2009 December | Well-Read Reviews - Part 2

First Doctor’s Appointment W/ Ultrasound

IMG_1401 So this isn’t the clearest of pictures, but you know what? It’s a baby and that is what matters, especially after our scare this morning.

The past 3-4 days I have been suffering from horrible morning sickness. The kind where I really do not want to get out of bed. (This would be why I have been so quiet lately). Actually it’s been longer than that – the past week. I haven’t even been able to finish Shiver, which is in fact a good book.

This morning, we had a HORRIBLE scare. I (for sure) thought I was miscarrying. The only reason I am going into good detail about this, is  because – I don’t want other new Mom’s new in their pregnancy to automatically (as I did) to expect the worst of the situation. There are people out there going through the same exact thing. I am one of them.

I woke up around 6:15-6:30am this morning and had to pee (what’s new?). I did the normal wipe, fold (happened to look) saw a huge dark spot on the toilet paper – “What?!” I turned on the light and shut the door, as to not alarm my husband if it should be my eyes playing tricks on me. Sure enough.. a nice amount of pink blood. After how nauseous I have been, I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me. No F-ing way!” I wiped again, and there was more. I called for Forrest – waking him up, scared and said, “I think we’re losing the baby!”

Because I am still early in the pregnancy, I knew there was nothing an emergency room could do for me. If I was miscarrying, they would more than likely tell me to let it run its course. So I wiped the remaining blood and put on a pad and laid in bed. I texted Jenn, as well as a few other friends. Yes, I texted at 6:30 in the morning. It’s amazing how un-guilty you feel when you text parents of newborns or toddlers – because you know, more than likely they are probably up.

Everyone pretty much (turns out) had the same thing happen to them in their pregnancies and said I was probably fine, as alarming as it was. So with that slight ray of hope, I tried to close my eyes and get some sleep. What else could I do?

At 8:15, I got a call awaking me from bed from my OBGYN double checking on me from a phone call I had made the previous friday about some vitamins I was taking. Flustered I said that I was fine, but I was bleeding and was wondering if I could come in sooner. They squeezed me in for 9:15.

So I pretty much rushed everyone out of bed, including Carli – who now seems to have a nasty cold/cough/booger combination and has not been herself all day. We rushed out and we quickly went to the doctors. Due to the nature of the early visit, they gave me the ultrasound first. How nerve wrecking! I thought for sure I would see an empty sac, or maybe a non-viable baby. I was very relieved to finally (after she spent about 5 minutes checking out spots in my uterus) to see my little “Bug”. I thought, going in – that I was 7 weeks, 4 days – but I guess my cycle was longer this time and I ovulated around November 12th, placing me at 6 weeks, 3 days today. Disappointed that I have to reexperience the 6th week, but – you know what? My growing baby is there.. with a beating heart and healthy.

When I saw the heart flicker, I gasped with tears. “Healthy & strong,” she said. Then she let us listen to the heartbeat, which I had no idea you could do through an ultrasound and it.. it was amazing. It sounded strong. I got misty again then too – with relief. I was still pregnant!

It turned out that I have (what they said) is a small/slight subchorionic hematoma.

Don’t even bother googling subchorionic hematoma because it sounds more depressing than it is. Believe me. I had to stop googling it or I thought I would cry.

But – basically, it just means that there is a small pool of blood/clot that formed between part of the placenta and the uterine wall where the placenta is trying to attach. My Dr. said it was small so there is a 90-95% chance that it will heal itself and not be an issue. My mom and Jenn, both said they had the same exact thing. I – actually – am a product of a subchorionic hematoma pregnancy .. and here I am! And this issue is usually the reason many people bleed through out their entire pregnancy (and not even know they are pregnant) – because of this! So it’s extremely common, from what I’m told.

So I am trying to relax a little and not go CRAZY with worry. But thinking that I lost Bug today was probably one of the worst feelings I ever experienced and made me appreciate being pregnant (morning sickness and all) and how amazingly blessed I am to be able to have children at all – to have Carli, and another one on the way.

I am truly blessed!

Friday Firsts: The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl #Meme

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Blogger Meme: Friday Firsts

:!: I try to tweet about all participants, so don’t forget to include your Twitter username if you want to be notified of your tweet mention! :!:

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

  • Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
  • Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
  • Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
  • Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?
  • Link back to Well-Read Reviews in your blog entry.
  • Come back to this blog post, hosted on WellReadReviews.com and add your direct link to Mr. Linky! ** Very important!

That’s it :)

Here is my Friday Firsts: The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga (ISBN: 978-0-618-91652-8) 311 pages.

I want to NOT ride the bus to school every day, but that would be a waste of a really big want – it’ll take care of itself eventually.

Who wants to ride the bus? I certainly hated it and was glad I used to live in walking distance to my high school!  As for this sentance, I would love to know what this person’s reasoning behind not wanting to ride the bus. Just WHAT is their issue?

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy’s new little brother or sister.

Fanboy, though, has a secret: a graphic novel he’s been working on without telling anyone, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and—most important of all—a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and all the people that make it hell for him.

When Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can’t resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice—to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.

Graphic: Thank you to Tara for the graphics! (And Cara for suggesting that she make some!)

Make sure to add your link below if you have participated!

Wordless Wednesday: The Christmas Card Photo

To participate in this meme, visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/.

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If you’ve participated in Wordless Wednesday, and have commented on my entry – make sure to add your WW post to Mr. Linky below! :)

Hello World! (I feel Yucky!)

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Image by mahalie

I was hoping to escape this “morning sickness” stuff as I was feeling so great earlier. Though for the past few days I have just been feeling down right crummy! My stomach says “feed me” but my appetite doesn’t think anything sounds remotely good.

I will get moments of “this sounds good” and it absolutely stinks when you don’t have it in your possession. The latest foods that are typically okay with me is brown rice and multi-grain english muffins (even though they are tiny) with Bummel & Brown’s Strawberry Yogurt spread. (Oh that’s good) So – I’ve pretty much gone through a pack of English muffins since it’s one of the few things that sound good. (One is in the toaster, right now)

I guess the positive note is that since I’ve  “Been there. Done That.” I know what to expect with this so I’m doing it. If I don’t eat or drink, it’ll just make things worse and I’d rather not have a hospital trip like the many (I think at least 3-4) I had with Carli due to dehydration. Though to be honest, I have to force myself to drink because nothing seems all that thrilling.

On a positive note, our first appointment with ultrasound is in just six days! I am super excited for it.. to finally see Bug’s first picture! I will be about 7 weeks, 4 days by then so there should be a definite little being in there with arm buds and legs (and a big fat ol head).

Forrest’s birthday is tomorrow and we’re not really doing anything special. I want to cook him a delicious meal at home but the yuckiness feeling makes what I can be around unpredictable. But hopefully I will be fine tomorrow – because it is a special day. :)

Sometime next week we are taking Carli to see Mickey at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas. I anticipate that with both excitement and dread. Excitement because it’s Carli’s first time at Disney, but dread because I feel pretty (blah). But I am sure it will go fine. :)

It’s a good thing that this morning (all day) sickness is all worth it in the end. Also, if it’s like last pregnancy then I’ll start feeling fine around 15-16 weeks and feel great from then on out. (So how many more weeks to go? 9-10?) *sigh*

Teaser Tuesdays: Shiver

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page    * BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:  Shiver – By Maggie Stiefvater (ISBN: 978-0-545-12326-6)

Synopsis: (Taken From Amazon)

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Teaser:

I dropped my eyes. I couldn’t look at her when she sounded like she did now. I said, “What about Isabel? Tell me what she said.” – Pg. 181

Note:

It’s taken me a week to get as far as I am (otherwise known as barely half way through). It’s definitely not a bad book.. morning sickness is just beginning to kick in and I feel too “blah” to do anything, let alone read. But I know this will pass! I’ve taken some medicine to help take away the nausea today (as well as eaten) so hopefully I’ll feel well enough to read, shortly! I really want to find out what Sam and Grace have in store for them!

Mailbox Monday #meme

Dec. 7th 2009
Dec. 7 2009

This is a #meme hosted at The Printed Page. I love getting books in the mail. Heck, I love getting mail! This past week I received:

  • The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran (ISBN:978-0-345-51095-2) Publisher Sent ARC

This week was pretty slow in terms of getting anything. This book was sent directly to my house, but I went and checked my PO Box yesterday and was disappointed to see nothing!  It’s always a sad week if you check an empty mailbox!

The Wives of Henry Oades (Synopsis taken from back of book)

For Margaret Oades, everthiing changes when her husband, Henry, accepts a bank post in New Zealand and she and their children follow him from London to exotic Wellington. But a single night of tragedy shatters the family when the native Maori stage an uprising and Margaret and the children are abducted and presumed dead. Grief stricken, Henry travels to Berkely, California, where he eventually married a young widow with a new baby … only to have his first wife and children show up soon after, alive and having finally escaped from captivity.

Narrated primarily by the two Mrs. Oadeses, Johanna Moran’s powerful imagining of what ahppens when Henry and his two wives face persecution for bigamy explores the intricacies of marriage, the construction of family , and the courage of two remarkable women.


If you participated in What’s in the Mail, this week = feel free to add your direct link to my Mr. Linky. All direct links are do-follow! :mrgreen: (Any SPAM or unrelated links will be deleted. This is for Mailbox Monday, ONLY!)

From the Author of “Running with Scissors”

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You must know who Augusten Burroughs is – right? This NY Times Bestselling author has a new book out, just in time for the holidays. As if this cover doesn’t peak your interest already, just wait.  You Better Not Cry is said to be inspired by Augusten Burroughs own Christmas experiences. Burroughs has said about his book:

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. But for me, each Christmas has been worse than the one before. Perhaps this is punishment for getting Jesus and Santa all mixed up in my head as a kid. Or maybe, waking up hungover at the Wadorf Astoria next to a naked, old, fat French Santa just isnt as big a deal as I think. The funny thing is, I still love Christmas. I just sometimes wish there wasn’t so much coal dust.

Now – publisher, St. Martin’s Press, is offering you to win a chance to win a copy of the book You Better Not Cry [view book trailer here]. Please check out the website to enter in the sweepstakes. Just in time to celebrate the holiday season!

League Series Audio Download Sweepstakes

bornofice I have quite a bit about Sherrilyn Kenyon’s League novels, primarily Born of Fire and Born of Ice.

Now, Sherrilyn Kenyon is having a sweepstakes giveaway of her audio books in the League Series!

Straight from their publisher:

Experience all the sexy action in this back-to-back-to-back publishing event. Born of Night, Born of Fire, and Born of Ice bring a new world to life, as only master storyteller Sherrilyn Kenyon can.Doesn’t the series sound absolutely wonderful? Check out the video included below for more information/sneak peak on the League series!

Welcome to a universe where The League is law. It’s kill or be killed. But there are those who will protect you. Those who will fight back. A new generation of heroes who navigate the danger…and risk it all.

I was so excited about this opportunity, that I even entered myself. I have wanted to read this series since I first saw the book Born of Fire a little while ago. I think it would be a great idea to be able to read all the books and then review them! (Since I’ve talked about them so much!) So, I am crossing my fingers for a win! :)

In Support of the Dewey Tree Project.

TheDeweyTreeI was approached by Lisa at Online Publicist asking if I would like to participate in the Dewey Tree Project for this sadly memorable holiday season, to mark and support the year since this wonderful woman, Dewey’s passing. How could I not but say, “Yes!”

Since joining the book blog circuit in August of 2009 (just four months ago) – barely a day goes by where I don’t see Dewey’s name brought up in conversation whether it’s through a blog posting or a tweet. Because I did not know Dewey, I would love to hear your stories – if you did. How she impacted your life and encouraged you to become a better, more giving person. If you are interested in participating in the Dewey Tree Project, please read Lisa’s Dewey Tree post as it gives all the information.

Here is a brief overview of how it works: (Directions borrowed from Lisa, thank you!)

  • Gather up the books you can live without. It can be 4 books, 10 books, or 20 books!
  • Find a worthy group you would like to donate your overflow books to. It can be your local library, a literacy campaign (mine will go to the literacy center I volunteer for), or overseas. There’s a great list of book donation sites here on the ALA. Find a charity that speaks to you!
  • Then take a picture of your donation and email it to Lisa by clicking HERE . It can be a pic of the mailing label on your package, one of your kids giving a box of books to a librarian, or you handing books over to your literacy center. Be creative and have fun!

If you are participating, please free feel to add your link to Mr. Linky below. I WILL be checking each site to ensure that you have the button on it, linked to Lisa’s website. Here is the code to add the above button!

Thank you to Dewey for being a leading pioneer in the book blog circuit! You will be missed by many!

Thanksgiving Tofurkey and Gravy…. Soda?

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

We received this lovely gift from our friends at Izea a few days after the Thanksgiving holiday. We chilled the Tofurky and Gravy Jones Soda in the fridge and then we got to work testing it out. To be honest, we were both kind of scared to drink something titled “Tofurkey and Gravy” soda. Forrest insisted that he saw white tofu chunks, but I saw no such thing. Are you ready to see a video of Forrest testing out the soda for the very first time? (complete with the Izea turkey hat?)

*Note* If you cannot see the video, please click on the title of the blog entry overhead to view the blog entry on it’s own page. You should be able to see the video, then!

I guess it’s obvious Forrest was not a fan. Though he’s really picky for the most part with sodas so I wasn’t surprised. I went ahead and braved it myself, and took a few sips. It wasn’t awful – and it definitely tasted “Thanksgiving-y” but I am not sure it’s something we would purchase for ourselves. It almost tasted sort of like soup!

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We were mean parents and gave some to Carli to test out. She LOVES soda (often tries to steal ours when we go out) so I was wondering what she would think of it. Would she go “Ahhhh!” which is a symbol of success?


I don’t think she could have run away any faster! If she had liked it, she probably would have grabbed a hold of the soda bottle and took it from her father. The fact that she ran away only indicated that it wasn’t her thing. She sure is a sport, though! (And cute to boot!)

I think the concept of Tofurkey and Gravy soda is just hysterical. Not to be taken seriously, I think it would make a great gag gift to bring to social functions. I may have even given this to my brother had it arrived in time. It would have been too funny to get his reactions on camera (as well as the rest of my family).

On the positive side, it really doesn’t taste exactly like I thought it would. Sweeter, and lighter than I initially thought. I imagined my mouth full of a thick cough-syrup like feeling but instead it was light (for the most part). Forrest insisted he thought it was thick, but I really didn’t think so. More like, “Full of flavor”!

Although Tofurkey and Gravy soda wasn’t our thing, we still love Jone’s soda and the personalization they put into their products!

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Friday Firsts: Shiver #Book #Meme

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Blogger Meme: Friday Firsts

:!: I try to tweet about all participants, so don’t forget to include your Twitter username if you want to be notified of your tweet mention! :!:

The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

  • Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.
  • Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph.
  • Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)
  • Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?
  • Link back to Well-Read Reviews in your blog entry.
  • Come back to this blog post, hosted on WellReadReviews.com and add your direct link to Mr. Linky! ** Very important!

That’s it :)

Here is my Friday Firsts: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (ISBN: 978-0-545-12326-6) 390 pages.

I remember lying in the snow, a small red spot of warm going cold, surrounded by wolves.

The first sentence created a visual. I imagined blood – or maybe I just imagined the cover which shows a spot of red blood in the snow. Although it wasn’t the most “bring me into the story” sentence, luckily the book itself is very easy to get pulled into and an entertaining read!

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human–or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
Graphic: Thank you to Tara for the graphics! (And Cara for suggesting that she make some!)

Make sure to add your link below!

Six Weeks Down.. at least 31 more to go!

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Why not 40, you ask? Well  I was only 37 weeks, 4 days when I had Carli so my countdown is until full term. This is all based on estimation as my official sonogram to date is not until the 14th so I may be 6 weeks, or I may be 7? I have no clue. But as of now, six weeks it is.

It’s amazing how just last week Bug looked nothing more than just a spine with neither any obvious head or tail. Now, leg and arm buds are forming and look – eyes! I wonder if those eyes will be blue or gray or green. Forrest has green/hazel eyes, while I have gray/green and Carli has gray/blue. Bug is bound to have some sort of recessive eye color.

I’ve also started bringing together cloth diapers for Bug using my company, Cloth Couture Diapers. So far I have quite a bit of newborn prefolds, a few smalls, and a few preemie sized. Carli was 4lbs, 9oz leaving the hospital and was in preemie diapers for a few weeks. Granted I was heavily stressed during that entire pregnancy, just in case I have another small baby – I wanted to be prepared.

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Here are the preemies. It’s hard to gauge their size but believe me, they are small! They are about the size of a sheet of regular paper, if not but a little smaller! I gave one to Forrest to show him how tiny they were and he looked a little overwhelmed. I insisted that I would be making him some all-in-ones (Daddy-friendly) diapers and he said, “No – because those eventually will be in the wash and I’ll have to use these.” He hates prefolds, so it was sweet that he was so accepting of these.

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Here are the majority of them, the newborn sizes. I tried to make them as gender neutral as possible because (obviously) at 6 weeks – I have no idea what the gender will be. All the diapers are made out of bamboo fleece, which is incredibly soft.

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These are the smalls, not as many – but we will probably be using more AIOs by then or growing into pockets. We love pockets the most because you can really modify the absorbency – however, anything medium and below tends to be really difficult to stuff.

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Here are Bug’s diapers – all of them from this current batch (preemie, newborn, and small). Quite a bunch of them!

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And here they are all folded and put away! I was very surprised to see they all fit into ONE large bucket! This is why prefolds are pretty cool because they fold up and put away so nicely! (Especially ones from Cloth Couture, hehe).

But anyway – I have a little over a week before my first doctors appointment and ultrasound and I swear, it feels like it is taking forever! I just want to see my little bean .. and see that heart beat flickering away!

A Post in Pictures (Carli – 17.5 months old)

I thought I would share some pictures from over the holiday weekend up until today of the little tyke that I call my daughter. She’s 17.5 months old (18 months on December 12) and a bundle of energy!

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Carli is wearing one of her my favorite clothing designers, a skirt and shorts by Matilda Jane. It’s really the cutest clothes you will ever see on little girls! It’s too bad you can only get them at trunk show. She also has a fascination with using the phone. Although, here she is drowning it.

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Her Memaw (my mother) is her best buddy. Carli loves Memaw more than me and Elmo – combined. That’s pretty big stuff.

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Carli loves welcoming Dada home every day! She can hear his car pull up and she yells out “Dada!”

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The past few days Carli has had some pretty serious stomach issues, so Forrest was giving her gripe water to help ease her stomach a little. The doctor said she thinks it is teething.. but I thinks he has some sort of stomach bug.

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She is getting so independent that sometimes it just makes me really sad. What happened to my little helpless baby? Why must she insist on doing everything herself?!

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Sick baby. Not feeling well. It makes you feel really helpless when they are sick at this age because they can’t really tell you exactly what’s bothering them.

127And then last, but not least – one of her new tricks. She likes crawling into the toy bin and then crying because she can’t get out. (Ah – gotta love this age!)

Wordless Wednesday: AAarrrgggghhh!!! #Meme

I know it’s almost two holiday late.. but just had to share this one.

To participate in this meme, visit: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/.

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Is it just me or is she one of the most photogenic babies ever. :lol:

Could this bring a change in plans?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

If I could be a professional student, I would. I would go back to school in a blink of an eye, if I had the time and the money (neither of which I have at this particular moment in time). What I wouldn’t give, though – to be a student again. I am one of those rarities that love to learn. (Guess that is the reader in me!)

I attended (and graduated) from a University in South West Florida to become an Elementary school teacher, but I quickly decided that I wanted to do more than stop at a bachelor’s degree. I either wanted to change careers, or I wanted to move up and earn my masters. Though the idea of having my masters did appeal to me much more than starting over again in a different career.  But to find a program of interest that could cater to my own (forever) changing schedule of being a mother of a toddler, and one baby on the way? Seemed almost impossible.

Before I found out I was pregnant again, I was saving up to continue my education. How, I planned on doing that as a stay at home mother (I had no clue). But I was determined. But – now that we have another being into the mix, it makes finding the time even much more difficult. If I want to go back to school, it is going to have to be completely virtual centered. I want to be able to study from home (when I have the time), and correspond with my instructors via the internet where it’s much more convenient.

The USC (University of Southern California) Rossier School of Education’s MAT at USC offers current educators (Yay, me!) and aspiring teachers the ability to earn their Master’s of Arts Degree in Teaching from their University while being able to do this all from the comfort of their own home. This is fantastic, considering I live on the other coast and would need something flexible. Curious, I went to their website to check out their program information on earning my Master’s degree.

The USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT at USC is a highly interactive online program that is also combined with field-based experiences provided to you in your own home location. On top of that, they also have a tuition reimbursement program. I loved the idea of going to school and earning my tuition money back. It’s almost as if you’re going to school for free.

This accelerated virtual program is completable in as little as 12 months, which makes the prospect of earning my Master’s even less of a “far off dream”. Even though you’re a virtual student, you’ll still be considered an actual student at the University of Southern California and be an official “Trojan”! Further research into the University showed me that this institution has a 100-year history of educating teachers to be agents of change; to be adaptable and eager to continue learning through out your teaching career, and to encourage the change in your students for the better. The University of Southern California Rossier School of Education was ranked the twenty-second in the United States and number nine among all private Universities by the United States News and World Report.

Taking courses from a distance allows you to learn from teachers all over the world, and in my case – it would allow me to learn the different methods from distinguished educators across the entire United States. Being a distant learner in this Education program would also give each student full University of Southern California student benefits, allowing them to participate in commencement ceremonies and obtain a free lifetime Alumni Association membership.

The program offered at the University of Southern California has increased my knowledge of virtual programs available for those wanting to continue their education, but unsure of how they will manage to fit it into their every day schedule. It’s nice to know there are options.

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REVIEW: #54 The Resurrectionist by Jack O’Connell

Resurrectionist

Title: The Resurrectionist
Author: Jack O’Connell
ISBN: 1565126785
Pages: 336
[Rating:2.5]

Synopsis: (Taken from Amazon.com)

The Resurrectionist is a wild ride into a territory where nothing is as it appears. Part classic noir thriller, part fabulist fable, it is the story of Sweeney and his comatose son, Danny. Hoping for a miracle, Sweeney has brought Danny to the fortresslike Peck Clinic, whose doctors claim to have “resurrected” patients who were similarly lost in the void. but the real cure for his son’s condition may lie in Limbo, a comic book world beloved by Danny before he slipped into a coma.

O’Connell has crafted a spellbinding novel about stories and what they can do for and to those who create them and those who consume them. About the nature of consciousness and the power of the unknown. And, ultimately, about forgiveness and the depth of our need to extend it and receive it.

Review:

Looking at the cover and reading the synopsis, I thought for sure I would absolutely love it. Though upon reading it – I found myself.. in this bizarre sense of confusion. (Bizarre being the right word). For this whole book is just that – bizarre.

The first character we meet is Sweeney, a pharmacist who applies for a job at some sort of hospital where most of it’s patients are comatose – just as his son is after a horrible accident. Whether he initially expressed how his son was injured, I do not know. I want to say he mentioned it, but it often switched from person to person in this book so I found remembering any one particular story to be difficult – let alone three.

The book itself was well-written, as the author did have a way with the written word. I just felt, however, that it was too oddly random for someone with A.D.D. to read and get into. One minute we’re with Sweeney. Then we’re getting to know the set of “Freaks” and all their stories (and there are a lot of them). Then we meet some thug, person. Then we’re back to Sweeney. Then the Freaks. Then someone new. I was just getting into one part of the story before I am quickly pulled to what seems like a different story.

I couldn’t keep up and 100 pages, I couldn’t get into it, or continue. It took me a week to get 100 pages in and I am thinking that maybe this just wasn’t the book for me. Although written professionally and with artistic value, I think it takes a certain type of reader to appreciate it’s unique story. It clearly isn’t me.