TheLionRampant.net

(Photo courtesy of Daniel Sundin)

We hosted our first ever Burns Supper on the 25th complete with haggis, neeps and tatties — and sausages and onion gravy for those not eating large portions of haggis. It was a lovely event and we had lots of whisky toasts (not for the pregnant ladies there of course) and even Irn Bru! Besides the grease fire I started in the oven (whoops!), my favourite part of the evening was eating yummy food (especially the sticky toffee pudding), chatting with good friends and watching all our little ones play together. What other Burns Supper had Winnie the Pooh music from a plastic car as an accompaniment to reading Burns’ poetry?

Every class I teach is focused in one way or another on helping people understand how books work and how to get the most from them. We can unplug for three hours a week or so in order to pursue that goal, can’t we?

An interesting post on the availability of the internet in the classroom found on Justin Taylor’s blog here. It’s interesting to think about how technology is making us shift our brains. Another interesting read is The Atlantic’s article, “Is Google Making us Stupid?”. But it isn’t just technology — I’ve found that constantly meeting an infant’s/toddler’s needs has the same effect: a slow-down in my ability to sustain attention.

What do you think?

Bryce and I met Daniel and Ginette Sundin through our San Diegan friends, the Friesens when we first moved to San Diego. Ginette and Daniel have started their own photography business, Sundin Photography and we’ve been the lucky recipients to their talent. Bryce, Ezra and I had a photo session with Ginette in November that yielded some wonderful, artsy candid family photos. (You can see some of the photos under the “family” section here; scroll down and see our blogged Christmas card below too).

As she’s expanding their business, I got to be one of her maternity models! It was loads of fun traipsing around San Diego in 45 degree weather and climbing in trees and over fences to get some good shots. Now I have to decide which maternity photos to consider purchasing. If you feel like checking out the photos, go here (PW: Ashley) and tell me what you think!

And if you’re in the SD area, consider getting the Sundins to photograph you and your family.

Ezra at the petting zoo.

He was much more interested in the climbing structure than actually petting anything.

To my mom readers:
I am looking to buy 1) newborn long sleeve onesies with cuffs that fold over baby’s sharp nails and 2) flannel zip-up pajamas for Ezra in 18 mos size (if Gerber) or possibly 12 mos size if another brand. Does anyone have any recommendations for where to buy such essentials? We’ve gone to Target and Babies R Us and I’ve done some preliminary searching on Amazon. Thanks!

Inspired by a number of fellow bloggers who actually keep track of what they read and (gasp) even review them, I’d like to have some reading goals (dare I say resolutions?) for the year.

1. Keep track of what I read, including dissertation books.
2. Review said books on the blog (even if it’s just a paragraph).
3. Read at least one *fun* book per month — which generally means a novel for me.
4. Read the Bible in a year with Bryce.

What’s currently on my nightstand:
What Mothers Do, Mama, PhD, The Prodigal God, and the Bible. I’m also working my way through Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature (again) for the dissertation.

What are you reading and what reading goals do you have for this year?