On My Nightstand

• Detour by James Siegel
  
• Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White
• The Search for Belle Prater by Ruth White
• Suspect by Michael Robotham This is my book club's current selection. I only have until Tuesday night to finish it and I'm only about 100 pages into it. I'm going to have to do some serious reading to finish it between now and then. It is pretty good so far. It is an odd story of a psychologist who has Parkinson's disease and is called in to take a look at a body and discovers it is a former patient of his. I'll give you a final review when I finish the book.
  

Random Schmandom
I'm still into random postings, well, because being the mother of young children can do that to you. I cannot stick with a particular subject for any length of time...so here comes today's random thoughts.

• I am now going on my 3rd week of walking in the mornings. (Big Pat on the back for me!) My walking partner couldn't go today because her husband was out of town so I actually went by myself, which is a miracle in and of itself.
• I have the privilege of teaching middle schoolers at church on Wednesday nights. The best part is that you don't think they are learning a darn thing and then about a month later you find out that they were actually listening. Cool!
• I just bought a pair of flip flops. I have not worn flip flops in years. They hurt my toes. Both of my sisters swear I will get used to them in a few days. It has been a few days. My right foot likes the flip flop, my left foot does not. It has a big blister under my toe. I hope it stops hurting soon because the flip flops are really cute.
• Only 2 more days until Tiger is unleashed.
  

New Sequel Released
I have just been informed by my special library contact that one of my favorite books, Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White now has a sequel. WooHoo! The Search for Belle Prater is now out. I just got my name on the library reserve list. Bell Prater's Boy was on the Sequoyah List several years ago when I was still teaching school. I devoured the book in one night and was ready for more. Now I finally get it! In my opinion, this book is for 6th graders on up. Most adults who have read the book have loved it. Again, I reiterate my opinion that most of the children's and young adult literature out there is better than or as good as any adult literature. Belle Prater's Boy is an excellent read. What is the book about? Well, I don't really want to tell you or it will give too much away. Just read the book without any expectations or ideas and I think you will like it better. Enjoy!

(Special thanks to Kristen for keeping her clueless sister informed of all the new books coming out these days.)

Tearooms, Manis, Pedis, Movies
I spent Saturday goofing off with my sister who is here from Texas. We had a blast. It isn't often that we both are able to get away without our kids. We started off with lunch at our favorite tea room (A Spot For Tea) feasting on huge chicken salad sandwiches on croissants. We then went next door to have pedicures and manicures. I love sitting in those massaging chairs while getting my feet done. Pure relaxation! Then our other sister got off work and we all headed to the movies to see The Interpreter with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. It was pretty good. It kept me guessing the whole time and kept me on the edge of my seat. We then went back across town to Cow Town (aka The Stockyards) to meet my mom for dinner at Country Fare. I had never eaten there before and it was delicious. They serve everything family style and it was yummy! Even better, before the meal they served johnny cakes with honey and cheese/corn soup. Delicious! Today, I'd better not eat anything. I ate enough yesterday for 2 days!

Not much to blog about the past couple of days. My bunko party was a success. We had tons of fun! I think I am still recovering. I've been busy working and running kids around the past couple of days. I'm hoping to get my desk cleared off this weekend and that 4-foot stack of papers that periodically appears hidden in one of my cabinets needs to be cleaned out again. My sister and her family are coming in to town and I'm looking forward to spending time with them. It will probably be a busy, yet fun weekend. Maybe I'll have more interesting things to blog about then.

This cracks me up! My friend has these napkins and they made me laugh. Thought you might get a kick out of them, too. 

Hilarious Things Heard at the Zoo

• In the Snakehouse: 5 year old boy while admiring a snake in water "Hey, that snake's waterproof!"
• On the tram ride past an animal that looked like a pig, youngest son (age 4) exclaimed, "Bacon!" loud enough for everyone on the tram to hear. Tour guide could not be heard over all the laughter.

More Random Thoughts

• Yes, I was up walking at 6 a.m this morning. Yea!
• I am headed to the OKC Zoo this morning on a field trip with youngest son's preschool class. The best thing is that I no longer have to push a stroller up and down all those hills at the zoo.
  
• My BSF Lesson is already complete for the week. This is due to my early morning walking routine. It allows me to get back before everyone else is up and do my lesson. Double yea!
• Oldest son is playing T-ball for the first time in a church league. I took him to practice on Saturday and am so glad I put him in this league. I debated and lost sleep over where to let him play since he is easily frustrated when learning something new. The coaches are so nice and helpful and are actually teaching them the skills to play the game. Plus, they pray before practice. Yea, God, for directing me to this league!
  
• Flower beds are nicely planted thanks to a dear friend helping me.
• House is nice and clean thanks to my dear husband who helped me.
• I served as the lay leader at church yesterday which was extra special since my sister came to church. (For those of you who don't know...the lay leader just assists the pastor in doing announcements, leading the congregation in reading the Scripture, etc. I was a little nervous, but it was fun!)
• My other sister and her family are coming later this week from out of town. Can't wait to see them!
• Things are shaping up for an all around great week around here!
  

Fantastic Author in OKC Area
Next Thursday Jim Trelease will be speaking at the downtown OKC Library. You can get the info here. Jim Trelease wrote The Read Aloud Handbook which has been an inspiration for years to parents and teachers to read aloud each day to their children and students for at least 15 minutes a day. If you don't have time to go listen to him speak, at least pick up his book. It is wonderful!

Random Thoughts

• I got gas for only $1.98 a gallon today. Bargain!
• James Siegel has a new book out called Detour. (His other book Derailed was fantastic! Full of twists and turns...Warning this book is not for the weak at stomach. Also it is R-rated for sexual content.)
  
• Harlan Coben has a new book coming out on April 26th called The Innocent.
• I went riding on a Harley motorcycle tonight with Chris. It was pure fun! We just went a couple of blocks. I thought my kids were going to pass out when they saw me climb on the back of the motorcycle. Little do they know that we used to ride motorcycles quite a bit in our younger days. Now Chris' motorcycle is my wedding ring (He sold his bike to buy my ring) and we don't have any motorcycles because I'm afraid the boys will want to ride motorcycles when they are older. But, I just couldn't resist one little ride on this Harley tonight. (By the way, this motorcycle belonged to Chris' uncle who recently passed away. He is cleaning up the bike and is getting ready to sell it which is why it is at our house.)
• We had beautiful weather here today in Oklahoma. I love spring!
• I'm 4 for 4 so far this week walking each day at 6 a.m. I'm enjoying the walking. It really helps to have a walking buddy. We are going to mix it up tomorrow and try a new route for Friday. I have more energy during the day and have been getting a lot more accomplished by getting up earlier each day. However, I still have trouble going to bed early. I am such a night owl. I'm sure this getting up early is going to catch up with me one of these days. Maybe I'll get my hours switched around then.
  
• I am hosting my bunco group next Tuesday night so I will be busy cleaning and getting ready all weekend. I also need to plant flowers and get the yard in shape. It's a good thing I have company once in a while. It sure makes me get a lot done around the house!
  

Scary!
It is scary when you see gas for $2.00 a gallon and you think it is a bargain!

Tiger Unleashed!
Apple's new operating system was announced today. It will be released on April 29th. Woohoo! Only 17 days and counting. That new iMac will be sitting on my desk before I know it.

Quote for the Day
Cole (Age 6) "Hey, me and God both have our birthday in December!" (This was spoken totally out of the blue while driving in the car. That's one thing I love about kids...whatever they are thinking it just spills on over out of their mouths. Hilarious!)

Don't Faint!
I got up at 5:45 a.m. (Yes, you read that right!) to go walk with my neighbor. It was actually fun. I've decided I need to get some exercise. I seem to be tired all the time and my neighbor mentioned that exercising might help. I then casually mentioned a few days later that I needed a walking partner for the mornings and she volunteered. Now this girl is in shape! I told her I would slow her down since I have barely moved in the past year. She said she'd go with me anyway. We walked for 30 minutes. I was home by 6:30 and I felt great! No one in my house was even up and I snuck back in the house and took a shower. I hope I can stick with it. Maybe with a partner I can. If I hadn't had someone to meet, I would've rolled right back over and went back to sleep.

Memories...
The boys were in the car today counting to 100 when I was reminded of one of my favorite memories from teaching. When I was teaching first grade, we had a report card which consisted of a series of checklists instead of grades. We had to test each student individually on certain skills to see if they had mastered them during the nine weeks. One of the skills was counting to 100. You can imagine how exciting it was calling up 20 children to your desk individually and listening to them count to 100. One child made my day and I've never forgotten it. He is about 14 or 15 by now. He started tap dancing as he counted and when he came to a multiple of 10 he did it with a major flare and "jazz hands." It was hilarious! I was about to burst out laughing the whole time he was counting. Needless to say, this is one student I will never forget. In fact, his mom called me not too long ago about something else and I reminded her of the tap dancing episode and we both laughed and laughed.

New Post (finally)
I really have been trying to post for two days, but have been having blogger problems again. I'll try not to complain because everything they provide is for FREE. Amazing in a world where you have to pay for everything. With that aside, I've been very busy the past couple of days. Yesterday, I went out to El Reno (a small town west of Oklahoma City) to the courthouse to file a lawsuit I'm working on. I hadn't been to the courthouse in years. I hardly ever do lawsuits anymore, but this is for a friend who needs to clear title on some property he owns, so there you go. I took my oldest son along with me and I think he enjoyed it. I love going to the smaller county courthouses because everyone is so nice and friendly. The clerks all talked to Cole and gave him candy while I filed the case. Then he and I stopped at Sid's Diner in Yukon for my favorite, an onion burger, and his favorite, a hot dog. Cole's favorite part of the hot dog is that it is a double. In other words, they give you two wieners. He thinks that is so cool! You also get to put on your own mustard which is doubly cool. I think he gobbled the thing down in 5 seconds flat. I guess he really was hungry like he kept telling me. ;) Sid's Diner is also cool because it is like stepping back in time. The place is decorated with Elvis memorabilia and has Superman painted on the door of the bathroom. It is fun and they have extra nice waitresses and good food. I've heard they have good pie, too, but I was too full to have any yesterday. If you're ever out in Yukon, give it a try. It is just east of the flour mill on the south side of 39th. It is very small and gives you the real diner experience so if you're in the mood for a good ol' greasy spoon you'll probably like it.

iPod Photo
I'm Dreaming of an iPod Photo
Oh yes, I'm still dreaming of a new computer and am now dreaming of an iPod photo to go along with it. This gadget can hold 15,000 songs and your pictures, too. You can make your own slideshows and hook it up to your TV to show it to everyone else. As my 6 year old would say, "Sweet!"
Engadget
CNet Review

Excellent Blog
Mel's post at Actual Unretouched Photo is especially good today. It is very thought provoking and I love her writing style. Hop on over there and read it.

Looks Aren't Always What They Seem
I went to a certain computer store,which shall remain nameless, to take a look at all the new gadgets and computers on the market. I was met by a salesman who began showing me items. I began asking him questions and he began answering in a condescending manner. I DO NOT like being treated in a condescending manner. I had done my homework. I knew what I was looking for in a computer. I just wanted to get a look at one in person since I had only looked online. I am not an idiot and I do not appreciate being treated like one. I am well educated and well informed on most subjects. I am capable of carrying on an intelligent conversation. Why did the salesman treat me in such a manner? Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I don't look like a "techie?" I do know one thing, I'm guilty of doing the same thing. I sometimes treat people in a certain way based on the way they look or the way they are dressed. The way someone looks doesn't always tell the whole story. There is always more to people than meets the eye.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!
My mom and I took the boys kite flying today. I hadn't flown a kite in years. It was fun. Actually, I think my mom and I had more fun than the boys. They were both crying in about 5 minutes because their kites had torn because the wind was blowing so hard. (only in Oklahoma...) Thankfully, I had a nice kite that I'd been saving for just such an occasion and it flew perfectly. I need to go pick up a couple more kites that are made out of cloth and not plastic. Those plastic kites just don't cut it here in Oklahoma. I'm thankful that spring finally seems to be here, even if the wind is blowing like crazy.

Peep Lovers (the candy) Unite!
I love those little marshmallow treats in the shape of rabbits and chicks that come out at Easter. I was at a little get-together last night with some ladies from my church who were laughing hysterically because it seems I'm the only person they've ever met who likes Peeps. I even saw an episode of Unwrapped on the Food Network that showed how Peeps were made. Fascinating! ;) Does anyone out there like Peeps besides me? Speak up...Let your voice be heard! Peep links below:
Peep Research (via Book Moot)
Just Born Candy Company

Be Patient Please bear with me. I'm working on my template, blogroll, and links but blogger is not cooperating. It keeps giving me errors when I try to republish my entire blog. If you see some weird looking stuff, it is only temporary. Also would like some reader input here. I've got places over on the right where I can link to some cool websites. What should I link to? I've already got my blogroll going to link to cool blogs I like to read. I can't decide what websites to link to. I mostly read blogs these days. I'll leave it up to the readers. Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

New Look
It looks like my blog got a new look without my really meaning to do so. I was playing around with templates the other night to see if I could find a new look, but I didn't think I did anything permanent. I didn't republish or anything. Looks like I got a new look anyway. Oh well...it was time for a facelift. It may take awhile to move my links and stuff but at least I'm posting and the blog looks fresh. I really wish I could write my own template and make it look like a real piece of notebook paper or something. But, alas, I'm rambling. I've got more to do like come up with the best April Fool's joke ever.

April Fool's Day!
Disappearing ink, whoopee cushions, hand buzzers, rubber chickens, water balloons...You can find most of these items at my house. I'm a practical joke junkie. I don't do it so much anymore since I'm not in a school or a dorm or an office type setting. I mean around here all I have to get are my kids. I'm still trying to come up with something to do to them today. I awoke this morning to giggles and laughter filled with whispers of "It's April Fool's Day!" A Dr. Pepper magically appeared on my bathroom counter that had been lovingly fixed by my 4 year old and 6 year old. "Drink it," they insisted. "We fixed it just for you!" Noticing that this Dr. Pepper had an odd color, I pretended to take a sip and then pretended to gag around for a few minutes which sent them into peals of laughter. "April Fools!" they shouted. Now as I am typing this I just had a fake egg cracked on my head. This could prove to be a long day. LOL! My oldest son has proclaimed that he is the king of April Fool's Day and my youngest son just does whatever the oldest one does. If anyone has the perfect trick to pull on your kids, let me know (asap if possible, another egg just got cracked on my head!)