Reading report, motherhood, and doves

I’m positive I have read more than 2 books since my last blog book report, but I just can’t remember what they were.  Our library still has not reopened and I’m going to this pop-up shop in the hallway of the YMCA next door. It’s pretty cute and hilarious.  I have actually been reading more magazines lately, mostly about home design but also I found and love this one called In The Moment about living in balance in all areas of life.  When I’m done putting SG to bed at night, I’m tuckered out.  I find that a magazine article is about all I can read before I’m asleep.

Paris by the Book by Liam Callanan

How can you go wrong with “Paris” and “Book” in the title??? Callanan seems to have figured out a way!  His story follows a woman as she uses her missing fhusband’s clues to try to find him. She and her two daughters move to Paris, buy part of a bookshop there, and begin to piece together bits of information and possible husband/father sightings.  It is an odd story and ultimately, disappointing in how it ends (I think). I couldn’t really identify with the decisions and actions of the main character, so this one wasn’t for me.

The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis

In the 1950s when women moved to New York and lived alone, they lived at the Barbizon Hotel for Women, aka “the dollhouse.”  The storyline flips back and forth between that time and the present, with the current-time character being a journalist writing about that time.   Both storylines are somewhat interesting but implausible.  It took me ages to finish this one.  I’d say skip it unless you’ve got no other options.

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I’ve also been reading online here and there about kids and media time.  This week happens to be Screen-Free Week and we’ve decided to unplug for the most part and see how that goes. We know that we couldn’t easily take away all SG’s YouTube time, but it’s gotten out of hand and we want to limit it to only a few minutes a day.  I have read several frightening articles about the dangers of many aspects of passive watching/playing and kids’ development. That in combination with a presentation that our elementary school gave to parents about social media hazards convinced me that there is no reason for SG to have a phone or spend much time on her little device. She needs to be playing in lots of other ways and get on with the business of childhood.

She’s 9 (and a half!) and mostly a sweet-natured, good kid. There are glimpses though of questionable behavior and a bit of an attitude peeking out.  She’s also getting pushed around a little at school.  I worry quite a bit that I’m not doing enough to shape her values or giving her tools to be stronger within.

I am determined to stay close to her and to know what interests her and what she cares most about and we all love spending quality time together.  I’m asking her more questions instead of lecturing.  Who knows if we’re doing this parenting thing right?

Although… we arrived early to pick her up at a birthday party last weekend and we witnessed her helping a crying toddler find his parents.  That made me feel SO GOOD! So we must be doing something right.

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About 2 months ago now, I noticed that 2 mourning doves were building a nest in our backyard bamboo branches.  One of them (and sometimes both) would be tending to the nest in the mornings and then was not around the rest of the day. Then about 3 weeks ago, they began sitting on their eggs, the female in the mornings and the male in the evenings.  I learned to tell them apart and they watched me carefully through our kitchen window while I’d eat my oatmeal each morning and my sandwich at lunchtime, making sure I didn’t get too close.

I’d been watching eagerly for something to happen when about a week ago now, 2 little hatchlings emerged.  We can’t see into the nest from our vantage point, so I brought in our ladder to try to at least get higher.  It took a few days, but eventually they were more and more active.  I read that the babies only stay for 10-12 days so I imagine we’re nearing the end and then it’ll be an “empty nest.” The tiny space is definitely crowded.  Yesterday the mother left the 2 young ones on their own for awhile and I took that as a sign that I’d better get my camera out one more time.