A long time coming

So this weekend just gone, we finally had the weekend I have been intending on having for the last few weeks! The first weekend went awry when my back got hurt. The second weekend went off target by an all morning shopping trip (so not my idea) on the Saturday and a very-day-after-the-night-before-ish day on the Sunday (totatally self-inflicted, but oh so worth it!).

So this weekend, what did we do?! You have two choices here. You can read through the waffle or you can skip to the last paragraph. I really don't mind which option you pick! I am nice like that.

We slept in on the Saturday. We spent both nights at home.

We went and watched Erin's first scratch match on the Sunday morning. She did so well! She is little and scary, in my opinion anyway! I was a little concerned that she tripped someone over in the first five minutes of play, but Reanna assures me this is how it works (Note to self: learn some of the rules. Also learn how long each half goes for. It is a little embarrassing to be asked to be time-keeper and then to have to ask how long it goes for! I was very enthusiastic about helping though. I feel I deserve points for that).

I went to bookclub on Sunday afternoon and freaked themt all out with the fact I read two books that weekend. In all fairness, I do read fast and both books were so awesome and unputdownable (I am keeping this word, I have decided I don't care if it exists). And while it isn't exactly uncommon for me to read more then one book in a weekend anymore, these days I am mostly too busy for it to happen. Totally different books too! 'The Help' which was our bookclub book and I really should have read earlier. Luckily I loved it and it was no effort to read in a few hours. The first couple of months of bookclub I read the book straight away and then had troubles remembering because I'd read so many other books in the middle. This is my excuse and I am sticking to it. I should really pay more attention when I read though. The second book was 'The Hunger Games' which I was reading under protest to decide whether or not Erin could read it. I have touched on this briefly in my review, and I will probably blog about the whole issue separately. But for now, let's just say as an adult I loved it and I am looking forward to reading the next two (probably some time this week if I am lucky!).

Highlight of the weekend was babysitting my friends 19-month-old. It took Aimee exactly 15 minutes of having her and about 2 minutes of being in the car with a crying toddler to declare she was glad she was the youngest! We had so much fun! I barely saw her though. The girls took it in turns in playing with her very nicely but I admit there was a lot of "She is not a toy! She is a person. A little person, but still a person!" Mama phrase for the weekend! It was very, very good for my spoilt youngest diva daughter though. It is the first time she has really shown any interest in a baby (usually she just wants lots of my attention) and the first time she has really helped with babysitting! My heart melted watching her carry the baby around! The plop on the lounge was followed by a very serious "I am not very good at the landings yet". Aw. So cute!

But as thrilling as my weekend sounds, you might be wondering whtat it was I actually had planned. The answer is actually nothing. Just a weekend at home to potter around and get stuff done. In addition to the fun stuff, I also have finally finished sorting out the playroom! One more tiny wall to paint and I will post pictures!! Yay!!! You have no idea how long I have been dying for a day at home to get this done. All the sorting and organising and it looks soooooo good! And it feels even better. (All the explanation marks in this paragraph were necessary to convey exactly how over the moon I am about this.)

So in summary: we played, read, cleaned, purged and talked (did I mention a couple of marathon phone chats with friends? I had to talk to someone! The girls were otherwise occupied). And really, that was it!

What's on your shelf?

Chalk & Talk recently asked the following questions to find out what is on your bookshelf at the moment:

1. What have you just read?


2. What are you reading right now?

3. What are you dying to read next?

As I am unable to restrict myself to a three line answer, because I have serious issues about (a) talking too much (even via blog posts); and (b) only reading on thing thing at a time I thought I would just do a post of my own. It also saves me from thinking of anything else to write about today, plus books really are my favourite things! (After the children).

So the books I have just finishend are:

1.1 'Does my head look big in this?' - Really was a great read. Reanna is enjoying it too.
1.2 'I've Got Your Number' - It felt like I was waiting for this book forever and it was definitely worth the wait!
1.3 'Enemy of God'  - A different look at the King Arthur saga.


At the moment I am reading:

2.1  'The Universe Parallel' (Traci Harding). The second in her Triad of Being Trilogy. I think Traci Harding is the only author I really read that is science fiction (and only because I love her historical fantasy stuff so very much I am just hooked. I don't even read Marion Zimmer Bradley's science fiction books. Admittedly she has written a lot more).
2.2 'Vampire Academy' (Richelle Mead). This is part of number 16 on the 100ish books in 1001 days that I am doing.
2.3 'Eclipse' (Stephenie Meyer). I started re-reading the series when I was sick, but haven't got around to finishing it yet. But this one is on my bedside table with a bookmark in it so I think it makes this list!


What I am planning on reading next:

3.1 'The Light-Field' (Traci Harding). After waiting for years to start reading this trilogy I am greedy and want it all now.
3.2 'The Help'. It is our book club book for this month. Co-incidentially, someone gave it to me to read just after Christmas but I have done the right thing and waited for it to be the same month as everyone else.
3.3 'Mercy Falls' (Marian Keyes). Ok this one isn't actually going to on my "next to read" list as it isn't due out until September, but I am so very excited about this that I just had to include it!

What is on your shelf at the moment?

Bookworms

I got a letter today from Reanna's high school. (As a side note, I love how the school posts the letters. It is just sort of ironic that primary school kids can be trusted to hand them to their parents but high school students can't!). The letter was from the librarian, deputy principal and year 8 co-ordinator letting parents know about a program being run in English to encourage kids to read and making suggestions as to how parents can help their children to not only enjoy reading, but for them to read more then one genre/sub-genre (perhaps a subtle suggestion that they should be reading about things other then vampires?).

Being a good mother, I sat Reanna down and asked her if there was anything she thought I could do to help encourage her to read more. I also gave her the letter to read. She gave me a look like I was an idiot and very kindly told me that she thought I was doing a good job. How nice of her! I think I can tick that box. Yay!**

Ironically, I had a book order arrive yesterday full of all (teen appropriate - I hope) vampire books for Reanna for her birthday. I am thinking I will read them before I give them too her just to make sure they are ok. This really is the reason ;).I also picked up a copy of 'Dracula' earlier in the week. I haven't read it before but I am thinking if she is going to be into all books vampirish she really should have read the classic. This makes sense. Right? Reanna said I should read it first and tell her if it is any good.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I am also encouraging her to move across genres. There are also some Meg Cabot books in her present pile and some biographies (admittedly of Daniel Radcliffe and Taylor Lautner, but this is not the point).

Final thought for the day, while we are on the topic of all things bookish "you can't buy happiness, but you can buy books and that's kind of the same thing". (Stolen from  a facebook post. I am sorry I don't know who to credit it too).

Have a great day, and happy reading!



** On a serious note, I think it is awesome the school is not only running this program, but that they are encouraging parents to back it up and giving parents tips on how to do it. I did also tell Reanna that I hoped she would participate in the extension activities that are on offer. And I will certainly do anything I can that I am not already doing. Just happens that reading is clearly my thing and the girls' are all avid readers already.

Treasure Hunting

Today has felt a bit like one long treasure hunt. Not on purpose! Just the way it turned out. Firstly, we went to a Tupperware party. At this party I picked up the stuff I ordered from my party, including a mystery pack! Now I knew I was getting a mystery pack (I had ordered it after all) but it doesn't detract from the excitement from getting to open it and find out what I actually got. Treasure! Then we went to the shops. While I was in Big W looking for dishwashing liquid, I found Three Wise Monkey garden ornaments. I have been trying to find some for ages. I want to put them by the girls' banana trees. Treasure! After that we went to the museum. Particularly to see a collection that is on show in Perth from the British museum. Lots of amazing things that aren't normally on display here including actual pirate spoils. We also checked out some of the other parts of the museum and in the butterfly section realised that they have different insects painted on the wall. I don't know how many times we have seen this display and this is the first time we have seen them. Lots of treasure for us to find at the museum! The State Library is conveniently located next to the musuem. It has an awesome discard library bookshop with super cheap books. We all found some treasures here ;) And, as a follow up to yesterday, outside the library were banners declaring 2012 is the National Year of Reading (in Australia at least). So not only is this another thing proving that 2012 is going to be amazing, I am pretty sure such a discovery also counts in my treasure total for the day. A wonderful day with the three most important treasures I have. And filled with so many random exciting finds. I always knew I wanted to be a pirate when I grew up.

I hate this question

I feel today is a landmark day. I went to a second-hand bookshop and didn't buy a single book for myself. Probably less remarkable because thanks to my cousin moving interstate I have one and half boxes of books to read, but still this is very impressive. Normally there is at least one book in the bargain book for a dollar or two that I just have to get.

Naturally I had to post this groundbreaking news on facebook. Probably not surprisingly someone commented they don't know when I get time to read. I hate this question. I never know what to say. Honestly, I can't *not* read.

Example: As I type, it is just after midnight. I have just got home. And I am about to go to bed. I might only read a chapter or two, but I know I won't be able to go to sleep until I have read a page or two ....

PS Hmmm ... halfway through writing this I have a feeling I may have posted a similar post before? Argh! I am too new a blogger to sound like a broken record already.

PPS Before you are too impressed, I did buy each of the girls a book. Including Reanna who wasn't with us. Her sisters insisted she would like the particular book ... and I wanted to read it too. But this doesn't count! Does it?!

Stolen!!!

This post is stolen from my new blog 'Confessions of a Bookaholic'. The name really says it all! You may consider this lazy. Possibly with good reason! But I am going to call it good time-management.

"This really says it all! I love to read. I am not actually convinced there has been a day in my life in the last 25ish years where I have not read at least one page of at least one book. Usually it is a more. I read on the train on the way to work, before I go to sleep. I sometimes slip in a few chapters before getting out of bed, in the ads if I am watching tv or if I am stuck waiting somewhere.

I read all sorts of books and I have been known to boast that I have at least one book from every genre. This might not actually be true. I guess it depends on what sort of genres you can come up with! This said, some genres I like more then others as I am sure will become apparent.

Just in case you don't believe me here are some of my bookshelves scattered around the house.





And yes I do mean some. These were just the ones that were easily accessible and didn't look too messy! Clearly I also like ornaments and photos.

So ... stay tuned for more posts and reviews of what I have just read (or in many cases re-read)."

I am still not clever enough to post a link so if you are interested you will have to go via my profile!