I can't keep up.

I'm reading books faster than I can keep track! I only get on here about once a week and I'm reading about 2 books a week. I just finished A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez. Now I'm working on Black Out by Lisa Unger. I went to the library online and loaded a few ebooks, I have 21 days to read before they will disappear.

I met Carolyn Davidson, an author of historic Harlequin novels. I was in shock when she handed me one of her books that I forgot to ask her to sign it! We had been talking and she asked me if I read, "all the time" and she handed me the book. My mind filled with so many questions and then she was wishing me a good day and was gone. URGH! Hopefully I'll see her again and get her to sign it and maybe ask her a few questions.

The school is bleeding me dry, please send money for t-shirt, food for celebration, yearbooks, donations for PTA, etc. I think I might have over-committed myself, hopefully I did tear off all the fill out forms and left the information for myself. Gee, how many times next week did I say I would be at the school?

Camille is going to be touring the middle school she'll be attending next year. She's super excited. Danny is faux-excited that she'll be at another school. He seems excited that he'll be on his own but Momma bear can see that he's a cross between being jealous and afraid that she won't be around.

His birthday is next weekend. They are growing up! He'll be 7 years old and soon he'll be either too cool or too old to sit in my lap. I can't wait to hear his plan for the day. It's our tradition, the birthday person gets to choose what we'll be doing for the day, where we go, what we eat and what we do. We might have to put a dollar limit on the tradition soon, Camille is getting too smart for my own good.

What's Up

1. 6 mile bike ride with 4 kids (first and last).
2. Mother's Day Cook-Out with tons of family
3. Reading on Nook (love it!)
4. De-Cluttering (on going project)
5. Three (3) Family trips planned for summer
6. A dose of accountability
7. School is almost over...

Our Weekend

We spent Saturday kid-free with my parents, they graciously cooked us breakfast and then took us to their new camper. My dad is big about toys, he works very hard- always has but when it comes to relaxing, he works just as hard at it. My parents have had a pontoon boat for a while now and the place they store it has a dock, storage for boats and RV campsites. I hope I said that right.

It's amazing! Here's a picture of the inside...

We lounged outside, my dad showed Michael all the features and they talked about ways to make the cable connection better. My mom is on a home-improvement kick and they just tore down the paneling and wallpaper in their living room at home and put up new drywall- all the electronics and furniture to be replaced as well. Well Michael and Dad talked about electronics for an hour or so after we received the tour of the camper. Mom & I enjoyed listening to them, added our five cents worth in where we could and got some sun.

I told Michael I wanted to go Barnes & Noble to get the books on my reading list since BookMooch didn't have the titles available. He said he was tired after our day with my parents and just wanted to relax. Well, I decided to do a little more research about Kindle vs. Nook- I've been thinking about it for a while but felt I couldn't cross over to the ebook side. After reading the reviews (see New Reading List & Nook) - I had to see one in person. Michael, fabulous man he is, sighed and said, let's go.

Christmas 2010 was horrible for us. Michael and I celebrated with the kids only, we didn't do anything for each other because of the nasty custody battle my ex had started. We didn't spend too much, scared we'd need the money for hotels, traveling or whatever costs may arise when you're fighting a custody battle out of state. Our families helped us to get the 4 kids' Christmases and we were grateful. Between Michael and I, we were fine, we didn't need anything and the only thing we wanted was the kids to have a good time and enjoy Christmas.

We told each other that we'd surprise each other throughout the year with gifts (non-monetary and monetary). So far, we've gone to a concert, gotten our individual bicycles, he's gotten a mandoline that cuts tomatoes so thin (he's becoming quite the cook) and we've gotten a few things for the house inside and out. Nothing too crazy. He tried to convince me last year to get a Kindle or Nook. I wouldn't have anything to do with it- loyal to my books.

I did all the research, I asked the Barnes & Noble Nook expert questions to affirm what I had read in the reviews. Before I could blink, Michael told her that we'd get one and told me to pick out a cover for it. He got me the Nook Color, the kids' books feature was the final selling point for him. For me, it was the ease of use vs the Nook, I liked the way the pages looked, the touch screen, etc.

I read a LOT. I read while riding in the car, at lunch when I'm at work, I sit on our front or back porch and read to relax. I sit with Michael while he watches his techie shows and read- if I laugh or gasp, he pauses the tv and asks what's happening. He doesn't like to read but he reads through me- I share the stories I'm reading and he says that he loves it. He prefers comics or graphic novels, lol- I prefer the movies that come from the comics or graphic novels.

I still have about 1000 books on our home shelves, most of them are non-fiction for the kids. I don't keep many books for myself, I read a fiction book and I'm done with it. I only return to my very favorites. I have checked out the same book from the library before, unknowingly until I realize the story is familiar. About 10 pages in, I realize my mistake and get frustrated. I've never kept a reading journal of the books I've read outside of doing a book club. I think I'll make a tag in my LibraryThing library for books I've read. That way I can keep track and review them. I'll have to explore this idea more. I did see a Book Lover's Journal at Barnes & Noble but I would start it and not keep up with it.

I read Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks on my new Nook Color. It took a little getting adjusted to the viewing a screen instead of a page to read but I'm 100% happy. I love the weight of it and my cover makes it seem like a book.

I can even get online with a WiFi connection, which I can at home anywhere in the house. I love that I can share it with the kids, I can't wait to show them the animated children's books that I've read to them a million times on it. I am such a nerd!