Life in the Soupbowl: January 2012

72. Faithful Place --Tana French (Kindle)
73. And When She Was Good --Laura Lippman
74. 1/2 or so through The Winter Sea -- Susanna Kearsley (Kindle)
and
75. 1/4 through Garnethill -- Denise Mina (Kindle)

Tried reading: A Casual Vacancy, The Beautiful Mystery, and a few others, but could not get into them, so I returned them to the library.

A new year!

Happy New Year!

So much to say, so little time, so little energy. I feel like all I do is: get up, go to work, work my buns off, get girls, get home, eat, sleep, repeat cycle. I have zero energy to blog, yet I have about 10 posts already started and I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head I want to get out, but when I actually get a few minutes to do so, I sit down, and promptly blank out. Exhaustion has done that to me. Plus, I'm now doing assessment again for my job part time, and it's A LOT of work. A LOT. Let's just say that we've got about 20 kids in process, and that is just for one team, one teacher and we're only part time. BUT- the mommy in me wants to help all these parents out, whether they realize they need it or not. *sigh*.

Things are insane at home. I need to update you all of Keifer and her sensory integration status-after a year of therapy, she "graduated" but she still has issues we deal with. She is half-way through her first year attending preschool- 2 days a week and LOVING IT. Like, I MEAN LOVING it. The girl loves school and she also recently started gymnastics, which "she wants to do for years!".

Kyla is a hysterically-funny 2 1/2 year old who will.not.stop.talking (and here we wondered if she ever would), and what a hellish week we've had THIS past week, with her being sick. Yet, another ear infection, plus coughing that required nebbing, and home 4 days of 5 with either CJ or myself. Thank God we both have sick time, but we are praying that no one else gets sick this year!

We moved this past summer into a gorgeous new home, that we all adore. It's got so much space for us, and a great yard, and we were blessed with the good fortune of having LOTS of neighbors that have young kids, mainly young girls! Keifer is beside herself when we get home each night, begging to play with at least 1 of the girls we know around our loop.

I started Physical Therapy on my right knee last month, and have my first follow up appointment tonight. I've always had bad knees, but it's gotten to the point that I can barely walk up stairs, or do my beloved new passion, Zumba, without shooting, scream-out-loud pain. I saw 2 Orthopedic doctors in the last 9 months, and PT is the first stop on the "let's see what we can do " train. Next stop: MRI that we will have to pay full price for and (hopefully) a shot of Cortisone, that might allow me to continue with my passion of Zumba. I call it (zumba) my girls' night out at the club!

CJ is good, and we have had our ups and downs. Marriage is a LOT of hard work, and its a tough road with a challenging child like Keifer in our mix. More later on that, but things are good now.

I have pictures, posts, and lots of things, as I said above, so please know I want to write. I NEED to write-it's therapeutic. I just need a week away from my life to do so (ha ha, sort of).

Anyhoo, starting my "50 book challenge for 2012". I love to read. I love to recommend good books. I cannot wait for ANY of you to read 11/22/63 by Stephen King, if you have not. If you haven't get it. I was sad it ended.

I also really enjoyed the last book I just finished: Second Nature, by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Initially, I didn't know what to think of it and wasn't all that into it. Then the middle of the book took hold of me and I couldn't put the book down. Finally, it ended much too abstract for a concrete person like myself to enjoy. But I say READ IT!

*(sidenote here: You all know that Keifer was named after a character in JM's book A Theory of Relativity, right? Not THE character, but the name)*

I was also lucky enough over the holiday break to indulge in some good ol' movie viewings, in the theater. You all know that is my #1 passion: movies. I cannot wait for this Sunday's Golden Globe presentation, even IF I am wayyyyy behind on all the movies that are nominated.

Soon, my friends, you will be bombarded by posts of the summer happenings (yes, 2011 Summer! More than 5 or 6 months ago!), and pictures as much as I can!

Monday, January 02, 2012

50 Book Challenge: 2011

1. Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod --Gary Paulsen
2. Man in the Woods --Scott Spencer
3. Lost in the Woods - Danger and Survival in the North Woods -- Cary J. Griffith
4. An Object of Beauty--Steve Martin

5. Raising Your Spirited Child-- Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
6. Little Bee --Chris Cleave
7. The Adultery Club-- Tess Stimson
8. The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged -- Tosca Reno
9. Deeper Than the Dead--Tami Hoag
10. Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls --Rachel Simmons
11. Bad Blood --John Sandford
12. Winter's Bone -(the movie was based on this) ---Daniel Woodrell

13. Full Dark, No Stars --Stephen King
14. The Diviner's Tale --Bradford Morrow
15. Love You More--Lisa Gardner
16. Secrets to the Grave --Tami Hoag
17. Case Histories --Kate Atkinson

18. The Bone House --Brian Freeman

19. Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Teachers Can Do About It -- Eric Jensen
20. So Much Pretty --Cara Hoffman
21. Call Me Irresistible --Susan Elizabeth Phillips
22. Rescue--Anita Shreve

23. Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America --Helen Thorpe
24. The Fifth Witness--Michael Connelly
25. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter -- Tom Franklin
26. Sing You Home --Jodi Picoult
27. Delirium-- Lauren Oliver
28. Beautiful Lies --Lisa Unger
29. Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel --Candace Bushnell
30. The Confession --John Grisham
31. Sliver of Truth --Lisa Unger
32. Buried Prey --John Sanford
33. The Paris Wife --Paula McLain
34. Black Out --Lisa Unger
35. Die For You -- Lisa Unger
36. Bossypants--Tina Fey
37. The Silent Girl --Tess Gerritsen
38. Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?: A Rock & Roll Memoir --Steven Tyler
39. Girl in Translation --Jean Kwok
40. The Murderer's Daughters --Randy Susan Meyers
41. No Time For Goodbye --Linwood Barclay
42. Never Look Away --Linwood Barclay
43. Fear the Worst --Linwood Barclay
44. Then Came You ---Jennifer Weiner
45. Too Close to Home --Linwood Barclay
46. Bad Move--Linwood Barclay
47. Before I Go To Sleep --S.J.Watson
48. Breaking Silence--Linda Castillo
49. Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss & Love --Matthew Logelin
50. Killing Kate--Julie Kramer
51. Bad Guys --Linwood Barclay
52. Never Knowing --Chevy Stevens
53. French Lessons --Ellen Sussman
54. A Stolen Life: A Memoir--Jaycee Dugard
55. Shallow Graves--Jeffery Deaver (writing as William Jefferies)
56. Darkness, My Old Friend --Lisa Unger
57. The First Husband --Laura Dave
58. Long Drive Home --Will Allison
59. Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography --Rob Lowe
60. Ready Player One --Ernest Cline
61. The Accident --Linwood Barclay

62. The Divorce Party --Laura Dave

63. London is the Best City in America --Laura Dave

64. Fallen -- Karin Slaughter

65. Washed Up -- Susan Koefod

66. Rich Again --Anna Maxted

67. The Hypnotist -- Lars Kepler

68. Sister --Rosamund Lupton

69. Being Committed --Anna Maxted

70. The Marriage Plot --Jeffrey Eugenides

71. The End of the Wasp Season --Denise Mina

72. The Liberation of Alice Love -- Abby McDonald (my first Ebook!)

73. Shock Wave --John Sandford

74. The Tiger's Wife--Tea Obreht

75. When She Woke--Hillary Jordan

76. Maine --J. Courtney Sullivan

77. The Drop --Michael Connelly

78. Down the Darkest Road -- Tami Hoag

79. Currently 40% through 11/22/63 by Stephen King on my Kindle. LOVING it. I read this at night when I put Kyla to bed, and end up sitting there for an hour or so, I cannot put it down.