Reading List 2013

Here's an archived copy of my reading list for this year. I'll be keeping up the new list here: http://mlisunderstanding.blogspot.com/p/reading-list.html

I would recommend the bolded titles with enthusiasm, and I enjoyed the italicized titles but probably wouldn't read them again.

Goals Check-in: December

Here's my end-of-the-month wrap-up regarding my 2013 goals:

Freezer Inventory: December

Here's an update on what's in the freezers headed into the new year (beginning in January, these posts will move to my new blog):

Resolutions for 2014

2014 will be full of changes for my family! Adjusting to new things can be tough, especially large-scale things like where we live, work, and volunteer, and who shares our life with us. Instead of nailing down a bunch of quantifiable goals, I've decided to change things up. I have had long lists of resolutions for previous years, but 2014 bodes to be both simpler and fuller in several ways. So my new year's resolutions are less numerous, but larger in scale.

CC by BazaarBizarreSF (Flickr)

Food This Week 25

Wow - with a whirlwind of holiday with the family and some scheduling mishaps that seemed to shorten the event, I was happy to fall into my bed last night after dragging piles of presents inside from the car. Highlights this Xmas:

• a red cloth coat
• hers-and-hers Sonicare brushes
• 4 large Kilner jars for pantry storage
• a homeowner's journal, in anticipation of our upcoming status
• a fancy rolling pin (for my sweetie)
• roast beast dinner
• turkey dinner
• hiding all of my sister's presents and leading her to them on Xmas morning! (in the garage, on the bookshelf she asked for)

For my feline-loving compatriots

LOL by sgt83007

Read Aloud Roundup (December 2013)

This month's reading session came right before the school closes for winter break. I found some fun stories about Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Solstice to share -- while many of them had a special lesson about giving, sharing, believing, or learning, I wanted the focus to be on the enjoyment of the story. There were a few bonus books this month -- mostly nonfiction titles that are supplementary, and definitely relevant, but not the best for reading aloud. There were also some special requests from the teachers. I love filling those! It's nice feeling more connected to the classroom curricula, even though I'm not there in person to discuss these things.

Food This Week 24

Last week saw multiple restaurant meals and potlucks -- the social season is truly upon us! This week's menu includes big family meals at other people's houses, so the meals we eat at home will be fairly simple. Both of us have to work on the 23rd (and my wife works during the day on the 24th), but we'll be with my parents and sister and the extended family for Xmas Eve and Xmas Day.

Food This Week 23

Today I was out in the world so much! I met coworkers for lunch (missed my direct bus, so took a different bus, a train, and a shuttle instead), came back home, and then set out for the eye doctor's a little later. I get to have laser vision correction in a few weeks, it turns out. Yay! Being able to see what (it seems like) everyone else can see! It's a present to myself. 'Tis the season, after all. This weekend is my wife's birthday; she shares it with a friend of ours, so there will be much celebrating! She always gets a separate birthday present from me -- no lumping it in with Xmas. It's driving her crazy that she can't open the box yet.

1) A hippopotamus 2) my two front teeth 3) you

...also, a yacht. Really, that's not a lot.

CC by Visit Cape May (Flickr)

I think Santa must be aware of this year's struggles in the battle between Naughty and Nice (just at this moment, I fear I have overdue fines on a handful of library books I've held onto for too long), but he's a pretty easy-going guy. And the season is treating me well so far. I mean, despite lacking space to put a Christmas tree in our apartment tonight, I was given the opportunity to decorate not one, but FIVE trees elsewhere -- all in 24 hours. Sweet.

Food This Week 22

Is everyone surviving their Thanksgiving leftovers? We had more than I'd planned for, which is really a lovely worry. Extra food (a HUGE banana squash, soup, garlic, and packet of ham from my mom, donuts from a coworker, cupcakes we had an expiring voucher for at a nearby bakery) made appearances several times. My wife brought home a whole bunch of extras from her work's catered dinner (she had to work a midnight shift on Thanksgiving), so we've had turkey cottage pie, turkey soup, and plates of plain leftovers for a while. She made a mole de pavo that's on the menu for tomorrow after we run some errands. Everything's been repurposed and eaten or frozen by now, but it will reappear! (Spaced out a bit, though.) I don't think we need anything from the grocery store this week, either. We'll see how boxed mac & cheese tastes with almond milk, which is all I have in the house...