ringing in the new year

The boys and I rang in 2010 with our traditional "bubbly" and episodes of Mythbusters on Netflix after a couple rounds of Scrabble Slam! card game--thanks Grandma and Grandpa:)

just for me

A few moments to myself at the end of the year. I made an artichoke ricotta pizza and lemon poppy seed bundt cake--yummm, while watching "Under the Biltmore clock", an American Playhouse movie which is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Myra meets his family". Very good.

Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade

Here is one of the links to Ben playing in the Edina High School Band parade. He marches two rows in front of the white tubas to the left of the center yellow line of the road. I know they all look alike but that's where he said he was! http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=e5c15fcb-b026-4683-b4a6-69e21501d1bc&src=front

This is why. . .

I'ts that time of year when sales abound and taunt and the desire for a new winter sweater popped out of my closet! So off I went to Macy's and looked and looked for an hour, finally settled on one and tried it on. Something just wasn't quite right so I left it and begged my daughter to come back with me later on that day to see if she liked it on me. I thought her ideas of what looks good on me might help see what I was having trouble with. She wouldn't do it. Farmville, an old episode of Heroes and talking with her friend on the phone was more important. So after dinner Tim and I went out to learn how to use our OnStar from the car dealer and he asked if he could help with what was bothering me. "Just a silly sweater", I said. He drove right to the mall when I had just decided to forget it and 20 minutes before closing watched as I tried it on and then saw exactly what was wrong with it for my body type and then helped me sum up what does flatter my shape in the most perfect way. He even branched out and helped with pants and that is even harder for me to find the right fit. Anyway, it is "New Moon" release week and maybe I am a little love sick but . . . I love him.

Lauren's backyard summer projects

This girl is doing every bit as much as Ben did for his Eagle project! Way to go Lauren:)http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbId=2275448
Remember to hit the button to the top right to view in full screen--easier to read

Reading

I pulled some lower back muscles last week during my body pump class so I decided to get back to reading as I couldn't do much else. I just finished The Help and now I am starting Peace like a River to read along with Ben. Mike and I are into Chet Gecko mysteries. I just finished reading The Hunger Games with Lauren and took her to see a local community play, Wait until Dark.

Visitors after the game

Well this is a fitting way to get back to posting again. These little guys made my day last Saturday, around noon after our first freeze. Lauren had just finished her last high school soccer game of the season. This flock of Eastern bluebirds were on their way through and stayed the afternoon in our backyard Maple and would fly down to the grass and grab something. Their song was so pretty although it was a bit nippy to be out watching them. A guy at the wild bird store thought they were probably grabbing the bugs that had frozen and fallen out of the tree overnight. So here are a few shots of them and one of Lauren at the game.