CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO GET, HOW TO GET TO...

This weekend was full of goodness.
The best part was going to the theatre with the kids. We took them to see Seasame Street Live, Elmo Makes Music. Their first time in Palace Theatre means the world to me. I love going into the theatre district of Cleveland. It truly is all inspiring. The beauty of these buildings are something you need to see first hand. The kids enjoyed the show. They were bobbing their heads, clapping their hands the entire time.
Friday we hung with Beckie and Pete and I finally saw a pic of Becks wedding dress. Can I just say gorgous!
Saturday after naps we went to Tracy's where Bob did some "stuff" around the house. Then we went shopping for D and came home for movie night. We watched Michael Clayton and it wasn't as good as I had anticipated. Still worth seeing, but I don't understand all the hype.

I finished reading a Twist of Lennon (loved it,) and began reading John, also by Cythia Lennon.

Sunday is always my sleepy day. Bob woke with the kids and took them to breakfast. Then he grabbed the dog and went to Pet Smart for food and other goodies. I slept until 10am and woke to silence. I brewed some coffee, read the paper and waited for the fam to come back home.
I have been battling a crippling headache for the past 2 days. Today I didn't even leave the house or get out of my jammies for that matter.
A new week approaches, another snow storm is heading our way. Let's pray it's the last one for the year!

WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD...

I look at this picture, and all I imagine is us following the yellow brick road. Of course I just finished reading Wicked, so that may have something to do with it.
Now that I am done with Wicked, I have moved on to The Bonesetter's Daughter. My Mom just finished reading it and loved it, so she passed it along to me. I am also eagerly awaiting 2 books that I recently bought on Ebay. The first is John, by Cynthia Lennon and the other is Cynthia Lennon's other book about her life as a Beatle wife, A Twist of Lennon.

I am on my Beatles kick again thanks to my friend Correne. I used to work with her at Safeguard and we spent many work hours talking about books and music. Her and I are very simialr in our love of reading, writing and music. Last Friday Bob and I went to Correne and Scot's house for dinner and cards. They had the best Beatles memorabilia which included books and amazing photographs. Every room you walk into in their house has something Beatles in it. I loved it.

Before I sign off, I want to give a Dirty 30 Birthday shout out to my beautiful friend Jen in Watertown. Happy Birthday ( i know it's tomorrow) and I wish I could be back in Watertown NY with you guys to celebrate the big day! Have fun.

FALL READING FRENZY

Whenever Fall approaches, it seems like my reading increases dramatically. The cooler weather makes me more of a home body, creating more time to just sit and read. The cooler weather also leads me to take a hot bath almost every night, and the tub is my favorite spot to read.
My new way to get my books is through Ebay. I've been selling a lot of my paperback books that I don't absolutely love on Ebay. Then when I get enough money in my pay-pal account, I buy a new book.
Right now I have 3 completely different types of books in waiting. I am in the middle of "Freakonomics", a book I would never have thought to purchase. But my friend Stacia has been ranting and raving about it so I had to give it a try. It definitely makes you think about things in a new way.
Next on my book shelf is "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I can't wait to get my hands on this one.
Then, totally off the wall, I am going to read "The Heroin Diaries," a memoir from Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. I am most looking forward to this one, which is why I am saving it for last.
So if I am blogging a little less, it's because my nose is buried in books. If any of you have any reading recommendations, please share them here.

FEELIN' THE LOVE

Denny, Grace and My Grace @ the zoo

This may be one of those posts that are all over the place, so I apologize in advance. It's Monday morning and I am feeling kinda blah.

Our weekend was filled with:

• movies (Summer is over, so Friday night movie night is back)


• new furniture in the living room


• pots of chili


• card games of Shanghai rummy


• sunglasses & underwear shopping with Tracy


• Buckeyes & Browns football


• an afternoon dirty-thirty birthday celebration for Stacia (she's the last one of us to turn the big 30)


• new books. I ordered "Into The Wild" and it arrived on Saturday. I can't put this book down, which is why this post is gonna be short. I need to read more of it and I recommend you do the same if you haven't read it yet.
  
• The Cleveland Indians clinching the AL central division championship. Go Tribe!
• My husband being too good to be true. Up until Saturday, he had worked 12 days straight. Usually on weekends, he sleeps in on Saturday and I sleep in on Sundays. This weekend, even though he has been working his butt off, he got up with the kids both days. He wanted to spend the mornings with G&D and he wanted to give me a break also. He rocks, I know.
  

MORNING TRAIN RIDE

Last week we were supposed to go on a train ride, but never made it. So today we kept our promise to G&D and went on a 2 hour excursion through the Cuyohoga Valley National Park. It was nice, a little boring, but still something different to do. I think in the fall it would be a beautiful ride. Grace and D did great though. D was definitely getting antsy towards the end; we pushed him to the limit with out a doubt.

I finally made it to the library for some more summer reading. I have been without a book for over 2 weeks now. I picked The Memory Keepers Daughter and plan on login' in some book time this evening. It's finally cooled down here so I can sit outside and read without melting away.

This weekend is the Kenny Chesney concert at Browns stadium! I can not wait! I bought the tickets forever ago and I am so happy it is finally here. I am going with Tracy, Becky, Pete, Chris and one more to be determined. My darling husband is sitting this one out and spending the day and evening with the kids. It's an all day event, starting around 2pm and ending after midnight. I just hope I can make it that long.

First Tribe Game of the Season

Thursday we got a nice surprise. Bob's mom had 4 tickets to the Indians game and she offered to come watch G&D while we went. Timmy and Kelly came with us and what a great game. The Tribe won and we witnessed a shirtless drunk dude run across the field and then get arrested. I've been to many games but that was a first for me. So of course I had to take a picture and post it on here.

I am so happy it's Friday and it is another beautiful day. Tonight movie night is back and we are going to watch Bobby. We've had this movie in our possession for 3 weeks now and I've been so excited to see it, but there hasn't been any time. I plan on spending the entire weekend outside with the family. Saturday night we get to go out and celebrate Pete's birthday. On Sunday Spiderman is going to be at Macy's in the morning, so we have to take Denny there so he can meet his favorite Superhero. Who knows how he will react, but I'm sure I'll have a funny story to tell about it.

I finished Dear John the other day and it was such a great read. Lots of people made some recommendations on some good books they are reading or have read, but when I went to the library the other night, none of them were in. So I looked around and picked Margherita Dolce Vita. It's not the type of book I would normally select, but I thought I'd try something new. So far it's alright, but I am only a few chapters in.

Hope everyone has a super duper sunny weekend with family and friends. All the good stuff.

Bob's Mom's birthday was this past weekend. We had a little celebration for her, thankfully on a day where the weather was beautiful (today it is snowing here.)
Grace was so excited for her Grandma's birthday. She talked about it for days, and wrapped up little goodies in her room that she thought Grandma would like. It melts my heart that she cares so much about other people at such a young age.

Birthday Kisses

The kids & GMA

Grandma Debbie & Papa Joe w/ the Babes

Wednesday night we took the kids to the mall to see the Easter bunny. I am way behind on all the pre-Easter happenings this year. I have no excuses, I guess I am just plain old being lazy. The meeting with the bunny didn't go as planned, as it never does. That is what I love about G&D. No matter how much you prepare for something, it doesn't matter. I'll scan the picture today and post it this weekend.
While at the mall I stopped in the bookstore to get "Driving With Dead People." The book isn't out in paperback yet and I couldn't get myself to pay almost $30 for it. I looked for it at the library last week but there is only 1 copy and a long, long wait for it. I didn't leave the bookstore empty handed though. In the bargain books section I found "Good Grief." Click to read what it's about. Again, my laziness is preventing me from writing it myself.

BETTER DAY

The one good thing out of yesterday was this. While I was in the waiting room, I picked up a magazine. It was some mag about pregnancy and newborn life. There was no selection, which pisses me off about waiting rooms. We are waiting...please supply us with some good reads that are not outdated! Waiting rooms are filled with anxious patients who would like to relax before they get poked and prodded and asked a hundred questions. It's not like we are only waiting for a few minutes. I know I waited for at least 20 minutes yesterday and there was only 3 crumpled magazines to choose from.
Enough bitching...I began this post with the one good thing from yesterday.
In one of the magazines I read a book review for "Driving With Dead People." It sounds so amazing and I am some how going to make it to the library this weekend to get it.
So after my miserable post yesterday, today I will make a list of the good stuff from today!

• Buying a Zoo pass
• Not getting out of my sweat pants until 6:30 pm (to make a family trip to Target.)
• G&D being sweet as pie ( i think they sensed that they pushed me over the edge on Wednesday.)
• Denny giving me kisses while he tenderly holds my face.
• The Ohio State basketball game tonight.
• Watching "Aladdin" with Grace while Denny napped.
• Making plans with Bob for our Spring house renovations.
• Plans this Sunday to see my Aunts, Uncles and cousins for a get together.
• Bob being the most sweet, supportive & helpful person to me while I had my mental breakdown yesterday, and totally understanding why it was happening.
• These shoes that I bought tonight.

BTW, sorry for the lack of pictures lately. Our computer that has all of our pics isn't working. Hopefully it will be up and running sometime this weekend.

GO BUCKS!