I'm walking again in the March for babies..

Would you please help me reach my goal for the March of Dimes... come on,  it's for the babies! Thank you!!!!!!


http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?pp=1558524&ct=4&w=6355864&u=Meliwil&bt=11

Thought for today: 


Never judge a person based on one or two of the demons they are fighting, but on the kind of person they are despite them.  You may never know how exhausting it is for them to battle them, but know the core of who they are is still there.

Next book picked...

My second selection in my own Classic Book challenge is Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.  Why?  Well for one thing it's short & since I don't want to give up before I've really just begun this challenge of reading every book in our Classic books bookshelf we have, I decided I would go w/ a short one this go round. :) SO I'll let you know when I finish it, how it was, first time reading a Jane Austen book.  Hopefully it's good & it'll be a quick read. Take Care. xo

#1 Classic book: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (finished today 2/2/14)

I just finished the book, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith.  It took me just 16 days to finish.  That might not seem too fast for some readers but for me that's FAST!  I LOVED the book, I had seen the movie so I knew the basic story.  But the book was so much better!  I loved the way Betty Smith wrote, w/ such details you felt like you were there, living this tale of a dysfunctional but loving family who lived in a very poor neighborhood in Brooklyn in the early 1900's. I found out that the book was basically Mrs. Smith's autobiography, as she had grown up in Brooklyn as well, which helped explain the believability of it,  she retells a story I imagine that was very similar to her own through Francie the main character.  The thing that I found incredible is how much it was for me, easy to relate to her,  because while the time & place may be different from mine.  I, and I imagine most people (girls especially) have felt the same emotions as Francie at one time or another.   I'm also a "thinker" like Francie so I very much related to that, as well as the relationship she has with her hard working mother Katie.  While Katie admits to herself & often shows that she favors her son Neeley.  There is no denying the love she has for both her son & daughter. I think many a person would read this book & find the story sad- and don't get me wrong many parts of it are, the most obvious one is Johnny, Francie's often absent but sweet lovable alcoholic father.  He means the world to Francie, and she feels a special emotional connection to him that is lacking in the relationship she has with her mother.   He is sweet to her, and makes her feel special, and as a young child especially that is what she needs.  I won't give away the story but I will just say,  this book was incredible!  For me the story wasn't so much sad, but real.  Life is hard, and we aren't all born w/ silver spoons in our mouths, and what matter's most is where we go and not where we've been.  I wish I was a little more like determined Francie, who can see the future she wants despite the past she had.    I wish I had read this book a long time ago,  I think it should be mandatory reading for teenage girls. 

Emily- National Junior Honor Society NEWEST member! :)

Thursday, January 30th 2014 was an amazing night for our daughter Emily, she was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society!  This is no small task. She had/has to maintain a 3.5 GPA & also was required to get recommendations from 4 teachers.  Not to mention participating in extra curricular activities/community service. Only 50 students out of a class of a few hundreds earned this honor.   We were so proud of her!  The night started out w/ the 7th grade inductees walking up to the stage from the back of the gym- they required the students to wear a white shirt & a black pair of pants.  Emily looked really cute in a white turtleneck sweater & pair of black pants.  (She was so excited because we bought them special for the night, and the pants were from the Jennifer Lopez collection! ) She was funny because all the other kids kind of just walked up there, & Emily did a bit of a march! (high stepped it a little) You could see how very proud of herself she was up on the stage.  Then the current members (8th graders) NJHS officers each explained the different principles & obligations of being a member.  Then the kids had to raise their right hands & repeat the oath, accepting their membership into the program.  Emily took this very serious & she had memorized it word for word & while the kids were simply suppose to repeat the oath after the teacher advisor stated it.  Emily said it along w/ the advisor! So she would mouth the words & then say them. It was kind of cute. :)  After that the kids were called up one at a time to receive their "certificate" stating they were a member of the National Junior Honor Society & another document w/ the NJ seal which was signed by Senator Madden & two members of the State Assembly. The final thing was they passed around a basket & each child had to take a candle from it. After all the candles were passed out.  A current member started the flame of the first child in line & each other child lit the next child's candle. :) That ended the ceremony.  Emily was so over the moon proud of herself.  It showed on her face, & in every action she took that night.  Then the kids were treated to a "cookie" reception in the library.  I think Emily had 5 cookies & 2 glasses of lemonade!  She was also excited because she got to take a few pictures of herself & some of her friends who also were inducted & even took a picture with her principal.  We were so very proud of her!  Congratulations Emily!!!! Way to GO!!!