (better, yet the same,
As river-water hallowed into fonts),
Met in thee, and from out thee overcame
My soul with satisfaction of all wants
Because God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Dancing

The girl had her first dance class last night. She was very excited. When we walked into the studio she sat quietly with me as we waited for class to begin, awed by the beautiful costumes lining the walls. After class began she didn't take her eyes off her teacher and dutifully copied her every move. She looked very sweet in her black leotard, pink tights and black ballet shoes. Every once in a while she would catch a glimpse of me in the mirror and smile. They practiced learning their left from right, then their teacher taught them all first position. They each had a slice of pretend pizza to help them. It was certainly a challenge to the 3 yr olds to put their heels together and point their toes outward. The older girls had a much easier time of it. I was very proud of how well my little girl behaved herself. She is definitely ready to step out into a life of her own. When we left she wanted to know why she didn't do any ballet. I tried to explain that she did learn some ballet, but I realized she thought she would be having a dance class like Angelina Ballerina. She wasn't too disappointed and happily showed her father her new moves.

She is becoming quite a girl.

Summer

At last summer is here. Today we spent some time in the yard. Splitcat picked green beans, the kids played in the sprinkler, and I reclined in my new chair. As I slathered the children with sunblock, I realized that the smell reminded me more of band camp than the beach. As I have caught lingering whiffs of sunblock through the afternoon it has become the smell of sunshine, laughter, and green trees.

We ate our first batch of green beans yesterday. They were quite tasty. We should have cucumbers any day now, and tomatoes within the week. The children have really enjoyed watching our garden grow.

I had a dr's appt yesterday. Everything was mostly fine. I had to do my glucose tolerance test-a test for gestational diabetes(Imagine adding about a cup of sugar to orange gatorade and having to drink it within five minutes). My results came back borderline, so I was told to cut back on the carbs and sugar. I also had low iron and must now take iron supplements. I had sort of guessed it might be low since I've been incredibly lethargic lately. I have to go to the dr. every two weeks now. So in two weeks I have an ultrasound and a checkup. Only 6-10 weeks to go!

This morning were were wakened by a whispered conversation in the hallway outside our room. I heard a little boy voice say, "If we whine, then they'll get up." Then he spent the next five minutes trying to convince his sister to wake us up. We just laughed silently. Splitcat finally got up to feed them, and I went back to sleep.

We have half a room clean in our house now. The other half should be done soon. Hopefully. But there was a lot of furniture and book moving involved. Splitcat did a very thorough job of dusting. The kids now have an area specifically for playing. Before it was just sort of spread out across the room. As soon as there is any significant area of carpet cleared, they like to run in circles. I've never figured that out.

We saw The new X-Men movie last week. We both enjoyed it. It was better than I had expected. But you need to stay to the very end of the credits. The bitter end.

My mom did bring me back a devil dog. It was very good.

I think that catches up on the last week. I'll try to do better. Hopefully the extra iron will help get me back in order.