Here We Come San Diego!

August 27, 2009

My girlfriends and I are going to surf camp this weekend.
Yes.
Me.
Surfing.
I'll believe it when I see it too.
Cathy cooked up this idea and convinced another six of us (Jeanette, Amy, Karen, Diane, Julie, and me) that it would be fun. I am sure we will have a blast spending a girls' weekend at the beach, especially since it is supposed to be 115 degrees here tomorrow.
We'll see how much "fun" the surfing is. It's probably going to be funny to watch.

You can check out the surf camp we are going to at www.surfdivas.com/

I haven't decided if I am bringing the laptop with me or not. If I do, you will get updates. If not, tune in on Monday. . . .

Karen

My Bookclub's List of Books

August 23, 2009

Books are so amazing. It astounds me that an author can create an entirely other world in his or her mind, and then write it down so that it interests, entertains, enthralls, and/or haunts total strangers. WOW! I asked my book club to remind me of the books we have read together. Here is that list. It is quite a variation of books. After writing it all down, I have come to the conclusion that we have read more memoirs than we should. I do love memoirs though.

There are so many others I have read and loved, such as The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Maybe we read that in book club too?? The movie does not disappoint. In fact, I am going to re-read it after having just seen the movie. I also loved The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri; both the book and the movie. The movie has a very different focus than the book did, at least for me, but both were great. Of course, I loved Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenedis and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (the book, NOT the movie), but you all should know that about me by now.

So, in no particular order, here is the BOOKCLUB READING LIST: [by the way, ladies, we really need a name for our book club, so put on your thinkin' caps]

The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer (mem)
picked it up two times about a year apart and never really got into it, so I won't be finishing it
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
now one of my all-time favorite books!
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan (memoir)
it ranks in the middle place among my favorites list
Year of Wonders and March by Geraldine Brooks
anything by Ms. Brooks has been great. Year of Wonder is my favorite by her, a Year of Wonders was one of our most fun meetings despite the topic of the book (the plague). Thanks JM! People of the Book is also really, really good.
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
compelling and thought-provoking book, but hated that female main character, you know, Kate Winslett
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
dark, depressing, scary. Don't know if I want to see that movie.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
I usually love Jane Austen books, but I couldn't get through this one.
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud
Oh, please. The characters were awful, who cares about them! I think I picked this book too, my bad.
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
I didn't get very far into this one before I decided to veto it.
These is My Words by Nancy Turner
I love Sarah Agnes Prine. I would never have read this on my own, so thanks CM for exposing me to some local history here. I am reading the second (Sarah's Quilt) of the three books about our tough heroine, Ms. Prine. Kind of like Little House in the Prairie for us grown up little girls.
Eat, Pray, Love (memoir) by Elizabeth Gilbert
I enjoyed the "Pray" section, but really didn't care for the "Eat" part; "Love" section was so-so.
Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
Don't let the cover fool you! It is NOT a trashy romance novel despite the scantily-clad, busty babe on the cover. It is a totally engrossing adventure novel. It is about another tough woman who actually existed. This is another one I would never have picked up (see above comments about the cover), but highly recommend. Whenever I am doing any outdoorsy activity (which is not often) or even driving in my air-conditioned car through rugged-looking areas, I think of this woman and how she not only walked barefoot for miles naked and in the snow, but gave birth and rode on horseback while she was hugely pregnant, not to mention the horrible other event she witnesses! I am the biggest baby.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Very interesting book about circus life and circus animals. Really, it is a very good book.
Three Cups of Tea (NF) by Greg Mortenson
Not my cup of tea. Didn't finish it.
When you are Engulfed in Flames (NF) David Sedaris
OK, who doesn't crack up over David Sedaris?! Actually though, I preferred Me Talk Pretty, but he is always funny, especially in person.
Glass Castle (memoir) by Jeannette Walls
At least I am not as bad a parent as Ms. Walls' were! I can't believe those people.
Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powelle (mem)
I never finished this book. It just wasn't doing anything for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Meryl Streep should win an award for that spot-on impression of Julia Child.
Ex Libris (NF) by Anne Fadiman
A great book for book lovers.
Beautiful Boy (memoir) by David Scheff
Oh brother...he was very naive. Nonetheless, I'd hate to experience what he has.
Tweak (memoir) Nick Scheff
If you are that drugged out, how do you remember it all to write a memoir? (See A Million Little Pieces below)
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie and Ina Rilke
Another one I just didn't get into and quit.
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
I really liked this book. I couldn't put it down. I think I would have felt the same even if he had called it a novel. Again, if you are that drunk or drugged out, how can you recall those incidents enough to write about them?
The Uses of Enchantment by Heidi Julavits
I picked this one and it was another loser. Crazy girl fakes kidnapping or something ridiculous like that.

Those are all the books we could collectively remember. I'd love to hear your comments on these books, or suggestions for others.

Karen

Happy Birthday Michael!

August 21, 2009

Today Uncle Mickle aka Mickle Pickle celebrates his birthday!

Happy Birthday!

He is our Auntie's A's wonderful husband and adopted uncle to the Halter kids. That's his own cutie-pie Cooper (aka Coopie, Coop) in the picture.

I don't know his exact age, but he is probably around 25 today or something...he looks and is much younger than me! Must be all the bicycle riding he does to stay so young.

Tommy just adores him and they do lots of fun things together...like go to U of A football games, swim, play, and now text each other. This year they are going to golf together for the first time.

We all wish him a happy, happy birthday!

Back to Work

August 16, 2009

Tomorrow is Monday. The day I go back to work after a lovely seven week break. I have very much enjoyed spending these weeks with the family, as I hope you can tell in the blog entries. Now the last week the kids have been back in school so I have been playing "stay at home mom" and loving it. I will describe my wonderful week in a second, but first let me say: Grace is a nut. Here she is in a laundry basket. I found her just hanging out in this watching TV tonight. This is my life, doesn't get much better or funnier.


This week I painted the kitchen table black. It was white, which I loved, but it showed too much Ollie hair. Now it matches Ollie's hair, so at least it looks cleaner. I was going to paint the chairs, but they have too much varnish and that would require far too much sanding effort on my part. So we have the mismatched look going. Hey, it's cheaper than a new table, which is what I'd really like. See that's why I have to go to work. Now it makes sense!

I also went to lunch with some friends at Postino, and no, I didn't order wine with lunch. I saw a matinee with some friends another day. We saw Julie & Julia which I highly recommend. I wasn't crazy about the book, but the movie was great! Meryl Streep was fabulous as Julia Child and I loved when they said beef it sounded like boof. I also got a complete physical (doing just fine, thank you), volunteered in the school library and ran a lot of errands, made three dinners that week plus these lovely little "first-day-of-school" cupcakes treats for the kiddos on Monday.

I could get used to that type of week. (Notice there were no visits to the gym...shame on me).
And I also want to post the pictures from Tommy's actual birthday dinner. He requested birthday pie instead of cake, so here it is (also a "before" photo of the white kitchen table).

What do suppose he is wishing for now that he finally has that blasted cell phone?

I should get to bed so I am well-rested for my big day at the office tomorrow! Ha!

Karen

First Day of School

August 10, 2009 First day of 7th grade for Tommy and 4th grade for Grace. It is way too hot here to start school. I wish someone could explain to me why the school district people think it is a good idea to send the kids to school in early August. Crazy! Anyway, here are the annual bus stop photos:



Middle schoolers (all boys...that could be trouble):

The Graces:

While the kids were at school, I enjoyed my day alone and made "First Day of School Cupcakes" for them. I could learn to like staying home, even though it's just a dream.
Karen

Happy Birthday Tommy!

August 9, 2009

Tommy is 12 today. We looked at his baby book last night. He was such a cute fat baby! I can't believe how much he has grown, but then every parent says that. I still look at him and see a little boy even though he is definitely not.

He, Tom and Big Tom (aka Poppy) went golfing this morning. That was after Tom woke him up at 6 am by calling him on his new cell phone. I finally caved in and then got Tom to agree to get him the dreaded cell phone for his birthday. No, he doesn't "need" it. I need it more than he does because I like to keep track of where he is and what he is doing. He's more independent these days and that makes me nervous.

In honor of Tommy "Tuna's" birthday, I thought I'd describe him a little as I see him. If anyone is reading this feel free to add your own little description of Tommy and I will share it with him.

Tommy: cute, cuddly, nice, athletic, smart, has a great belly laugh, usually pleasant with a little surliness now and then, not talkative, great smile, funny, crazy hair unless it has just been cut, has a fake tooth (not even from an interesting accident either, ask him), hard on his glasses, great eyelashes, bad dry skin, isn't an avid reader (how'd that happen with me & Tom for parents?), sometimes lazy, very tan in he summer, follows the rules, has great friends, messy, sweet, wonderful kid.

Happy Birthday Tommy! I love you.

Mom (aka Karen ... by the way, I am the only Halter without a funny nickname just so you know)

Surf's Up!

July 30- August 2, 2009 Tommy went to summer camp in southern California this year. Whent that was over, his Aunt Fissa (Melissa) who lives in San Diego picked him up so he could spend a few days in the surf with Fissa and Aunt Kackery (Kathy) and cousin Emmie (aka Emmet, Emma-lou-sue, Em) who were also visiting San Diego. Of course Tommy took no pictures at camp even though I sent a camera with him (nicely labeled with his name ...apparently that is totally embarrassing he informed me). So here are some photos Kathy took of Tommy and Emmie boogie boarding in San Diego. Grace & I were in Vermont during this time and Tom was home watching Ollie and paying for all our fun. Thanks Daddy!

Tommy coming in and waving to Emmie.

Fissa, Tommy & Emmie:

Kathy & Emmie (actually on Lopez Island before coming to SD, but it was a nice photo so I wanted to include it):

Mel, Em & T:

Emmie braving the waves!

Here comes Tommy:

How cute is Emmie! She could be a swimsuit model in this one:

They had a blast, thanks to the two wonderful aunties who spoiled them rotten I am sure.

Karen

Lake George, NY

July 29-31, 2009.
This is the Pinebrook Motel. We stayed here in the little town of Lake George, NY. The motels on the main street were all quaint, old-fashioned looking motels. They were all cute and nothing like what we have here out west. I really think I am living in the wrong part of the country because I just love how everything looks back east. Although I doubt I could last through a New England winter, so I am probably in the place God put me for a reason. Back to our little Lake George excursion while in Vermont. It was beautiful, but...

when we first got there it looked like this...

Rainy! We got out anyway and waded through the puddles to play in an arcade and check out some of the many shops.
Here are Jennifer & Payton outside our room on the next day, which lucky for us was sunny.

Here we were on our little patch of beach. It was a great little area to hang out for a few hours and get the kids wet.

We also went gooney golfing that afternoon while the little guys napped. It was the old fashioned kind with the large obstacles. It reminded me of the Gooney Golf at Metrocenter when I was a kid. There was the huge dinosaur with the eyes that lit up. Grace got a hole in one on that one. There were windmills and other "buildings" that the ball disappeared into an came out on another level on the other side.

We also went on this steam boat, the Minne Ha-Ha. It was a beautiful day for a boat ride around Lake George.

Grace and I on the boat.

Jennifer's family: Payton, Jen, Bethany, Lance, Buck.

The lake homes were amazing !

We had a fun time with Jennifer & family. We also got old-fashioned pictures taken with everyone and also with just me & Grace. I haven't figured out how to scan those into my blog though, so you'll just have to come see them in person or wait till I figure that out.

Tommy's birthday is Sunday, so we will be celebrating this week. Check back in to see what surprises came his way on the big day he turns 12!

Vermont

July 24th to August 2nd, 2009

Grace and I visited Aunt Jennifer and family in Vermont. She lives in a small town called Wallingford. Jennifer, Grace and I walked up Main Street (Route 7) one day. We saw lots of things you don't see out here in AZ. The houses are all old and very cute. They have plaques that say when they were built, many were from the 1800's! There were really old granite and marble sidewalks and hitching posts in front of many of the houses. We walked through a cemetery that was established in 1906, but many of the grave markers were much older dating back to the mid 1800's. Of course, I forgot my camera that day.

We spent the mostly sunny days in yard playing on the slip and slide and in the little pool.

Bethany, age 16 months: Water wars: Grace, Payton, age 9, Lance, age 3

Grace really liked helping with Bethany, except for diapers.

Lance, Bethany, Grace:

Lance & Grace in the hot tub:
Jennifer & Bethany:
The last night we lit sparklers that we bought at the Vermont Country Store. Can't do that in AZ.

On our way back to VT from our mini-vacation in Lake George (more about that later) we stopped at an "antique"amusement park called The Magic Forest. It was a hoot! The rides and the crazy statues everywhere are all really old! Jennifer called it the carnival graveyard because there are the statues everywhere and no rhyme or reason to them. We think the park just collects them from wherever it can and plops them down in their park. To top it off, it was raining that day. We girls called it a day much earlier than did the boys who stayed and braved the rain.
Payton & Bethany driving 1950's style cars:

Here are some of the giant statues they have...there are hundreds more.

WOODSTOCK, VT

Officially, my favorite place in VT. Everything is "so cute." I said that so much Grace was ready to kill me. The houses are beautiful, the shops were adorable. I could have walked around for days, but we had a plane to catch.

The one on the left is for sale! Hmmm.

How cute is this? They write the town's events on a chalk board in the center of the main street area.

We'll be back to VT soon. Coming up: the Lake George trip.