how could I say "no"

I'm signing up for another reading challenge. I know, you're all shocked, aren't you? Ha. But come on, no one can blame me for this one...Annie's hosting it! She's been wanting to do this for a while, so we finally decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I actually think her concept is kind of fun. The name of the challenge is "What's in a Name?"...but if you want to find out more about it, you'll have to head on over to read about it.

Now, I guess I should be off to come up with a list...

no time for melancholy

First let me say that I adore Melissa, but I have to say her post this morning left me feeling a bit sad. No, not exactly sad. Wistful, maybe.

She talked about how she finished up her kids' costumes, and how she was getting ready to start on a few Christmas gifts. *Sigh* Just a few short years ago, I made tons of Christmas gifts...pajamas for all three munchkins, lounge pants for Rich, my dad, and my brother, a nightshirt for my mom, cross-stitched sweatshirts for each kiddo, a set of handmade cards for my mom, 4 little doll outfits for one sweet little girl, 4 handsewn felt "Christmas family tree" wall hangings, several bags for art supplies with fabric covered matching drawing tablets, several little cross-stitch "peace trees", and probably even more that I'm not remembering...and that was just in one year. Last year, how many gifts did I get made? Zip, zilch, nada!

I really, truly believed that as the monkeys grew older I would have more free time, not less! But I guess that comes with the territory of parenthood...one never really can predict what the future will hold. Heck, I guess that can be said about life in general, huh?

Homeschooling. If someone had told me that's what my future held just a few short years ago, I surely would have laughed. But when it turned out homeschooling was what Annie needed, well, of course, that's what I provided. That's what parents do. They provide their children with what they need to grow and be happy. And they do so willingly. Even when it's not so easy.

Please, don't get me wrong...I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining. Honestly, I know how truly lucky I am to be able to homeschool my precious girl...it's not an option for many people. And you know what, I actually love homeschooling her! Not only do I enjoy the time we spend together, but I enjoy all the prep work and planning, too. (I just wish it didn't take sooooooo much time.) And I know the day will come when these sweet peanuts are grown and I'll have more free time than I can imagine...so I'd better just enjoy every second I've got with them here, huh?

But just a heads up...please don't expect a homemade Christmas gift from me this year, okay?

And now I'm off to finish sewing feathers on Annie's witch's hat and boots, get Gray to his annual check-up, and make those cupcakes for tomorrow's school party. Oh yeah, and we'd better sneak some "schooling" in there, too.

when I grow up...

...I want to be Ray Bradbury. Yep, I do.

I read The Halloween Tree a week ago, and totally fell in love with the man's writing. He's absolutely, positively magical! I called that book a jewel. And I stand by that. But if that book is a jewel, well then, Something Wicked This Way Comes is the Hope Diamond! (And since I'm so lousy at writing reviews, I'll direct you to a couple of reviews by people who are talented at that type of thing...review by Chris and review by Becky.

the proof is in the pictures

Oh yes, one very special boy had one very happy birthday!

a four-legged celebration

Happy Birthday Baker! Yep, Bacon turns 5 today! (O.K., to be perfectly honest, that may not be entirely true...I suspect the shelter took a little creative license on this point. But we're sticking with this date, since we have no more accurate info.)

And as Gray's birthday is tomorrow, most of the hoopla this weekend will be directed at him. But we do have a couple little things planned that should make Bacon a happy dog...for one thing, he'll get a real present! Whenever anyone else is opening presents, he goes absolutely crazy, wanting a present of his own. We always have to get a piece of wrapping paper and wrap one of his toys in it for him to open. And then he's a very happy pup again. You'd think he was a 2-year-old kid, huh?

We're also going to let him off the "diet hook" this evening. Yep, an actual can of dog food lovingly shaped into the form of a dog bone. (Hopefully I will survive this gaggingly disgusting task.)

Anyway, we are all very thankful that this lovable little rascal made his way to our family! And I hope we get to celebrate many, many more birthdays with our beautiful beagle boy.

one delightful little book

Wow...I actually finished a challenge! Yes, The Halloween Tree, by Ray Bradbury, is my fourth book for the R.I.P. II Reading Challenge, so I have now completed Peril the First. But my reading hasn't ended. I'm hoping to finish up at least one more creepy read before the month's end. I can also check this off my New Authors Challenge...though technically it wasn't on my list. (I did have Something Wicked This Way Comes by Bradbury on that list, but obviously I can't use that for the challenge because he's no longer a new author to me.) Anyway, enough babbling...onto the book review...

Well, what can I say...I absolute adore this little book! I am completely entranced with Bradbury's writing...it's magical and delightful in such a unique way. I get absolutely lost in his words. I want to read the paragraphs over and over, just to savor them. And I would be willing to bet that Mr. Bradbury had an absolutely fantastic time writing this little jewel!

But The Halloween Tree is quite a little treasure even beyond its magical language. It's truly a fun little story! Young Pip sends his friends on ahead to the local haunted house on Halloween night, promising to catch up with them. But something is wrong. Something is very wrong with Pip. Instead of Pip, the eight boys meet Moundshroud. Can this dark man be trusted? It seems the boys have no choice, for this sinister man is their only hope of saving poor Pip.

Halloween night turns into an adventure through time and space. An adventure to the roots of Halloween and its traditions. An adventure to save their young friend. But what kind of price must they pay?

Yes, I have stumbled upon a new Halloween tradition...this little book will definitely make its way to my book pile every October from now on.

first in the 2nds

Finally got a start on Joy's 2nds Reading Challenge. The Wright 3 was my second book by Blue Balliett. I absolutely adored Chasing Vermeer when I read it last year, and have been so anxious to revisit Petra and Calder in this new adventure. Dewey's Readathon this past weekend gave me the perfect opportunity. And this really was the perfect book for those wee hours when it was really hard to focus the eyes. Or even keep them open.

But now let me say, though I did enjoy this follow-up to Chasing Vermeer, it just didn't captivate me in the same way. It was missing some of the magic of the first book. I still adored Calder and Petra. And I thought the way that Balliett dealt with return of Tommy and the dynamics of "three's a crowd" was really honest and on target. But I just didn't find myself liking Tommy all that much.

I didn't find myself as fascinated with the "mystery" of this story either. It all seemed a little too pat, and it seemed to wrap up too quickly and easily. I don't know, maybe it's just that I was so tired as I read this one, but it just didn't hold the same charm for me as Chasing Vermeer. I'm not saying it was a bad book...it just wasn't a sensational book. And if Balliett brings Calder and Petra back for a third book, I'll definitely give it a shot.

under the weather

Max is staying home from school today. Let me tell you, he's really broken up about it...ha! Nothing major, just a slight fever and a really ugly cough.

Baker is the one who had me worried though. He had another seizure last night. He was right on the floor beside the bed...if he'd have been out in the living room, I might not even have heard him. It breaks my heart and scares the crap out of me while he's in the midst of one. I stayed up with him for about half an hour afterwards...he was fine and eventually got to sleep.

Whenever Baker has one of his seizures, which luckily is not that often, it always brings back worries about Gray. I guess that's only natural. Especially as he eases closer and closer towards puberty (though that's still a few years away). Back when Gray was being weaned off his medication, his neurologist told us that that's the time when his seizures are most likely to come back. And there's only a 1 in 3 chance that that will even happen, so the odds are with him. And yet still we worry...guess it comes with the old parental territory, huh?

homeschool happenings and highlights (week 7)

This weeks post is told from the view of an outsider, as I was not Annie's teacher this past week. Annie expressed an interest in learning about machines this year. Not a subject on which I have any knowledge, and frankly, not one I was overly thrilled about learning. However, I had the perfect teacher in mind...my dad! This man knows machines!

So last weekend, we delivered Annie to her Grammy and Papa. It was the weekend of their fall tractor show. So, to start out her "studies" for the week, Annie learned all about old steam engines, tractors, and other various farm equipment. (As we were there, I was able to capture a few photos. But I've got no photos for the rest of the week. Annie had a disposable camera, but we haven't yet had a chance to get those photos developed.)






The rest of the week was filled with loads of machine-related activities. They watched a Modern Marvels episode I had taped on engines. They visited a mechanic's garage. (Annie can now tell me all about castor, camber, and tow, as well as fuel, ignition, and compression. But if you want it explained you'll have to ask her.) They visited an old farming museum, where Annie got to both shell corn and grind it. They visited two different machine shops, one where Uncle Butchie works, and the other where Papa works part-time now that he's retired. She got to actually make a trailor hitch from 1" square metal stock using Papa's lathe and mill.

But machines weren't her only "subject" for the week. Grammy and Papa took her to a fossil exhibit at Mercyhurst University.

For music, she attended choir practice with Grammy and Papa.

And for art, Grammy began teaching Annie to crochet. Annie now has the chain and single crochet mastered. Grammy had hoped to get farther along than that, but there wasn't much time with everything else they were up to. Annie did make a really cute hair scrunchie.

And Grammy was kind enough to help Annie make our New York recipe (New York State Apple Muffins) as well.

Overall, I think Annie had one incredible week of learning!

notes on books

Okay, no real reviews here. Probably ought to get some sleep before I attempt anything along those lines. But I just figured I'd mention a few of the books I've finished up over the last few days that don't need actual reviews, meaning they weren't for reading challenges.

*Finished Cross by James Patterson the other day. What can I say...I love the Alex Cross series! They're always quick-to-read, suspenseful page-turners. This one definitely wasn't the best in the series, however.

*Finished The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory by Carol A. Johmann. This is a great book! It's going to be perfect for our homeschooling purposes, but I definitely wouldn't limit it to that. I think any kiddo interested in history would enjoy this one. Appropriate ages, I would guess, would be about 8-13. Not only is it packed with history written in a very fun yet informative way, it's also loaded with great activities. We'll be building a keelboat from balsa wood and making mocassins from leather...and those are just a couple of the cool projects. The instructions look both complete and easy to follow. I was definitely happy with this one!

*Finished up A Time to Kill by John Grisham during the Readathon. I started this one way back in August for the Maggie's Southern Reading Challenge, but when I didn't finish in time, I sort of set it aside. Not sure why, because I was enjoying it. And I continued to enjoy when I picked it back up this weekend. I've read several of Grisham's books in the past, but for whatever reason, never got to this one. What a shame...'cause I would have to say this is the best one I've read yet. The story was disturbing, yet compelling. What I loved the most was how "real" it was. Yes, the bad guys were definitely bad guys. But the good guys...well, let's just say they were "flawed". Aren't we all? And that's what I loved.

I'll try to get some reviews up tomorrow. Not because I love writing reviews, not because anyone actually wants to read my reviews, but because once I get them written I can check those books off my challenge lists. And that always feels soooo good!

a Readathon wrap-up

I can't believe it's over...what a truly, truly fun time it was! I honestly don't know how to say thank you enough to Dewey for hosting this! She was just so incredible!!! She worked so hard, and made it all so fun, and had it running so smoothly...I just don't know how she did it! THANKS DEWEY!

As a wrap-up activity, Dewey has asked us to answer a post-game survery...

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
*Not sure I could pick just a single hour. But that time between about 2:00 and 4:30am was really, really rough! That's when I ended up taking an hour long nap.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
*I never know how to answer for someone else. For me, I wish I had a James Patterson book to read. I think that would have been great, both because they're suspenseful and keep me going, but also because of his really short chapters that really make me feel like I'm getting somewhere. As Dewey mentioned before this readathon, some short YA books are a good choice, too. They leave you feeling like you're getting somewhere. One thing, I will definitely keep in mind for next year, is to make sure I've got some books with larger print for those wee morning hours.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
*Well, this is by no means a criticism, but I think the only thing I might change would be having fewer challenges. I know, that sounds so dumb, doesn't it? The challenges were so much fun! But that was the problem, sometimes I had a hard time saying "no" to them, and didn't get as much reading done as I should have.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
*Oh my gosh...what didn't?!! Seriously, Dewey did an AMAZING job!!! I can't believe how well she planned this...it seems like she thought of everything!

5. How many books did you read?
*Only read 1 in its entirety. Plus I finished one I already had started. And started 2 others, one of which I only read 80 pages of, and one which I almost finished.

6. What were the names of the books you read?
*The Halloween Tree is the one I read in its entirety. Finished up A Time To Kill. Started The Cobra Event. Started and almost finished The Wright 3.

7. Which book did you enjoy most?
*I might have to take a pass on this one. All four books were so different from one another, and all were very good. Just don't know how to pick a favorite. Maybe I can answer that later...after some sleep and some time to ruminate.

8. Which did you enjoy least?
*Again, I just don't know. Maybe The Cobra Event, but that's really not fair, because I just haven't gotten far enough to know for sure.

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
*Not applicable.

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
*Just try and stop me from reading again!

-----------------------------------------------
My final stats (as pathetic as they are) are listed in the previous post.

Hour 24...over already

Minutes: 52 (Other 8 spent on previous update.)

Current book: Still The Wright 3. Didn't quite get it finished.

Pages: 59

Misc. comments: I can't believe it's over! It got pretty rough for a while, but at this point I wish we were still going.


Totals tally--a final summation:

Minutes (this is actual reading time): 958...If I've figured correctly, and that's a big "if" at this point, that's 15 hours and 58 minutes.

Pages: 660...Yes, I'm a very slow reader!

Books:
*A Time To Kill by John Grisham...I started this book long before the Readathon, finished up the last 160-ish pages.

*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

*The Cobra Event by Richard Preston...Read first 80 pages before switching books. Switched because the print was small and my eyes were blurring, not because I wasn't enjoying the book.

*The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett...Read the first 271 pages. Less than 50 to go.

Hour 23

Minutes: 42 (Other 18 spent on last update, last challenge, and visiting other readers.)

Current book: Still The Wright 3.

Pages: 41

Misc. comments: I can't believe there's only 1 hour to go!


Totals tally:

Minutes: 906

Pages: 601

Books:
--213 pages of The Wright 3, and all the rest the same as previous update.

Hour 22

Minutes: 50 (Other 10 spent on last update.)

Current book: Still The Wright 3.

Pages: 50

Misc. comments: Dewey has been an extraordinary host for this Readathon! I seriously cannot believe how smoothly she has kept this all running. And she has come up with the most clever challenges! The latest...post images of the books we've read during this challenge. Here are mine:

















Totals tally:

Minutes: 864

Pages: 560

Books:
--Same as last update, with the exception of The Wright 3, which is now up to 173 pages.

Hour 21

Minutes: 40 (Other 20 spent on last update, checking in with Dewey and some other readers, making a fresh pot of coffee, letting dang dog in and out, getting dang dog his morning pill and breakfast, and writing a limerick for the last challenge)

Current book: Still reading The Wright 3.

Pages: 33 (The nap really paid off!)

Misc. comments: First of all, I'd really like to know why, after all I did for dang dog over the past day, why he couldn't help keep me lively when I really needed him?!!

Okay, and now for Dewey's latest challenge. We were to write a limerick or haiku about one of the characters from one of the books we read today/tonight/whatever. I couldn't remember exactly what the syllabication is supposed to be for a limerick, but hopefully this is close enough...

Tom Skelton and friends took quite a trip,
Through space and time, they did fly and flip,
Learning much about night,
And things that cause fright,
And in the end, they saved their friend Pip.

(About The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.)


Totals tally:

Minutes: 814

Pages: 510

Books:
*Finished A Time to Kill by John Grisham, which I had started before Readathon.
*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
*80 pages in The Cobra Event by Richard Preston
*124 pages in The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

Hours 18, 19, and 20

Minutes: 90 (Other 90 spent posting last update, visiting a few readers, napping, checking in at Readathon Central, visiting more readers)

Current book: The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

Pages: 30

Misc. comments: Well, instead of getting a nap right after my last post, I decided to tough it out a bit longer. Didn't go so well, as you can see from my pages read count. Finally did give in and napped for about an hour, and now feel much better. Maybe I can even finish up my current book before the end. Maybe.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 774

Pages: 477

Books:
*Finished A Time to Kill by John Grisham (started before Readathon)
*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
*80 pages of The Cobra Event by Richard Preston
*91 pages of The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

Hours 16 and 17

Minutes: 95 (Other 25 spent updating, visiting Readathon Central, visiting other readers.)

Current book: The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett (I just had to switch books...the words in The Cobra Event were too small and too mashed together for this hour of the morning!)

Pages: 61

Misc. comments: I can't believe I'm going to wimp out like this, but I'm afraid I've just got to take a little nap. I literally took me 10 minutes to read my last 2 pages. So I'm going try to sleep for an hour and see if I do any better after that.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 684

Pages: 447

Books:
*Finished A Time To Kill by John Grisham, which I started before the Readathon.
*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.
*80 pages in The Cobra Event by Richard Preston
*61 pages in The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

Hours 14 and 15

Minutes: 90 (Other 30 minutes spent updating, visiting other readers, and making rotel dip for snack)

Current book: The Cobra Event by Richard Preston

Pages: 35 (I am really, really slowing down...and I'm not fast to start with!)

Misc. comments: As much as I'm enjoying this book, I think I'm going to have to pick up something else...something with bigger type! I'm just really having trouble focusing now.

And as for Dewey's current challenge. Sheesh...I'm pathetic! I only know 2--Neil Gaiman and Madeleine L'Engle.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 589

Pages: 386

Books:
*same as last post

Hours 12 and 13

***Readathon Button goes here.***
(Sorry, blogger is not letting me upload at the moment.)

Minutes: 75 (Other 45 spent on last update, visiting a few other readers, and talking to 3 favorite fellows on the phone. Sounds like they're having a wonderful time! Couldn't believe it, but both Max and Gray, who are normally phone-shy, got on the phone and chatted away.)

Current book: The Cobra Event by Richard Preston

Pages: 46

Misc. comments: I'm really starting to "feel it"...not so much that I'm nodding off or anything, but more that I'm just having a hard time concentrating. I keep finding myself having to read paragraphs over because I have no idea what I read. Perhaps it's time to go fix a snack.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 499

Pages: 351

Books:
*A Time to Kill by John Grisham(started before Readathon)
*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Hour 11

Minutes: 22 (Other 38 minutes spent updating and completing challenge 11.)

Pages: 13

Current book: Finished up The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. WooHoo...that means I successfully completed the R.I.P. II Challenge (though I do hope to maybe read another one or two for it). Started a book of short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, but have decided to set that aside for sometime when I'm feeling a bit fresher.

Misc. comments: Dewey's challenge for Hour 11 was to get outside and take a walk. I took her up on it, thus the lack of minutes this hour. I'm pretty sure the dang dog put her up to that one! I must say, it was a good idea though...I do feel a bit refreshed. Though I should add, it nearly led to disaster. I had grabbed some bags to pick up you-know-what, a flashlight so I could see to pick up you-know-what, and snapped the leash onto the dang dog. I was literally pulling the door closed behind us when I realized I hadn't grabbed my keys! I would not have been a happy gal if I'd have locked us out, as no one is due home until late tomorrow afternoon. So I think I'll just be staying put for the rest of the readathon.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 474

Pages: 305

Books:
*A Time to Kill by John Grisham (started before Readathon)
*The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (Chris--It's a great one. And a super short one. Definitely pick it up if you get a chance!)

Hours 9 and 10

Minutes: 80 (Other 40 minutes spent writing last post, visiting Hour 9's featured readers, making a frozen pizza, cleaning up the leftovers, brushing teeth, getting dang dog his pill, letting dang dog in and out AGAIN, and feeding dang dog, dang cat, dang mice, dang fish, and dang tarantula.)

Book: Still reading The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Pages: 62

Misc. comments: Hour 9's challenge was to visit featured readers--1. Jessica, who got a bit of a late start but we're so glad she joined in. She's reading Norwegian Wood. 2. Alison, who is reading Pretties, the second in a series I'm really hoping to read one day soon. And 3. Deb, who is reading The Book of Vice. Never heard of that one before, but it looks like it might be interesting.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 452

Pages: 292

Books:
*A Time to Kill by John Grisham (started before readathon)

Hours 7 and 8

Minutes: 85 (Other 35 spent doing previous post, checking in with some other readers, and yes, letting dang dog in and out again.)

Current book: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Pages: 72 (Could definitely read this one faster, but it's just one of those books that begs to be devoured slowly so you can enjoy ever delicious word.)

Misc. comments: I can't believe we're a third of the way through already! Of course, I'm sure that was the easiest third.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 372

Pages: 230

Books finished:
*A Time to Kill by John Grisham (which I was well into when we started today)

Hour 6

Minutes: 48 (Other 12 spent making last post.)

Book: Just finished up A Time To Kill. Nice timing, right as Hour 6 ended. Won't review it right now (takes me forever to write reviews), but I will say that I really loved this book.

Pages: 20

Misc. Comments: Thanks so much to everyone who keeps stopping by! You have no idea how much you're making this! And on that note, I think I will spend a few minutes seeing how some of the other readers are doing. And trying to decide what to read next.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 287

Pages: 158

Reading accomplished:
*Finished A Time to Kill by John Grisham. Was already well into this one before the start of the Readathon.

Hours 4 and 5

Minutes read: 95 (Other 25 spent making a sandwich, letting dang dog out, visiting Readathon Central, entering Hour 4 challenge, letting dang dog in and drying him off. By the way, in case it sounds otherwise, I should say that I absolutely do adore dang dog.)

Current book: Still A Time To Kill by John Grisham.

Pages: 52

Misc. Comments: A big "Hooray!" to Dewey...she is doing an amazing job!!! And I highly suggest that everyone go over and visit, even if you're not participating in the Readathon...lots of cool prizes being given away, and some are open to anyone.


Totals tally:

Minutes: 242

Pages: 138

Hours 2 and 3

Minutes read: 92 (Other 28 minutes spent updating, checking in at Readathon Central, and participating in mini-challenge)

Current book: Still working on A Time To Kill by John Grisham

Pages read: 51 pages

Misc. comments: Dewey is hosting some fun mini-challenges. Couldn't participate in Hour 2's challenge, as the town in my book is fictional. Could have chosen a real town in the general area, I suppose, but that felt like cheating. Hour 3's challenge was to visit the current "readers of the hour"...Athena and Becky. Sounds like they're both making great progress! Athena just took a lunch break, and yet she's still read well over 100 pages. Yes, I will be left in the dust by everyone when it comes to pages read. Becky's reading a book about Mary Todd Lincoln...I'll be interested in her review. (I visit her blog all the time, and she writes great reviews!)


Totals tally:

Minutes: 147

Pages: 86

1 down, 23 to go

Hour 1 complete.

Minutes read: 55 (Other 5 minutes were spent trying to get the dang dog to come in the house and quit barking at the dog obedience class going on next door. Dang dog had previously passed said obedience class. Go figure.)

Current selection: A Time To Kill by John Grisham (Figured it was time to finally finish this one. Started it back in August for the Southern Reading Challenge, but then when I didn't finish in time, I just set it aside. Not sure why, because I'm really enjoying it.)

Pages read: 35 (Yes, I now have to officially admit to being the slowest reader on the planet.)

Misc. comments: Wow. That first hour went fast!

the time draws near

Just over an hour from now, the Readathon will be underway! I'm more worried than ever about being able to stay awake through the night tonight. Although I'm very good at getting by on little sleep, I'm horrible at getting by on no sleep.

And thus far, during my free weekend here, nothing has gone as planned. That's not to say it hasn't been quite relaxing and enjoyable though. I had planned to scrapbook the day away yesterday, but I just couldn't get those creative juices flowing. Made one simple layout, and then decided to make up a few cards using up some scraps sitting there on my table. Hoped that would get me in the mood. But it didn't. And since this is supposed to be a fun weekend, not a torturous one, I decided to go do something else instead. Read a bit, looked through some scrapbook magazines, and then totally vegged in front of the TV (honestly cannot remember the last time I did that!).

Tried to stay up late, so I could sleep in this morning, but was out by 11:30. Had to get up at 4:00 to tape something for homeschool purposes, but I'd planned on just starting the tape and then going back to sleep. (Yeah, I know, perhaps the first thing I ought to read today is the manual for the VCR so I could learn how to program it, huh?) But again my plans went awry...I just couldn't get back to sleep...so I got 4 hours less sleep than I hoped.

I'm so anxious to get underway here! That's probably why I'm babbling like an idiot, huh? Then again, I'm prone to babbling, so that may not be the reason after all.

Well, guess I shall go grab some breakfast, and then go visit some other readers to wish them luck.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

the excitement builds

Well, with some much appreciated help from Dewey, I finally managed to snag one of the buttons for her Readathon. I don't know about anyone else participating, but I have to say I am way beyond excited. I'd almost say I've been obsessing (hey, it's a skill I'm quite adept at, what can I say?). Anyway, if only I could find the camera (Rich must have already packed it up for their trip), I would show you all how I have my very favorite pair of comfy fleece pajamas and my favorite pair of slipper socks all freshly washed and folded just waiting for me to don them tomorrow morning after I shower. I would show you the horrible pile of junk food I stockpiled last night, none of it requiring much in the way of prep time, as I don't want to waste valuable reading time cooking. I would show you the numerous piles of books I've gathered up, because one needs lots of options available, right? Yes, you could definitely say I'm looking forward to it!

I'm actually looking forward to today as well. After Rich's class this morning, he'll be coming home so we can all have lunch together, and then my 3 favorite guys will be headed off toward the Atlantic. And I plan to relax! No working on school plans (hope to finish up a few things this morning though) and no housework (also hope to get the bathroom cleaned and the living room vacuumed before they leave). But once they pull out of that driveway, scrapbook room, here I come! Might even try to watch a movie or two this evening. Ah, yes, I am just floating on air this morning...

more good stuff...

It's been far too long since I've done a "good stuff" post. I'm so blessed and so grateful for so many things...

*all the wonders of fall















*photos (especially when I'm really missing someone)




















*wonderful parents who spoil my kiddos















*prizes...and even better, kind, generous people who go out of their way to make other people happy (This is the prize package I got from Carl from this spring's tiny story contest. Isn't he amazing?!!)















*pupper dogs (Oh, he can be quite a little handful at times, but one look at that face, and I just melt!)




















*Poppets! My first! (There are actually two more hidden away for me, a purple one and an orange one, for under the Christmas tree. Subtle hints, like pulling up the eBay screen and saying, "Gee, that would make a really good Christmas present!" do sometimes pay off.) And again, I might mention kind, generous people...for along with the Poppet, Lisa Snellings-Clark, artist extraordinaire, included the cool pin and bookmark and even some Halloween candy, which the boys promptly claimed for themselves.

celebrating

I finished up 3 books this past week, so guess what I did to celebrate...I joined 3 new reading challenges for next year!

What is wrong with me?!! Will someone please, please help?

a four-legged read

Finished up my first book for the Four-Legged Friends Reading Challenge last night. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. If ever the words "timeless classic" applied, huh?

Charlotte's Web is the touching story of friendship between an unlikely pair, Wilbur, a spring pig, and Charlotte, a big gray spider. When Wilbur finds that he will soon become the Zuckermans' meat supply for the coming winter, Charlotte steps up to the plate with an ingenious plan to save his life. Charlotte sums it up so well near the end of the book...

"Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you."

"You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing..."

But the book has more to offer as well. While Charlotte and Wilbur are endearing characters, Templeton, the gluttonous rat, most assuredly is not. Yet he was the favorite character of the boys and myself. The gut-busting laughter White brought through Templeton to the boys is a gift I shall long treasure. I swear they nearly had themselves rolling off the bed at times. And it probably goes without saying that their emotional old mom had tears rolling down her cheeks at least once during the story as well.

And you know, what more can you ask from a book?

a taste of freedom

This shall be an odd week for me. And I think I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it! I will actually be experiencing 3 hours of "alone time" each afternoon this week. Ahhhh. And as if that wasn't treat enough, I will then be getting much of the weekend all to myself as well!

Annie is off with my parents for the week (they'll be bringing her back on Sunday). Which means that each afternoon while Max is in school, I shall be luxuriating in blissful silence. Don't get me wrong...I am missing Annie. We all are. As Max said, "But everything's more fun when Annie's here." (Melted my heart to hear him say that!)

But that doesn't change the fact that I plan to take full advantage of this nearly unheard free time. I shall spend 3 straight hours each day working on lesson plans, etc. Maybe that doesn't sound all that fun, but it will actually be a treat to just get to work uninterrupted by "Mom, can you pour me some milk?"..."Mom! Max spilled his milk!"..."Mom! Gray punched me!"..."Mom! Max took my deinonychus!"..."Mom, can I have a snack?"..."Mom! Aldo threw up on Dad's chair!"..."Mom, can I have my markers out of the penalty box yet?"...

Besides, I plan on accomplishing so much that I will refuse to feel guilty when I take the weekend off! Yes, a weekend off! Rich is taking Gray and Max off for a "boys weekend"! They don't have a clue where they're going yet, but Rich insisted on doing this so I would be free to participate in Dewey's Readathon. Oh, how I love that man!

Now the Readathon doesn't start until 9:00am here (if I figured out the whole time zone thing correctly, that is), so that means I will also have Friday evening all to myself. Scrapbook room, here I come!

Forgive me for this silly babbling, but in case you couldn't tell, I'm a wee bit excited!

MacBeth...what can I say...

Well, we finished up MacBeth the other night. You'd think I'd be anxious to get to this review, because then I'd get to check off not only another of my R.I.P. II Challenge books, but also my first Book to Movie Challenge book. (Gotta love those 2 for 1's, huh?) Anyway, I've been putting it off because I honestly just don't know what to say. Nearly everyone has already read MacBeth. And those who haven't probably already know the basic premise of a thirst for power leading to ruin.

So, what do I say? I guess I could mention that I enjoyed this book even more than I did all those many years ago when I first read it in high school. I could mention that it is my favorite of all the Shakespeare I've ever read, though that's not really saying much as I've only read a handful of his plays. I could also mention how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading this aloud with Rich and Annie. Reading it aloud was truly a treat, as was getting to share Annie's first Shakespeare experience with her. I suppose I could add that it's my favorite choice to date for the R.I.P Challenge (and obviously for the Book to Movie Challenge as well). Beyond that, well, I just don't know what to say.

(Do still hope to find a movie version to rent one of these days, but haven't got around to that yet.)

Frankenstein...misc. thoughts

*First of all, I've been forced to reach the conclusion that I'm simply not a sophisticated reader. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a book beloved by so many. But I'm afraid I just won't be joining their ranks. That makes me a bit sad...I wanted to love this book, I really did.

*Having said that, I should add that while I didn't love the book, I am glad I finally read it. There was much about the book I did enjoy.

*On the rare occasions, when I was able to sit and read more than a page or two at a time, I found myself thoroughly caught up in enjoying the language. Unfortunately for me though, I generally find myself sneaking in my reading a minute here, 3 minutes there. And this, of course, really destroyed the flow of this type of writing. (Obviously, this is not the fault of the book.)

*All my pre-conceived ideas about the story were proven false. The images we see in our culture today have no relation to the true story. The themes running throughout this book are so thought-provoking. Sometimes uncomfortably so. And that's a good thing.

*So why didn't I fall in love with this book? Hard to put my finger on precisely. But I think it had to do with Victor Frankenstein himself. I just didn't like him. I'm not sure if one is supposed to like him or sympathize with him, but I most assuredly did not. He made me cringe. He annoyed me. I grew so weary of his constant "Oh, woe is me...oh, woe is me..." ramblings. Sure, life got pretty tough for the guy, but never did he seem to own up to his responsibility in the matter. Yes, he was sorry he created the "life" to start with. But that wasn't the cause of all the misery. The cause was that he gave life to this being, and then upon seeing it, immediately abandoned it. Big nature/nurture issues here.

*I was also made uncomfortable by his obsessiveness. First in his mission to create this life, and then in his mission to destroy the life he created. Why uncomfortable? Maybe because I can relate in some small way to obsessiveness. And I suppose we can never really know where obsession can lead.

Okay, well, that pretty much concludes my hodge-podge of random thoughts on Frankenstein. I know, not terribly enlightening. I apologize...I'm really just awful at this whole "book review" thing.

the little things...

Just look at what Rich brought home for the kids and I the other day. Are they not the cutest little things?!!



And well, of course, he had to pick himself up a beverage befitting the season as well.

this past week

For whatever reason, be it chronic sleep deprivation, or more likely simple laziness, I just can't seem to organize my thoughts here. So I'm just going to throw them out there all willy-nilly.

*Annie was sick this past week, so we didn't get a lot done in the way of "school" stuff. She's feeling much better, but is definitely not back to normal yet. The good news: not a single sign of asthma during this whole illness!!!


*Still reading Halloween picture books to the boys each night. Picked up a few more at the library Friday. I have fallen totally in love with one of them, Halloween Night by Elizabeth Hatch. The story is cute enough, but it is the artwork by Jimmy Pickering that has me wanting to go out and purchase my own copy of this book.



























*We'd hoped to go to the local nursery/Halloween heaven yesterday, but found it just waaaaaaay too jam-packed with people. Decided we'll try some evening during the week instead. But we headed to the grocery store to pick up some cider and donuts so our trip out wouldn't be a complete waste. (And we actually picked up some pumpkins there at Wegmans...they had some beauties!)

*The munchkins and I watched Return to Halloweentown last night. (Rich was busy walking the pooch and then jogging--or as he calls it, his "campaign to stay not dead.") The movie was okay, cute in that pre-teen Disney sort of way. The kids really enjoyed it, and that's what mattered.

*This weekend was the local library's fall book sale. I get so giddy in the weeks before these things! And being members of the Friends of the Library has its advantages...getting first dibs at the members only sale the day before it's open to the general public. We spent a whopping $10.70! For 21 books! This is my own personal haul. Annie, of course, found a pile for herself, Rich found a few, and I found a couple my mom has been wanting. So, all in all, a pretty successful outing for us!


My pile is definitely Stephen King heavy. There was a time...back in high school and through much of my 20s...that I devoured everything he wrote as soon as it came out. But then for whatever reason, my interest just waned. But something has re-sparked that interest, so I decided to pick up some of the books I missed during my long hiatus. (Actually think I read The Dark Half, but I honestly can't remember it.)

*After leaving the book sale, we headed to Borders. Hey, one can never get enough books, right? No, actually we went with a specific purpose in mind. We had a 40% off coupon for a particular book we wanted to buy someone (who shall remain nameless) for Christmas. But, of course, it's nearly impossible to get off that easily, right? I just couldn't help myself...I had to buy Cross now that it's out in paperback. And I actually started reading it last night...I was just too tired to focus fully on Frankenstein. Anyway, this is the first book in what seems like forever that I'm not reading for either homeschooling or for a reading challenge.


*I finally managed to get a few more Halloween cards made this week. Of course, the big question still remains...will I actually get around to mailing any of them?
















Okay, okay, I have babbled on for far too long, so I guess I should go be productive or something.

reading through October

One of our "family traditions" is reading a Halloween/fall book each night during the month of October. (We do the same thing starting the day after Thanksgiving, reading Christmas books.) Anyway, last night being October 1st, marked the start of this year's spook-fest (which won't be too spooky...see previous post).


Last night we read The Hallo-wiener, by Dav Pilkey (yes, of Captain Underpants fame). Nothing scary about this one. Instead, it's the story of Oscar, who is *surprise, surprise* a wiener dog. All the other dogs make fun of poor Oscar because of his unconventional shape. And his mother doesn't help matters when she buys him a hot dog costume for Halloween. Trick-or-treating begins in typical fashion with poor Oscar being left out. The other dogs tease him about his costume, he can't keep up, and all the candy is gone by the time he reaches each house. But yes, there is a happy ending for our "hero" when he finds a way to save the day from some dastardly little cats. A predictable, but cute none-the-less, story. Maxidoodle, in particular, really enjoyed it. (We also read another chapter of Charlotte's Web. Not exactly seasonal reading...but hey, spiders are Halloween-y, right?)

Since finishing my final read for the Non-Fiction Five challenge, I'm back to reading Frankenstein. Perfect October reading, huh?

Also perfect for October reading, MacBeth. We're continuing on our nightly reading, a couple of scenes each night.

Annie managed to complete two of her R.I.P. books yesterday, Ptolemy's Gate, by Jonathan Stroud, and The House With a Clock in Its Walls, by John Bellairs. (I ordered The House through inter-library loan after reading Nymeth's wonderful review. I just knew Annie would love it.) Annie's been really under the weather the last few days, so I just let her stay in bed and nap and read all day. Hopefully, she'll be feeling well enough to write up her reviews today.

Oh, and by the way, the other day when Rich told me to order a book as a reward for completing the challenge, I pre-ordered The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. (I figured I could wait for the paperback version, as it will be available from Amazon on the 9th of this month.) Chris totally sold me with his review!