Loads of updates and latest OBSESSION!

Oh where to begin.....
Wednesday, after the frantic packing of the car after spending the morning and afternoon creating the C'mas Stockings quilt, I grabbed the girls and headed to Mom's. Once all things were unloaded at Mom's, I parked my butt in the glider, and started hand-sewing bindings. I wrapped up Andre's by 10:00, and started in on the C'mas Stockings quilt and got half done by 11:30, when I finally decided it was time to get to bed.

I have other updates to come yet, but I must jump into my latest "obsession" that my post title hints to. Last week, my 8th grade girls kept nudging me to read "this book" over and over and over. Finally, after seriously five of them kept saying I HAVE to read it, I went to Amazon.com to get an overview of what the book was about since I had no idea about it. Well, being as observant as they are, suddenly one of my girls shouted (during silent SSR time, by the way) "Mrs. Skattebo! you don't have to order it, you can just borrow my copy!!!" Then, after class THREE of them came running (literally!) down the hall with their copies, begging for me to take her copy over the other's. It was quite funny! But, I chose the first girl's, and seriously watched the others sulk, but.....oh well. Anyway, that night (I think that was last Monday), I started reading a few pages, nothing major..... The next day, my girls were wondering which part of the book I was at, HINTING that once I "get into it," I wouldn't be able to put it down. Anyway, that night (Tuesday), I read a few more pages finishing Chapter 2 before my eyelids said it was bed time.

So---fast forward to Wednesday night after sewing bindings. It was 11:30, but I figured I'd read a few more pages before sleeping, and I think I finished maybe three pages before I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

But then, Thursday morning, I wasn't in the mood to sew yet, so I grabbed the book and read. And read......and read......and read.......snacked a little for lunch....read some more......shirked off helping in the "Thanksgiving meal prep" for as long as I could.....sighed when I had to put it down......ate some dinner.....cleaned up dishes.......and went RIGHT BACK TO THE BOOK. There were a few other mini breaks I needed to do----get the girls to bed, etc....but by 11:30 that night, I was done. OMGOODNESS!!! IT WAS SOOOOOO GOOD! And then......I did the BIGGEST BOO-BOO ever!!! I read the proloude (sp?) to the next book in the series that was printed at the end of this one. OHHHHHHHH----that was a mistake!!!!!!

So, at this point, I was frustrated for a few reasons....
a) I didn't really think it would be that good
b) I didn't realize it was a SERIES
c) After spending all day FRIDAY searching EVERY BOOKSTORE IN TOWN, I STILL wasn't able to read more because not a single store had a copy of book 2!!!!
d) Finally------while watching TV Friday night, suddenly I looked up during a commercial movie review. OMGOODNESS! It was the BOOK!!!! The girls NEVER TOLD ME it had been made into a movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, fastforward to my drive home Saturday afternoon, I was working on a last minute plan of arranging a babysitter for the night so I could go see the movie, and I DID! I took my babysitter while her mother watched the girls. Yup.....her mother watched the girls. That family adores my girls, so "mom" was more than excited to watch them.

So.....have you guessed Book/Movie Twilight from my descriptions????? Ohhhh....*sigh*....it was Soooooooo good! So now, I can't WAIT until tomorrow to ask the girls if anyone has book 2 to loan me????? *chuckle*


Okay, so time to rewind back to Friday. As Angela wrote about on her blog, for those non-Americans out there, Black Friday marks the official start in the USA for C'mas shopping. Two years ago, my sis and I were bonkers, starting the day hitting stores at 4:30 am and went until 11:00 pm! CRAZY! Last year, my mom and I hit the stores for a few hours. This year, my sis and I looked at the sales flyers the night before, but really didn't find any "we HAVE to get this" deals! So, we weren't in any big rush that morning---headed out and hit the stores at 8:30. We really thought we'd be home after a few hours, but amazingly, we were finding some great deals even after the "4:00-10:00" Bargain Door Buster bargains. The next thing we knew, it was 4:00, and we had to get back soon so Cass could open presents for her Birthday. She turned 8. So, we bought a B-day cake, ordered some Papa-Murphies pizza, and headed home.
While the pizza was cooking, we had Cass open her presents so the evening wouldn't get too late. She stocked up on some new Littlest Pet Shop presents and clothes, and also "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie. So, once we were done eating, the girls played in G'mas toy room and watched the movie while my sis and I unloaded the car



For the next couple of hours, we sorted all the packages, and I even WRAPPED EVERYTHING! There was no point in me taking everything back to my house, ONLY to schlep it back down to Mom's as C'mas time. So, I can now say that I am 95% DONE WITH C'MAS SHOPPING! I only have DH's parents to buy for yet....that's it.

Saturday morning, we visited my sis-in-law's house on the way back home to ours. We had a brunch, ate some more bday cake, and Cass opened a few more gifts. We needed to head out though by noon so we could get home for Cass to have a friend over from 3:00 - 6:00.
While she and her friend were playing up in her room, Candace, Caitlyn and myself started putting up the C'mas tree. Cass and her friend came down for some Bday cake (sigh---it's ALMOST gone now!) and then wanted to help decorate the tree, so I popped up some popcorn so they could make some popcorn garland. The tree is almost done, we have a few more garlands to string up, and then I'll snap a pic.

The rest of the night, I already talked about------*sigh*----the Twilight movie. We went to the theater in Rice Lake, a town 20 miles away. Spooner (just down the road) isn't showing it (yet). I may have to convince DH to take me out once it shows here.

Anyway----today has been an "unwinding" day. I've tidied up the sewing room a little, spent maybe an hour sewing some odds-n-ends, but I just don't feel like much more than today. Clothing is beckoning to me after being out of the house for a few days. *sigh*......back to the realworld again!

UGH! I almost forgot---I also have some Pre-Calc tests calling my name to be graded too. Will it be bad if I hold off until Prep time tomorrow?????

Happy Sunday!