The Year of Books

I love books. LOVE books. I love to read. This past year I have kind of lost my time and troubles in reading. This year I read 67 books. I know that is a lot.  In past years I read around 56 and 40 something. I started keeping track 3 years ago and have come to love my book journals. I usually write a short page about the book/what I thought about the book. I also give it a letter grade.  I sometimes include what is also going on in my life. I can tell when things are busy (no books listed) or if I am on vacation (lots of books read) or if I am really stressed (TONS of books).    But I am happy with what I read, how I spent my extra time and characters I met.

A Letter

Dear Ms. X,

Let's be honest. We will NEVER be friends. I think you are very okay and my husband is in love with you. It is not even his dirty little secert. He openly yearns for Saturdays and Sundays AND Monday night. I think you are loud and BORING. Sorry but it is true.

Yesterday when he was suppose to be watching our daughter, I found her outside and he was in the cabin chatting about YOU.  How good you feel. How fun you are.  How he can hardly wait until next weekend when he is planning on being with you!

WHO CARES!!!!!

Please go away.

Love,

Ashley-Hater-of-You......Football.

River Ready

Cupcakes Baby

The Best cupcake place in the city. So good. Since we were there on a Tuesday we got a whole different selection of cakes.  The best $3 spent on flour, eggs and sugar. 

School

School started for us this week. Finally. Crewe has been feeling left out as all his little buddies started kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. We decided to keep Crewe with us for 1 more year. It really is the best choice for us but the past couple of weeks have been a little bit....lame.

So on Monday I went with him to school. The parents are suppose to go and stay for the whole time. Crewe found me after 15 minutes and said, "Okay, Mom you can stay for ONE.MORE.MINUTE and then you have to go!" 

I guess he was ready for school. Me too.

More ME

More things about.....ME!

1. Do you like blue cheese?  Not really but I sometimes pretend I do when it is served to me by friends.

2. Have you ever smoked? no

3. Do you own a gun? No.  

4. What do you think of hot dogs?  I avoid. Unless at a Professional Baseball game. With LOTS of mustard.

5. Favorite holiday movie? I really like "Scrooged" with Bill Murray. When the ghost hits him with a toaster, favorite part.

6. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?  In the AM I drink water. Always. My favorite drink ever is an Italian Creme Soda.  Close second is Diet Dr. Pepper.

7. Favorite piece of jewelry?  I love my wedding ring. Duh. But I also love a pair of Perido earrings that Rich gave me for my 25 birthday.

8. Favorite thing to bake?  I really like the idea of making cookies but they never seem to turn out how I imagined. I love the make entertaining food. Baked brie, dips, ect....

9. What book can you read over and over?  My favorite chic lit, Something Borrowed. 

10. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I am FANTASTIC about planning gifts, even buying gifts but HORRIBLE about the follow through. I don't mail items. I don't drop  gifts off. I suck.

11.Middle name? Chisum

12. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:

          1. My stomach hurts.

          2. I wonder if I can trick Rich to going and picking up a salad for me from Chili's.

          3. I need a Diet Coke.

13. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?  Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke and water. EVERYDAY. I also NEVER drink juice. 

14. Current Worry? Seriously. Too much to list here.

15. Current hate right now? Friends not responding to emails or phone calls.

16. Favorite place to be?  The hammock in my  parents back yard.

17. How did you bring in the New Year? I can't even remember....so sad.

18. Where would you like to go? Paris is ALWAYS a given. Rich is really wanting to go to Hawaii. And I would go with him.

19. What shirt are you wearing right now? I have on my nightgown. It is only 5:30pm. Tough day.

20. Do you like sleeping with satin sheets? never tried.

21. Can you whistle? Sort of but not to a tune.

22. Favorite color? Periwinkle.

23. Would you be a pirate? No I get motion sickness.

24. What songs do you sing in the shower? "All-le-wet-a" A french song. I sing it EVERY DAY.

25. Favorite girl's name? If I had another baby girl, today, I would name her Holland. But I already used my Favorite girls name, Dayne.

26. Last thing that made you laugh? Crewe.

27. Worst injury you've ever had? My leg cut opened at Brownstone Gallery. It was so awful and the recovery was painful.

28. Do you love where you live? yes.

29. What's your favorite animal? hello, dogs.

30. What is favorite candy? M&M's. Peanut ones or maybe peanut butter M&M's. LOVE them.

31. Favorite sports team? What?

32. What song do you want played at your funeral? "Who Loves You?" by Frankie Vallie and the 4 Seasons.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy. Crewe is the best boy. He is so kind and thoughtful. Crewe is the best big brother to dayne. He often asks her, "What's wrong, cutie cutie pie?" Crewe is an amazing swimmer. He can spend tons of time at the pool but he is also loves the River. He can even dive off the dock. Crewe often corrects my swearing and has been know to tell Rich to "calm down and do ice cream breaths". He loves to read books and play video games. He can sing all of MAPS on Rock Band.  Crewe still loves cars and has a thing for Planet Heros. He is smart and is constantly asking math and science questions. He also is so funny. Today when we were in SF we were going up and down the steep hills. I was a little bit nervous, when we drove to the top Crewe yelped, " Holy Crap! We are still alive!" 

Happy 5th Birthday Crewe. We love You!

the 5th Birthday Party

"The party was just so awesome" said Crewe Palmer to his parents. He didn't even know that he was having party until 1 hour before the party. And even then he went and stood by the car at 9am.  17 kids age 7-1 years old. Bouncing, karaoke, air hockey playing, rock wall climbing, bowling, and more. Followed by pizza and a cake AND by Crewe saying, "I really don't like the middle of this cake."

The Missing

The missing....tooth.

And making cookies. 

Good life.

Crewe turned 2

2005, Crewe turned 5. I still can't get my camera to download. So we will be vintage for awhile. I need my brothers help. annoying. We are getting ready for a birthday party tomorrow. Wish us luck.

Lost Tooth

My computer is having issues and won't let me download any more pictures to my iphoto. AH!!! So until I can figure this out, blogs with out pictures. Suck.

Anyway.......

Crewe lost his first tooth (insert the cutest pictures of him) yesterday. I cried when he came and showed me his prize. He was so excited and proud. I was so overwhelmed at my little boy growing up. I still like to say, "We just had a baby....." and I am referring to him. Crewe will be 5 years old next week. 5. 

We moved to CA when I was pregnant with Crewe.

Crewe learned to walk when he was 16 months old. He also started sleeping in a bed and gave up his pacifiers that same month.

We bought our Volvo in September 2003. It is still the car we drive.

We took Crewe to Europe when he was 6 months old.

We left Crewe when he was 2 and went  to Europe by ourselves.

 

Crewe has more hair than anyone I know. He HATES haircuts and has hated them since his first haircut around 9/10 months.

Crewe is kind, thoughtful and amazing. He is so very funny and has attitude. How can he be five?

Maxine, the Toothfairy came to visit him last night. He came into our room around 5:30am to report that she left him quarters!!! See, he is still such a little kid. The Toothfairy didn't leave him quarters, they were dollars. Good thing he still needs his mom to straighten him out.

what?

This is the cover of one of my favorite books. The Hard cover. Normal.

The paperback is now out and take a look. What the crap?

A Very fun Weekend

I can't get my photos to upload. Ahhhh! So I will post about our fabulous weekend when I can back the blah up with a few shots. Instead check out the updated bookblog here.  And feel free to leave comments.

PS. Crewe is wanting to take a shower right now. He just asked me to come and change the weather for him. 

Do you think he means temperature?

Sorry, To My People

Enjoying Pinkberry***March 2008

I know, I have not blogged. A sin if you want your people to be loyal to you. I know, you may have even quit checking my blog. BUT in the off chance you are reading this......let's chat.

 

We have had a boring week around here. Don't tell Crewe that I said, b-o-r-i-n-g or I would be busted. So I am digging to the bottom of the barrel to give the haps around the Palmer household.

1. We discovered a Pinkberry, rip off, Blush. We went as a family on Saturday and then Rich and I went by ourselves on Tuesday. So good. Around 160 cal and no fat. Oh and it is organic too but I don't really care about that.

2. I read, Breaking Dawn. The last book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Can I say that I read Twilight before it was BIG and you had to wear a lame (Team Edward) t-shirt to like the book?

3. The kids and I went to Ikea. I had visions of buying frames, lamps, a birthday gift. Instead I bought new laundry bins (the reason for the trip) and napkins. Napkins. Since we were all the way in Emeryville (Oakland) we also went to our favorite cupcake place,  The Teacake Bake Shop and spent $20 on cupcakes. Rich's cupcake is still sitting in the box on the table. What the crap?

4. Baby Dayne is teething. It has been so long since she has been working on teeth that I forgot how awful it is. She has a fever and a crazy runny nose. And is biting. You should see the bite marks on Crewe's back. It looks like he has a crazy latin lover.

5. We are going to the Delta for the weekend. We are staying in the cabin Friday and Saturday night. A first for us, staying over, and we are excited. Friends are coming up on Saturday and  we have plans to read, play games, BBQ and of course wake board. Or in my case, read People magazine on the boat while others ski.

So I will try to blog again when I return from a weekend at the River.