December update

These are in progress:

9.Graduate from NIU.
Applied for May graduation.

37.Paint the main floor of the house.
In progress. Most of the living/dining area is painted. Still have to do the bathroom and hallway leading down to Evan's room/garage.

45.Get caught up on each child's scrapbook.
Evan's is caught up. Currently working on catching up on Abby's.

I also was able to cross a few more things off the list that I've done.

I haven't forgotten

Although I sometimes I go a long time in between updates, I am still working on the list. I hesitate sometimes to update because I want my entry to be something more interesting and possibly include photos.

So I have accomplished:

1.Grow hair out past my shoulders.

4.Finish painting the master bathroom

16.Attend a church service at the Universalist Unitarian church.

35.Watch all the movies on our Blockbuster list

92.Wear a funny hat. Take a picture.

Progress

97.Get all A's one semester.

Spring 2009 > Undergraduate > Northern Illinois University
	Class Grades - Spring 2009  Class Description Units Grade Grade Points ANTH 444 Primate Ecol & Cons 3.00 A 12.000 FLFR 102 Elementary French II 3.00 A 12.000 POLS 301 Political Psychology 3.00 A 12.000
	Term Statistics - Spring 2009    From Enrollment From Transfer Credit Combined Term Total   Cumulative Total             Total Grade Points 36.000   36.000   132.000             Graded units towards GPA 9.000   9.000   45.000 Graded units not for GPA         80.200 In progress units                       GPA** 4.000   4.000   2.933

Pink highlights

76.Put pink highlights in my hair.  DONE!

Got some pink back in my hair today.  It really makes me smile.

Crossing things off my list!

I haven't been doing the best on my list because I still haven't had a whole lot of time to devote to "me time", but it's getting better. :-)

5.Buy a new car. DONE! We bought a car from Josh's Dad. It's a lot of fun to drive and it's nice not to worry about Josh's old car breaking down.

Here's Josh and his Dad checking out the new ride.

I read one more book: The Little Prince which I read in high school, although it was the french version then.  I've always wanted to read the english version and get familiar with the story again.  It's a children's book, but I definitely recommend it for adults.

18.Cook dinner at least 3 nights per week. DONE, I actually cook dinner 4-5 nights per week currently.  This started out of necessity because Josh was working later hours so that we could take Abby into school together in the mornings.  Once he goes back to his regular hours, I will probably still cook dinner 3 nights out of the week.  I have been using my crock pot a lot.  One of our favorites is salsa chicken. It's super easy and tasty.  Just put as much chicken breast as you need in the crock pot, dump a jar of medium salsa on it and cook on low for 8 hours.  We eat the chicken in tacos. 

Here it is in the crock pot:

38.Get outlet covers resolved in the kitchen.DONE

Review: My Sister's Keeper

Just finished reading: My Sister's Keeper: A Novel By: Jodi Picoult

Yesterday I read a whole book!  And it felt so good.  I couldn't put it down, so I found a way to finish it. 

This book is about two sisters: 13 year old Anna and her 16 year old sister Kate.  Kate was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia when she was 2.  After Kate's Brother Jesse fails to be a match for Kate's donor needs, their parents set about to conceive the perfect donor...and thus Anna is born.  Anna begins being Kate's donor at birth with her cord blood and it continues from there is Kate cycles through remission and relapse. Anna feels invisible as Kate is the beloved daughter who all the attention is lavished upon and Anna is the spare parts warehouse. As Kate's kidney's are failing it is assumed that Anna will donate a kidney to her sister.  This time however, Kate puts her foot down and files for medical emancipation from her parents. This is a decision that will force everyone in the family to be honest about how Kate's health crises have affected them all. 

As a mother, sister and cancer survivor this book touched a lot of emotions for me.  It was really interesting and has given me a lot of things to think about. Although I felt sorry for Anna that she had basically been brought into the world to make her sister well, I initially had a hard time understanding why she wouldn't give her sister her kidney. If my sister needed a kidney, I wouldn't think twice.  I would be at the hospital ready for surgery.  I also had a hard time liking the mother Sara in this book.  Although I can understand how fearful and desperate she felt for her daughter Kate, she neglected the other two children for Kate. But as with all of Jodi Picoult's books that I've read, things are not always what they seem...there are always twists and turns. As I said, I couldn't put this book down and I'd also say it's one of my favorites by her so far. By the end of this book I was sobbing....also not new to me after reading one of this author's books. I would give this book a solid A.

Currently reading: Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons: A Novel By: Lorna Landvik Release date: 2005-03-29

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming review

As part of my goal to read one non-school book per month, I just finished reading The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson.  This is the second book that I've read by this author and I liked them both so much, that I am looking forward to reading another of her books.

This book is about Laurel and her family, mostly her sister Thalia.  Laurel lives in a safe and prestigious neighborhood in Florida with her nerdy husband and her daughter Shelby who is the center of Laurel's life.  When one of Shelby's friends tragically drowns in Laurel's pool, it sets in motion a mission for Laurel to find the truth.  Laurel has always needed her older eccentric sister Thalia to step in and save her.  This time is no different so Laurel brings Thalia to her home to help her.  Laurel and Thalia don't always see eye to eye, but the one thing they have in common is their love of Laurel's daughter Shelby. This is a story about families and the secrets that lie beneath their facades. 

I liked this book a lot.  Thalia was a very interesting character and I'd love to see another story about her.  As diverse a character as she was, I'm sure there could be something else to write about her. I would give this book a B. 

Just finished reading: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming By Joshilyn Jackson