New Shoes

Whatdayathink? Time for new shoes?

I have NO idea how in the world my shoes ended up looking like this! I swear I don't walk around like the humpback of Notre Dam.

Nonetheless, it was a great excuse to head to the outlet mall with my sister. And, while I was just trying to replace my black loafers, who was I to resist those really cute boots that were a total steal???

Cougars!

Every other year BYU comes to Colorado to play Air Force. It's such a fun game to take kids to. The jets do a fly-over- complete with parachuters, the cadets do push-ups, and the crowd is generally well-behaved.

This year the boys were able to tailgate before the game. Here they are are with BYU's mascot, Cosmo:

They even managed to talk the cheerleaders into a picture. (BB#1 wanted to say that he "hate, hate, hate, hates those cheerleaders.)

Meanwhile, while they were out freezing in the cold, I stayed back with the Caboose, took a nap and then grabbed some of my favorite:

Should I have gone to the game? I considered it, but a nap?? Chipotle??? It wasn't even close!

Everyone won! The boys had a blast at the game, I had a relaxing afternoon, and even BYU beat Air Force. Go Cougars!

The Book Thief

Set in Munich during the height of World War II, this fictional story follows the life of a young girl surrounded by both the best and the worst of humanity. The beginning of the book was fine enough, but by the end I couldn't put it down.

It was a book that left me bothered. How can such evil exist? Is death really as random as it appears? What kind of impact can one person really make?

One of the most bothersome aspects of the book was witnessing the senselessness of war. Seeing so many lives shattered in the name of the Fuhrer was devastating. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I kept thinking "Please, not my boys." I am beyond grateful for all of those who willingly sacrifice for the interests of our nation. Yet, I feel almost physically ill at the thought of my boys being called upon to serve in a war. I know it's selfish, but I don't want to lose them - ever, for anything. Maybe when they are old enough to play outside without supervision I'll feel differently, but honestly, I doubt it.

While there are countless non-fictional accounts of WWII, which I tend to prefer, this book was still well worth the read. It's a longer book (550+ pgs.) and it had a bit of a slow start, nonetheless, I did enjoy it and would recommend the story.

Oh, and if you have preteen readers, Number the Stars is another excellent, fictional story of the Danish rescue of the Jews. BB #1 just finished that one for school, and it was a fabulous, kid-appropriate read.

Mini Me

Yesterday, the Caboose was sitting in his crib, playing with his bears. I overheard him sternly saying to his bear "YOU LOSE COMPUTER!" then he promptly threw the poor stuffed animal out of his crib.

Hmm. Maybe I need to reexamine my discipline techniques? (But I swear, I don't throw my kids out of anything!)