Hush, Hush a Good Read

Since discovering Twilight a couple of years ago I have delved into the Young Adult section at the bookstore. I have always loved fantasy/scifi stories with romance and the young adult section is loaded with them. Who knew?

I received a Borders gift card for Christmas from a friend who knows how much I love to read so I picked up a couple of books that sounded interesting. One of them was Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. The cover was beautiful and caught my eye. The story has to do with fallen angels. The main girl in the book Nora has suddenly been given a new chemistry partner, Patch, and she is drawn to him and he seems to be to her as well. He appears to be a sort of bad boy. Strange things begin to happen and that's where things get interesting. Will Patch help her or is he the cause?

I found the book to be a very quick read with an interesting story to tell. I cared about all the characters even the one with minor rolls. I look forward to reading the next book as this is the first in a new series. Thank God. I want more. It's always a good sign when I finish the book and I'm invested in the characters and I feel like I'm invested. I want to know what happens next. Now as for my 12 year old I would let her read this book. I find nothing offensive about the story. I think she'll enjoy it. Everyone needs to escape with a good book once in a while. This is definitely a good book and worth anyone's time. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

My daughter was lounging around this morning as she tends to do every Saturday. She's always fried after a week full of school so I never really bother her. She was looking for something new to watch so she was checking out the movies on demand. She found Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. She asked me if she'd like it. I practically started laughing just remembering it. I used to love that movie.

She cued it up and before I realized it my husband and my youngest daughter also sat down and we all ended up watching it. It was so silly and funny. They loved it. Everyone needs a good laugh.

If you've never seen this movie let me tell you a bit about it. Bill and Ted need to pass their history project or they will flunk out of school and Ted will be sent to military school. Luckily for them a time traveler named Rufus comes to help them because they are important to the future of the world. They travel through time asking historical characters to help them. They bring them back to their time to help pass the project. It's just so funny and the way they talk is so funny. Everything is excellent or bogus. I would highly recommend this movie for some good clean fun.

Whip It A Really Fun Movie

When Whip It was out in the movie theater I thought it looked good, but I never made it. I really like Drew Barrymore and she directed this so when it came out on DVD I quickly rented it from Netflix. My 12 year old was thrilled. She was dying to see it. It looked like a typical coming of age story so I thought. Why not? I'll watch it with you.

This was a very funny movie. It's about a girl who lives in a small town in Texas. Her mother wants her to do the beauty pageant thing and she's not into that. She stumbles upon a roller derby league and joins despite being to young. She finds something to love. She bonds with the girls on her team and really feels like she belongs and up till this point she has felt like an outsider. She also falls in love only to have her heart broken, but a good lesson learned.

I've always loved coming of age type movies and this one was entertaining and very silly at times. I remember roller derby being on TV when I was younger and yes I did watch sometimes. I loved watching these crazy people go around the track and knock each other over. I have no idea why I liked it, but I kept tuning in.

Now is this movie okay for tweens. My daughter loved it. Again the movie is rated PG-13. I think it's a good rating. There is underage drinking and some pot smoking. There is also a scene where Ellen Page is swimming in a pool in her underwear. However, it looked like a bikini so nothing major there. My daughter is just about 13 so I felt she was ready to watch this. Now my 9 year old is not quite there yet. I'd like to keep her in fairies and rainbows for a little while longer.

Half Days of School are Pointless

When the girls have a half day of school they're always thrilled because that means after their homework is done they'll actually have time to do what they want. That's truly a rarity with the amount of homework they get.

As a mom I find half days annoying. It takes the regular craziness to get them out in the morning and then by the time I pick up the morning mess and do a little laundry I'm heading out to get them. It all just seems so pointless and stressful. I find myself running around trying to get as much done as I get done in a full day. Man I wish I had super powers like the Flash then maybe it would happen. Oh hey maybe if I had a clone. Yes, that may work. If there were two or maybe three of me this wouldn't seem so bad. However, we live in reality world and there's just little old me running around with my head cut off. Then when I get them home they think they have all this extra time and there's no need to do the homework right away and before I know it the day is over and I'm yelling for them to do their homework. Really what is the point here except to annoy me.

Obviously there's nothing I can do about this. They'll continue to have half days so they can count it as a full day because of teacher meetings or whatever. It just feels good to get the frustration off my chest.

Taylor Swift and Tweens

My girls love music. They rule the radio in the car and for the most part I love that. It's the radio station I like to listen to. However, some of the music is just not what I want them to listen to. Some of it I find myself singing and then I realize what the words are. Not that the girls have a clue what these songs mean, but that's not really the point is it?.

When Taylor Swift came alone all I could think of was wow this girl is really talented and my girls love her. She is a great role model so far. I never get too carried away because celebrities always seem to disappoint, but Taylor seems real. Her songs are sweet and really hit home with my girls. I hope she continues to put out great music.

This is one artist I never get sick of my girls listening too. As a matter of fact I enjoy her music when they're not even with me. I can't say the same about Mylie Cyrus or those other Disney Channel stars. Taylor Swift is just one of those artist for girls of all ages. I love her new song Fifteen. It reminds me of High School. Her music just makes me smile. Keep up the good work Taylor.

Tweens and Crushes

Now my oldest daughter is in middle school and this is the time when kids start saying they're going out with someone. Of course they're not really going anywhere. They just talk on the phone or should I say text and hang out in school. It seemed like many of the kids in my daughter's class were pairing up last year and if you didn't you weren't one of the popular kids. The girls were especially hard and it made for a difficult year for my daughter.

She really just wanted to fit in and she always had, but suddenly things just sped up and I don't think she was ready. She was on the verge, but not quite there. They had dances at school and she was never asked to dance and that hurt her and me because I hate to see either of my children upset. She's just so shy that it makes things tricky for her with the boys. My husband considers this a good thing. Keep those boys away. Even though she's known them since nursery school things started to change. They used to all play tag in the school yard, but now that's just not cool. Mostly the girls just stand around giggling and talking about boys. The boys just try to be cool. Everyday she would come home miserable and felt that she just didn't fit in anymore. She still had her friends, but they were trying to figure things out as well. This was a really hard year for her. I'm so glad we got through it.

This year things have changed. My daughter seems to be more confident. She doesn't consider herself one of the popular girls, but she doesn't care anymore. They aren't nice and she has no use for them. She has a great group of girls she hangs out with and she's doing well in school.

Now my daughter has a crush on a boy in her class. It's adorable. This boy always goes out of his way to talk to her and get her attention. He is a little bit of a class clown I guess, but I think that's why she likes him so much. He makes her laugh and don't we all need someone who can do that in our life. The problem is she doesn't know if he likes her. It's typical tween drama. All I know is every day she has a new story about something this boy said or did. When she tells me about him there is always a smile on her face and I have to smile to because it is just such a pure feeling. This is the way it should be. Your first real crush should make you feel like you're walking on clouds. I told her that even if he doesn't like her like a girlfriend he is definitely a friend and that's where all good relationships should start. It seems to be making her more confident and that makes me happy. She should be confident. She's a beautiful intelligent little girl. I just hope this crush doesn't crush her. Fingers crossed.

I Really Dislike Rain

Living in New England has taught me that the weather will always change. If you don't like it one day there is no need to fear it will surly change the next day. Whether it changes for the better is another story.

Today it is miserable. It is about 50 degrees which is great. However, it's crazy pouring. It was just rain until I had to leave to pick the girls up from school. It's almost as if it waited for me to exit the house. Driving was horrible especially on the highway. People were either breaking constantly or they were flying. There really wasn't a happy medium.

When I had to get out of the car to get the girls it seemed to crank up another notch. I didn't even think that was possible, but hey apparently mother nature thought it was funny. I was prepared though, I had my raincoat and umbrella. I sent the girls with jackets that had hoods. That didn't save us though because not only is it pouring the wind is blowing crazy so when we got in the car we were all soaked. That wet feeling is miserable so I cranked up the heat. I was freezing.

Finally when we got home we all ran upstairs to change our soaked clothing. There's nothing worse than wet jeans. Yuck. Of course when I finally got all warm and cozy again the dog had to go out. I tell you I really dislike rain.

Twilight Graphic Novel

My tween loves all things Twilight so when I heard about an upcoming Twilight: The Graphic Novel for the series I was interested in it for her and for me. I am a huge fan of comic books and of manga. I have a rather large collection. The twilight graphic novel is being illustrated by a Korean artist Young Kim. This would classify this as a Manhwa. I have seen all types of graphic novels and honestly I would have preferred a manga artist for Twilight, but thats my opinion. I'm sure that it will be beautifully done. The cover looks gorgeous, but honestly a little too gorgeous for Bella. Also remember that since this is in the style of Manhwa the pages will be black and white. They will not be colored only the cover will be covered. Hopefully there will be a few more color pictures here and there, but the story itself will be told with black and white illustrations.

There will be two volumes of the graphic novel. Volume one will be released on March 16, 2010. It is being released as a hardcover. It is available for pre-order at Amazon.com

I look forward to getting my hands on this. I may have to have 2 copies one for me and one for my daughter.

Every Little Bit Helps

Yesterday my girl's school had a tag day. Now a tag day is usually held one day a month. The kids bring in a dollar and they are allowed to wear regular clothes instead of their uniforms. The money they collect is usually given to a charity of some sort. This time it was used to raise money to send to Haiti.

My oldest daughter's teacher wanted them to wear clothes that reflected the colors on the Haitian flag. This was a fairly easy task because their flag has many different colors. My daughter wore jeans of course and a red and blue shirt. Both colors are on the flag.

Now my daughter's school is not a large school though they do have about 500 students. So if you think about it they should at least raise $500. Well many of the students brought in more than that and the school was able to raise over $3000.00. This was fabulous. The principal was thrilled and the kids really felt like they helped. It's a good way for them to learn about helping others. My girls have seen some of the news on this earthquake and all the people who need help. They want to help and yesterday they did.

Vampire Diaries: Bloodlines

This episode was great. My daughter loved it. She refused to let me delete it from the DVR. Apparently this episode will require further viewing. She's actually trying to rewatch it right now, but my husband is watching the news.

We learned so much. I love it when shows actually give you info instead of keeping you hanging forever. If you haven't seen this episode and don't want to be spoiled stop reading now.

Okay first off my bad in saying a stranger was coming up to Elena after she got into a car accident. Actually she hit the stranger and he got back up. He appears to be a vampire, but it was not Stefan or Damon. Damon appeared out of no where though and scarred the mysterious stranger away. He saved Elena who then passed out and he thought it would be a good idea to take her on a road trip. She wasn't really into it at first, but then she loosens up. Damon goes to visit an old friend who is also a witch.(I'm loving the witch thing.) He wants her to help get the tomb where Katherine is opened. She claims ignorance at first. The witch calls Lexi's boyfriend who wants to kill Damon basically because he killed Lexi. Elena talks him out of it. Damon was in some serious trouble before she intervened. Before they head back he goes back to his witch friend and kills her for betraying him, but before she dies she tells him a way to get the tomb open. While all this is going on Stefan is worried sick about Elena and goes to Bonnie for help. Bonnie discovers a problem with her powers and ends up getting stuck in a hole outside the old church where Katherine and the other vampires are stuck in a sort of tomb. Stefan comes and saves her and there seems to be a kind of mutual understanding between Bonnie, her grandmother and Stefan. Elena finally returns home and confronts Stefan. He tells her he was the one who saved her from the car accident that claimed her parents, but he was unable to save them. He informs her that he watched her since then because she looked like Katherine. He discovered that they were nothing alike and would have left, but had to know her. Stefan also tells Elena that she was adopted that's why she looks so much like Katherine.

This was a great episode. I really am enjoying this as much as my daughter. My daughter informed me that this show was the talk of the day and I can see why. Damon is definitely the favorite of the brothers all around. My daughter and her friends keep calling Stefan a stalker and I would tend to agree. I really can't wait for more and luckily we only have to wait a week for another episode.

Vampire Diaries Returns

Tonight marks the return of Vampire Diaries after the winter hiatus. I can tell you that I have one very excited tween in the house right night. She is literally counting the minutes. Of course if I was being completely honest I would have to say that I'm looking forward to it as well.

They left us with a real cliff hanger back in November. When we last saw our heroine Elena she crashed her car and wasn't looking to good. Someone was walking toward her and we couldn't tell who it was. My money is on Damon. I think he'll have to turn her into a vampire or she'll die. I know it's going to happen eventually. I read the books after all. My daughter doesn't know, but she thinks it's Damon as well. They haven't completely followed the books so I have no clue what will happen next. That's half the excitement. All I know is this show is a guilty pleasure of mine. I have a feeling my daughter will be texting her friends through the whole show.

One of her friends just had a birthday and I found a t-shirt with Damon and Stefan on it at dELias. The girls went crazy for it. They all want one. Including my daughter and lucky for her, her birthday's next month.

Well I have to get the dishes done so I can enjoy the show. Will post how it was tomorrow.

Human Target Super Exciting

My husband and I had been seeing the commercial for this show for weeks and have been really looking forward to it. We really love action shows. They are just so much fun. This has been passed down to our 12 year old. She was just as excited.

It was great. Definitely a show to keep tuning in for. I always worry about falling in love with shows on Fox, but they always seem to suck me in. I hope this one makes it. It really is fabulous. It has the action and humor. This show is just plain fun. Not to mention Christopher Chance the main character is just nice to look at. Now I don't like every new show that comes out. I'm actually rather picky, but this one I am looking forward to watching tonight if my poor husband could ever get off the phone.

For older tweens I would say this show is fine. It has a lot of action and there is some violence as there is bound to be with these types of shows. My advice as always is if your child is interested watch first and see if you're okay with it. I know my daughter can handle it and she also only watches with me and my husband holds the remote. We reserve the right to end the show at any moment.

Please give this show a try. I really hate getting all into a show and then having it canceled.

iCarly Huge with Tweens.

Yesterday we were at my nieces birthday party. All the girls there were talking about the special iCarly episode that was airing last night. It was entitled iSaved Your Life They have been advertising this episode for what seems like forever. My nine year old daughter has been going crazy with anticipation. Now my 12 year old was interested as well though not to the same extent.

Well last night was the night. My daughter had her bath and got on her PJ's. Lucky for her the episode was on before bedtime hit. The episode was about Freddie pushing Carly out of the way of a taco truck. He ends up breaking his leg and Carly falls for her hero. They even kiss. Oh the squealing that was heard. In the end they decide to not be boyfriend and girlfriend because Freddie is afraid Carly only likes him because he saved her life. This was very disappointing to my nine year old. Oh well they have to keep those tweens interested.

I personally don't love this show. My mother can't stand this show. She thinks the character of Sam is too fresh and not a good role model for the girls. I think it's just a lot of silliness. There are worse things they could be watching. I shudder every time I see the shows that are on MTV knowing that my girls may want to watch them someday. Thank goodness for parental lock on the TV. Again I urge every parent to know what your children are watching.

Hairstyling Birthday Party

Today was my niece's birthday. She is also now nine like my daughter. It's fun for them to be so close together in age. It also means we have two birthday's really close together.

She chose to have a party at a special hair salon for kids called Snip-its. I had never been in one before let alone gone to a party there so I had no idea what to expect. It was adorable. The place was set up so cute. There were TV's in front of all the chairs and the music playing was all the stuff the kids love.

For the party the girls got to choose between several different hair styles. They were all so cute it was hard for them to decide. My daughter chose the movie star style while my niece chose the diva style. These two seemed to be the most popular. They had four hairdressers working on the girls and they were all done fairly quickly. When the style was done they sprayed their hair with glitter. What girl doesn't love sparkle. They then had their nails done and a little make-up. They really felt like little divas. They also had a bracelet making craft for them. When they were done with cake and opening presents they had a fashion show. The girls loved it.

I would have to say that ever girl at that party loved it. What girl doesn't want to play dress up? Anyway it was definitely a fun afternoon. My daughter now wants to have her party there next year. What little girl wouldn't want to?

Virtual Families App fun for Tweens

My daughter has a new favorite App on her itouch. There always seems to be a new one that she gets totally immersed in. It's called Virtual Families. She tells me that it's similar to Sims 3 though she thinks Virtual Family is better on the itouch than Sims 3. She prefers to play Sims 3 on the computer. I still can't believe that they can play any of these on the little itouch. I find it truly amazing. The graphics are just amazing. I mean I can remember when pong and pacman were awesome. I'm really starting to feel old.

In Virtual Families you basically take care of this cute family. You make sure all their needs are met. They make food and eat. They go to work to make money in order to buy things for everyday life. Sometimes they get sick and they need to be taken care of. My daughter really loves playing these kind of games. She has gotten really attached to her little family. It does seem rather addicting. The graphics are really cute as well. So if you're looking for a new game give this a try. If you like the Sims I bet you'll like this.

After Math of the School Dance

I went to pick the girls up last night after the dance. My daughter came out happy and saying that she had a good time. Unfortunately one of her friends came out looking very flushed and telling me she didn't feel well. I guess the gym was really hot and they didn't open the windows. The poor thing got overheated. She did and didn't want me to take her home. So I took her to my house first and got her a cool face cloth and a drink. Unfortunately, she really wanted to go home to sleep in her own bed. I had no problem with this. It was about 11:00pm by this time. I drove her home and was greeted by her mom. She was worried because this girl really wanted to stay over with my daughter. She thought something happened at the dance. I'm happy to say that wasn't the problem. She was just exhausted from the long week and all she wanted was her bed. I can relate because by the time I got back home that's all I wanted too.

I returned home to find the other 2 girls headed to bed. I was shocked I thought for sure they were going to stay up for hours. My husband told me my daughter's best friend fell asleep on the couch right after I left. He ushered them upstairs and they went willingly. They really did have a long week at school and they danced around like crazy people all night so they were just done.

When they woke up the next day they told me about the dance and who danced with who. Neither one got asked to dance, but they didn't seem to mind. The boy my daughter likes didn't attend. They had a good time with their friends and their teachers apparently. Some of the teachers were on the dance floor letting loose. Good for them I say. Since they had to attend they might as well have fun.

Around noon today I went and picked the other girl back up from her house. She was feeling much better. I guess she was just completely worn out. I took them to the mall. I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I tell you tomorrow I am probably not going to get off the couch. I'm the one who's exhausted now and they're just raring to go.

Middle School Dance Craze

My 12 year old has had the worst week. She had a major project due and 3 tests. It has been an ugly week all around. However, when I picked her up today I also picked up two of her friends. Tonight is the Middle School Dance and I told her she could have a few friends over to get ready for the dance and then to stay over.

They came out of school laughing and smiling. I'll tell you it was good to see after a week of her coming out with a frown down to the ground. Anyway they had a great day and her oral presentation was done and they have almost no homework for the long weekend.

Now they are running around the house getting dressed, putting on a little make-up and a little perfume. I've done all their hair and they look adorable. They are so excited. There's nothing like going to a dance with your friends and just having a good time.

The only problem with the whole night is that someone told the boy my daughter likes that she likes him. Oh the drama. I told her not to worry about it. I'm actually pretty sure this boy likes her as well, but what do I know I'm only the mom. It's all so funny to watch because I remember these days myself. I sooo don't miss them. I hope she has a great time.

Project Runway Season 7 Starts Tonight

The title says it all Project Runway is starting back up tonight on Lifetime at 10. This is one of mine and my girls favorite shows. We love watching all the wacky designers and the clothes they create from the ridiculous challenges. I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this season.

Tim Gunn is my favorite part of the show. I just love him. He really cares about the designers and his comments crack me up. He totally makes the show. I've watched a few other fashion/reality shows and none of them come close and I know it's because they don't have Tim Gunn.

My 9 year wants to be a fashion designer because of this show. She watches it then starts sketching her own outfits. How cute is that? She wants to be on Project Runway when she's older. My mother gave her a sewing machine for Christmas and she can't wait to start making her American Girl doll's outfits. She's all about it.

Well here's hoping it's a great season. I really hope they have some great designers and crazy challenges.

Make It or Break It Okay For Tweens?

Make It or Break It is one of those shows that I have allowed my tween who is almost 13 to watch. I remain a little on the fence with it, but I watch it with her and I if things start to go south the show goes off.

The show is basically about a group of girls training for the US Olympic gymnastic team. They compete with each other and themselves. These girls are under so much pressure from their coaches, parents, their team and themselves. These are young girls going through adolescence and trying to be world class athletes. They go through the same challenges as other kids their age with the addend pressure of competing. I've never been one for competition, but I do think this show has shown some realistic images of what life can be like for these girls. One comes from a poor family while others are filthy rich. Boys are a no no and so are parties. They also showed one of the girls get seriously injured while competing. Her gymnastic days are over.

If you have an older tween or teen interested in this show give it a try. I do suggest you keep an eye on it though. You never know when they'll go too far. They have up to this point shown underage drinking and have talked about someone have teen sex, but they didn't show it. Thank God. It did open up some dialog with my daughter on these subjects.

I think its a good show with good lessons to teach girls. I only hope they will stay on this path and not go too far because my daughter really likes it.

Fame on DVD

Fame was released on DVD and Blu-ray today. This was a great movie that my girls both really enjoyed. If you have a kid who's interested in following a dream whether it be music, dancing or acting related this is the movie for them to see. It shows the ups and downs of this fast paced and heartbreaking world. If you missed it in the theater give it a chance now. You won't be sorry.

They have released the DVD and Blu-ray with extended dance footage. We definitely did not get enough of Kherington Payne in the movie. She was on So You Think You Can Dance and was great. I look forward to seeing all the extra stuff. Sometimes I feel so cheated because they always cut films down for time sake in the theater. I personally want the extra stuff. If you filmed it I want to see it.

Privacy and Tweens

This morning was a typical example of what it's like to have 2 girls one an older tween and the other just on the verge, getting ready for school. The oldest one goes into the bathroom and she closes the door. The little one comes barging in to get the hairbrush. This causes chaos. All I can here is screaming and the older one calling the little one names and the little one giving it right back to her. I of course am partly to blame for this because I took the lock from the bathroom and put it on my bedroom. This was for my husband and I to have privacy. The girls always like to just come in our room.

I completely understand where my daughter is coming from. She doesn't want to be walked in on no matter what she's doing. She is at the age where she's developing and she gets embarrassed. She feels awkward and she certainly doesn't want her little sister coming in and bothering her or worse asking her why she now suddenly has a chest. I get it and I have asked the little one endlessly to stop walking in on her sister. It's a struggle. She just doesn't see what the big deal is. I truly hope that she will listen soon because the way I see it she's going to be wanting the privacy very soon.

My oldest also has taken to going into her room for some piece and quiet and the little one just comes barging in to ask a silly question. I think it's mostly because she wants to be with her. It's hard. I understand her desire for privacy, but I don't want her to be mean to her sister.

Well, I guess it's just part of growing up. I myself was tortured by my two younger brothers. It got to the point where my mother got me a lock for my door. I don't want it to come to that. I don't think there should be a need for either girl to have a lock on their door. I'm just going to have to push the respect each other's personal space spiel. This is going to be difficult for the little one. Oh well just part of parenting I guess.

Laser Tag a Blast From the Past

My 12 year old went to the birthday party last night at a place called Laser Craze. This place opened last year I think. You play laser tag. Now to me that is so 80's. I remember it being a huge thing when I was growing up. I think they even had a Saturday morning cartoon called Laser Tag Academy. If they had a Saturday morning cartoon dedicated to it then it had to be big. I never played it, but it always looked fun.

Anyway my daughter went and she loved it. They had a blast. I guess when you get there they split you up into different teams and then you have to get them with your laser and you rack up points. I didn't get to see it as I was at home with 12 screaming 9 year olds.

I think it sounds like a great time and I'm thinking maybe we'll go back another time and play. My husband really wanted to get in on the action. That could be a fun thing to do on a rainy afternoon. I'll have to keep it in mind.

I Survived My Daughters Birthday Party

This is going to be a short post as I am completely done. My daughter had her birthday party tonight. I had 12 nine year old girls at the house. They played Lego Rock Band which by the way was a huge hit. They loved it. Everyone got a turn playing drums, guitar and singing. Seriously what a great game. There are more songs that the girls like. They were so cute. They were a rock band.

We then had the typical pizza and they loved it, then back to Rock Band. Next they played a game, 7up. Though since we only had 12 girls we played 3up. All the girls pretended that they were sleeping while three girls pick one girl each to tap. Then the tapped girls need to guess who tapped them. They loved this. Next was a game called sleeping beauty. One girl would pretend to be asleep and the other girls had a minute to try to get her to laugh or talk. Three of the girls were able to make it the 3 minutes.

Finally, we got to cake and presents and then they wanted to play limbo. When there was half an hour left I gave them a bag of popcorn and put on iCarly to calm them down. Twelve nine year olds can be so loud when they're having a good time. There was a lot of laughing, screaming and giggling. All of it happy. I still don't have my hearing back yet.

All in all it was a great party. My daughter had a great time and none of the girls wanted to leave when it was over so that's a good sign. I'm exhausted and my daughter is fast asleep. This is a day that will go down as a good one.

Prepping for Birthday Party

My daughter is having her birthday party tomorrow night. She is having a half sleepover. This in my opinion is the best of both worlds. The girls get to come over eat lots of junk, get really silly and just enjoy being with each other and then they go home. There's no crying child who can't sleep and no kids trying to stay up all night. Of course my oldest is sleeping over her friends house tonight and tomorrow she will be very crabby, but that's another matter.

The plan is to have the girls come over around 5 and leave around 8:30. We hope to do some Karaoke, rock band, have a dance contest and a movie. Who knows if we'll get all that in, but my daughter made up a list and that's what she's planning to do. I personally hope I survive the experience. At last count 12 girls were coming. That's a lot of 9 year olds. I'm sure it will be a great time. My daughter is really excited.

All day today I've been going crazy cleaning the house basically to just have it destroyed tomorrow. It's funny how things work out that way. Oh well the whole point is for my daughter to have a great time and I'm working my hardest for that to happen. Wish me luck.

My Daughter the Black Knight in Alice in Wonderland

Today was the first day of play practice for my daughter. I think I've already told you they are doing their rendition of Alice in Wonderland. She received the role of the Black Knight. Her best friend is the White Knight. I think they gave them these roles on purpose because they are basically joined at the hip. She is very excited. The teacher in charge told me she has a great voice. I had no idea. I mean we sing in the car and stuff, but I never really thought about it. Shame on me. I'm very proud of her.

She had a great time today. They just received the script and were told that they are allowed to come up with some of their own lines if they want. She loved this idea because she can add a little bit of herself to the role. Of course the teacher has to approve them all. Her and her friends are looking forward to working on this.

They practiced the opening number and I was able to catch a little of it. It looks like they were having a blast. They were doing this song and dance number and they were all laughing and having fun.

I'm so happy that she has found something that she really enjoys doing. It's so hard for kids to find something they really love and then stick with it. There are just so many choices and so little time. I hope she continues to enjoy drama club. It makes my life so much more pleasant when the girls enjoy the activities they take part in.

Not Your Average Joe's a Hit With My Girls

Yesterday, as I've already stated was my 9 year old's birthday. I've always let the girls pick the dinner for their birthday. Originally my daughter picked pork chops, but mom goofed and didn't defrost it so I thought maybe she would like to go out. I had received a gift card for Not Your Average Joe's restaurant for Christmas from a good friend so I suggested we go there. She jumped at the chance.

If you've never been to a Joe's let me tell you it is my absolute favorite restaurant and on my birthday that's where I want to go. They greet you with the most wonderful bread that you dip in oil and parmesan cheese. I seriously could have eaten this for my meal and been happy. My daughter loved it. In fact we asked them to bring us another basket and they did.

My daughter got her typical chicken tenders which she devoured and my older daughter ordered steak tips. She orders off the regular menu now instead of the kids. She's getting to be an expensive child. I ordered the chicken oscar which was awesome. My husband got the backed haddock and loved it. Then my daughter got a molten chocolate cake which they brought with the lit candle. She was thrilled. It was a wonderful birthday dinner.

The great thing about Joe's is they go out of their way to make sure your happy. The last time we went my older daughter wanted something that was no longer on the menu. My husband asked if they could still do it and they said no problem. She was thrilled and so were we. There is nothing worse than going out for a nice dinner and having a pouting tween staring at you. I highly recommend this restaurant. I've had nothing, but wonderful experiences there.

Let me leave you with just one more fabulous thing about Joe's. If you sign up to receive their email when it's your birthday they send you a coupon for one free entree and desert. You can't beat that deal. We've all signed up for it.

Bottom line if you have a Not Your Average Joe's near you and you haven't tried it. I would totally recommend it.

Happy Birthday to My Youngest!

Well today is my youngest daughter's birthday. She's 9 today and she is so excited about being 9. Unlike yesterday when I woke her up today she popped right out of bed with the biggest smile I've ever seen. It was adorable.

We went downstairs and I told her I'd make her whatever she wanted for breakfast. She picked French toast. Her sister was also excited by this news as she got some too. She got dressed in her favorite clothes as she is using a no uniform pass for the day. They only get so many of these a year so she saved this one for a special occasion. Next we headed down to do a quick multiplication time test. She needs to complete 25 problems in 1 minute. She's having a hard time with this not because she doesn't know them. It's because she takes her time with everything. I hate time tests I think they're stupid for lack of a better word. It puts too much stress on the kids. Anyway, she is sure today is the day she will finish her 4's because its her birthday. I Hope so.

I wanted her to wait to open her presents, but she couldn't hold off. She got a pair of butterfly earrings, a skateboard with Silvermist(Tinkerbell's friend)on it and a pocketbook she wanted very badly. She was so ecstatic. I quickly put on the new earrings and it was off to school.

I hope my baby girl has the best day. I'll be busy making her cupcakes to have tonight all though her birthday party with all her friends is on Saturday. There's always something to do.

Back to School After Christmas Break

I wanted to slam the alarm clock against the wall this morning. I was so used to sleeping in a little with the break. It was really great to have a break from all the running around and homework. Have I mentioned that I hate homework?

Well the break is over so its back to the routine. The girls were not happy when I went to wake them. The dog was though she wanted me to put her on the bed so she could lick them awake. I obliged as this was a much quicker way of getting them to get out of the bed.

There was grumbling like crazy especially from the 12 year old. I'm not even sure what she was saying. She just kept mumbling. Something about how school was evil. The girls also couldn't stop bickering about everything and nothing. This has been going on for the past few days as we've been stuck inside with a snowstorm that didn't want to go away. I just kept smiling. Soon my husband would come down the stairs and take them off to school. There would be peace.

They left complaining and the funny thing is they came out with smiles. I think they secretly liked going back to be with all their friends. Just don't tell them I told you that. They'll only deny it.

Upset Tween Over Doctor Who:The End of Time

Last night we watched Doctor Who: The End of Time. This was the last Doctor Who that David Tennant would appear in. My daughter was introduced to Doctor Who by my husband who has always loved this show. He has been a fan forever. I love science fiction as well, but somehow Doctor Who was never a favorite of mine at least not until the reboot in 2005. I loved David Tennant as Doctor Who and so did my daughter. She could not get enough of this show. She loved the Doctor and his companion Rose. He of course had other companions, but Rose was always her favorite.

Now David Tennant's time as the Doctor has come to an end. If you don't know anything about Doctor Who let me enlighten you. The Doctor doesn't die per say, he regenerates. This means he will take on another form getting younger each time. This is very upsetting to my daughter who has really only known this doctor and well she loves him. At the end of last nights episode he regenerated into the new doctor. The new doctor will be played by Matt Smith. My daughter's first reaction was, "He's weird looking, I don't like his voice. Why can't we keep the old Doctor?" My husband told her she'd get used to him. It's what has always happened on this show.

I'm not sure if she will ever love the new Doctor as much as David Tennant and that's only because David Tennant was the first Doctor she knew. I think he will always hold a special place in her heart. Will she still watch Doctor Who? Absolutely.

I completely understand how she feels. I think David Tennant was a wonderful Doctor and I enjoyed the show very much. In fact you could call me a Doctor Who lover because of him. Of course it doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes.

If you have never given this show a try and were always a little curious. I would definitely recommend giving it a try. David Tennant makes his first appearance at the end of Season one and he takes over completely in season 2. These episodes are very entertaining. I don't even mind rewatching them when my daughter does. She loves this show.

Avatar, My Tween Loved It

Yesterday, we were finally able to see Avatar. We woke up and decided we would go. I checked Fandango for the imax showings and the one we wanted to go to wasn't sold out so I quickly bought tickets. I love Fandango. We planned to get there at least 45 minutes before the movie and thank God we did. The line was already formed and quite long. My husband and Stepdad waited in that line while I took my daughter and her best friend to get refreshments. We picked the slowest line, but we had plenty of time so I didn't worry. Next we did our bathroom breaks as it's almost a 3 hour movie. We went off to find my husband. He got really good seats. I was surprised. They gave us these huge glasses to wear. I am not a fan of these. They never fit right and they're annoying. My daughter kept saying she didn't want to wear them. They were bugging her. She looked like a scuba diver with them on.

The movie finally started after 20 minutes of previews. I like previews, but I was anxious for the movie to start.

It was beautiful. The images were amazing and honestly I know it was a lot of computer generated images, but I couldn't tell. I was transported to this world and I was amazed. Unfortunately about an hour into it my daughter's best friend got sick. I think it was the visual aspect of the film. It was really intense. I called her dad and he picked her up. I felt so bad. Once she threw up and left the theater she felt better. I guess these films can cause this problem sometimes. She was really enjoying it up to that point and disappointed she couldn't see the end.

I headed back into the movie for the last hour and it was amazing. The battle was incredible and the 3D very well done. It wasn't really that noticeable to me. I don't like it when things come flying at me so it was just as well.

Overall this was a most impressive movie. The basic premise of the movie was not all that original, but that never bothers me as long as it's well done and this was. I will definitely be purchasing the blu ray when its released.

My husband loved this movie. My 12 year old also loved it. She thought it was cool though she felt bad her friend had to leave.

I would not recommend this movie for young children. It's too violent. It's rated PG13 for a reason. It's up to the individual child, but I did notice a little girl leaving with her mother at a scary part. They didn't come back. I know my 8 year old would have been scared so I'm glad we didn't take her. The thought crossed my mind for a second. Thank goodness she hung out with my mother for the day and I do mean the day because we left the house around 1:00 and didn't get home until 7:00. It was a very long day.

Happy New Year!

It has been a very long day, but I wanted to send out a quick wish for everyone to have a very Happy New Year. I hope the New Year brings wonderful things. May all your hopes and dreams come true.