The 4x10 Reading Challenge

Today, we have a new president and I just realized that the first month of the new year is more than half over already. How does that happen? I said earlier that I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I do set goals for myself in many different areas. I've been thinking about making a quilt for Tess. I pieced a quilt for Sammy a few days after he was born, but after I finished the topper, it stayed incomplete until this year. I don't want any unfinished projects and I think one year is enough time to make a nice quilt for my baby. I bought a quilt pattern that has squares with applique cupcakes. Each square has a slightly different cupcake (very Andy Warhol, but for a child). I also have to knit another Wallaby sweater for Luke after I finish Sammy's. I'm so close to being done! I'm knitting the hood now (in-between nursing the baby). Luke wants some outrageous yarn color (he mentionend something about yellow and black yarn so that it would look like a bee)... So, we will have to make some sort of compromise on that. When I bought the cupcake quilt pattern, I also purchased a kit of fun floral prints for another quilt. The colors are very bright and lively and I can tell that I'm already looking forward to Spring even though I am determined not to dislike the snow too much this Winter. Anyway, I've been definitely thinking about my quilting and knitting plans for the year especially since I became the VP of the Colorado Chapter of Newborns in Need and I will also be loom-knitting hats for premature babies. I haven't yet set a goal number of hats yet, but in any spare time (spare time?), I will be making hats and hopefully small blankets too.

I have been also planning a winter menu. When I'm not nursing, I've been poring over my cook books trying to plan a two week menu that we can stick to over the next three months. We are determined to live a lot more frugally this year and that means way more cooking and baking. As always, I'm really looking forward to becoming a more competent cook. Plus, I really want an excuse to use our new food processor more! So, my menu is complete. Now, we just have to be disciplined enough to follow it consistently. Another part of my kitchen endeavors plan is to transform my uber-picky first-born into a discerning gourmet. Okay, that might be the unattainable goal, but I'm actually hoping to expand his tastes a little in the coming year. Just the other day, Luke told me that his worst fear is having to try new foods! Imagine that being your worst fear!

Over the past week or so, I've been trying to come up with a list for the 4x10 reading challenge that I read about Sweetness and Light even though she read it somewhere else. The goal is to read four books in each of ten subject areas. I believe that real life will get in the way, but life is always better for me when I set challenging goals. So, here's my somewhat incomplete list:

Reading Categories
I.
Children's Literature (ages 6-10)

1. A Day on Skates
2. Betsy-Tacy Somehow I missed this Betsy collection as a young girl. I did, however, read all of the Carolyn Haywood "Betsy" books.
3. In Grandma's Attic
4. The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook

II.
Children's Fiction (ages 10-14)

1. City of Ember
2. Swallows and Amazons
3. Twilight Seriously, what's the big deal with this series? I'm sure that this is more for the young adult reader, but I put it on this list anyway.
4. The Crystal Snowstorm

III.
Adult Fiction - Classics

1. The Lord of the Rings -How could I have not read this by now? It's probably all of those orcs.
2. The Bird in the Tree
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
4. The Scent of Water

IV.
Personal Improvement/Faith

1. Grace Cafe
2. It's So You! Fitting Fashion to Your Life

3.
4.

V.
Parenting/Family

1. The Creative Family
2. The Duggars: 20 and Counting!
3. The Surprising Power of Family Meals
4. Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids

VI.
Education

1. Haystack Full of Needles
2. The Politically Incorrect Guide to American and English Literature
3. Instead of Education
4. Laying Down the Rails: A Charlotte Mason Habits Handbook

VII.
Adult Fiction

1. A Reader's Delight
2. The Shack I received this book for Christmas from my father-in-law. I had never heard of it before, but then I find out it is this huge bestseller. Despite hearing that it's theologically "very different", I feel compelled to read it myself. I want to know what all the fuss is about. I'm not sure that I'd have picked this book out on my own though.
3. A Woman's Place
4. The Ten Year Nap
5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
(one extra book just for fun!)

VIII.
World Politics

1. Three Cups of Tea

I will add more titles later. Any suggestions?

IX.
History and Biography

1. A Walk With Jane Austen
2. Jack's Life
3. Priestblock 25487: A Memoir of Dachau
4. Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature

X.
Science/Nature
1. Longitude
2. Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
3. A Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
I will add some more titles later. Any suggestions? Steph the science teacher, if you're reading this, I know you have suggestions! I need three more. Maybe I should finally read Lost Moon.

I reserve the right to change, add or delete books from this list as I know there is always something else exciting to read!