Friday things, 4/19

1. Jett is having some health issues. He has a mass that needs to be removed and another one that likely needs to be biopsied and removed. They told us, last week, that it was basically the end of things for him. When the bloodwork came back, they seemed shocked to see that it was "good" and better than normal for a 10 year old dog, even. He's a candidate for surgery so I'm taking him to a surgeon in a few weeks. They will tell us what we should do. He is acting *fine* at this point and I'm just praying that continues because my nerves seriously can't take this.  He is on an antibiotic and I started a series of anti-inflammatory supplements. He's not young but Brittanys usually live 14 or 15 years. We would really appreciate any prayers you have for Jett. 

It was a really long weekend, basically, sorting out what to do for him. He's acting normal but I feel like some pricey medical procedure + recovery time is coming. 

2. A always favorite I don't share enough: I bought a recent refill on this and it's the only kitchen spray I like to use. There is one grocery store here that sells it but Amazon is usually where you can find it. The parsley one is a favorite but it's really hard to find, which is so odd. I started buying that one when we lived in Colorado. 

3. I mentioned this oil cleanser last week-ish. If you haven't tried it, you need to physically run to the website. I have been using it for over two weeks and this week, for some reason, I've used it exclusively at night. I cannot say enough good things. It does everything the site says it will.

4. I had an appointment on Tuesday and I took the whole day off instead of rushing back to school and it was amazing. I stopped for coffee. I got a pedicure, I met Scott for lunch, I finished two books that had been half-started on my kindle, and then I took a nap. I did nothing productive and it was perfect. 

5. This weekend, I am building a kid-sized cardboard car for a school project and grading an enormous stack of papers. If I didn't have to take time off to take Jett to the vet, I'd be taking another day for myself before the end of the year for sure. I think the kindergarten teachers are trying to do me in with these projects. 

"Have fun" as I'm asking Scott at 10pm if there's spray paint in a variety of colors in the garage. "Fun"

Linking up with Andrea and Erika

The best $20 I've ever spent.

When Wells was born, we didn't buy a highchair because I'd heard you didn't need one til they were like 6 months old and then we were going to move when he was about 5 months old and so I figured I'd worry about that later. We just used the bumbo when he started solid food at 4 months. 

I ordered this antilop high chair from Ikea in February 2019 when we moved to Pittsburgh. I had gotten used to ordering online, having lived in Colorado and Wyoming, so it never occurred to me that I could've driven 30 minutes to Ikea and picked it up. 

Wells' first birthday

Fun surprise for me: when it arrived, it didn't have the legs with it. I couldn't figure out what I was missing or if I was going crazy, but then I ended up packing up 7 month old Wells, half a highchair, and driving to Ikea anyway. This was my second time ever in an Ikea so I had to negotiate how to find the returns/exchanges location. If you're wondering, I 100% went on a weekday morning. 

When I told them it was missing legs, they said that happens all the time and grabbed me four legs from a backroom. 

Chair. 

I *love* that they say you can take it apart to take along to restaurants. It's not THAT convenient. They didn't have this tray 5 years ago. I'd get that today if I were buying it again, along with a foot rest. I know the foot rest is important for traction while chewing and all. However, it would also give them more traction to climb out. Sutton has become an expert at trying to climb out of this high chair. 

We used this highchair all during our time in Pittsburgh and then we packed it into storage and moved it to Kansas. It does have a really wide footprint so it took up a lot of space in our tiny Pittsburgh kitchen. Wells was 23 months at that point and he just started sitting at the counter in Kanas and we never used the highchair. It came with us to Missouri and lived in the barn for a bit. When Sutton was probably 6 months old, I dug it out and cleaned it up and it's been in our kitchen ever since. 

Since she is over two now, I would like to pack it away again. I mean, you can only look at a piece of Ikea plastic for so long if it's not super useful and she prefers the counter. She, most days, actually refuses to sit in it.  But once in awhile, she wants in it.  As soon as I tried to take the legs off this weekend, she started trying to climb in. She also can't climb up a bar stool yet on her own.

It's my personal opinion that you don't need a fancy highchair and when I see moms buying the $$$ ones, I cringe. This looks *just* as nice as a Stokke or Tripp Trapp, you know? It's also a million times easier to clean and you won't be (as) sad to pack it away because it wasn't a huge investment. Packing up baby gear you feel you didn't get your money's worth from is a terrible feeling. 

However, I'll warn you: you will be watching Youtube videos on how to remove the tray, probably more than once. (also, white plastic stains easily: I've used bleach spray and then soaked in clean water to rinse and it always looks brand new)

Sutton's first birthday.

(I don't exactly endorse not using the straps, but we often didn't use the straps if we were right there. But you don't come to this blog for professional advice :)

Photos lately.

 

Sutton went to the dentist last week. She did really well, me holding her arms down and all. But I think watching Wells go first made a huge difference. 

This piqued my interest. I screenshotted it so now I get lots of ads.

The discreet doggy door in a random back corner of the house changed everyone's quality of life. We put it in about a year ago. It's a game changer. If you don't have a doggy door for your dog, you need to get one. 

The pellet stove also is a huge quality of life thing around here. Missouri winter is bitter cold, wet, windy, and gross. There was an addition added onto this house before we bought it and this keeps that part of the house warm, especially at night. Fun fact: it was definitely broken when we moved in, despite us being told otherwise. Scott fixed it a year and a half ago and we haven't looked back. 

Building a cheetah habitat. I do enjoy it when teachers give parents homework.(not really). He did do this himself. I wrapped up the box in paper, bought the cheetahs, and used the hot glue gun after he had it all arranged. Scott said *I* did it, when I definitely did not. I provided no guidance because as soon as I handed him the box, he got started and I didn't have a chance. He used a whole roll of tape on that den there.

Next week, we are building a kid-sized cardboard car for their next project....

Ice cream.

Eclipse viewing.

Cheetah habitat on display.

Our front yard these days. Those are roof panels.

I make one or two sourdough loaves a week. 

It's nice when they get along. Usually "getting along" means sharing a $6 container of blueberries. I bought two of them on Saturday and they're already gone. 

I don't take outfit photos anymore because this is what it usually looks like when I walk in the door. 

I decided on Friday I was going to pack up the high chair because she never wants to sit in it (she sits at the counter on a stool). Yesterday she decided all she wanted to do was sit in it, so it might make it to summer vacation. 

6 more Mondays....

(I initially thought 5 more Mondays last week and it was a little heartbreaking to realize my math was so wrong.)

Church-less Easter (+ military life thoughts)

 ...which is actually our norm. We went to church on Easter last year for the first time since 2013. It has nothing to do with what we've believed in and has everything to do with location. 

Bread

This Easter, and I feel like people who don't live near family might not understand, was just similar to any other Sunday. Scott was mid-roof replacement. I wasn't going to make a giant dinner for us. We didn't have anywhere to go or anywhere to be. We also weren't invited anywhere which is something I didn't realize until I was typing this. Often, in the military, you find yourself invited somewhere by someone. 

Last year, we went to a church near our house from about February til September-ish. At that point, Sutton was at the height of clinginess and attending church was something I physically didn't have the capacity for. The bigger reason was that I did some digging into doctrine and I realized I didn't believe what this denomination believed. Scott didn't believe it. No one I knew believed it. I asked a lot of people a lot of questions. I read a lot of books, articles, and listened to more Youtube videos that I care to remember. I was looking for every reason to prove that I was right and this church was wrong. 

In the end, I realized it didn't matter. I don't believe the denomination is right. I don't believe they're backed up by the Bible. And I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if the hundreds of people who attend (good people, wonderful people) even know that this is what the denomination believes or if it's just cultural church, a small town, a family-based Sunday activity with grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. 

In the end, again, it didn't matter. We could stop going. We could go somewhere else. I didn't need to prove anyone wrong. I did prove myself right but it didn't matter; the denominational beliefs are the denominational beliefs so I wasn't going to change anyone's mind.

The bunny (dogs) ate the carrots and left eggs.

Back to the point of this post:

Scott has been replacing the roof entirely on his own. He started the week of spring break. I picked stuff up. I threw things in the dumpster. I kept the kids busy for weeks while he worked. Wells and Sutton picked up nails. 

Almost 3 years ago, when Scott replaced the back half of the roof, his friend drove in from Colorado to help him. This time, the same friend (who we didn't expect to come help again, by the way) asked "wow you don't have anyone to help you?" and we realized we didn't. 

"Church" in the sense of being the hands and feet of Jesus would, I think, look like neighbors and friends offering to help Scott with the roof. I don't want to think we're entitled to help and I don't want to pull that "Christians don't act like Jesus" talk because it's not true. It just doesn't seem right that *we* are not going to Easter egg hunts and potlucks with everyone else simply because we are busy with a 2-3 man project that Scott is accomplishing all on his own. I don't want to be petty but it's just another reminder that we are not of this small town in the same way we're not of this world. That's what military life feels like, often. That you don't really belong anywhere. I do not want to live on a military base. But at least if you live there, everyone is in the same boat. 

Dressed in our Easter best

I will say that the resiliency factor instilled in us all is really something. I see it growing in Wells and I hope Sutton gets it too. I signed Wells up for summer sports near the base, specifically, because I want him mixing with other kids. April is the month of the military child and the flower of the military child is a dandelion because they can grow anywhere. 

I don't want Wells to forget that even though this is where we live now, this is not how it will always be. They were talking about adding grandparents' day breakfast to the school schedule for next September, and saying it didn't matter if some kids didn't have grandparents because other kids should get to have breakfast with their grandparents. That was another reminder that maybe Wells should just be in a military school, after all. They'd never have that attitude there. I still remember Wells crying when he was 3 in preschool because he didn't have grandparents to eat breakfast with. 

Anyway. That was just all going through my head when Wells asked why we didn't go to church on Easter. I don't know how you could try to, or even want to, make a 5 year old understand all of that. 

Products lately.

I recently placed an order with A'del Natural Cosmetics again. About a year ago, I got loose powder from them instead of buying Bare Minerals. I liked it so much better! I'm almost out now because it lasts forever. This is what I got from them this time:

I kept going back and forth about whether I should order products from Beauty Counter or from A'del. The truth is that A'del is a Christian company started by one woman and the products are superior. They just really are. This is not drugstore make-up. It also has all the "free" labels on it and it's not terrible for you. 

Granted, Beauty Counter is also a clean option and I do like their products a lot; they're just a lot more expensive and I don't know where my money is going aside from into the MLM infrastructure. 

The selling point to A'del for me personally though, is that they give a military discount. TWENTY PERCENT. It makes such a difference. 

Here's my order from A'del:

This is what a similar product order would look like from Beauty Counter:

BC doesn't have powder foundation, which was my reason for going to A'del. The Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil is what I wanted from BC but I'm going to try the Blue Lagoon Cleanse(ing) oil instead because it's basically the same thing and I've heard good reviews. Cream blush has been on my list for awhile. ...does blush go bad? I have a powder blush I've loved from Sephora but it doesn't give the same look it used to it seems. 

Something else I went back to, speaking of MLMs, was ordering a product from Rodan + Fields.

 Hear me out: I seriously love their products. I would use them exclusively if they weren't so expensive. When I was a consultant, my products were mostly paid for by my commissions and discounts. If you don't have an actual need for the products, it's probably not something you want to spend money on just for fun. If you don't have a *need* for actual dermatological products, it's not worth it. But my skin has been bothering me again lately...flare-ups of PCOS and stress, probably. 

As I perused the new offerings on the site, I saw this geared toward acne. While I am a forever stan of Unblemish, it's not cheap. And it's a whole regimen. I don't want the sunblock (I love Supergoop Glowscreen for my face). I don't feel like I need the toner. I have no dark spots that it's meant to treat. I really like my elf toner, to be honest. All I really want is the "dual intensive acne treatment" (the peroxide/salicylic acid stuff you put on your face before bed) and a cleanser for the end of the day. 

I ended up getting Spotless instead. It fits what I want for half the price. I mean, who cares if it's for "teens" right? 

I will say that I think the formula is different than Unblemish but I'm seeing results already so I'll take it. If you have any kind of regular adult acne, I highly recommend because, short of going to the dermatologist and getting prescriptions (a route I've also taken in the past), you won't find a better OTC treatment than Rodan+Fields. 

I don't sell anything for them anymore, but my advice is that if you plan on ordering more than once a year, it's absolutely worth the $19.95 to become a PC Perks member. Free shipping and a hefty discount on all products. 

And then two very affordable and effective products to round out this post:

Gold eye masks. 

These are a game-changer if you have sinus issues and a godsend after a night up with a toddler. Keep them in the fridge. 

CeraVe eye cream

This is the best eye cream. Beauty Counter ($77 and $47), Rodan + Fields, or spend all the money you want on a product. This $13 tube is superior. Change my mind. 

Amazon lately. (January-March)

We're just running on a quarterly system these days. 

This is a toddler sleep sack that would've worked wonderfully for toddler Wells. Toddler Sutton hates it, so I don't think I ever even got it on her. But these giant Ziplock totes are perfect for storing baby clothes and toys and going under beds. The sleep sack is already in one. 

We got this highback booster for Wells in our extra vehicle since he's outgrown our extra carseat. File under things I'll never understand: why do some carseats and boosters cost $487 and some cost $60? Why are some systems $900-1200 while some are $150? WHY? (we also finally threw away our infant seat system which has definitely served us well for 6 years...I don't know why it makes me so sad to throw it away. It's expired. It can never be used again, so it's not like we can

The phone case was an impulse buy. I like Speck a lot but it was $13, not $25. I don't know, guys: I've had two really great phone cases in my life: one bought at Fred Meyer for an iPhone 4 and one bought at Walmart for an iPhone 8. I've been chasing that high ever since. 

For Valentine's Day...

New pajamas for both kids. I like these a lot. They weren't impressed with my pink and red color scheme. 

The Daniel Tiger Colorforms was more trouble than it was worth for an almost 2 year old. Maybe for a 4 year old they'd be better. 

The Lego set brought a lot of joy though, per usual. 

The dino book and stuffy was for a 2 year old's birthday. Lambs & Ivy is a nice brand if you're looking on Amazon. 

The beads were for a school friendship bracelet group. 

And more pacifiers obviously. Buying just the replacements is a great hack, instead of a whole new stuffy + paci. 

 

This is the best affordable undereye corrector. I make that claim because I'm sure there's something expensive out there but I haven't tried it. 

More beads. 

This undated planner is actually very nice. For $20, it's the EC brand but you can customize it any way you want. 

Cake topper. 

I like to use these as meal-planners and grocery lists but I haven't been as faithful to this system (that worked so well for me in 2021) in 2024. 

In so many moves/houses, we've lost and found and re-lost and broke many a measuring spoon. This set is really nice because it has two styles of spoon (round and oval) and they stick together in the drawer. 

Our 13 year old crockpot finally died this past fall (the stoneware cracked). Scott ordered this one and I like it a lot. 

Antlers for dogs. 

A children's biography of Einstein that I used for school. It was a coincidence that I read this right before we watched Oppenheimer over spring break and it all made so much sense when I saw Einstein's role in the movie. 

Suit and rash guard for Wells. 

Water bottle for Sutton. Thee are my favorite water bottles for kids. They last forever. 

We probably won't be buying more Pokemon "legos". This isn't the actual Lego brand but I've learned that Pokemon "legos" only come from this company and they are not as high-quality as actual Legos. We didn't have issues with the two sets we got last year for Wells' birthday but this one, from Easter, caused some frustration; the blocks don't easily snap and stay together. 

Sunglasses for kids. 

This party in a box. I think it was kind of a waste of money but I really wanted the decorations/plates/cups. I did not need the wooden 'plastic'ware and paper cups. 

It's like they know you can't find Daniel Tiger decor just anywhere so they mark up the price. 

I got these sharpeners for school. It was a bargain and they are pretty high-quality for the price. 

A thundershirt that doesn't work :) I think it's a dog problem, not a product problem.

Refill for the carpet scrubber. I just look for pleasant/clean scents. This one had good reviews. 

My favorite soap for the kids. 

Always have to have Resolve on hand with small children around. 

Our food scale was also on it's last leg. The buttons had fallen off awhile ago. I believe Scott originally bought it in Afghanistan (Amazon delivers everywhere!) and used it to make dough and bread there. 

But I noticed the measurements where way off when I was making sourdough. This new one works perfectly. 

These dish brushes are so much better than the plastic ones with sponges. I also run it through the dishwasher once a week or so.

We did not have a Dutch oven. I got this, originally, for sourdough before I realized I preferred a loaf pan for bread. But it looks really high-end so I think I'll use it for a lot of things. 

The story of James Naismith for kids, another book for school. And the book of animal poetry, also for school. I use these with my curriculum ("curriculum"), but I justify it easily because of Wells and Sutton since they can have them.

Last but not least: A Daniel Tiger dress. 

Linking up with Tanya!

Currently in April...

Loving... that it's cold out again. I will take snow and sleet over humidity and thunderstorms any day. I could really use another snow day too. Rumor was that they might cancel school on eclipse day next week so...fingers crossed. 

Looking forward to... Summer vacation. 6 more weeks. I don't love the crazy, jam-packed schedules that accompany the end of the school year, but I'm ready for a break and this is the only way to get there. 

Buying... I've been on a bit of a spending spree. Let's see, I got some sandals I'm still deciding on, a bunch of new bath towels (it's been 2-3 years), I got an order from JCrew Factory, some skincare items, and I ordered a few things from CJLA. No pictures yet. but what I really want is a new pair of white sneakers. I've tried several pairs and haven't liked any of them. 

Planting... definitely nothing yet. Again, I welcome the snow back gladly. 

Cleaning... We spent Easter Sunday cleaning up the yard because Scott is, he says, done with the hard part of the roof replacement and now just needs to put the metal sheets on. The company came to pick up the dumpster yesterday so we had gotten rid of a LOT of random big trash items (old windows, old falling apart toys, etc) while we had that opportunity. 

I also cleaned out a closet this past weekend and found one of the lunch boxes I was talking about. 

We've had a bit of a stressful (few) weekend(s) and this week has been a mess, so my posting is definitely delayed because effort is hard. Last week the roof leaked, we had a nasty storm this week, and we spend our overnight hours negotiating with Sutton and she does not see reason. 

Linking up with Jennifer for Currently!

Other Stuff I Can't Find

If you wanted an update, I've found nothing that I wrote about last time. Not the skirt, not the paper for school, and not the Daniel Tiger trolley toy and characters.

So. 

If you think you're going insane, I still think about that skirt every day. 

But onto other things I can't find...

I had my blue and white striped lunchbox when we moved into this house. I used it two years ago, when I was teaching. When I went back to work this year: gone. I feel like I packed it with snacks and sent it on a day trip with Scott and Wells once but it's not in a vehicle, a garage, a barn, etc. I did check the camper too. It used to hang on a hook in the garage. It's not there. 

So, I think about that a lot.

Then, at the beginning of this school year, I ended up taking Wells' lunchbox each day. Just a plain blue sack thing I got at Target in 2021 for $11. Wasn't quite big enough but it did the job. Then, after Christmas, I couldn't find. 

I literally haven't seen it since. 

So I've been lunchbox-less since Christmas, which means I throw random food into my multiple bags and hope for the best each day. 

I am digging my heels in on this so much that I refuse to buy more lunchboxes. I have one more storage space to check. Reorganizing the laundry room closet this weekend (a task that must be done sooner rather than later) might just lead to the discovery of both. 

Luckily my parents sent Sutton a little lunchbox for her birthday and I'm seriously considering just using it. 

1st Quarter Books. (Jan-March)

 My reading has been subpar. I pine for the days of newborn Sutton. I was reading like 2-3 books a week at that time. It was great. Toddler life is not conducive to reading, unless it's an audiobook. 

The Lie by Ken Ham

This was an interesting one. I do like listening to Ken Ham debate. I like his videos. This was recommended more than once so I grabbed it on audio. I would listen to this again, maybe with Scott or even Wells so we could discuss. 

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

This was a fun and sad story. Meaning, it wasn't a rom-com but it was entertaining. I'd describe it as melancholy for sure and it had some twists I both expected and didn't expect. It was worth the time I spent on it. I'm a sucker for any story with an element of time travel. I don't like fantasy or world-building at all, but I'm also not a fan of trope-y realistic fiction. This was right in the middle. 

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

I feel like the reviews for this weren't great but I really enjoyed it. I listened to it and it kept me engaged for sure. I was never quite sure what was going to happen at the end. It was definitely worth the time. There was a part of me that worried it'd be like Apples Never Fall (which I hate the title of btw) because I never managed to finish that book, as it was so dull (side note: the show on Peacock is just as dull as the book :)

Anyway, I recommend this!

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I feel like I had a hard copy from the library years ago, never got to it, and then I heard him on The Lazy Genius podcast (a great episode) and decided to try the audiobook. While his writing and voice were engaging, I felt like this was just an absolute rehash of things we all already know, like it takes 21 days to build a habit and just do things because you'll feel better afterward. Not exactly life-changing advice. And it's directed toward the general population, not toward moms with clingy toddlers, so maybe I'm not the audience at this time. 

Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier 

Like Abigail Shrier's first book (which was so good I listened to it twice and posted a ton about it on social media), this was amazing. I cannot recommend it enough. The main components she digs into are how sending our children to therapy is giving them an adult to please...as adults, if we go to therapy, we have life experience and discernment that children just don't have. Secondly, she talks about how we're creating a generation of helpless children; teens who can't order off a menu without a parent helping them, kids who cannot be without their smartphone, schools who enable this type of behavior, parents who never let their kids be bored. It's the anti-gentle parenting guide because GP has absolutely destroyed our children.

This book is amazing: Every parent needs to read or listen to this and every teacher needs to as well. Basically, if you're around kids or influence them at all, this book is a guide for you. 

Here is Shrier talking about it on the Relatable podcast. 

CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK ENOUGH. 

The Teacher by Freida McFadden

This was good. Much better than The Coworker (I think that was her last release?). I will always pick up a Freida McFadden book and at least try it. 

It's about the drama surrounding an unhappy couple who are both teachers at the same high school. Suspend your disbelief when she talks about teachers wearing high heels though. Most teachers today wear slippers if they think they can get away with it. 

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

The first 1/3 of this book had me gripped. I was certain it'd be a 5 star read. Then, it got long and drone-y. Mostly because a lot of flashbacks and a lot of side characters from the past who didn't really matter. I mean, it was twisty-ish, but if you don't introduce a character until halfway through the book, I'm not going to care if you create a twist based on that character.

Anyway, worth a read. The first half is so much better than the second though. I felt like two different people wrote it, each taking a half. 

Then, the Did Not Finish Stack. It's a tall one this quarter. I do not have the patience for something that doesn't pull me in. Not in this season of life.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Worst book of the year so far :) Funnily enough, people I work with had it as their book club book for January. Glad I never got the energy to join the book club. I don't mince words about books I don't like. 

If I Go Missing and The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe

I got these from the cheaper selections on Kindle. 

The first, If I Go Missing, held my attention for quite some time, then it got to be dis-believeable. And I couldn't believe how dumb and unnecessarily secretive the main character was being. I quit at about 60%, which is rare for me. Usually I quit before 10%. 

I decided to try one more by this author since she's everywhere on Kindle unlimited. The Surgeon held my attention for about 22 minutes. Then, I realized she was telling and not showing and she was telling So Much information that I couldn't even remember it all. I quit around 7%.

Oh well. 

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

I read like 4 pages of this from the library ebook and then I was tired and went to sleep and never picked it up again. 

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

I really enjoyed Such a Fun Age. This, however, was very vague and off-putting from the start. I had no idea what was supposed to be going on and the author wasn't telling me. No patience for that. Set up something besides physical descriptions of characters, please. I also had no idea if these characters were all going to be relevant to the story or not. I quit this library ebook around 5%. 

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

I saw this recommended on a blog and my library happened to have the ebook. Meh. The first few pages did absolutely nothing for me and I just put it down and that was it. 

Are You Awake? by Claire McGowan

I've read some good ones by this author and I've quit a few of hers too. This one hit way too close to home: sleep deprivation. 

I couldn't read about it while I'm living it. Sorry. Quit at 22%.

Brain Damage by Freida McFadden

This was one of those locked-in stories and I don't love them. I found it hard to pay attention and kept skimming. Quit at 26%. 

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord

This was from Netgalley. This is also why Netgalley rarely gives me books anymore: I never finish them. I made it like 4 pages and it was way too rom-com for me. I don't even know why I requested it. Typical that's-for-you, not-for-me book. 

My reading challenge for the year so far:

Winter is never my busiest reading season, so I'm not shocked. See you in July!