Mellow Yellow Monday

Mellow Yellow Monday brings the highlights of my life! My two babies sitting in front of a bunch of dying Black Eyed Susans. Notice the shorts on the boy child and the white on the girl! I always put them in bright, easy to find colors when we go somewhere crowded. I need to be able to spot them easily before my heart has a chance to drop. It only takes a second but if they are more than an arms length away they are too far. Poor kids are going to be neurotic.

Nicholas Sparks The Last Song - Review

I received this book thankfully from Hachette Book Group! I have read many Nicholas Sparks books along with thousands of people who wait faithfully for his next piece of work. The Last Song will not disappoint!

Veronica, "Ronnie" is like a lot of seventeen years olds. Angry, sensitive, deep, and a thinker. There is a lot going on in her head and heart but like most teens doesn't speak about it. Holding everything in she is sent along with her brother Jonah, to spend the summer with her father Steve, a man who is at the root of her anger.

As she comes of age under her father's eyes, a beautiful transformation takes place in her heart, head and she emerges as the butterfly that everyone knew she!

I love the relationship she has with her brother Jonah. Although she doesn't show it all the time Ronnie cares and feels deeply for the people in her life. To not give away much of the book, I won't write about the ending, but I will say, that it brought tears to my eyes. The strength of Steve and Ronnie made my heart ache and actual sobs escaped my lips.

Some tidbits about the book:

Miley Cyrus chose the name Ronnie for the main character?

Nicholas wrote the screenplay before he wrote the novel?

The Last Song is the longest novel that Nicholas has written?

The Last Song is both a love story and a coming of age novel?

Also, look for The Last Song in January 2010,  Starring: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston, and Liam Helmsworth

Saturday 9 - You Like Me Too Much!

Saturday 9: You Like Me Too Much

1. If everyone liked each other, what would we complain about? Oh some people aren't happy unless they are complaining so they would find something. The weather, their bowel movement, the alignment of the stars, whatever.

2. If you were most powerful person in the world, how would you use that power? I wouldn't. That is not the way things are intended. I would hold onto that power until it was really needed.  As in a time of war or an unsatisfied lover.

3. If had exactly one year to live, what are the three things you'd want to do before you died? I would want to spend as much time with my family. Take my children to Disney World so I could see their faces. Make sure that I wrote letters to everyone I knew to let them know what they mean to me and hold my family for as long as I could.

4. If you could change one thing about the world, what would that one thing be? I really wish people would not make mountains out of mole hills. I don't believe in stressing over things that won't matter in a week, a month or a year. People spend to much energy stressing over everything that they never have time to just be in the now! They are missing out on so much. Live in the now! What will be will be.

5. If you could take one thing back, what would that one thing be? There is nothing I would take back. Other than these pants with the tags that are sitting in my closet for the past three years that I will never ever get into. I also believe in not living with regrets. Make the best of what you have and all will fall into place.


6. If you were stuck on an island forever but had all the water, food and shelter you needed. What would be the three other things you'd bring with you? My children (because I couldn't live without them), my husband (because there is nothing he can't do), and my laptop (because there is nothing you can't find on the internet). If there was no signal on my island I would want all my photos.

7. If the internet didn't exist, would the quality of life go up or down? It would go up! Most of us are tied to our computers. I am one of them. Now that I make it a point to shut it down during the day there is so much more I get to.

8. If a million dollars fell off a back of a truck, would you keep it? If no one was looking for it, it is mine!!

9. What is something you said, something you stole, something you did wrong? "I love you", an Archie comic book but my guilt made me return it, I spent way to many years staying silent. Speak up!!!

Self Portrait Sunday

This is typical me in the summer time. Ever since working for a dermatologist back in the early 90's I became very protective of my skin in the sun. Loads of sunblock and always a hat to cover my scalp, and face as much as possible. I have started a nice "little" collection of hats over the past summers. It is funny because when I was a child my father loved me in hats. "You look good in hats! You should wear hats." But when I was young it wasn't cool to wear hats. It made me feel freakish. Now I think if you are going to pull it off, pull it off and own it. No matter what your style, your look, your trend! Own it and make no apologies for it!!

A Thousand Word Thursday

ABC Wednesday - Happy!

My daughter was ecstatic when I picked her up on her first day of Preschool. The sticker, well, because she is so fantastic. Her teacher however had placed it in a very boring place. Her hand! Now, her forehead makes much more sense. She walked around like this for about 2 hours. Fun, fun!

I also have Hiding!

What could be in here??
Why, it's a child!!! That's what it is!
I also have a Hummingbird that got stuck in my gazebo for about 6 hours. This happened last year too.

Sucky picture but here it is.

School Update

So, baby girl started school on Friday. Yup, this post is a wee bit late but she is the easy one right now.

Dropped off my son on Friday morning and raced to her school about 8 minutes away. She couldn't wait to get in. During the drive she asked if I was going to miss her. I told her terribly. She asked what I was going to do without her and I told her clean and miss her.

When we got to the parking lot she said, "don't worry mommy, you are going to see me soon."

Walking through the parking lot we were holding hands. She picked my hand up to her mouth, gave me a kiss and started to run into the door. I stopped her at the sign and took this picture or I would have nothing of her first day.

She was excited to find her name like last year and headed into the main room. She was shy for 2.3 seconds and then let go of my leg and headed in.

Easy Peasy.

I missed her dearly. She is my little buddy and I love spending time with her.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As for Handsome's school. I managed to take some pictures of him standing on the never ending line. They did make some adjustments but it still isn't good enough. They make them wait outside waaaayy to long.

My two love making faces. Looks like they don't want to go to school right?

Cute!!!

Anyway..Thursday and Friday there was homework. He had no problem, it took him about 10 minutes to do the worksheets, cut the pictures of the color of the day out of magazines, and put everything back in his backpack.

Monday, holiday. Tuesday, the color was red. He had his red colors cut from the magazine but I forgot to put him in a red shirt. Once he was in school, I ran her to school, ran home, got a red shirt and ran it back to his school. The aid took it right up to him as I was leaving the office.

When I picked him up he said, "mommy, I thought you were bringing me a red shirt?" I said, "I did!"

Opening his backpack I saw it with the sticky note still attached. I headed over to his teacher and asked what happened with the shirt. She said, he has missed too much class time because he had been eating breakfast for 37 minutes. I say, "what? he eats at home. I didn't pay for breakfast!" Why was he at breakfast?"

She says, she doesn't know but that there was a ticket for him for breakfast and that he had also eaten lunch. Huh! "What, I give him lunch! Why was he eating a school lunch?"

She said, that when asked who was buying lunch today he raised his hand. I informed her that I packed him a lunch, didn't need him porking up in Kindergarten with 4 meals in school and that even if he raised his hand to please remind him that his mommy packed him a lunch. If I am going to let him buy it, I will send her a note.

Problem 1 solved.

Problem 2 - Homework!

Homework yesterday took us almost 40 minutes. Why? Well because he had to do a work sheet with 5 words, trace them, write them, circle the vowels. Yes people, you heard me correctly, my kindergartner was asked on his 4 day of school to circle vowels. Do they even know what a vowel is at this point? Then he had to cut pictures for the next days color out of the magazine. Go over the 5 words with me to practice for spelling. Spelling? Is he already having a spelling test? Then there is something the teachers calls RAH (Reading at Home). She sent home a composition book and a spreadsheet. I am supposed to read him a book, write the name of the book, the amount of pages and initial it. Then he is supposed to write in the composition book, the title, author, and date we read the book. On that page he is also supposed to write something about the book or draw a picture about the book.

Ummm...reading comprehension on the 4th day of Kindergarten???

Well, needless to say, there was a lot of whining from him and from me. Everyone was chatting about it on Facebook but I think we should wait it out. See what happens before we make a stink about the homework.

My fear is that he is already in school so long and now there is so much homework that he will eventually hate homework.

I lost him about 15 minutes in. He was holding his head and stressed out. He was obviously tired. Nothing was too hard for him, this was all stuff he knows but he was exhausted from a full day of school on day 4 with a weekend and holiday in between.

Today, I cut the color pictures out for him so that he would have to do that. I also wrote the title and authors name for him. He traced, circled consonants (after I told him what they were)!!!! Seriously, consonants????

Anyway, there was a coloring sheet, the tracing and writing sheet and the reading. It only took about 15 minutes and he was not stressed at all. I asked him the spelling words while he took a shower and read him the book while he ate his dinner which just left him to draw a picture about the book. Easy Peasy!

We shall see what tomorrow brings. I highly doubt I did any of this in Kindergarten.

Wordless Wednesday-Da Family

Calling All Prima Ballerinas

I am so happy to announce that Prima Princess, the folks who allowed me to host my very first giveaway back in July 2008 have released another DVD for the littlest ballerinas. The first one was Swan Lake, you can read my review here

This was a great introduction for my 3 year old (at the time) daughter. She was going to start dance class and I loved showing her this DVD.

Now, for their latest DVD addition! Prima Princess presents the Nutcracker. What little girl doesn't love dancing around in a tutu. In fact, I know a certain adult who likes to dance around in a tutu, *cough cough* Holli!

Prima Princess', Swan Lake is a 40-minute DVD which features a performance of Swan Lake by the Paris Opera Ballet and instruction from students from the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center and like the first is narration by an adorable, animated fairy ballerina "Prima Princessa".

The best part of the DVD is that adults and children can appreciate the beauty that is Swan Lake. In between Paris Opera's acts of Swan Lake, little inspired ballerina's return home to learn simple ballet steps. The children are so adorable and your child will surely stand up and dance along.

This is a great idea for the little ballerina in your life. Great introduction to the ballet for anyone.

Blue Monday - The Swing

Busy, Busy Weekend!

I had a great weekend.

My kids were home, the weather was fantastic and my husband was loving and sweet.

I read some books, watched some movies with my daughter (Barbie rocks) and made some jewelry. What more could I ask for?

Self Portrait Sunday - The Freshened Up Me!

To find out why I began Self Portrait Sunday, see my first post here.

So, while I liked the original photo of myself, I decided to play around with it and brighten up my face. My mother had blue eyes and I always wanted to see if I would look more like her if they were blue. I also airbrushed some wrinkles and sun spots. I like the look. My husband says, "I would do her." Umm...should I be happy or insulted I am not sure. Especially, since I don't feel I look that much different.

Camera Critters - The Spider

This past weekend we had a little spider problem. They came down right in front of the sliding doors and they were huge. They are eating well which is good for us. I know it cuts down on the flying bugs but I cannot have these things above my head with the possibility of descending at any time.

My husband and I sprayed like crazy and this guy fell on the deck. He is dead, but I still couldn't take the picture of him. My husband was holding him in one hand and took the picture with the other hand. I was too busy jumping around, screaming.