tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60918666491097575012024-03-13T09:56:10.870-07:00Louise's BlogaboutLouisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-19708816464849113502015-08-26T09:21:00.001-07:002015-08-26T09:36:11.564-07:00Kindergarten Adventures BeginThe tears were prickling momentarily but I kept them well under wraps. Mostly I
<br />
was proud of Miriam for being so brave and adventurous as she got on
<br />
the school bus for the first time bound for her first day of
<br />
kindergarten. The morning went well but the afternoon turned out
<br />
trickier.
<br />
<br />
Caitlin fell asleep shortly before we were supposed to head back out
<br />
to the bus stop and was consequently a blubbering limp mess when I
<br />
tried to drag her out the door. I wasn't entirely sure of the
<br />
scheduled arrival time although I knew school ended at 2:50 and it
<br />
would be shortly after that. We hauled ourselves to the bus stop (four
<br />
short blocks from home) at 2:59. It was hot and we waited and waited.
<br />
I didn't dare leave just in case the busses were late as they were
<br />
bound to be on the first day with new kids and new bus routes. About
<br />
six busses went by all coming from various directions, but no Miriam.
<br />
I did have a hot and cranky three-year-old begging to go home. I
<br />
called the school at 3:45pm and finally got through after a few tries.
<br />
They said many of the busses were indeed running late but they were
<br />
now all in route. They would track Miriam down and give me a call
<br />
back. Still not sure if I should leave the bus stop, but reluctantly
<br />
headed home in case she had miraculously made it there.
<br />
<br />
I walked in the door. No reply from Miriam, but the phone rang. The
<br />
secretary reported that the bus driver found no parent at the bus stop
<br />
and so dropped her off with the staff at Bolton Elementary, a few
<br />
miles south.
<br />
I called a cab which
<br />
arrived in six minutes and the drive took eight.
<br />
I Walked through the school doors and upon hearing Miriam's voice, I
<br />
finally lost composure and the tears escaped. So relieved.
<br />
<br />
Miriam's first responses were, how did you get here, and I'm hungry. I
<br />
had no more food except the granola bar that I don't really like.
<br />
Miriam and Caitlin had fun talking about their day apart while we
<br />
drove back in the cab. Miriam said her favorite parts were the
<br />
cafeteria, playdough, a new shapes song she learned, and teather ball
<br />
on the playground. Her first impressions were obviously good in spite
<br />
of the bus snafu.
<br />
I later asked if Miriam thought I would come or if she was scared or
<br />
worried. Miriam said, well, I wasn't really sure you would come
<br />
because you are blind—A shocking and slightly disconcerting response,
<br />
so I asked why. She said because I was far away and I thought you
<br />
would have to walk a long way and it might be dark before youd come.
<br />
<br />
Miriam was fine but I was consumed by the stress of it all and cried
<br />
myself to sleep that night. Joe was kind about it. Intellectually I
<br />
knew it would all get better as the days go on, but it was so
<br />
overwhelmingly stressful up front. I remember how I cried the first
<br />
time I tried walking with the double stroller to the YMCA when we
<br />
first moved here. Not being able to use a cane while pushing that huge
<br />
stroller up the hill by the hospital made me vow to never try again,
<br />
but I soon found a better way and it's never been a problem since. I
<br />
also realized later what a blessing it was that I had purposely made
<br />
myself familiar with cabs in the area so problems like this could be
<br />
dsolved. Today I passed that test. Therein lies the victory folks.
<br />
Still, I didn't quite escape the first day of kindergarten mom blues
<br />
and although the overall day was positive, every perceived problem was
<br />
magnified in my mind: Miriam saying she got hungry and also not
<br />
getting to have a turn after waiting a long time for the monkey bars,
<br />
and then Caitlin jammed her foot in the door while playing. Did I also
<br />
mention that I'm eight months pregnant and just the night before
<br />
school I had five hours of regular contractions five minutes apart! I
<br />
thought I was going into early labor. Luckily not. Too much craziness.
<br />
I knew the bus issues would improve tomorrow, but I turned the light
<br />
out and sobbed.
<br />
<br />
Luckily the story didn't end there and day two was indeed smoother.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-70790779264862836202015-05-09T08:50:00.001-07:002015-05-09T08:50:57.905-07:00Miriam: Aint No Mountain High EnoughHer little league soccer game had just finished minutes earlier; I
<br>turned around and there was Miriam 15-20feet/5-6metres up a tree. The
<br>ninja 2-year old is now 5. Do you know how many miracles it has taken
<br>to keep that girl alive this long? The answer equals many.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-75451789641260344312014-04-28T08:06:00.001-07:002014-04-28T08:06:49.795-07:00RE: Doctor JoeWell, after having been reared by the Warden, I can see how this is probably true.
<br>
<br>-----Original Message-----
<br>From: Louise Walch [mailto:<a href="mailto:louisewalch@gmail.com">louisewalch@gmail.com</a>]
<br>Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 09:59
<br>To: louisewalch.miriam
<br>Cc: rongardnermail; jangardnermail; John and Julie nicholson; lorin; nicholson; Dean Nicholson; genealnelson; mellis916; Paul & Rebecca Donaldson; Anne Whitney Taylor; Ben Taylor
<br>Subject: Doctor Joe
<br>
<br>Thought you might like this recent quote from my crazy husband regarding his PhD: "Writing and defending my dissertation was a fun process". Just makes me shake my head and stifle a laugh. Seriously though, congrats on your upcoming graduation Joe!Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-7666099802413067202014-04-28T07:58:00.001-07:002014-04-28T07:58:40.916-07:00Doctor JoeThought you might like this recent quote from my crazy husband
<br>regarding his PhD: "Writing and defending my dissertation was a fun
<br>process". Just makes me shake my head and stifle a laugh. Seriously
<br>though, congrats on your upcoming graduation Joe!Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-70823819521553349082014-04-28T07:53:00.001-07:002014-04-28T07:53:30.213-07:00Doctor Joe QuoteQuote from my crazy husband regarding his PhD: "Writing and defending
<br>my dissertation was a fun process". Just makes me shake my head and
<br>stifle a laugh. Seriously though, congrats on your upcoming graduation
<br>Joe!Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-48065310254732559532013-10-30T15:00:00.001-07:002013-10-30T15:00:16.209-07:00Goodnight CaitlinOur neighbors have halloween decorations up in their front yard this
<br>month. Nothing ghoulish, but just scary enough to be intriguing for
<br>the little Walch girls. Have you read To Kill a Mockingbird? These
<br>girls are like Scout and Jem always sneaking out to poke around at Boo
<br>Radley's house.
<br>
<br>Caitlin (2) cried and cried at bedtime last night asking for her
<br>dolly. She already had her favorite dolly… and her birday, and her
<br>rocky dog, and her star bear, and her glow worm, and her other bear,
<br>and her favorite pink polka dot blanket. Then she got more specific
<br>and said "little dolly still in car". So, Joe went out and found her
<br>other little dolly and brought it upstairs. Caitlin hugged her little
<br>dolly and said "It's okay dolly. No more scary Halloween."
<br>
<br>Mystery solved. She's like the shepherd leaving the ninety and nine to
<br>go seeking the one lost sheep.
<br>
<br>It also makes me smile when every day Caitlin loads all the
<br>beforementioned friends into her toy wagon and hauls them around the
<br>house and insists on dragging them upstairs when shes up, and
<br>downstairs when she's down (usually causing a scene half way when she
<br>and the wagon get stuck). And if ever she wakes up in the middle of
<br>the night, it takes her three trips to bring all her friends into our
<br>room. Now I've drawn the line when she wants to bring her growing
<br>menagerie into bed with me. Funny girl.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-54538705311826531942013-10-29T07:06:00.001-07:002013-10-29T07:06:31.908-07:00Morning Conversation with MiriamMiriam (4): I had a bad dream last night.
<br>Mom: Were you scared?
<br>Miriam: Yes, and my elephant and hipo were scared too, and even my
<br>blanket was scared.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-57632773927060722342013-09-21T22:42:00.001-07:002013-09-21T22:42:58.077-07:00Reporting on a Wonderful SaturdayHeading to bed very happy tonight. We sure packed a lot of fun into
<br>today, so much fun that I don't think we're even missing Miriam's
<br>cancelled T ball game…
<br>
<br>We started off with a pirate and princess themed birthday party for
<br>the Jenks twins. Tons of kids. Joe missed part of the action since he
<br>was helping clean the church, but that was good too I suppose.
<br>
<br>Next we moved on to kitty cat shopping at the animal shelter with
<br>Grandma. We picked up a pair of mouse munchin moggies (my words not
<br>hers) to keep the rodents at bay. Plus, Grandma's house has been
<br>pretty quiet since the recent loss of the old boxer dog Rocky and the
<br>other kitty that wandered. Looking forward to fun with the new ginger
<br>and calico duo.
<br>
<br>Next Joe and I scored free Fiesta Texas theme park passes and a
<br>generous Grandma who kept the kids for the afternoon while we rode the
<br>roller coasters. This was an unexpected diversion that beat the
<br>previous plan to wash the car and prepare Sunday school lessons. Time
<br>later for that.
<br>
<br>Got home in time to pick up our usual babysitter and we took the
<br>tandem out for an early evening bike ride, then finished off by
<br>bringing home pizza and watching a movie. Kids safely tucked in bed
<br>long ago.
<br>
<br>Best day we've had in a long while.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-9322785734370448482013-09-20T13:21:00.001-07:002013-09-20T13:21:48.539-07:00Remembering Caitlin's BirthCaitlin is about to have her second birthday: Here's me filling in the
<br>gaps from the few notes I jotted down two years ago...
<br>
<br>Babies don't often arrive on their due date, but Caitlin did.
<br>
<br>09/30/11 The day previous
<br>I walked to the Lockheed Martin park about 1.5miles away with my
<br>neighbor, Sharlyn Richardson, (a sheep farming girl from Idaho. Miriam
<br>and Sharlyn's son, Travis, were best friends and we spent a lot of
<br>time together either at church, at the apartment pool at River Park
<br>Place or out on the Trinity Trail biking, walking or running. We were
<br>the resident stroller brigade.). So at nine months pregnant I was
<br>still out walking the trail with Sharlyn, and upon arrival at the
<br>park, the parking attendant made some comment that I don't remember,
<br>but as we continued Sharlyn told me with a smile, "You know, I've
<br>delivered hundreds of lambs." We both really laughed at that and hoped
<br>she wouldn't have to try out her skills on me. It wasn't until the
<br>next day that we realized how close we could have been to that
<br>situation though…
<br>Joe and I drove an hour that night to the Ikea furniture store and
<br>stayed up late building a set of drawers and a book shelf. I guess it
<br>was the nesting instinct working against us. We stayed up until about
<br>2am, and then I sprang awake at 4:30am when my water broke! (I leaped
<br>so fast that I made it without getting my sheets wet; I went from
<br>sleeping, to feeling a pop, and then I was in the bathroom five paces
<br>away.) The contractions started coming every couple of minutes.
<br>Although they weren't yet painful, I had to lie down to calm myself
<br>while Joe got dressed and helped me get a little cleaned up. Sharlyn
<br>came to the rescue and stayed with sleeping Miriam while Joe and I
<br>went to the hospital at 5:30am.
<br>
<br>10/01/11 The nurses took one look at me with a towel wrapped around my
<br>lower half and all made the correct conclusion; I was ready for the
<br>delivery room.
<br>
<br>My first pain was around 6:30am. I received an epidural shortly after
<br>that (I could have withstood it a while longer, but why not right?).
<br>Active labor began at 8am and before thirty minutes (barely enough
<br>time to savor the occasion) Caitlin arrived! I was so surprised and
<br>felt a bit cheated that it didn't last longer (something I'm sure I
<br>would have been overjoyed about if not for the pain blocker). Until
<br>then I assumed labor would always be like the three hour full body
<br>workout Miriam required.
<br>
<br>After greeting our beautiful newborn girl, my next thoughts were,
<br>great—we're all here in plenty of time for the Saturday morning
<br>session of LDS General Conference. So efficient. We listened via
<br>internet and iphone in our comfy hospital room, by chance the same one
<br>we stayed in when Miriam was born. The other coincidence not yet
<br>listed is that the delivery nurse's dad lived in Toowoomba,
<br>Queensland, Australia. Such a small world.
<br>
<br>I had prayed for a speedy recovery, and I really received it. It
<br>seemed like I was in far less pain and able to move myself much
<br>quicker than after Miriam's birth. the whole event was seemless
<br>really. I was spoiled and I know it.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-5894787969862698452013-07-07T20:38:00.001-07:002013-07-07T20:38:26.083-07:00Good, Bad, & UglyJuly 4th was fabulous. Joe had an unexpected day off and we went to
<br>the Fredericksberg parade. The girls were so cute with their arms
<br>around eachothers shoulders and waving their little flags. We also had
<br>kolaches (Czech hotdog things), doughnuts, and raspberry snowcones for
<br>lunch, barbecue for dinner with Joe's mom, and a wild neighborhood
<br>fireworks show at night. Seriously, when it comes to fireworks, these
<br>Texans are nuts! It's a wonder none of the houses on our street caught
<br>fire.
<br>
<br>Now for the bad and ugly in no particular order; Miriam gave herself
<br>and Caitlin haircuts and Caitlin threw my iphone across the room and
<br>cracked the screen. I was so mad I had to put myself in timeout.
<br>
<br>Now circling back to the good stuff... I bottled a couple of boxes of
<br>fresh Fredericksberg peaches with joe's mom in preparation for Lorna's
<br>wedding. We're having cobbler for dessert. I marvel at the skills of
<br>previous generations. Makes me want to go read the Anne of Green
<br>Gables series again.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-87895700124611401332013-06-23T19:28:00.001-07:002013-06-23T19:28:55.596-07:00Pretending to SwimI heard Caitlin screaming downstairs; The expanation I got from Miriam
<br>standing there with her floatie was "I was pretending to go swimming
<br>and Caitlin was pretending to be the pool. I was diving in."Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-20332022440326067702013-05-03T07:01:00.001-07:002013-05-03T07:01:01.126-07:00Triathlon Here We Come!I neglected to tell you all earlier, but tomorrow joe and I are doing
<br>our first mini triathlon! I just found out two weeks ago that a nearby
<br>neighborhood is putting one on, so we signed up. We'll see how we do.
<br>It starts with a 5km/3.1mi run, then a 16km/10mi bike, and a
<br>400m/437yard swim. Hopefully this doesn't do me in! I think I'm ready
<br>enough so long as the swim part goes alright. Joe has the advantage of
<br>running with me at about half his usual pace, so he should be nice and
<br>fresh for the other legs. This is a fun event to celebrate our 10th
<br>wedding anniversary which is this coming week.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-52784520937073049772013-04-08T14:40:00.001-07:002013-04-08T14:40:14.499-07:00Bargain Hunter Haul<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCXoiG48PXFcFvTdYGsJpFjk9VliRE1FwmUVCFZPGGJBoPaURLhbWrsPWTowVG7FRQfnTi-M4rnJxqNucuZEyM90N3jCUhsU23u0rS20qc5-OcPx9vcWKLx8pNvXAp5WBZHgFIU11ZDM/s1600/Play+Kitchen-714499.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCXoiG48PXFcFvTdYGsJpFjk9VliRE1FwmUVCFZPGGJBoPaURLhbWrsPWTowVG7FRQfnTi-M4rnJxqNucuZEyM90N3jCUhsU23u0rS20qc5-OcPx9vcWKLx8pNvXAp5WBZHgFIU11ZDM/s320/Play+Kitchen-714499.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5864594085917507490" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIe1B-t4LeJnqpxd4d8Y5kZ7A1QDAGQmMehIRqHCPmqO_tweV6fEqgGldHGdLddy1LHDHiWiGpQfhn7Goo6AS514TUdlD8TXgT_9Kv_j0G56df07BKMnceQCB3wrUG_ovLj1A3IhWhZM/s1600/Water+Table-716050.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIe1B-t4LeJnqpxd4d8Y5kZ7A1QDAGQmMehIRqHCPmqO_tweV6fEqgGldHGdLddy1LHDHiWiGpQfhn7Goo6AS514TUdlD8TXgT_9Kv_j0G56df07BKMnceQCB3wrUG_ovLj1A3IhWhZM/s320/Water+Table-716050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5864594089653171746" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUtCu164Ew6rL0VNjRcl2hGwgIWomXfXRg_u7YYK3ucW35B8mKm-9sYXVC5HF0tXUa3D04hhxBZyJ2fZmZsECTqhrKtVlqe_QirnGw2SCAldFKQipmDTNDbYiqTdZzCmYAp9i7mAa-XI/s1600/Scooter+Miriam+April+2013-717312.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUtCu164Ew6rL0VNjRcl2hGwgIWomXfXRg_u7YYK3ucW35B8mKm-9sYXVC5HF0tXUa3D04hhxBZyJ2fZmZsECTqhrKtVlqe_QirnGw2SCAldFKQipmDTNDbYiqTdZzCmYAp9i7mAa-XI/s320/Scooter+Miriam+April+2013-717312.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5864594092794310834" /></a></p>This is a test to see if I can upload pictures from email to my blog.
<br>If you see pictures in this post, then my experiment worked! If not,
<br>I'll keep trying... or else you can just imagine.
<br>
<br>This is our new play kitchen bought for a whopping $15. It's grey and
<br>white with all the essential appliances.
<br>
<br>Here's Caitlin standing by our new $6 water and sand table. I think
<br>this usually sells for $50 bucks new. This summer will be fun.
<br>
<br>And here's Miriam's stylish new $2 princess scooter.
<br>
<br>Garage sale mission accomplished.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-61679288021984298102013-03-24T16:45:00.001-07:002013-03-24T16:45:47.454-07:00Footwear FoibleArrived at church today and discovered I was wearing one silver and
<br>one black shoe—oops! The ten-year-old boys in my Sunday school class
<br>just assumed I was a Spurs fan.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-68996471966443427652013-03-19T21:56:00.001-07:002013-03-19T21:56:09.729-07:00Zoo Keeper Continued...Following is from an email I wrote to a friend about a month ago:
<br>
<br>Yes, as crazy at it is at times, I do imagine myself missing my
<br>toddlers in years to come. I always dreaded this stage, but now that
<br>I'm here i find it to be pretty fun... that is, except when it's not
<br>so fun... Funny story--I got Miriam all dressed for church the other
<br>morning and then dared to go take a shower. I returned not very long
<br>after to find every cushion off the couch and Miriam sitting in the
<br>middle of the pile eating from a carton of chocolate icecream and the
<br>freezer door wide open. This is just like her. Numerous lessons to be
<br>learned from this one. And now that Caitlin is sixteen months old, I
<br>can't turn around for more than a minute without finding her climbing
<br>on tables or dressers, or kitchen counters. Both my kids are monkeys
<br>and I can't leave them alone for more than a minute. It's lucky they
<br>have redeeming qualities as well.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-59003360047637567412013-03-19T21:48:00.001-07:002013-03-19T21:48:31.741-07:00Zoo Keeper03/17/2013 Caitlin (17 months) said "Kitty, come back!" her first
<br>three word utterance. She can also climb out of her crib then barely
<br>reach and twist the doorknob to escape. Current personal best is 9.6
<br>seconds (just kidding about the point six). A regular Houdini like her
<br>older sister.
<br>
<br>03/19/2013 Driving in the car Anne told me we were just planning to
<br>have salad for dinner (pause) oh, and then C-A-K-E. Miriam piped up in
<br>the back and said seemingly randomly "We have cake at our house". I
<br>looked around with eyes wide thinking, did my three year old really
<br>figure out how to spell that? She also carries out covert operations
<br>when I go upstairs; She stacks a stool on top of a dining chair to
<br>climb up and reach the scissors and markers on top of the fridge or
<br>other reconnaissance missions.
<br>
<br>A few weeks ago I ran upstairs to get changed to go running and was
<br>gone for about five minutes at which time a neighbor was ringing my
<br>doorbell with two children in hand saying "I found them down the
<br>street". Yikes! I've had better days than that one.
<br>
<br>I just keep saying, it'll be okay if I can just keep them alive
<br>through childhood.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-32076547813200556162013-03-08T13:28:00.001-08:002013-03-08T13:28:31.274-08:00Louise's Belated Best of 2012Yes, this is belated; Here's my personal Best of 2012:
<br>
<br>* I could say that just surviving the past year with two toddlers is a
<br>best accomplishment. No kidding.
<br>* Joe earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience. I'm married to a doctor.
<br>* I took up running and experienced racing for the first time in my
<br>adult lifetime. I did a 5k and a 10k, and that has whet my appetite
<br>for more. I used to hate running, but had to find a good alternative
<br>for biking while Caitlin was too young for a bike trailer. (Now
<br>Caitlin is plenty big enough, but still running).
<br>* I learned to mop—that is, more than once in a blue moon. Yes, it's a
<br>small accomplishment, but considering the state of our floors, it's
<br>significant.
<br>* I did not leave the state of Texas at any time during 2012 nor get
<br>on any airplanes. I'm finding it hard to believe myself and keep
<br>racking my brain wondering if I could be making a misstatement. My
<br>list of countries visited remains at 7 and US states visited is umm,
<br>24 I think (although I'm not going to sit and count them all again in
<br>my head right now)
<br>* The best movie of 2012 was Les Miserables. I think it captures the
<br>flavor of the book even more richly than the play.
<br>* I read a ton of books (mostly audiobooks while I'm doing dishes).
<br>
<br>I'm surprised and a tad disappointed to see how few nonfiction I read,
<br>but so far 2013's fiction to nonfiction ratio is looking better.
<br>
<br>2012 42 books (Sorry if I misspelled or omitted any authors and only
<br>wrote notes about a few. Any numbers indicate my star rating out of
<br>five.)
<br>
<br>The Doctrine and Covenants
<br>The Book of mormon
<br>Daughters in My Kingdom, worth rereading for sure.
<br>Ready Player One, a fun fantasy/adventure/quest-type read for anyone
<br>who lived through the 80s.
<br>3 Bossy Pants
<br>3 One shot, it was good, but not all that memorable
<br>4 11/22/63 by Stephen King, fiction about time travel to change JFK's
<br>assassination.
<br>4 One Second After (Very intriguing fiction about what would happen if
<br>an electro magnetic pulse, EMP knocked out all electronics in North
<br>America.)
<br>3 The light between oceans, ML Steadman 2012 australia, I read it
<br>because it was about Australia, but not all that memorable.
<br>4 The hobbit by JRR Tolkien (A great book, mostly for the songs and
<br>riddles. Nobody should pass through young adulthood without reading
<br>this one.
<br>4 Swallows and amazons, by Arthur Ransom (an awesome book for boys and
<br>adventurous young girls. Highly recommended for young readers)
<br>4 Swallowdale, by Arthur Ransom
<br>3 The full cupboard of life
<br>4.5 The pillars of the earth, by Ken Follett (Few books stir me to
<br>tears, but this one had me bawling just a half an hour in. It's a long
<br>book, BUT A PAGE TURNER. YOU MIGHT WANT TO TURN THE PAGES A LITTLE
<br>FASTER TO GET PAST THE RACEY STUFF THOUGH, BUT IN THE AUTHOR'S
<br>DEFENSE, ANY EXPLICIT DESCRIPTIONS DO SERVE THE PURPOSE TO CONTRAST
<br>BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL MEN. Twas an interesting look at war-time
<br>England, the middle-ages, the cast system, the Catholic church, and
<br>masonry.
<br>4Who moved my cheese?
<br>4.5 Tess of the D'urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy
<br>4 A World Without heroes, first book in the Beyonders series by Brandon mull
<br>2 Rebecca by Daphne DeMoye (compelling descriptions of the sights and
<br>smells of the landscape, but characters were hollow. I can't think why
<br>it was on the BBC top 100 except that it was like a cheap murder
<br>mystery film)
<br>4 Corelli's Mandolin by Louis D'bernier? (some sensuality but
<br>compelling characters, rich writing and an interesting look at a place
<br>and time foreign to me)
<br>4 What the most successful people do before breakfast, by Laura
<br>Vanderkam, a short and potentially life-changing read for all
<br>repentant time-wasters like me.
<br>4 A tree grows in Brooklyn (written back when people could speak
<br>English and their writing was more developed and less seeming like it
<br>was written for a TV script)
<br>5 Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (If you've ever liked fantasy, you'll
<br>love this one)
<br>5 Rise of the Evening Star
<br>5 Grip of the Shadow Plague
<br>4 Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
<br>4 Keys to the Deamon Prison
<br>4 Anne of Green gables by LM Montgomery
<br>4 Anne of Avonlea
<br>4 Anne of the island (I just keep rereading the last page
<br>3Anne of windy poplars
<br>4 Anne's House of Dreams (this one might be my favorite)
<br>4 Anne of ingleside
<br>4 number 1 ladies detective agency
<br>3 the android's dream
<br>3 dauntless
<br>4 the power of habit
<br>3 A Commonwealth of thieves: the Improbable birth of Australia (The
<br>low star rating is more a reflection of the reader than the writer)
<br>4 A Light in the Window
<br>3 These High Green Hills
<br>3 Out to Canon
<br>4 Hands On Parenting: A Resource Guide for Parents Who are Blind or
<br>Partially Sighted
<br>4 In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in
<br>Hitler's BerlinLouisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-81329778761786697442013-02-16T06:28:00.001-08:002013-02-16T06:28:56.549-08:00The Preschool MindI had a braid in my hair this morning. Miriam asked me "What dat
<br>tangles in your hair?"Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-13504558407217125792013-01-22T12:19:00.001-08:002013-01-22T12:19:58.666-08:00January 2013 Brief Family UpdateI haven't written an update on the girls for a while, so for my own
<br>records and the benefit of those few who are interested:
<br>
<br>The other day the girls and I were at our friend's, the Lillywhite's
<br>house where Miriam and Ethan Lillywhite were dressing up in capes from
<br>their dress-up box. That night after bathtime, Miriam was running
<br>through the house with her hooded towel on and shouting "Superman!"
<br>and Caitlin (15 months old), unwilling to miss the fun, ran along
<br>behind shouting "Maaan!". This carried on for about thirty minutes
<br>until I figured it had been enough fun for one day.
<br>
<br>Plenty of fun happens around here and I most often neglect to write it
<br>down. both girls are growing up so fast; Miriam is three and I am
<br>finding that I now have to adjust to thinking of her as a pre-schooler
<br>rather than a toddler. On the whole I find I can trust her more,
<br>although I regret it occasionally when she draws on furniture with
<br>markers while I'm cooking dinner—yes, that was last night's little
<br>surprise. On a nicer note, she's doing well at learning letters, and
<br>even spelling the occasional word, or else stringing random letters
<br>together and declaring the new spelling.
<br>
<br>Caitlin just learned how to climb out of her crib, and for some time
<br>now she has been attempting every word she hears. Most recent and
<br>interesting word is vanilla. Most frequent words are stuck (used for
<br>everything from being stuck in a high place where she has climbed up,
<br>or stuck in her seatbelt), and snack (used for all food and drinks
<br>when not specifying). Her very first words were at ten months, "Da",
<br>"Ma" and then shortly after that "duck" and "sock" (with all letters
<br>pronounced). Other words like cheese and shoes are still "chis" and
<br>"shis". Her vanilla sounded pretty good that one time she was
<br>requesting vanilla pudding. She also said chocolate milk yesterday,
<br>which might be her first compound word. She also likes to say jump
<br>while employing her new talent for jumping off the bottom step—show
<br>off.
<br>
<br>Their favorite Christmas presents this year have been a toy piano that
<br>I picked up from a neighbor's garage sale, a toy tool set with hammer
<br>and drill, Miriam's Leap Pad Explorer, Caitlin's shopping cart, a
<br>wooden cookie baking set, and play food with mini pots and pans.
<br>
<br>The only words to tell about myself are that Joe and I have had a few
<br>good date nights recently in an effort to stay sane with the
<br>combination of Joe's busy work and study schedule and the demands of
<br>parenthood. We went out to dinner at El Chaparral last weekend and we
<br>went to see the Hobbit and Les Miserables over Christmas—two of our
<br>favorite books turned movies. We're doing our best to enjoy daily life
<br>today and also constantly looking forward to all the exciting new
<br>developments of the coming years. This fall Joe will be interviewing
<br>for residency programs. Thus far he wants to do anesthesiology,
<br>probably somewhere in the south such as Tennessee, Alabama, Texas,
<br>Virginia, Georgia, or one of the Carolinas. Poor Joe is stressing over
<br>all that has to happen between now and then. There's not much biking
<br>going on for us unless it's on the exercise bike at home, or a bit of
<br>a jog in the neighborhood. That triathlon won't be this year I'm
<br>afraid. If I really get busy, perhaps another 10k or a half marathon
<br>if I can get myself convinced. Mind you, we're hoping to visit
<br>Australia in early 2014, so I can't allow myself to get too rusty lest
<br>I forfeit the chance to enter a race then.
<br>
<br>Signing off.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-82085405617320501582012-12-15T18:38:00.001-08:002012-12-15T18:38:30.273-08:00Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed.A friend of mine, Amy Phelps, just posted on facebook:
<br>
<br>I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but at least I'm in the shed.
<br>
<br>Man, that's comfort for me today.
<br>
<br>If you need me, I'll be in the shed.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-15506917701171198662012-12-15T18:33:00.001-08:002012-12-15T18:33:29.206-08:00Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-17825582952239068682012-12-07T07:30:00.001-08:002012-12-07T07:30:29.803-08:00From Ten to forty-SixToday ten years ago Joe proposed to me by the pond in the BYU
<br>sculpture garden, surrounded by snow and Christmas lights—a romantic
<br>gesture for a mostly practical guy. I love you Joe! also,
<br>congratulations to my parents who are having their forty-sixth wedding
<br>anniversary today. Your example inspires me. Thank you.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-25770222190929480152012-12-01T11:22:00.001-08:002012-12-01T11:22:34.102-08:00Life in a Fallen worldJoe had a traumatic experience in the hospital the week before
<br>Thanksgiving. Of course we have our own thirteen month old, so this
<br>really hit home. This kind of experience is likely to stick with a
<br>person for life and i don't envy Joe the image that has been burned in
<br>his brain. Thankful that we have God in Heaven to put all things right
<br>in due time.
<br>
<br>---------- Forwarded message ----------
<br>From: Joseph D Walch
<br>Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:19:59 -0800
<br>
<br>Last week I did CPR on a 13 month old girl who went into abrupt
<br>cardiac arrest in the pediatric ED at Santa Rosa. They called it after
<br>20 minutes of no heart activity--and when the kiddo started bleeding
<br>out because of acidemic shock. It looked like it was likely child
<br>abuse. I'm having a hard time getting over it, but it has made me
<br>really appreciate the time I have with my healthy little girls.
<br>
<br>Cherish the moments.
<br>
<br>JoeLouisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-85819747753485330782012-11-03T16:56:00.001-07:002012-11-03T16:56:59.102-07:00Good Ol' Republican HumorIn honor of daylight savings ending tonight, here's a joke for you...
<br>If you're an Obama supporter, just close your eyes/ears for a moment.
<br>
<br>Don't forget to change your clocks back tonight and your president on tuesday!Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6091866649109757501.post-80579770097646817542012-09-16T16:39:00.001-07:002012-09-16T16:39:02.147-07:00It's Tough to Be So BlessedBefore you shift your eyes to one side and say "pff, speak for
<br>yourself", just stick with me. I read an unforgettable book last year
<br>called, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara
<br>Demick. This book reads like fiction, but tells the terrible and true
<br>stories of six defectors from totalitarian North Korea. Since reading
<br>this book, I've never looked at a single grain of rice in the same
<br>way. I should say that I don't mean this in the way that reading the
<br>book Fast food Nation (which I haven't actually read) might make
<br>someone never look at McDonalds in the same way—I mean this book gave
<br>me a new understanding of the struggles that are out there in the
<br>world today and how far distant I am from them. While I try hard to be
<br>constructive rather than to pitty, I thank God that I'm able to feed
<br>my children. Actually, more than pitty, this book stirs up more
<br>feelings of anger than I'm used to, so I have to work at keeping those
<br>in check too. Bottom line… Nothing to Envy is a must-read.
<br>
<br>In a totally different genre but with at least one similar theme, I'm
<br>currently reading the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series,
<br>Anne's House of Dreams. In this book, a conversation (Leslie's big
<br>apology) takes place between Anne and her neighbor and they discuss
<br>some of the tragic events in their lives. Leslie recalls the
<br>accidental death of her little brother and she says something along
<br>the lines of "[If there's one thing I could forget in the next life it
<br>would be that horrifying image]" to which Anne replies something like
<br>"[You surely will forget]". It's interesting to me how commonplace
<br>tragedy is in some sphere's of time and place and how despite my own
<br>lack of real hardship, I'm still supposed to learn to have faith and
<br>to repent and develop a relationship with Christ and believe His
<br>atoning sacrifice is for all.
<br>
<br>While I'm giving book recommendations, let me also put in a plug for
<br>Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and work of Relief Society,
<br>recently published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
<br>I think there's a lot that pioneering women can teach us about faith,
<br>courage, tenacity, industry, and priorities.
<br>
<br>In the Bible it says "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye
<br>of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God"
<br>(Matthew 19:24). That's me, but I'm not just talking about the future
<br>doctor's wife version of myself which seems so far distant at the
<br>moment; I believe even the poorest person living in the united States
<br>today is wealthier than the majority of the world's inhabitants of
<br>today or times past.
<br>
<br>So, what a challenge you and I have. I'm so busy thinking about what
<br>birthday presents to buy for the girls, today's dishes, not to mention
<br>my running schedule for the week; I mean, what's with today's
<br>preoccupation with exercise anyway? Yes, I'm with you on the health
<br>benefits and learning self-mastery, but largely it's recreation. This
<br>is coming from the girl who several months ago proclaimed her
<br>aspiration to do a triathlon. I still have that goal, but I continue
<br>to juggle my priorities and wonder at the privilege of living in a
<br>time and place that affords me the hope of achieving this goal. Only
<br>the truly wealthy would do such a thing.
<br>
<br>A final word on wealth—Of course wealth is more than money. I have an
<br>abundant life. I just have to make a lot more use of it. This is also
<br>not to discount the real trials that are endured by people around me,
<br>some of which I'll inevitably face. I think my wealth commentary still
<br>applies to those people. Anyhow, some people might think blindness is
<br>pretty tough, which it has been in some ways, but I think at this
<br>point in time, my trials are more like being attacked by the
<br>Lilliputians from Gulliver's Travels (a book I should probably read)
<br>or perhaps more aptly described as being pelted to death by
<br>marshmellows (or maybe peanuts). No matter who you are, life is
<br>relentless!
<br>
<br>I ought not to end on this note—I should explain that the title of
<br>this post is not meant to be tongue-in-cheek (despite my reference to
<br>marshmallow wars). Maybe I'm grasping at straws to think of something
<br>serious to say after that. Still, remember Matthew's words above. So
<br>many of us around here have to work really hard at developing faith.
<br>"To whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke
<br>12:48). . It just might be that my wealth is my greatest hardship.
<br>
<br>PS My apologies that this post has been a bit all over the place.
<br>Hopefully the theme holds it together if the writing is a bit
<br>scatter-brained. I don't write this sort of thing very often and
<br>apparently I need more practice.Louisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385712740350730260noreply@blogger.com1