She's Mad

Roo has had a rough couple of days.  Her molars are coming in, so she's a fussy, drooling girl.  She has this face a lot:

On Sunday, I made the mistake of attempting this hair-do:

Never again.  I took a picture, because I'm not doing this hair-do again until she's old enough to ask for it.

It's cute, right?  But wow.... She was MAD at me....she screamed and hit and wiggled.  The parts are all messed up...  Nate was in the shower and when he was done, he goes, "What on earth were you doing to her out here?"

See Allie Jane.  See big tear.  Sorry Sweetheart!!

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Another book review:  Yesterday I finished "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson.  When I landed at PDX, my aunt was a little late in picking me up...which I was actually thrilled with because it gave me about an hour to just relax.  The Portland airport has a wonderful bookstore, so I happily browsed and enjoyed being on the ground and seeing the gorgeous forests out the windows....and most of all the calm of not having kids with me!  Anyway, I was looking through the Travel Literature section, and I came across this book.

I was immediately drawn to it for 3 reasons:

1. I love backpacking/hiking.

2. I have a new fascination with the Appalachian area of the US...yep, we're still 100% on the Tennessee thing.

3. Hello...that bear..kinda freaky and cute at the same time!!

So I bought it...and I loved it!!!

First off, Bill Bryson is a great writer...sort of a Dave Barry style...dry humor, sarcasm, tells it like it is...my kind of guy!!  The book takes you along with him and his hilarious friend, Katz, as they spend months backpacking sections of the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine.  They meet hilarious, interesting people along the way (like one usually does on long excursions like this).  They aren't avid outdoorsmen, so that alone brings a lot of humor to their story as they learn the ropes.  I've been in their shoes (or boots, in this case).  I love being in the wilderness, eating Ramen & poptarts, feeling the aches & pains, peeing behind a tree, listening to the streams and wildlife, going to bed and waking up with the sun, not knowing what day or time it is....it's the BEST!  This book made me want to dig out my dusty pack and hit the trail.

But what I loved most about this book was Bryson's attention to detail and his love and plea for keeping America's forests and parks what they were meant by God to be...beautiful, enjoyed, and alive.  He spends much of the book talking about endangered wildlife and trees.  He tells the history of the Appalachian trail...and there's a blunt, hilarious chapter dedicated just to those bears!  Nate & I can't wait to explore the Appalachian area some day...  Like most books I have read lately, I was sad to turn the last page and see it end.