1. Since a number of people have expressed interesting in reading my midlife crisis birthday musings, I have rewritten that post four times. Its lovely therapy, but still, it is a morass of self-doubt that seems too naked and needy to put on the interwebs. However, I do greatly appreciate the comments on my birthday post from the 40+ crowd, assuring me that life will be fantastic.
2. Five years ago we had a flood in our basement. Unfortunately, we lost about eight banker boxes full of books, mostly my collection of young adult literature. I've been devouring YA at the library lately in an attempt to bring my book spending under control. However, all this YA reading has made me think I should look into replacing some of my favorites, like the Laura Ingalls and L.M. Montgomery series that were lost in the flood.
The Mister and I reminisced about our favorite books when we were kids, and discovered that we both had read the Moby Books Illustrated Classics series (which unfortunately does not have a website of its own). This series is abridged and simplified versions of the classics (Moby Dick, A Christmas Carol, etc) for children, with illustrations on each page, and they were some of our favorite books. So the Mister found a set on Ebay, and now Greg is the proud owner of a few good books. We will be searching for more Ebay sets over the coming years.
The Mister is currently reading the Hounds of the Baskervilles to the kids as I write this.
Note to self, in library room of next house, an entire bookshelf (or more!) dedicated to YA books I loved as a kid.
Do you have a favorite Young Adult book?
3. Last week I met Jules of Pancakes and French Fries, and Andrea of Four Flights of Fancy. I saw Jules on Facebook asking if anyone was going to a Mom 2.0 meetup nearby that evening, and decided, in a very-unlike-my-hermit-self whim, that yes, I would go to a blogging event where I knew absolutely no one to meet someone whose blog I thoroughly enjoy. Personal growth!
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I was a little nervous--a lot nervous--of feeling like an idiot with nothing to talk about. However, Jules and Andrea were fabulous and I had a great time. Can't wait to see them again at the Craft Party!
4. My children have invited me to have a bey blade battle with them. (If you don't have a boy between the ages of 5 and 8, Bey Blades are a Japanese anime cartoon where the characters battle using spinning tops constructed of multiple parts, which have different characteristics, and you can buy the spinning tops (and don't forget the plastic stadium!) for a ridiculous amount of money in Target.) However, I'm only allowed to use the "weak bey" that no one else wants to use.
Greg has taken to challenging me to a bey blade battle whenever I send him to his room.
5. I hoisted up my big girl panties and scheduled two playdates for Greg. (More talking to people I don't know!) I will make sure this kid a social life, even if I die of nervous agita.
6. Peter and Princess start school next week. As of next Monday, all of my children will be in school all day. I am really looking forward to having 5 hours a day all to myself. I'm also having a bit of a mental breakdown about it (refer to above list item #1, the Who Am I and What Am I Doing With My Life post that I haven't posted).
7. Have a lovely weekend, invisible internet friends.
2. Five years ago we had a flood in our basement. Unfortunately, we lost about eight banker boxes full of books, mostly my collection of young adult literature. I've been devouring YA at the library lately in an attempt to bring my book spending under control. However, all this YA reading has made me think I should look into replacing some of my favorites, like the Laura Ingalls and L.M. Montgomery series that were lost in the flood.
The Mister and I reminisced about our favorite books when we were kids, and discovered that we both had read the Moby Books Illustrated Classics series (which unfortunately does not have a website of its own). This series is abridged and simplified versions of the classics (Moby Dick, A Christmas Carol, etc) for children, with illustrations on each page, and they were some of our favorite books. So the Mister found a set on Ebay, and now Greg is the proud owner of a few good books. We will be searching for more Ebay sets over the coming years.
The Mister is currently reading the Hounds of the Baskervilles to the kids as I write this.
Note to self, in library room of next house, an entire bookshelf (or more!) dedicated to YA books I loved as a kid.
Do you have a favorite Young Adult book?
3. Last week I met Jules of Pancakes and French Fries, and Andrea of Four Flights of Fancy. I saw Jules on Facebook asking if anyone was going to a Mom 2.0 meetup nearby that evening, and decided, in a very-unlike-my-hermit-self whim, that yes, I would go to a blogging event where I knew absolutely no one to meet someone whose blog I thoroughly enjoy. Personal growth!
.JPG)
I was a little nervous--a lot nervous--of feeling like an idiot with nothing to talk about. However, Jules and Andrea were fabulous and I had a great time. Can't wait to see them again at the Craft Party!
4. My children have invited me to have a bey blade battle with them. (If you don't have a boy between the ages of 5 and 8, Bey Blades are a Japanese anime cartoon where the characters battle using spinning tops constructed of multiple parts, which have different characteristics, and you can buy the spinning tops (and don't forget the plastic stadium!) for a ridiculous amount of money in Target.) However, I'm only allowed to use the "weak bey" that no one else wants to use.
Greg has taken to challenging me to a bey blade battle whenever I send him to his room.
5. I hoisted up my big girl panties and scheduled two playdates for Greg. (More talking to people I don't know!) I will make sure this kid a social life, even if I die of nervous agita.
6. Peter and Princess start school next week. As of next Monday, all of my children will be in school all day. I am really looking forward to having 5 hours a day all to myself. I'm also having a bit of a mental breakdown about it (refer to above list item #1, the Who Am I and What Am I Doing With My Life post that I haven't posted).
7. Have a lovely weekend, invisible internet friends.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster is probably my all time favorite YA book (and just book in general). I reread it AT LEAST once a year (usually more like once a month).
ReplyDeleteI also loved the Chronicles of Narnia and the Wrinkle in Time series and have re-read them a bunch of times as well.
Hmm...I am now getting the urge to go re-read all these again right now.
California is bringing you out! I love it!!!
ReplyDeleteMy most favorite book EVER (YA or otherwise) is The Secret Garden.
I remember turning 40. It was traumatic. I've been homeschooling my son--but this fall he goes off to school for the first time since Grade One. So, I, too will not have anyone at home for the first time in years and years. No breakdown--not quite yet. I think I'll evaluate things around November and December and decide what to I might like to do then. Maybe a job at Home Despot? Ikea? We'll see. Maybe I'll just stay home and slipcover my furniture, look t a house that isn't messed up five minutes after I clean it!
ReplyDeleteI second "The Phantom Tollbooth." Also enjoyed "Artemis Fowl" and the "Lemony Snickets" series, as well as old school Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Little House of the Prairie.
ReplyDelete"As of next Monday, all of my children will be in school all day." WOOT!! That's fantastic. If it were me, I'd take the small window of opportunity to get in really good shape and to catch up on all the books and TV I've postponed since having kids.
I know the grass is always greener, but...I'd love to be in your shoes. Then again, maybe it's because I know exactly what I'd love to do with 5 hours a day, so the shoes would fit me a bit differently. Hope you give yourself permission to not know right now, and permission to take some time figuring it all out. I'm sure you will.
ReplyDeleteAs for favorite YA books, there are way too many! Have you ever been to the Quirky Bookworm blog? I have a feeling you might like it.