Nook

I got a Nook for Christmas from the Husband and I love it. I do not have the color, as I didn’t find that necessary. I love that I can easily read outside with no glare, I can share books, I can download at libraries, and I can preview books…..all things you do with a regular book. You know, the kind with pages. But, here are OTHER reasons I love it. 

 

1. No more having to search book stores for the book I want. Just order it when I want it and it’s there for reading in 5 seconds. The other day I read about a book in Time magazine and I was in the tub enjoying it 10 minutes later.

2. No more waiting for the paperback to come out so I can afford it. The most I have paid for any book on my Nook was $12.99.

3. My hands used to hurt when I would go on marathon reading binges. I know that sounds strange, but they would get sore from holding the book and the pages back. That doesn’t happen anymore.

4. No more cursing while trying to read outside on a windy day. No pages to fly around.

 

5. Dust collecting books no longer blanket every shelf in my house. (Okay they are still there from my PRE-Nook period, but I am working on that)

6. Two Florida vacations ago, I hauled a huge book with me to read. I finished it while there and had to buy some crap book at Walmart to get me through the rest of my vacation. Those days are gone.

 

That’s it. Those are the reasons. The ONLY downside is having to buy a light for it when you want to read in low light. That will be my next purchase.

 

Two books I have read recently were Bossypants by Tina Fey……

 

 

 

This cover cracks me up! It was a funny book and a quick read. There is a part in the middle where she gets kind-of technical while talking with her days in SNL and I got a little bored, but when she talks about normal mom-stuff and family stuff….it’s hilarious.

The second book I can’t say enough about. I have been following THIS blog for awhile. I originally came across Matt because of his great photography. He’s also originally from MN (he lives in San Francisco now) so it was cool to have that connection. Then I read his whole story. Prepare yourself if you venture into it, it’s pretty amazing. I could not put down this book. I think I read it in 5 hours, one evening and the next morning. So amazingly well written and candid. And no, the baby on the front doesn’t die.

 

 

 

 

So, if you were thinking of getting a Nook…..DO IT! You will love it. And if you want to start your purchases with a great read…….go with Two Kisses for Maddy.

You’re Welcome.

LB

Track Meet and First Communion

Noah celebrated his first communion with his two cousins, Zach and Macy, this past weekend. While it’s not a huge deal ( I mean, he didn’t even have to do anything. Just turn 11) we did have my mom and dad join us in church and then went for a nice brunch with the whole group of Mike’s family and my parents.

 

 

Sweet boy

 

 

 

 

How cute are they? And just think, all three will be in my building next year!

Could we look more stiff?

Noah had placed first in all his events at school for the track meet. That means ONE LAST trip to the all-city track meet, which was held Monday night. Because he was in so many events, we were there for hours.

First there was the softball throw…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where he placed………….

FIRST!

Next came the 100 meter dash……

 

Where he placed………..

SECOND!

 

 

Next came the hurdles…….

 

Where he placed…….

FOURTH!!

Finally it was the boys relay….

 

Noah was the anchor and the boys placed……..

THIRD! And I forgot to take a picture because we were so exited about getting to go home that we packed up and met him as he left the track! But, it’s a nice white ribbon! Ha!

Overall a great night for Noah. He gets so nervous before this track meet. He also hated these pictures….he’s embarrassed of his teeth. Poor kid.

No more all city track meets for Noah! Next year all of 6th grade is in the same building so there is no need for another meet. Guess we will see how Connor does next year when he will compete in the track meet for the first time as a 3rd grader.

14ish more days of school left. I am more looking forward to Monday off. I took it as a personal day and the kids, my parents, and I are heading somewhere fun. I am going to leave it up to the kids. Can’t wait!

Peace,
LB

Weekend

We had a great Mother’s day weekend. I was spoiled with the lounger I wanted from Cabelas….

He bought me the one with the “extra large” seat. Trying not to read into that one.

We sat it up in the living room and Connor treated it like a Lazyboy. He curled up in it with a blanket and relaxed while playing his DSi. Today it was finally nice outside and I was able to sit in it for a whole 15 minutes and sun myself. I love it.

Saturday we had both sets of parents over for supper. We had tri-tip, twice baked potatoes, and Mike even found some fish from Canada that needed to be fried. Needless to say, we didn’t lack for food. One of the great things about creating a fancy table with candles and flowers is the left-overs….

Sunday Mike allowed me to stay home from church while he took Noah to Sunday school. They had a meeting with the pastor about first communion. Noah takes his this weekend. He’s going to go for the apple juice…..let’s hope alcohol scares him this much for the rest of his life. We are nearing the end of Sunday school! I can’t believe it’s been a whole school year. I have to say it went better than expected and hardly hurt at all. I liked our every-other-Sunday plan that we did through the winter, and then we really stepped it up this past month and went every weekend. Noah loved a retreat he went on last Saturday and all around…it was a good experience.

We ended the day purchasing a new TV for our room and moving the old one into the MAN ROOM downstairs. The Wii is set up down there and the TV that used to be in there died about 2 weeks ago. The TV is one of those old ones with the huge back and it took up so much space in our bedroom, so we bought a small flat screen and it’s so nice to have all this extra room in there now. I also do the treadmill in that room downstairs so there HAD to be a TV in there that worked!

Noah came home from his school track meet today taking first place in all four events he participated in. Man that kid is bananas. I keep telling him he should be a PE teacher for as much as he loves to be physical. He keeps telling me no. The All-City track meet is Monday which is a whole different ball game, it’s much harder to place there. However, he has won first in hurdles since 3rd grade so he’s hoping for another good showing.  I am hoping it’s not 100 degrees and that it doesn’t rain. Mike said Connor wished Noah good luck at the track meet this morning without being asked to! Progress in the brotherly love department.

We have a new rule…and it might just be the BEST rule yet.

Let me set this up. The kids both have gaming systems and small TVs in their rooms. The systems are older and they don’t play them much, but they love to play MLB on them with their friends. Well, today I came up from doing the dreaded treadmill to find 3 kids in Connor’s room with Connor and another friend with Noah in his room. Their rooms were a DISASTER! Beds weren’t made, clothes everywhere, baseball cards strewn about, a disgusting mess.

I was embarrassed for them, but they clearly weren’t at all. One kid was even lying on Connor’s unmade bed, with his sweaty head on Connor’s pillow. WHAT?! Gross!

So, the new rule…….NO KIDS ALLOWED IN YOUR ROOMS UNLESS THEY ARE CLEAN AND YOUR BED IS MADE!

Am I good or what? As much as I love living in a neighborhood of all boys, and as much as I love having them play here so I know what is going on…..it gets super annoying that the doorbell rings the minute I walk in the door after school and pretty much doesn’t stop until 7:00 when I make the kids go home. The house is a revolving door of boys in-and-out of my house for 4 hours. So, if this little rule helps with that…this might be just the ticket. Generally they play outside, but with all the rain we have had, they been inside TOO MUCH!

Hope your week is going smoothly.

LB

 

 

 

There is hope

So, here is Noah mowing last year for the first time…..

 

I remember that post. My garden was in, and the lettuce and beans were up. I had planted a peony bush and clematis and both had gorgeous flowers on them.

Not this year.

Here is Noah mowing tonight…..

 

 

He asked to mow. We have two lawn mowers (long story) and Mike mowed the front and Noah mowed the back while Connor jumped on the trampoline and I graded papers (and snuck in some time to post this).

Notice the change in clothes? No shorts and t-shirt, not to mention NO lettuce and beans (heck, I haven’t been able to plant them), the peony bush has not sprouted, and the clematis is a brown, shriveled mess.

However, at least he’s mowing! Maybe there is hope for spring yet!

Love,
LB