Getting back on schedule.

Tonight Deanna read her book to me first while Dorothy and Lilly were in the bathtub playing. Deanna chose "Hooper Humperdink...? Not Him!" by Dr. Seuss. I have still yet to go through the toy box but hope to get to that before the weekend starts, so Deanna can finish reading her chapter book but until then we have lots other books for her to choose from. 

When Dorothy and Lilly were done with their bath, hair brushed, and dressed for bed they were ready for me to read to them. Dorothy picked out "If you take a mouse to the movies" by Laura Numeroff. 

Once everyone was read to they were off to bed. Lilly took the longest but she is just starting to get back into a sleep schedule, which is nice for everyone. With Samantha working nights and David's family watching her she fell out of going to bed at a certain like she has since she was born. Now that she is here nights she is doing well which makes it easier on Samantha as well. 

Do you have a sleep schedule for your children?

Lilly joined us for Snuggles and Stories tonight.

Good evening everyone. 

Dororthy picked out a "If you give a Pig a Pancake" this evening written by Laura Numeroff. There are only a few more books in this series, and then I think she will be ready to move onto something else.

Lilly my Grand daughter is staying here a while so since Samantha was working, Mema (me) took over for the night with her snuggles and stories. Not that I mind though, just glad that my daughter has chosen to read to her daughter too, fitting it in on the nights that she has off.  Lilly picked out "God" written by Jane Werner Watson. Dirty face and all Lilly enjoyed her snuggle and story time.

Deanna read "I am not going to get up today" by Dr. Seuss

Hope everyone has a great night and if you have the time why not comment with a great book you have enjoyed recently.

Sunday Night Snuggles

Well here it is the night before the start of the first full week of school here in Marksville. Dinner is done, kids are all washed up, outfits picked out, so now the time comes for snuggles and stories with mommy.

Tonight as warned Dorothy picked out "If you give a Moose a Muffin" by Laura Numeroff.

 Deanna chose to read  "The Best Nest" by P.D. Eastman. tonight.

Our neighbors had a yard sale yesterday in which I bought two books but today they had the rest of the stuff they had for free, so we grabbed the whole box of books. Anything that is a double to what we already have I will send to school for the book cart. At our school you can buy a book for .25 from the book cart during lunch. I know my kids love it and I am sure many others enjoy it just as much, and being able to pick out and purchase your very own book has got to be one of the best feelings in the whole wide world. Ok there are probably lots of better things but I am sure you know what I mean. 

I would suggest if you too have a book give a way of some sort at your school or in your community that when you see children's books for free or even if you have books at home that no one is reading anymore pass them on to others so that others can enjoy books that they might not have known about otherwise. 

Happy reading everyone!

As promised.

I didn't forget about you on Friday just was too busy to get a blog up.

Dorothy picked out "If you give a Pig a Party" by Laura Numeroff. I can already warn you the next one she wants me to read to her is by the same author. Here she is already for bed.

Deanna read me "Put me in the Zoo" by Robert Lopshire, yes her book is still missing, I think it might have fallen in the toy box, but thankfully we are blessed to own lots of books, so there is always something to pick from.

I promised a picture of the book I am currently reading which sad to say hasn't had that much reading done until I had to post it up here, it was kind of sitting part way read, mainly because we have been busy, but also because I was waiting for the author to write another installment in the series due to me almost being on the last book in the series that was available at the time. As you can see I am reading "Bullet" by Laurell K. Hamilton. My best friend got me into reading this series in between season 1 and 2 of True Blood so I had something to keep me busy until the next season started up, and I became hooked, and would really like to see her books made into a TV show. 

Tonight's installment

Today or yesterday really was the first day of school for the Marksville girls. I miss having all of my kids here for pictures but alas these are the last three at home.

Above you can see my daughter Dennise who is a Junior this year, Deanna who is in 5th, and Dorothy who is in 1st. 

Dorothy picked out another book by Laura Numeroff called "If you give a dog a donut". Like I said we have the whole set and apparently she is on a roll for me to read these to her again.

Deanna read me "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss this evening. I am amazed by how fast she can read this book now, I remember when it took her several sittings just to get through it, now she is breezing through it. Amazed everyday by her progress. I hope to find her chapter book by tomorrow so that she can continue reading that to me, but is nice to see how far she has come from the first time she has read some of the books she has chosen to read to me lately.

As for Dennise she will be reading "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald for school, which they recently made into a movie, and something the school will probably show the kids at sometime this year.

source

Will share my current read with you tomorrow night. Sleep tight everyone.

"The Next Christians" Book Review

This was a review I wrote back on 03/31/11, but since it was the only book reiview on that blog I thought I would bring it where it was better suited.

I got a chance to review "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons. This of course is my first review so forgive me I will get much better at it as time goes by.

I began reading this book and was absorbed by it.Like Gabe has written there are many different walks of faith, and many ways that people have grown up being Christian over the years. Add the changes that have taken place and it really is a whole new religion. I grew up learning one way but knowing there had to be more then this. " The lesson here is that Christians who remove themselves from the world in hopes of self-preservation miss out on carrying the love of God forward to those who might need it most."

I came from a Separatism Church and found it too binding, how can you possibly reach out if you don't talk to others and look down at everything they do. My parents wanted more too, but sadly died before I could share this book with them. My father would have been inspired.

I have many pages folded and saved to use in a bigger blog that I write, and hope to spread the word about this book and the inspiration he has given me. I have always been different then most people and have always strived for something better for everyone. I hope you will take the time to read "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons.

I don't think I ever got around to writing anymore blogs about my thoughts on the book but plan to revisit that soon.

A free copy of this book was provided to me by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for review purposes.

Snuggles and Stories with MarksvilleandMe #1

From time to time I talk about our snuggles and stories on my other blogs, so I thought I would make a page just for them. You will also see reviews and other book related posts here, but the main focus will be on Snuggles and Stories with MarksvilleandMe.

I started this with my oldest who was born in 1990 and over the years it has become known as Snuggles and Stories. Reading with your child is one of the best things you can do for them and yourself. I can't say we read every night because that would be a lie, but we do try to do as much as we can. I get sick easily so even when I was tired the kids could always sit and snuggle, while enjoying a book with Mommy.

Don't get me wrong my husband, parents, and now even my older children have all taken turns reading to the smaller children, but for the main part I do most of the snuggles and stories. Maybe it is because I am more soft, or maybe it stems from the time I read to them while they were still in the womb, but it is one of my favorite things to do with them.

I thought tonight as we were getting the kids ready for bed... why not start a blog and try to keep it updated with the books we read. Some will be of course the books we read with our children while others will be books we read for our own pleasure. I am sure you will see lags but life gets busy and we can't always get to everything we want to do, but with the time I do, I hope to keep this blog going not only to keep a record of what we read but maybe even turn others onto other books they might not be aware of, and would like to read for themselves.

So without further ado...Tonight's installment.

Deanna was reading another chapter book but when we cleaned the other day it must have been moved so she read "Go, Dog. Go!"  by P.D. Eastman to me instead. Deanna as most of you know has a hard time learning and is entering the 5th grade tomorrow, so her reading skills might not be where another child her age might be, but she still enjoys to be read to, although most nights she now prefers to do the reading. She has come a long way and we are proud of every accomplishment she makes. 

 Dorothy finished her shower and didn't even dress before she picked her book out tonight, so she was still in her towel when I read her choice to her. She picked "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" by Laura Numeroff. I do have to say we have the whole set from her collection so I guess we would be considered big fans. Dorothy starts 1st grade tomorrow, and still loves to be read to, which doesn't bother me in the least. Time will come soon enough when she too would rather read to me then have me read to her, so I will enjoy it while I can.