The happy family!

Thought I would share this recent photo of the three of us. It is truly a momentous occasion to get us in a picture and a rarity that the photo actually came out nice! So, here is a peek at our tiny family taken by my fabulous Father-in-law!

Don't you just love the background? This is the view we have every day, plus the woods provide some great birdwatching. We get cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers, tufted titmouse (or is that titmice?), doves and goldfinches. Of course we have an over-abundance of squirrels who love to eat all the birdseed, but they are entertaining so we have decided to let them stay!

This photo is of Mac at the tea room in downtown Raleigh. Her Meme (my Mother-in-law) likes to take us out to tea when she visits. This is an activity that I never in a million years thought I would enjoy, but now I can't get enough! I want to take Mac while we are on vacation and look forward to the next time Meme can come, too!

Amanda

We bought an island!

Ok, so it's not an actual island, but it sure is as big as one....wait for it, wait for it...

Scroll down please!


















Very dramatic, huh?

After almost nine years of sharing a tiny, full (or as some of you call it, a double) size bed we have finally moved up! We've been wanting a king size bed for years and due our current move we were able to afford one. I haven't slept this great in years. I sleep though the night and my back doesn't hurt in the morning. Now, if only I could do something about the noise (snoring) coming from the other island dweller....

Amanda

Summer Reading Challenge: The Lists!

Just like the Spring Challenge, my lists are not very long. This time I am going to list our read- alouds and books I've dipped into. I'll return to the lists to cross off what I have finished in the read-aloud category and books that I want to read cover to cover. I figure that having a pool at our apartment complex and a daughter who wants to swim every waking moment might help me get some of this reading done! I'm envisioning myself pool-side with a stack of books and a great tan...

Cover to Cover List
The Children of Men - P.D. James
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle - Celia Rivenbark
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron

Read Aloud List
Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook - Joyce Lankester Brisley

The "I Got My Feet Wet" List



Check back for updates!

Amanda

Yo-yo, look what I can do!

Ok, so I don't have a picture of me actually doing this, but after 32 years I finally learned how to yo-yo! I discovered my talent last week and I was so excited I had to call Tom at work and tell him the joyous news. I have been playing with my yo-yo daily and now I need to get a book of tricks so I can get really good at this "sport." I know, you all are thinking about how lame I am, but really I'm not. Well, maybe just a little bit! Give a gal a break, I just moved and I don't have any friends yet! The photo to the left is one of my actual yo-yo that I've had for years but could never get the hang of. So, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks, LOL!

Amanda

Summer Reading Challenge

Well, I guess I am going to give this another shot. As you can see from my previous post, I didn't finish my Spring list. I hate making excuses for slacking, so I won't!

One thing I did discover about my reading habits is that I am a dipper. A dipper is someone who reads a lot of books at once, but not in their entirety. I pick up tons of books throughout the year, dip into them but never finish a single one! These generally come from the non-fiction section of the library, which probably explains why I am a walking encyclopedia of useless knowledge! I don't find this dipping habit a problem, but it doesn't help me cross off the fiction titles I want to complete.
Over the weekend I am going to choose three fiction books to work through for this challenge. I'm going to shelve the Ayn Rand book for a while. I realized that I'm just not ready for that, plus the print is so small in that book I either need a magnifying glass to read it or a large-print copy! I think I will keep a running list of all the books I dip into during this challenge so I can see just how out of control this habit is! I should have the post up by Monday, so check back then.

Amanda

Spring Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

Well, the Spring Challenge is officially over. I did not finish three of the books I chose, which I am okay with. My choices were pretty lofty considering I was moving about a month after I made the initial list. Click here to see what I did accomplish!

Amanda