The Talens' Tales

 M(om): Gideon, you are 20 months old already! Sorry missed it by a day. G(ideon): That is okay, Mom. We have been having a lot of fun with Christmas and everything. M: What have you been up to lately. G: Well, I am getting very good and walking and I like to try to run too. M: You are getting pretty fast and sure on your feet. And you do like to walk by yourself, which is nice, most of the time. How about talking? G: I can say more words, like water, turtle, baby, Opa, and cheese. M: Yes, it seems like we add a new word everyday and it is fun to figure out what is going on in your mind. Thanks for talking to me for a bit. G: Your welcome, Mom. I love you!

It is that time of year again where we do a few of those things we only do at Christmas time.  We have made Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies. The kids each decorated their own.  The final products.  We had two Christmas programs last week, which were both very nice. Mataya was an angel in her preschool program.  Another project we worked on was a nativity seen that we need to press out of a book and then assemble together. It took us a bit of time, but the final product turned out very nice and the kids were quite proud of it.

Joash has lost the first of his front top teeth. And we are all very happy about this. It had been hanging on by a thread for weeks, driving Wilbert and I bananas because Joash would barely brush it and he would stop eating sometimes because it would move and feel weird. Finally, yesterday, Joash bit into a sticky candy and out it came!

 November was another good month of reading. You really should read: Beartown by Fredrik Backman Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford The Hate U Give  by Angie Thomas The rest were pretty good too. No real duds this month, but my least favorites were Probing, and   Lie to Me. 

M(om): Gideon, another month has passed. Can you believe it? G(ideon): It went pretty quickly, Mom. So fast, I guess, you didn't have time to take pictures of me. M: I know. I only have pictures of you with your siblings. But, we were all sick for so much of this month and we have been busy with other things. I will try to take more pictures next month.  G: Okay. But it has been a good month. I have gotten really good at walking and I keep trying to say more words. But, you don't seem understand to many of them yet, so I just nod or shake my head most of the time. M: We are trying to figure out what you want to say, but it is tricky. I am so glad you know how to nod a yes and shake your head for no. That really helps us out. And you have gotten to be a great walker. What else has been fun lately? G: I have been having a great time at Kindermusik. I have also been spending a lot of time at Joash's school, too while you are working on library. It fun to see lots...

Cycle Three of the Harbingers series offers more suspense, more chills, and a deeper look into the battle for light in a growing darkness.  In Myers's "Leviathan," the team heads to Hollywood for a taping of the new TV pilot,  Live or Die, the Ultimate Realit y. Little do they realize the depths of darkness they are about to enter--a darkness that, unless they stop it, will soon spread across the globe. Frank Peretti's "The Mind Pirates" offers a rousing story featuring bizarre visions and memories of a murder, a kidnapping by 17th-century pirates, and an earring with mysterious powers. The team must overcome the ruthless scheming of an evil, hidden nemesis.  In "Hybrids" from Angela Hunt, the sight of two children chills the team to their bones. Seeking rest and relaxation, the four friends must instead find answers to the arrival and mission of two mysterious black-eyed children.  In "The Village" from Alton Gansky, a visit to a guard...

Trish Bailey is on overload trying to deal with a demanding job, an ailing mother, and a healing heart. When a series of unsettling memory lapses leads to a tragic death--and puts Trish under police scrutiny--her world is once again thrown into turmoil. Detective Colin Flynn isn't certain what to think of the facts he uncovers during his investigation. Did Trish simply make a terrible mistake or is there more to the case than meets the eye? As he searches for answers, disturbing information begins to emerge--and if the forces at work are as evil as he suspects, the situation isn't just dangerous . . . it's deadly. Dangerous Illusions is the first title in Irene Hannon's new Code of Honor Series. And once again, Hannon delivers. The plot twists were certainly things I did not see coming. Her characters are interesting, have depth and leave you wanting to know even more about them. I felt so bad for Trish and all that was happening to her and then got mad on...