Twilight....

I'm terribly embarrassed to admit that I'm fan of the series. (And even more embarrassed to admit that "fan" might be an understatement.) Just when I think I'm all grown up and jaded and tough, something like a tween vampire romance pops up and knocks me back into my sad, sappy reality. Really?? Highschoolers dating? I mean, a highschooler and a century old vampire..? Yes. I can't even figure out why I love it. I was completely ready to hate it. "I'm not 13," I said. "I read GOOD books," I said. I couldn't put it down when I turned that first page - and then I read all four books in the span of a couple of weeks. The movie is TERRIBLE. And I love it, too.
I read the Anne Rice Vampire chronicles when I was in college, (aHEM) years ago, and was a real vampire fan. I listened to Type O Negative and thought myself deep and dark. Anne Rice novels are transportive. I feel like I've lived in Louisiana because I remember the SMELLS of the scenes she wrote about. Her writing is incredibly descriptive. It makes sense to like her books.
What IS IT about Twilight? I honestly don't know.
Sephora has a new lipstain called DuWop Twilight Venom, and I want it.

Group Quilt Project

I finished our group quilt! It is based on Denyse Schmidt's pattern for "What a Bunch of Squares" from her Denyse Schmidt Quilts book that I STILL adore.
I gave each parent a pattern for one block (number 1, 2, or 3), they chose their fabric based on the colors "Lake Blue", "Cloud White", "Limeade Green", and "Lemonade Yellow", and each child personalized their block. I sewed them all together and this is the finished product! I put more photos on flickr. I'm so, so happy with it. I hope our dear Kindergarten teacher will wrap herself in the warmth of all of our thoughts and prayers and know how very much we love and appreciate her!

Every single day I use a cookie cutter to cut out a shape from my kids' sandwiches. I cut the left over into pieces so it is like a little puzzle. I was terribly impressed with myself until I saw THIS! I'm not sure this would get Mr. H. off of our peanut butter and jelly jag, but SUPER cool sandwiches at Funky Lunch. Apparently they are releasing a book with instructions! I saw them at Cool Mom Picks, which I LOVE. You should subscribe.

The Cost of Raising a Child

My husband and I were dreaming of all of the things we would do if we won the powerball drawing. It is expected to be $250 MILLION dollars. I have a laundry list of things I would do if we won, but number one on the list would be to have another baby. ANOTHER BABY?! Are you freaking crazy??? I'm sure this is what you are thinking. My biggest dream, though is to have a house full of kids and have nothing to do but play with them. Oh, I'd paint, and sew and have a glorious time with the most incredible craft room ever. Wait. I'd make a craft HOUSE. A little comfy number in the back... Sort of like a potting shed on steroids. My main job would be to play with our kids. I would have someone to cook and clean, and I would never have to worry about money again. We could send them all to GREAT colleges! And they would NEVER have to worry about money.
According to the USDA, we are going to have to win the drawing just to afford the three kids we HAVE! The press release says a child born to middle income parents in 2008 will end up costing us "$221,190 ($291,570 when adjusted for inflation) for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise that child over the next seventeen years."
We have three kids. I'm afraid to do the math.
I have to stop and get powerball tickets on the way home from swimming today!!!!

Benjamin Zander - How to be a Better Person

I just watched this on my cousin's blog and it is SO GREAT. Terribly moving. Of course I was crying by the end. It is quite long, but worth every minute - hang in for the very end.

He is Benjamin Zander - the music director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra.

Vacation and Reading.

I have three little kids - one who is crawling and JUST beginning to walk. Vacation is sort of a dream for the future. Here we sit at this lovely lake and most of my time is spent making food, feeding, cleaning, and chasing. BUT, I'm a mama. That is what we do. Every vacation, though needs a really great BOOK! And boy am I immersed in one right now. I'm reading World Without Endby Ken Follet. It is the sequel to his 1989 Pillars of the Earth, another amazing read. Being an architect, I love the immense detail he shares on the building of the cathedral in Pillars, and now a bridge in World Without End. Even more, though, I adore the people and the history! He teaches me SO much about life in the 1300's without being dry or preachy. I'm learning about manufacturing, medicine, church life, economics, all through the eyes of people I really care about. He describes what each is thinking and what drives them. It is really interesting to examine people's motives and what is at the root of their actions. We are not as black and white, for sure. Good people make mistakes, and 'bad' people aren't inherently BAD, but it makes a great book! It is incredibly long, so I can read and read and read and still have LOTS more time to spend with them! I definitely recommend this book!
And GREAT NEWS! According to Wikipedia, a TV series is in the works for Pillars!!! And guess who is playing Prior Philip?? My very favorite: Matthew Macfadyen!! How can I wait until 2010??