Tara's Booklist

I started a new blog where I list a little review for each book I read. I was already doing it on paper so I could keep track of how many books I read, but I decided a blog might be more fun. It's a little more accessible that way and I can't lose the blog (I tend to lose my journals sometimes). Anyway, if you're interested, there's a link on the side of this blog. Enjoy!

Branching Out

Trying to talk myself out of my black mood. What do you think?

The Beauty of Children's and Young Adult Literature

I love children's and young adult literature. I just went to a literacy conference at the library last week and I went to a class called "Teen reads that won't make you blush" and as the lady went through her selections, I just remembered why I like these kind of books so much. There is so much good stuff out there. And the thing is, it is sooooo clean compared to a lot of adult literature. You can feel safe investing in characters and stories because you know that you aren't going to have to stop reading it half way through or skip a good portion of the book. Plus, a lot of it is soo good. The language is amazing. The characters are complex and interesting. The commentary on the world is thought provoking. Now I'm not saying there isn't any great adult literature out there, because there is. But what I am saying is that if you haven't gone into the teen or children's section of the library for awhile, you need to go. Start with the Newberry Award winners if you don't know what to read or ask a librarian. But try some, because there is some pretty great stuff out there. Something for everyone.

My personal, recent favorites are the Sarah, Plain and Tall books (the first is a Newberry award winner), all of Shannon Hale's books, and Joan Bauer's too.

The Sarah Plain and Tall books have been made into movies for Hallmark which are great (they star Glenn Close as Sarah). But if you haven't read the books, you are missing out! They read like poetry. And they'll only take you about an hour to read. There are four of them in the series and they are all great.

And Shannon Hale has almost single handedly resurrected the fairy tale genre. (Although Gail Carson Levine (author of Ella Enchanted) and Robin Mckinley have also written some great fairy tale spinoffs.) Her book Goose Girl and its sequels are amazing. All of her books are very well thought out and beautifully written. She won a Newberry Honor for Princess Academy. Now I have to say that her books take a little to get into so give them 100 pages or so before you give up, because after that you'll love them.
I could go on and on. Joan Bauer's books are amazing also. And they don't read like kids' books. She takes different professions and explores them in novels and she is very funny. She has different ones about a waitress, and a shoe salesperson, and a championship pumpkin grower. They are some of the best books I've ever read and they make you see the world in a whole new way while you're laughing out loud.

Anyway, I love reading good books and I also like listening to them. I listen to books on CD whenever I can and it is really fun. And children's books are especially good for this because they're a little lighter and you don't have to concentrate on every word. Well, enough of my rant, but try some. I guarantee you'll like something.

Goal update 2

I'm loving my goals. I feel so productive. So here's my update:
Read 100 books this year --I've read 14 so far!
Index 10,000 names--I've done around 250
Finish my 200 projects by August 15--I'm still working on my big one. I figure it will count as 13 projects by the time I get it done and I may get close this week. It is a big quilt with a bunch of embroideries.
Complete the $200 DMBA health challenge--So far I've done 3/12 of the current challenge which is strength training. I'm not a big strength trainer, but I got a video at the library and have done it 3 times so far. However, the other day I was reading online about this particular video and they said it could be dangerous for your health so I've kind of lost some of my motivation. But I'm going to try to get three more sessions in this week. It made me feel really sore but really strong at the same time. But I also don't want to hurt my back so if anyone has any recommendations, I'm open.
Post on my blog once a week--Here it is.
Write in my journal at least 5 days a week--Again I got in about 2 days, but I finished a journal which is always a good feeling.
Finish reading the Book of Mormon by February--still in Alma but almost finished.
Get A's on all the beginning level songs on DDR--Skipped to DDR 2 and have started the songs there. It gives me some nice variety. I'm still loving this goal. It gives me a good workout and I don't even mind.
Make bags and organize our toys--nothing, although John was trying to rethink that room the other day. Maybe he'll accomplish that goal for me. I love him!!
Try to be nice to my kids and have fun with them--This has been a rough week. I was sick one day and just grouchy the rest I guess. But at least twice this week I sat down with Lily and read her books and I think I held Ruthie on my lap a couple of times. They're the two that are giving me the biggest challenge right now, so it is good to do something besides howl in frustration at them. They're both very cute girls. (Too cute for their own good!!)

Goal update

I'm loving my goals. They're helping me get a lot done. So here's my update:

Read 100 books this year --I've read 11 so far!

Index 10,000 names--I've done 100 but I'm right on track!

Finish my 200 projects by August 15--I'm still on 55 but I've been working on a big one that will count for quite a few!

Complete the $200 DMBA health challenge--So far I've done 1/12 of the current challenge and it just about killed me but I think I'll keep on trying.

Post on my blog once a week--Here's my posts for this week and last week.

Write in my journal at least 5 days a week--This one has been harder but I got 2 days in this week which is an improvement over before.

Finish reading the Book of Mormon by February--I think I'll get this one done by the end of February. I'm toward the end of Alma.

Get A's on all the beginning level songs on DDR--I've done all the songs but 1 in the first DDR. The last one may take me a while. It is really hard and doesn't even sound like music to me.

Make bags and organize our toys--nothing

And the hardest of all, try to be nice to my kids and have fun with them--Well, I have been letting the girls play DDR with me which has been hilarious. Those girls can ROCK! So that's something new.

I made myself a little spreadsheet with all the things I'd like to do every day on it and I check things off as I go. I never get everything, but I don't focus on that. I just focus on getting something done. It also helps me focus and pick things to do when I have some free time. It really makes me feel good and productive. Life is good.

Never say never!!

I don't know if anyone else does this, but occasionally I'll see people do something (usually in relation to their kids) and I'll think to myself, "I'll never do that. That is crazy!" Well, I've learned the hard way to never say never. Here are three examples that have popped into my mind lately:

1. I remember one time when I was single, I was sitting in a computer lab typing up a paper and there was this guy with a little boy who was being crazy. The dad asked the little boy to settle down a couple of times with little to no results. Finally, the guy grabbed the little boy and said in a really mean voice, "I said sit down and behave!!" The little boy started crying and sat down and I thought, very condescendingly, that I would never behave that way as a parent. Now I can't tell you how many times I've reached my limit and screamed in my kid's face to do something I've already asked them nicely five times to do. I'm not sure how often those times have been in public, but I'm sure it has happened at least once. I still don't think it is that great of an idea, but I can sympathize with the guy.

2. When I was first married, I was assigned the 2nd counselor in the RS presidency (who was in her early 30's with 4 little boys really close together) for a visiting teaching companion. We visit taught an elderly lady, probably in her 80's, a lady who was in her 3o's and on her second marriage and still pretty bitter about how her first marriage ended, and another lady probably in her late 30's who had 3 kids. It was pretty interesting because I was right out of your typical BYU singles ward where everyone was pretty much the same age and situation as I was. At first I felt like I didn't have a lot in common with any of them. Anyway, I turned out really liking the ladies and learning from them. One time when we went to visit the lady with the 3 kids, we got talkin about taking time for yourself and having time to ponder and she said that sometimes the only time she got to herself was when she locked herself in the bathroom for a few minutes of quiet. Again, I thought to myself, "That's crazy! I'll never get that bad." However, I'm sorry to say that I often lock myself in the bathroom to escape my children. I even keep Ensigns and other magazines in there so that if I need to calm down I can read something uplifting. I so understand what she was talking about, and really credit this hiding place with a big role in maintaining my sanity.

3. When we first moved into our house, a family lived next door to us that had 5 small children. I think their oldest was in about second grade. I personally thought this lady was crazy. Who would have their kids that close together? Little did I know the ironies of life! Anyway, this lady every afternoon would come out and call all her kids in and you wouldn't hear anything from that direction for the rest of the afternoon. One day I was talking to her and she told me that she had a general naptime in the afternoon and all of her kids laid down for a few hours, no matter their age. Even the second grader, when not in school, observed the mandatory naptime. At the time I thought, "That seems a little extreme! But whatever, I don't think I'll ever get that desperate." So I'm sorry to say that about 3 years ago, I put that very idea into practice to preserve my own sanity. I don't make my kids go to sleep, but they have to go to their rooms and do something quietly. That way, I can either take my own nap or get some things done while enjoying the quiet that never happens when they are all together. It really has saved me. And now I don't think I could do without it.

So now when I am tempted to say I would never do something, I hope I am a little more understanding. Give it a few years, I may just be doing that same thing.

Drowning in my own ambition: New Year's Resolutions 2009

I've always been up for a challenge good or bad. When I was 7 or 8, I talked my parents into letting me go swimming with my best friend and his family. We were at Lagoon for Stake Lagoon Day and this was when Lagoon just had a pool instead of a fancy water park. Usually my parents didn't go swimming, but in a lull after lunch, my friend's family invited me to go with them. I must have been ready with my swimming suit just in case, I don't remember. Anyway, my best friend Brandon and I went to the pool with his dad.

We played in the shallow end for a while, but after a little bit, tag must have gotten old. We started to watch people jump off the diving boards at the other end of the pool. That looked like a lot of fun. And it looked a little scary even, a little dangerous. That water was really deep: 10 feet was twice my height or more. Brandon decided we had to try it. I didn't say too much. I usually let Brandon take the lead. He jumped out of the pool and started to walk in the direction of the diving board. There wasn't too long of a line.

“Come on, Tara!” He yelled behind him. “Let's go! It will be really fun!”

I jumped out too and started to follow.

“Where you going there guys?” Brandon's dad yelled as he strode toward us.

“We're going to jump off the low board, Dad. We're big enough!”

Brandon's dad looked at me. “Are you OK with this Tara? You don't have to if you don't want to.”

In that moment I'm not sure what I was thinking. I remember being scared, looking at my friend and not wanting him to think I was a wimp. I remember thinking to myself, “It can't be that bad. Just try it.” Maybe I was just too dumb to say no, too scared. I don't know, but what I did was say, “Yea, it's OK, Br. Christensen.”

“OK, but I'll be right here if you need me.”

With that Brandon took off, obviously ignoring the NO Running rules. I followed a little slower. My stomach was in knots but I was going to see it through.

We got to the line and I watched Brandon move forward as person after person jumped. Finally it was his turn. I could tell he was a little scared, but he bravely walked forward and jumped. He sunk like a rock but after 2 or 3 seconds he came back to the top, yelling and shouting, obviously excited that he had conquered the diving board.

It was my turn. There was no turning back. I slowly walked down the board. I stood at the end for a long time. Long enough that Brandon started shouting at me, “Just jump, Tara! It's really fun. Just jump!”

I know what I thought in that instance, I was going to die, but there was no turning back. It was too late. I jumped.

I sunk down into the greenish water. Everything was distorted underneath the surface. My arms and legs flailed but to no use. I continued to sink. Water flooded my lungs as I gasped for air and tried to scream. I stayed at the bottom. Suddenly there was a loud noise to the side of me and Brandon's dad grabbed me and tugged me to the surface. “Tara,” he screamed, “Why didn't you say you couldn't swim? You could have drown.” I coughed and sputtered but I didn't say anything. I didn't know. I knew I couldn't swim, but the challenge of the thing had overpowered my good sense.

Sometimes that is how resolutions feel to me. However, I also know me. Although I couldn't swim when I was 8, I have found, since then, that I do better when just a little overwhelmed. One semester at school I took 20 credits and worked part time. That was a lot. But that was one of the semesters that I got all A's. It wasn't fun but it was probably good for me. I didn't have time to be stressed: I just had time to keep going. On the other hand, one semester I decided to cut back and only took about12 or 13 credits. It was the worst semester of my college career. I had too much time, so much time to pursue other things that I forgot to do my school work. So when I make resolutions I like to make goals that are a little hard but challenge me. So here are a few of mine for the year:

Read 100 books this year (a little ambitious, may need to include picture books that I read to my girls)

Index 10,000 names (I think I did this last year and I really didn't index half the year)

Finish my 200 projects by August 15 (I'm at about 55)

Complete the $200 DMBA health challenge

Post on my blog once a week (This post qualifies for this week. Success!)

Write in my journal at least 5 days a week

Finish reading the Book of Mormon by February

Get A's on all the beginning level songs on DDR

Make bags and organize our toys

And the hardest of all, try to be nice to my kids and have fun with them (hard to quantify I guess).

Even if I don't accomplish my goals at least I'll learn a lot trying. The one thing almost drowning taught me was that I definitely needed to learn to swim, and I did.