Books Read in September 2010

1. Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool’s Gold series. You can find the order by scrolling through this page.)
2. Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool’s Gold series. You can find the order by scrolling through this page.)
3. Undenied by Maya Banks (NOTE: This is part of a trilogy of related books but I don’t necessarily think they need to be read in order. This is the link to the anthology with all three books.)
4. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (NOTE: This is Book 1 of the Kane Chronicles. I do not know when the next book is scheduled for release.)
5. A Good Indian Wife by Anne Cherian
6. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (NOTE: This is the first book in a series about the Mackenzie siblings. The order can be found here.)
7. Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley (NOTE: This is the first book in a series about the Mackenzie siblings. The order can be found here.)
8. The Family Plan by Susan Gable (NOTE: This is book 2 of the books about the Hawkins family. You can find the other book and more about the author’s other books here.)
9. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
10. Love is a Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepherd

As always, the books that link to an ebook were read on my nook and the books that link to a physical book were read on paper. I read more on a Labor Day vacation, but I’ve just taken advantage of my time before the tv season started up. I read a lot of good books, and a few filler books. I love that reading is an active past-time this month and am also happy that I’m working my way through books I’ve owned for quite some time which means I’m making room on the shelf for new books. By the way, Love is a Four-Legged Word has one of the cutest covers. Kandy Shepherd was blessed by the cover gods.

Banned Book Week

This week is Banned Books Week. I feel very strongly against banning books. My parents watched over almost everything we did or watched, but we were always allowed to read whatever we wanted. It created dialogue or gave new and interesting points of view. This week is sponsored by The American Library Association and other organizations. This week is an "annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States." So, that said, celebrate freedom and read a banned or challenged book today!

Serenity Now!

I don't know what my problem is lately. Lately, I have no patience for anybody. At first, it was just road rage. That's understandable in this area. There's a lot of people who all need to be on the roads at exactly the same time and evidently, they're all late.


However, lately, everyone I know has just been driving me nuts. It just seems like there are less and less people in the world who are, you know, as awesome as I. I won't go into specifics as not to offend (because there is the chance you are driving me crazy), but it narrows down to the fact that people are not cool. I mean, seriously, here I am all laid-back and awesome and then out in the world, there are a bunch of crazies (yes, I call you crazy behind your back). I'm trying to find my happy place. I may have to swear off the internet just to avoid excess crazies, but you know, that would make me crazy.  Maybe I'll just have to find a cupcake.  PRONTO.  Or, another option?  People can just try (TRY, people!) to be as awesome as I am.

Tuesday Too Cute

I posted this on Facebook, but I feel it can't be shared too many times.  The picture is adorable!  Plus, there's something about a man and his dog (for me, it's not as cute as a man and a baby, but man and dog is pretty darned cute, too).

Weekend Update - Goodbye, September

Last Friday was an interesting evening. Little Miss was still trying to get over her potty training issue. As with last week, she starts on Friday and the issue plagues her for an entire weekend. However, Saturday, she seemed in good spirits. As a precaution, I put her in a pull-up just in case. I know there are arguments not to, but it's a temporary fix we're using until she starts to go. The holding it in is the first step we're trying to tackle.

On Saturday, Husband went to play golf. Little Miss and I got up and got ready and headed to Clarendon for Clarendon Day. It was super hot. We walked to Clarendon and walked around the festival-type street fair. Then, we took the Metro into the city for The National Book Festival. As soon as we got into the city, Little Miss fell asleep. So, I walked around and then head on back. We made another stop in Clarendon where Little Miss enjoyed a cupcake (see photo above) and then walked home. At that point, I took a nap and then we went on with the evening routine.

On Sunday, Husband's boss came over to watch football. Little Miss woke up, took a nap, and then we left the boys to go visit Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and new nephew. It was a nice afternoon. Then, we hit the grocery store and went home. Then, that evening, Little Miss pooped on the potty. I know this doesn't mean much to almost any of you, but this is a big deal because it's been a traumatizing time for Little Miss. She did bawl the entire time, but she stopped crying when she was done (usually, she cries before, during and after for hours). So, she got a candy reward and we praised her Lionel Ritchie style - all-night long. So, it was a long, tiring weekend, but it was fun. October weekends also have a lot of fun things in store so hopefully, we'll continue on a good path.

Happy National Punctuation Day!

Today is National Punctuation Day. I hope it was everything you thought it could be!

Cartoon property of Royston Robertson.

Friday Funny

Weekend Updates - September is Almost Gone?!

The weekend after Labor Day, I went to a friend's condo for brunch. She's getting married in May and had her mother and bridal party over for brunch and then we all went out to try on bridesmaid dresses. We went to a store that should not be named, and we had a less than pleasant experience that resulted in no dress. So, we went to White Swan Bridal nearby and had a dress in less than an hour. It is the dress pictured. Well, it would have taken longer, but I had to leave to be home for Little Miss. After I got home, another friend, Little Miss and I went out to dinner.

The next day, we went to my parents' house. My dad had kidney stones so we thought we'd pop in and see how he was doing. While there, Little Miss showed off her amazing potty skills, and we took a nice nap. We also stayed for dinner.


Last weekend, we woke up and got ready and saw the Washington Capitals practice. We met Brother-in-Law and Nephew. Father-in-Law also met us. The kids weren't too amused so we took a walk while Husband and Father-in-Law stayed and watched the Caps. We had lunch in the food court and then head home.


A note on the rest of our weekend: for the extra-sensitive or those without children, you could stop reading now. Or, if you're on Facebook, you've probably heard all this drama already.


Little Miss has an issue. She really potty-trained overnight. She wears a pull-up or diapers when she sleeps, but she's really great at going to the potty. She also never has emergencies. She tells us in plenty of time to go which is thoughtful of her. We know that pooping on the potty is the last thing to really click, but she seemed to be having more difficulty than the average bear. Before, during and after, she'll scream and need to be held - for as long as an hour or two. Long story short, we went to the doctor on Monday who informed us that it is perfectly normal (and if you Google this, it seems everybody has this issue - but I don't care about everybody, I only care about me). She has some remedies we're trying so we'll see how it goes. It'll be a process.


On happier news, she really love school. I attribute her quick potty training to the fact she sees other kids doing it. Plus, she's so proud of herself which is nice to see. She comes home with pictures and paintings almost every day she goes to school. She doesn't talk about school, but she's excited to go so she must like it. We heard from other parents that their kids don't talk much about school either but love it. One noticeable change is that she is happily helping clean up her toys. She was always good about it, but now she has such a pleasant attitude about it.   Obviously, I've been horrible about taking photos, but I hope to take many this weekend.  I have an ambitious weekend planned so we'll see how successful I am at achieving all of it.

Little Miss Pirate

As I said earlier, Sunday, September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day. Here is the video of Little Miss telling me what pirates say.

Think Your Pants are Smoking

Little Miss was allowed to stay up a little later tonight because Husband came home late. So, she put on her tv show even though I said she couldn't watch again because it was bedtime. Husband asks her if Mommy said it was all right if she watched her tv show again and she said, "yes." What a little liar!


Earlier, she asked for M&Ms. Husband asked her if Mommy said it was ok. She said yes. I told her I said no. She countered that she went potty to which I responded that she went potty 2 hours ago and got a piece of chocolate.


I'm so thrilled that we've entered the negotiation and lying period. To think I couldn't wait for her to talk.

Ready or Not!

Last night, Little Miss and Husband played Hide and Seek. Keep in mind we live in an apartment with 3 rooms, a galley kitchen and two bathrooms. So, Little Miss counted to 10 and then went looking for Husband. She found him (with a little help). Then, Husband counted and Little Miss hid. As soon as he counted and said "ready or not, here I come!" she left her hiding spot and ran to him saying "found me!". So, she's not quite grasping the concept of the hiding. Good thing she's cute.

My New Nook

My nook was giving me some issues. I stuck it out for awhile and then I couldn't take it anymore. Little did I know that Barnes and Noble would be super accommodating and send me a new one right away with no questions asked. So, yesterday, I got my new nook. I got it all set up (almost, but I will have all the final details ironed out in the next few minutes - a result of connection issues) except my skin didn't make the transition so now I have to get a new one. I'm thinking of getting the one below:

I can't wait until it's all set. It's like getting a new toy all over again!

Category: This Elevator is Too Small

I was luckily not involved in this story. Husband brought Little Miss down to the lobby of our building yesterday and, on the way back up, this encounter happened. Little Miss makes little observances about other people all the time. "Baby" if someone is holding a baby. "Groceries" if someone is holding groceries. So, yesterday, she pointed and said "water" to someone who was holding water. Then, she pointed to another man and said "purse" and pointed to his briefcase. Husband tried to explain that it was a briefcase and not a purse, but the damage was done. It seemed like everyone was amused at least.

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2010

September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day! Unfortunately, it's a Sunday this year. It is unfortunate because every year I see a man walking to the Metro in full pirate gear. This year, it will be a weekend so I may miss him. I'll try to get some video of Little Miss talking like a pirate. When I ask her what a pirate says, she says "ARRRRRR". It's one of the cutest things ever.

Great News for eReaders!

As you may know, I'm a big fan (and I mean that in a stalker-ish kind of way) of Jill Barnett.  Amazon Kindle readers were lucky enough to a bunch of books available for download in July.  However, as an owner of the nook, I had to wait until this week for the bulk of them.  There are still more to come.  So, if you have an ereader or if you read off a device, do check out the books.  I've linked one of my favorites.  It won't let me show you the cover of Sentimental Journey as an ebook but if you click on the link, it's very pretty. You can view it at Barnes and Noble as well. I think I like the hardcover cover the best, but it wouldn't translate well as an ecover, I suppose.

Sentimental Journey is actually one of the few I haven't reread.  I keep meaning to and once even started it, but it still resonates with me from the first read and remains one of the few books my mother and I both enjoyed.  She's primarily a non-fiction reader - American History.  I primarily read fiction - Romance.  There is not much overlap between us, but once in awhile, I'll pass on a book she'll love. I'll also mention that both of my grandmothers also liked this book so it's an April-Family Favorite (not that that holds any weight).  

Vacation Update - I Tumble 4 Ya

First, I need to say that the above post is only cute when you're 2. I shudder to think what it would look like if you took a picture of me in that pose. Anyway, Little Miss likes sneaking up behind me, leaning over my shoulder and tumbling over me. I pull her over and she tucks and rolls. At the beach she worked her way through a bunch of somersaults - some more graceful than others. It was really cute so I took video... and posted below.

Vacation Update - the Boardwalk

The night Hurricane Earl visited, we had a nice, quiet dinner and ice cream (even if Little Miss didn't eat her dinner - hey, it's vacation). Then, we went to the boardwalk. She was so enamored by all the lights and sounds and smells. We narrowly escaped riding the tramcar which she stared at longingly. However, we didn't escape rides. She rode a kiddie ride with various vehicles (she rode the train). Then, she rode on a train with me. Next, she rode the boats (above) and the motorcycles. We finished the night on the Merry-Go-Round. She then pretty much said she wanted to go home and to bed which we did but not before we bought her a t-shirt which she promptly hugged all the way home. She loves rides. She's so good, sits still, holds on. On the boats, she loved ringing the bell. She's just so happy when riding the rides, it's hard not to be happy right along with her.

Vacation Update - Hurricane Earl

If you look at the above photo, you can see the walkway to the beach and how the water comes up over the walkway. This walkway usually only extends about halfway down the beach. In the photo below, you can see the walkway ends around where the lighter colored sand is. This is basically the only effect the hurricane had on our vacation. However, it is amazing to see the darker sand that signifies the water line the day before. The waves were pretty big during the entire vacation, but on Friday, the water was more violent and it was overcast. We didn't go into the ocean that day (and couldn't even if we wanted to as the beach patrol was pretty strict). Still, it is nice that Earl changed course and didn't ruin the weekend or even the day.

Vacation Update - Little Miss Sandy

On Thursday, we arrived at the beach and got in as much time as possible because, at that point, we weren't sure how much Hurricane Earl was going to influence our vacation plans. Little Miss just dropped straight to the sand. I took a picture, but I don't think it adequately shows how sandy she really got. It took Husband 3 washings to even get her hair to lather in the shower. That's not counting the fact that I could literally shovel the sand out of her ears.

Okay, if you click on the photo, it will enlarge it and it will show a fine layer of sand on her face, arms, and legs.

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school. Little Miss ran into the classroom without a look back. We chatted with both of the teachers and had to drag Little Miss away from playing to say goodbye. Before we were out the door, she was back playing again. According to the numerous pictures and teacher reports, she loves arts and crafts. She couldn't wait to show the In-Laws her school and all of the new things. From what I understand, she also took the longest nap in history, too. We'll see how Thursday goes!

Below is the first day of school photo (apologies because it is blurry).

Potty Training

I think this has been one of our biggest challenges. Little Miss showed early interest in going to the potty. Then, she hit a brick wall. Then, she was very anti-potty. She would throw fits and wouldn't even go into the bathroom at all. She had so many signs of being ready - like not liking a wet diaper, telling us when she just went. We even went shopping for underpants (though she wasn't too excited and that was only last week). During Open House for preschool, the teachers strongly encouraged her to be potty trained for school which was the following week. So, we said we'd do what we could, but we only had a week to continue doing what we were doing. However, last Thursday, I feel like we turned a corner. She went once and then again at the hotel during vacation. The second time, she actually told us she had to go as opposed to being as a result of constant nagging from us. Yesterday, she went 3 times out of 5 which was extremely good. Of course, today, she had an accident at school, but it seemed like the teachers were pleased she will only wear underpants and she's not in diapers. So, that's good. It's nice to see progress.

Of course, I had to get her Days of the Week underpants, too. They're just the cutest. I had a picture of her in her underpants, but as I've been told, the photo looks a little too pervy so I'll just put the modest photo of her on the potty (though she mostly uses the big potty with a special seat for her).

As Husband said, in a month or so, we'll wish our biggest obstacle in our lives was potty training.