The Tales of June

Ah... Summer reading...

Last Saturday I chucked the "to do" list out the window and went and sat on a blanket in the park and read for two hours. And it was so warm! (That doesn't happen often enough for me around here.)

So, with all that reading in the sun... here's what I got through in June:

1. True Love, The Sphinx, and Other Unsolvable Riddles - Tyne O'Connell - A fun, fluffy story I read in about a day. Nothing noteworthy - just fun fluff (I was in the mood that day!)

2. Timothy & The Dragon's Gate - Adrienne Kress - The humor in this one was great - it read a lot like the Percy Jackson books - only with a dragon instead of Olympians.

3. Dragon Slippers - Jessica Day George - I found this other book by the same author of Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. I wasn't sure if I'd like it by the back cover, but it turned out to be a great "fairy tale - like" story with really good characters.

4. The Four Agreements - Miguel Ruiz - You've probably seen this non-fiction book, it's been pretty popular. There was a good helping of it that was a little too "new age" for me, but over all the basic premise had some really good truths in it. The four basic agreements themselves are actually very powerful ideas.

5. Wildwood Dancing - Juliet Marillier - Oooohhhh! A big thanks to my sister for recommending this one to me! Mix up the Dancing Princesess, the Frog Prince, and throw in some Vampires for good measure and you have a story you can't put down!

6. The Sorceress - Michael Scott - This is book three in the Nicholas Flammel series (previous were The Alchemyst and The Magician). It's just as fantastic as the first two and I really liked how they featured Flammel's wife Perenelle as this uber-powerful woman!

Happy Summer Reading!

Dad

I won the Dad lottery. I really did. I have the best dad!

He has taught me so much in my life.

Like how to make an architecturally sound gingerbread house that is up to code.

And how to fish (which is really all about patience and being able to hold slimy things.)

About how to enjoy life and this gorgeous planet we live on (even if you're boogie boarding just after having heart surgery.)

On top of all of that... he is a fantastic grandpa too!

Aaarrrggghhhh!

Today the kids and I went to the Northern California Pirate Festival! This is their third year and it's a jolly good time!

Everything pirate is there! And tons of people dress up. (This was as piratical as my daughter and I got... this year...)

There are pirate entertainers...


And yummy food. The pirate who sold these fruit ices to my kids swore they'd keep 'em from getting scurvy!

And of course you can buy many a pirate item. My son bought a ring of keys that looks suspiciously like a set a certain dog had in a certain pirate movie. My daughter bought a pair of thigh-high black and white striped stockings. I found myself a jingly silver coin anklet that called my name.

Can't wait to go next year!

Promoted

Around here you don't "graduate" from 8th grade - you get "promoted" from 8th grade. So yesterday my daughter participated in the 8th grade Promotional.

As parents, her dad and I are proud of how this kid is turning out!


She even gave a speech at the Promotional.


And since her birthday is in the summer, for the past four years we've had her birthday party on the last day of school (that way we can get her friends there before they all go off on vacation!) This year's theme was COLOR... so here's the cake I came up with:


The little umbrellas are a nod to the time she spent in Japan this year. What a fun day!!

Off to the Ball

Cinderella is off to the 8th Grade Promotional Dance tonight.

She's such a cutie!


I'm so proud!

Guys and Dolls

"Why, it's good ol' reliable Nathan. Nathan, Nathan, Nathan Detroit!"
(The one in the tan jacket...)

"I'll know... when my love comes along..."

"When you see a guy, reach for stars in the sky, you can bet that he's doing it for some doll."

"If I were a bell..."

The happy ending!

Two-Step and Swing

Yes... still dancing...

Tonight it was two-step (which can basically be done to any smooth-rock-radio-love-song :-) Pretty fun! And the East Coast Swing, which was really, really fun!

I had to move my Thursday night lesson out because it's opening night of my kids' play, "Guys and Dolls"! Can't wait to see them dance! (and sing, and um, gamble?)

Luck be a lady Thursday night...