It's May...Hurray!!

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Published in 2004. 400 pages.

Check out The Kite Runner and

Author's website


What its about: Hosseini provides an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over.
The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule.
Hosseini has created characters that seem so real that one almost forgets that The Kite Runner is a novel and not a memoir. Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land. Perhaps the only true flaw in this extraordinary novel is that it ends all too soon.

What I thought: I loved it! Truly. This is usually not my typical type of book - but I like to check out the NYT Bestsellers to see what all of the hype is about. And this one deserves it. The characters were so real. My jaw dropped at certain parts. I got tears in my eyes for other parts. Even times that made me chuckle. The story spans over a period of 30 years or so...taking the main character Amir from a young boy to adulthood. Some of the themes throughout the book include: Wealthy vs Poor, Weak vs. Strong, Lies vs Truth, Violence vs Peace, Loyal vs Disloyal. Toward the end of the book, the story line does become a bit predictable (which does not occur through the first 3/4 of the book). So that was a tad disappointing...but in no way negatively impacts my opinion of the book. At some point in the near future, I would like to read Hosseini's second book 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'. Also, during my online research, I found out that there was a movie made for The Kite Runner - so I will have to check that out as well. Have any of you seen it or read this book? I'd love to hear your comments!

Date Finished: April 22, 2008

Currently reading: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (still) and Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Kaitlyn's First Birthday Gift!!

Mommom & Poppop got Kaitlyn her first birthday present!

A Brand New 20" Bike and Helmet!
Check it out...






So then we all took a ride on the bike path to celebrate. Here are the triplets on their bikes. Morgan actually 'inherited' Kaitlyn's outgrown bike (16") because she has the longest legs of the trips :)

My new phone ~ The EnV2 vx9100

My Verizon contract expired about 6 months ago, which means I was eligible for the Verizon New-Every-Two deal (they offer a $100 credit toward any phone with a new 2-year contract). I really liked my phone, so until I found the 'perfect' phone, I didnt want to switch. But then, as is probably Verizon's evil plan, my phone started to fail me. The battery wouldnt hold a charge, I had lots of dropped calls and some voicemail messages (and texts) werent coming through. So...it was time.

I had checked out the various Verizon stores and looked at their website to see what was available. At one point, my cousin's husband went into Verizon with me and walked me through the ins and outs of cell phones. When I expressed an interest in the original EnV phone, he casually mentioned that Verizon will be releasing a new version of the EnV sometime this year. WOW! So I started researching online. It looked really nice and was much smaller than the original. I found a few online forums that talked about how to get the phone. One girl had figured out a way to get it even though it wasnt officially released yet. I was right on that! heehee

So...I ordered it on Friday and it was delivered on Tuesday! Original cost with 2-year contract was $180. Minus $100 New-every-two credit. Minus $50 rebate (they did it instantly for me over the phone). So I paid $30 plus tax. Free shipping. Free activitation. Awesome!

I am loving the phone so far. I have to get used to the Qwerty keypad but it definitely makes texting go faster. Here are some stats about the phone I pulled from online:

* Mobile Web 2.0SM-capable
* Get It Now®-capable - download games, ringtones, wallpapers
* Wireless Sync E-mail capability
* Instant Messaging using AIM®, WL Messenger®, and Yahoo!®
* 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder:
* Image Editor - rotate, zoom, crop, Digital Zoom: up to 10x
* Dual speakers for Music & videos
* microSD memory port with up to 8 GB support
* 1,000 address book contacts (5 numbers, 2 e-mail, Picture ID)
* Function Key - customizable for 10 shortcuts
* Dimensions: 4.00" (h) x 2.13" (w) x 0.65" (d)
* Weight: 4.23 ounces
* Up to 320 minutes of usage time or up to 520 hours of standby time
* V CAST Music and Video, VZ NavigatorSM, Bluetooth® capabilities
* QWERTY keypad with large sized external keys
* 2.4-inch internal screen offers crisp, crystal-clear videos and images
* offered in black or maroon (I chose black)

Stock photo: Front - notice large buttons, small screen (kind of annoying):

Stock photo: Inside

Stock photo: Compared to original EnV - much smaller!

My photos:




I'll post more about the pros and cons of this phone as I get more used to it. But for now, I am SUPER excited!!! :)

Ten on Tuesday ~ Week 9

10 Personality Quirks

1. I chew on inside of my cheek when nervous or bored
2. Sleep with heater by my bed
3. Load lots of chocolate into my chocolate milk
4. I prefer blue pens over black.
5. After taking the wrapper off my straw, I always blow thru it before putting it in my drink (and never EVER ball up your straw wrapper when we're together, PLEASE!?)
6. Tim & I have a secret language (we call 'LIF') that we use when we don't want others to know what we're saying (although Kaitlyn picked it up right away, she can understand AND speak it!)
7. Always sleep on the side of the bed farthest from the door.
8. I mute the TV during commercials - all the time (or FF if on DVR).
9. Have to check all 4 girls before going to bed myself - I cannot sleep if I have not gone to see each one of them.
10. Whenever I sneeze, I always sneeze twice.

Next week: 10 Places I'd Love to Travel To (haven't gone to yet)

TV Talk ~ American Idol

The Top 5 sing!
Neil Diamond night ... each sings 2 songs tonight
Judges wait to give feedback until after both songs are complete
It was definitely cramming to get it all in tonight.

Round 1
1. Jason Castro: Forever In Blue Jeans - he played guitar while singing -sounded nice, of course I don't know this song (neither did he!) but I think he did well.
2. David Cook: I'm Alive - another one playing his guitar -Neil Diamond really liked him - definitely a 'rocker', he did well although not my fave. He definitely has a voice for radio.
3. Brooke White: I'm a Believer - another guitar player -Neil was pleasantly surprised - I cant help but picture Shrek and Donkey whenever I hear this song now...heehee. She put a country twang to it, which made it a bit unique. But not the right song choice for her.
4. David Archuleta: Sweet Caroline - first to not play an instrument so far tonight -Neil called him a prodigy - Wow - I still rank him #1 in my book - he seemed to have fun, he always looks so happy (and nervous) but I think he sang it really well.
5. Syesha: Hello Again - She sat on the stage in a pretty purple dress - sounded sweet
--Judges gave a brief overview opinion - I cannot even remember what they said because I am so caught up in Paula Abdul - she is either high or drunk or both - she forgot who was who and thought they had already sang twice - OMG!!!!!

Round 2
1. Jason Castro: September Morn - no instruments- sounded nice, but definitely forgettable. Jason has a nice voice, but he is a boring performer. Judges agreed with me.
2. David C: All I Really Need Is You - he played the guitar again - this was probably my fave performance of him ever - sounded very nice - Simon called it brilliant!
3. Brooke White: I Am I Said - she played the piano this time and wrote some lyrics on her palm that she was afraid she'd forget - she sounded great and did a very nice job - the judges liked it better than her first performance
4. David A: America - I love this song! I didn't love his performance though... He didn't seem as into it as he should have been (in my opinion) but the judges loved it.
5. Syesha: Thank the Lord For the Night time - another one I never heard of - not so good. But she looks much better tonight with her hair down and all. Paula called Syesha 'Brooke' during her review.

Overall: Syesha should go home tomorrow night.
My Top 3 faves of the night would be: Jason Castro, David Cook & David A (in that order)

Crappy day...literally

WARNING: This may be TMI (too much information) for some people - gross details to follow...those with a weak stomach - BEWARE! ;)

OK, for starters, we were all exhausted after our busy, fun-filled weekend. So we got home late last night and crashed. After a few short hours of sleep, I see Kaitlyn's little face crying 'Mommy, my belly hurts.' We quickly grabbed a bucket (and moved my books this time!) and within minutes...yep, you guessed it :( And so it went on for the next several hours until about 9:00am. Needless to say, we did not get much (if any sleep).

Of course the triplets still woke up at their normal 7am - bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Tim came downstairs to find cat throw up on the playroom carpet. Morgan pooped herself twice (yep, had to change the clothes, wash up, the whole bit).

The triplets went to school and Kaitlyn watched movies all afternoon (still not feeling 100%). Kaitlyn's teacher sent her homework home with Madison. It took more than 3 hours to complete it tonight - it was all the work she missed from the whole day of school. Including the fact that she missed a math test, which she will have to make up tomorrow.

Pops was expecting a call from the airport for his final HR meeting today, which of course, never came. So that added stress because I know he and my mom are on edge about that whole job situation.

When Megan got home from school, she said her belly hurt and that she had a 'yucky poopy' at school today. Then she started crying and said she had to go again (and again...) Poor girl. Less than an hour later, Kaitlyn started with the same thing.

We decided it would be a good day for an afternoon nap, and everyone fell asleep within minutes of laying down. Upon waking, we realize Morgan peed all over my recliner (those who know me, know it is my favorite chair in the world). So Tim pulled out the shampooer (again) and cleaned the chair and the playroom floor. Meanwhile, he had let the dog out to go to the bathroom and forgot about him with all the mess. About 10 minutes later, I realized the dog was still outside and of course, by then, he was soaked. And muddy. Poor dog.

While changing sheets this afternoon (to hopefully avoid passing this sickness any farther), Tim found a missing overdue library book in Morgan's bed. So now - I will have to take it to the library tomorrow and pay the fine.

Of course, the cold rainy weather did not help. Such dreary weather for our dreary day. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Biggest Loser ~ Poppop style!

Pops BEFORE (February 5, 2008): 285 lbs


April 5, 2008: 255 lbs (Lost 30 POUNDS)



April 25, 2008: 235 lbs (Lost 50 POUNDS! 50 to go!)

And the verdict is....

...Poppop officially got the airport job! Hip hip hurray! He had his final 'interview' this morning at 11am with his actual supervisor, Steve. It went beautifully (my prayers were answered). He will go back on Monday to complete paperwork with the HR manager and he should start his 2-week training the next day. His schedule will include 4 10-hour days. So he will work Wednesday-Saturday from 4pm-2:30am. And the potential exists that it will become a day shift position. Also, Steve told him, there are definite options for upward mobility, which is great news. Currently he will be the main go-to guy in Shipping and Receiving. So he will order all of the parts for the maintenance dept when the planes break (which they never do of course *cough cough*) He will also set up the shipping of them and arrange all of the behind-the-scenes stuff to make it all run smoothly. Heavens knows, without the right parts, Tim's job would become risky at best - so in my opinion at least, this position holds a level of importance! :)
As I'm sure you can tell, this brings a level of excitement as well as relief to the whole situation. Mom has sent her resume to a few places and plans to fly up in May for interviews and such. They will stay with us for awhile and begin to search apartments in the area.
Please join me in taking a huge sigh of relief and wishing Pops CONGRATULATIONS! :)

STOP the Junk Mail!

I was reading The Triplet Connection website and someone posted some great ideas about stopping all of that awful junk mail.

Reasons I HATE junk mail:
1. It is annoying.
2. So time consuming to go through.
3. Horribly wasteful (think of all those trees).
4. Bills and important stuff get lost in the mix.
5. I get excited 'Ooohh we got mail!' only to realize it's all junk :(

So...anyway, you get the idea? Well, I was ecstatic to read that there ARE things we can do to stop it. I havent done it yet (just read about them tonight), but I plan to work on this (in my free time *cough cough*)

Federal Trade Commission

Do it yourself

Ten on Tuesday ~ Week 8

10 Things I Love About My Life


1. My 4 girls - I never had a sister & always wanted a daughter.
2. Wonderful, hard-working husband - together for 15 years and counting!
3. Our family - parents, brothers, cousins
4. True friendships - you know who YOU are!
5. Our home & our town - especially living close to the beach
6. Enjoying family activities together - boating, biking, playing games
7. Going to church as a family
8. Lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom
9. Reading, scrapbooking, photography, my journals
10. My health - and the health of my family, we are so very blessed.

Next week:
10 Superstitions, Traditions, &/or Personality Quirks

TV Talk ~ American Idol

The finale is just 4 weeks away!
Top 6 perform songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber:

1. Syesha - One Rock & Roll too Many (?) - This girl really irks me. I never heard of the song, don't even know if that's the right title. Randy thought it was her best performance to date (huh??) Paula loved her as well - but who doesn't Paula love. And Simon thought it was sexy. hmmm... My guess is that she will go home this week.
2. Jason Castro - Memory - Webber did not have much confidence in Jason's choice. Jason's first time in a suit on the AI stage. I love the sound and tone of his voice, incredible and unique. The judges pretty much hated it. Randy called it a vocal train wreck. Simon said it was miserable. I disagree, I think he did well and made that song his own.
3. Brooke White - You Must Love Me - Well, she started a few words, then completely stopped. Had to start over. I have mixed feelings about her performance. She sang pretty well, but it was nothing overly special. And with her mess-up at the beginning, she may find herself in the bottom 3 again this week. For the first time, Paula was stern with her and said 'NEVER stop and start.' Interesting.
4. David Archuleta - Think of Me - 1-866-IDOLS-04 or IDOLS-10 OK, still my favorite. He has a soft tone to his voice, soothing, quiet. But it does make it a bit hard for him to hit those higher notes. He chose a nice song, put a little of his own twist to it. Judges liked him and Randy called him the 'one to beat'!
5. Carly Smithson - Jesus Christ Superstar - Webber made her change from her original choice because he felt this one fit her personality better. It was definitely the right song for her in my opinion. She did pretty well and the judges loved it. She held up a t-shirt at the end that said 'Simon loved me (this week)' So cheeky of her...
6. David Cook - Music of the Night - Uh, well, it was ok I guess. I have to be honest here, I don't really care for this kind of music. So that may skew my opinions. The judges raved and my dear friend Colleen thinks that may have just won it for him. Hmm...I may have to listen to it again.

I would say Jason Castro was my favorite of the night.
My guess for the top 3...David A (of course!), Jason and David C.
Going home tomorrow night? Syesha.

Huge Picture Post!!

Mommom & Poppop's visit: March 31-April 5:



Grandmom Anita & Pop Rick visit: April 5


Karen, Julio, Julian & Madeleine visit: April 12-13







Triplets Day at the bay: April 18





Motorcycle rides with Daddy: April 18
~Madison~

~Megan~

~Morgan~

~Kaitlyn~