Shabbat Shalom

This Week I Love:

• Gormandies Chocolate Cake (Wish I Had Some Now)
• Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans
• My Half-Sleepy Listening to Erik's Work Day at 1:30 a.m.
• Ewan Not Waking Screaming but Talking
• Ewan in Overalls
• Carson's Obsession with Bunnies
• Carson's Fake Scowl
• Calista's Excitement for Summer
• Jeffrey's Writing (A Play for My Birthday and His Song)
• Surprise $ for Kids' Allowance
• Taking Pictures
• Teeth Whitening

Things That Have To Go:

• Erik Not Letting Me Peek When He Showers
• Cold Feet
• Snowing in April
• Blood Blisters and Calluses from Carrying Car seat
• Living Here
• Lack of Sleep and Ensuing Grumpiness
• White Eyebrow Hair
• Teeth Whitening

Questions I Asked Myself:

• How do I discipline a child when nothing seems to be effective (time-outs, extra chores, writing lines, taking away privileges, etc.)? I just can't get Ewan to behave.
• In modern religions, how much does politics influence prophesy/rules/guidelines?
• Are bounty hunters' personalities close to the guy who hunts people in, "The Most Dangerous Game" (if he were real of course)?
• Am I ever going to really feel like an adult or will I always feel like a little girl who looks in the mirror and just keeps getting older?
• What is that short story called (and who wrote it) about the dad who tells the baby he will put him in his room for an hour for every page he tears out of a book and he actually does it but leaves the book with the kid so the boy just keeps tearing out pages?

First off, I did finish Tunnels. It was a good book with a kind-of ending which irked me because there were questions unanswered and the next book, Dirt, doesn't come out till Spring 2009. The end was much better than the beginning. I decided to read Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. I was upset when I picked the book up and saw, "A macabre tour de force," on the cover. Curses, both annoying expressions together. That was a good book and I finished it fast. The beginning was a lot like the television show but slightly more interesting because it was all from Dexter's point of view. Normally, I am quite irked by people referring to themselves in third person. Annoyingly Amorous Angela does not find this amusing. However with Dastardly Demonic Dexter it was darling. It fit his psyche. The ending was good enough (when people were shot they didn't miraculously get back up) that I read Dearly Devoted Dexter, the second in the series but the first in entertainment value. I liked it so much I am now on Dexter in the Dark, the newest in the series. I hope it is as good as the second. A few things surprised me with the series so far. They may swear, a lot, but while it describes crime scenes and situations well enough for one to understand, they aren't overtly disgusting and they don't have uncomfortable (for me) sex scenes in them. I haven't read books like this in awhile for this reason. I read Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz by James Ellroy which were good books but on the graphic side. Also, Dearly Devoted Dexter had vocabulary in it I didn't know. I am not trying to be cocky but the reading skill you need to have to understand the book isn't extremely high so I was surprised when I came across words I didn't know, which leads me to a new section I am adding to this Shabbat blog. If you know what it is or the answer (without cheating) write in the comments and how or where you knew it from or learned it.

Things I Learned This Week:

• The Word Dipsophobic
• The Word Flensing
• The Word Ecce (pronounced eh ck ay)
• Which Is More West: Reno, L.A., San Diego, or Sacramento (I learned this from one of those quiz shows and I took Geography)

Other news this week: Erik has a friend at the department who was chasing a man with a felony warrant against him for aggravated assault and guess where this man found the fugitive? You may have guessed it, our shed. This happened a few days ago. As a result, I was trying to think of a kid-friendly bad name to call the man and it started a conversation with the three kids of trying to think off all the names we could think of with poop in it. Because I don't often talk like this, the kids laughed hysterically when I said Old Toot.

This brings me to another question I pondered this week. Some songs I listen to have swearing in them. At what point do I listen to it around the kids? The swearing isn't like rap music or anything but just slipped in really good songs. Isn't it art and don't I just explain it to them as such or do I follow movie rating guidelines?

I guess that's about it. The week was through quick. Erik received a conditional offer of employment from Port Angeles Police Department. He goes on the 21st and 22nd for a polygraph, psychological, and Chief's interview. I hope it goes well and he doesn't second guess himself. He is currently candidate #1. I hope he gets the job and then I may write a blog about the advantages of moving there along with things I am nervous about.

Shabbat Shalom