the final count: 61. I think.

So here it is. Unless I'm forgetting a book or two, here's the final list. I've added thoughts on the ones I didn't review and a book count for series (otherwise I'd never have made my goal). Now, just don't look at Janssen's or Kayla's total count, and I did quite well.

• The Disreputable History of Franke Landau-Banks (5 stars)
• The Hunger Games (5 stars)
• Sunshine (5 stars)
• Artemis Fowl series (4 stars): Fresh, fast-paced, and enjoyable (3 read so far).
  
• The Blue Sword (4 stars): An old favorite I still love.
  
• Book of a thousand Days (4 stars): Took a while to get started, but ended strong.
  
• Boys Adrift (4 stars): Very interesting points to consider.
  
• City of Bones (4 stars): At first the writing bugged me a little, but then I got sucked in. I'm overjoyed that the second in the series is waiting for me at the library, which is proof enough that I liked the book.
  
• City of Refuge (4 stars)
  
• Enchanted Forest Chronicles (4 stars): The first blew me away, and while the others were enjoyable, the newness of the idea had worn off and they dragged a little for me (4 read).
  
• The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (4 stars): Charming.
  
• Fire (4 stars): This one was amazing and first and a little disjointed in the 3rd quarter for me, but ended well. The writing was stunning, I found Fire herself extremely compelling. Perhaps reading Graceling would clear some things up for me.
  
• The Gathering Storm (4 stars): Brandon Sanderson did a great job. The only reason this is not 5 stars is that I can't really recommend this without the previous 11 books and not everyone I love are fantasy nerds like myself.
  
• The Grand Tour (4 stars): Not as good as the first, but close.
  
• Harry, Revised (4 stars)
• Just Listen (4 stars): My favorite Sarah Dessen novel so far.
• Along for the Ride (4 stars): She's so good.
  
• Lock and Key (4 stars): Oh, but they are all so good.
  
• The Mislaid Magician (4 stars): Cute story, annoying writing and way too much detail of the wrong sort (2 read).
  
• Raising Cain (4 stars): Again, this book also gave me a lot to consider about raising a boy.
  
• Skulduggery Pleasant (4 stars): 2 read
  
• Song of Ice and Fire (4 stars): Compelling series with characters so real it's frightening. Cercei gives me nightmares. I would definitely not recommend this series to some and overwhelmingly so to others, depending on who asked (4 read).
  
• Stargirl (4 stars): I accidentally tried reading Love, Stargirl first. This one was much better.
  
• The Truth About Forever (4 stars): My first experience with Sarah Dessen. I can't say enough about how well she writes the kind of novel she writes.
  
• Unplugged Play (4 stars): This book had some great ideas of things to do with everyday items and some sections that made me grateful I didn't pay for the book (lyrics to Old MacDonald had a farm, for one).
  
• The Belgariad (3 stars): Great story but a few major weak spots in the writing (3 books, really).
  
• Chalice (3 stars): Robin McKinley's best work, to me, was earlier. This was a major disappointment. Her work always borders on confusing because she does not describe every detail of how things work (which I like) whereas this novel did not give enough detail, ended in a hurry, and asked me to believe two people were in love based on no prior indication. It warranted 3 stars, however, because I loved the world I glimpsed and the main character who tried to find her place in it.
  
• Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series (3 stars): Great one at a time. 2 or 3 at a time I found myself wanting her to show even a morsel of concern for another human being. That being said, red bottom-osity has made it into everyday language around here (10 read).
  
• The Door in the Hedge (3 stars): Fine enough, for short stories.
  
• Ella Minnow Pea (3 stars)
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (3 stars)
• Home (3 stars)
• My Revolutions (3 stars)
• Parenting, Inc. (3 stars): The book was too theoretical. While interesting, I would have appreciated a section called "what to do about it". I can only read so long about what is wrong without wanting a solution.
  
• Shadow Country (3 stars)
• That Summer (3 stars): My least favorite of Sarah Dessen's novels. I think I kept expecting some romance!
  
• Three Cups of Tea (3 stars): Inspiring.
  
• Wicked (3 stars): Quirky, but enjoyable. I may be the last person on the planet who hasn't seen the musical, but I'd like to now.
  
• Wings (3 stars): Not what I wanted it to be. Still, I'm sure I'll check out the sequel(s).
  
• Deerskin (2 stars): Disturbing. I think I might need to retract some statements I've made about Robin McKinley and just focus on how much I love a few of her books. This one creeped me out, and not just because of the subject matter. It was far too ethereal to grab a hold of.
  
• Netherland (2 stars)
• Nobody's Princess (2 stars): Ugh. I couldn't finish it. I just can't handle "ancient" fiction where the 10 year-old main characters talk like 20-th century adults.
  
• A Partisan's Daughter (1 star)

I feel a bit like I'm running out of books, though, so I need help for next year. Suggestions, anyone?

a rant

I was up late last night (hehe) and driving home I remembered something I hate. 102.5 has a show after midnight called "After Midnight." The first time I heard it I was doing homework for Pleggenkuhle's history class and I remember feeling like they were just rubbing it in. "No duh, I know I'm up late." Well, I was visiting friends last night, not doing homework, but once again I felt like they were rubbing in the fact that I was missing sleep. Reading too much into it? Most likely.

AND THEN, I just waited for almost 15 minutes of slow computer while blogger was loading my Christmas pictures only to receive this error: Bad Request. Well, I thought it was a fair request. I think I'll go take a nap.

baby names and a Christmas miracle

Arizona's most popular baby names, 2009:

Girls:
1. Isabella
2. Sophia
3. Mia
4. Emma
5. Emily

Boys:
1. Jacob (I really thought it'd be on it's way out by now, but I do love Jacob)
2. Alexander
3. Angel
4. Daniel
5. Anthony

In case you're looking for names to avoid (or choose?). Christmas pictures coming soon. Oh! And Josh's phone mysteriously started working again. Yay!

goodbye to everything I love

A few nights ago, Jonah was resisting sleep. Suddenly, his cries turned to words and we heard him sobbing out goodbyes to everything he loves:

"bye bye (sob) ju-u-uice (boo hoo hoo)"
"bye bye (sob) tru-uck (waaa!)"
"bye bye (sob) ca-at (boo hoo hoo)"

You get the idea. It was so sad and so hilarious at the same time. We have been waiting for a replay but have had nothing so creative. He did yell (and I mean YELL) for a few minutes when we put him down for a nap today: "MAMA DADA MAMA DADA MAMA DADA MAMA DADA MAMA DADA".

Still, once he's asleep we can't help but sneak in and peek. A few times, we've found him wide awake, sitting silently in the dark. I wonder what he does all night?

errr

...and then I washed Josh's cell phone. Merry Christmas!

I love you, Puffs

I try to buy the cheap stuff. I really do.

However, after a full day of blowing my nose with toilet paper (the cheap kind, no less) my nose was raw and red. Mind you, I had looked for tissues at Wal-Mart but after not finding them in the Pharmacy or with the paper towels/toilet paper, I gave up.

Then, tonight, when I went to pick up some pictures at Walgreens, I bought some tissues. I stood in the aisle, I kid you not, for 10 minutes debating whether it was worth an extra $1 per box to buy the ones I wanted. It was.

Puffs tissues with Vicks are the world's best tissues. My nose is singing (and tingling slightly) with joy.

hats off

A little belated, but here are some graduation pictures. Thank you to everyone who made the day (and past few years) a success.

sytycd

Jessie, you said that So You Think You Can Dance is your guilty pleasure. I love the show so much. I have been falling behind, though, this last (busy) month. So when Josh took Jonah fishing and left me alone to sip hot chocolate and lay around all morning, I knew I needed to watch the season results.

Every season or two, there is a dance that takes my breath away. A few years ago it was the door dance, which Q and I finally found online. This morning, I saw another one:



What beautiful dancers they are. I think I'll watch it a few more times before sneaking a nap in before the boys come home.

A few other SYTYCD thoughts:
-I long for the day when I can fast forward through Mary Murphy. Adam talks too much, too, but at least he doesn't scream all the time.
-I would love to see someone I know on the show (cough, cough).
-I used to say that Jonah could be a professional dancer if he was a hip hop dancer like Russell, but you know, he can even do contemporary if he can learn to leap like Jakob.
-Ryan creeps me out, so I'm glad he came in last.

traveling with kids and guilty pleasures

Every so often I read a blog post that makes me think, "I should really bookmark this for later. This is great!" Usually I forget all about it, or remember but not where it came from and spend 2 hours searching blogs (I did that recently looking for cloth diaper information for a friend). Well, here is a cool article about taking a big vacation with kids. It all makes perfect sense, but I can't promise I would have thought of it all myself. So, when we're ready to go to Spain, maybe we'll take Jonah after all.

P.S. Josh just came to join me and changed the channel to watch Tabitha's Salon Makeover. When I giggled he said, "guilty pleasure". Enough said, I guess. What's yours (tv or otherwise)? I have a weakness for America's Next Top Model, but that's no secret.

cookie poll

I have seen all three of the following (chopped super fine) in Mexican wedding cookies. Which is right (or most delicious)?

A. Pecan
B. Walnut
C. Almond

more reviewing gripes

Remember how I hate when people review recipes (and rate them with 5 stars) even though they have never made it? "This looks great--5 stars!" Thanks, but that helps not at all.

Well, I was looking for a sugar cookie frosting (more like a glaze than the buttercream I usually make) recipe and came across this review (4 of 5 stars): This tasted terrible. I will not make it again.

Um, why the 4 stars I wonder?

who is this child?

There is something wrong with my son. That is to say, I'm not sure he is my son. Sure, he looks like Quintin when he gets excited (or mad) and has a bigger head than Josh's already, but I've had some doubts for a while. For one thing, he likes green beans. Gross. He sealed the deal for me today, and I'm thinking about going back to Banner Desert and demanding my real baby.

Jonah doesn't like hot chocolate.

It was a pretty cold morning this morning (by AZ standards) and I was having hot chocolate and toast for breakfast and thought, why not let Jonah try it, too? Being something of a hot chocolate expert, I carefully mixed his up to the perfect chocolatey-ness and not too warm (but warm enough to taste right). He took one sip and started asking for juice. Where did this child come from? There is nothing better than hot chocolate on a cold morning like today. He won't even drink it now that it's cold. I thought all children liked chocolate milk?

In other news, here he is with his tricycle (or "ding!" as he calls it) and carrying a beloved stick on a hunting trip with Josh. The picture at the top is of him clapping along to "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" which Josh sings at triple pace. I was concerned the first time Jonah walked up to me, hit himself in the chest (pretty forcefully) and said something that sounded like "me!" Josh informed me that it was "beam" and that was his way of requesting the song. It would be cute if I didn't have to give him back today. I don't want to get attached.

P.S. Mom, see the shirt? After a wash it fits perfectly!

nap time

Most days when Jonah naps, I nap. Sometimes when he naps and I'm far behind, I clean. Today, my house is clean-ish and I'm well rested, so I'm laying on the couch watching tv and blog surfing on the laptop at the same time. Life really does not get much better than this.

boo hoo

I just opened our cell phone bill and it is over twice what it should be. I cried.

Tomorrow, Josh will call and debate the rate (we were definitely over on minutes, but how much we were charged per minute seems off) and either way, we'll pay whatever it comes out to be. $70 is not going to make or break life either way.

Still, I think I might need some brownies. Or, I'll just look at this (since Josh says it's been too long without pictures):