MonkeyBoy Adventures

2012-01-31T19:28:00.002-05:00

For today...Tuesday, January 31, 2012

On My Mind...can't believe January is over!!how did that happen?!...our administrator was "let go" on Friday and his replacement started yesterday. I'm not good with changes and Jack was both an amazing person and boss. He had been with the facility for over 10 years , which is fairly long for an administrator.

Outside My Window... it may sound crazy but I wasn't wearing a coat today when I got out of work! It 's been almost 60 degrees-crazy!

What We're Reading...I have about a hundred more pages to go in Breaking Dawn...we'll finish up Extra Credit this week and then he'll read The Homework Machine next.

What We're Listening to... finished Emma and now listening to Beloved . When I checked it out the librarian told me it was one of her favorites by Morrison but also very disturbing. I have to say I agree with that, especially listening to it.

What We're Watching...watching American Idol, Glee, Two and a Half Men re-runs...looking forward to Survivor and Amazing Race starting again...Tucker has been enjoying House Hunters on HGTV and we were excited to catch an Extreme Couponing marathon on Sunday...and of course, UCONN women basketball games.

I am Hoping...to sleep better tonight.

Around the House...not bad at all...laundry does need to be done.

Coming Up This Week...Family Movie Night at Tucker's school on Friday night...Tucker and I are going to a UCONN women's game Sat night.

Daybook

2012-01-23T18:35:00.003-05:00

For today...Monday, January 23, 2012

On My Mind...just starting to feel human again after a 24 hour stomach bug.

Outside My Window... We finally got our first real snow of the year-almost a foot of the fluffy white stuff! Tucker and Michael worked hard on a fort but with the rain we're expecting tonight and the 40 degrees for the rest of the week, I;m thinking it won't be there long!

What We're Reading...I'm about a third of the way through Breaking Dawn...reading Extra Credit by Andrew Clements with Tucker.

What We're Listening to...almost finished with Emma and then Beloved is next.

What We're Watching...love that American Idol is back...also watching Undercover Boss, Biggest Loser, re-runs of Two and a Half Men.

I am Hoping...to continue to feel better.

Around the House...laundry waiting to be folded...dishwasher running...actually pretty clean.

Coming Up This Week...sleeping over Eileen's tomorrow to bring Doreen in for lap band surgery Wed morning...lunch and the art museum at UCONN with my friend Joan on Sat.

Celebrating my birthday

2012-01-18T19:23:00.003-05:00

Not only did we celebrate my birthday on my actual birthday this year, amazingly, it didn't and hasn't snowed!!!!!

Eileen and my mom celebrate with their usual glass of wine...

the pizza extravaganza...

Doreen is prepping for lap band surgery so she's not eating pizza...

I got gift cards to JCPenney and Dunkin Donuts, a book by Kristin Hannah, and a shirt from my mom...

my mom and I ....

Doreen, Cassandra, and Eileen...

A family picture...

Daybook

2012-01-09T17:39:00.002-05:00

For today...Monday, January 9, 2012

On My Mind..glad the snow is holding off although Christmas seemed strange without even a dusting.

Outside My Window... it is dark of course, and still warmer than it should be. This weekend was gorgeous!

What We're Reading...finished New Moon on Saturday and started Eclipse (about 1/2 way through)...Tucker is almost done with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

What We're Listening to...almost finished with A Thousand Splendid Suns and will be starting Emma next.

What We're Watching...watching Biggest Loser, Extreme Home Makeover, Storage Wars, Big Bang Theory, and A Gifted Man and we continue to watch episodes of The Wonder Years and Malcolm in the Middle.

I am Hoping...to sleep better tonight

In the Kitchen...scrambled eggs tonight, chicken brushetta, not sure what else

Around the House...laundry waiting to be folded...definiatiely could use some attention after Tucker and his firend had a nerf gun fight complete with forts made out of toys piled up!

Coming Up This Week...PTO meeting on Wed night...soccer playoffs Fri night...celebrating my birthday (on my birthday!) Sunday

Daybook

2012-01-02T19:33:00.003-05:00

For today...Monday, January 2, 2011

On My Mind..Glad that I ad an "extra" day off because the holiday fell on Sunday but spent it being lazy and reading Twilight....really want to keep more up-to-date with my blogs but have already not taken pictures for the past two days!

Outside My Window... it is dark and colder than it's been so far.

What We're Reading...I just finished Twilight (started it on New Year's Eve) and just started New Moon after supper tonight...Tucker finished Return of the Home Run Kid and will be starting Diary of aWimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (he got it for Christmas)

What We're Listening to...I just finished The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman and started A Thousand Splendid Suns.

What We're Watching...We seem to be lost with reality shows!!! Although we continue to watch Storage Wars...I'm liking A Gifted Man and we continue to watch episodes of The Wonder Years and Malcolm in the Middle.

I am Hoping...to keep the blogs up-to-date as much as possible

In the Kitchen....we had chicken tonight, beef and macaroni tomorrow and chicken bruschetta Wed.

Around the House...laundry waiting to be folded...dishes in the dishwasher...everything's pretty neat upstairs though we need to find homes for the new toys.

Coming Up This Week...other than a soccer game Fri, it's a quiet week!

Picture Thought...Tucker and I had what he calls our "feast" on New Years' Eve.

Books I Read in 2011

2012-01-01T09:22:00.000-05:00

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
3. The Girl who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allan
4. Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curits
5. Small Island by Andrea Levy
6. The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton
7. The Girl Who Kicked the Dragon's Nest by Steig Larsson
8. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
10. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
11. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lundgren
12. GingerBread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
13. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
14. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
15. One of Ours by Willa Cather
16. Room by Emma Donoghue
17. The Kite Runner
18. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
19. Messenger by Lois Lowry
20. The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok
21. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
23. Freedom by Jonathan Frazen
22. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
24. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynold Naylor
25. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
26. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kinsgsolver
27. Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
28. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
29. Shiloh Season by Phyllis Reynold Naylor
30. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
31. While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty
32. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
33. Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
34. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
34 Secrets of Eden by Chris Bojhalian
36. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
37. The Nobodies Album by Caolyn Parkhurst
38. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien
39. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
40. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
41. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
42. Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
43. Dirty Secret by Jessie Sholl
44.Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Reynold Naylor
45. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
46. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
47. If you Ask Me (which of course, you won't) by Betty White
48. Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh
49. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy chevilar
50. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
51. The Reader by Bernhard Schilink
52. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
53. The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
54. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
55. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
56. We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg
57. Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
58. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

59. The Lost Hours by Karen White
60. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
61. The Virgin's Lover by Phillipa Gregory
62. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
63. Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene
64. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
65. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 66. The Minpins by roald Dahl
67. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl

68. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
69. The BFG by Roald Dahl
70. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kassey
71. Matilda by Roald Dahl
72. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
73. Boy by Roald Dahl
74. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
75. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roadl Dahl
76. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
77. Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff
78. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
79. Dracula by Bram Stoker

80. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
81. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
82. Matched by Ally Condle
83. Roots by Alex Haley
84. The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman
85. The Wind in the Willows by Graheme Greene
86. The Quiet American by Graham Greene
87. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
88. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
89. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
90.. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
91. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
92. I Know why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
93. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
94. The Jungle Book I by Rudyard Kipling
95. The World According to Garp by John Irving
96. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
97. The Autobiography of Santa Claus

98. The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
99. Uglies by Scott Westerfield

100. The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice
101. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

2nd Annual Book Survey

2012-01-01T08:07:00.001-05:00

2nd Annual Book Survey

I've seen this on many book blogs and like the way it sums up the years' reading!

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

I couldn't chose just one! I would have to say: Room by Emma Donoghue, The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown and The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

Because I so loved the Traveling Pants series, I had high hopes for Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares but it did not live up to my expectations

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

I was mildly interested in reading it and it turned out to be great: Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

Without a doubt, Room and The Hunger Games series. Also Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua for my mom friends.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

Obviously The Hunger Games!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

I read a lot of classics for the first time; the "new" authors I discovered were: Willa Cather, Toni Morrison, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. I enjoyed Willa Cather so much that I'm planning to participate in a reading challenge that features reading one of her books each month in 2012!

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed 20,000 leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

Room and The Hunger Games series

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

I had heard so much about these two: Room and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

There are two:

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

There were a few: Jack from Room; Griet from Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Katniss from The Hunger Games

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?

Because I read a lot of classics for the first time this year, the list includes: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?

I don't keep track...

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?

The Hunger Games series, without a doubt. I';d also like to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer with my son.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother almost got thrown across the room multiple times and Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult had some moments that made me crazy! Both were great though!

Catching up: Christmas!

2011-12-26T19:21:00.010-05:00

Every Christmas eve, Michael and I open our present from Tucker and he gets to open one present. You can barely see what he got me: an angel with a garnet heart and Michael got Star Wars pjs. (Sorry-I couldn't get these next few pics to flip!) Tucker got his bat cave he's been wanting! Also the cookie and milk he left for Santa!

Santa's been here and Tucker tears through his stocking....and then his gifts

Beacuse of my mom's foot surgery she still can't do staris so we celebrated Christmas at her house this year! Tucker set the table and it was a group effort to get everything ready!

A group shot!

Opening gifts:

Tucker's latest artwork from school-he made a great crab!

Tucker's gift to everyone was a calendar with pictures of him with each of them! they were a big hit!

We started a new tradition this year: playing Bingo!

We also celebrated with my sister-in-law Susan and her 4 kids this week as usual. From top left corner: The annual cousin picture: Shannon, Bobby, Brooke, Tucker and Cassandra with Taylor in front. The kids always have a good time playing games; this year, they played Jenga. Tucker and Taylor open their stockings from Gramma

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone the merriest of Christmases!

Catching Up: Getting the Christmas Tree and Light Parade

2011-12-18T10:55:00.010-05:00

We went to get our tree last Sunday. We usually tag a tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving so headed up to get and lo and behold, someone had taken it! It's an honor system thing so you would hope people would be honest with it being the holidays and all!

We checked out the pre-cut trees and found one that we ended up with an even better one!

Once we got it home and in the living room, we set to decorating it...

and then posed with it!

The finished product and of course, Shrek checked it out!

That night we headed to a popular local light parade! It was amazing!

some local utility trucks...

Candyland, Thomas, and Snoopy-what more could you ask for?! This Snoopy was HUGE!! They lowered him to get through the stoplights!

Motorcycles, and Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive!

Halloween, Part 2 and Birthdays

2011-11-29T19:21:00.008-05:00

I don't feel like fighting with Blogger so this picture will just stay there! I'm back...again...to try and catch up!

these are pictures of Halloween (delayed due to Winter Storm Alfred) and October birthdays (delayed due to scheduling conflicts). These were taken the first weekend of November!

doreen and Cassandra joined Tucker in dressing up this year and trick or treating! They each got a candy bar for their efforts ! lol

Eileen poses with Tucker...

A funny picture of my mom and Tucker...

Tucker's "treat" from my mom was fake brains! eww!!! (He loved it!)

Everyone gathered for dinner...
The Usual toast...

Now on to the birthdays...Eileen turned 72 on October 6th....

And Cassandra turned 22 on October 10th
Cassandra shows off her I-tunes cards

and her Doggy-doo game....this was hysterical! It was a game where the you feed this dog and it poops! We couldn't stop laughing! (She got it because the dog is a daschaund)

Lastly, Cassandra and Tucker have been squeezing themselves into this little corner for years!!!

Catching Up: School Field Trip and Halloween, Part I

2011-11-13T19:49:00.004-05:00

I'm not even going to make any of the usual excuses for being absent from the blog for so long or for finally posting things that happened on Halloween...nope we are simply moving forward!

To start off the picture extravaganza, I'm sharing the ones from Tucker's class trip to our state Capitol on Halloween. And yes we did almost miss this trip due to a snowstorm named Alfred and we're weren't sure if Hartford was going to have power when we got there. We weren't hit too hard in our area but this part of the state got almost a foot and had a lot of trees down!

Anyway, we did make it! We had a wonderful tour guide who brought us through the LegislativeOffice Building, starting in their chambers and then through a wonderful underground tunnel via a "People Mover" and escalator (the kids all loved this part!)

We got to see the senate chamber as well as the House of Representatives ... here the kids all pay close attention. I was impressed by how much they all knew about the government and how it runs!
We then headed across the street to the CT State Museum which houses all the important artifacts of CT's history.

A large part of CT's history is the Colt Gun Factory and there was a whole room of old guns on display which the boys all went crazy for, as you can well imagine! Here Tucker poses with Mardi and Gavin (they were the three I was "responsible" for)

After finishing going through the museum, we then had lunch outside of the state armory. Even though there was snow on the ground, it was a nice day! Here Tucker gets ready to eat with Gavin, Robbie, and Chris.

With the field trip done, it was time to get ready for trick-or-treating! Tucker was an army soldier (if you know him, it's not really a big surprise) Here he poses for the usual picture with jack-or-lantern (note the snow in the background)

I had the camera on the wrong setting which I noticed halfway through trick-or-treating so all kinds of funny things happened...like the light streak above Tucker's head as he walks down the street with Andrew.
My friend Tracy is holding the door as Tucker, Andrew, and Emily (dressed as Rapunzel) get their treats.
We were joined by Casey who was the goalie on Tucker's soccer team and happens to live across the street from Andrew! He was someone from Star Wars....

Our usual group picture: Tracy(dressed as a scarecrow), me, Jason (dressed as, we,, Jason), Michael. In the front is Emily (dressed as Rapunzel),Andrew (dressed as Jack Sparrow), Tucker, and a snowman dressed up in Halloween finery! (and yes, Michael and I will dress up next year!)

We had a great time as usual!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T16:38:00.001-04:00

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween!

First Snow!!!! Yes -in October!!!

2011-10-30T08:43:00.004-04:00

We have had little spurts of snow mixed with rain but this counts as our first actual snow accumulated! In October!!!

We actually didn't get as much as other parts of the state, maybe 2-3 inches, because we live closer to the shore but some parts of the state got a foot or more!

Tucker insisted on "shoveling" the driveway when it first started!

I think the mums have seen better days!

It amazed me that this geranium made it through the snow!

Needless to say, our bushes were flattened!

Corn Maze

2011-10-16T21:39:00.005-04:00

As usual, we headed to a local corn maze this year...and brought along our friends, Andrew and Tracy!

The theme was All-Stars of the Red Sox and Yankees

since we have one fan of each team, they did Rock, Paper, Scissors, to decide (with Tracy supervising)

Tucker won!

Trying to get them to pose for a picture together is next to impossible!

From the back is not much easier!

We found the first two really quick!

Looking out over the corn field trying to find mailboxes to stamp our cards...

If you complete the maze, you get a free ice cream. We didn;t quite finish but had ice cream anyway!

We couldn't get back to our vehicles right away beacause the cows were coming home!! lol

We checked on the calves (and a chicken)
Once all the cows came down to be milked, we headed home!

Daybook

2011-10-11T04:41:00.002-04:00

For today...Tuesday, October 11, 2011

On My Mind..I have been up since 3 and it is 4:40 am now. I'm at the point where I am so tired I can't sleep, if that makes any sense...need to get moving if I'm really going to make all the Christmas presents this year! I just don't have much ambition, probably because I'm tired, etc....

Outside My Window... we are in the middle of a warm spell ... Yesterday it was over 80 degrees which is just crazy for this time of the year!

What We're Reading...I'm still plugging away with Roots and I've also started The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde...Tucker is finishing up the newest Alvin Ho! and I think we may read The Wind in The Willows together next. We've been alternating: he reads a book by himself and then we read a book together because I just love reading together and discussing what we're reading...he's also reading Mrs. Frisby and the RATS of NIMH at school (with his class)

What We're Listening to...since I last did this, I finished A Clockwork Orange and Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff....I'm now listening to (and enjoying) Dracula.

What We're Watching...While I was so excited about this new season of shows, I'm just not as into it as I usually am...watching DWTS (liking Ricky Lake and JR) ; Survivor (not really liking anyone and considering not watching it all!) ; Amazing Race (like Lawrence and Zac, the father/son team...also watching Glee, The Big Bang Theory and whatever's on Nick...We've also "discovered" unlimited Netflix so we've been watching both X-files and The Wonder Years (two of our favorite shows) from the beginning; I think we are on episode 3 of both....we've also watched Baby's Day Out, Rookie of the Year, and Kangaroo Jack.

I am Hoping...to someday sleep beyond 4:30 am!

In the Kitchen....another busy week so nothing spectacular....

Around the House...laundry needs to be folded and more to be done...the upstairs is super clean and the downstairs, not so much...we've been on a mission to clean out the toys and we attacked the living room over the weekend which resulted in a backseat-full of toys for Goodwill...Michael's off today with Tucker so they are tackling the downstairs where most of the toys have ended up which is fine---I have reclaimed my living room! ... we put the Halloween decorations up and out.

Coming Up This Week...soccer practices tonight and Thurs...PTO meeting tomorrow night...going to Essex with my friend Joan on Sat...my mom;s bringing Tucker to a soccer game Sat and then to a birthday/sleepover at a friend's house...another soccer game on Sun and maybe the corn maze afterwards.

Picture Thought...
haven't taken many pictures this week....

Lucky Number 13

2011-10-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

Today is our 13th wedding anniversary!

We have definitely been through better for worse, in sickness, and health, for richer for poorer, and everything else in between! I can't imagine having gone through it with anyone else though!

Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband!

Tackle It Tuesday

2011-10-04T06:24:00.003-04:00

It's been awhile since I participated in one of these.

My son and I are tackling his overabundance of toys so that Santa can bring more (it's an annual tradition!)

This past weekend, we took on a corner of our living room. (while I like to "keep it real", please keep in mind that it doesn't usually look this bad. A friend had just left.)

These bins have been there since he was in preschool with the pictures to show what goes in each. (he's now 9!!) Unfortunately most of the toys have been there that long too! lol

It took us almost two hours but we went through each (completely full) bin and we ended up with three grocery plastic bags to go to Goodwill, 2 bags for consignment, and one of garbage!
He wanted to re-do the pictures on the front of the bin so we did that too. We ended up with 3 empty bins so by default, they are for Legos as they are the current item that seems to be everywhere!

You Capture - Green

2011-10-01T20:57:00.004-04:00

I'm a couple of days late posting these but since I took them I wanted to get them posted!!!

The theme this week is Green.

You Capture-Industrial

2011-09-22T05:53:00.000-04:00

This week's theme is Industrial.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T05:51:00.002-04:00

Daybook

2011-09-18T20:52:00.007-04:00

For today...Tuesday, September 20, 2011

On My Mind..I haven't done this in awhile so I thought it might be fun to do!

Outside My Window... it's that time of year when it's cold in the morning but warmer during the day so it's hard to know what to wear!...rain for the next couple of days.

What We're Reading...recently, I finished Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl and have just started Roots by Alex Haley...Tucker and I are reading The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More Stories by Roald Dahl...he's reading The Dog Called Kitty (on his own) and Island of Blue Dolphins in school (with his class)

What We're Listening to...I'm almost done with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and will be starting A Clockwork Orange next.

What We're Watching...so excited that all the new shows are on...watching Survivor (almost considered not watching this season due to Coach); DWTS (liked Chynna, JR, and Ricki; glad to see Derek back); taped The Sing-Off and watched Two and A Half Men (really didn't think it lived up to all the hype though)...will probably watch Glee and DWTS at the same time tonight...looking forward to The Big Bang Theory and Pan Am and The Amazing Race.

I am Hoping...to someday sleep beyond 4:30 am!

In the Kitchen....another busy week so nothing spectacular other than a roast in the crockpot...I did make a banana apple bread on Saturday.

Around the House...laundry needs to be folded and more to be done...dishes need to be done (keeping it real)...definitely needs some picking up!

Coming Up This Week...soccer practices tonight and Thurs...scrapbooking with my mom on Sunday.

Picture Thought...
This picture is from Tucker's open House at this school last week....I still can't believe I have a 4th grader!

You Capture - Apples

2011-09-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

This week's theme is Apples.

Once again, this is great timing as we had planned to go apple-picking last weekend!

(Sorry for the mishmash-I couldn't get the pictures to line up like I wanted!)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T22:03:00.002-04:00

We Will Never Forget....

2011-09-11T08:25:00.000-04:00

I've heard people say that the bombing of the World Trade Center is the "where were you when JFK was shot?" of my generation and I think that may be true. It is probably the single most tragic event that has happened in my lifetime.

I'm not any different in this respect. I remember where I was, what I was doing like it was yesterday, not 10 years ago. I was 12 weeks pregnant with Tucker and working in a nursing home in Mystic. I was in my office when I heard one of the nurse's aides say "someone hit the world trade center!" and we all went rushing into one of the resident's rooms to watch it on TV. There was a lot of confusion about whether someone could just hit that building by mistake or whether they did it on purpose...then the second plane hit and all doubt was erased. And it got really quiet in the room (there were probably about 8 of us in there). I remember placing my hand on my stomach wondering what kind of world I was bringing a child into.

Not much work got done that morning, or for that matter, that day as we wandered around "did you hear?" was heard throughout the hallways. I called my husband who worked in a liquor store across the street at the time and he had already heard. I remember one of the nurse's aides, Ellie, had gone into the city for the day and her sister who also worked at the facility was in a panic. She didn't have a cell phone and we had to wait for her to somehow contact someone in her family.

I remember the Pentagon getting hit and thinking, as the newsman announced it, that they better be sure it was really the planes and not construction. I remember the look on the president's face as he got the news as he was reading to a group of schoolchildren. I remember watching the first tower fall and then a voice of horror yelling "the second tower's falling" and running into the room to watch, teary-eyed and horrified by what I was seeing.

So do I think it is equivalent to JFK being shot in terms of its' effect on my generation. Without a doubt. We sincerely mean it when we say "we will never forget".

You Capture - Back-to-school

2011-09-09T03:00:00.000-04:00

This week's theme is Back-to-School, which of course, is perfect timing as school was delayed a week due to Hurricane Irene!

Due to rain, we couldn't take our usual pictures by the flowers so we had to settle for him sitting on our couch!

Once we got to school, he had a great time seeing everyone after the long summer break! I thought these came out good so I wanted to include them!

Here he poses with his friend Gavin
His friend Andrew
And my favorite one: with Devin and Mason. The fact they all made different faces cracked me up!

Tropical Storm Irene

2011-09-07T21:21:00.004-04:00

We recently survived Tropical Storm Irene, downgraded from a hurricane! Our part of the state got mostly wind while the northern section got mostly rain. We lost our power Saturday the 27th into Sunday the 28th. We did not have power until Sunday the 4th at 4pm. We spent a lot of time playing Rummy (Tucker is now quite the cards shark) and reading and were in bed by dark (8 pm), usually listening to a Yankees game.

We mostly had a lot of downed branches...

Tucker couldn't wait to get out and take this branch down. He struggled and struggled with it until we realized it was actually driven into the ground 6 inches! Crazy!
This would be why we were without power for so long! About a mile down the street , this tree took down a transformer! It ended up leaking PCP and that meant the DEP had to get involved and come test everything and scrub the road!

For more of what I learned during this week, go here.

What I learned this week

2011-09-07T21:06:00.002-04:00

Julie from From Inmates to Playdates sponsors this weekly event so we can tell everyone what we've learned this week-whether it be one thing or many, serious or not-so-serious.

This is my first time participating though I have been meaning to because I am always learning something!

My list this weeks is inspired by having survived a week with no power after Tropical Storm Irene reeked havoc in our area over a week ago!

In no particular order:

~ When you take a shower at the high school on the way to work, you should make sure there is a lip on the shower stall before you put your clothes, etc. on the floor or everything will be soaked and you will have to drive home in wet clothes to change, making you late for work.

~ The same goes for putting a book on the floor with said clothes. thankfully it was one of our own and not a library book!

~ I can re-thread the wick on a hurricane lamp with the light from a flashlight.

~ As much as I like to think I am a "go-with the-flow" kind of person, I am NOT!

~ It is much easier to manage without electricity than water.

~ The longest I can stand to go without washing my hair is 2 days.

~ I need to re-think my idea of camping while traveling unless it involves a camper or RV.

~ My husband is a lot more resilient than I am.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T05:52:00.003-04:00

This is my first time participating! To see more Wordless Wednesday, go here.

Soccer Tournament

2011-09-05T21:23:00.004-04:00

I realize I still need to post the pictures and our story of surviving Tropical Storm Irene and the resulting week without electricity but that is for another night....

Tucker had a two-day soccer tournament this weekend. He scored the first goal of the game and then two more of the total 8 goals that were scored in the two games yesterday! He definitely did an amazing job and worked hard on both offense and defense. They won both games yesterday and unfortunately lost both games today but it was a great experience and they all had a great time!

These are a variety of pictures over the course of the four games they played, in no particular order....

Coach Gary gives some last minute advice before they take the field...
Tucker's friend Robbie did an awesome job in the games (that's him on the left)
Hanging out on the sidelines.... (Tucker's the one in the top right)
Robbie, Tucker, Andrew, and Robbie discuss strategy before the game starts
Chasing down the ball

Coach gives some pointers to Tucker and Robbie who pretty much run the field when they are out there....

I liked this picture of Tucker and Robbie....

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T06:10:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone enjoys a relaxing Labor Day!

Vacation-Days 5 : Aquarium

2011-08-26T07:18:00.000-04:00

The last time we went to Mystic Aquarium, we took a picture of me and Tucker in front of this same statue and he was still in a stroller! So we were long over- do for a visit!

This outside area starts with the belugas (we couldn't see any, they stayed under the water and sea lions.

Then we headed to one of my favorite area-the African penguins! Yes you read that correctly!

They were all out sunning themselves as they had just been fed so their tummies were full and they were happy!

After the penguins, you follow a wooden walkway through a marsh type area into the aquarium. We found many frogs and also this cool looking turtle:

We then headed into the actual aquarium-it wasn't really crowded so we got to really check everything out! They have special exhibits and this one featured many different kinds of jelly fish-I don't think I realized how many different kinds and colors they are! I loved the color of this one and it really is this big-I didn't zoom in! there were also some that were smaller than an 1 inch-incredible!

There's something about sting rays that I find soothing and peaceful...I know they can be dangerous and Steve Irwin died after being stung and all but they just float so easily and smoothly...

We also watched the seal show and it's amazing all the tricks they know how to do!

We headed outside then to check out the remote controlled boats (next picture). This is one of the vehicles used by Robert Ballard (the man who "found" the Titanic) to explore the ocean. Inside the building is all kinds of displays of items and discoveries found in the ocean. There was also a cool presentation where you could actually talk to scientists who were in the Indian Ocean!

We had a great time and hope to go back again soon!

Vacation-Days 3 and 4: Bowling, Splashpad, and Speedbowl

2011-08-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

We started our day off by heading to a pizza place and then we were going to go to aquarium. Unfortunately, as you can see above, we had a change of plans. As we were pulling onto the highway, we were sideswiped by a tractor trailer who probably didn't even realize he hit him. We are feeling very thankful that we are all okay!

We ended up going bowling instead and had pizza there at the bowling alley.

Here Michael shows off his technique....

Michael won the first game...

Tucker and I enjoy the pizza...
I won the second game! woohoo!
Tucker shows off his technique...

That was all we had time for on Tuesday because Tucker had soccer practice!

On Wednesday, we headed to the nearby dinosaur splashpad and brought tucker's friend William...

they played in the water...

walking to the maze and trails...(there's something about this picture that I love!)

they played on the playground...

they hiked the dinosaur trails and posed with the dinosaurs...

There's a volcano there that erupts every hour....it's pretty cool!

We had ice cream to end our fun there-they have really good ice cream there!

Wednesday night we went to the local Speedway for their Wild and Wacky Wednesday. We met Tucker's friend Andrew and his parents there. Trust me, Tucker is having fun!

Happy Birthday, Michael!

2011-08-23T20:40:00.003-04:00

Today is Michael's 43rd birthday! (my favorite time of the year-when he's 2 years older than me until my birthday in January! I like to call him much older than me!)

We went out to lunch on Sunday so we had oce cream cake after soccer practice tonight!

Tucker got him a Robinson Cano shirt!

Happy birthday, sweetie!

Lunch and a Baseball Game

2011-08-22T21:08:00.006-04:00

We had a fun family day planned yesterday! We headed to Red Robin to celebrate Michael's birthday (a couple of days early-his birthday is actually tomorrow). He had never eaten there and I knew he would love and he did!

This was my lunch-so huge and so delicious!!!!

Next we were off to see the New Britain Rock cats, the Double AA affiliate for the Minnesota Twins. We were supposed to go back in June with the Little League but it got rained out.

Tucker and Michael show off the program

the mascots arrived by bus...
Tucker got a "claw" and we had a good time with it!

the players take the field

we were under a severe thunderstorm watch and the clouds came in along with the thunder and the rain. The game never stopped and the place cleared out so we had the section to ourselves!

We also checked out the "fan zone" where they had a bouncy obstacle course and baseball game to play!

The Rock cats ended up winning 8-4! It was a great day and despite it being an hour away, I think we may go back there next year for a few games despite having a local affiliate 20 mins away! It was a really nice stadium and we had a blast!

Vacation-Days 1 and 2: CocoKeys

2011-08-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

To start of our vacation, we headed to Coco Key Resort, an indoor water park in Waterbury. They have great package deals where you got the hotel for one night but the water park for the two days you are there! when we asked Tucker who he wanted to bring, he said "Cassandra" (our niece) so we dragged her along for the fun!!!

There's a giant bucket that fills up with water and then tips over-----sending water everywhere~

They had a great lazy river that you just float around on on these inner tubes! Here, Michael, Cassandra, and Tucker enjoy it!

There was water basketball which Tucker enjoyed playing with Cassandra....

Of course, the big hit was the water slides...you had to climb like 4 stories to get to them but boy were they fun! even though we didin't get a picture of me, I did do the water slide a few times!

Going up....

There was also a survivor type of rope course that only Tucker could do! Seriously, he whipped across there so fast it was hard to catch him on camera!

I even gave it a shot and ....didn't make it far! )it's a lot harder than it looks)

Cassandra gives it a shot... (with Tucker looking on)
Oops-she's going in (Tucker's dancing around the pole now!)
Michael gave it a shot and made it acorss but not as fast as Tucker!

There was also an arcade that we checked out----Tucker won 400 tickets on the Deal or No Deal game!

Having fun, racing against Daddy....

And Cassandra....

After dinner we relaxed in the hotel room.....

All of the rooms opened onto this great courtyard....

We also spent some time in the hotel pool (beacause apparently we 7 hours in the water park wasn't enough!) We left the next morning before lunch right after the 3 buses of kids rolled in and the place got crazy! All in all, I would say we had a good time!

Cassandra, Tucker, and Michael

A family shot (we took a couple of these and they all came out blurry!)

Daybook

2011-08-15T20:52:00.004-04:00

For today...Monday, August 15, 2011

On My Mind..I really need to get back into blogging...we've been back from vacation for a week no and I still have to post about it...Tucker and I got hooked into an "extreme Couponing" marathon on TLC yesterday and while it was fascinating, I also wondered how realistic it is. Seriously I like to get things cheap and/or free as much as the next person, but do you really need to get 93 bags of croutons just because they are free?!

Outside My Window..it has finally stopped raining! ... and it has cooled off!

What We're Reading...recently, I finished The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory and The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier and just started Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene...Tucker has been reading Matt Christopher and Encyclopedia Books this summer as well as some Magic School Bus books my mom's neighbor gave him.

What We're Listening to...I just finished Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares and while I wasn't thrilled with it, it ended pretty well...I'm now listening to Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult...Tucker and I listened to Tuck Everlasting and we both really enjoyed it.

What We're Watching...as I mentioned, Tucker and I enjoyed Extreme Couponing yesterday...happy with SYTYCD results...still watching reruns of Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory...anything on Nick, particularly iCarly and Victorious...just watched The Outsiders on Netflix and can't believed I never saw it before!

I am Hoping...to sleep better tonight

In the Kitchen....chicken pot pie, fish, chicken

Around the House...dishes are done...laundry is all done, just waiting to be folded!

Coming Up This Week...soccer practices Tues and Thurs...he has a friend's birthday party on Sat...New Britain Rock Cats baseball game on Sun.

Picture Thought...
Tucker had a soccer tournament this weekend (unfortunately they only played one day; it got rained out on Sunday!). Here Tucker leads the way down the field!

Posted by Cindy at 6:29 PM

Soccer Camp

2011-07-27T21:02:00.006-04:00

Tucker took part in soccer camp last week sponsored by United Kingdom International Soccer Camps and not only did he learn a lot but he had so much fun! (I realized that after I loaded the pictures that they are actually in reverse, but I'm going to restrain the OCD part of me and do this as is!)

So anyway, the camp was run by professional players from England. We actually had two coaches: Prince (seen in later pictures) was the coach all week and we was amazing and a personality like Wayne Brady! Seriously, he was so much fun and great with the kids.

The pictures that I have first are from the Striker Clinic which took place on Saturday morning for three hours. Tucker worked with Oliver and some of the other kids and learned how to score better. In the above picture, he tries to make a goal against Casey. Below he takes a shot against the goalie coach Ian.

In these next pictures he works on some defensive/offensive moves. first against, the coach Oliver:
Next working defense against Greta
Getting some instruction
Learning a new trick

These next ones are from the week-long soccer camp. Keep in mind that this camp took place during the heatwave our area was hit by and these kids were real troopers and worked hard out there on the field. (they did take plenty of water breaks!)

Here the kids get instructions from Prince (yes that is his real name!)
Going one-on-one with Prince

Trying some offensive moves on his friend Mason
Dribbling down the field
Strutting his stuff on the field (the tall girl is Marguerite-she was on his indoor team)

Getting more instructions

Taking a much deserved water and rest break on one of the hotter days

They were playing some kind of keep-away game and having a great time doing it!

Warming up

Warming up and learning some drills

I didn't take him the last night (my mom did) and apparently, it was quite a practice, ending in a gigantic water gun battle! My mom got some great pictures and I;ll share some of them when I get them!

This was the first year we did this camp and we will definitely be doing it in the years to come!

Project 64 - Sea Green

2011-07-12T20:22:00.005-04:00

This week's color....sea green!!!!

This one was really hard to find. I finally found it.... on the top of the town hall and a bridge in the town I work in!

You Capture - Patriotism

2011-07-07T21:21:00.003-04:00

This week's theme was....patriotism!!!!

And what's more patriotic than a 4th of July parade?

Project 64: Red

2011-07-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

This week's color is...Red!!!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T03:00:00.000-04:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July!!

You Capture - Water

2011-07-02T20:19:00.003-04:00

Something else I haven't been keeping up with so even though I'm a few days late posting this, I still wanted to get it tin!

This week's theme is...Water!!!!

I was excited because we had a trip planned to our local splash pad! *the third picture is my son tucker with my friend's 4 yo son, Caleb

what we've been doing....

2011-07-02T18:55:00.018-04:00

I haven't been on my blog in a few weeks and I finally now have the chance to catch up! We have been really busy with baseball, end-of-the-year school activities, and family parties. I like to keep things up to date because it does come in handy when I go to scrapbook everything....

Warning: this will be a long one with a lot of pictures.

Once again Michael and I volunteered to help at Tucker's Field Day (actually, he ran the game and I followed Tucker's class around with the camera!) They did a lot of fun things from getting dizzy kneeling over a baseball bat and then having to run to memory games involving geometric patterns to the expected water games, which the kids love the best!. It was a really great day and actually not as hot as past field days have been!

Father's Day----Tucker gave Michael a new Star Wars shirt, and I got him a new Wii game. Tucker made a speical puzzle for him at school! We also had fun celebrating with our family who came down for the day.

The last day of school was finally here and as not ready as I am, I now have a 4th grader. These are pictures of Mr. Newton, Tucker's principal who is leaving to take a position with another school system. There's also a picture of him with his 3rd grade teacher, Miss Malinick, I love how he's standing so straight! Tucker spent a lot of time playing tug-of-war and was covered in dirt and grass stains! The last picture is with Maddie and Freddie, the three of them have been good friends since kindergarten! when I tried to line them up, tucker asked "how many pictures do you already have of us" I replied with "well I don't have one from your last day of being third graders"

I decided to take Tucker to the beach to celebrate being a big 4th grader. We ended up seeing Freddie and Maddie there with Freddie's parents! The three of them had a great time running around in the water and digging in the sand. And of course, I had to get a picture of the three of them at the beach!

Baseball season was over and Tucker made the Minors All-Stars team; 4 players from each team played in a game for the managers of the Majors. In the first picture- L-R: Alex, Dylan, Tucker, and Justin. And then Tucker at bat and playing first position!

We had an end-of-the-season baseball/pool party at the home of one of the coaches. With everyone's busy schedules, only 4 of the boys came but we still had a great time. We gave out trophies and a certificates (a serious and a fun one). Tucker's were: First Triple of the season and Most Likely to be Thrown out of a Game for Arguing with the Umpire (which we are not encouraging but he is such a black and white kid; everyone definitely appreciated him getting that award!)

Last Sunday was a busy day for us---our nephew Bobby graduated from high school and we also went to my cousin's daughter Libby's 7th birthday party! (To give you some perspective on how long Michael and I have been together, Bobby was born in the first year we were together!) Tucker had a great time playing with all his cousins, particularly going after Bobby with the water balloons!

Then it was on to Libby's birthday party-her two year old twin brother/sister had a great time discovering the fun of the slip and slide, Tucker helped out with the bubbles, my cousin Tim made a HUGE butterfly cake that was delicious (I think we only ate a quarter of the wing!)

And finally, my friend Dawn is visiting with her son Caleb who is now 4! The first picture is of him opening his birthday present from us and the rest are at the dinosaur park/splash pad! Caleb inststed on holding Tucker's hand whenever he could-it was really cute-I didn't get a picture of it though!)

So that is everything we've been doing!!!! Hopefully I can keep up going forward---

Project 64: Goldenrod

2011-07-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

I need to get back into this...I haven't participated in weeks!!!

This week's color is Goldenrod....

Here's where I found it:

The color of our cats' eyes (l-r Shrek, Fiona)

A mural at a museum

Third Grade Play

2011-06-14T21:32:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Tucker's third grade play, "Character Matters". It's the first time the third grade has ever done a play and they did an awesome job!

Tucker, of course, did not have a speaking part but sang in the chorus. The play featured fairy tale characters presenting their issues before the Fairy Tale Council-their issues ranged from the The Three Bears complaining that Goldilocks should be charged with breaking and entering to Little Red Riding Hood being upset with the wolf for eating her grandmother and then dressing up as her. In between there were songs about honesty, kindness, all the good traits we want to see in our children.

Relay for Life

2011-06-05T20:36:00.005-04:00

Tucker and I walked in the annual Relay for Life near my mom's yesterday. It's usually held in October but they have moved it to June. Here is our "team" (my mom and Tucker are in front and I'm all the way to right in the back row)

My dad started walking with my mom's friend Laura (a 14 year breast Cancer survivor) after his first surgery in 2001. He walked in 2002 and 2003 and then was in the hospital in 2004, passing away 2 weeks after. Tucker has walked with Laura in some way since my dad's passing (I pushed him in the stroller in 2004) so he was ready to do the survivor lap this year in memory of my dad. He wanted me to walk with him so I did!

The last picture is me and Jamie, the nurse of the rehab unit where I work. She was diagnosed last July with breast cancer and came back to work in mid-January. She's going out in a few weeks for some more surgery. She's an amazing nurse and and even more amazing person!

We gathered for a group picture with Laura, Janice , and Sue

They line the track with luminaries for a night ceremony. You can purchase the bags and a survivor's name, a person who has died, etc. They started out in alphabetical order so we found my grandmother and uncle's in the afternoon. When we came back (with Tucker sporting less hair), my dad's was there so they posed with one too.

Last year was the first year Tucker and I had ever gone to see the Luminaria and wanted to go back this year. This year we stayed for the entire ceremony. It conisted of the names being shown on a screen and people telling stories about how cancer has affected their lives. Then there was three laps done in complete silence to the playing of bagpipes and a moment of silence. It was quite moving.

On a lighter note, Tucker entered the basket raffles and won this beach-themed basket. Here he is checking it out at my mom's this morning.

Daybook

2011-05-30T18:29:00.005-04:00

For today...Monday, May 30, 2011

On My Mind..wondering why I don't listen to my dentist: almost a year ago, she told me that a couple of my teeth may need root canals and referred me to a specialist. Of course, I didn't follow through because I'm too cheap. Well now one of those teeth have broke in half and I am in PAIN. (By the way, this happened with another tooth a few years ago but it was the last tooth so it was no big deal and only cost me $29 to remove vs the $450 for the root canal). Hopefully now I've learned my lesson.

Outside My Window..it is H.O.T. Somehow we skipped over Spring here in New England and have gone straight to summer.

What We're Reading...Since I last did a Daybook, I have been busy! I finished The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Catching Fire and Mockingjay (if you get a chance to read this trilogy, you definitely should!), Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and am now reading Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt...Tucker finished Heat, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and has a new Magic Tree House to read (can't think of the name, but it was actually one he hasn't read yet!); in school they're finishing up Saving Shiloh.

What We're Listening to...I finished Secrets of Eden and have also listened to The Nobobies Album and The Glass Castle. I'm now listening to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

What We're Watching...I was happy with the results of all the reality shows (except maybe Kirstie coming in second but I'm moving on!)...now enjoying the audition of SYTYCD, probably my favorite of the reality shows!...getting back into Big Bang Theory, started watching Mike and Molly, re-runs of Two and a Half Men, the usual Nick shows. I also became entranced by My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on TLC this weekend.

I am hoping...to get some sleep tonight amidst all the tooth pain!

In the Kitchen...hot dogs/hamburgers tonight, chicken pot pie, and not sure what else.

Around the House...dishes are done...laundry in the dryer, more to be folded and washed!

Coming Up This Week...baseball games tomorrow and Friday nights...baseball practice on Thurs night...Relay for Life on Sat.

Picture Thought...Tucker and I at the Memorial Day parade today (enjoying our ice cream from Dairy Queen!)

You Capture - Pretty

2011-05-26T21:39:00.004-04:00

This week's theme is Pretty.

I was at Lowe's and couldn't help noticing all the pretty flowers!

This is our cat, Fiona. I usually call her "Pretty Girl" which I think is pretty accurate!

Daybook

2011-05-10T21:20:00.002-04:00

For today...Monday, May 9, 2011

On My Mind...With three posts done, I think I caught up on my blogging! Now I have to catch up on my book reviews for the challenges but that's for another night!!!

Outside My window..finally feels like Spring is here!

What We're Reading...Since I last did this 2 weeks ago, I have finished Little Women and The Hunger Games. I enjoyed Little Women but wasn't really happy with the end and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire...I'm now reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and really enjoying it...Tucker finished Free Baseball and we're now reading Heat by Mike Lupica.

What We're Listening to...I finished Every Last One by Anna Quindlen and am now almost done with Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian.

What We're Watching...DWTS: glad to see Kendra go but still would like to see Kirstie go...Amazing Race: was happy with the ending, I liked all of the last 3 teams so I would have been happy if any of them won!...Survivor: not really sure; didn't really like any other tribe that's left. Maybe Rob?....American Idol: it was time for Jacob to go, now maybe Haley is next. Still liking Scotty and James.

I am hoping...to catch up on my sleep sometime!

In the Kitchen...chicken in the crockpot tonight, homemade pizza, not sure what else-we'll be on the run. Maybe I'll make a ziti again.

Around the House...dishwasher is running...clothes waiting to be folded, another load to be washed...not too bad upstairs but could use some attention down here-probably because we spend most of our time down here!

Coming Up This Week...baseball games tomorrow night, Friday (make-up) and Saturday...baseball practice Thursday night...soccer travel team try-outs Sat morning...New Britain Rock Cats (double AA team for Minnesota Twin) game on Sunday (it was a fundraiser for Little League).

A Picture Thought
For some reason, it's not letting paste the picture I want to....so no picture thought this week!

Celebrating Mother's Day

2011-05-09T20:34:00.008-04:00

I woke up yesterday morning to presents from my favorite guys!!
Tucker made a book that he illustrated. Michael gave me the new Betty White autobiography-love her!

We were then off to my mother-in-law's and despite the clouds, we were determined to have a cookout and be outside to enjoy it! Michael grilled the steaks for us (with some advice from Eric) and my mom and Eileen enjoyed pina coladas.

Eileen made corn on the cob and macaroni salad to make it a true cookout/picnic!

Opening our gifts! My mom gave me a picture collage my dad had made of me from when I was little. It's hung in her dining room for as long as I can remember.

Cassandra gave Eileen a rose bush and Tucker painted flower pots that we added flowers to and they were a big hit!

A nice picture of Cassandra and Eric, Tucker only seems to smile when he's with Eric, and a group shot!

Next it was time to celebrate Doreen's birthday (which was actually yesterday!)

Yankee Stadium

2011-05-09T19:48:00.006-04:00

I'm finally getting around to posting the pictures from the Yankees game on May 1st. We were given tickets from the Budweiser rep through Michael's job. We brought Tucker's friend Robbie who loves baseball almost as much as Tucker!

Here they are in the train station in New Haven-it was Robbie's first time on a train!

I tried to get some pictures of them on the train. Being the silly boys that they are, they kept goofing around but I did finally get a nice one!

Heading down to the Subway...and on the subway (also a first for Robbie!)

We made it to Yankee Stadium!!! This was Tucker's 3rd time in three years and I have never been (not even to the old stadium!) Michael posed with boys; I think he was more excited than they were! I bought them the Yankees fingers and they had a good time with them (they were light sabers, guitars, and machine guns!!!)

We got there before the gates opened (of course, we had to be first in line!) and watched batting practice!! Robbie even caught a flyball!!!! We had excellent seats-on the 3rd base line.

During the 3rd inning we went to the Yankees museum where there were great items such as Babe Ruth's uniform and balls signed by all the Yankee players (the "ball wall"), which was really cool to look at! Tucker and Robbie posed with this catcher statue.

We had excellent seats, as a I mentioned, and we were able to get some good shots of Derek Jeter (with a zoom, but good shots, nonetheless!!!) And lastly, Michael and Tucker pose together. (once again we forgot to take pictures of me! I was in the picture taken at the stadium which I still have to order.)

All in all, it was an amazing day and I'm so glad we were able to do it!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T21:37:00.003-04:00

I don't feel up to doing a lengthy post tonight but just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day!

I will share this one picture of me and Tucker this morning! I am so proud and honestly blessed to be the mother of this amazing little boy!

I promise there are more pictures to follow!

You Capture-Outdoors

2011-05-04T21:02:00.004-04:00

This week's theme is "outdoors" and with all the nice weather we have been getting outside alot lately!

I'm not sure why, maybe all the snow we had this past winter, but I am loving all the trees this spring!

My cats, Shrek and Fiona, love to look out the window

when it's not raining, we have baseball practice!

Daybook

2011-04-26T20:21:00.003-04:00

For today...Tuesday, April 26, 2011

On My Mind..my grandmother died 11 years ago today. I can't believe she never met Tucker ans my cousin's children. I think of her so often and miss her cooking...it's also 11 years since we put the deposit on the house which normally I might not remember except that my mom called me at the realtor's to tell my grandmother had dies so now the two go together in my memory.

Outside My window..our first real Spring-like day! GORGEOUS!

What We're Reading...halfway through Little Women and also finished Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua (in 2 days!!!) I will definitely be writing a post about it because even a week later, I'm still mulling it over!!......Tucker didn't read as much as I would have liked during break; he's now reading Free Baseball with us and BFG in school

What We're Listening to...I finished While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty and started Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

What We're Watching...DWTS: still thinking Kirstie needs to go and maybe Kendra; still liking Ralph and Hines...Amazing Race: Sad to see the cowboys go; not really sure who I'm rooting for now. I guess anyone but Vyxin and what's-his-name...Survivor: still thinking Phillip needs to go! Liking Steve but don't think he'll make it....American Idol: thinking Haley needs to go and like James and Scotty...also watching Undercover Boss, Glee, Storage Wars, American Pickers, and anything on Nick...Tucker was also treated again to another movie when he was at my mom's: this time they saw Hop.

I am hoping...to catch up on my sleep sometime!

In the Kitchen...chicken pot pie tonight, ham steaks tomorrow, pancakes, not sure what else

Around the House...needs some attention down here in the family room...dishes are done...Easter candy still on the dining room table-there's so much of it!

Coming Up This Week...baseball games tomorrow night and Saturday...baseball practice Thursday night...Easter egg hunt at the Dinosaur park Saturday (it was rained out on Sat)...Tucker's friend Robby is staying over Sat night...YANKEES GAME ON SUNDAY!!!!

A Picture Thought...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:18:00.006-04:00

We had a busy Easter! We of course started the day with tucker finding Easter eggs at our house! The "bunny" did a great job of hiding them this year!

He also found his Easter basket (under the table) and Shrek helped him check out all the cool stuff (legos, and matchboxes mostly)

The bunny even brought baskets for Shrek and Fiona with treats and a toy each. tucker shows Shrek his basket

Then we moved on to my mother-in-law's where that sneaky bunny also hides eggs this year- with Tucker getting older, they were a little trickier to find this year! We always take a picture of Tucker with Doreen and Cassandra after the eggs are all found! He opened all his plastic eggs which contained skittles and tootsie rolls, 2 of his favorites!

Eileen and Dorren made a yummy Easter dinner for all of us. Michael takes the cork out of the wine bottle and 2 group shots.

The usual holiday shot of my mom and Eileen enjoying a glass of wine and the cute Easter cake! (Doreen added the jelly beans around the edge-which made it even cuter!)

Project 64 - Magenta

2011-04-19T20:34:00.002-04:00

Over at Project 64, this week's color is Magenta.

I really like the way the buds on this tree look against the blue sky.

Daybook

2011-04-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

For today...Tuesday, April 19, 2011

On My Mind..my car is finally fixed and my mom's friend did a GREAT job! I ended up with a new-to-me hood. I haven't taken a picture yet because it was raining this afternoon when I got out of work.

Outside My window...still raining; it held off for most of the day and then started raining when I got out of work.

What We're Reading...still reading Little Women and also read Shiloh Season, at the insistence of Tucker, this weekend...I also started Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua which I had on-hold at the library. I've been curious about it since there was so much controversy. I'm only 40 pages in and already thinking I may need to write a blog post about it because I have so many thoughts already!...Tucker finished A Crazy Day with Cobras and has some iCarly books we also got at the book fair that he will probably read next.

What We're Listening to...I started While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty about a week ago and then my mom had my car so her friend could work on the hood and her car does not have a CD (it's a 2000 and it must have been the last year or so for cassette players because my car is a 2002 and it has a CD)...I dug out some of my cassettes that I couldn't bear to part with (including some Julie and I made) and so have been transported back in time to the 80s!!!

What We're Watching...DWTS: Sad to see Sugar Ray go, there was something about him I liked! Now I'm thinking Kirstie needs to go...Still liking Ralph and Hines...Amazing Race: Glad to see the Asian dad and daughter go and still rooting for the cowboys...Survivor: still don't have a clear favorite but Phillip needs to go!...American Idol: thinking Haley needs to go and like James and Scotty...also watching Undercover Boss, Glee, Storage Wars, American Pickers, and anything on Nick...Tucker was also treated (is that a word?!?) to Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules by my mom (she wanted to do something special for him because she was away on his birthday!)

I am hoping...to catch up on my sleep sometime!

In the Kitchen...chicken bruschetta, grinders, crunchy onion chicken, not sure what else.

Around the House...

Coming Up This Week...baseball games Thursday and Friday nights...Tucker's on vacation from school this week. He'll be at Angela's tomorrow, with Michael on Thursday and at my mom's on Friday...Tucker's sleeping over my mom's Friday night...spending the day with my friend Joan on Saturday...celebrating Easter (including an Easter Egg Hunt) at my mother-in-law's.

A Picture Thought...
I Never got around to posting the pictures from Tucker's birthday party at Chuck E.Cheese; I may still! Here's one of him and Chuck E!

Just another day in the mud!!!!!

2011-04-17T21:12:00.004-04:00

We had a lot of rain overnight which flooded Tucker's construction site! He loves when this happens and has to get right out there to play in it and move it around. He keeps busy building moats, retaining walls, and such. (his words)

We desperately need to replace the boards that go around the edge of the construction site and Tucker discovered a leak by one of the corners...Here he checks it out and determines what needs to be done....

More shots of digging in the mud/water!

Daybook

2011-04-12T21:15:00.003-04:00

For today...Tuesday, April 12, 2011

On My Mind..I know I haven't been on here in awhile and there's really no reason, although last week was crazy-busier than usual!

Outside My window...rain, rain, and rain but at least it's in the 60s during the day now. So it's a warm rain!

What We're Reading...I can't remember what I was reading the last time I did this but I can tell you that recently I finished Shiloh,The Bluest Eye and Journey to the Center of the Earth and I'm now reading Little Women...Tucker's been reading Encyclopedia Brown the last two weeks and now reading a new Magic Treehouse book A Crazy Day with Cobras that he got at the book fair...in school he finished the second Shiloh book and they are now reading BFG.

What We're Listening to...just finished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and also Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (combined the two were about 3 hrs long, which is only 2 days of my commute)...tonight I got While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty from the library.

I am hoping...that my ears stop hurting! My allergies are still in full swing and I go the doctor thrusday to get my ears checked out.

In the Kitchen...I made two big pans of Baked Ziti on Sunday because it's a busy week and that's what we're having as we run in and out!!!

Around the House...most of the laundry is washed and folded (impressive, huh?), one more load in the dryer and one more to be washed!...need to get the rest of the Easter decorations up.

Coming Up This Week...PTO meeting tomorrow night...baseball practice Thurs...Tucker's going to my mom's Friday (it's another 1/2 day and I'm going out with my friends Betty and Charlotte to dinner and the Christmas Tree Shop).

Some Picture Thoughts...I don't think I mentioned this, but on our way home the night before Tucker's birthday, we hit a deer! We're both okay (unfortunately the deer was not). My car had some damage but is drivable. One of my mom's friend's (who is a mechanic) is going
to try to fix it for us on Thursday.

You Capture - Fun

2011-04-07T21:18:00.005-04:00

I was excited when I saw this week's theme was "fun" because I knew we were headed to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Tucker's birthday (where it's fun for the kids!)

Project 64 - Spring Green

2011-04-07T21:00:00.004-04:00

This week's Project 64 color is Spring Green.....

Tucker is 9!!!!

2011-04-03T07:11:00.007-04:00

I'm not sure how it happened, but Tucker is 9 years old today!!!!

Yesterday we made cupcakes for him to bring to daycare on Monday! We haven't baked in a long time and so much fun I think we may start doing it more!!!

Back to this morning--we sang to him and he blew out his candle (on a cupcake of course) and then opened his presents from me and Michael: two DS games and the Bat Castle he's has wanted for awhile!

We headed to Chuck E. Cheese later this morning to celebrate with his friends/family!

Celebrating My Birthday

2011-03-27T21:01:00.005-04:00

With all the crazy snowstorms through the winter, we missed celebrating my birthday, so we finally got together today. We did hit a minor snag...the UConn women were playing their Sweet Sixteen games so we got pizzas and settled in front of the TV at my mom's to watch the
nail-biter of a game!

After we made it through the game and were assured the girls made it to the Elite Eight, we got down to business and brought out the cake!

Of course, Tucker had to help me blow out the candles....

I got a lot of great things...a new shirt, a Rascal Flatts CD, a Sara Evans CD, and Wii Dance on Broadway!

It was a fun day and made even better by the girls winning! Go UConn!!!

Daybook

2011-03-23T09:26:00.004-04:00

For today...Wednesday, March 23, 2011

On My Mind...I have been sick since last week with bronchitis and an ear infection. Planning to return to work tomorrow.

Outside My window...the calendar says Spring but we are expecting snow.

What We're Reading...since I haven't done this in two weeks or so, I have finished a few books: Room by Emma Donoghue (if you haven't read this book yet, you need to get your hands on a copy. I waited for it for three months from the library and read it in two days!), Gathering Blue and Messenger both by Lois Lowry (I've been wanting to read these since I read The Giver. Definitely enjoyed them both very much), and The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok (for the Memorable Memoirs Challenge. This was about a woman who's mom is a paranoid schizophrenia and how that affects her and her sister. Very interesting book)...I'm now halfway through Little Bee by Chris Cleave and really enjoying it...with Tucker, we finished Danny the Champion of the World and Michael's now reading On the Field...with Derek Jeter with him...he''s just finished the Shiloh books in school and really liked them so I will be reading those soon.

What We're Listening to...finished The Kite Runner and really enjoyed it. I want to read more about this culture, I'm thinking of reading Running in Tehran...I'm now listening to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.

I am hoping...to feel better.

Quotable Quote...I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened ~ Mark Twain

In the Kitchen...not too much because I've been sick although I did make chicken pot pie and tonight I'm making French's onion chicken and trying Mari's Spaghetti Casserole tomorrow night.

Around the House...laundry to be folded and more to be washed...really needs some cleaning fairies to come over and help!!! lol

Coming Up This Week...my mom's watching Tucker on Friday afternoon (half day and my daycare's closed)...soccer game Fri night...Tucker's going over his friend William's Sat night...celebrating my birthday at my mom's on Sun (yes we're over two months late).

Some Picture Thoughts...

Last weekend it was in the 70s, Shrek and Fiona really enjoyed sitting in the open windows! Because we got them in the end of November, it was a whole new world for them!

Project 64- Scarlet

2011-03-22T12:34:00.005-04:00

I have been absent from Project 64 for many weeks but I am jumping right back in with my favorite color!

Scarlet!
(Or Red to us normal people! lol)

Happy First Day of Spring!

2011-03-20T10:32:00.002-04:00

After all the snow we had this winter, it seemed like Spring would never come! But here it is--the 1st Day of Spring! We've had some nice warm days to celebrate its arrival. Unfortunately, that means I have been sick, sick, sick! Probably worse than I have been in a few years.

In fact, I'm missing today's 1st Rounds of the NCAA Women's basketball tournament. (That means I am really sick) My mom and her friends bought the tickets for me and Tucker as a birthday present for him. So my niece Cassandra is going in my place; I'm sure they'll have fun!

Today would have also been my dad's 68th birthday. Happy birthday, Bubba! We think about you a lot and love and miss you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T19:11:00.002-04:00

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
~Irish Blessing

Daybook

2011-03-07T15:00:00.001-05:00

For today...Monday, March 7, 2011

On My Mind...I really need to blog more often! I'm pretty much down to just the Daybooks!...I
wasn't on Facebook a lot last week (for a variety of reasons) and I survived! Life does go on and I think I may start limiting my time on there because it really does suck you in and I could be so much more productive, I'm sure, without it! It's a work in progress!

Outside My window...cold and windy.

What We're Reading...Finished One of Ours by Willa Cather and really enjoyed it...Now reading Room by Emma Donoghue about a 5 yo boy who lives in one room with his Mom, who is a victim of a kidnapping. The story is from his perspective. I was on the waiting list for it for 3 mos and I have to say it is pretty good so far! I can't seem to put it down!...with Tucker, we finished Journal of James Edmund Pease and really enjoyed it. It was the journal of a Civil War Soldier and though it was fiction, was based on actual events and battles...we read The Pebble in my Pocket and The Pancake Boy and just started reading Danny, the Champion of the World, which I remember my 6th grade teacher reading to us and don't think I realized it it was written by Roald Dahl. I really liked it back then and I'm hoping Tucker likes it.

What We're Listening to...I'm almost done with The Kite Runner and I have to say that I definitely see what all the fuss was about. An amazing book...makes me want to read more about Afghanistan and that part of the world.

What We're Watching...Survivor-they finally got rid of right person and hopefully he loses at Redemption Island and it will be Bye Bye Russell!!!...Amazing Race-still rooting for the Cowboys, the Globetrotters, Margie and Luke...American Idol-I'm happy with all the choices, particularly for the boys and I think, other than Thia, I'm going for any of the guys...we went to see Rango this weekend and it was really cute! I love that Tucker giggled the whole time!

I am Hoping...to catch up on my sleep!

Quotable Quote...from my Mary Engelbreit calendar that Michael got me for Christmas: There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book ~ Marcel Proust

In the Kitchen...chicken pot pie, roast, spaghetti, probably McDonald's Tues because we'll all be on the run.

Around the House...dishwasher running...laundry in the dryer, more to be washed...St Patrick's Day decorations up...still could use more attention.

Coming Up This Week...a busy one!...PTO Expo in MA on Tues...PTO Meeting Tues night...baseball clinic Tues night...my cousin's twin's 2nd birthday party on Sat...soccer game Sat night.

No Picture Thought this week

Daybook

2011-03-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

For today...Wednesday, March 2, 2011 (Dr. Seuss Day)

On My Mind...Since I last posted, we did end up getting a new camera because there were just too many issues with the Nikon. I did get the Canon Power Shot and have been pretty happy with it so far...I realize I haven't been on here lately but I just haven't felt very motivated to say anything. Anyone else ever feel like that? I usually want to do my Daybook but somehow don't get to it on Monday and then it just gets later in the week (like this week) and I wonder "why bother?"

Outside My window...it's very windy...today was actually a nice day, the sun was out and it was one of those crisp winter days that are so great!

What We're Reading...I have given up on A Tale of Two Cities and moved on to One of Ours by Willa Cather. I am really enjoying it; I have never read anything by her and I may need to read some more by her!...I finished reading Fantastic Mr. Fox, which Tucker recommended after reading it with his class. I thought it was great!...with Tucker, we are finishing up The Journal of James Edmund Pease (the historical fiction book for his Reading Hall of Fame at school. Then he just needs to read two poems and two magazine articles and he'll be done!)

What we're Listening to...I'm finished with 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea and am now listening to The Kite Runner, which I have wanted to read for awhile.

What We're Watching...really enjoying American Idol this year and it's only just started! Although none of the girls I liked made it through and I like most of the guys!...Phillip needs to take a hike on Survivor and I've about had it with the gaggle of girls who follow Rob around...not sure who to root for on Amazing Race because I like so many of them! Glad the cowboys got it together because I am partial to them!...Also watching Undercover Boss, Glee, and Harry's Law...Of course, Tucker and I don't miss any Uconn women's games...still enjoying History and Discovery channels.

I am hoping...to catch up on my sleep soon!

In the Kitchen...ham steaks, chicken with risotto, not sure what else.

Around the house...laundry to be folded, more to be washed...Tucker told me not to clean this weekend "because all you ever do is clean the house"; I thought this was pretty funny because I don't and my house definitely needs all the help it can get!...I'm thinking it may be time for a good clean out. There are so many toys that Tucker doesn't even play with any more; it's convincing him we can get rid of them that's the problem!

Coming Up This Week...soccer game Friday night...tryouts for Majors on Sat (no we don't think he's quite ready but it will give him an idea of what is expected when he is ready. More than likely he'll remain in Minors.) ...going to see Rango either Sat or Sun (Tucker and I have been looking forward to this since we first saw the preview!)

A Picture Thought...It poured like nobody's business on Monday and I liked how the raindrops looked in the puddle!

You Capture-Things that Start with the Letter "L"

2011-02-24T20:08:00.002-05:00

Beth from I Should Be Folding Laundry sponsors this great weekly event to encourage us all to take pictures.

This week's theme was Things that Start with the Letter "L".

A Ladder in my mom's yard; the Light switch in Tucker's room, and a Lamp in my room

Daybook

2011-02-08T08:05:00.003-05:00

For today...Tuesday, February 8, 2011

On My Mind...looking to replace my camera after issues with the battery and now can't transfer pictures to the computer. Can't find the receipt and paid cash so Target won't take it back so I will use this one still because it works but am thinking of getting a Canon Power Shot or going back to a Kodak EasyShare; going to do some more research on it and hope to get something by the end of the week...please continue to keep our niece in your thoughts and prayers.

Outside My window...rain! Thankfully we got the rain part of this storm today so maybe some more snow can melt!

What we're Reading...I've been reading Oliver Twist and now that I've gotten somewhat used to the language, I think I'm actually following the story--lol......with Tucker, we finished From the Mixed-up Files and read Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Treasure Hunt, The Story of Snow, and Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad. Because I'm all about themes, we'll be reading about Abe Lincoln, the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and George Washington for the rest of the month.

What We're Listening to...I listened to Pippi Longstocking on the way to my friend Joan's yesterday and looking forward to starting Gingerbread Cookie Murder (a Christmas present from Joan) .

What we're Watching...not really keeping up with any shows other than American Idol..lately watching anything on History or Discovery; we especially enjoy American Pickers and Pawn Shop.

I am Hoping...the snow stays away-lol!!!!!...that my gyn gives the all-clear for me to return to work on Mon!

In the Kitchen...chicken and risotto tonight, pot roast, chicken and biscuits.

Around the House...clothes waiting to be folded and more to be washed...definitely needs some picking up!

Coming Up This Week...gastro MD f/u today...car to garage, f/u with gyn, and chiropractor tomorrow...family movie night at Tucker's school Fri night...Tucker's friend Andrew is sleeping over Sat.

A Picture Thought...I definitely need to put some updated pictures on here of Shrek and Fiona! Shrek is getting so big! I think Fiona is going to stay this size.

You Capture-Red

2011-02-03T20:53:00.004-05:00

Beth from I Should Be Folding Laundry sponsors this weekly themed event. This week's theme was: RED.

I had all kinds of plans this week and saw all kinds of beautiful red items; however, my camera and I had some issues (which may or may not be related to the operator of said camera). we were happily able to resolve our issues this morning but this left me with very little time to take pictures.

Luckily I had taken some pictures at the beginning of the week.

I found a cardinal in the trees; my favorite RED sign; and some red slippers in Target.

How Many of these Kids' Books Have You Read?

2011-02-02T08:43:00.003-05:00

Dog-Eared and Bookmarked had this great list of 100 BEst Kids Books from TeahersFirst.com. I thought it would be interesting to see how many I have read.... (I put an asterick next to what I have read)

Books for All Ages

*The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
*The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Books for Preschoolers

*The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
*The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
*Corduroy by Don Freeman
*The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
*The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise
*Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Books for Children Ages 4-8 -

*The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
*Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
*Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
*Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
*The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
*Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
*If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
*Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
*Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
*The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
*Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
*Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
*The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
*Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

Books for Children Ages 9-12

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
*Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
*Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The BFG by Roald Dahl
*The Giver by Lois Lowry
*James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story by Roald Dahl
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
*Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Matilda by Roald Dahl
*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Books for Young Adults

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Random thoughts on a Tuesday night

2011-02-01T20:08:00.002-05:00

-I didn't get around to doing my Daybook yesterday and I don't feel like organizing my thoughts tonight.
-We had another snow day today but it didn't really snow-it was more like freezing rain.
-We're expecting more freezing rain tonight into tomorrow so there will probably not be school again tomorrow.
-I'm pretty sure that last thought is not grammatically correct but I'm not going to fix it.
-At the risk of sounding like a bad mom, I'm wishing Tucker had school tomorrow. this staying home thing is for the birds on days like this. Other snow days he's played outside because it was snowing but freezing rain is just not fun to play in1
-We haven't had a full week of school in well over a month due to the snow. Last week, Tucker pointed out we had an early dismissal, a 2 hr delay, and a snow day and wondered when we would do that again!
-I am feeling much better and looking forward to returning to work on Valentine's Day. Although I am really tired which one of my friends at work had warned me about. So even though I'm not having any pain, I do feel the need to take a nap/rest in the afternoon.
-I took down the snowmen and put Valentine's Day up. Besides the fact that is was time to do this, I also felt like it was encouraging the snow Gods to send more snow. I'm going to attempt to climb the snow bank and change the flag out front. The mini-Christmas flag is buried under a four foot pile of snow and probably won't be seen until spring (if that ever comes)
-We keep postponing celebrating my birthday with the family due to the snow. We are supposed to do it this Sunday but we're expecting another snowstorm Saturday so we're on standby. I told my m-i-l tonight that we could celebrate it with Tucker's in April-maybe the snow will be gone by then-lol.
-Tucker and I finished reading From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler tonight and I really enjoyed reading it with him. We took turns reading it. He asked a lot of really good questions and we had a lot of good discussion about it! We're planning a summer trip to NYC this summer and he's looking forward to going to the Met.
-I finished The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest over the weekend and actually enjoyed it. I think my favorite of the three was the second one.
-I read Lord of the Flies which I remember seeing in high school in my psychology class. Not sure if I ever actually read the book; I had a copy for years and then must have gotten rid of it. I found one for $1 at a used book store.
-I'm trying to focus more on reading the classics this year as well as a few reading challenges. You can check out what I'm reading at my book blog. Today I started Oliver Twist for a read-along (and also because I was curious about Dickens, having never read him before, other than A Christmas Carol, which I just read.)
-Tucker's second session of indoor soccer starts this week. The whole team is returning so we should have another good session! these kids also play spring soccer together. Tucker is wanting to continue in soccer and maybe do baseball too. His fall soccer coach had told him he could play games in between the baseball games if he wants to and I think we may take him up on that. He's really liking both sports.
-Even though it's only 8:30, I am so ready for bed!

Project 64-Robin's Egg Blue

2011-01-30T14:12:00.003-05:00

This week's Project 64 color was Robin's Egg Blue. I immediately headed for the local consignment shop because I though of old glassware!

A sectioned dish, a set of china and a canister were my finds! (sorry about the shadow on the china set, I tried a couple of different angles and this was the best I could do!) The canister was actually attached to two others, like a lazy-susan type thing-it was pretty neat!

Click on the Project 64 box to see more and/or participate!

We Are The Champions, My Friend

2011-01-28T21:31:00.003-05:00

Tucker's soccer team had their playoffs tonight. They were tied for first so they played in the semi-final game and won 6-0. The other semi-final game was between the one team who beat us and the team we beat (I can't think how else to explain it; we were their only loss).

We ended up playing the team we beat before and it was like a completely different team. After 26 minutes of regulation time, we were tied 0-0. Then we went to a 5 minute overtime; whoever gets the first goal wins. With 52 seconds left, Tucker's team scored the goal!!!!!!!!!

On a lighter note....

2011-01-28T08:27:00.003-05:00

while I was on History.com, I discovered that the final recording session for We Are the World was 26 years ago today. It still gives me chills to hear this song.... (Don't forget to pause my music...)

From History.com

The special instruction Quincy Jones sent out to the several dozen pop stars invited to participate in the recording of "We Are the World" was this: "Check your egos at the door." Jones was the producer of a record that would eventually go on to sell more than 7 million copies and raise more than $60 million for African famine relief. But before "We Are the World" could achieve those feats, it had to be captured on tape—no simple feat considering the number of major recording artists slated to participate. With only one chance to get the recording the way he and songwriters Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie wanted it, Jones convened the marathon recording session of "We Are the World" at around 10 p.m. on the evening of January 28, 1985, immediately following the conclusion of the American Music Awards ceremony held just a few miles away.

Singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte was the initiator of the events that led to the recording of "We Are the World." Inspired by the recent success of "Do They Know It's Christmas?"—the multimillion-selling charity record by the British-Irish collective Band Aid—Belafonte talked Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones into helping him organize an American response under the name "USA for Africa." Ritchie and Jackson wrote the song over the course of several days in January, and Belafonte's manager, Ken Kragen, who would go on to serve as President of the USA for Africa Foundation, the nonprofit organization that managed the profits from "We Are the World," came up with the plan to hold the session on the night of the AMA's in order to guarantee that the greatest number of big names would be able to participate.

Among the 45 stars who sang on "We Are the World" that night were huge-in-the-80s figures like Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis; Country stars like Kenny Rogers and Willie Nelson; pop icons like Smokey Robinson, Tina Turner and Paul Simon; and musical giants like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan. Also in the studio that night were half of the Jackson family, one Irishman (Bob Geldof, co-organizer of Band Aid) and one party-crashing Canadian, comedian Dan Aykroyd. Egos fully in check, the group laid down the chorus and solos before sunrise on the 29th, and "We Are the World" was in the stores and on the airwaves just five weeks later.

We will never forget....

2011-01-28T08:05:00.006-05:00

25 years ago today, the Challenger exploded....
From History.com...
At 11:38 a.m. EST, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Christa McAuliffe is on her way to becoming the first ordinary U.S. civilian to travel into space. McAuliffe, a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire, won a competition that earned her a place among the seven-member crew of the Challenger. She underwent months of shuttle training but then, beginning January 23, was forced to wait six long days as the Challenger's launch countdown was repeatedly delayed because of weather and technical problems. Finally, on January 28, the shuttle lifted off.

Seventy-three seconds later, hundreds on the ground, including Christa's family, stared in disbelief as the shuttle exploded in a forking plume of smoke and fire. Millions more watched the wrenching tragedy unfold on live television. There were no survivors.

I remember being in Spanish class when they announced it (with Julie from Winchester Academy, as matter of fact).....

More snow!

2011-01-27T15:56:00.003-05:00

One thing we in New England definitely don't need is more snow!!!!! This is what has happened here in the last 24 hours!

12 more inches of snow to add to the 35 we already had!!!! The one on the right is what our deck looks like (I opened the door to take it and thankfully, didn't start an avalanche!)

And guess waht, snow showers tomorrow and Saturday, and ....you guessed more snow on Tuesday! We apparently broken all kinds of records for snow fall in January!

You Capture-Happy

2011-01-27T15:31:00.003-05:00

Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry sponsors this weekly-themed event to encourage us to get out and take pictures. This week's theme is Happy.

Here in southeastern CT, we have been overwhelmed with snow, snow, and more snow! One of the things my son and husband have done is build a fort with the roughly 35 inches we have gottne. Yesterday my son Tucker had an early dismissal due to the 5 inches of snow that no one seemed to know was coming! After it stopped snowing, tucker went to check out the inside of the fort and was happy to see it was surviving!Then he was even happier sledding down the hill!!!

Daybook

2011-01-24T11:59:00.003-05:00

For today... Monday, January 24, 2011

On My Mind...feeling a lot better than I expected to...the doctor had told me it would be an easier recovery than the laproscopic exploratory I had in 2006 and I have to say he was right!

Outside My Window...30 inches of snow with more on the way!!! Very cold, like close to zero!!!

What We're Reading...I have been very busy reading because I couldn't do much last week and finished three books! I finsihed Small Island by Andrea Levy, The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe, and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton...I'm now reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson. I had enjoyed the second book so much and put this final one on hold and didn't expect it to available so soon!...with Tucker, we finished Alien Expedition for the Science Fiction Choice for his Reading Challenge and will starting From the Mixed-up files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler for his Newberry Award Winning book. this is one of my very favorite books so I'm really excited toread it with him! We're also planning on returning to NYC this summer and I'd like to bring him to the Met and this could get him interested!

What We're Listening to...no audio books until I go back to work next month...Tucker is usually singing "Summer of '69" which he has learned from Lego Rock Band.

What We're Watching...trying to give American Idol a chance...we're enjoying American Pickers, Pawn Shop, pretty much anything on History channel lately...can't forget Nick, also!...with me home during the day, I've been watching Dr.Phil, Rachael Ray, the View, a local talk show called Better Connecticut, and Ellen. Still strangely fascinated by Teen Mom 2...also tyring to understand how an 8 yo boy can chose to watch the history of mustard and ketchup for an hour on History (it was actually pretty interesting) could then watch SpongeBob with the same enthusiasm!

I am hoping...Spring comes soon!

In the kitchen...Chicken Pot Pie last night, tacos, pork chops, roast.

Around the house...dishwasher just finished...laundry to be folded (as long as Michael brings the clothes upstairs and dumps them on the bed, I can fold them)...another load to go in dryer.

Coming Up This Week...getting together for lunch with my friend Joan if we can find a day that won't be snowing, Tucker's soccer team came in first place in the standings so they play in the single-elimination championship game Friday night.

A Picture Thought...Our kittens are getting so big; I really need to take some updated pictures! Every morning they sit together to watch the birds next door--I just had to take a picture!