- How sad is it to watch a hungry baby try to nurse with a stuffy nose? And have that baby smile at you with her little eye swollen, as if to say, "I know this isn't your fault"?
- How pitiful is it when your three year old croaks to you, "Mommy, will you pray for me to feel better?"
- How ridiculous is it to be absolutely starving but afraid to eat anything because it will 1) hurt your throat and 2) possibly upset your delicate stomach peace?
- How spoiled is it to be
tired of eating chicken noodle soup?
- How unjust is it when you tell your almost six year old to (and I shamefully quote), "Go be bouncy somewhere else"?
O.k. blog "whiny voice" off now. Things are looking up a bit today. I'm thankful that:
- The sun is shining. I will not be going out in it because it's cold! But at least it's shining.
- I'm out of bed and will probably get through with just 1-2 naps today instead of 21 hours of sleep.
- The doctor called in a prescription (ointment) for Sweet Pea's eye.
- Prince Charming is out right now buying essential groceries, tissues, and more cold medicine. That man has earned
many crowns in Heaven this week.
- I managed to shower last night. I'm still sick but at least I'm
clean sick. Before last night I couldn't even stand much less walk to the shower.
- Apple Juice and Sprite are the nectar of the gods. Or something like that. Hot tea is an abomination that will make your stomach hate you.
- Saltines are one of the world's perfect foods.
- Despite the house falling apart around our ears (mail piled up, clothes not put away, dirty dishes on the counter, etc.) the laundry is mostly under control. (Yes, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for doing a lot of it Monday before I felt bad.) Also, it's easy to keep your clothes clean when you just wear pajamas all the time.
1. Does Christianity Squash Women? by Rebecca Jones. Non-fiction. I'd leave you in suspense but the answer is, ahem, NO. Radical Islam of course, would be another story but I haven't read a book about it yet.
2. Nuremberg The Reckoning by William F. Buckley Jr. Fiction. Crisp, biting, and haunting.
3. Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella. Fiction. I may have mentioned this before but Becky Bloomwood Brandon makes me want to stab my eyes with a toothpick. Surely there are not any real women this vapid. If you know them - Don't tell me. I can't take it. Why do I continue reading these books?
4. The Rules of Gentility by Janet Mullany. Fiction. I have completely forgotten this book.
5. Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Lunch Box by Ann Dunnewold. Non-fiction. Self-important, dense, and un-helpful "self-help".
6. The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke. Fiction. For all that is sacred and good in literature, if you love Jane Austen (as I do), DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. That is all. Do not read. Do not think it will "get better." You are too optimistic and this book does not deserve it.
7. A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell. Fiction. Beautiful, ragged, heartbreaking, unforgettable, messy, horrifying, charming, absorbing, difficult.
8. Cruel as the Grave by Sharon Kay Penman. Fiction. Series mystery. Suitably diverting.
1. Empire of Blue Water by Stephan Talty. Non-fiction. Listened to the first part of this on c.d. with Prince Charming and then checked out the book because I 
2. Practically Perfect in Every Way by Jennifer Niesslein. Non-fiction. This woman should be prosecuted for using my beloved Mary Poppins' signature phrase. This is a book about the author's attempt to improve her life with self-help books. Very negative, very liberal world view (strong pro-abortion sentiments expressed multiple times). Not recommended.
3. The Big Turnoff by Ellen Currey-Wilson. Non-fiction. Not quite what I was expecting. The admirable goal of raising a child without t.v. (which Prince Charming and I are doing in a modified way) is confused by her strange outbursts, foul language, and confusing trains of thought. Not really recommended either.
4. Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit. Non-fiction. Excellent follow up to Shalit's first book about Modesty. Offers good advice and hope. Highly recommended!
5. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Fiction. Read because of my interest in the mini-series. Very victorian. As I told my sister, "Don't get attached to any of the characters." Worth reading at least once. I haven't read her other books yet, mostly because our library doesn't have them and I'm not willing to purchase them without reading them first.
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Fiction. Harry Potter to me is like a comic book. Not evil but not a worthwhile use of time, either. Despite the fact that we own all the books (Prince Charming is a fan) I doubt I'll ever read them again. Also, Ron and Hermione? Are you kidding me?! That's almost as bad as Harry and Ginny. 
7. The Marketing of Evil by David Kupelian. Non-fiction. I can't believe I haven't read this book before. Every parent should read this.
8. Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn. Fiction. Series mystery. Daisy Dalrymple's adventures are always a fun, quick read for me.