The Book Self

Today, today it's coming today! What's coming? Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks! I'm just a little bit excited about it. I don't think Safe Haven will make it to my Fall Reading Challenge list this year, I'm sure it will be finished by then. New book + working coffee pot + car repair appointment = Guilt Free Reading Time! Guilt Free because I can't see the dust, clutter, laundry...

Really?

A blog (web log) is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Thank you, Wikipedia. I understand the origins of the word, I understand the concept but what I seem unable to grasp is the regular entries. It's been almost a year since I "blogged" anything.

I'm not a big believer in New Year's resolutions, if something needs to change today is as good as any. So, with renewed energy and excitement (and the kids back in school) I'm jumping back on the blog wagon! The next time I "epically fail" (yes, Miss J I got that from you) in the blogosphere there will be a good-bye post. I can't guarantee what "regular" will be, but let's just go with an absence of less than 10 months for now.

Fall Reading Thing is just around the corner, post coming soon.

Another First

The Homecoming dance. It was a big night for the girls. They went to dinner before the dance and we stopped at the park for some pictures. During dinner they texted me to see if we could go to McDonald's. Dessert was "really expensive here". Yes, they did go inside in their dresses and heels. They had a really good time at the dance.I was really proud of the was the girls behaved. They are becoming beautiful young ladies.

Back to School

It's that time again, backpacks, notebooks and tissues (for mom). Lauren started High School this year! School started 2 weeks ago, and so far she seems to be doing really well. We haven't had any drama, no calls from school and she only got lost going to English. Looks like we are off to a good start. This year Lauren is in marching band. She does seem to complain about it a little and she did say she misses her french horn, but I think she likes - just a little.

Caleb is in first grade! The first 2 days he wanted me to walk him into the gym where they wait for to be released to go to their classes. Wednesday he said he just wanted me to walk him to the outside door. on Thursday when we arrived on the campus the school had been evacuated and the police car with sirens was just arriving. One of us was a bit tramatized, but I'm better now. It was an "unscheduled" fire drill, a sensor went out. Whew!

He's loving 1st grade. He did have some concerns about only having 2 recesses but he is adjusting. Caleb's doing a great job with his reading, I worried he might have forgotten some of the sight words he learned in kindergarten have but that doesn't seem to have happened. I think he will have a good year.

The Book Shelf Again

I finished reading Snow Flower and The Secret Fan by Lisa See this week. I didn't pick my last two books very well, so I wasn't sure I'd like this book either. I was wrong! I picked a winner this time. I really enjoyed this book. Here's what Publishers Weekly says on the Amazon website...

"See's engrossing novel set in remote 19th-century China details the deeply affecting story of lifelong, intimate friends Lily and Snow Flower, their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, See adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding, the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women—here between Lily and Snow Flower—that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province. As both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle, this novel has bestseller potential and should become a reading group favorite as well."

When I finished the last page of the book I missed Lily. I think I enjoyed Snow Flower and the Secret Fan more than the last two books I read because it's a culture so different from a life I could imagine it grabbed my attention and held on. Lily fought not to be the woman her culture demanded her to be. In different stages of her life she was that ideal and used her position in that ideal role to reach beyond the limits placed on her by her society.

Snow Flower was definitely a "page" turner for me. I've found a new author and a favorite book. Happy Reading!

Book Shelf

This is just my opinion on a couple books I've read lately, review sounds official and like I know what I'm talking about, so I'm not calling it a review. The first book is The Secret Life of Bees, a story of a girl who runs away from home and finds a family. As much as I liked the characters and understood the "divine female power" I didn't feel like I was going to miss anything if I put the book down. It just wasn't a page turner for me.

The second book is Dream When You're Feeling Blue, a WWII era story focusing on a family and the impact the war had on their everyday life. This wasn't suspenseful by any stretch but there were a few developments I didn't see coming. Dream When You're Feeling Blue isn't a book I'd want to read again, but it was enjoyable and entertaining.

Happy Reading!

Say Cheese!

Caleb lost his first tooth!

It has been loose for awhile and we have been waiting (not patiently). Friday, in the van, Lauren told him to pull his tooth forward and down and it would come out. He tried it, and out popped the tooth! He was so excited! He couldn't wait to tell Dad and find out what the Tooth Fairy would bring him.

Monday at school he will finally get to put his name on the "Who Lost a Tooth" tooth.