No, this is not a post about ESPN documentaries (although that series is incredible, whether or not you are a sports fan, so watch some on Netflix right now).
I turn 30 at the end of the year, and I've been trying to think of cool ways to celebrate this milestone birthday. I decided that I would squeeze all I can out of this year, all while celebrating the number 30. I'm not going to come up with everything right now, but you can check the "30!" tab for a running tally of what I'll be doing this year. I will also be tagging items related to the 30 countdown with #megan30.
If anyone out there has an interesting (but affordable) ideas, comment below!
- Megan
Elliott is getting so big!
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Lazy Summer Days.
As anyone knows, the novelty of summer wears off. For me, this usually happens around the end of July. Perhaps earlier than most, but I love structure and schedule and having meaningful things to do. Elliott also likes schedule (he put himself on one that I love), so it will be nice to go back to school and have some structure for everyone.
In order to combat the boredom, we've tried to keep busy. We have lunch at Nana's once a week, dinner with my family at least once a week, and I go to dance twice a week. I originally intended to go only for Level 5 (the top level that I ended with), but I went to a lower level the first week to warm up and I decided the warm-up was a good thing every week. I haven't danced since about 4 months before E was born, so I have to treat myself differently after class. I have to ice my shins and ankles, drink a lot more water, and usually take a Tylenol. I also have to stretch after class and the next morning. The school doesn't have sprung floors, so I'm not surprised my legs and ankles are achy. I'm having a ton of fun though. I love learning choreography, and since I go different days, I learn from a couple different people. Last night, we did a lyrical combo and a hip-hop combo. I look silly doing hip-hop. I wish we would do a tap combo, but we just do a lot of across the floor.
Elliott and I also take little adventures throughout the week. We went shopping yesterday, and we're visiting my grandparents with my sister today. Between that and dance, it will be a long day.
My sister is leaving for NC on Sunday, and we will be sad to see her go. I'm close with my sister, but Elliott just adores his Aunt Sarah. Hopefully we can visit her this fall.
Yesterday, Elliott gave me a 2 1/2 hour block in the afternoon, and it was glorious! I vacuumed, showered, blow-dried my hair, dusted the first floor, cleaned the kitchen, and read 50 pages of "Bringing Up Bebe," which I finished last night. In short, it was an incredible look at how another culture parents its children. I'm definitely going to adopt some of those methods and tips (especially teaching my child autonomy, respect, and patience).
- M.
In order to combat the boredom, we've tried to keep busy. We have lunch at Nana's once a week, dinner with my family at least once a week, and I go to dance twice a week. I originally intended to go only for Level 5 (the top level that I ended with), but I went to a lower level the first week to warm up and I decided the warm-up was a good thing every week. I haven't danced since about 4 months before E was born, so I have to treat myself differently after class. I have to ice my shins and ankles, drink a lot more water, and usually take a Tylenol. I also have to stretch after class and the next morning. The school doesn't have sprung floors, so I'm not surprised my legs and ankles are achy. I'm having a ton of fun though. I love learning choreography, and since I go different days, I learn from a couple different people. Last night, we did a lyrical combo and a hip-hop combo. I look silly doing hip-hop. I wish we would do a tap combo, but we just do a lot of across the floor.
Elliott and I also take little adventures throughout the week. We went shopping yesterday, and we're visiting my grandparents with my sister today. Between that and dance, it will be a long day.
My sister is leaving for NC on Sunday, and we will be sad to see her go. I'm close with my sister, but Elliott just adores his Aunt Sarah. Hopefully we can visit her this fall.
Yesterday, Elliott gave me a 2 1/2 hour block in the afternoon, and it was glorious! I vacuumed, showered, blow-dried my hair, dusted the first floor, cleaned the kitchen, and read 50 pages of "Bringing Up Bebe," which I finished last night. In short, it was an incredible look at how another culture parents its children. I'm definitely going to adopt some of those methods and tips (especially teaching my child autonomy, respect, and patience).
- M.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
They're here!
For years, Jason and I have gone back and forth over the appeal of e-readers and tablets. We both love the feel of a real book. I'm pretty sure we own over 300 books, and after moving them 6 times, we manage to still like having them. However, the moving also made us consider the notion of an e-reader.
Cut to the beginning of the summer. I received another scholarship from Penn State, similar to one I got the first time. I had said that if I got the same scholarship this time around, I would get a Kindle or an e-reader to make my back-pack lighter. So, we started shopping. I was a supporter of the Kindle Fire, but Jason did a little more research and found that Google was releasing a new tablet soon. It would sync up with my Gmail, calendar, and other Google platforms that I already use. I was sold.
We had to pre-order them, and they finally got here! It's charging right now, but I already love the size, feel, and look of the Nexus 7. I won't have to carry my laptop all over creation every day. I don't have an office at Penn State, so I'll have to carry everything with me. A tablet is going to make this so much easier!
We'll give another update once we've had a chance to play. :)
- M. & J.
Cut to the beginning of the summer. I received another scholarship from Penn State, similar to one I got the first time. I had said that if I got the same scholarship this time around, I would get a Kindle or an e-reader to make my back-pack lighter. So, we started shopping. I was a supporter of the Kindle Fire, but Jason did a little more research and found that Google was releasing a new tablet soon. It would sync up with my Gmail, calendar, and other Google platforms that I already use. I was sold.
We had to pre-order them, and they finally got here! It's charging right now, but I already love the size, feel, and look of the Nexus 7. I won't have to carry my laptop all over creation every day. I don't have an office at Penn State, so I'll have to carry everything with me. A tablet is going to make this so much easier!
We'll give another update once we've had a chance to play. :)
- M. & J.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, Sunday
The only day of the week that neither Jason nor I work is Sunday. While it's supposed to be a relaxing day, it tends to turn into our most productive day. Yesterday, though, was absolutely exceptional. That being said, we still didn't get everything done that we wanted to.
We:
- Did laundry. It's harder than you'd think because we have to take the laundry to the basement laundry room in our complex.
- Folded said laundry. Did I mention we hadn't done laundry in two weeks?
- Started organizing Elliott's closet. I need to do a 40 Days, 40 Bags treatment on it, but at least I now know what I am dealing with.
- I got a haircut. I haven't had one in over one year. Eek.
- Did some light grocery shopping; We'll meal plan and do the big trip on Tuesday (followed by a trip to Rita's for free "First Day of Spring" water ice!)
- Made baby food. We tried pineapple (the book said 8 months was OK) and Elliott hated it. It was just too much flavor for him, even though it was pretty mild. Oops.
- Finally got documents shredded. Staples is running a deal that they will shred up to 5 pounds of documents for free. We had 15 pounds of documents. I went through the bag and only took the things that needed to be shredded and recycled the rest.
Pair that with meals and a fussy baby, and it looks pretty good. It was nice to start the week off with a number of chores off the list.
I also finished Mockingjay. I didn't love it the way I loved the first two books, but I still would read the entire series again in a heartbeat. I'm moving on to finishing Condaleeza Rice's memoir that I started a few months ago. Our book club meets on Sunday (at my place. Eee.) and we'll pick a new book, so hopefully I get through a lot of her book quickly.
Fortunately, Saturday was really relaxing. My parents came for the day and made Reubens. We went for a walk, hung out and watched movies. I feel like lately I don't get a day to decompress, so it was nice to have a fun, quiet day. That night, Jason, Elliott, and I crossed the Walt Whitman to attended our friend Matt's 30th birthday party. A lot of our friends who hadn't met Elliott yet were there, and we had a really great time. I even made a date with Amy and Jess to see The Hunger Games on Saturday!
How was your weekend?
- M. & J.
We:
- Did laundry. It's harder than you'd think because we have to take the laundry to the basement laundry room in our complex.
- Folded said laundry. Did I mention we hadn't done laundry in two weeks?
- Started organizing Elliott's closet. I need to do a 40 Days, 40 Bags treatment on it, but at least I now know what I am dealing with.
- I got a haircut. I haven't had one in over one year. Eek.
- Did some light grocery shopping; We'll meal plan and do the big trip on Tuesday (followed by a trip to Rita's for free "First Day of Spring" water ice!)
- Made baby food. We tried pineapple (the book said 8 months was OK) and Elliott hated it. It was just too much flavor for him, even though it was pretty mild. Oops.
- Finally got documents shredded. Staples is running a deal that they will shred up to 5 pounds of documents for free. We had 15 pounds of documents. I went through the bag and only took the things that needed to be shredded and recycled the rest.
Pair that with meals and a fussy baby, and it looks pretty good. It was nice to start the week off with a number of chores off the list.
I also finished Mockingjay. I didn't love it the way I loved the first two books, but I still would read the entire series again in a heartbeat. I'm moving on to finishing Condaleeza Rice's memoir that I started a few months ago. Our book club meets on Sunday (at my place. Eee.) and we'll pick a new book, so hopefully I get through a lot of her book quickly.
Fortunately, Saturday was really relaxing. My parents came for the day and made Reubens. We went for a walk, hung out and watched movies. I feel like lately I don't get a day to decompress, so it was nice to have a fun, quiet day. That night, Jason, Elliott, and I crossed the Walt Whitman to attended our friend Matt's 30th birthday party. A lot of our friends who hadn't met Elliott yet were there, and we had a really great time. I even made a date with Amy and Jess to see The Hunger Games on Saturday!
How was your weekend?
- M. & J.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Page turners.
My posts have been sporadic because I've been reading. A lot.
The book club I participate in decided that it's first choice (which I'm sorry to admit was my suggestion) would be Stories I Only Tell My Friends, by Rob Lowe. It's his memoir. Most of the ladies in the group are fans of Parks and Recreation, The West Wing, or even the Brat Pack movies. We thought "how interesting! He was into drugs, sex, and everything else! Scandalous!" We were disappointed. Well, the ones I've talked to are. We haven't had our meeting yet, but I predict it will take us a few bottles of red wine to really analyze the book. He glossed over all the stuff we wanted to hear all the scandalous details to, and instead became "the Forrest Gump of '80s Hollywood." (Quote by E.B.).
Still, I read it quickly, and I am not a quick reader. I wanted to start something else right away, but I was at my parents' house and all I found to read was an O magazine (the one I cited in a recent post). When we got home, I decided to read The Hunger Games. I didn't want to see the movie without having read the book first, and a lot of my friends have told me how amazing it is.
I was not disappointed. I was so not disappointed that when I was about 20 pages from the end of The Hunger Games, I got in the car and ran to Barnes and Noble to buy Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I finished Catching Fire in ONE DAY. I do not read things that quickly. The last time I completed a book in one day was July 2007 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
If you're looking for something to read, drop everything and read these books. I know I'm late getting on this band wagon, but I love The Hunger Games series. I haven't been this into a book since Harry Potter. The world Suzanne Collins has created, 13 distinct districts and the Capitol, all fascinates me. I don't want to give anything away, but the character of Katniss really appeals to me as well. She is not a traditional young adult fiction character, but strong and responsible.
So, sorry for the absence, but it was totally worth it. I'll probably finish Condaleeza Rice's memoir, which I got for my birthday, once I'm done reading Mockingjay. I have a lot of books on my shelves that I've never read, so I better get to it. You can track my books on the GoodReads widget to the right ---->.
- M.
The book club I participate in decided that it's first choice (which I'm sorry to admit was my suggestion) would be Stories I Only Tell My Friends, by Rob Lowe. It's his memoir. Most of the ladies in the group are fans of Parks and Recreation, The West Wing, or even the Brat Pack movies. We thought "how interesting! He was into drugs, sex, and everything else! Scandalous!" We were disappointed. Well, the ones I've talked to are. We haven't had our meeting yet, but I predict it will take us a few bottles of red wine to really analyze the book. He glossed over all the stuff we wanted to hear all the scandalous details to, and instead became "the Forrest Gump of '80s Hollywood." (Quote by E.B.).
Still, I read it quickly, and I am not a quick reader. I wanted to start something else right away, but I was at my parents' house and all I found to read was an O magazine (the one I cited in a recent post). When we got home, I decided to read The Hunger Games. I didn't want to see the movie without having read the book first, and a lot of my friends have told me how amazing it is.
I was not disappointed. I was so not disappointed that when I was about 20 pages from the end of The Hunger Games, I got in the car and ran to Barnes and Noble to buy Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I finished Catching Fire in ONE DAY. I do not read things that quickly. The last time I completed a book in one day was July 2007 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
If you're looking for something to read, drop everything and read these books. I know I'm late getting on this band wagon, but I love The Hunger Games series. I haven't been this into a book since Harry Potter. The world Suzanne Collins has created, 13 distinct districts and the Capitol, all fascinates me. I don't want to give anything away, but the character of Katniss really appeals to me as well. She is not a traditional young adult fiction character, but strong and responsible.
So, sorry for the absence, but it was totally worth it. I'll probably finish Condaleeza Rice's memoir, which I got for my birthday, once I'm done reading Mockingjay. I have a lot of books on my shelves that I've never read, so I better get to it. You can track my books on the GoodReads widget to the right ---->.
- M.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
2 Weeks Old.
On Friday, Elliott turned 2 weeks old, which while it doesn't warrant cake and presents, it is a pretty big deal to us. He's happy, healthy, and still a really sweet little boy.
The biggest issue we've had here is that sometimes, he sleeps through nighttime feedings, and because he doesn't wake up, he doesn't cry and wake us up either! I've taken to setting an alarm after feedings so I wake him up in the appropriate amount of time.
He's also had tons of visitors over the last two weeks. My parents have visited twice, aside from actually being around when he was born, and are expected again later today. Jason's mom took the week off work to help me out when Jason returned to work, and his dad drove down with her the first day to visit. My godparents have visited twice (they really wanted to hold him and didn't feel like they could when he was in the ICN). Aside from that, friends and other family have come by the hospital or house to shower him and us with love, gifts, and food.
I feel awesome too, which I did not expect. I can be a very emotional person who has crazy hormones, but I guess things are working in my favor. I love taking care of him, although I feel at times as though I'm playing "house," since things are still kind of novel. He definitely recognizes my voice, and he is learning to focus on our faces and other things in his line of sight. On the off-chance that he both looks at me AND smiles, I feel like the Grinch when his heart grows three sizes. It's a fantastic feeling.
Despite my joy in motherhood, I'm actually not dreading my return to work either. I turned in all of my course materials on Thursday (to be duplicated), and I completed two weeks of lessons during the "long wait," so I can just enjoy my little one entirely until the week before school starts. It's not full time, just MWF for about a total of 5 hours (including my commute). I'm also gearing up to start my Ph.D. program applications for Fall 2012 admission. Oddly enough, getting pregnant and having Elliott has made me more committed to continuing my education. First, I want to be able to work to my full potential and get a great job to help provide for him. However, I also recently read that most boys pursue the same level of education that their mothers achieved. I'm not saying Elliott should get a Ph.D. in American Studies, but at least I'll model the importance of learning and striving for the top of his potential. I just hope he always enjoys learning and growing intellectually. I think that is crucial for a happy, well-rounded person.
On a non-baby-related note, I'm currently reading Bill Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything, which is actually a science text. He discusses, well, nearly everything major in science. I've been learning about the vastness of space (you can't comprehend how vast), the theory of relativity (I actually sort of get it now), and the finer points of the atom. This ties into my "lifelong learning" initiative. I'm not a person who is inclined towards science, but it has always fascinated me, especially the field of geology. Understanding the major breakthroughs and theories that make up our world is crucial to me. So, if you feel like your understanding of science is lacking, or you had terrible teachers who made things difficult, this book is a great read. Bryson is always humorous and has a colorful writing style that makes even the driest topic most engaging. I'm using feedings to get a little reading in. I want to interact with Elliott, but he usually has his eyes closed anyway. I'll relay the more fascinating tidbits to him from time to time, especially when Jason's not around for me to tell. :)
- J & M.
The biggest issue we've had here is that sometimes, he sleeps through nighttime feedings, and because he doesn't wake up, he doesn't cry and wake us up either! I've taken to setting an alarm after feedings so I wake him up in the appropriate amount of time.
He's also had tons of visitors over the last two weeks. My parents have visited twice, aside from actually being around when he was born, and are expected again later today. Jason's mom took the week off work to help me out when Jason returned to work, and his dad drove down with her the first day to visit. My godparents have visited twice (they really wanted to hold him and didn't feel like they could when he was in the ICN). Aside from that, friends and other family have come by the hospital or house to shower him and us with love, gifts, and food.
I feel awesome too, which I did not expect. I can be a very emotional person who has crazy hormones, but I guess things are working in my favor. I love taking care of him, although I feel at times as though I'm playing "house," since things are still kind of novel. He definitely recognizes my voice, and he is learning to focus on our faces and other things in his line of sight. On the off-chance that he both looks at me AND smiles, I feel like the Grinch when his heart grows three sizes. It's a fantastic feeling.
Despite my joy in motherhood, I'm actually not dreading my return to work either. I turned in all of my course materials on Thursday (to be duplicated), and I completed two weeks of lessons during the "long wait," so I can just enjoy my little one entirely until the week before school starts. It's not full time, just MWF for about a total of 5 hours (including my commute). I'm also gearing up to start my Ph.D. program applications for Fall 2012 admission. Oddly enough, getting pregnant and having Elliott has made me more committed to continuing my education. First, I want to be able to work to my full potential and get a great job to help provide for him. However, I also recently read that most boys pursue the same level of education that their mothers achieved. I'm not saying Elliott should get a Ph.D. in American Studies, but at least I'll model the importance of learning and striving for the top of his potential. I just hope he always enjoys learning and growing intellectually. I think that is crucial for a happy, well-rounded person.
On a non-baby-related note, I'm currently reading Bill Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything, which is actually a science text. He discusses, well, nearly everything major in science. I've been learning about the vastness of space (you can't comprehend how vast), the theory of relativity (I actually sort of get it now), and the finer points of the atom. This ties into my "lifelong learning" initiative. I'm not a person who is inclined towards science, but it has always fascinated me, especially the field of geology. Understanding the major breakthroughs and theories that make up our world is crucial to me. So, if you feel like your understanding of science is lacking, or you had terrible teachers who made things difficult, this book is a great read. Bryson is always humorous and has a colorful writing style that makes even the driest topic most engaging. I'm using feedings to get a little reading in. I want to interact with Elliott, but he usually has his eyes closed anyway. I'll relay the more fascinating tidbits to him from time to time, especially when Jason's not around for me to tell. :)
- J & M.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)