just tell me to RELAX...and BREATHE

more reading

We figured since it was R's last day of summer, we better get over to Barnes & Noble and turn in our summer reading challenge form.  Ripley finished the 8 required books about a week ago, but in true Coope fashion we didn't race out the door to get our free book.  We savored it for a while first.

By the way, a trip to the book store is also a special occasion and reason to dress fancy.

R was asked to put a sticker on Egypt where her favorite book, Who Was King Tut?, was set.

She also wrote her name on a little "E" (which corresponds to a character in a book -- don't ask me details on this one.  It was something to do with a series of books that B&N is giving away in a sweepstakes?).  She signed it Ripley with a little peace symbol on one side and a smiley face on the other.

We came home with a free book (Judy Moody and Stink's Mad Mad Mad Treasure Hunt) and with 4 more that we purchased (Franny K Stein #5, Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the First Day of School, Judy Moody Goes to College, and Stink and his Stinky shoes - or something like that).  She started reading the Mad Mad Mad one in the car on the way home.  The kid loves a good book.

The last of the library books have been returned...

...thanks to Ripley's handy reminder...

She's just like me -- I love an excuse to use a sticky note.

I have a feeling we'll be coming home with some books from the school library very soon.  School starts tomorrow!

reading up a storm this summer

We took Rip to Borders tonight to turn in her We Double Dog Dare You form for the Borders summer challenge (she had to read 10 books and record them).  In return, Borders gave her a free book!  As you can tell from the picture, she was VERY excited that she didn't have to pick from the approved free book list but instead was able to pick any $4.99 - $5.99 "age-appropriate" book.  Judy Moody is a current fav, and this one happens to be about saving the earth/being green.

I should probably mention that R completed this form and the required reading a few weeks ago, but we are just now getting around to turning it in.  She has also finished the Scholastics form (read 4 books and you can get a free book with the September book order at school) and is part way done with the Barnes and Noble challenge (8 books = free book).

Now I just better get crackin' on my own reading, since I am signed up for the challenge at the library.  You'd think reading 4 books over the summer shouldn't be a task, but...

38 things

Yes, it's that time again (in fact, it happens to be exactly 1 year to the day of when I wrote down last year's 37 things, even though I didn't post it for another 2 months!)...

38 Things about 2009...

1. We went to Disneyland!
2. Ralphie passed away...
3. My Uncle Jack passed away...
4. James and I attended my 20 year high school reunion.
5. Avery got married and we took our first family vacation (just the 3 of us) to San Diego.
6. Ripley started kindergarten.
7. Rip learned to read at the beginning of 2009.
8. Rip started reading chapter books towards the end of 2009!
9. Ripley and I took our first road trip together (New Mexico).
10. Tuli became part of our family.
11. Ripley learned to swim.
12. I did not have any surgeries!!!
13. James ran his 1st and 2nd marathons (and his 2nd and 3rd half-marathons).
14. We took a very muddy hike on fathers day...
15. I fell drastically behind on everything for the year.
16. My grandmother fell and broke her hip.
17. I repainted my studio burnt orange.
18. We had a Day in the Life photo shoot.
19. Ripley was a spider for Halloween.
20. The Buffs stunk it up on the football field.
21. Ripley started her Devo ski program.
22. I found an old typewriter for myself for my birthday and still haven't figured out how to change the ribbon.
23. I learned to knit!
24. Ripley found out how much she loves adventure movies (Jumanji, Goonies, Nim's Island, Raiders of the Lost Arc)
25. Meme and Ripley painted together in Meme's studio
26. I got a MAC!
27. We had our 4th annual 3 Amigas Weekend in Vail.
28. I got my Christmas gifts to my parents and grandmother in MARCH.
29. I focused on TODAY, and it really slowed me down (in a good way).
30. I apologized for something I did not do, and it was OK.
31. I admitted that I like ham.
32. Ripley and I survived a 4-month-long summer and still liked each other at the end of it.
33. Ripley started writing in a diary.
34. I stopped watching Grey's Anatomy and feel good about it.
35. I read Twilight (and saw the movie twice with friends) and did not like either the book or the movie.
36. James and I installed almost 1000 square feet of wood laminate flooring in the basement, completely on our own, and still celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary later the same year.
37. We had 2 garages sales lasting a total of 3 days, and non of it was at our house.
38. I went on only one Chocolate Moose scrap weekend in 12 months time and survived (but just barely).

So, there you have it.  The first 38 things that popped into my head about this past year.  Writing this list made me take stock of how many stories I have NOT documented for 2009...I think I might go back and write a few blog entries to get those things in writing.  At the least, I will make a layout of this list during our scrap retreat this coming weekend.

Lots of planning and packing to do in the next 24 hours in order to make it a really productive weekend away.  Can't wait!

P.S.  this is my 200th blog post.  How's that for documenting?