in the nick of time...

Finally finished my June selection, Kiss Me, Kill Me by Ann Rule, for The Non-Fiction Five Challenge. This was the one book I picked for this challenge that I figured I'd whip right through. Wrong. Took me nearly the entire month. Maybe partially because I was reading other books at the same time, but mostly I think it was because this book just didn't grab me.

I've been wondering a lot about why I enjoy reading true crime to start with. I mean it just somehow seems quite morbid, doesn't it? Obviously it's not because I "like" crime. The best I can come up with is that aside from being a Mommy (which I am blessed to be) and having a career in art (which I was never talented enough for), the only two other fields which really interested me were psychology and detective work. True crime novels, at least the good ones (and this is just my opinion, of course), involve both of these.

And this may be why I didn't really enjoy this particular book. Kiss Me, Kill Me is one of Ann Rule's "crime file" series. I've read several of her books in the past, but I think I've come to realize that it's the books that are entirely about one case that really capture my attention. They provide a much better opportunity to get deep into the psychology of the people involved, as well as a much broader look at the efforts of law enforcement.

Anyway, I'm happy to have finished up my second book for the challenge...I'm actually still on course to finish this one on time. Don't worry, I'm definitely not getting cocky here...I realize I have plenty of time left to fail. LOL

a wonderful book

I just finished up Bridge to Terabithia. I'm not even going to write a review really. But I will say that I absolutely loved the book! Despite the fact that Annie read the book, and Rich and Annie saw the movie, I didn't really know anything about the story. And I have to say those last few chapters caught me totally off-guard. I couldn't stop the tears from rolling. I tried to hold them back, but it just made my throat hurt in that way it does when I try to "not cry". I think the tears were not only about the book though. I think that they were for Nattie and her family as well. I couldn't help but think of Nattie as I read this book, as it was Nattie's Newbery Challenge that made me pick it up in the first place. I hope her family is coping as well as can be expected. The posts her "daddy" wrote on her blog while she was in the hospital were so tender and full of love.

nothing much

Just not much exciting going on around here the last few days. I don't even have a "words on Wednesday" post today, because I didn't come across any new words this past week. Must not have got much reading done, huh?

Anyway, evenings are still filled with soccer games. Gray scored his first goal Monday night! And days have been spent doing normal stuff. I've been working on trying to "condense" the classroom, so I can move my scrapbook stuff out there. Also been working on getting the IHIP (Individual Home Instruction Plan) ready to send into the school district for Annie's next year of homeschooling.

The kids seem to be enjoying their first week of summer vacation so far. No "I'm bored"s yet anyway. Gray, of course, spends hours each day drawing. And Annie, of course, spends the bulk of her time reading. Max, as usual, spends the majority of his time trying to annoy Gray and Annie. When failing at that endeavor, he inevitably manages to find trouble elsewhere.

Since I've nothing else to talk about, I figured I'd post a couple of layouts I completed over the last couple of weeks...



Both blasts from the past. I randomly chose a photo box, and then randomly chose a photo. How fast time flies...those pictures of Annie are from 6 years ago, and the one of Gray is 4.5 years ago. Wow. Thank heavens for photos!



And this is just a card I threw together for a friend's little girl's birthday.








And now I guess it's time to sign off from this less than exciting post. But Mom, I'll bet you at least enjoyed the pictures of the munchkins, huh?

let's hear it for good people

In the previous post, I was honored to talk about about some wonderful rockin' girls out here in the land of blog. I love those "award" thingies that go around because they provide us with opportunities to tell people how much we care about them and appreciate what they do with their blogs. And in that vain, I want to post a special thank you to another blogger.

You all know how obsessed taken I've become with reading challenges lately. I seriously have a hard time passing them up (but I swear I really have said "no" to some!). Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll ever actually complete one before its deadline or not. But that's okay. I'm gaining so much from them. For one thing, because of them, I am allowing myself more "me" reading time than I had been. And for another, they've made me read books that I probably would not have otherwise read. And here's where the thank you comes in...

Carl hosted the Once Upon a Time Challenge, which just finished up. Now personally, I didn't make a very good showing...only reading 2 of my 5 books. But my eyes were opened to a whole new world...a world I found to be perfectly delightful. In fact, I'm definitely going to finish the other books I'd chosen, and I'm sure my fantasy reading will not stop there either.

Anyway, let me tell you about Carl. WoW...talk about a dedicated challenge host! The amount of time and energy he put into this challenge was amazing! He made it a truly magical experience throughout for all of the participants. Not to mention the gazillions of prizes.

But even more than this, Carl did something that touched me personally...he made my little girl very happy! See, Annie participated in this challenge as well (and of course, made a much better showing than I, completing all 15 of her books). And Carl singled her out for a special prize at the end of the challenge. But even more than the actual physical prize (which is totally cool, by the way!), was the gift of a boost to her self-esteem! If you'd like to see what he wrote about her, you can here in his Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge round-up (scroll down to page 4 of his "Onceupona Times").

It's just been one of those days when I've been reminded in a big way how truly wonderful most people are!

humbled...

Stacy, one of the sweetest people out here in the blogosphere, nominated me for the Rockin' Girl Blogger awards. To get added to the list of Rockin' Girl Bloggers is honor enough, but to have it come from Stacy...well, WoW!

(Despite being technologically challenged, I have been able to, with help from Stacy, add the cute little buttons to my blog lately. But for whatever reason, I can't seem to get the adorable little one for this.)

Anyway, now comes the fun...I get to nominate more Rockin' Girl Bloggers! And there are soooo many to choose from, aren't there?

*Carrie. Sweetest darn person on the Internet, I swear! It's impossible to read her blog and not leave with a smile! So down-to-earth and so totally adorable! And as I'm sure most of you already know...she just had the cutest little baby boy last week!
Yep, Carrie rocks!

*Kara. I am one incredibly lucky gal, because I actually know Kara in real life! She's amazing! Seriously! If I didn't know her, I would swear she was too good to be true. Soooo glad she finally started a blog, because I love being able to keep up with her and her family so easily...and because she totally cracks me up!
Yep, Kara rocks!

*Laura. Some of you know her better as the Organizing Junkie. She is just the greatest! I honestly believe that she is changing lives with her passion and willingness to share! She honestly has added a bit of sanity back into my daily life. Not to mention that she's just as sweet and funny as can be!
Yep, Laura rocks!

*Jennifer. Fellow homeschooling mom, fellow scrapbooker, and all-around sweet lady! She's got two totally adorable kiddos and lots of cute stories to share. And plenty of yummy recipes, too!
Yep, Jennifer rocks!

*Melissa. Great writer, gardener extraordinaire, terrific mommy. You never know what you might find her writing about when you pop on over, but you can bet it will be well-written. Often funny, often touching, and always worth reading. Cool lady!
Yep, Melissa rocks!

As Stacy said, I could choose so many more people as well, but I'm going to let you all spread the joy some yourselves. (And I'm trying not to duplicate, but I may have inadvertently.) Oh, and you rockin' girls...please head over to Stacy's to see if you can't pick up the button.

Menu Plan Monday

Okay...our first week of summer vacation here. And like I said earlier, I've decided to try to make things slightly less chaotic around here. Step One is to plan not just supper for the week, but also breakfast and lunch as well. Not sure how this will play out, but I figure it's worth a try.

Monday:
*breakfast-pancakes
*lunch-homemade mac & shells/watermelon
*supper-grilled reubens/chips

Tuesday:
*breakfast-cold cereal/bananas
*lunch-fruit salad/fresh peach muffins
*supper-cheesy potatoes and ham/broccoli/blueberry muffins

Wednesday:
*breakfast-frozen waffles/apple slices
*lunch-BLTs/yogurt
*supper-steak/baked potatoes/green beans

Thursday:
*breakfast-dino eggs oatmeal
*lunch-barbecue sandwiches/beans
*supper-salsa pasta/bread

Friday:
*breakfast-Pop Tarts/strawberries (my kids will love me!)
*lunch-grilled cheese/tomato soup/goldfish
*supper-burgers/corn on the cob

Saturday:
*breakfast-scrambled eggs/bacon/English muffins
*lunch-sandwiches/chips/yogurt
*supper-grilled Italian chicken/pizza salad/homemade rolls

Sunday:
*breakfast-cold cereal/bananas
*lunch-cheese dreams/chips
*supper-pizza

As always, a sincere thank you goes out to Laura for hosting and for adding a little sanity to my life!

contests galore

Okay, I realize most of you already know just how incredibly cool 5 Minutes for Mom is, right? Have you seen their new 4th of July contests? They are going to be giving away lots of goodies! First up is an awesome-looking ice cream maker (Krups) and the sweetest little set of bowls. Since we already have an ice cream maker, I decided not to enter (no sense in being greedy, right?)...but it's really tempting because I'm telling you, those little bowls are ADORABLE!

Anyway, besides already owning an ice cream maker, I've got another reason not to be greedy...I just won their Playskool/CVS baby basket! No, no news I've been keeping under wraps here...I entered because I really, really, really wanted to win it for Carrie! I know she's going to love it! We're all still waiting anxiously for news...she went into labor on Monday! I know she and Levi have been on so many people's minds this week...can't wait to hear that all is well and see pictures of his sweet little face!

So now that summer's officially here (and unofficially here since yesterday was the last day of school...WOOHOO!!!), why don't you head on over and try to win yourself some fun summer goodies!

bittersweet

I honestly didn't expect today's events to hit me quite so hard. Sure, I knew it would be a bit saddening facing the fact that "my baby" was graduating preschool. All the kids have now reached the big leagues. But dang, did it throw me for a loop.

At the start of the graduation ceremony they show this really awesome slide show featuring pictures from throughout the entire year. It's really nice, set to music and all. "Forever Young" was the final song, and I tell you, by the end I just had tears streaming down my cheeks. What a sap, huh? Then the kids performed a few musical numbers of their own. And finally they got their diplomas.



You know, I really am proud of how far he's come this year. But it's still okay if I call him my baby, isn't it?

pathetic showing

Here it is...June 21. First day of summer. Last day of school for the boys. Max's preschool graduation. And the end of both the Spring Reading Thing reading challenge and the Once Upon a Time Challenge. What can I say? I didn't make a very good showing. Only read 2 of my 6 for the Spring Reading Thing and 2 of 5 for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Yep, pathetic.

I'm afraid much of the problem was extremely poor planning on my part. One challenge at a time is probably more than enough for me to handle. (Hmmm...then why do I have 4 more going right now, with another one starting on July 1st? There's definitely something wrong with me!) I also should have considered just how much of my reading time is spent on homeschooling (I'm guessing about 85%). While a lot of that reading is more research type reading where I'm not reading entire books, there were some books I did read in their entirety. I should have planned ahead and used them on my Spring Reading Thing list instead.

As for the books I did get read...well, I'm so grateful that I finished Executive Orders by Tom Clancy (that book took me forever!). The other book I managed to read off my Spring Reading Thing list was a disappointment for me, Before I Say Goodbye by Mary Higgins Clark. I usually absolutely love her books, but this one just didn't do it for me. Oh well. You can't win 'em all, right?

And though I didn't get far in the Once Upon a Time Challenge either, I am very grateful I joined in. It opened my eyes to a brand new genre for me. I've just never read much fantasy. Annie absolutely loves fantasy, and that's one of the reasons I decided to join. And it turns out that I find it absolutely wonderful! The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards was okay, but Inkheart by Cornelia Funke was fabulous!

Now that the challenges are over, I guess I'll remove the lists from my sidebar. But I think I'll add a new list for all the books "left over". I hate to be a quitter, so I'm definitely going to try to still eventually read all the books that I put on my challenge lists.

one down

Finished up my first selection, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, from Southern Reading Challenge. I feel somewhat silly even writing about it, because I'm fairly certain there's probably only 2 or 3 people left out there who haven't already read it. I can say that I sure wish someone had given me a swift kick in the behind and told me to read it sooner! A enormously huge "THANK YOU" goes out to Maggie for hosting this challenge, because I fear without it I might never have gotten around to reading this gem of a book.

I probably should go back and quote Maggie directly, because she stated it far more eloquently than I'm about to paraphrase it...but in general, one of the things she wanted us to get out of this challenge was a sense of place and time and way of living in the South. You simply could not miss the "Southern-ness" of The Secret Life of Bees. Sue Monk Kidd had a way of dropping you right into South Carolina in the 1960s. As goes with any time in history or any place in the world, not everything about South Carolina in this turbulent time was enviable or admirable. Yet the charm of the wonderful Southern ladies is immense. It seems silly to fall in love with fictional characters, but it was impossible not to! I was blessed to grow up with a truly wonderful mother, and yet I couldn't help but wish that August was a part of my life.

I stuck little markers in the book as I read to help me recall some of the wonderful passages...

***"Where do you come from?" he asked me. This is the number one most-asked question in all of South Carolina. We want to know if you are one of us, if your cousin knows our cousin, if your little sister went to school with our big brother, if you go to the same Baptist church as our ex-boss. We are looking for ways our stories fit together. It was rare, though, for Negroes to ask white people where they're from, because there was nothing much to gained from it, as their stories weren't likely to link up.***
(This passage got me to wondering if this is true of all of the South. When we lived in TN for 11 years, I didn't find it to be true. But I suspect that might be because we were so obviously Yankees, that no one wasted their time with that question. Instead, overwhelmingly the most common question we got upon first meeting someone, was "What church do you go to?")

There were countless passages that allowed me to daydream that I was right there in beautiful South Carolina with Lily and Rosaleen...

***We waded through Queen Anne's lace and thick-stalked purple flowers, into dragonflies and the smell of Carolina jasmine so thick I could almost see it circling in the air like golden smoke.***

***Sunset is the saddest light there is. We rode a long time in the glow of it, everything silent except for the crickets and the frogs who were revving up for twilight. I stared through the windshield as the burned lights took over the sky.***

***We drifted by gray barns, cornfields in need of irrigation, and clumps of Hereford cows, chewing in slow motion, looking very content with their lives. Squinting into the distance, I could see farmhouses with wide porches and tractor-tire swings suspended from ropes on nearby tree branches; windmills sprouted up beside them, their giant silver petals creaking a little when the breezes rose. The sun had baked everything to perfection; even the gooseberries on the fence had fried to raisins.***

I could literally go on for hours quoting beautiful passages from this extraordinary book. This was not a book that made me laugh out loud, yet I couldn't begin to count the number of times I found myself with a smile on my face. And yes, there were a few tears as well. It's not often that I stumble upon a book that I fall so deeply in love with...

words on Wednesday

Well, I was getting a little cocky this week, thinking I was finally going to get through an entire week without running across a new word. Of course, I should have known better...stumbled on an unfamiliar word last night. I'm guessing there will be several out there who know this one. Let me know.

*abattoir-a slaughterhouse (from Kiss Me, Kill Me)

And that's all I've got for today. Any fellow word lovers out there might want to check out Melissa's blog, The Silver Tongue, as she posts a new word each day. And last week, Melody played along with the Words on Wednesday idea, too. Hope she will again this week!

another crazy week ahead...

I'm blowing off Menu Plan Monday again. Technically, I suppose I could have done it...I do have a plan, but it's a quite an abbreviated one. Trying a new recipe for chicken sandwiches from the latest Simple & Delicious for supper tonight, making Taco Salad tomorrow (thanks for reminding me of this winner...and for introducing us to it to start with, Kara), making a huge batch of spaghetti sauce for supper Wed. and for freezing for the future. Thursday is the boys' last day of school, and we traditionally take them out to eat, but with soccer, who knows...it will be a play it by ear type of thing. And as for the weekend...we might just go somewhere.

Frankly, I just can't wait for this week to be over. Well, if I can just survive till Friday afternoon, I'll be okay...

*The fourth quarter report for Annie's homeschooling is due on Friday. Last quarter's took me 8 hours to do; I'm guessing this one will as well. I can get it started today, but can't finish it because we still have several things to get finished, most significantly 4 final tests.

*Gray's field day is this morning. Which means Annie won't be getting any school work done.

*Trip to the library tomorrow--to return some books and because sign up for the summer reading program starts then.

*Annie has a flute lesson tomorrow.

*Max's preschool graduation is Thursday morning.

*Need to get teacher gifts. And make treats for both boys' classes.

*Need to make an anniversary card for my parents...and get gift mailed.

*Monday-Thursday evenings are filled with soccer.

*Normal cooking, cleaning, laundry. Well, cleaning may have to wait.

*Throw in a few minutes a couple times a day for wound care. A nice Father's Day hiking outing yesterday ended in a trip to the urgent care clinic yesterday. Gray fell running through a field and took a fairly large slice of skin off his thigh. He's feeling okay now, except during dressing changes. The poor guy has his field day this morning and soccer tonight...hopefully his "boo-boo" won't ruin his good time.

*Anyway, if I survive all this last week of school stuff that lasts through Thursday, I have a trip to the dentist to get 3 fillings replaced to look forward to Friday morning. I'm a major league dentist wimp, so it may be a good thing that I'll be so busy this week and won't have time to dwell on it.

Okay...off to get back to it.

a new look

Gray, our incredibly sensitive, compassionate, creative little soul. It's hard for most people to really get to know this sweet kiddo because he is so painfully shy. He gets along very well with other kids, but is generally very reluctant to join in without a specific invitation. And of course, on the playground, that's just not how kids work. You just go play. But Gray has apparently been spending his recesses just wandering around by his lonesome. So our poor little fellow has been feeling mighty blue about school lately. Breaks my heart into a million pieces! I talked to his teacher and she's now trying to make sure he joins in the fun.

Anyway, last week, this cute little kiddo told us he wanted his hair cut in the this very particular way...spiky. I told him that I didn't think I could do it, so he would have to go to a "professional" for this one. Something he's been very reluctant to do in the past. He was so excited about this haircut that he didn't hesitate for a moment. So Monday evening we headed off to the hair salon.

The result: One very happy little boy.


And now each morning includes a new routine...styling with hair gel. Hmmm...now if I could only get Annie to just brush her hair without a plethora of whining.

Anyway, it was a very small price to pay to help one extremely special little boy with his self-confidence.

**Sorry, it took me so long to post this picture, Mom! But doesn't he look happy?

contest info

5 Minutes for Mom is having another one of their awesome contest giveaways. Any new mommies or mommie-to-be out there...I'd head over straight away! They're giving away two fantastic baskets full of goodies from the new line of Playskool/CVS baby care products. I haven't seen any of these products in person yet, but the pictures over at 5 Minutes for Mom look absolutely adorable!

if I have to...

I guess my days of being a mystery woman are over here. Kara has threatened to post a photo of me if I don't just do it myself. And I did promise Carrie I would. I have no idea why the idea of it bothers me so. I just hate having my picture taken. I think lots of people do. And it really is silly, I know. I'm just me, no matter what I look like. And I do actually like me, though not how I look, at least most of the time.

So anyway, I'm just gonna bite the bullet and do this...

I tried to take a self-portrait, but it came out rather blurry. I think I might actually look a little better that way.



And here I am, hopefully less blurry, with the rest of my little gang.



Whew. Glad that's over with and I will not have to revisit this issue again. LOL

long time, no see

We had such an incredibly fun weekend here! Our friends, Bill and Deborah, arrived late Friday afternoon. We hadn't seen them since we left Cleveland, TN almost four years ago. And they are just such wonderful, fun people...we've really missed them!

Friday evening, we ate a big supper and pretty much just sat around catching up. Saturday, we took them to Bill Gray's, Home of the World's Greatest Cheeseburger, for a taste of Rochester's finest. And then we headed up to Chimney Bluffs State Park on Lake Ontario. This was Deborah's first time to any of the Great Lakes.

Bill, Deborah, and Annie:


the bluffs:


Max with his prize find (a fish skull...just what Mommy wanted--more animal skulls in the house):


The long walk on the rocky beach pretty much tired us all out, so we just ordered in pizza for supper.

Sunday, we headed out to Niagara Falls. We've been here for nearly four years and this is the first time we've headed over there, despite the fact that it's only an hour away. I was there as a kid, but this was everyone else's first time. In fact, it was Deborah's first time out of the country. We all simply had the best time! We walked our poor legs to death, but it was definitely a good kind of exhaustion. And there's so much we didn't get to do and see that our family has decided that we're most definitely heading back again soon.

Bill and Deborah with their best game show hostess impressions:


My little gang waiting for the Maid of the Mist to "leave port":


Bill and Deborah traveling up the river:


Horseshoe Falls from the deck of the boat:


American Falls from the deck of the boat:


Bill and Rich after supper at the Hard Rock Cafe:


My beautiful family:


Two of my favorite guys when we stopped to watch a street juggler:


A rainbow at the falls:


Rich, Annie, Gray, and Bill on the Aerocar over the whirlpool (Deborah and I were too wimpy to go):


Early Monday afternoon, our wonderful friends took off heading out for new adventures. We're so grateful that they made us part of their vacation!

words on Wednesday

Maybe I'm finally getting smarter (yeah, right)...only two words added to my journal this week. Of course, one of them came from Annie's vocabulary list, so I'm thinking that really doesn't have me looking all that smart, huh? So anyway, as usual, let me know if either of these are new to you.

*euphony-pleasant sounds, especially in writing or speech (from Annie's vocabulary list)

*calvarium-the upper domelike portion of the skull without the lower jaw or the lower jaw and the facial parts (from Kiss Me, Kill Me)

It nearly goes without saying by now that once again Jean was last week's winner. I'm willing to bet she knows both of these ones, but I'm guessing she won't be alone this week.

in tribute

We've been so busy this past weekend that I haven't had time to post anything, but I did try to check in on everyone else's blogs at least once. I was so saddened when I went to Nattie's yesterday. She valiantly fought and lost her battle with stomach cancer. When I first started reading her blog just a few short months ago when Annie and I signed up for her Newbery Challenge, she was well. But during that short period of time, she became very ill, found out she had cancer, had surgery, and then passed away. When I say valiantly, that is an understatement. Nattie had such an amazingly positive outlook! Truly, truly an inspiration! I didn't even know her, and I will honestly miss her.

I had a hard time deciding what to do with the Newbery Challenge now. I just can't bring myself to tell Annie about Nattie. I don't know why, but I can't. Not yet anyway. And I'm guessing that Nattie would want everyone to keep on reading. So I am going to continue with the challenge, remembering Nattie with every book I read.

tagged...

Laura a.k.a. orgjunkie tagged me earlier this week. Now I know most of you probably already read Laura's blog, but if you don't...well, you really should! She's a true organizational guru! And she's really funny to boot! I'm pretty sure it's impossible to read her blog and come away not wanting to go organize something!

Anyway, I feel terrible that it's taken me so long to do this...but it's a hard one! So here goes..."Seven Things I Love About Me"

1. I have a kind heart. Rich often tells me that I'm the nicest person he's ever known. I'm not sure if that's really true. But I do try very hard to be as kind and thoughtful as I can be. The busier I get, of course, the harder it is to work in some of those extra "just because" acts of kindness, but I do continue to try.

2. I have an open mind. I'm willing to listen to other points of view. I easily admit that I don't have all the answers. I'm willing to listen to advice, even if I ultimately choose not to take it.

3. I'm a good wife. Seriously, Rich will be the first to tell you that. Of course, he makes it easy, because he's such a wonderful, supportive, incredible husband.

4. I'm a good mommy. Not perfect by any means, mind you, but good. I really wish I yelled less. But I spend a lot of time with my munchkins. We read, we play, we craft, we talk, we learn. I make a lot of effort to make holidays special. And lots of everydays special, too.

5. I'm creative. No, I'm not a talented artist. I probably don't rise above average in any particular art form. But I create.

6. I'm down-to-earth. I am definitely not materialistic. I buy all my clothes (well, not underwear, etc.) from thrift stores. I'm not a jewelry person...well, not expensive jewelry anyway, though I do love the treasures my monkeys make for me. I prefer wildflowers to roses. I would much rather go hiking than go shopping.

7. My dimple. Just one. A big one in my left cheek. Don't know why. Just 'cause it's different I guess.

Whew! That was not easy! But just like Laura said...why is it so much easier for us to list our faults as opposed to our good points? I don't think most men would have such a problem, but maybe that's being a bit stereotypical. Anyway, also like Laura, I'm going to tag a bunch of people...because I think we all need some self-affirmation now and then. And I can't wait to read what you all have to say. So "what 7 things do you love about yourself?" Kara, Carrie, Stacy, Gail, Melissa, Jennifer, and Dawn.

bother this weather!

Well, I finally starting getting things ready for our guests. The so-called guest room has been dusted and vacuumed. And I got the futon made up. That was the hard part. I just couldn't decide which sheets to put on it. Flannel? Not flannel? Seems like a no-brainer, right? I mean we are solidly into June. And yet it was into the low 30s during the night and only in the 50s yesterday. So, I opted for the flannel. Figured that was one way of ensuring we'd get some nice warm weather. And I was right...I just heard that we've got a major shift under way and that tomorrow we should reach 90 degrees.

Crazy Great Lakes weather. Guess I'd better go change the sheets.

Jericho Lives!

I cannot believe it! CBS really did reverse their decision to cancel Jericho! It might not last long if it's ratings don't improve...but at least there's a chance.

I must sound like a total dork, I know. But I watch very little TV anymore. I even quit watching 24 before the end of the season. Anyway, Jericho was my absolute favorite! (Even if I wasn't so sucked into the story, I'd probably watch just to see Skeet Ulrich! LOL) So I am one very happy camper about now!

And that concludes my idiotic babbling for now.

oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh...

I'm absolutely giddy with excitement. Giddy, I tell you. Positively giddy! Rich just sent me an e-mail linked to an article stating that CBS is actually considering changing their minds and bringing Jericho back! Oh please, please, please...bring it back!

words on Wednesday

Ready to see how dumb I am this week? Seriously, I'm constantly amazed how many new and forgotten words I run across these days! But that's actually o.k., I suppose, because I just love learning new ones. Of course, I'm not very good at actually using them. Anyway, as usual, I'd love to hear if any of these are new to you.

*sibilant-of or producing a hissing sound (from The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles)
This is one of those "forgotten" words. I know that I used to know this word. Hopefully, this time around I'll actually remember it.

*chaffer-to bargain or haggle (from The Call of the Wild)

*pertinacity-stubborn persistence (from The Call of the Wild)
I love this one! It applies to the Maxidoodle on a daily basis, and unfortunately not always in a positive manner.

*ambuscade-an ambush or to ambush (from The Call of the Wild)

*stridulation-a shrill grating or chirping noise made by some insects by rubbing body parts together (I overheard Rich use this word when talking to the crickets. Yes, he talks to all our animals...even the crickets which we only have to feed to the tarantula. O.K., I talk to all the other animals, too...but not the crickets. I wouldn't want to get too attached, you know.)

--A few notes:
1. Jean was again last week's winner. No surprise there. She knew every single word last week. I'm in awe. My guess is she'll go 5 for 5 again this week.

2. Both Stacy and Twiga mentioned last week that they thought that brogue was a heavy accent. And of course, they were both correct. (Hard as it may be to believe, I knew that definition, too.) Anyway, I thought I should clarify...I only list the definitions for the words as they are used in my reading, as those are the definitions that are new to me. I'm not sure if I just explained that very well...I'm obviously not much better at writing than I am with vocabulary.

3. Any other word lovers out there should really check out Melissa's new blog, The Silver Tongue. She features a new word each day.

lagging behind...

Finally finished my second book for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. As I said before, there's no way I'm going to finish in time. But that's okay...I'm committed to finish my list sometime. I'm so glad I joined in the fun anyway. Fantasy has never really been my thing, but I've found that I truly enjoy it!

Now, as for The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards. I chose this book both because I just loved the title and because Annie read it back in first grade and adored it. I have to say that it was not the best written book I've ever read. Certainly won't make my all-time favorite reads list. And yet I did enjoy it. It was a fairly fast read, being only 271 pages and of a light manner. The story was cute, but not exceptionally "deep". Still, I loved the whole focus on the miracles wrought by imagination.

At one point, the lovable, eccentric Professor Savant tells the children, "...I don't want you ever again to take something at face value--to take things for granted. Let your curiosity run away with you. Know that beyond every ordinary explanation there is a deeper and more exciting discovery to be made." I absolutely love that advice!

So, overall, I think it would be a delightful book to read with younger children...I would love to read it to the boys, but it's not really up their alley. But as for adults who just love children's/YA lit, I'd say there are plenty of better choices out there.

a case in point...

Just look me, back here again, when I really need to be working. I'm hopeless, I tell you, hopeless! And as if the fact that I'm back here blogging again isn't enough to prove what I wrote last post is true, take a look at this...



Yep, I actually scrapbooked yesterday. Now, mind you, I don't think for one minute that scrapbooking is a waste of time. It's just that I really should have been making better use of my time...I went downstairs to start getting the "guest room" put together, not to scrapbook. What is my problem?!!

overload paralysis

It's just one of those weeks when the normally busy schedule gets pushed to its limits with "extras"...

*Annie has to take the SATs Monday through Thursday morning this week. (Not the college-bound SATs, but the Standard Achievement Test.) Part of New York's way of proving (along with our quarterly reports) that she's actually learning something while being schooled at home, I guess. Anyway, the timing of this testing pretty much has deemed my mornings useless. It's running her to the test, coming home for approximately 30 minutes before running Max to preschool, coming home for approximately 30 minutes before running back to get Annie, coming home for approximately 30 minutes before running back to pick up the Maxidoodle. I guess all those 30 minutes do add up to a fair amount of time...maybe I should make a game of it to see how much I can get done.

*Trying desperately to finish up our school year. Now less than 3 weeks to go. Which is actually more like 2 weeks, because our last quarterly report is due in 3 weeks...so we need to finish up everything so I can include it.

*Having guests coming. Which I am honestly very happy about! Our friends, Bill and Deborah, are coming up from TN. We haven't seen them since we left Cleveland, TN almost 4 years ago. Deborah is one of the nicest people ever. Actually they both are. And Bill. Well, he just absolutely cracks me up! Anyway, as excited as I am about their visit, it does mean I've got to get this house thrown back into shape again. And cook/bake about 7 different things Thursday night/Friday morning for their visit.

*Rich and I both have dental check-ups scheduled for Friday. Which turns out to be great timing...I had a filling fall out yesterday.

Anyway, the point of this post really wasn't to complain about how busy I am. I know we all go through patches like this. But it was really to comment on this phenomenon I've noticed with myself. I'm really curious to know if it happens to anyone else. It seems like every time one of these periods of pure overload comes around, I find myself totally paralyzed. Instead of just getting busy, I waste time! Way more time than I waste during "normal busy". I even realize that I'm doing it, and yet I seem powerless to stop it. I don't know...it's just weird. And I eventually do snap out of it, and manage to get it all done...usually by forgoing sleep and turning into an incredibly cranky mommy/wife for a couple days.

Well, it is time to roust the monkeys. I'm going to try to make an effort to be extra productive today...but I'm willing to bet that instead you'll find me back here time and time again. Oh well...

Menu Plan Monday

I must say that it feels good to be back on track after blowing off my menu planning last week! Yep, Menu Plan Monday definitely is a sanity saver! Thanks Laura! For the little bit of extra cash, and even more importantly for the time saved and stress avoided!

I don't usually plan what we'll be having each particular day, because I generally like to see how the day has gone and how much time there is for meal prep. But I've decided to give the other way a try this week to see how it goes.

Monday: steak on the grill, baked potatoes, gazpacho (one of my all-time favorites!), watermelon

Tuesday: grilled reubens (for grown-ups)/grilled cheese (for munchkins), soup, tomato slices

Wednesday: almost stuffed peppers, corn muffins, fruit salad

Thursday: ladle-it-on (shells with a crushed tomato, garlic, and basil sauce, all topped with shredded mozzarella), Italian bread, tossed salad

Friday:
supper: order in pizza (We've got guests arriving for the weekend, and we're just not sure what time they'll get here, so I figured pizza might be the easiest route to go.)
snack: veggie squares

Saturday:
breakfast: oatmeal zucchini muffins, cantaloupe, strawberries
lunch: out to eat at Bill Gray's for "a local feel"
snack: crack cookies
supper: chicken on the grill, pizza salad, red grape salad, homemade rolls, brownie delight

Sunday:
breakfast: bagels and fruit
lunch and supper: eating out, since we're all heading over to Niagara Falls for the day

I've decided that once the kids get out of school for summer, I'm going to try planning breakfast, lunch, and supper each week. I know there are some ambitious ladies (though I can't remember names right now) who do this every week, and I've always been so impressed. And I think it might be a big sanity saver during the summer for me as well...gonna give it a shot anyway. Now if the darn school year would just end! I think I'm more anxious than the munchkins this year!

just smack me upside the head

I am obviously incapable of learning. Did I not in my very last post admit failure in my first 2 reading challenges? Yes, I'm quite certain I did. And yet this morning, when I ran across The Book Awards Challenge hosted by 3M, I was so excited that I immediately started putting together a list.

I seem to be getting pretty good at rationalizing...
a. The challenge runs from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. That's a whole year to read 12 books.
b. A few of the books I've put on my list are on some of my other challenge lists already. (She specifically said that was allowed.)
c. A couple of the books I was planning to use for homeschooling next year anyway.
And d. This will get me reading a few books I probably never otherwise would have.

See, just look at all those good reasons! (I'm so pathetic, aren't I?!!)

Anyway, here is the list I've come up with:

1. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam (2006 Giller Prize)
2. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1981 Pulitzer Prize)
3. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan (2006 National Book Award, Non-Fiction)
*This one is already on my Non-Fiction Five list.
4. The Echo Maker by Richard Powers (2006 National Book Award, Fiction)
5. New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver (1992 National Book Award, Poetry)
6. The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (2005 British Book Award)
*Yes, I realize I'm probably the only person on Earth who has not already read this.
7. The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook (1997 Edgar Award)
8. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002 Hugo Award and 2002 Nebula Award)
9. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (1966 Nebula Award)
*I read all those many years ago when I was in high school, and I remember loving it. Was thinking of using this one for homeschooling next year anyway.
10. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (2007 Newbery Award)
*This one is already on my Newbery Challenge list.
11. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1959 Newbery Award)
*This one is also already on my Newbery Challenge list.
12. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1961 Pulitzer Prize)
*I so love this book, and am really looking forward to reading it again. It is also on my Southern Reading Challenge list. And in addition, it's another one Annie and I will be reading for homeschooling.

Hmmm...maybe I should go read now, huh?

challenged update

Let me just say that my reading challenges are not coming along so well. We're down to 3 weeks in both the Spring Reading Thing Challenge and the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Four books to go in each. Time to concede defeat. Not that I won't eventually read those books, but I figure if I want to have any chance of keeping up with my other four reading challenges, which as of today, have now all started, I'd better move on...

As for the 10:4 Challenge, well, I seem to have got a little help. Today's weigh-in day. Down another 3 pounds. But that's only because I got sick with one totally bizarre infection. I woke up at 2:30 yesterday morning with the most awful sore throat of my life. It was horrible! I simply couldn't sleep because of it. And it was weird, I could swear there was something in my throat. By about 8:00 yesterday morning, I was in near panic. Whatever was in my throat was getting bigger. It hurt horrendously and at times it nearly felt like I was choking. I made Rich look...and sure enough there was "something" there. He said it was about the size of a big marble. He wanted to take me to the ER, because he was afraid it was going to obstruct my airway completely. But I called my doctor and got right in. Turns out it's some kind of infection that has my uvula incredibly swollen. Anyway, this has led to a liquid diet, which I'm sure is what led me to lose these 3 extra pounds. So that's 7 pounds for May (but I really must remember that some of those are "cheater pounds").