Where Does the Time go.....

I ask myself that question constantly. For a number of reasons. At the end of each day I try to figure out where all my time went. I feel like I'm constantly behind....in just about everything! Of course, I'm pretty sure it's mostly my fault. I've stretched myself so thin, you can barely see me sometimes!! I'm taking 18 hours of class this semester. Yes, I know. What was I thinking?? Well....I was thinking that as much as I love being a college student, I REALLY need to finish this degree and get myself back out into the world of the steady paycheck again. Money is TIGHT right now. Seriously tight, and I struggle with it on a daily basis. Mike's year is coming up quickly at FedEx, and we are hoping for full-time for him soon. We are also even looking at relocation. Memphis and San Diego are both huge FedEx depots, and there are always jobs coming open. But the girls are so against it, it's hard to even bring the topic up when they are around. I understand their frustrations....I really do. They have friends and school here, in the only home they've ever known. But economically speaking, Illinois is ranked at the bottom for jobs and at the top in families that are considered poverty level. A new start for all of us would be welcomed by Mike & I, but it would have to come with a serious paycheck for us to really consider it.

Back to time....it is so fleeting these days. I'm working more hours than I have in a long time on top of my class schedule. And yet, I am making less than I did last year. But I keep put on that uniform and trying to make it work. Then there is the chauffeur aspect of my life. Each kid is completely immersed in activities, and I need a spreadsheet to keep up!! Ana made the travel softball team, and is in soccer. Practices and games seem to happen almost every day. If I had one child that would be great. But then there is Bella. She has taken to Jr. High like a fish to water. She shook off her disappointment of not making the school's softball team, and starting joining. She joined the speech team (which isn't really speech if you ask me. It was called Literary when I was in school). Being in band, she is now in concert band, mixed choir, and Show choir. Ah....she also tried out and MADE the school basketball team!! I am super proud of her, but she has practice for something everyday. Sometimes before school at 7. Sometimes after school....and can be there as late as 7. Pile on the homework, and she is as busy as I am.

Chad just got his learner's permit, and is ALWAYS bugging me to go driving. He decided he was going to focus more on school this year and didn't go out for football. However, he is joining the wrestling team again this year, and they are already starting workouts. Oh...and the girls! That boy has more would-be girlfriends than anyone I know!! They are constantly calling or texting or coming over. Sheesh. He just goes with the flow....he's going to Homecoming with his best friend, Carly. I just don't think he actually wanted to choose a date!

Time....I should be cleaning my house right now. Or doing laundry. Or grocery shopping. My house is close to being designated a hazard. And yet, here I sit. Another thing to put off. I have a paper due on The Crucible tomorrow. As well as my first set of Reading Cards for Child's Lit, a Humanities test on the Modern Assault.....and a group research project on the ancient Greek Playwright, Aeschylus. And that is just what I have due for tomorrow!!

Time.....I wish I had more to read for fun, though I have 40 books I have to read for Child's Lit!! Of course, some of those are actually picture books, so it's not quite as bad as it sounds at first. For the Newbery selections I just reread The Graveyard Book (always a favorite of mine), The Higher Power of Lucky, Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (EXCELLENT!), Holes, and I'm trying to finish Tale of Desperieux today. I'm going to be soliciting ideas for my next set of books. So get your thinking caps on!! I would love to be more involved with blogging, join me some challenges. RIP is going on, but I just don't have the time. I will try to pop in on all of you though and see how YOU are doing.

 

 

Time......sometimes I look in the mirror, and wonder "When did I get so old?" There are days I just feel my age in my bones. It seems like just yesterday I was in college the first time....or picking Chad up out of his crib. Where has it all gone?? How does it slip by so fast?? I guess if I had the answer to that, I would be a very rich woman. Doesn't keep me from asking though.  This past weekend, Mike and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary!    It has been a long 17 years, and we've had some good times as well as bad.....but I don't think I would trade them in for anything!

Time....I have to be at work in about an hour. So, I guess that means this post should end soon. Hopefully, there is some money to be earned today. And if not, then I just come home and start my paper. You know...that paper I should be writing instead of posting here!! I just felt the need this morning to try to re-connect with my friends. You know who you are. The people that are always there even when I seem to be completely ignoring you. Just know that I am not ignoring you....and you are all always close to me....in my heart!!

Later!!

Alas, Summer is Almost Over......

and still, I haven't been able to post! It seems that not blogging has left this big hole in my life. And yet, there seems to always be something that is taking my time away. I always thought not working full-time would mean I had MORE time to blog. Just doesn't seem to be the case. Ever since we moved the kids back to our house full-time, I have been non-stop on the go. When Mike and I both worked 3rd shift, the kids spent a majority of nights with my in-laws. It was the only thing we could do. They were too young to be alone at night. I missed them like crazy, even though I saw them every day. It just wasn't enough. Losing my job was hard, but not being with my kids was harder. It seems we are closer than ever. All that time apart really helped build some special bonds with those little rats....who are not so little anymore. Although sometimes I feel more like a chauffeur than a mom, I count my blessings every day.

So....what has been going on since I have been away?? Here, it's more of the same. The summer was spent attending numerous softball practices/games. Both girls played, only this year it was 2 separate teams. Both girls also spent 2 weeks at Kid's College. What an amazing experience for them!! They were both enrolled in a class called "Broadway Bound". Their instructor was a really talented lady. At then end of the session, the class put on a vaudeville style show with singing, dancing, poetry and skits. It was really good. Bella also took an art class. She loves art, and they did some sculpting, Batik and sketching. Ana, the little scholar, took a Chinese Language & Culture class. As the youngest there, she was still tops in her class. She wanted to learn a foreign language, and has now started with Mandarin Chinese. She's scary sometimes.

Me? Other than running them around all summer, I worked at the restaurant. I was going to take a class, but figured I needed the summer to decompress. Last semester was hard, being my first one back. I ended up on the Dean's List with a 3.8 GPA though. So I must have done something right! Fall semester starts in a week, so I'm working almost every day until then. Books aren't cheap folks! Damn. I'm in the hole almost $600 for the Fall's books. Financial aid is a strange thing too. As financially strapped as I am, I don't qualify for any type of aid yet. It's my last semester at the Junior College before I transfer. Since I already have a bachelor's degree, I have too many credit hours to qualify for aid. And that includes student loans too. Which sucks. I'm hoping once I'm enrolled at ISU, that will change. It has too, otherwise, I don't think there is any way I can finish without help. After taking to the registrar's office at ISU, I'm hopeful though.

My class load is even bigger this fall. 6 classes: Children's Lit, Shakespeare, Educational Technology, Education Psychology, Nature of Theater (need that extra Fine Arts Credit), and Early Western Civ (for my History minor). I wrangled my schedule to only have classes Tues/Thursday this time, so I will have more time to work (and study of course!) The kids are as excited to get back to school as I am. Chad will be a sophomore this year. I already got the letter about his "Behind the Wheel" Class. Driver's Ed!!!! I can NOT believe my baby is going to be driving. I'm still a little nauseous about it! Bella starts Jr. High this year. She got her schedule last week and it's packed full. Only 1 study hall on Friday afternoon! All the other free time goes to band, chorus and mixed chorus. Ana will be in 4th. She is almost as tall I am now!! Time has a way of speeding up the older you get. I may be a college student, but I feel so old sometimes. Especially when I look at my kids. It seems like just yesterday they were all in diapers. Now, I have one that is going to be driving soon!

Reading?? How I done any? This has been a good summer for books. I haven't really been blown away by anything lately, but I have read a lot. Mostly YA books. I reread both Hunger Games and Catching Fire, so I could finish the series with Mockingjay. As much as I loved the first two books, I found the end of the trilogy a little wanting. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale was an ok read. Although I liked the premise, the book was a little on the blah side for me. Fire by Kristine Cashore was a really good book. I liked it even better than Graceling. I read the second book in the Thursday Next series, Lost in a Good Book. I am constantly blown away by Jasper Fforde. His use of literary characters and word play is just so much fun. I read the first book in the 39 Clues series: A Maze of Bones. This one was written by Rick Riordan. The series itself is written by a number of authors. The premise is a hunt across the world for 39 clues that will lead the winners to something that will make them the most powerful people in the world. There are 7 teams of people, all members of the Cahill family. FUN series, though targets a younger audience than I usually read. What else? hmmmm....I started rereading The Dark Towers series by Stephen King. I read the first 4 books years ago, and I finally decided I needed to finish the series. So far, I've just read The Gunslinger, but will definitely pick up The Drawing of the Three soon. I just finished The Summoning (Darkest Powers) by Kelley Armstrong. Another good book, and another series I seem to have gotten stuck in. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison was also a great beginning to the Rachel Morgan series. That's all I can think of now, off the top of my head.

Since school is starting in another week, and my for fun reading is going to be cut to a bare minimum, I have a stack of books I'm going to try to get through before I get back into all that homework. They include Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead by Scott Kenemore; Enna Burning by Shannon Hale; A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett; Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; The Good, the Bad, and The Undead by Kim Harrison; The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2) by Kelley Armstrong; and finally Fearless Girls, Wise Women, & Beloved Sisters: Heroines in Folktales From Around the World by Kathleen Ragan. Let's see what I can get done in such a short time!!

On a sad note, we had to have my beloved St. Bernard, Rocco, put to sleep a few weeks ago. In all my years as a dog owner I've never had to make that decision before. And it SUCKED! But he was getting old and in constant pain from arthritis, lost most of his hearing...then started having neurological problems. By the end, he couldn't walk. He was way too big for us to have to carry outside anymore. It was heartbreaking for all of us, but the kids especially. Still breaks my heart to think about it.

Now...I want to hear from all of you! What is happening in your lives??? I've missed you all terribly and want to know.

Spring Break

Well, I knew going back to school was going to be hard. I just didn't realize HOW hard!! When I had classes before, I found the time to squeeze in a social life as well as studies. But now I have 3 kids, a husband, a part-time job and a household to run. It might have been a bit naive to think that I could handle 15 hours of class as well. BUT, I can honestly say I have never been happier! I may be sleep deprived and a bit mentally unstable some days, but I am doing well. Midterm grades are in and I'm carry 3 A's and 2 B's. I spent 13 years at Cat, locked in a cubicle and working for "the man". I loathed going to work. Especially the last 7 years. That is way too long to hate what you are doing. The Red Cross started out well. I liked the idea of working for an organization that helped people. Problem was, said organization was even more political than Cat. Who would have thought? And when push came to shove, being smarter and more educated than your supervisor is NOT a good thing. Some people just can't get over it. I know that sounds kind of arrogant. Not something I would generally say. But it was true, and when I tried to put in for a job that was a higher salary grade than my manager (even though it was in a different division), it was made pretty clear that I should learn my place. Unfortunately, that kind of thing doesn't fly with me....and I'm pretty sure it was the main reason for untimely layoff. Of course, it was the best thing that ever happened to me because it gave me a chance to reevaluate where I was heading. It got me back to school. In a place where I am most comfortable. In higher learning. Sitting in a room with others, learning new concepts and ideas....discussing literature and history. Learning teaching techniques and child psychology. THIS is where I was meant to be. Even though the market for teachers is horrible right now (and Mike thinks I'm making a huge mistake), this is where I need to be. I'm happy. I enjoy getting out of bed in the morning and going off to class. I figure if I can't stay a student all my life, then I can become a teacher and spend the rest of my days in a classroom. Hopefully, it will all work out.

A few of the drawbacks include a lot of travel time (with gas prices going up this sucks) and a severe tightening of the budget. My lack of full-time income is going to be a tough one for awhile. I'm still working part time, but as anyone in retail or restaurants know, business is SLOW. It's been really hard trying to make ends meet, and it doesn't look like it's going to get better any time soon. I am going to do my best to finish as quickly as I can, but if push comes to shove and I have to get a full-time job again, I'm still going to finish. I have to do this for me. I'm going to do one more semester at the JC, before I transfer to ISU. It's closer and cheaper. I even have my classes picked out for next semester.....including Intro to Special Ed, Humanities, Sociology, Educational Psych, and Sexism in History. Once finished, I will transfer to ISU to get a degree in Secondary Education (I will have at least an endorsement in English, if not a degree....although lately, I have been contemplating History as well). One day at a time......

I have done a lot of reading lately, although mostly for class. In the last couple of months, I have finished Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, tons of short stories, Beautiful Creatures, Wither, Infinite Days, Nightshade, The Sea of Monsters, a re-read of The Hunger Games, and Full Dark, No Stars. I just got some books from William Morrow that look amazing....and I'm going to start dropping some reviews. It's time I got back into the reason I started blogging in the first place. Don't give up on me yet. I'll find the time.

Spring Break has come and almost gone. I have spent most of it cleaning. My house was a disaster, and although not completely done, it's starting to look like a home again. And, drum roll please....I have lost almost 30 lbs! I'd love to say it's healthy eating and exercise. But it started out as stress and a general loss of appetite. A lot of it was due to the pain from my back, neck, hips and joints. The pain meds took away a lot of my desire for food. But once I realized how much better I felt, I really kicked it up a notch. Now, I'm down 3 pant sizes and I am starting to feel great, pain aside. I'm working through most of it with some therapy and starting next week, acupuncture. Still taking way too many pain meds, but I'm hoping to start decreasing those soon. Included a picture of me and my babies (aren't they getting big?? sob!)

So...I guess this is just one big post about how life is tough and a struggle and painful....and yet, I'm happier than I have been in years. Book reviews to start POURING out this week. Come back and see me!! Love you all!

Sunday Salon - The Longest Week Ever

OK....well, I know I said I was coming back to blogging. I meant it too. And I still plan on being back full-time, posting at least 3 or 4 times a week. But the past week has been amazingly full, and I haven't had a free minute!!

First of all, I have to thank each and every one of you. Not only did you restore my faith in blogging, but you welcomed me back open arms. THAT is the part of blogging that I have SO missed. What I didn't miss was the stress of posting a certain amount of times a week. Worrying about "stats", and whether my blog is "good enough" for certain publishers. Feeling pressured to read a book that I really had no desire to pick up. Feeling like I had to review all of the numerous book review requests that I received. But what all of you told me, and what I finally realized is this: That stuff doesn't really matter. I started my blog oh-so-many-years-ago for me. I wanted an outlet for all my creative juices, and a place to record the books I read. I was never a 1000-hit a day blog. I don't have millions of followers, and not the one that publishers immediately think of when choosing the Best Blogs.

BUT I think I have carved myself a nice little niche, with a few followers, some really good friends and, hopefully, some great discussion about one of my favorite topics: books. And that makes me happy. The funny thing is, even when I didn't even post for over 9 months, I still received tons of review requests. In my possession I have a least a full tote (if not two) of books that I received during my "sabbatical". I'm looking forward to getting back to reading and reviewing and blogging. I can't wait to catch up on all your blogs...and maybe even join a reading challenge of two. It's time...and I'm finally ready.

Of course, I alluded to the fact that this was a busy week. That is an understatement in the biggest way. Mike started working...which is great and wonderful...and he LOVES it. BUT, he has to get up between 2 and 3 am. And it never fails that I end up getting up too. His alarm wakes me, and I usually see him off. Then I try to get at least a couple more hours of sleep. I'm an incurable insomniac, so there are days when I just can't get back to sleep. Either way, I have to be up by 6 to shower before the kids get up. Chad has to be at the high school by 7:45. Band days, Belle has to be at school by 8. And Ana needs to be there by 8:45. The hours from 6 to 9 are just crazy trying to get everyone up, dressed, fed and ready.

Classes started this week, and I can honestly say I absolutely love them!! 4 classes and 1 online class. I'm so looking forward to getting into all of them. And for all of you readers, we are starting with the Romantics in Brit Lit. Poetry, so far by William Blake and Charlotte Smith. And listen to this: a huge project for this class includes creating a blog and doing a "salon" for a British Author!! I'm pretty sure I can handle that one!! I may be posting here on this blog, and am open to any suggestions you all have. I was thinking about Oscar Wilde or Thomas Hardy.....but would love to hear what you guys suggest!!

Frankenstein is my required reading this week in Lit111: The Short Story and The Novel. In fact, I actually picked this section BECAUSE of the reading list! The texts includes a book called Fiction 50, which is a collection of short stories by authors such as Agatha Christie, Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy, Alice Walker and Joyce Carol Oates. The other required reading is Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House, Dracula, Jane Eyre, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Eyre Affair.

Of course, getting back into the hang of studying has been a bit difficult. The last time I was studying this many classes at a time, I wasn't married. Didn't have kids or other responsibilities. I have a feeling this is going to be tougher than I originally thought. I really hope I can do it.

To top it all off, we had kind of a rough week. Chad is on the wrestling team this year. It's his first year doing it. His HS freshman football coach is the head wrestling coach, and actually suggested Chad try out for the team. Turns out, he's good. Real good. So good, in fact, this could lead to scholarships in the future. 2 weeks ago, he hurt his shoulder. We spent all day in the ER, but it was just a sprain. It put him out for a bit, which just killed him. Yesterday was the conference meet, and he was SO excited to get back to it. Then he hurt knee. Badly. We go to the orthopedic tomorrow, but his trainer is pretty sure he blew his ACL. Which is going to mean surgery and months of PT. He's devastated, but I told him at least it his freshman year. Actually, I'm kind of devastated for him. It kills me to see him so sad. He hasn't left his room since he got home from the meet yesterday.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I had to work last night. About 7:30, I was coming out of the back room carrying a bunch of plates, when I rounded the corner of the kitchen. Someone has spilt some balsamic vinaigrette (all greasy) on the floor, and I wiped out. I fell on my left hip, and hit my elbow hard on the metal counter. I jumped up pretty quickly, and went right back to work. But in about 15 minutes, the throbbing in my elbow as too much, and the swelling was pretty bad. They shipped me off to the ER too!! Good news for me is that I didn't fracture anything. It hurts like hell, is swollen, and is starting to turn ugly colors. But it won't keep me out of work too long.

This week it seemed like it was just one thing after the other. Belle is sick. I'm pretty sure it strep throat. Ana has had basketball and we've spent many hours studying multiplication tables. Chad's had a couple of doctor's appointments with his shoulder....next week it will be his knee. My washing machine took a dump, and now I have to go up the street to the Laundromat to do my laundry. Cross your fingers that I can hold it all together!

For now, I will let you all go. Check in frequently, I have a lot of books I'd like to talk about that I've recently finished, including the YA books Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, Wither by Lauren DeStefano and Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Also the 1st 3 books in the Walking Dead Series. I also want to talk about the 9 new books that I've received the past few weeks, and the 3 that I got for my birthday. Till then, take care and I will be back soon!! Later!

Sunday Salon - The What the Hell Happened to Me Post

Good morning!! I really just wanted to thank all of you for your kind words this past week. I don't want to get into specifics, but the past month has been challenging to me in so many ways. 3rd shift has been taking it's toll on me for the past 2 years, and I think I finally hit rock-bottom with it. Things with the Red Cross went from bad to worse....and it put me in a serious depression. I mean, I've been depressed before, but this was different. This was the kind of depression that left me feeling drained. All I wanted to do was stay in bed all day (or night) and pull the covers over my head. I didn't want to read or blog or check my email or twitter or ANYTHING. So I took a mental-health break. I apologize if I concerned you at all. I got a few emails that I know I should have answered and a few phone calls as well. But I just couldn't answer them.

But this week, I feel better. On Tuesday, I started a new job!!! One that I hope I'll be at for quite awhile. I am working for DHL Export Company. I've been looking for awhile, but after the first of the year, I kicked that into overdrive. With my background in IT and my experience in Logistics, they gave me the job right away. It's first shift, Monday thru Friday. (at the moment there is also unlimited overtime, but I don't know how long that will last). I am an Ocean Export Rep, and basically what they are training me for is to set up bookings of ocean shipments across the world for Caterpillar. I met the Regional Manager this week and told him I'm already a certified 6 Sigma green belt (if you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry. It's a business thing and stupid as hell...but looks great on a resume!). He was super-impressed with that, so keep your fingers crossed that I'm here to stay!! I'm also sticking with the restaurant, as well. Scary thing is, I'm actually good at waiting tables. And the money is really good. I'm cutting my hours pretty drastically, but will use the money for my property taxes this year....and basically just as catch-up money. It was nice this year to pay cash for our entire Christmas!! Maybe another year of waiting tables, and I'll be able to pay for a really nice vacation for 2011. God knows, this family could use one!!

I even went to the library on Friday!!! I haven't done that in months. You know it's bad for me when I don't even want to go to the library. And I started doing a bit of blog hopping yesterday. Just so you know, I plan on catching up with all of you this week!! I saw that Carl has posted for the Once Upon a Time IV Challenge. If there is anything that could get me back into the blogging/reading mode again, it's one of Carl's Challenges!!! So look for a sign-up post from me this week.

During my month's hiatus, I finished a couple of books. Hex Hall, that I reviewed yesterday. Horns by Joe Hill. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Liga. And the 3rd Sandman and Fables. I don't know if I'll get to any reviews or not, but I will try. As for now, I am reading Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah and Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland. I also have a copy of the new Holly Black book on deck, White Cat.

And for the first time in over a year, I have the entire weekend off!!! Mike and Chad are out of town. They went to a racquetball tournament in Lombard, so it's been a "Girl's Weekend". This is something that I needed in the worst way. We went to see Alice in Wonderland. We went out to dinner both Friday and Saturday. And have been watching basketball and basically just hanging out. It's been incredible.

That's it for me today. I just wanted to thank all of you again. Not only for all your concern and kind words, but for your patience with me. And the fact that you still keep coming back to see me. I need you guys in my life!! The last month has proven that to me more than ever. So, thank you!! You have my undying appreciation!!

A Long Week of Good Stuff

See? It's not always doom and gloom over here!! This week, there will be no whining or rantings. Just a rundown of the last week, and it's been a pretty good one!!

Last Wednesday was my birthday. I don't usually mention it. I hate the idea of getting older. It's not so much the number that bothers me anymore. As far as I'm concerned, age is just a state of mind. You are only as old as you feel. Trouble is, I'm starting to FEEL old. I'm on my feet alot more with all the hours I'm putting in at the restaurant. And my knees have been bothering me a bit. My shoulder seems to be taking a long time to actually heal up. I know it's because I'm getting "older". Sucks, that's for sure.

But this was a pretty great birthday. I had to work a double on my the actual day, and I woke up to sound of someone banging on my door. As I staggered down the stairs in my Jammie's, I found the most gorgeous flower arrangement sitting on the steps. Yellow roses and all sorts of pretty yellow flowers (I have no idea what they are called. Wish I had taken a picture now) in a beautiful vase. All from the wonderful Michelle @ Michelle's Masterful Musings....one of my very best blogging friends. Such a sweetie!! My co-workers decided it would be fun to torment me by singing all night. They even made me a cake. It was just nice that no one forgot. I got a check in the mail from my parents that was way over the top. All in all a great day even though I worked most of it. We had planned on celebrating with the family later on in the weekend, since I didn't have to work then.

A few weeks back I won tickets to a concert that was on Friday night. It was 3 Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf. Bands that I like ok, but nothing I'd really bend over backwards to see. HOWEVER, 3 Days Grace is Chad's favorite band. So, plans were made for him to go to the concert with my nephew. Nic is 17, and I'd be pretty comfortable with the two boys at the Civic Center (Chad's only 13). Besides, the Red Cross is literally one block from there. I'd be able to drop them off and make sure they got home ok. Unfortunately, the day before the concert I find out that Nic was home with a horrible fever and a bad case of the flu. So, I took Chad instead. I would have loved to do it in the first place, but I know 13-year-olds. Figured he wouldn't want to go with his "old" mom. Of course, with no other options, he was stuck. BUT, we had a great time. Apparently, I'm not TOO uncool. I knew most of the songs, and free tickets aside, they were 2nd row in the lower bowl. Fantastic seats. I bought him a cool hat. Sang songs. Had a blast.

Sunday, the girls had their first basketball game. 2nd - 4th graders. Not very experienced. But we won 15 - 9. Bella scored a basket and Ana played a fantastic defensive game. The coach even told the other girls if they all played like Ana, they'd be winning by 40 points! She tied up another player at least 5 times for jump balls, and hustled her little butt off. I'm such a proud mama!! Then we went back to my in laws for my "birthday" party, complete with balloons, dinner, a red velvet cake (my favorite) and presents. Mike got me the coolest Jack Skellington hoodie and tote bag (huge Nightmare Before Christmas fan), some Ed Hardy sneaks, and a Ramones tote. My in-laws got me some good smelly bath stuff, money, and flannel PJ's. And the kids actually spent their own money to get a present. They seem to know me better than anyone. They got me a book. And not just any book, but Under the Dome by Stephen King. Yeah. THEY know me well. Ana and Bella even wrote me stories and drew me gorgeous pictures. All in all a fantastic birthday!!

Since Monday was a holiday, I took the kiddies out to spend Christmas gift cards at the mall. Fun!! And finally, ending up a great weekend, I woke up this morning to 4 books in the mail. I'm really haven't been doing a lot of ARC's lately. I'm been trying to weed through the lists. I have a backlog of books to read anyway, and I hate committing to something if I don't have the time. BUT, I was pretty excited to hear about these:







I love a good thriller. I haven't read a book by Dekker before, but I've heard good things. The Bride Collector is being released in April, and I can't wait to dig in to this one!!







I've read both of Joe Hill's books, and am extremely excited about his new book, Horns. It will be released on Febrary 16 (my dad's birthday!). I love a good scary story, and Hill being Stephen King's son has it in his blood!!








I don't read a lot of "Chick Lit" or Women's Contemporary Fiction any more. But Nicole from The Book Reporter has been extremely good to me, and when she asked if I'd review this, I said yes. I've reviewed a couple of Kristin Hannah's books for them, and I've enjoyed each one. Figured Winter Garden would be just as good. It is set to be released on Feb 2nd, so look for this review soon.





SO excited about this one. I actually squealed when I read Nicole's email asking me to take part in this blog tour. And another squeal when I got the book this morning!! Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins in the first in a series about a reform school for "wayward Prodigiums" IE, witches, faeries, shape shifters, etc. SO much fun!! The book is being released on March 2. Will let you all know blog tour dates soon!!



That's it for me. I have a couple of books to review this week: Breathers by S. G. Browne and The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Liga. Also, will be reviewing Couldn't Keep it to Myself. And maybe a Library Loot post too. Till then, happy reading!!

Library Loot, Christmas Shopping and A Much Better Night....

Well, I guess my pity-party worked, because I feel much better today. Honestly, I think it's just my way of releasing all that stress that builds up. I don't really have a lot of close friends that live around me anymore. It's weird. I have tons of acquaintances. But they usually fall into group of people that think of me as "Bella's Mom" or "Mike's Wife" or something like that. Most of my close friends don't really live around here. And truthfully, with the schedule that I keep, I seem to have alienated the ones that are still around!! So, when I feel the need for someone to unburden myself to, it seems the most logical place is to take to my blog and dump. Whatever the reason, I feel "lighter" today.

I even started Christmas shopping!! OK, that may not seem so amazing, unless you REALLY know me. My usual start for holiday shopping is around Dec. 18th! But the girls picked out some iPod's, and Best Buy is running an amazing sale this week. Plus I could put them all on an 18 month plan with no interest. Each kid is getting a "big" gift, then probably a lot of books!! I'm still not sure what to get Chad. Truthfully, I don't even want to think about Christmas. Normally, each year we have a Santa Saver account that I drop money into each week. This year, with Mike being off, not so much. But I'm trying to pick up one extra day at the restaurant a week. That day, all my money is getting put up just for Christmas. Mike and I have pretty decided against buying each other much. But the kiddies have worked hard all year. They deserve a nice Christmas. They are going to get it too.

Well....I guess I should just get on with my library loot. I swear, I really need to stay off the library's website. Seriously. At least this week, I actually returned about 6 books. This is the list of books that I have picked up in the last week:

This is actually one of the books I'm most excited about. I'm reading it as a part of the Women Unbound challenge. It's Couldn't Keep It to Myself by Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution. Lamb teaches writing workshops at the prison and these are some essays that have come out of that experience. So far, I've only read Lamb's introduction, but it had me in tears. Can't wait to read more!

Non-fiction read #2, and another Women Unbound Challenge book is Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang. Deals with the hardships of women in China. I'm really not a huge non-fiction fan, but this sounds really interesting. I guess we will see how it goes.

The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper is a memoir that I wanted to read for the Non-Fiction Challenge (which I failed at MISERABLY!) I liked memoirs. And I've read a couple based in Africa. I'm hoping this is just as good. If I can get to it, I think this will be a great selection for the Women Unbound Challenge.

Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison is a fiction selection for the Women Unbound Challenge. See what I mean about the library website?? I find a challenge I want to start, make a list of books, and then just go online and FIND them. I've been wanting to read this book for years. Figure now would be a great time!! Heard great things about it.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is a book I've seen lately across the blogosphere. YA and paranormal are my favorites these days, so this one jumped right out at me. I'm thinking it has to do with werewolves. Always kind of liked them!!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson was kind of a spur of the moment kind of book. I saw it on the shelf as I was browsing. I remember reading a lot of good reviews. Another YA book, it seems a little science-fictiony. Can't hurt to try it!

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean my love for horror novels is completely satisfied. I read about Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge at Carl's blog. He always finds fun creepy reads during RIP time. Thought it would be a good one for those long nights at work when I'm alone and want to scare myself silly. Or maybe not!

I've been loving Rachel Caine's YA series, the Morganville Vampires so much (I have a review to write for Book 5, which I just completed), that I wanted to try her adult series. Ill Wind is the first book in the Weather Warden series. It looks like it will be a fun read!

Breathers by S. G. Browne is another zombie book. I read Chris' review and thought it looked like a whole lot of fun. Besides, the cover just rocks, doesn't it??

Dangerous Angels by Francesa Lia Block is a selection for the GLBT Reading Challenge. I've read a couple of Block's books before and just the lyrical way she writes. When Nymeth and Debi reviewed this one, I knew I had to add it to my challenge list. Besides, it's another book with an awesome cover!!

I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti is a book I read about during the Read-A-Thon. I think I saw it over on Eva's blog. Then again, it was really LATE and I could be wrong about that. Regardless, it looks really good. Ammaniti is an Italian writer and this is his American debut.

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie is a book that I KNOW I read about on Eva's blog. I've wanted to read Alexie for a while now, and this one deals a lot with music. Another one of my loves. Can not wait to given this one a chance.

Finally, a book I am SO excited about. And one that was a complete impulse. I just happened to be passing the New Release shelf at the front of the library and this book practically jumped off the shelf at me. In fact, I think I might have even squealed out loud!! The Gates by John Connolly is his newest novel. After reading The Book of Lost Things and just finishing Nocturnes, Connolly is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can not wait till I get a chance to read this one!!

That's it was for this week's Library Loot. Of course, it's more than enough for me. The number of books coming in seems be WAY higher than the amount of books going out. Gotta work on that!!

The Women Unbound Reading Challenge and a Few Other Tidbits

Another reading challenge you say?? Whatever for?? Well....because. Because I love challenges. Because I love making lists. And because I love the idea of reading some books out of my comfort zone. Also...this looks like it is going to be a REALLY GOOD challenge!! Lots of fun. And besides...they have some really cool buttons (ok..that's my shallow side coming out!) The Women Unbound Reading Challenge is hosted by 3 fantastic women: Aarti from Booklust, Care from Care's Online Book Club, and Eva from A Striped Armchair. Apparently this challenge was brainstormed over a Twitter session one day (damn my having to sleep during the day because of work!! I miss out on so much Twitter fun!) This is a year-long challenge from November '09 to November '10. Books to be read should be both fiction and non-fiction and deal with "women's studies".

You can do any level of participation you are comfortable with. The three levels are:

Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one.
Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction ones.
Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones.




Since I have a list of so many books I'd like to read, I'm sticking with the big guns: Suffragette level.


As always, I made a list, but I also reserve the right to change my mind at any given time. My prerogative as a woman!!

So far, this is what I have:


Fiction:

• Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
• Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
• Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
• Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Out by Natsuo Kirino
• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula le Guin
• Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
• Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
  

Nonfiction:

• Couldn't Keep it to Myself: Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution (Testimonies from our Imprisoned Sisters) Edited by Wally Lamb
• Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China by Leslie T. Chang
• The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper
• Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel
• Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power by Virgina Rounding
• Persepolis and Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
• Self-Made Man by Norah Vincent
• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
  

Sheesh. That's way too many books, but I couldn't stop finding great books once I started looking!! Join in with me in this challenge. Come on. You know you want to!!

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This weekend was Chad's last football game. He has played the entire year at Linebacker. He really likes defense. But the last few weeks of practice he really kicked it up a notch. Since he is so strong for such a little guy, the coaches decided to play him at fullback and give him a chance at running the ball. He did really well....and in the last game of the year, he busted one up the middle for a 42-yard touchdown!! I was so proud!! Probably not quite as proud as he was, but close!

I have parent/teacher conferences this week. So far, the kids seem to be bringing home great grades. Bella is having a bit of trouble concentrating....and rushing things, but I think she'll be ok.

Remember my best friend's movie?? They are almost done with the editing. Red Carpet showing here in Peoria is in January. And they are going to enter it into some film festivals. Aaron's trying to talk me into getting the kids' an agent, and trying to get them some modeling work. Chad wants it pretty bad, so I guess I may have to look into it. He was contacted a few weeks back for a modeling school, but they wanted $2500 for the class. More than I could afford! Aaron's knows a few agents, and I have a couple of local places that offer acting classes. If he really wants to do it, I think I'm going to go through someone who won't charge quite so much. Seems a little shady to me.

That's about it for me. Happy Reading!! Later!

A Little Library Love....

I'm curious: Do you use your library? Are you a card-carrying member? If not, how come? I'm a huge fan of my library. The town I grew up in is a small farming town. The population of the town hovers around 500. And we didn't have a local, community library. There was a small library in the grade school, but it was only accessible during the school year. And I'm pretty sure I read through the entire collection by the time I was in 8th grade. We also had a library in my high school. But it was even smaller...I'd be willing to wager I now own more books myself than was in the library!!

The college years were spent reading mostly textbooks. With classes, work, and my social life, I rarely read for pleasure. I didn't realize how much I missed it though until I graduated and moved out on my own. One of the first things I did was get a library card. And although I used to buy a lot of books, I still kept my library card current. Now that I've put myself on a budget, I use my library more than ever.

The picture above is the exterior of my local library, Alpha Park. It's not the biggest library, by any means. It doesn't have the greatest selection of books. But there are a lot of reasons that I love my library!! First of all, each of the librarians know me by name. Probably because I request/put holds on so many books. It seems like there is always a book behind the desk with my name on it.

If a book is not in my library, I can usually get it through Inter Library Loan. There are about 60 libraries in this system and I can almost always find what I want. Now that all the libraries are connected through the same computer system, I can log in myself and renew or put holds on books. I love it!! Last week, I was trying to figure out how to get the next graphic novel in the Fables Series. I was talking to the reference librarian, and she found all but 2 books in the series in the system. The 2 books she couldn't find, she ordered to put in our library!! Book 3 is one of those books. I got a call last Friday that I had a book on hold. When I got to Alpha Park, it was the new copy of Fables, Vol.3. I'm the first person to check it out.

The Children's portion of the library is also fantastic. The entire top floor is for the kids. There are a couple of classrooms, where they hold meetings and have craft lessons. One corner of the library has three steps up to a carpeted platform. There are floor to ceiling windows up there, and big pillows for the kids to lounge on while they read. And the kids/YA selections are really good. I can always find something when I'm waiting for the girls to pick out some books.

I love my library!! And my kids love the library. The only thing that would make it perfect would be a cappuccino machine!!

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As for reading, I just finished up Monster by Walter Dean Myers. It was the first Printz Award winner and a really good book. I'm still reading Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall for the Non-Fiction 5 Challenge. I started to read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, and so far I'm finding it just a charming read!! I'm also getting ready to start Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

What are you reading these days??

Bloggers and the FTC....A Good Thing??

Just when all the controversy over blogging seemed to die down, it looks like it's under fire...again. This article hit the AP wire on the 21st. The gist of it is that the FTC is going to be setting up guidelines regarding blogging and any compensation that said blogger receives. Now, I don't know who these bloggers are that are getting free trips to Europe and $500 gift cards, but I can see how a review could be "swayed" for something like that.

"The guidelines also would bring uniformity to a community that has shunned that.

As blogging rises in importance and sophistication, it has taken on characteristics of community journalism — but without consensus on
the types of ethical practices typically found in traditional media.

Journalists who work for newspapers and broadcasters are held
accountable by their employers, and they generally cannot receive payments from marketers and must return free products after they finish reviewing them.The blogosphere is quite different.

"Rules are set by the individuals who create the blog," said Lee
Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. "Some people will accept payments and free gifts, and some people won't. There's no established norm yet."Bloggers complain that with FTC oversight, they'd be too worried about innocent posts getting them
in trouble, and they say they might simply quit or post less frequently. "

As to book bloggers, I'm not really sure what the effect will be. I don't really feel like getting a free copy of a book is compensation....but I know others that feel differently on the subject. I personally don't do any Amazon affiliate links on my blog, so I'm not worried about that at all. But some people view those links as "selling" a product. And that right there is the whole thing in a nutshell - Are bloggers "sales people" that are selling products, or are they reviewers that are giving unbiased opinions?? Should this be a concern in the book blogging world or not??

I hate the idea of having any oversight on my blog. In no way, shape or form did I start my blog to sell a product. I don't think I've ever had that goal in mind. Even when I'm writing a review for a stellar book. My hope is that a good review will make people want to go out and read that book. Because I love books, I want everyone to have the same enjoyment that I have. Would I quit blogging if I had someone looking over my shoulder when I post a review? I can't answer that question. But I do know it would be a consideration. This is fun for me. And that would NOT be fun.

But the funny thing is, I can actually see both sides of this subject. When I read a review on anything, all I expect are honest opinions. And if someone is getting compensated for writing that review, then I feel it is tainted. If I knew someone got a trip to Europe for reviewing a product, that opinion would be no more than an ad to buy said product. But again, should this be a concern in our little book blogging world? I don't think so.

I'm curious to see how this whole thing shakes out, and especially if it will affect me in any way. Do you, dear readers, have an opinion on the subject at all?? Have you heard of this before??

(This wasn't exactly what I had planned on posting today, but I thought it was pretty relevant. Will be back tomorrow with a review on Magyk: Septimus Heap Book 1 by Angie Sage!)

Monday Randomness......

I am totally kicking myself in the ass right now. Why, oh why have I waited so long to read a Graphic Novel??? After all the awesome movies that have come out in the last few years based on graphic novels, I've been really intrigued. And they really seem as if they would be the type of reading I would like....lots of fantasy graphic novels are out there. And yet, never once have I picked up one to read. Until today.

I decided in the way of spring cleaning to tear apart the bedrooms. Part of it included washing all the huge comforters in the house. Since I almost hosed up my washing machine the last time I tried this, I decided to spend my morning at the laundry mat. They have those big, industrial washers and figured it would be a quiet couple of hours away from the house. So, with my detergent and softener in hand, me and my 5 comforters trudged up up the 'mat. I actually kind of like it there. I can wash like 8 loads of laundry at the same time and just be done with it all!!

So after chucking in a ridiculous amount of quarters, I settled it with The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes & Nocturnes. Sure, I can gush all day about Neil Gaiman and how he is one of my very favorite authors. Sure, I've loved everything I've read of his so far. But, The Sandman is a COMIC BOOK, right?? I haven't read one of those since I was in 4th grade! How good can it be?? Right?? WRONG!!! It took me about 1/2 a page to realize I was in love already. Not just with this book, but the graphic novel as a whole. The pictures were awesome....and it totally adds to reading the story. I got about 75 pages in before I had to leave, but I'll be finishing it up this week. Not sure I will be able to review it though. But I'll definitely try!!

Other than that, it's a rainy, dreary mess around these parts. I finished up book 2 of the Fablehaven series, Rise of the Evening Star. For some reason, I start out not liking these books initially, then totally get sucked in. I know it's a YA book, but for some reason I find the writing really elementary. But I did like this one better than the first....and with the cliffhanger ending (ACK!) I know I'm going to have to read the rest of the series.

I haven't had a lot of time to blog hop lately. Work has been kicking my butt. But I'll try to catch up a little tonight....and hopefully a whole lot more tomorrow!! No "Mailbox Monday" for me this week. Maybe next week!!

Happy Monday to you all!!

Of Read-a-Thons, Work and a Little Sadness.....

Today was the Dewey-inspired 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. (OK, technically, it was yesterday since it's after midnight...but a few hardcore readers are still going!) I SO want to join in this one day, but circumstances have never let me!! The fall is right in the middle of my son's football season. All games are on Saturdays, and usually take up a majority of the day, since it's a travel league. Today, my daughter had a soccer game, and I was scheduled to work....like 15 hours. So while all of you were reading, I was having a Work-a-thon of sorts!

Since I wasn't able to participate, I did want to do a little shout-out to all of you that signed up, and are still reading!! I tried to do a little cheerleading earlier. I'm not really good at it though! I've tried to hit some blogs and leave them comments....and I've also tried to follow some the action on Twitter.

Anyway....Kudos to all of you that participated in one way or another today!! And if you are still readintg, KEEP IT UP!! It's sad that Dewey isn't with us anymore, but a great thing that her legacy has lived on!!

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On a final note, I will probably be off-line for a few days. You all know my grandmother has been sick. Well, she passed away late last night. As sad as I am, I truly know she is in a better place, where there is no sickness or pain. I'll be heading out of town for the visitation, funeral, and family gatherings. Hope to be back on Wenesday morning. I'll try to catch up with all of you then.

Yes, I'm still here.....

Unfortunately, I seem to be posting more updates like this than I would like. Life seems to be getting in the way of blogging!! A few updates are in order.

My vacation didn't quite turn out like I had hoped, but then again, it never does!! I did have 2 wonderful days where I didn't do anything!! Spent me time, sleeping, relaxing and catching up with some old friends online. Like Facebook or not, it has become a great tool for me. I have reconnected with a few old friends from high school, and have been having a great time. Many years and miles have been put between us, and it's been nice to see old faces and find out what's going on in their lives.

Then, within a 24 hour period, Mike got his layoff notice in the mail and I found out my grandma's sick. The layoff will be permanent, although it won't take place for awhile (at least hopefully). There is always the possibility that Mike will be able to transfer within the company, but it's pretty slim. Regardless, we are taking steps to get his resume updated and starting to look for something else....again. In the meantime, I'm picking up extra shifts left and right to try to put back some cash just in case.

Grandma, is another story. With my horrendous schedule, I haven't been able to do a lot of connecting with her lately. She lives about 2 hours away, and I've been lax. It's just that any free time I have is usually spent trying to catch up on sleep. I guess now I'm just going to have to suck it up and start doing a little more travel. It is not good, and I don't have a lot of time left. I'm taking a couple of days next week to go visit and take the kids.

On a brighter note....yesterday I spent the afternoon on a movie set!! Sounds fun, right?? My best friend, Aaron, who I've mentioned a few times is making a movie!! He wrote a screenplay, is directing and producing....and even acting in it. I'm so incredibly proud of him!! It's low-budget, to be sure. But he has a few minor celebrities in cameos and it was so much fun to see. The star is a young kid named Derek North, who is not only the sweetest guy, but just about the most gorgeous thing I've seen in ages!! I'm really hoping he becomes a big star, because he deserves it!!

AND, he wrote in scenes for each of the kids!! Yesterday, Chad got to get out of school and film his. He had 3 lines (which he nailed!) and was filming with Wendy, the Snapple Lady!! She is a hoot!! The film crew had me doing stand-in for her. It's funny, because I'm short, but I always wear heels of some sort. I had on my 3 inch Mary Janes, and they thought I was too tall....till I took my shoes off!! When I get all the pictures from the crew, I'll post them.

But for now, I'm posting the few that I took:

Here is Chad and Wendy. She is an incredibly sweet lady, who only was in town for the day. She had nothing but praise for Chad, and he just loved her!! Initially, he was a little scared. AND he was hoping for a scene with some hot young girl. But the second he met Wendy, he was instantly feeling better. The cast and crew treated him so special....he was in his heyday!!
Here is Chad with Richard Pryor, Jr. He was the first person on the set to come over and introduce himself. Super nice, and praised Chad for being so professional! He said Chad could be a big star someday!! Not sure that's the life I hoped he would have, but I guess if he wants to try.....Aaron wants to hook him up with an agent. Sheesh. Just what I need!!

Here is Chad and Derek. Like I said, Derek is a doll! I'm really hoping for good things in his future!! The shoot was at a men's clothing store, if you are wondering about the backgrounds!!

Finally, here is Chad with Aaron. Aaron's the best. He pulled us both in right away and introduced Chad as his nephew and me as his best friend. So, everyone treated us super!! We had a blast...and now the girls are wicked anxious for their day in the spotlight. Filming is going on all month, so I'm hoping to be able to catch some more time with all of them. Help out where I can. It's fun to be a part of something like this!!

That's all for now. Will check in again this weekend!!

A Book Meme and Randomness

I was doing so well posting at the beginning of the month, and then I just seemed to taper off. I guess I really didn't have much to say!! And I've pretty much spent the last 24 hours in bed with a migraine. Sheesh. I haven't had one in awhile. I guess I forgot the sheer magnitude of them. This one was a doozy, and frankly I'm still feeling the "after shock" of it. But at least I feel slightly better. That's something, I guess.

It looks like winter is here....it's butt cold in the Midwest these days. And I'm just not ready for it. I hate the cold. I'm ready for retirement and Florida! Of course, that's a good 25 years away.....but at least it gives me something to look forward to!! For now, I just have to keep the hot chocolate flowing.

On to the meme. Both Melody and Chris tagged me for the 7 Random Bookish Things About Me meme, so here it goes.

The rules are:
Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share seven random and/or weird book facts about yourself.
Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

• I love books. OK. I guess this isn't a surprise. But I really do. I love the feel of a book in my hands. I love the smell of a new book. I love just having them around.
• When we moved to this house 12 years ago, I had one book shelf. It was filled with my small collection of books. Since that time, I have added close to 1000 books in my house. My husband had bookshelves built in our "play" room to hold them. As soon as they were finished, I still overflowed!! Now, I have about 4 huge totes filled with books stored away, on top of overflowing shelves.
• Of all the books I own, my most prized possessions are my 7 Harry Potter 1st Edition hardbacks and my almost entire 1st Edition Stephen King collection. These are books that I will NEVER part with.
• Even with all the books I own, I still frequent the library. I love the library. In the town I grew up in, we didn't have a library. So when I moved to town, my first order of business was to get a library card. Now, because of the time I spend there and all the books I request of inter-library loan, all the librarians know me by name.
• I'm seriously anal about reading books in order. There is no way I will read a book out of series order. And after being burned by a few supposedly "stand-alone" books, I won't even read authors out of date published order.
• I am married to a non-reader. They always say opposites attract, and I think that is true to a certain extent. As much as I love my husband, I really wish we had the book thing in common. I think that's one reason I turned to the internet for "book friends". And I'm totally trying to turn my kids into book people.
• I started my online journey with a membership into Oprah's book club. Think of her what you will, but she has done wonders for the reading community. Through Oprah, I have "met" a lot of wonderful people...and I still am in contact with many of them today. In fact, some of you reading this blog will fall into that category.

OK. That's it. Kind of boring, but what can I say? Still have a headache to contend with!! For tags, I'll go with:

• Marg, from Reading Adventures
• Kailana from The Written World
• Samantha from Sam's Book Blog
• Darla from Books and Other Thoughts
• S. Krishna from S. Krishna's Books
• Kim from Bold. Blue. Adventure.
• Bobbi from Bobbi's Book Nook

That's all for now!! Later!!

This and That

Today is the first Sunday of the kids' summer vacation. It hardly seems possible that the school year is finished already!! Chad completed his first year of Jr. High with extremely high honors. In fact, the only B anywhere on his report card was in P.E. Which actually surprises me, because he's super athletic, but there it was. Bella did remarkably well, and passed right into 3rd grade. She had 3 B's and the rest A's. And Ana "graduated" into 1st Grade. Man....time is going so fast, I can hardly stand it. As a child, you just want everything to speed up so you can grow up. Now, I can't seem to make it slow down enough!!

The girl's are both spending the summer playing softball. This is Bella's 2nd year, and I think she has found her sport. She has the same coach as last year. And Ray is such a good teacher. The team is mostly 7 year olds, with only 2 that are older. It will indeed be a learning year for us. But Ray told me that Bella's going to be his little "Stunner". She'll be batting clean-up, and he may even start her pitching!

This is Ana's first year of softball. And it's hard for me to help her. First, the shoulder is still giving me some grief. But Ana's a lefty, and it's just so awkward for me to try and teach her certain things. Like batting! But she's picking it up in leaps and bounds.

Chad isn't playing ball this summer. He's waiting for football to start in August. But he is getting a season pass to the pool. He will be 12 this summer, and all his friends go to the pool daily. I guess it's time for me to let go just a little and let him be a kid. He did SO WELL in school this year, he definitely deserves a little summer off.

Tuesday is the kick-off to the Summer Reading Program at our library. This year's theme is "Get Into the Game". The kids are really excited about it. Our library does such a good job with the kids. They offer fun things all summer long: movies, parties, cook-outs....and fun little prizes. And the end of the summer is a big pool party for all those that complete the reading. It's just an added bonus, because the kids love to read. Well....the girls do anyway. Chad is more of an "instant gratification" kind of kid. He loves movies, and hates to take up so much time reading. At least till he does it. This year for AR, he was even recommending books to ME. He's a fantasy kind of kid (Yeah!), and found some wonderful books: Peter and the StarCatchers, The Thief Lord, Inkheart, and the Charlie Bone Series, to name a few. But I think he'll be lazy this summer and skip the books. But I'll keep trying!

There's a summer reading program for adults as well. But I am already making lists of the books I want to read!! Since we aren't going on a vacation this summer, we'll be around for the whole program. Should be alot of fun (in a geekish sort of way!!)

How about you guys? Any summer reading plans for the family? For you?