Karli’s Comments (group member since Feb 23, 2010)

Karli’s comments from the Busy as a Bee Books group.

I finished this one yesterday, and much like Room, I couldn't put it down, but didn't quite love it. I think that the way Dicks wrote Max was great, and it was apparent that the author had a background in an elementary school. I ended up giving it 4 stars.

Thanks guys. :)

The first day of school was Thursday, and both the kids LOVE their teachers, but are struggling a bit to fit in and find their places. Kasia wants everyone to like her, and is really such a loving sweet thing that she can't be resisted for too long (of course there are always the mean girls who take turns hating you) and had LOTS of friends at her other school. So far she's not found anyone she really clicks with, and in the after school program a girl was really mean to her, plus at show & tell no one said anything nice about her trophy but the teacher...so I had lots of tears from her on Friday.

Gabe's teacher told me on the first day, "He didn't stop talking. ALL DAY. He just NEVER STOPPED TALKING!" *sigh. SO, we had to discuss classroom behaviors. Friday he was quiet in class, but evidently really bossy on the playground and a couple kids stopped playing with him. So, another discussion about letting other kids take the lead some times, especially when you're new and not sure where you fit just yet.

But, on more cheerful notes, Kasia has discovered BMX bike riding and placed 2nd in her age group on her first night, so she's hooked. Gabe had his first game today, and he eventually really seemed to be getting it, and I met another mom from his class who I really enjoyed, so our family's will be getting together in a few weeks. So we're all making progress.

We chose brick for our accent on our new house, talked to the builder and expect the cabinetry to be installed by the 14th. They'll have to get my countertop made after that...I'm really hoping for October 1 at this point, but we'll see. I know Mike is going to have a fit if the counters push us back because I *made* us order the quartz rather than the laminate that could have been done in a couple days. But, dream house. Doing it exactly how we want it because a week or two now is better than being mad for a decade I didn't do it.

OK, there's the scoop from my camp!

I've started an entry in this thread at least 6 times now but keep getting distracted/interrupted.

I've been reading Children of God and really love it. I find it more readable than The Sparrow somehow - perhaps because I already know these characters and am already so invested in them. The focus on the social systems, hierarchy and faith are amazing. If you're putting this one off because you loved The Sparrow too much, start reading! I'm about halfway through.

I found myself in a conversation last night reviewing this for my mother in law and her friend. In front of all of our husbands. THAT was fun.

Jason wrote: "Have to go with Cats. Can't resist a beautiful Maine Coon or Persian cat."

OOOO - I have seen Maine Coons - and I'm royally tempted to get my mother in law a Persian when we leave here. She loves my Sofia (barn cat) but she wants something cuddlier. I think she'd get along with a Persian kitten. :)

I was at the field, trying not to cry.

I am NOT an athlete. And watching Gabe was like watching myself struggle at organized sports as a child. I had to just take Kasia to the playground and not watch.

9 year old football is coached by the coaches for the varsity team, as they each have a boy in Gabe's class (the boys I took for the play date yesterday). Practice is like big boys - they wore their helmets and conditioned the whole practice. Gabe tried to follow, but doesn't know the rules, and has a touch of ADHD so the multiple instructions at once had to process. And it hurt my heart to watch.

HOWEVER...He loved it. He was happy at the end (I was truly expecting tears and "I don't want to go back"). I sat down with him while he ate supper afterwards and had a talk and explained that I love him, I'll watch his games, but that the practices are hard for me, and that when I was a kid I wasn't as good as the other kids because I didn't hustle as fast and that I want more for him. So, on Thursday, I will bring a book and sit far away as he practices. He DID give me a hug and a kiss after our talk and say, "Thanks for the talk, and your support Mom", so I think I'm still OK.

I had mine at 100 but had to adjust to 75 with the house/move chaos. I'm catching up now and a bit ahead, but this will likely change in a month when I move again.

I'm about half through In One Person, and while it isn't my favorite Irving, I'm still enjoying it a lot. I like this one more than Last Night in Twisted River.

Wow. I'm not cut out to be a football mom.

Well, play date today with two of Gabe's classmates and football teammates went well today. I picked up the boys at the school after their play practice and took them for pizza and then bowling. I enjoyed the two boys, particularly the one, Logan, whose last name is Maus - and that actually fit him well. Small boy, deprecating, and adorable. Fingers crossed Kasia's date on Thursday goes as well. We start football practice for Gabe tomorrow.

We went on a weekend trip this weekend to Minneapolis, and that was really fun. I got to Half Price Books, which I LOVE and ended up with 10 books for $52. :)

Garlan- have you read the Kidd novels? They are great too. They are computer geek based, and written about 20 years ago so the tech is old, but I recognize it all so still fun.

The house is coming along. They are dry-walling now and tentative closing is sept 21. It'll depend on timing of finish work and how quick they can do our counter tops because those can't be ordered until the cabinets are in. But should by oct 1 for sure.

I just paid the fees for Gabe and got his pants, helmet and practice jersey. They are out of small pads so Gabe will get those tues when practice starts!

Just scheduled play dates for the kids with classmates from their new schools for next week, Gabe got invited to join the 4th grade football team and Mike said YES and so did Gabe so that starts Tuesday. Both feet in...

Garlan wrote: "I recently started and am nearly finished (very good; detective genre), and I picked up at the library today. I should start it tomo..."

I love John Sandford - and the Flowers books are as good as the Prey novels, IMO.

Stephanie wrote: "@ Karli

You're so sweet! I feel the same way about you and your books, girl!

Part of my problem with Abarat might have been that I listened to it on audio and kind of drifted in and out of the s..."

I read a little over 100 pages and then set it down and picked up

, which I finished tonight. That one was decent - I was hoping it would be a little more like Sarah Addison Allen's writing, but pretty good.

I'll grab Arabat again, then I plan on taking on our road trip to Minneapolis tomorrow.

Elizabeth wrote: "i finished last night.

i started , which is really going to challenge me. the three stories i've read are creepy and sinister and i'm not sure if ..."

LOL - I have
by my bed too - and it's interesting, but I really have to find something more cheerful right now.

I finished The Sparrow this afternoon - THANK YOU PETRA - for introducing me to this amazing, beautiful, brilliant book! It was epic.

I've now picked up Abarat, which was also on my library's Book Club shelf. It had other books chosen such as The Sparrow and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn so I was thinking it couldn't be too bad. I've never read Clive Barker...but since I caught Stephanie's review, I'm a little nervous. We tend to have the same views, so we'll see if we agree on this one. On the bright side, nothing was going to follow The Sparrow well, so I may as well have something mediocre. :P

I know - it's totally not the same. Of course I haven't had it thru my last 12 or so books, so there's nothing in it notes wise from those, but at least I can add my books from my list and placed them into their slots. :)

YIPEE!!!! I just found my reading journal! I knew I had packed it, but now I've got it so I can go geek out and plot my books into the Hive. :) Happy Karli.

I really enjoyed Never Let Me Go - but it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I think it could spark some really interesting conversations though.