Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

Title: Ash and Qull (Great Library #3)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: New American Library

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Red Spine

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny....
 
Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.
 
Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library....

Going into this volume, I thought it was the last one in the series. Unfortunately it is not, and I will have to wait a few years for the conclusion... Beyond that slight annoyance, I was blown away once again by this series. It was nonstop action from page 1 and I was right there with it. I love Jess and his band of misfits. I loved seeing the other side of the conflict, namely the Burners. We get to meet some great characters in Philadelphia. My favorite character from this volume had to be Brendon. I loved seeing more of Jess's family but especially his twin brother.  Very interesting relationship. I'm really not sure if I can wait a few years for the next volume...

The Great Library

• #1 Ink and Bone
• #2 Paper and Fire
• #3 Ash and Quill

Next up on the TBR pile:

FrightFall Readathon 2017 Starting Post

Goals:

• Read 10 books 
• Read at least 4 "scary" books
• Review all books read

TBR Pile:

• The Mummy by Anne Rice (part of Gather Together and Read's Readathon)
• Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
• Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
• The Dream Cycle of H.P. Lovecraft: Dreams of Terror and DeathThe Gates by John Connolly
• 99 Coffins by David Wellington
• The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol Carlsen
• 8.4 by Peter Hernon

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Q loves his zoo train, but if I have to take it away from Arthur one more time...
• Toyed with cutting processed sugar from my diet. But after hearing the ultimate failure of a friend, I think I should aim for decreasing my amount instead of cutting it out completely.
• My October TBR pile is calling my name, but it's still September! 
• Can't wait to pull out my Halloween themed planner kits.
• I want to bake all the things! Unfortunately it's 90 degrees here this week. Darn.
• Despite the arguments, Q and Arthur have started playing together and it's oh so cute!
• I finally got a PSL on Tuesday. Oh my! I missed these...

Next up on the TBR pile:

FrightFall Readathon 2017!

From Seasons of Reading:

Fall will be here before we know it, then right around the corner is October and you know what that means. It will be time for FrightFall! I'm so excited that we are now doing the whole month of October. What could be better than a month long readathon? Not much, in my humble opinion.

We start at 12:00am central time on October 1st and end at 11:59pm central time on October 31st. (There is now a handy link to a time zone converter in the menu above) I hope you're ready to get your scary on! Guidelines for the readathon can be found HERE or you can access in the tab at the top of the blog. Any information you need about the readathon can be found there. Please do be sure to check the guidelines to make sure you're following along correctly. There are specific rules regarding sign up and wrap up, especially in regards to the giveaway. Also, regarding the giveaway, I'll be again adding a Google form to capture names and email addresses so if you're interested in winning a prize (you still must meet the sign up and wrap up criteria), I will ask you to fill in that form which will be located on the prize page.

Just remember...the one main "rule" of FrightFall is that you must read at least ONE scary book (which can be a thriller, mystery, Gothic novel, or similar for those who are faint of heart). Since we are doing a month long, I hope you will indulge the scary a bit more, but that is entirely up to you. It is all about the reading after all.

Our social media hashtag is #FrightFall and we have our outstanding Facebook group which has become quite the reading community (there is also an access tab in the menu).

I haven't been up on readathons lately, but this one looks like fun. I've done this particular readathon in the past, and making it a month long is really appealing to me. I tend to go through spurts of reading due to my unpredictable schedule. I'm busy pulling some "scary" reads from my giant TBR piles. 

Quentin: 52 Weeks / 1 Year Old!

Happy Birthday Quentin Deckard! I can't believe you are already a year old! Such a big boy!

Chilling with brother

Likes: Cars, milk, snuggles, Arthur, playground, music

Hello silly

Dislikes: Naps, not being allowed to play with mommy's craft supplies, Arthur leaving him out of playtime

So mobile

Sleeping: We had a bad night on Sunday (multiple wake-ups, a night poo, general fussiness), but he's usually very good with bedtime. Lately, his naps have been very unpredictable. One day it's 3 hours and one day it's one hour. And yesterday, he didn't nap at all...

Excited about the park picnic

Eating: Most of the things. I'm seeing more pickiness at meal times. He'll eat one or two foods off his tray and chuck the rest even though he ate the exact same thing the other day. I was hoping to keep the good eating a little while longer than this...

Showing off at the park

Playing: His absolute favorite toy right now are all the cars. He loves driving the cars throughout the house. Extra fun when Arthur plays cars with him. He also loves balls (rolling, fetching) and the baby laptops. And he's been "wrestling" with Arthur a lot lately.

Selfie with mom

Milestones: 

• Babies usually range from 27 3/4″ long and 18 lbs to 30 1/3″ long and 23 lbs. — We don't have our doctor appointment until Thursday, but I'm going to say that Quentin is at the upper end for height and I know he's more than 23 pounds.
• Showing his independence — Most definitely! 
• Scribbling with crayons — Not yet
• Drinking cow’s milk — Not cow's milk, but he has been drinking some almond milk instead of his morning bottle.
• Fussy eating — Yep! It's definitely starting.

Morning shenanigans

Loves that silly spoon

Out and About: Last week we ran a ton of errands, visited the library, and had a play date at our house. Not a big week for activities, but he did love playing with all the kiddos on Wednesday.

Happy Birthday Q!

Playing with his sticker

And he's gone...

Not quite so sure about this candle thing... (Ignore the carnage that is his shirt after spaghetti night)

Post cupcake...

12 Months of Quentin Deckard!

Next up on the TBR Pile:

Music Monday -- Vance Joy "Lay It on Me"

I do so love his voice...

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #27

As I look outside my window: The sun is setting on this Saturday night...

Right now I am: Enjoying a bit of quiet before the craziness of bedtime.

On my bedside table: The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick; Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

On my tv this week: J and I were super excited to start S2 of The Good Place. Can't wait to see where this goes... We also watched a few movies (The Island of Lost Souls; Sausage Party; The Lost City of Z).

Listening to: Andrew Bird's Are You Serious. I'm loving the eclectic sound of this album and his song with Fiona Apple is just amazing!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Garlic Shrimp Pasta
• Tuesday - Chili and Cornbread
• Wednesday - Chicken Ranch Tacos; Black Bean Soup
• Thursday - Leftovers
• Friday - Ravioli
• Saturday - Beef Tips
• Sunday - Appetizer Night

On my to do list: I have some random bigger tasks to make sure and take care of this week including making eye appointments and buying plane tickets for Christmas. I also have a few lingering tasks to prep for the birthday party (making shark fins, picking up chocolate coins, etc). 

Happening this week:

• Monday - Errand day (this is becoming the routine)
• Tuesday - Quentin's 1st birthday!!!! We're celebrating by having cupcakes at our park playdate.
• Wednesday - Home day probably
• Thursday - Q's doctor appointment
• Friday - Visit to Deer Hollow Farm at Rancho San Antonio
• Saturday - Arthur's friend's birthday party
• Sunday - Probably another home day

What I am creating: With the completion of these three birthday cards, I am ready to dive into Christmas card making. I'm doing 30 Days of Christmas Cards from Sketches in November on my blog, so I need to start now! I'm starting with the new stamp sets, creating cards for my Christmas card classes and stamp club. And then I'll dive into the older supplies and scraps of paper to make some of the sketches. Super excited!

My simple pleasures: Good movies, break-n-bake cookies (for those lazy nights), snuggling under the covers, pretty cookbooks, chai tea

Looking around the house: The downstairs is fairly clean, but the upstairs is a bit of a mess. And the big birthday party is coming soon! I need to make a master to clean list to make sure I work it all in. 

From the camera: Saturday morning shenanigans

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

 Title: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

Author: David Grann

Publisher: Doubleday 2005

Genre: Nonfiction - History; Travel

Pages: 339

Rating: 4/5 stars Movie: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (Nonfiction); Popsugar (Set in the wilderness)

In 1925, the legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett ventured into the Amazon jungle, in search of a fabled civilization. He never returned. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.” In this masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, journalist David Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett’s quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle, as he unravels the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century.

Been meaning to pick this one up for awhile now. It did not disappoint in terms of the subject matter and story. I was captivated by the story of Fawcett and his pursuit of the Lost City of Z. I was fascinated by the concept of exploration in the 1900s and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Fawcett and party. My issues with the book came from the writing style. Grann does not excel at smooth transitions between the history and the current situations. I have been spoiled by Erik Larson's wonderful narrations. Grann doesn't quite stand up to that example, but I did very enjoy the book.

Movie:

Full disclosure: I did not have high hopes for this movie. I assumed they would change so much of the story that it would unrecognizable. Thankfully they stuck fairly close to the real history. A few things were change here and there, but understandable in terms of movie making. And then we get to the last 20 minutes of the movie where everything that happens is speculation and outright fiction. I would have loved to see Fawcett and his son (they cut out Jack's friend Rimmel) bond and share a conversation or two (like the one around the fire after being captured), and then have them walk over a hill and fade to black. That would have been a great ending, full of the ambiguiity of the real story. Instead with get a whole sequence in the jungle with a tribe. Not what I wanted. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Mummy Readalong

From Gather Together and Read:

Everyone knows I'm a huge Anne Rice fan (duh, the reading challenge might be a clue lol). She's my favorite author and she has written a sequel (with her son, Christopher Rice) to one of my favorites of her books, The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. The new book is titled Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra. So, I've decided to host a read-along of the first book in honor of the sequel's release in November. This will be a reread for me and frankly, I'm pretty excited. Rereading a favorite is always fun!
 

I read The Mummy years and years ago, but frankly don't remember much of what happened. This is the perfect event for me to revisit the story. And maybe I will read the sequel when it arrives!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall Bucket List

Alright, I'm getting on board with the seasonal bucket lists. As autumn begins on September 22nd, I thought it would be a great starting line. I know that fall lasts until the winter solstice, but as soon as December 1st hits, I'm all about Christmas. So I'm going to run my fall bucket list until November 30th. I've thought about the things that scream fall to me and created my list.

1. Enjoy a PSL
2. Go to a pumpkin patch
3. Buy some proper cider 
4. Bake pumpkin bread
5. Make stuffed acorn squash
6. Carve a pumpkin
7. Make a fall craft with Arthur
8. Read some scary books -- I'm participating in Seasons of Reading's FrighFall Readathon the entire month of October.
9. Pick up some fall themed tea: Apple spiced or pumpkin flavor
10. Take pictures of the changing leaf colors -- Rare here in northern California, but we do have some trees whose leaves change colors and drop
11. Make chili and cornbread
12. Find two new fall soup recipes
13. Watch Shaun of the Dead for Halloween
14. Visit a corn maze
15. Bake fall cookies
16. Make leaf art
17. Pick up some fall nail polish (and actually do my nails!)
18. Go apple picking
19. Bake an apple pie
20. Make mulled wine
21. Plan and cook Thanksgiving
22. Read Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving library books (kids)
23. Decorate the front porch
24. Buy some pumpkin ale
25. Go on a hayride
26. Celebrate Halloween with costume and trick-or-treating
27. Pick up a fall candle
28. Read a cozy mystery
29. Make a scarecrow
30. Make homemade sauerkraut
31. Toast pumpkin seeds
32. Have a Monster Mash dance party
33. Create Halloween and Thanksgiving cocktails
34. Watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
35. Have a Resident Evil marathon

And now to dive in!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer 2017 Clothing Summary

My goal is to keep my quarterly clothes budget to $200. I've still got some weight loss goals to achieve, but I need to do a bit of fill-in in the meantime.

Amazon $45.86

I desperately needed a new swimsuit for this season. One was maternity and big in weird places. One was pre-baby and small in weird places. Thankfully my online parent group had suggested some great swimsuits. I went with the Cocoship Vintage Sailor Pin Up Swimsuit. Very flattering and comfy!

A friend was wearing this great tunic length sleeveless top and I just had to get my own! I grabbed the Urbancleo Tunic Tank Top in dark gray. Great for throwing on over leggings and nice and cool. Perfect for summer wear. They have a variety of sleeve and neckline styles. I will probably grab a few more pieces this fall. 

Target $65.50

I needed a new pair of yoga pants (old ones are stretched out and covered with bleach spots). Thank goodness they had these great Mossimo ones in stock the day I was looking.

As Target is doing away with it's old brands and brining in some new collections, they have been offering discounts on the old brands throughout the summer. I snapped up this cute short sleeve plaid shirt during one of those sales. 

Total impulse buy! I saw these cute lightweight shorts on the clearance rack. I'll never wear them in public (not that confident), but they are perfect for around the house. 

Loving the late 90s vibe going on at Target right now... I grabbed a couple of pieces to try on at home. Unfortunately all but one didn't fit. I did get this cute little sheath dress out of the ordeal. I imagine I'll be wearing it with tights or leggings this fall and winter. This may just be my plane outfit for flying back to Indiana at Christmastime.

2017 Total: $274.79

Next up on the TBR pile:

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR Pile

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. 

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I used to love doing these quarterly TBR pile posts, and yet I somehow missed Summer 2017's post. Weird... No idea what happened there. Oh well. Let's get back on track and check out my choices for my Fall TBR.

1. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin -- One of those Read You Book Shelf books. Been on there too long, I need to finally read it.
2. Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine -- Really loving The Great Library series. Can't wait to read book 3!
3. Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly -- Our October book club selection and one I've been wanting to read for awhile now. J and I watched the movie and loved it. I'm ready to dive in to the book.
4. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells -- For my scifi reading challenge. This one will be a reread for me, but it's been at least 10 years.
5. Logan's Run by William F. Nolan -- Another scifi reading challenge pick. How have i not read this one yet? Love the cheesy movie!
6. The Mummy by Anne Rice -- I'm participating in Gather Together and Read's readalong in October. Read this one years and years ago. Hoping it's as good as I remember.
7. Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor -- Another Read Your Book Shelf book.
8. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh -- Hoping to continue the Bedwyn Saga books. 
9. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton -- This list needed a literary classic that I haven't read. How about some Wharton?
10. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon -- I will finish this book! Been stuck halfway through for months now. I just keep picking other books up. I need to knock this one out!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Quentin: 51 Weeks

Likes: Being as loud as possible! 

Look at those teeth

Silly boy

Dislikes: Not being able to play with the electronics. Waking up from naps. Being hot.

Hello brother

Loud baby

Sleeping: Great night time sleeper again. Thank goodness. And he's been napping most days for about 2 hours. Very exciting!

"Reading" his books 

Stealing big brother's yogurt spoon

Eating: Still eating most things, although we are seeing him be more choosy. His favorite right now is mac n cheese.

Snack time!

Playing: We went to Mel's and it was the first time that Q actually explored and played. He loved it! Plus he's really gotten in wrestling with Arthur and playing with cars. 

Exploring baby

Watching the other kiddos

Milestones: 

• Possessive about toys, lovies, etc. — Yep. Don't mess with his bis (his blanket) or his water bottle. 
• Figuring out sharing — Sorta. He's been doing the funny thing of offering things to me and then taking it back. Although every once in awhile he does give me toys and food.
• “No” — Not yet. 
• Handling more than one thing at a time — Yep. He's getting very adept at juggling things.
• Separation anxiety at bedtime — Thankfully no...

Skeptical baby after bath

Naked baby shennigans

Out and About: We hit the zoo and Mel's Play Place this past week. A few places for the boys to get the wiggles out.

Baby on the prowl

Next up on the TBR Pile:

Life Right Now #26

As I look outside my window: It's dark this Saturday night. 

Right now I am: Watching the last episode of Ken Burns's The National Parks with J. I've really enjoyed this series. Even with the struggles and turmoil, I found the series to be very calming and up-lifting. Now we need to plan some trips to some of the nearby national parks. 

Thinking and pondering: Christmas card designs. I usually start making my cards in September or October. It's been on my mind lately, but I need to finish my Halloween and Thanksgiving cards firsts.

On my bedside table: The Lost City of Z by David Grann; The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick; The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

On my tv this week: Ken Burns's The National Parks (we finished Saturday night!), Supernatural S2, and a few movies.

Listening to: Lots of political podcasts including Pod Save America's interview with Hillary Clinton. Fascinating!

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Tilapia
• Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Nachoes
• Wednesday - Broccoli Beef
• Thursday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatos
• Friday - Leftovers
• Saturday - Cajun Stuffed Chicken
• Sunday - Appetizer night

On my to do list: I still need to buy plane tickets, make eye appointments, and finish some craft projects.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Errand day (Safeway, Target, Sprouts)
• Tuesday - Possible pool party here
• Wednesday - Playdate at our house
• Thursday - ???
• Friday - ???
• Saturday - Coffee and Cards Craft Event
• Sunday - Book Club (Fates and Furies)

What I am creating: I'm finishing up the birthday party crafts this week. I need to complete the big letters and a few signs. After that, I want to finish out my Halloween and Thanksgiving cards. I also have a few random card ideas rolling around my head right now. I'm thinking about using up a few scrap pieces I have laying around.

My simple pleasures: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cookies; Tazo Passion tea concentrate (keeps me away from Starbucks); Open windows allowing the breeze and nature sounds inside

Looking around the house: Decent shape around here although I really need to move out the baby stuff. I was hoping someone in my parent group would want some stuff, but no such luck yet.

From the camera: Arthur and Quentin at the zoo on Tuesday. 

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

Title: Paper and Fire (Great Library #2)

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: New American Library

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 357

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Set During Wartime (fictional war, but still)

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. 
 
Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

Oh my! I positively adored this volume of The Great Library series. With the first volume, we spend time creating the world and introducing the characters. In this one, we dive right into the action. I fell even more in love with Jess and the band of rebels. I seized up in fear during the scenes featuring automata. I also cried when Morgan and Jess were reunited. I definitely teared up during an intense scene in the Black Archives (yes they find them; spoiler but you knew it had to happen). I wanted to read this in one sitting, but children forced me to take a few more days to read it. Oh so good! I can't wait to run out and get the third volume. 

Great Library

• #1 Ink and Bone
• #2 Paper and Fire
• #3 Ash and Quill

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Title: Fates and Furies

Author: Lauren Groff

Publisher: Riverhead Books 2015

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 400

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; Popsugar - Unreliable narrator

Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.

At age twenty-two, Lotto and Mathilde are tall, glamorous, madly in love, and destined for greatness. A decade later, their marriage is still the envy of their friends, but with an electric thrill we understand that things are even more complicated and remarkable than they have seemed. With stunning revelations and multiple threads, and in prose that is vibrantly alive and original, Groff delivers a deeply satisfying novel about love, art, creativity, and power that is unlike anything that has come before it. Profound, surprising, propulsive, and emotionally riveting, it stirs both the mind and the heart.

Our book club selection for September and a huge disappointment. I had heard mixed reviews with the book being compared to a literary Gone Girl. And I would have to agree if they meant that this is a story of two horrible people and their life. I couldn't stand the main characters or the side characters. I was thoroughly disgusted by how the characters treated one another. I was bored with the storyline. I slogged through this one, but definitely didn't want to. Not recommended at all...

Next up on the TBR pile:

Good Morning Videos

Very intriguing looking movie. Such atmosphere!

Definitely full of spoilers, but I love this little video!

I didn't really want to see this and now I really don't have to... 

52 Weeks of Arthur 2017: W28-36

Continuing this project from 2016, I'll be posting a roundup of Arthur pics every 9 weeks. See W1-9 here. W10-18 here, W19-27 here. On to Weeks 28-36:

W28: Playing at the zoo

W29: Sonic stop!

W30: Amusement park fun

W31: Flying stuffed animals

W32: Happy Arthur!

W33: Conquering the big slide

W34: Hanging with Q

W35: Visiting Thomas

W36: Beach day!

Top Ten Tuesday: Oldies but Goodies!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

This week's topic is a freebie. I decided to go with one of the suggested themes: favorite books from my first year of blogging. I started my blog in November 2010, but didn't really started reviewing books until 2011. I'm going to count my first year as January to December 2011. As a note, I did not include rereads on this list. I ended up rereading a ton of great classics in 2011, but didn't want those on my list. Let's see what my favorite books were in that first year...

1. Austenland by Shannon Hale -- Love this romance featuring an obsession with Jane Austen. Bonus points: I loved the movie version!
2. Autumn by David Moody -- Such an unsettling zombie series (in a great way).
3. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore -- Love this graphic novel! 
4. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan -- Another good zombie series. Not as scary as Autumn, but I really loved it.
5. Fables Series by Bill Willingham -- My favorite comic series!
6. The Prestige by Christopher Priest -- The level of suspense throughout this novel is amazing!
7. Soulless by Gail Carriger -- Such great steampunk paranormal fun!
8. The Affinity Bridge by George Mann -- Another great steampunk novel. Can't believe I haven't read the rest of the series yet.
9. The Walking Dead Series by Robert Kirkman -- Another favorite comic series.
10. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff -- Loved the magical realism focus in this one. I'm not finding her latest book (Fates and Furies) very interesting at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Quentin: 49-50 Weeks

Likes: Playing! Food, snuggles, Arthur, the beach, climbing

Dislikes: Being told "no," not being able to mess with the electronics, being confined

Sleeping: We had a few bad nights these past couple of weeks. Q seems to be battling a bit of a cold and has a stuffy nose. We slept with me one night and it was not good. No one got any rest. Thankfully he has been taking naps most days. I usually get about an hour before he wakes up.

Eating: For the most part, he's still eating all the things. Unfortunately he has started throwing food off his tray when he's down. Very vexing...

Playing: Lots of rough playing with his brother. Their newest game involves tickling and wrestling. Q loves it! He's also really gotten into playing with balls and anything that makes noise.

Milestones: 

• Preference of right or left hand — Not that I have noticed yet.
• Separation anxiety — Not really
• Waving — Nope
• Asserting his independence — Most definitely!
• Unpredictable moods and wants -- Oh yes!
• Using a handful of words -- No words yet, but lots more varied babble.
• Communicating nonverbally — Starting to indicate wants nonverbally.

Out and About: In the last two weeks, we had quite a few adventures! We visited CDM to see the Thomas the Tank Engine exhibit. We ventured up to the Bay Area Discovery Museum to see the Daniel Tiger exhibit. We also had a park playdate at Seven Seas and a beach day in Half Moon Bay. We also had a pool day when the temperatures soared to over 100 degrees.

Next up on the TBR Pile: