Paean to my book club ladies

When I'm not working, running, driving, cleaning, or taking care of the kiddos I am most likely reading. Two years ago, I joined the book club trend with three other amazing women. It is easily one of the best things I've ever participated in. Besides finding new books and having people to talk to about them, we have grown really close as we share the stories of our lives. Two weekends ago, we celebrated our two year anniversary at the beach. Given our (relatively) infamous history, book club quickly turned into what might be more appropriately called booze and hot tub club. It was, um, really, really fun. Still, all the joking aside, I have learned so much from our discussions and I am so grateful that "club" (as we like to call it) hasn't petered out after a few half hearted attempts at getting together.

Here is a list of the books we have read:

1. Twilight
2. We Were the Mulvaneys
3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
4. The Soloist
5. White Tiger
6. Valley of the Dolls
7. Love, Loss and What We Wore
8. Love the One You're With
9. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
10. Sex and Sunsets
11. Duma Key
12. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
13. South of Broad
14. The Unbearable Lightness of Being
15. Portnoy's Complaint
16. Such a Pretty Fat
17. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
18. Her Fearful Symmetry
19. Choke
20. The Namesake
21. Little Bee
22. Sarah's Key
23. Cutting for Stone

I survived spring break!

Somehow spring break isn't as fun when you are not a college student or when it is raining 92 hours a day and you are stuck inside with two little boys whose main form of entertainment is making each other scream. We did manage to have quite a bit of fun though despite the weather and temper tantrums. I braved the OMSI with the boys and the masses on Tuesday. We spent most of the time in the Turbine Hall, experimenting with robots, vacuums, and light. I took the kiddos to a clown show at the library despite serious apprehension on my part. It was better than expected although D was more interested in playing on the computers, instead of watching the show, or ahem, looking at the books. This morning I took the boys to Cafe Sip N Play in Vancouver where the kids are gated into a play area and I got to enjoy my coffee and conversation with fellow mom in relative peace. This afternoon we went on a Spring Walk/Photo Shoot. The boys had a great time searching for pine cones (which isn't really that hard in OR) and throwing them at all sorts of targets. D managed to walk two blocks with a stick bigger than him.

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