Marked by P.C. Cast


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Yes, I admit, I read another teenage vampire book.

This one was a gift from my secret Santa at work. I was looking for a quick read to finish in 2009 and this one fit the bill. The story is Twilight meets Harry Potter. It is set in a world like our own, except that vampires have always existed and lived among us. Sixteen year old Zoey Redbird is marked to become a vampire. She must leave her home and move in to a private vampire boarding school with other fledgling vampires, taking classes such as Vampire Sociology and Equestrian Studies.

It was ho-hum, an okay novel. I was curious to learn more about Zoey's new world and finished the book rather quickly, but overall found it lacking in substance. I was puzzled, too, by the author's constant use of pop-culture references. Why do that? If someone decides to read this book ten years from now these references will not make much sense, or they will totally make the book feel dated.

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my pretty Christmas surprise...

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
"As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

The last line of this book captures exactly how I felt about it. Author Jhumpa Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize for this collection of short stories that travel from India to America and back again. I was intrigued by the immigrant perspective she gave to her characters, and despite the short story format I felt that I knew them personally. The stories themselves were not about anything particularly interesting. Instead, I found that they dealt more with mundane aspects of life, giving more insight to the characters thoughts and feelings.

I will say I was a bit puzzled by the Pulitzer distinction and did a little bit of investigating to find out more about the prize. Two things of note: the prize is not given to any body of work in general, only those that are entered with a $50 fee are considered. Secondly, the prize for fiction is awarded to an American author, preferably dealing with American life.

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Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is almost over, just a few short minutes until Christmas arrives. It was a full day for our family, one that I will not easily forget. The day began with a breakfast visit from Panka (Brianna's Grandpa) and she got to open a rather large present first thing this morning. An easel! Mommy loved watching her set her stuffed animal friends up on chairs to watch as she rearranged the magnetic letters on the board, could this have been her first attempt at playing school? Later in the afternoon we bundled up and went to the theater for Bree's first ever movie - The Princess and the Frog! We ate lots of popcorn and Bree did a great job sitting in her own movie theater seat and watching the show. It was as though she had been going to the movies her whole life! Can't wait to go again. We then visited Grammie's house for dinner and present opening. Unfortunately Bree's Grandma has a cold and didn't make it over this evening.

We got home pretty late and Santa has been busy at our house! I just love the cookie note he left for Bree. Santa has a hard job to do on Christmas Eve. Mommy and Daddy are exhausted and going to bed, but it will be hard for US to sleep with the anticipation of our daughter's face in the morning!

cookie fun

Christmas cookies with Bree this year = an adventure! We had two days of cookie making together, and we made more of a mess than anything else, but had fun doing it! Bree was totally into helping, so mommy had to learn to take deep breaths and not worry about whether or not the cookies would be pretty this year. Bree lives life to the fullest and wants to experience everything on HER terms! She poked the cookies and helped cut them out, even if it meant cutting on top of already cut cookies. She loved playing in the flour and when it came time for the frosting and sprinkles - nothing was safe! Along the way, Bree felt it necessary to taste as many of the cookies as she could. Mommy did manage to put a few aside for Santa this year. We look forward to leaving them out with a glass of cold milk tonight! Merry Christmas!

kickin it

It's cold outside, and therefore that time again for Li'l Kickers Soccer! Bree is a busy, energy ridden two year old who needs an outlet for running in circles. An indoor soccer arena is just the thing. This time around, she is in the Thumpers class with Coach Jake. The activities are close to the same as those she participated in in the Bunnies class, but what is I really appreciate is that she leaves the arena tired and goes down to bed easily on soccer nights. Bree's favorites are still the bubbles and the parachute, but her dribbling and kicking skills are improving! Wish I could say the same for her ability (or desire) to follow directions. Sigh...


The professional photographer came back and did soccer pictures again recently. Bree's soccer picture from last spring was so darn cute! I was excited to do them again and see what we may get. Well, Miss Bree had other things on her mind:


Some good news - the group shot turned out much better!

New posts on Belly Chat.
One from Marika, and one from me.

a magical evening at home

Can't beat snuggle time.

Bree and I had a magical evening together, one that I hope to remember always.

It started with only a couple of time-outs throughout dinner. Overall, she was pretty well behaved. Afterwards we settled into our normal bath time routine, again without much fuss. But the best part was the movie.

Bree watched The Polar Express with her grandma last Saturday, and has been talking about it all week. I finally found it on tv and recorded it for her, so it was ready to go tonight after bath. Usually the only thing that will hold her attention is Dora, and lately she has also been into Shrek, but even then she is bouncing around on the couch and easily distracted. What is it about this movie, then, that captivates her? She was enthralled. So was I.

I love the book. Chris Van Allsburg is one of my all-time favorite children's authors. But I had never seen the movie until now. Delighted, Bree snuggled up next to me and even held my hand and squeezed it. Is there anything better for a mom? Her laugh was contagious when it came to the part she'd been talking about all week, when the mother eagle catches a train ticket and feeds it to her baby, only the baby spits it back out.

We snuggled on the couch and quietly talked about things that were happening on the screen. All the while I was aware of the subtle movements of Bree's soon-to-be sibling.

When the movie ended, she sat up and sang with the songs as the credits rolled. I then told her to get her snuggie, that it was time for bed, and miraculously she did just that! Bedtime has been a struggle lately but tonight she was ready. She carried Snuggie directly into her room and sang a song to the moon. I put her in her crib and she babbled to me about her weekend plans. Speaking animatedly she told me that she will see Grammie, and that she is going to sing happy birthday to her friend Chase at a pirate party. She ended the conversation with a spirited, "Argh!" and laid right down to go to sleep.

How lucky am I to have spent this evening with my daughter.

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Pregnancy Update for Baby B

Halloween Happenings

Despite the fact that Dan was out of the country, we managed to have a wonderful Halloween holiday! Last year Bree didn't want anything to do with her costume, and this year she didn't mind wearing her ladybug costume too much. (She wouldn't put the hood on until we were outside trick or treating in the cold.)


Bree's friend Logan invited her to her first ever Halloween party, where she got to play her first ever party game. I loved the game idea for kids her age. They had to dance to Halloween music and when the music stopped, they sat down on a plate. Whoever sat on a plate with a star on the back won a prize!





This was the first year she actually wanted to go trick or treating! We had a great time going from house to house, ringing the bell and shouting, "cookie treat!" Candy has been a hit this year as well.

someone found mommy's make-up...

a shower, and welcome to the world!

Pictures from my cousin Katt's baby shower. My cousin Carrie is a very talented party planner, and she did not disappoint with elegant tea, homemade scones, and entertaining games for us girls. I mean really, what is a baby shower without picking safety pins out of rice? I enjoyed this afternoon out celebrating with Katt and her soon-t0-be new arrival.

3 pregnant cousins, but not for long...

Welcome to the world, Riley David!
Born October 29, 2009.

Bree sang a song to the moon tonight. I didn't recognize the tune or the words, but it was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

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fall trip to ouray

Another trip to Ouray - this time in the fall to witness the always breathtaking changing of the Aspens. This was a great trip, and 2 things made it even better:
1. Our friends Simon and Corinne joined us there.
2. We found chewable Dramamine. Poor Bree, she takes after her mommy and always gets sick on these long car trips. Half of a chewable Dramamine made for a much better drive home this time around!

Bree got an owie on this trip. She shut her finger in a drawer in the hotel room. We thought Snuggie needed a band-aid, too. Trouble is, we still can't get the darn thing off of Snuggie!

Good friends, fun dinners out, beautiful Colorado mountain scenery, and time spent as a family.

balloons!

This is one of my absolute favorite things to do in Colorado. Every Labor Day, a huge balloon race/festival takes place downtown at Memorial Park. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. I have tons of childhood memories of watching the balloons take off in the distance from my back yard. Many years we were even lucky enough to have the wind carry them our way, right over our heads. One year there were even a few that landed in fields in our neighborhood. The biggest challenge about the Balloon Fest is waking up early enough to get down to the park. The balloons take off early, seriously early. We managed to get the family out this year on the last day. Windy, rainy weather put a bit of a damper on things this year. Surprisingly, Bree was a little bit nervous around the bright balloons. The loud noise from the heater and the warmth radiating from the fire caused her some concern. (I'm always secretly glad when she shows some trepidation, she is usually so fearless and that worries me for her safety.)

On a side note, I am feeling embarrassed that I am still so behind with this blog! Hoping the tiredness of the first trimester of pregnancy will end soon...

The North Pole

This summer we took a fun trip to the North Pole with good friends. Bree, Chase, and Kaity are at exactly the right age to enjoy this park. Many of the rides are geared toward toddlers and the kids just love them, and can ride them by themselves! It was a lovely summer day in August.

It's Not All Flowers and Sausages

It's Not All Flowers and Sausages: My Adventures in Second Grade by Mrs. Mimi


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mrs. Mimi is in the trenches. She is a real teacher who relates her experiences in the teaching world openly. I have to admire her stark honesty in this book, she didn't pull any punches and I wonder if it got her into some trouble at her school. This isn't a sappy, inspirational book about life as a teacher, it is true grit.

I was first introduced to Mrs. Mimi's blog of the same name by my teacher friend Marika. It was very exciting to see that a publisher discovered it and turned it into a book!

Mrs. Mimi talks about her experiences as a second grade teacher in Harlem. Despite the geographical difference, I was able to relate to just about everything in this book. I teach second grade in Colorado, and the teachers here have the same struggles as she described! Okay, so I'm not stepping over hair extensions and chicken bones as I walk into school, but I do see red when I watch the custodian dump the carefully separated recycle basket full of paper into the regular trash can with all of the other trash. I lament the extra work created for me by the "support" staff. I, too, have sat in a staff meeting while someone else presented an idea that I showed to her, without getting any credit for it. I am not in a "testing grade", but I get to spend endless amounts of time assessing my students rather than teaching them. I hope and pray the night before a field trip that the parents coming with us will be helpful and not "the pain in the ass" type.

I enjoyed laughing with Mrs. Mimi throughout this book. Amongst the ranting, she also explains why she loves being a teacher. To quote, "If I have learned anything about teaching in my short time in the classroom, it is that a teacher has to be willing to constantly reinvent herself, finding ways to stay positive and motivated." This book helped me do that, again. I am looking forward to taking it to school tomorrow and sharing it with a super colleague.

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