2 Peas in a Pod

Daybook 12/30/2011

Renee — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:08:31 +0000

Visit Peggy to see more daybook posts!

December 30, 2011

FOR TODAY …

Outside my window… the sun is shining and it’s a seasonably warm day. I am really enjoying the moderate weather and that beautiful sunshine!

I am thinking… mostly about this past year and what the New Year will bring.

I am thankful… for all the blessings in my life! 2011 has been an extremely hard year for myself and my family but through it all we have been blessed over and over again. I am so very grateful!

From the learning rooms… We’re on vacation this week.

In the kitchen… For dinner tonight we’re having King Ranch Macaroni and Cheese with a green salad on the side. Yum, comfort food!

I am wearing… comfortable clothes. Friday is cleaning day at home as I get ready for a weekend at work.

I am creating… my goal list for the New Year.

I am going… to do more laundry, organize my pantry and spend quality time with my family tonight.

I am wondering… how fast the holidays rolled by!

I am reading…

I am hoping… that we’ll have gorgeous weather for the holiday weekend.

I am looking forward to… getting back to our routine schedule. I have enjoyed the holidays but I am ready to get back to our regular routine. I’m not so sure the boys agree with me though.

I am hearing… the boys enjoying their vacation.

Around the house… laundry, organizing the pantry and setting the house to right.

I am pondering… my menu plan for next week. Lots of left overs from the holidays to make into soups and casseroles. My kind of comfort food!

One of my favorite things… Doran Beach in Bodega Bay, CA.

Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a very …

Renee — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:34:21 +0000

Merry Christmas!

Renee — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:41:12 +0000

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Movies ~ A Great Family Time!

Renee — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:59:43 +0000

Christmas Movies are one of the things I just love about the Christmas Season. It makes for a great family time!

Here are some of my favorites ~ click on the pictures to find out more about them.

No Passengers Beyond This Point ~ Storybook Friday

Renee — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:39:55 +0000

Around the holidays, I like to highlight books that make wonderful Christmas gifts under the tree. One of our most loved family traditions is to have a small Christmas tree about 2 feet tall in the boys rooms filled with Christmas lights.

On Christmas Eve, we place a wrapped present (always a book) under each of their trees with a candy cane on top. It’s the first thing the boys see when they wake up and we’ve continued this tradition even as the boys have gotten older – at their request.

This book would make a wonderful Christmas present under the tree!

ISBN-10:0803735340

ISBN-13: 978-0803735347

Reading Ages: 10 and up

No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko is a book filled with action, mystery, suspense and fantasy all rolled up into one fascinating tale!

Three siblings – India, Finn and Mouse embark on an adventure that begins with sadness. The story opens with the family having less than 48 hours to vacate their home due to foreclosure. The plan is for the kids to go to live with their Uncle Red in Colorado while their Mom sorts things out.

As you can surmise, the kids are none too happy about the changes!

They board a plane headed for Colorado and once they land, their fantastical journey begins. Things are not as they are supposed to be and the rules make no sense to them. They soon find that time is running short as the children search to find a way out.

Will India, Finn and Mouse ever find their way home?

Click here to watch a video of the book trailer!

My review:

No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko is a fast paced, suspense filled story that everyone can enjoy. This fantastical tale captivates and engages you till the very last page. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Happy Reading!

Daybook ~ November 8, 2011

Renee — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:44:05 +0000

November 7, 2011

Outside my window ~ We didn’t experience much of the color of fall this year here in the south but I am enjoying the fragrance of fall, the cool breeze and watching the leaves drift from the trees to carpet the ground. It’s heavenly!

I am thinking~ about the upcoming holiday season. It’s just around the corner.

I am wearing ~ A comfortable blouse and skirt. Slippers on my feet to keep them warm.

I am creating ~ Our Thanksgiving Dinner menu and holiday plans.

From the kitchen ~ Pasta with Bolognese sauce and side salad. YUM!

I am reading ~ a pretty good historical romance set in the post Revolutionary War days …

I am hearing ~ The boys playing Wii, our dog Cubix snoring and the washing machine going along with the dryer.

Around the house today ~ Washing, drying and folding clothes. As soon as I’m done this post I’ll be putting dinner on via our slow cooker. I love having left overs – they’re so easy to assemble! Tonight I plan to go through the freezers and re-organize, categorize and menu plan through the end of the month.

Stop by Peggy’s to read what others are up to today!

Diary of a Teenage Girl : Becoming Me by Melody Carlson

Renee — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:36:30 +0000

Stop on over at my book blog to read this book review!

It’s a really good book and would make a wonderful holiday present!

Mailbox Monday ~ September 12, 2011

Renee — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:05:46 +0000

Mailbox Monday

Hosted by Amused by Books for the month of Sept. 2011

Here’s this week’s books ~

Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Book 4 of the Missing Series

ISBN-10:1416989803

ISBN-13: 978-1416989806

From the publisher:

Still reeling from their experiences in Roanoke in 1600, Jonah and Katherine arrive in 1611 only moments before a mutiny on Henry Hudson’s ship in the icy waters of James Bay. But things are messed up: They’ve lost the real John Hudson, and they find what seems to be the fabled Northwest Passage—even though they are pretty sure that route doesn’t actually exist. Will this new version of history replace everything they’ve ever known? Is this the end of time as we know it? With more at stake than ever before, Jonah and Katherine struggle to unravel the mysteries of 1611 and the Hudson Passage…before everything they know is lost.

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Book 2 in the Lorien Legacies

ISBN-10:0061974552

ISBN-13: 978-0061974557

From the publisher:

I’ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he’s a mystery. But to me . . . he’s one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we’ll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I’ve been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I’m ready to fight.

What books have you received this week?

Storybook Friday ~ A Tip for choosing great children’s books

Renee — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:52:12 +0000

Happy September!

I was browsing through my past posts and came across this tip I wrote a few years ago. I wanted to link to it but WP wasn’t cooperating so I just posted it in full.

This tip rang true when my kids were 2 an 3 and now that they’re quite a bit older, it’s still one of the best tips/advice I can pass on!

I remember when my two boys were infants and I kept searching for good children’s books that would stimulate them in the years to come.

I asked a friend of mine to recommend some good books and she shared this with me:

A good children’s books is one that captures the interest of both the child and the adult. Those are the books that will be read again, again and yet again.

That sage advice has been one of the best bits of wisdom that I have ever received. It is has been tried and tested true in my years of searching for kid’s books.

Keep in mind though…when your young child asks you to read them the same book over and over again, the joy of that book may wane just a tad bit after the 35th reading – LOL!

The view …

Renee — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:59:49 +0000

from our front porch last evening ~