Read-a-thon

  Piper and I decided that it would be a lot of fun to do a twenty-four hour read-a-thon Thursday starting at midnight to Friday midnight.
   Our goal was to read at least three books.With our books chosen and a last minute cat nap we finally started reading.
  One o'clock seemed to arrive really quickly, and I still being a little tired decided to make a cup of coffee for myself and some requested hot chocolate for Piper, since she hates coffee.
  At around four we started to get really tired and all we wanted to do was close our eyes and sleep once again.
  At five we were exhausted and really hungry, but we kept on reading, Piper's finished stack seemed to keep piling up higher and higher, while here I was with two finished books that weren't  really big. But we had both slowed down immensely with tiredness and hunger.
  Finally at around six-thirty we ate and felt really refreshed so we went back upstairs to the quiet of our room and started reading again.
  Thank goodness we had a mother at home cleaning the whole house without any help. I thank her for letting us do the read-a-thon and cleaning up everything, laundry, and all while Piper and I endlessly read what felt like millions of words.
  Both Piper and I fell asleep at around eleven or twelve in the afternoon, and I woke up about an hour later surprised at myself for drifting off to sleep. I woke up Piper a little later and we both had to start reading again.
  By 11 PM I had finished four books, five cups of coffee, and was almost done with my fifth book, Piper was almost done with her seventh and we really just wanted to go to bed.
  Finally at 11:40 we finished our books, and since we knew we couldn't finish another in just twenty minutes we went to sleep.
  As tired as we were, I do believe I would enjoy doing this again, perhaps not this year, but next year summer break would be a lot of fun again.

The Cabin

   Behind our house there is a steep tree covered hill that Rob dubbed as Lantwin when we moved here years ago while he was just a little boy. (The story behind the name  will have to wait for another day.)
   Rob, Piper and I used to have a lot of fun playing there, but time passed and they grew older. Rob got a job, and Piper grew to be too ladylike for all that.
   Lately Jay and I have been going up there in the afternoons when ever it's sunny and warm enough.
   We decided it would be a lot of fun to build a small cabin and so we began to gather up small logs, some sticks, and rocks.

 

 

  Jay had a lot of fun hauling logs and finding large rocks and bricks for me to use if needed. We spent days scouring the hillside for our needed building supplies.

 

 

   Finally we got to building. One wall was finished and it had a small window which for some weird reason made me happy. The other wall got started but it was harder to build than the first one, but we got it done, then we got the last main wall done, we decided we wanted to use bricks and rocks for the entrance, it isn't a very grand entrance but it's an entrance and that's what we cared about.

 

  And finally came the roof, I just put on some branches, they had a lot of thorns on them. I think the next time we go to play there we'll take the roof down and enjoy the cabin without one. It's too low, and too thorny.
  As small as it is we had a lot of fun building it and I'm glad we had that time to spend together and do something fun.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. Speaking of endings....at your wit's end, at loose ends, a dead end, burn the candle at both ends, all's well that end's well, or no end in sight...which 'end' phrase might best be applied to your life lately? Explain.

No end in sight, the seven-hundred and fifty piece  puzzle that I have started doing today seems as if there is no end in sight.

2. What was a must have accessory when you were growing up? Did you own one? If so tell us what you remember about it.

Hair-ties, I used to have very long, thick hair, and keeping it back without hair-ties seemed nearly impossible, so it was always wonderful having a lot on hand.

3. Something that made you smile yesterday?

My sister Piper's birthday made me smile almost all day yesterday. She enjoyed everything that my mom and I had planned for her.

4. January 30th is National Croissant Day. Do you like croissants? Sweet or savory? We're having chicken salad for lunch...would you rather have yours served on a croissant, a wrap, a bagel, bread, or a roll of some sort?

I can't remember if I ever had any, but if so probably sweet. As for the chicken salad, I'd like it on either a bagel or bread.

5. Sum up your January in fifteen words or less.

Pretty amazing and productive.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Piper started a 1,500 piece puzzle of Paris, which inspired me to start puzzling, so I started a 750 piece puzzle which is not getting done very quickly, and I'm wondering if I  should have ever started doing it. We could have helped each other on one, but somehow we prefer doing puzzles independently and not having to deal with someone else doing the sections you especially want to.

100 Questions Part 4

76. Do you burn incense? No I don't.

78. Who would you like to see in a concert? I actually don't know.

79. What was the last concert you saw? I haven't seen one before.

80. Hot tea or cold tea? Always hot.

81. Tea or coffee? Tea, I don't like coffee, but I do like cappuccino and hot chocolate.

82. Sugar cookies or snicker-doodles? Sugar cookies, Piper and I love them, and sometimes we have them on Christmas Eve as a treat.

83. Can you swim well? Sadly I cannot go very far, I'm looking forward to summer when I may be able to practice again.

84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? Yes.

85. Are you patient? Sometimes.

86. DJ or band at a wedding? A DJ.

87. Ever won a contest? I have before when I was little, I got a Noah's Ark set as a prize.

88. Have you ever had plastic surgery? No.

89.Which are better: black or green olives? I hate both of them, but I'd have to go with black.

90. Can you knit or crochet? I can finger knit, and do a simple finger chain in crotchet.

91. Best room for a fireplace? A living room, it makes the room look so cozy.

92. Do you want to get married? Yes, someday I would.

93. If married, how long have you been married? I am not married.

94. Who was your high school crush? No one.

95. Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way? I don't do that!

96. Do you have kids? Nope.

97. Do you want kids? When I get married I want four, six as the maximum.

98. What is your favorite color? I love burgundy, teal, purples, and strangely enough orange.

99. Do you miss anyone right now? One of my friends who lives far away.

100. Who are you going to ask to answer these questions next? Nobody.

100 Questions Part 3

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer. I never got my portrait taken.

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy? Some of them are, others I enjoy.

53. Is Christmas stressful? No, Christmas is the best time of the year, and not a bit stressful.

54. Ever eat a pierogi? I don't think I have.

55. Favorite type of fruit pie? I really like cheery and peach, but apple is very good as well.

56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? I had always wanted to be a teacher after I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, I don't anymore now though.

57. Do you believe in ghosts? No.

58. Ever had a Deja-vu feeling? Yes, I have.

59. Do you take a vitamin daily? Yes, it isn't fun, but I do.

60. Do you wear slippers? I used to, I don't anymore.

61. Do you were a bath robe? No.

62. What do you wear to bed? Pajamas and a long night shirt.

63. What was your first concert? I have never been to a concert.

64. Walmart, Target, or Kmart? Walmart.

65. Nike or Adidas? Neither.

66. Cheetos or Fritos? Fritos.

67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? Sunflower seeds, I'm not that big on nuts.

68. Ever hear of the group Tres Bien? No, I haven't.

69. Ever take dance lessons? I have taken a dance class at our homeschool group before if that counts. I love dance, and I would love to take a real dance lesson some day.

70. Is there a profession you picture your spouse doing? I am young, and not married, so no.

71. Can you curl your tongue? Yes.

72. Ever won a spelling bee? I have never been in a spelling bee, so no.

73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy? Yes, the best kinds of tears ever.

74. Own any record albums? No.

75. Own a record player? Nope.

100 Questions Part 2

26. What movies could you watch over and over again and still love? I could watch Eloise, and Dick Van Dyke.

27. Last person you kissed/kissed you? I am still young and I haven't kissed anybody except my parents, and I want it to stay that way until my wedding.

28. Were you ever a boy/girl scout? No I wasn't.

29. Candles, what is your favorite scent? I love my Plumeria one, I also love Apple Pie, and many more I can't think of at the moment.

30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? Oh dear, about a month ago, I should probably write another one.

31. Can you change the oil on a car? No I haven't, and it doesn't seem like something I would ever want to do.

32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket? I don't even have my drivers license yet, so no I haven't.

33. Ever ran out of gas? No ... see previous answer.

34. What's your favorite kind of sandwich? A BLT.

35. Best thing to eat for breakfast. The best thing to eat for breakfast is the stuff I eat for Christmas breakfast, so multiple things that I don't have very often.

36. What is your usual bedtime? Piper and I have been trying to go to bed at 9:30, but it always ends up to be 10:00, which is odd because we don't read that late!

37. Are you lazy? If I don't have too much school to do that keeps me occupied most of the day, I would like to say no.

38. When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? Me, I have always wanted to dress up as myself.

39. What is your Chinese astrological sign? I have not the slightest clue.

40. How many languages can you speak? I can speak English, some Amish, and I am studying Spanish, Piper and I will be studying Irish after we perfect our choice languages.

41. Do you have magazine subscriptions? Nope.

42. Which are better: legos or lincoln logs? Legos.

43. Are you stubborn? If I want to be.

44. Who is better: Leno or Letterman? I have no clue, I haven't heard of either of them.

45. Ever watch soap operas? Hmm, they sound like overly clean people doing opera! No.

46. Are you afraid of heights? No, as long as it is perfectly safe.

47. Do you sing in the car? I have already, I mostly hum though.

48. Do you sing in the shower? Considering my sister has already questioned what song I was singing, yes I have.

49. Do you dance in the car? I have in the back seat with Piper before, it was fun.

50. Ever used a gun? No I haven't, the idea of even holding a loaded gun scares me very much.

100 Questions ~ Part 1

1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? I sleep with them closed, weirdly enough it makes me feel cozy and safe.

2. Do you take shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotels? I don't go to hotels much, and I don't recall ever taking shampoo or conditioner bottles when I have been to them.

3. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? Out, I feel like I can't mover properly if they are tucked in.

4. Have you stolen a street sign before? I haven't, and what would you even use them for?

5. Do you like to use post-it notes? Yes I love them, I have always wanted to have at least one drawer full of them, that day has sadly enough still not come.

6. Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? I like to cut out coupons when I'm bored, I then give them to my mother, but unfortunately we normally don't use them much.

7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees? Considering I have already been attacked by a swarm of hornets, I'll take the bees even though I am scared of them. I have more of a chance to escape from them then a bear.

8. Do you have freckles? Yes I do, one time I tried to count just how many I have on my nose, I think it was 81, I won't even attempt to count the total number I have.

9. Do you always smile for pictures? I do unless I don't know people are taking pictures of me, or unless I'm being told not to.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve? Oh dear, I have a few I can't really choose one. Sentences without r's, uneven numbers (three is an exception) bad grammar, and ponytails when the hairband is slipping out.

11. Do you ever count your steps when you walk? Actually as odd as it is I do very often, not for long though.

12. What is your favorite thing to cook? Instead of cooking I shall answer it with baking, and that would be apple goodie. 

13. If you were planning a meal for a special someone, what would it be? It all depends on what he or she likes to eat, perhaps a lovely lasagna, and a seven layer salad, for desert, perhaps a special goodie, or pie.

14. Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing? If nobody's around than I do it almost everyday.

15. Do you chew your pens and pencils? I have when I was younger, but it's gross to me now and I wouldn't even want to think of it..

16. How many hours have you slept last night? I think 8.

17. What size is your bed? Full.

18. What is your song of the week? Havana, I regrettably detest this song, but I hear it's going through my head.

19. Is it OK for guys to wear pink? Sure, I don't see anything wrong with it. I wear blue, why can't they wear pink?

20. Do you still watch cartoons? Yes, my little brother and I like sitting together on a couch watching cartoons once in a while.

21. What is your least favorite movie? I cannot stand some Hallmark movies.

22. Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some? By our chicken coop or in our woods.

23. What do you drink with your dinner? Water.

24. What do you dip a chicken nugget in? Sour cream.

25. What is your favorite food? I really don't know, I really enjoy peanut butter toast with ice-cream on it.