the band

Katie and her friend Parker have been talking about starting their band for awhile now.

They've discussed playlists, literally drawn out who will be playing what instruments and where they will stand.  A litany of friends will hypothetically be "in" the band in any given discussion.

They've done just about everything except actually play together.

The other night they test-drove some instruments at Parker's house.

"I think I should still play the ukulele and Parker play the piano though," Katie told me later.

Can't wait for the first time they "play out."

In the meantime, here are some "performances" for you fans (a.k.a. uncles, aunts and grandparents) out there.

Father's Day song.



Video from her school's variety show.

happy

WEEKEND!

this post is really about books

I can not tell you how much I dislike running.  I do it, 1) To keep in shape for my old lady soccer games; 2) To keep my weight in check and 3) To be healthy.

Truth be told, the order of the list is pretty accurate as well -- which I know is sad.

Another good thing about running? 

I see things I wouldn't normally see.  Example #1 -- Katie's desk.  

Example #2:  Last week I was running and went past this old fence which had an abundance of yellow wild flowers growing around it when I realized it was really picturesque.  

So, I dragged the kids out there later to take pictures of them.

Okay, onto what I wanted to write a post about...  Books (squeezed between pictures of my kids for the grandparents...)

Summer is approaching and I feel like it's time to starting reading some truly entertaining books.  While not a romance novel reader, I do tend to lean towards books that are well, a little on the "soapy" side.  I also love witty/funny books.

What are you reading?

Here's my current "To do" list which I may or may not tackle anytime soon.

1. Drop Dead Healthy - I really enjoyed his A Year of Living Biblically and look forward to getting my hands on this one, maybe when it goes to paperback.
2. Steve Jobs -- also one I'm waiting for paperback or perhaps for the library to have less than 75+ holds.
3. A Moveable Feast - I just finished A Paris Wife, and it's made me want to read Hemingway's account on his first marriage.
4. Gone with the Wind - I never get around to this one, and I don't know why. 
5. The Lord of the Rings - I've got a soft spot for the pseudo sci-fi/fantasy -- e.g., A Wrinkle in Time, Hunger Games, The Princess Bride, Percy Jackson -- and haven't gotten around to reading these (or even seeing the movies!) 

Here are my top 5 Favorite Fun (& Easy) Summer Reads

1. Valley of the Dolls -- A cult "classic" it's a step above a traditional trashy romance novel.  Think soap opera meets Sex in the City meets a lot of alcohol and pills.
2. Persuasion -- My all time favorite Austen novel.  Read (or re-read it), then watch the BBC series.
3. Tales of the City -- Fantastically entertaining first novel of a series about the crazy intertwined lives of a handful of people living in San Francisco in the 60s.  Saw it on stage a couple of months ago and it was great.
4. Orlando -- Don't be intimidated by Virginia Woolf, this novel made me laugh way more than I thought it would. 
5. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies -- While I don't usually like spin-offs or parodies of Austen, this one is totally worth the read if you are a P&P fan.  Plus, they are making a movie out of it next year if you can believe it.

While I'm making lists, here are three novels I think BBC should consider...

1. Shirley -- Love how strong Shirley's character is in this generally passed up Charlotte Bronte novel. 
2. Sandition -- What can I say, I'm an Austenite at heart.
3. Sister Carrie -- I found myself really liking this one and could see it being translated to the screen.

Katie is starting to read chapter books.  Any suggestions?

Happy summer reading!!!