I bet writing complete, coherent sentences is super offensive. :laugh: :001_rolleyes: Good thing I have a limited text network.

I guess stop eating sugar. It is my nemesis. I know I feel better when I have tamed my sugar dragon, it is definitely the wagon I keep falling from. :crying:

YES! So well said, and I love your optimistic view. This reading year absolutely counts as a win.

Well, I am as close as I am going to get! First, I want to say a hearty "thank you!" to all of the wonderful participants in this little micro WTM community. You all have made me feel so incredibly welcome, even when I disappear for weeks and months at a time. You all are the "like-y-est" bunch, and I can always count on you all to light up my notifications with likes. :hurray: Ok, on to the lists. I did not manage to complete the BINGO challenge. Sad emoji. But, I did read a bunch more this year. I think more than I have read in a number of years, so that is a big yay! B PRIME: I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives FLUFFERTON: Me Before You EASTERN EUROPE----- BESTSELLER IN CHILD BIRTH YEAR: The Secret Life of Bees STEAMPUNK------ I SCIENCE FICTION: Shift YOUR NAME IN THE TITLE---- SHORT STORIES---- (I should have thought of David Sedaris before yesterday!) SEAWORTHY: The Light Between Oceans MIDDLE AGES---- N WESTERN: The Marriage Pact (this may be a stretch, but the love interest is a country western singer, so I am taking it :tongue_smilie: ) ANCIENT----- FREE: The Underground Railroad DYSTOPIAN: Dust MYSTERY: Gone Girl G TRANSLATED------ OUTER SPACE----- FINANCE: North of Normal ONE WORD TITLE: Moxie DEBUT: The Song of Achilles O 500+: Wool LOCAL---- FEMALE ADVENTURE: Where'd You Go, Bernadette? CLASSIC: LIttle Women SELECTED BY A FRIEND: Heartburn (If I finish in time!) So, I only managed to finish one complete row and got close on a column. Complete list: **indicates nonfiction, @ read aloud The Museum of Extraordinary Things **The Boys in the Bunkhouse **Life Reimagined: The Science, Opportunity, and Art of Midlife The Underground Railroad **Better Than Before The Star Attraction Me Before You Wool Dust Shift The Secret Life of Bees @Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life My (Not So) Perfect Life @All American Boys The Marriage Pact Regrest Only **Orange is the New Black Baggage Check **North of Normal Where'd You Go, Bernadette? @**Just Mercy **Hillbilly Elegy **You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself **How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Young Reader's Edition) Sweet Lake The Hate U Give **Simply Clean **It's All a Game The Song of Achilles The Light Between Oceans @Little Women @The Chamber of Secrets @Henry Reed, Inc. @Moon Over Manifest R is for Rebel @​The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs Moxie Gone Girl **I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives Heartburn (maybe!) That is a total of 39, so I did not end up on a prime number. I read so many great books. As I was typing them all, I kept thinking, "Oh, I will say that was my favorite!" but then I would get to another one and think it was my favorite. Every one of the nonfiction books I read was great, except maybe Hillbilly Elegy, which I would rank as good. My reading took me to Africa and Australia, but more than that it took me into lives that are not anything like mine. It was heartbreaking at times (The Boys in the Bunkhouse, Orange is the New Black & Just Mercy come to mind), hopeful and beautiful (I Will Always Write Back & North of Normal) and a lot of fun (It's All a Game & You're Not So Smart); in short it was exactly what reading should be full of emotions and insight. Some of my favorite quotes: "Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose." Victor Frankl in Life Reimagined "For a happy life, it's important to cultivate an atmosphere of growth-a sense that we're learning new things, getting stronger, forging new relationships, making things better, helping other people." Better Than Before "I would have argued that the government's drug laws were at best proven ineffectual every day and at worst were misguidedly focused on supply rather than demand...The lesson that our prison system teachers its residents is how to survive as a prisoner, not as a citizen-not a very constructive body of knowledge for us or the communities to which we return." Orange is the New Black I didn't really have a book that I thought I was going to like but didn't. Maybe Hillbilly Elegy, but I think it was mostly because it was overhyped. It wasn't bad. I don't really have a problem abandoning a book I don't love. No mini challenges for me. While I did not manage to read 52 books, I still read a lot and so enjoyed my reading time! I am shocked at how much reading I can accomplish when I off devices. Note to self. I am looking forward to what I discover next year. A million thank yous for this lovely little group. I look forward to reading with you all again next year. *edited a bunch of times because I can't seem to spell or make a coherent thought after a certain length. :glare:

Oooo, I love the Amazon series. It is what I have sewn kids' Christmas gifts to the last two years. :001_smile: I think I may like the series, nice to see an endorsement.

I am still reading, so I won't post my final list or answers until the very last minute. I know I can squeeze in one or two more books! I read Moxie yesterday. It is YA. Good girl power book. I am almost 100 pages into Gone Girl. I *think* I may be able to eek out one more. Guess I should fill in my BINGO square and see what I need to at least complete a row.

I got a beautiful new bike that is exactly what I envisioned. It is my personality in bike form! I cannot wait for warmer weather. Happy, happy dance! The only major miss was not a miss, but a misstep. One child so dearly wanted a ballet barre and got it, but only one wall bracket rather than the necessary two. :001_rolleyes: This is what happens when I am in charge of gifts like that. Dh would have read the fine print very carefully, but my ADHD self skimmed and ordered. Oh well. It is an easy fix on Amazon and will be rectified by the end of the week. Everything else was a big hit. Everyone was happy with the things they received, both the ones they were pretty sure they were getting and the surprises. It was a lovely day. :001_wub:

:hurray: Way to go! You must have been hustling. Is your house now super clean? I can always knock out a surprising amount if I am cleaning. I love high count step days!

Despite her constant pain and daily struggle, her voice is clear and lovely. May 2018 be a year of continued healing for Shannon and the year of the bike ride. :grouphug:

Can someone give me an assist? Can you link me to the 2017 BINGO board? I cannot find it on Robin's lovely site, although I did have great fun poking around again. :) A million thank yous!

I am here! It has been a bit since I posted in one of these threads. I took a class at the university this past semester, so much of my reading time was consumed by school both at home and for me! I did read some lovely journal articles. :laugh: What I can rememeber reading since my last post: Song of Achilles (Definitely adult content, but really good! It tells the story of Achilles, Patroclus, and ultimately the Trojan War. Very satisfying read.) Moon Over Manifest (read outloud to my 14 year old. I love, love, love this book! We both did!) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (with my now 9 year old. I love this one, so fun to revisit) Henry Reed, Inc. (read aloud with the 9 year old) Little Women (the 11 year old and I are so close to finishing! My goal is to wrap it up before 2018. I have never read it and am enjoying it. My child has been a trooper, but is definitely ready to finish. That is all we have managed to read aloud this whole semester. :crying: ) It's All a Game (I am one chapter away from wrapping this one up. It is the history of board games and the various social implications of games. It is so my type of reading. I love well written, fact filled gems and this one has fit the bill!) Wild Things! Actos of Mischief in Children's Literature (I have just started this one, but I am going to puffy heart it, I am certain. I adore children's lit, so it is great fun to read about the subversiveness that has underscored the genre.) Simply Clean: The Proven Method for Keeping Your Home Clean, Organized, and Beautiful in Just 10 Minutes a Day (Snort. Yeah, right. Clearly Becky's never been to my house.) I am certainly missing some reads (because, hello...summer! I read several books on vacay and over the course of summer, but my brain cannot remember them now). I need to find the BINGO square to see how close I have come to completing it. I do not think I will manage 52 :sad: , but I did read more this year! Taking a class definitely impacts your leisure reading.

Well, I've already seen them, so it's not a big deal. :tongue_smilie: In addition, Santa does not bring any big gifts. It is small, fun, and often practical things. For instance, Santa has always brought my kids a new toothbrush and calendar. I'm good, I don't need to see that. Two of my children asked Santa for new underwear this year, again I am good. Likewise, at Easter I don't make my kids wait until I am up (or home from my walk) to look for their baskets. For us, stockings were a way to participate in the Santa part of Christmas without it being a huge focus. My dh didn't do Santa growing up, so it wasn't something he had a tradition around. We actually didn't originally plan on doing it with our kids, but when my 2 year old told me right before Christmas that he knew Santa was coming and couldn't wait to see what was in the stocking on Christmas morning, I wanted to make that magic happen. I always loved those extra minutes to sleep in when the littles were small.

from Creekland: Stockings can be emptied and looked at/eaten/played with as soon as the lad wakes up Christmas morning. Presents wait until we're all together to be opened. YES! We have always had the same rule, thus Santa always gave little people something to occupy them for a bit (Legos, craft projects, book) and some food, always two mini box of sugar cereal and often beef jefky and a little candy. Also, little people knew they were not allowed to come downstairs until 7 double zero. I have fond memories of them setting up a clock right by the stairs so they knew when it was exactly 7. :wub:

I will give this recommendation again because I think it is such a great film. As a high schooler I found it so inspirational. Pistol Pete: The Birth of a Legend It is about Pete Maravich. Even if you are not into basketball, it is a great, totally family friendly film.

Oops, I accidently hit the report button! :ohmy: Anyway, it really changed the game for us and we find every game is a great deal closer! It changes so fast, even if you have a long run without being able to get out, you can get 2 (get out, go again), play a backwards 4 and play an 8 on your next turn and be in HOME! :biggrinjester:

Mine enjoyed the architecture sets.

We love Sorry and play with a hand rather than blind draw. It makes the game much more strategic and engaging. Really! Almost all of my kids love that one. In fact, the 17 year old was just trying to get a game going with all of the kids the other day. I have one child who is not competitive and does not like what games bring out in some of the family members (ahem), so they will often opt out, thus making Sorry (especially) not as fun. Monopoly Deal is a lot of fun and pretty quick. About three years ago there was a lot of that being played around here. Trivial Pursuit kids vs. parents (or something along those lines) is fun.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown (which was based on a real woman) Anne of Green Gables series Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (although not funny, I remember it as a really good movie) My Fair Lady The Decoy Bride Cool Runnings The Three Musketeers (1993) I remember loving that movie. Night at the Museum My Big Fat Greek Wedding I can't remember the content of all of these...

Gah! I did not even think about this. I have so many words, but I better stop now because they are probably offensive to some. @#%&*

I think your kiddos are just really talented! We have never had one break, but I think if my oldest would have had them at the age our "baby" got them, then I would be able to sit on that bench with you. ;)

Unfortunately, we are making plans for me to possibly return to work next year. :sad: :scared: Ours is so high, like more than a year of college high. We are a healthy family that rarely uses the doctor. Like another poster, ours actually went down for a few years or at least stabilized with ACA, but now we are paying for it. I don't think they are even offering our plan next year (I think it was a PPO). It is really such a crap deal.

Not liking your post because it is a good thing, but because we are in a similar boat as self employed folks. Sigh. It really stinks, and is quite ridiculous, IMO.

My kids always get a yearly calendar. They look forward to it every year. Two of mine like beauty care products, so they get those. Always a new toothbrush. I've done new winter hats and cozy socks. I try to make them things they need anyway or are going to need for the upcoming season, along with some consumable gifts. If I have heard a kid mention wanting a certain something, like a watch, then I get it for their stocking. When they were little I always put a craft or small building set (think Lego) kit as they were allowed to open stockings before we were up (but not until after 7!) and that kept them busy for a little while.

My Pampered Chef stoneware from years (and I mean years, like 15+) is our hands down favorite. I am not sure about the quality now, but I love my baking stone and stoneware pie dish.

I love my JAG Nora jeans! They are so comfy, but look really nice, IMO. They do not have a zipper or button, which makes them very comy. I do not think anybody can tell that they don't have a zipper, fly, or button. I wear mine just about daily. https://www.zappos.com/p/jag-jeans-nora-pull-on-skinny-in-comfort-denim-in-durango-wash-durango-wash/product/8987756/color/358172?ef_id=WBHq-AAAAHdTz6Pd:20171110014833:s