Disney Princesses

Me - I like the Disney princesses. I have all the Disney princess movies except Tangled. Cinderella used to be my favorite princess. I have a Cinderella pillow and a Cinderella pillow pet. After I liked Cinderella, my favorite princess was Tiana. I have Princess and the Frog instruments. Then, my favorite princess was Ariel. I liked that Ariel was a mermaid because I like mermaids. I also like Flounder from the Little Mermaid movie, and I have a stuffed one. After Ariel, I liked Rapunzel best of all. I love Rapunzel's really really really really long hair. It is longer than the floor. I wish my hair was that long, but my hair is pretty long. Now, my favorite is Belle. Belle is my favorite because she is very pretty and kind. In the movie, she would rather stay with the beast than her father have to stay with the beast. I also like Belle because she reads a lot, and I love books.  I like Snow White because she loves animals like me. I also love that she is friends with the dwarfs. They are very cute. Sleeping Beauty has a lot of names and so do I because I have two middle names. She is friends with fairies, and I love fairies, but only good ones.  I like Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan, but not as much as the others.

* The above is a guest post by younger sister, Aurella as dictated to Mom.

Mom - When I was young there were Disney princess movies but they were not grouped together collectively as the princesses. Each was completely independent of  the others. Of course, putting them together was a marketing strategy, and it worked brilliantly. So many  little girls love their princesses and aspire to have everything Disney princess. My younger daughter likes all the princesses and has all the dolls, but the princesses are not her favorite things. She is more into Dora the Explorer. She doesn't have to have everything princess and she doesn't really pretend to be a princess. When I was young, I liked the Disney princess movies myself, but I never wanted to be or pretended to be a princess either. My favorite was Snow White. I am not sure why though. I just always liked her. Now, I like the more current princesses like Tiana from The Princess and the Frog and Rapunzel from Tangled. They are a little fiestier and a little more self-sufficient. They don't always need a prince to swoop in in every situation and save them. That is a better lesson to teach little girls.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Hockey

Me - Hockey, wow! I love going to hockey games. It is really fun. My favorite team is the Trenton Titans which used to be the Trenton Devils. Once when I was a little baby, I went to a New Jersey Devils game. I kept looking around at all the people. I liked looking at the people more than watching the game. I had never seen so many people before in my life. When I was older, I went to Trenton Devils games. I wanted to meet the mascot, Scorch. When he came close to me, I was always afraid of him. When any mascot came close to me, I was scared. I liked them way better when they were far away from me. Anyway, I love going to hockey games, and I always have lots of fun there.*

* The above is a guest post by younger sister Aurella as dictated to Mom.

Mom - When I was in college, my roommate was a big hockey fan. I didn't really know much about the sport. A few years later, I was watching a baseball playoff game with my Dad. Between innings, he kept turning back to a hockey playoff game between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers won although we were rooting for the Devils. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup. The next year the Devils won. I was hooked. To the casual sports fan, hockey might seem like it is all about the fights. It is not like that at all. It is really a very exciting game especially live. Also, it is the only one of the four major sports - baseball, basketball, football, and hockey - that no matter what you do you cannot score more than 1 at a time. Because of that it can be so frustrating at times because if your team is behind they can only catch up one goal at a time. Also, there are so many ways for the puck to not go in the net which is frustrating too. After that first Stanley Cup, the Devils went on to win two more. We were big hockey fans and went to a bunch of games every year, but then it just got too expensive. Also, the team moved to Newark and there was not enough parking. Now, I haven't been to a Devil game in years. Luckily, we are fortunate enough to have a minor league hockey team nearby. They were affliated with the Devils for a few years but now they are not anymore. However, their games are just as fun as the Devils games except a lot cheaper and closer. The only bad thing is that you can't watch them on TV like you can the Devils and since they are in a different county our newspaper doesn't cover them, but we still root for them in spirit , and we do try to get to a few games a year.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Dolls

Me - Dolls, wow! I love dolls. I play with them a lot. I sometimes pretend where the dolls are my babies.I have a music box doll. If you wind her up, she plays music. She is wearing a sailor suit, and I call her Penny. I have a bouncing baby doll named Hope. I have a My Twin Doll Named Meredith. I have two American girls Molly, and Rebecca. I really want Shopping Sheryl, Hi  Dottie, and Peggy Pen Pal, but they don't make them anymore. I know about them from my mom.When I was little my favorite doll was Boo from Monsters, Inc. My parents got her for me because she reminded them of me. I took her everywhere and did everything with her. My sister had a favorite doll when she was little who she called Baby. One time she chewed Baby's foot off. Our Dad got her a new Baby, but he told her he fixed  the old Baby. My sister was really smart though.  Even at 2, she went around saying "My Daddy got me a new Baby." because she knew he hadn't really fixed the old one. My grandmother thinks I have too many dolls, but my Mom lets me decide what I want to get rid of and when myself. I am glad of that, and I hope to be the same way with my kids as my Mom is with me.

Mom - When I was little I loved dolls. I had a bunch of dolls with hair that grew. There was Chrissy and Kerrie and Velvet and Cinnamon. There were also a few others, but I didn't have those. I also had a doll that talked on the telephone, Hello Dottie. I had a doll that wrote, Peggy PenPal. A doll that came with her toy shopping cart and groceries, Shopping Sheryl. I had a doll that came with her own bathtub, Tubsy. I had a sleep doll, Drowsy. I also had a bunch of pain old ordinary dolls that didn't do much of anything, but I loved them just as much as the other ones.  My mother always thought I had too many dolls, but I never did I loved all my dolls. Periodically, my mother would go through when I was not around and get rid of some of my dolls and other toys. I don't do that with my girls. I let them decide for themselves what they would like to keep and get rid of. They know that if they don't ever get rid of anything they won't have any room to get anything new. Besides, for the most part they do not seem to get so attached to their toys as I was too mine. They are attached to something for a while and then they move on to something else. It seems like that is the way it is with just about everything these days. People are into something one minute and before you know it they are moving on to something else. Sometimes, I think the world is just spinning too fast, and sometimes I miss my carefree younger days of being a kid and playing with dolls.

And that's our view, Tune in again for another topic.

Holiday Gift Giving and Getting

Me - Presents - wow! I love getting presents almost as much as I love giving presents. I love buying presents for my family and friends. Every year, they have a gift fair in school where I get presents for my friends and family. For myself, this year, I'd like to have some one adopt me a blond haired newborn baby girl. However, since I am not going to get that, I would like any DS or WII games that involves babies. I'd also like seasons 5 through 8 of the TV series Full House. I want a Kindle Fire, but I will be getting that for my birthday which is in January. I would like a Barbie house because I have a doll house, but it is too small for the Barbies. I would like some new dolls and stuffed animals. My grandmother thinks I have too much already, but I think you can never have too much. Besides, a  couple times a year my sister and I go through and get rid of and donate toys we don't want anymore. I would also like other DS games besides baby games. I would also like other WII games like Glee Karaoke 2 and 3. I am sure there are many other things I want, but I can't think of them now.

Mom - When I was younger, the holidays were more about the getting. Since I have gotten older and had kids of my own, it has become more about the giving. I especially love buying  gifts for my girls.I am grateful that with money and Amazon gift codes  I earn from doing surveys and stuff, I am able to get them so much more than I would otherwise. I know just what they would like and have so much fun shopping for them. I started buying gifts for them in September and was finished in early November. I bought almost everything on-line. I like the holiday time so much better since I started shopping on-line. Those crowded noisy stores at this time of the year are enough to drive the holiday spirit right out of a person.  I also buy gifts for my two nephews and two nieces and my honorary nephew, my best friend's son. Our family doesn't really exchange gifts anymore except for getting gifts for the kids. My girls always each get me something like a candle or a bracelet or a pair of earrings or something from their school gift fairs.I am so proud of them. I didn't buy presents for other with my own money until I was much older than them.  My husband and I exchange gifts but not always on the holiday. It depends whether we have the money or not. Most of the time, we just tell each other what we want and get it. Once in a while, when we really know what the other would want, we surprise each other, but we never guess what the other wants. This year, I would really like an Amazon Kindle Fire. I do not make a big list of gifts I would like because I do not get a lot of gifts. Anyway, if I don't get a Kindle Fire now that I am done buying gifts for my girls with my Amazon gift codes, I will save them up and
eventually I will get one for myself. Lately, there have been a lot of blog hops where Kindle Fires were being given away as prizes so far I haven't won one, and I don't really expect to so for now I will keep saving up my Amazon gift codes.

And that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

Disney Channel Shows

Me - Disney Channel shows, wow! Disney is my favorite channel. I watch Jesse. it is my favorite show in the entire world. It used to be Full House, but I changed my mind. My favorite characters are Jesse because she is always trying to do the best she can for the kids she takes care of and Zuri because she is adorable and funny. My last favorite character is Ravi because he is very funny. When they are fighting he is at the snack bar. When they are skating on their faces throwing snowballs, he is at the snack bar. I find him to be a very amusing character. Ant Farm is another of my favorite shows. At first when I heard there was going to be a show called Ant Farm, I thought it would be a cartoon, but it is not. My favorite characters are China because she is always trying to do everything she can to help others, Olive because she is a crazy brainiac, and Paisley because she's hilariously stupid. I also watch Wizards of Waverly Place. I am mad that it is ending in my birthday month. Lucky for me, it is not ending on  my actual birthday though. I really like Harper because she has a funny sense of fashion.  I also like Max because he is really really funny. I also like Alex because she is lazy but she has a good sense of humor, and she does have feelings. After she broke up with Mason she was a sentimental wreck. Lucky for her, they ended up back together. The last show I watch on Disney Channel is a new show called Austin and Ally. I like it just okay, but I wouldn't say it is one of my favorites as the others are. The show I don't like is Fish Hooks because I don't get what the big deal is about little fish who are in high school. I could watch all the Disney shows a million times day after day every day all day long, and I would still never get bored of the Disney Channel.

Mom - My daughter's favorite channel is Disney Channel. She could watch the same episodes of the same shows over and over again and never get tired of them. There are very few things, if any, that I could watch over and over again without getting bored of them. I actually don't mind most of the shows that my daughter watches on Disney Channel. I like Good Luck Charlie. The toddler who plays Charlie is adorable as my daughters like to remind me frequently. Phineas and Ferb is very clever. I like the way it is always spoofing all these different things like The Simpsons does. I used to like watching Hannah Montana with my daughter. I don't worry about what Miley Cyrus is or is not doing now because I realize she is a real girl and not a TV character and real girls make mistakes. Besides, my daughter never looked at her as a role model. If you want to talk about role models, the character of Alex on The Wizards of Waverly place is certainly not a good role model. She is not always very nice and she does everything she can to get out of doing work especially school work. Yet, I haven't heard anything bad about Selena Gomez, the actress who plays Alex. The character of Sonny on Sonny With Chance I always thought of as a pretty good role model because she usually always tried to do the right thing. Demi Lovato, the actress who played her, certainly had her issues though as we all know including cutting herself. It is admirable though that she was able to permanently walk away from her TV series when she realized that was what she needed to do to help herself get better and stay better. The show is not as good anymore now though. The So Random skits were amusing as part of the larger show Sonny With a Chance. As a whole show by themselves, they are not as entertaining. Lately, my daughter has been into Ant Farm and Jesse. I don't mind Ant Farm, but so far I haven't really liked Jesse much. I have only seen an episode or two of the latter though. One of the nice things about Disney Channel shows is that they don't go on endlessly. Most only stay around for about four years or so. It just seems a lot longer because during that time every episode is repeated about a million times or at least it seems that way especially when my daughter is always watching the same episodes over and over again.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Comic Strips

Me - The comics, wow! I love comics. Every day whenever I see my Mom reading the paper, I can't wait for her to finish and give me the comics. Then, I give it to my sister who can't read but likes to look at the pictures. I like to read Baby Blues and Family Circus because I love kids, and I find them to be two of my favorites comics. I actually have two whole books of Family Circus comics.  I also like Garfield because I really like cats and Garfield is so funny. Yet, I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites. It used to be my favorite and the only comic I really knew about. It hasn't seemed as funny as much lately though, and I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. I also like Peanuts, and I also have a full book of Peanuts cartoons that my Mom once gave me when I was younger. Peanuts is definitely one of my favorites. Recently, Mom, Aurella, and I watched the Charlie Brown special,  Happiness is a Warm Blanket. I thought it was very amusing. I love the way it showed Snoopy 's big eyes looking at Linus. I also liked the way Sally kept calling Linus her "Sweet Babu" but my favorite part was in the end when Linus said "I'm just glad Grandma is gone". He opens the door and says "Grandma?" but it was just Snoopy in a dress.I also like Beetle Bailey because it's very funny. However, I don't know any of the characters names. I also like Pajama Diaries because once again I like kids, and it's really amusing. The Pajama Diaries is one of my favorites. I like For Better or Worse but it's not one of my favorites. Even though I like most  of the comics in the paper, I really wish it was like when my Mom was young when they were so much more of them in the paper.

Mom - When I was younger there were so many more pages of comics in our paper. I remember there being like two pages of comics during the week and six or eight pages of color comics on Sunday or something like that. Nowadays, our paper has only 1 pages of comics during the week and 4 on Sunday. When I was young, I liked comics like Nancy and Little Iodine. I don't even know if those comics exist anymore but they are not in my paper. Those comics were about kids so  I could relate to them. Nowadays, I like comics like Baby Blues, Family Circus, The Pajama Diaries and For Better or For Worse because now that I am married and have kids I can relate to those type of comic strips more. As a matter of fact in Baby Blues, they were having their third child right around the same time as I was having my second so I could  really relate to it. I am always cutting out comic strips that remind me of our family and showing them to my husband and/or kids. Of course, I enjoy comics too that don't necessarily remind me of my family, such as, Blondie, Peanuts, and Hagar the Horrible. My children love the comics too and they can't wait for me to finish the Sunday paper so they can look at that week's color comic section. These days when it seems like just about everything else in the paper is depressing,  the comic section is a welcome relief.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Writing

Me - Writing, wow! I love to write. Writing is fun. The only thing that could make writing more fun is if you could just talk and the computer would type the story out for you, and you didn't have to type anything youself. I try to write a story every day.  I am now writing a story called Meet Daisy Dewdrop. It is a chapter book about a fairy and her five friends. If I finish this book and I think it is good, I may write a few more or at least write a sequel. I like to write fiction better than nonfiction. I don't like to write nonfiction. I only write nonfiction sometimes, for instance, for this blog. For another instance, I like to write things about animals and people. However, I don't write history nonfiction like about the Holocaust or  the Titanic because I don't like things where people die. It is really fun to write. Although, I don't want to make a living off writing, I hope to continue doing it even when I am older and  I hope to pass on my love for it to my children and enjoy writing with them like I do with my Mom.

Mom - For as long as I can remember, I have loved to write. I love putting words together and making them say exactly what you want them to say. When I was younger, back in the days before everybody had a personal computer, I actually got a typewriter for one of my birthdays. I was so excited because I couldn't wait to write stories on it. However, I never really did that because much as I love to write, I hate to type. When I was older I did write stories, both short stories and longer chapter ones. However, even the long ones were not too long. I never wrote anything that I couldn't read back myself in a day. I would write out stories in longhand, revise them in longhand  and only type them on the computer to print out. Unfortunately, even with computers you still have to type, but I had to do a lot of typing anyway when I worked as a paralegal and it is easier to edit and revise things on computer than it was on a typewriter so I got used to it. I am still not crazy about typing, but I don't mind it as much. After college, I did a lot of writing, but than I got married and had kids and I pretty much stopped. Two things happened that made me start to write again, first of all, a friend of mine started a blog. I had always been fascinated by blogging especially after seeing the movie Julie and Julia. I thought it was something I could and would want to do. When my friend started her blog, it gave me the confidence that I could do it too. I was also inspired by my daughter who loves to write. For a while, she was writing a story every day. Seeing how happy writing made her made me remember how much I loved it as well and made me want to go back to it. So now, I blog. I have this blog which is nonfiction and another blog, Stories for Dora, with stories hich is a blog of fiction stories for my younger daughter. I haven't been keeping up the latter as much but I am hoping to change that and get back to writing a new story for my daughter once a week. In any case, blogging has renewed my love for writing, and my motivation to do it, and I hope to keep motivated and keep writing for a long time to come.

And that's all for now. Tune in Friday for another topic.

The Sound of Music

Me - The Sound of Music, wow! The Sound of Music is my favorite movie. Gretyl is my favorite character because she is very very cute. I know very many facts about the movie because my Mom was reading a book by Charmian Carr who plays Liesel. She kept telling me everything in the book even though I eventually am going to read it myself. I would love to read all the other books that my Mom has read about The Sound of Music too. Also, since every five years they put out a new edition on DVD, there is a big long list of bonus features and even though my Mom says it would take a long time to go through them all, I would stilll like too. I love all the songs in the movie but if I had to pick favorites my first would be So Long Farewell. Mom has always told me that was always her favorite song when she was younger too. My second would be Doe Re Mi. Mom, Dad, Aurellla and I always enjoy singing Doe Re Mi out loud in the car. My third favorite song would be The Lonely Goatherd which I find a very very fun song to sing. The movie came out in movie theaters when my Mom was born. It played until my mother was five when she saw it for the first time. I have learned new interesting facts from my mother talking about it as we wrote this blog post so I really can't wait to watch the movie again.

Mom - As I believe, I have previously mentioned, The Sound of Music is my favorite movie of all time. It was also the first movie I ever saw. My grandmother took me when I was five years old. Of course, at that age, I didn't understand everything about the movie. I thought the Nazis were people who didn't like children. However, I loved the characters in the movie especially the children especially Gretyl because she was the same age as me. I loved the music and still do, and I loved the beautiful scenery. The older I get and the more movies I have seen, the more I continue to love The Sound Of Music and it continues to be my favorite movie. The extras on the DVD of The Sound of Music, I believe I have the 35th anniversary one or something every five years they seem to come out with another special anniversary edition, are the most interesting of any DVD I have owned. It took me literally hours and hours to go through them but it was all so fascinating. Because of my love for The Sound of Music, I have also read a lot of books related to it. I read both books about The Trapp Family Singers, the actual family the story was based on. Their story was really very different than the story portrayed in the movie in so many ways. I read the autobiography of the real eldest daughter of the Trapp Family whose name was Agathe not Liesel. I read the autobiography of the actress who played Liesel on film, Charmian Carr. That book was filled with so many interesting facts about the making of the movie that I can't wait to watch it again. I still would like to read Maria Von Trapp's autobiography from later in her life and another book or two regarding the making of the movie. When I love something I really love it, and I want to know everything about it and that's the way it is for me with The Sound of Music.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Thanksgiving

Me - Thanksgiving, wow! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Every year on thanksgiving, my mom, dad, sister and I go to my grandparents house for Thanksgiving. It's always fun because I get to play with my cousins. In honor of Thanksgiving here is a list of some of the things I am grateful for: I am grateful for the inventor of Full House. I am grateful for babies. I am grateful for toys. I am grateful for computers. I am grateful for TVs. I am grateful for books. I am grateful for libraries. Last and best and certainly not least my wonderful family.

Mom - Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. I don't mind the family gathering although the larger the family has gotten the noiser and crazier it can be. However, I hate all the traditional holiday foods. I don't like Turkey, or stuffing, or cranberry sauce, or pumpkin pie. Thankfully, we spend our holidays at my Mom's where  there are also alternatives to the traditional food available and where ice cream cake is more a part of the holiday than pumpkin pie. Other things I am grateful for this holiday, the love support and companionship of my family, my husband and kids as well as the extended family. I am grateful to be in relatively good health and that my husband, kids and extended family members are as well. I am thankful to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in. I am thankful that I don't have to drive my kids to school anymore especially heading into the winter. I am thankful that we will soon be getting rid of our crappy DVR. I am thankful for the Amazon Kindle Fire or at least I hope to be soon.

And that's our view. Happy Thanksgiving! Tune in Friday for another topic.

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Me- Nonfiction, Wow! Do I hate it! Fiction, wow! Do  I love it! I'm really not that fond of nonfiction. I am superduper fond of fiction. Nonfiction is not that interesting to me. Fiction is very interesting to me. They are complete opposites to me. I do like some nonfiction. I like nonfiction about animals. Also, I like books about the Mets and Yankees. I don't like books about Presidents and other famous people. I don't read autobigraphies or biographies. However, I like fiction books about sports , fictional famous people, animals, fictional kids, fictional families, etc.

Mom - I like both fiction and nonfiction. I like all kinds of fiction as I may have previously mentioned. I like mysteries, bestsellers, short stories, and chick lit among others. However, I also like nonfiction. I like books about subjects that interest me such as baseball especially books about the Mets or Yankees and most especially books about David Cone. I look in the index, and if there is anything about David Cone in the book I usually get it. I like books about Broadway and books about figureskating and figure skaters. I like books about people who interest me like Princess Grace and Anne Frank. I like books that countdown a particular subject I am interested in like The 50 Greatest Moments in New York Sports ot 101 Greatest Musicals of All Time.I don't like all nonfiction books. I don't like how-to books or religious books or philosophy books. I don't like books about art or history unless they are talking about baseball history or something specific that does interest me. I don't like all fiction books either. I don't like western books, I don't like most science fiction although I do like some, for instance, I like the Harry Potter books. I don't like fantasy. For the most part, I don't like horror in books or in movies. I generally don't like Harlequin type romance books. So over all, for me it is not important whether a book is fiction or nonfiction, it just depends on the specific book.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

The Big Bang Theory

Me -  The Big Bang Theory, wow! Do you like The Big Bang Theory? Let me answer that for you, yes you do if you don't your missing a good show. My parents friend, Melissa Rauch plays Bernadette on the  show. She plays Howard's fiancee although at first she was only supposed to be on one episode. She was on more and more and now she's a regular. She is so funny. In one episode, she had gotten mad at Raj and been screaming at him, and he asked if she thought he had a chance with Penny. She yelled, "Of course, you do! Anyone would be lucky to have you, you're a cutie pie! There have been pictures of Melissa and articles in the TV Guide. I have an autographed note to me from her on the bulletin board in my room. I would like to go California for a few reasons. I would like to meet family I have there. However, most of all I would like to meet Melissa in person. Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, is so hliarious. The other characters are funny too, but I have to say he isone of my favorites. I love the way he goes to Penny's door and keeps knocking and saying "Penny. Penny. Penny." All in all, it's a really funny show.

Mom - When The Big Bang Theory first went on, it sounded kind of stupid to me, and I didn't really watch it. I started watching when a friend of ours, Melissa Rauch, was cast in one episode as Bernadette, Howard's girlfriend. Well, she was in another episode and than another episode and before you know it she became a regular (and believe me it couldn't happen to a nicer girl). So I kept watching and watching, and I realized it was not stupid at all. It is actually a very smart show, and it is hilarious. Jim Parsons is very deserving of those Emmy's he won for his portrayl of Sheldon. His character is so totally unlike any other character on television and totally hilarious. The whole cast is really funny. I have never seen an episode that wasn't enjoyable. It was one of the few shows I actually look forward to seeing every week and don't just watch it out of habit.

And that's our view.  Tune in Friday for anothor topic.

Animals We Like and Animals We Don't

Me - Animals, wow! One of my very favorite animals in the world is a cat. I also like birds, bunnies, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs, and horses. I went horseback riding in camp. I found it very boring. I still like horses just not as much riding. Bunnies are very cute. I love their little round fluffy tails. Birds I don't always like, but my bird is the sweetest thing. She has a great personality. When my friend came to my house, she barely wanted to leave my bird's cage. I hate ferrets and rats. They really creep me out. Fish to me are boring. All they do is swim around, eat and die very soon. You can't play with them or cuddle. If you take them out of the water, they'll die. Other, little animals can be cuddled. I don't like bats because they scare me. I hate reptiles except for frogs and salamanders which I find very cute. As you can see I love a lot of different kinds of animals, and if I had to pick a favorite, I couldn't.

Mom -  I like most of kinds of little furry animals: cats,  rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils etc. and I have had most of them at one time or another.I like dogs, big and small as long as they are friendly. I used to like horses and rode them when I was young, but when I got a little older, I fell off a couple of times and since than I haven't like them as much. I don't mind mice, as long as they are not crawling around in my house. I don't like rats. I don't know why they just freak me out. I don't like reptiles especially snakes. I don't like fish. Sometimes, they are pretty to look at, but they are boring. All they do is swim, eat and die. I like some birds like the bird my daughter has now. I do not like others like the ones my daughter and my stepson used to have which were noisy and messy. I don't like bats which also freak me out. I don't like sharks but I like dolphins and porpoises. I like most of the animals in the zoo. Over all, I like more animals than I dislike but there are just some that just creep me out.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Reality TV

Me - Reality TV, wow! I don't like watching reality TV. However, I watch Dancing With the Stars and The Glee Project. I don't like other competition shows like America's Got Talent because I feel bad for the losers. However, on Dancing With the Stars, they are already dancers, or famous for like singing or something so I don't feel bad because if they don't win they can just go back to their normal jobs and still be famous. I watch The Glee Project because even though I feel bad for the losers, they don't really make a big deal about it. They just show them losing and then that's the end of the show. Since, I watch Glee, I like to know who the people on it are. If I did not watch The Glee Project, I would not know where these new people were coming from. I don't watch shows like The Real Housewives because it annoys me they way they make shows about rich people.Why do people want to watch shows about rich people's boring stupid lives when other people have worse problems? Anyway, those shows are boring.

Mom - I am not a big fan of reality TV. I don't like to watch shows about rich people's lives when so many of us are struggling just to get by even if it is comforting to know that, at least acccording to TV, most of those people's lives are actually train wrecks. The fact that in all these seasons, there has been like one bachelor/bachlorette relationship that has actually led to a long successful relationship that includes marriage and children tells you something about how easy it is to find love on a TV show. Therefore, I don't care to waste my time watching shows like that. I don't like shows where they are trying to put one over on people or make fun of people. I don't like talent competition shows like American Idol and America's Got Talent because no matter how awful and untalented people may be and no matter that they made the decision to put themselves out there themselves, I always feel sorry for the losers. The only two reality shows I really like and watch are The Glee Project and Dancing With the Stars. I like The Glee Project because since I watch the show, and I will have to watch the winners appear on the show, it matters to me who wins. I also like it because people do not vote on the outcome, it is decided by the producers and writers and people who actually are the creators and producers of Glee. I like Dancing With the Stars because every person who appears on the show is either a professional dancer or is famous or infamous for something else besides being on Dancing With the Stars. So, I feel like they can always go back to doing whatever it was they were doing before if they don't win so I don't feel bad for them. If they don't have anything to go back to then they already had their 15 minutes of fame extended anyway so that is good enough. Besides, I don't think winning or not winning Dancing With the Stars is a life changing experience for somebody who was already famous to begin with like winning something like Americal Idol is for somebody that wasn't. My daughters and I also love Dancing With the Stars because we love to critique it. We give a thumbs up or thumbs down to every outfit, dance and musical selection. That is our favorite part of watching the show. I wouldn't feel as good doing these things about people who weren't famous already because even when people readily put themselves out on the line to be made fun of, I  would still feel bad about doing it.

And, that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

Singing in a Choir

Me - Choir, wow! I absolutely love singing. My Mom, and Dad and sister and I are always singing, but I have never sang in front of people who are not in my family. I am really scared of singing in public. However, this year for the first time I can actually be in the school choir and I am. So far  I love it, but we have not had a concert yet. I have choir every Friday, and all of us in the choir love it.. We have learned around 7 songs so far. I am worried that I will forget the words and stand there looking like a total fool at the concert. Everyone in my family thinks I have a great voice, and that I will not forget the words at the concert. My favorite song so far is Driedel. I knew that song before I started choir too. My favorite new song is When the Lights All Shine. My Mom, Grandma and sister like it too. Everyone thinks it's a really pretty song. My music teacher thinks all the parents will be crying into snotty tissues when the hear that song. We will be having two concerts this school year. The first will be around the holidays. I can't wait to have my family come and hear me sing in the choir. I am really excited about it, and hopefully, they are looking forward to it.

Mom - We love music and singing in our house. We are always going around singing. My kids and my husband are always making fun of me because they are always saying things that remind me of songs, and I will just break into song at any moment. Sometimes, I even break into songs that are just totally made up. The only time I was ever in an organized choir in school was when I was in the fourth grade. It was fun, and I enjoyed it. However, the following year we were moving so the music teacher would not let me be in the choir. We were supposed to be moving in January, but the date kept getting pushed back. We ended up not moving until June when the school year was over. So I ended up not being in the choir for no reason. After that, I just was never in the choir again. When I was a freshman in high school, I either wanted to choose choir or a cooking class as my elective. I chose the cooking the class. That is one of my biggest regrets of my high school years especially now that I watch Glee and they always seem to be having so much fun. I realize, of course, that life is not exactly like Glee where you get to do a different big musical number each week with great costumes and scenery. However, even just the joy of  being able to do something I enjoy with other people who enjoy it as well would be enough, and I am sorry I never got to do that.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Raising Hope vs. Up All Night

Me - Raising Hope, wow!  Up All Night, wow! I love love love Raising Hope. I also love Up All Night. Raising Hope is so hilarious. MawMaw, Hope's great grandmother, is  my favorite character because she is really funny. Hope is also one of my favorite characters because she is one of the cutest babies in the whole world. Raising Hope is one of my favorite shows in the world. Up All Night is funny, but not as funny as Raising Hope. On Up All Night, their baby, Amy is my  favorite character. She is really really cute too. I also like the Mom's boss, Ava. She is funny. She wanted to give Amy a baby wallet for a present. I have to say although I think they are both very funny and very good shows, I like Raising Hope a little more and Hope is a lot cuter. We always watch Raising Hope episodes as soon as they are on, but we watch episodes of Up All Night when we get around to them, and we are currently three episodes behind.

Mom - My girls love babies and  little kids so we like to watch shows featuring babies. We have been watching Raising Hope since it began, and it is hilarious. So when the new show Up All Night came along we were eager to watch that too. However, I have to say while it has its funny moments as well so far I just don't find it as funny as Raising Hope. Maybe, it's that I don't know anyone like the characters on Raising Hope that makes them so funny. Although my life is not completely like any of the characters on Up All Night either,I feel like they are more like me or people I know or have known. Maybe, because of that when they act stupid or say or do stupid things, I don't find it as funny. I feel like they ought to know better than that. Maybe, it's a kind of reverse prejudice. I expect them not to know what they are doing on Raising Hope because they are more lower class, and I expect them to know what they are doing on Up All Night because they are more middle class. Over all, the characters are funnier on Raising Hope too. There is Hope;  her Dad, Jimmy; her grandfather, Burt; her grandmother, Virginia; her great grandmother, MawMaw; and Sabrina, Jimmy's co-worker and crush. Not one of them is not funny. On Up All Night there is baby Amy; her Dad, Chris; her Mom, Reagan; and her Mom's boss, Ava. All of the characters can be funny at times, but at other times all of them can be annoying especially Ava. While the babies playing the babies on both shows are cute, the babies playing Hope are even a little cuter. So over all, I would definitely have to say that while for the moment I am still watching both shows, I would definitely prefer and recommend Raising Hope.

And that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

Make Up

Me - Makeup, wow! I am not very much into makeup. I have a lot of makeup, but I don't wear it a lot.  However, I do like it. I love getting my nails done, but I am not very good at doing them myself. I also like lipstick. I like most colors of lipstick except for black. I also like eyeshadow, but only in colors like green and yellow and pink. I like mascara, but I have a hard time getting it on because I blink a lot. I like blush but only pink blush. Over all, I don't wear a lot of makeup right now, but maybe when I am older I will.

Mom - I have never been much in to makeup. When I was in high school, I didn't wear any except for once or twice on my birthday or something. When I was in college, I didn't wear any either. When I was out of school and working I wore a minimum of make up usually a little eye shadow,  some lip gloss or lipstick and some eye  liner. For special  occasions maybe a little more makeup like adding rouge and mascara or something. For really special occasions, like my wedding I would have someone else do my makeup. I much prefer that because as I have already said I am not much into make up myself.  When I was younger, I knew some girls who really needed makeup. They looked so much better with their makeup on then they did with it off. I wasn't sure if it was because they really were  so much prettier with makeup on than with it off or because I was just so used to seeing them with their makeup on. However, either way, I never wanted to be one of those girls. I never wanted to depend on makeup to look good. It was so much easier when I was younger though. When I was younger, when I  looked in the mirror, and I wasn't wearing any makeup, I was still pleased with what I saw. Now, that I am older, not as much. Sometimes, now when I look at my face in the mirror, I don't always like what I see. I feel like I look so much older and so much more tired. However, even so I still don't like makeup all that much, and I still don't wear a lot of it.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Grandparents

Me - Grandparents, wow! I have 3 living grandparents. My father's mother died before I was born, and I am named for her. I am really close with my mother's mother. She helps me do my nails, and we have a lot of fun together. My grandmother and I are phone buddies which means we always call each  other up and talk on the phone. My mother's father and I don't get along as well as my grandma and I but I love him and sometimes we do. My grandfather and I were in a show together. It was a show where some people lip synched and some sang. My grandfather has been in a lot of shows, and I would like to be too. He has also been in commercials and movies. My family (my Dad, my Mom, my sister and I) once auditioned for local commercial, but we didn't get it. My Dad's father we call Poppy. He lives in Maryland so I don't see him very much especially now that my Aunt lives with him, and we have no place to stay down there. I love him even if I can't visit him anymore. I love all my grandparents even my grandmother who I never met.

Mom - The world feels a little different when you don't have any grandparents left. If your lucky enough to have grandparents like I did, noone else in the world will ever spoil you in the same way, and I am not talking only about material things. I was lucky enough to have 4 grandparents until I was 4, 3 grandparents until I was in my 20's, 2 grandparents until I was in my 30's, and 1 grandparents until I was in my 40's. My maternal grandfather died when I was 4, he used to buy my little toys and give me the rings from his cigars to wear as jewelry. My maternal grandmother lived until I was graduated from college. We traveled all over together sometimes with my brother and my cousin, sometimes not. We went to much of Europe and twice to Israel as well as places in the U.S. including Washington, D.C. and Florida. She introduced me to foods like  Israeli falfel,  and Swiss fondue, places like the Eiffel Tower, the Roman Coloseum and the Dead Sea, and things like Venetian lace, Murano glass and Dutch Delft. From my paternal grandfather, I inherited my great memory. He was very set in his ways and some people thought he could be difficult, but he and I were always close. For me, he would exchange airplane tickets  and change hotel reservations and spend all day in an airport just so I could see my favorite baseball player pitch for the Yankees against the Mariners in the old Kingdome. I was also the only one he would give up watching his favorite financial program for one night so I could watch a hockey game. He lived to see my wedding, but not much after. My paternal grandmother and I loved going to New York together. We stood on-line at the tickets booth in Times Square and got tickets to a show. We saw "Singin' in the Rain", "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" and "West Side Story" among others. The last show I saw with her was "Mamma Mia" She was already in her 80's then. She lived long enough to see the birth of both of my daughters. She and my older daughter were really close, but by the time my younger daughter was born, she was already fading fast, and she died before my daughter was 1. So now, I don't have any grandparents left and while I cherish my wonderful memories of all of them, I still miss them all and in some ways the world feels a little bit sadder and lonelier without them.

And that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

What I want to be when I grow up/ What I wanted to be when I grew up

Me -Occupations, wow! When I grow up, there are so many things I would like to be. I would like to be a teacher. I would like to be a babysitter. I would like to be a hair stylist. I would like to be a kids doctor. I would like to be an actress. I would like to be a daycare teacher. I would like to be a mother. I would like to be a vet. I  would like to run an obedience school for dogs. There are so many other things I would like to be. Right now, I would most likely to be a midwive. I would love to help deliver babies. I love babies! I would like to hold them when they are born and clean them off and everything. However, I will probably change my mind a million more times before I actually grow up and think of a million other things I would like to be. The only think I definitely know I will be when I grow up is a mother. I can't wait for that.


Mom - It's funny how different your life can turn out from what you think it is going to be. When I was young I wanted to be a teacher. I am not actually sure if that is what I wanted or if that was all I could think of when I had to do a project about what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was in first grade. I remember that I said I wanted to be a teacher because they get to teach kids to read and write. Later, I wanted to be an actress. However, I realized that I would need a little more talent and a lot more guts to do that, and I wasn't willing to spend my whole life waitressing or something waiting for my big break that may never come. I went back to my goal of being a teacher. I was actually even in the teaching program in college, but I decided that I didn't want to be a teacher after all. There are too many different groups of people to deal with being a teacher: teachers, students, parents. I am not good with dealing with different groups of people. In fact, I am not good with dealing with groups of people at all. I am better with dealing with people one on one or in small groups. I ended up being a paralegal. It was all right but not very exciting. I was at least lucky enough to work in a small firm where I got to do a lot of different things instead of being pigeonholed and doing the same boring thing all the time like some paralegals in some of the larger law firms may have to do. I got to do a lot of writing of briefs and letters to clients and things. It wasn't very exciting either though and I so much prefer creative writing. I think I really would have liked to work in publishing, and if not doing my own writing at least being around books and authors all the time. However, when I got out of college to break into publishing, all they cared about was how fast you could type. I could not type very fast so that was that. For the past ten years or so. I have been home with my kids. Despite what some people might think, it is not the easiest job in the world although I agree it is not the hardest either. However, it is definitely the most intrinsically rewarding, and I wouldn't have traded this time with my children for any other job I can think of.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Poetry

Me - Poetry, wow! I really love poetry. In my closet, I have 3 Shel Silverstein books, but there is a new one which I want to get too. I have also read short poem books based on a certain subject, and larger poem books about as long as Shel Silverstein's but written by other authors. I have even read one or two poem books that are different poems written by different authors in the same book. I have poem book called weather which talks about different seasons and the kind of weather in it. My favorite poem is Shel Silverstein's Sick. It is about a girl who says she has all these sicknesses because she doesn't want to go to school. When she finds out it is Saturday, she suddenly feels better and goes out to play.  I like to write poems too. Some day, I hope to write a poem book as long as Shel Silverstein's. I would still be happy to accomplish that even if it never gets published.Over all, I love reading and writing poetry.

Mom -  Although, I am not really that fond of poetry in high school, and as an English major in college, I had to read a lot of it. I mostly like poetry that rhymes. Some poems I do like include Emily Dickinson's 'I'm nobody! Who are you?' and Emma Wheeler Wilcox's 'Solitude' which contains the famous line "Laugh and the world laughs with you." I once did a report on the latter when I was a senior in high school. I like children's poetry and enjoy reading Shel Silverstein's poems with my girls. We love to recite the opening lines of  "Sick, which is my favorite Shel Silverstein poem as well as Melia's. I also remember enjoying poems by A.A. Milne when I was a child. A.A. Milne is ,of course, more famous for creating Winnie the Pooh.  I remember having a whole book of poetry called something like A Child's Garden of Verse. I like limericks but not the bawdy kind and not ones that use made up a words. It is the only kind of poetry I ever really write although I haven't written any in years. I use to be able to take almost any word and build a limerick around it. That was years ago though. Now, I mostly write this blog, and stories for my younger daughter in another blog called Stories for Dora. I don't write poetry at all.

And that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

Barbie Dolls

Me - Barbies, superduper duper wow! Barbies are one of my favorite things in the whole entire world. In fact, as I do this blog post, I am playing with my Barbies. I like to play where my Barbies are characters from TV shows. Right now, I am playing Full House Barbies. I have Hannah Montana Barbies including one that can change from Miley to Hannah and back again, High School Musical Barbies and a Wizards of Waverly Place Barbie. I have a Martina McBride Barbie and a Leann Rimes Barbie. I have a Yankees baseball Barbie. I always pretend the Yankee's Barbie is Lynn Cone because David Cone is our favorite baseball player even though he is retired now. I have a Wicked Witch of the West Barbie. I call her Elphaba after the character in the show Wicked or sometimes I call her Idina after the first actress to play Elphaba.I also have just plain Barbies that aren't from any movie or TV show or anything. Most of those I got from a friend's older sisters when I was little. I also got Mary Kate and Ashley Barbies from them. At the time I didn't know who Mary Kate and Ashley were, but now that I am older and love Full House I am glad I have them. My sister has Princess Barbies. She has every Disney Princess Barbie there is. She also has all the princes. Even with all the Barbies I have there are still some I would like to get.

Mom - As children, my sister and I and our friends were very into Barbie dolls. We had a huge collection of them: Barbies, Skippers, Kens, etc.  and I even had a Francie which is a doll they don't even make anymore. My favorite was PJ because she had dark hair like me. I didn't have one of those, but my sister did, and I always wanted to use her. At various times there were other dolls that came and went I remember a Stacy doll and a Kelly doll. I always wanted a Stacy doll but I don't think I ever had one. Nowadays, there is a Kelly doll who is a little girl doll, but back than I believe there was a Kelly doll who was the same age as Barbie. I am just overwhelmed by the amount of different types of Barbies there are and have been in the world. We had Malibu Barbies, and Barbies with Quick Curl hair, Superstar Barbies, and growing up Skipper among others. Nowadays, my daughters have Disney Princess Barbies, and Hannah Montana Barbies and Barbies from various movies  among others. There are also Bratz and Liv and other similiar dolls, but I always liked the original Barbies best. My daughters have a few Bratz dolls, but they mostly have Barbies. We had Barbie's dreamboat and Barbie's Friendship, which was a plane, among other things. My daughters have a Barbie camper and Barbie cars and a Barbie horse among other things. My daughters play with all their Barbies even the ones that are rare or limited edition like The Sound of Music Maria Barbie. We played with all our Barbies too, but we didn't really have any rare or limited edition Barbies. If I had it to do all over again, I would still let my daughters play with their Barbies, but I would collect Barbies for myself just to keep and display.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Sports

Me - Sports, wow! I used to play soccer. I really did enjoy it, but I had to quit to go to Sunday school. I wish I still played it. I enjoy watching baseball, but I don't play it. I would like to play softball but I can't again because of Sunday school. I have been to a lot of Minor League and Independent League stadiums but only Shea Stadium, the old Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in the Major  Leagues. The only time I went to Yankee Stadium was when I was baby. I went to Shea Stadium twice once when I was a baby and once when I was older. I went to Citi Field once with camp. Baseball is my favorite sport to watch. Soccer is kid of boring if you are not playing it. Hockey is really fun to watch too, and it is really tense so you can't take your eyes off it. My favorite hockey team is the New Jersey Devils. I went to Devil games when I was a baby, but I don't really remember. Now, we go to minor league hockey games. The team is called the Trenton Titans but it used to be the Trenton Devils. My Mom told me they were originally the Trenton Titans and than they became they Trenton Devils and now, they are becoming the Trenton Titans again. Before I was born, my brother had a birthday party at the Trenton Titans one year. I would like to go to see the Titans for my birthday this year, if they have a game that day (or night), but I am not having a birthday party there. My sister usually goes to baseball games on her birthday because it is in the summer so I would like to a hockey game for mine.

Mom- I've never been much of an athlete. I was the only one out of my brother and sister, and I who was never on a team in a sports league. When I was young, I played wiffle ball in the yard with my Dad and brother and that was about it. I didn't really watch sports much either even though I  liked baseball. I was a fan of the New York Mets because my Dad was, but I wouldn't say I was a huge fan. However, when I was a senior in college I turned on the TV to find out what the weather was going to be like the next day. All they were talking about was how the Mets were about to win their division (the first step on the road to the World Series). I figured I still liked baseball enough that if that was all they were going to talk about I might as well watch the game. So I changed the channel, and I watched the rest of the game. Well, the Mets did win their division, and I was hooked. I was fanatic about baseball for the next ten years or so. At first I was a Met fan, but for me, unlike most people it wasn't only about the shirt but who was playing in the shirt so I later became a Blue Jay fan, a Royal fan, a Blue Jay fan again, and then a Yankee fan as my favorite player, David Cone was traded from place to place. Nowadays, I am more of a minor league baseball fan because it is closer and cheaper. My other favorite sport is hockey. If you are not a hockey fan, you might think hockey is all about the fighting but that is not true. I actually got into hockey because of baseball. One night, I was watching a baseball game with my Dad, on the commercials he kept turning to game 7 of the 1994 playoffs between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers won the game and went on to win their first Stanley Cup in like 50 years. I only hoped it would be the Devils the next year. It was, and I was hooked. For the next, ten years I was a big hockey fan and went to lots of games. While I still like hockey and the New Jersey Devils, I haven't been to a Devils game in years. It is just to expensive, and I don't feel like the current ownership cares about the fans only the season ticket holders. However, we are lucky enough to have a minor league hockey team (who were a part of the Devils up until this season) not that far way so I still get to go to some hockey games.

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

The New TV Season

Me - New TV season, wow! This TV season I watched Raising Hope, Glee, Up All Night, The Big Bang Theory, and Dancing With the Stars. I loved the babies show, Raising Hope and Up All Night. The babies are adorable! They are some of the cutest babies in the world. Glee wasn't as good as I expected it to be. The Big Bang Theory was hilarious! In the Big Bang Theory, Bernadette was mad at Raj and Raj asked if she thought he had a chance with Penny. So Bernadette yelled in an angry voice "Of course, you do. Your a cutie pie! Anyone is lucky to be with you!" On Raising Hope, Hope who was the same size all of last season, finally got bigger, a lot bigger. I hope the baby on Up All Night grows normally and is not the same size all season like Hope. I thought the episodes of both Raising Hope and Up All Night were really funny. I don't have a favorite yet on the new season of Dancing With the Stars. Almost all of them are really good so far and there isn't anyone who is really terrible. Usually, by the first week there is already somebody who has got to go. Over all, I really like watching TV and this new season is really good so far.

Mom - Although I always know a lot about what is on TV and I am probably one of the only people who actually not only still receives the TV guide, but reads it from cover to cover, I don't actually watch a lot of regular shows. Nor, am I always looking for new shows to watch. When I do watch a show and like it even a little bit, I usually keep on watching it out of habit even if it gets to the point where it is not as good as it was and nobody else is watching it anymore. When shows I watch get cancelled, I usually feel a little bit sad and also a little bit relieved because the time I am not spending watching that show I can devote to doing other things not necessarily more important things just other things.  It takes a lot to get me to try a new show. Accordingly, so far, this new TV season I haven't watched any new shows except Up All Night and Two Broke Girls. Up All Night wasn't as funny as I expected it to be. We refer to that and Raising Hope as the baby shows in our house. So far, Raising Hope is much funnier.I enjoyed Two Broke Girls although truthfully, the only reason I watched it is because it was on after something else we were watching, and we didn't bother to turn off the TV. I would probably watch it again though. The Big Bang was funny but not as funny as I expected it to be based on the cliffhanger episode at the end of last season. I liked the songs they did on Glee, but I didn't think it was a great episode, and I didn't particularly enjoy seeing Lindsay from The Glee Project whom I never liked. I can't wait to see Damien especially now that I know a little bit about his storyline which sounds hilarious. We enjoyed Ashton Kutcher on Two and a Half Men although we did not expect to . As for dramas, we mostly watch CSIs and the last remaining Law and Order although some of them seem like they are getting to the point where they should be retired. They were about the same as ever. Although we also,  surprisingly enjoyed Ted Danson on the original CSI. Over all, I while most of the new TV episodes I watched were enjoyable none of them were outstanding, and I while I like the shows I watch and feel compelled to watch them, I kind of miss when it was the summer and I had more time to do other things.

And that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

Travel

Me - Travel wow! I have barely ever traveled. Here are the states I have been to : New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Texas. I would like to go to California, and Hawaii.My Mom was born in California and we have a lot of relatives and friends there including a cousin my age who I am dying to meet. Hawaii is where my parents went on their honeymoon. I have never been to any foreign countries. I would like to go to Asia because it's my favorite continent. The reason is that in 4th grade, my teacher once asked "What is the biggest continent?" I wasn't sure, but I said Asia. I was right so now it is my favorite. When I am 12, my Dad is going to take me to Israel. My Dad actually lived in Israel for a while. My Mom also visited Israel twice when she was younger. I can't wait to go to Israel and visit the Dead Sea. I want to swim in it. Well, you don't actually swim, you float. I can take a book and sit there and read. If you have been a regular reader of this blog, you know I love to read. So what I am trying to say from all this is although I have not traveled a lot  I like to travel and wish I could do it more.

Mom - When I was younger, I used to travel a lot. We went on a family vacations every summer. I also did a lot of traveling with my grandmother. We went to Israel twice and to many countries in Europe. Sometimes, we went by ourselves and sometimes with my brother and my cousin. When I was older, I started traveling around to different baseball stadiums. At first, I followed the New York Mets around, and then I followed the Royals and Blue Jays when David Cone, my favorite player was with them, and later the Yankees, when David came back to New York to play for them. I went to 32 different major league stadiums. My goal was go to them all. I would still like to do that sometime, but I don't have the time or money right now. A lot of the stadiums I went to don't even exist any more because a lot of new stadiums have opened in the last ten years that I have been unable to travel a lot. I think what I miss most about life before my husband and kids is being able to travel more. Nowadays, it is hard enough to be able to take the family to a movie, let alone on a vacation. Everything is just so expensive. Also, as we all know it's a different world. When I was young, the getting there was as fun as the being there. I loved flying on planes because it was an adventure. Now, I don't like getting there at all. Cars, Buses and Trains give me headaches and 9/11 took all the joy out of flying. Although, I have to admit, since I have been older, I haven't enjoyed flying as much, but it didn't  use to be as much of a hassle and a scary thing before 9/11 as now. I wish I could just teleport from place to place and not really have to go through the trouble of getting there. Anyway, even without that, I would still like to get back to traveling one day. I would still like to get to every major league stadium that currently exists, and I would also like to get to every state in the country at least once.So far I have been to about 30 or so.  I wouldn't mind going other places either like Asia or the Scandinavian countries. However, right now just being able to take my kids on a vacation would be nice. I feel like they are missing a lot not being able to travel and take vacations like I did when I was a kid, and I feel bad about that.

And that's our view. Tune in Friday for another topic.

Birthday Wishes

Happy  Birthday to wonderful husband and a great father from all of your girls, the ones that blog and the ones that don't.

Favorite Movies

Me - Movies, wow! I have a ton of favorite movies. I would have to say that Ramona and Beezus is definitely one of them. I have read all the books in the series which was introduced to me by my Mom. My favorite character is Ramona, but in the movie my favorite person was Selena Gomez who played Beezus. Another favorite movie of mine is the original Spy Kids. I am reading the book of it now. I am to the part where the parents are trapped in Floop's castle where they make all these strange characters from secret agents. They are just about to make the Dad into a fooglie. Another favorite movie of mine is Spy Kids 2. If I ever find a book about that one I will so read it. I have never seen Spy Kids 3, but I bet that if I do it will also be one of my favorite movies, and I do want to see it. I saw Spy Kids 4, the latest one which is out in movie theaters now. My favorite character in Spy Kids 4 was the baby. I thought it was so cute when she flipped over the bad guy in the end of the movie. I also thought it was funny she didn't even have a name they just kept calling her spy baby. Everything about the dog  in that movie was hilarious especially how he pooped bombs. I really like Mary Poppins. I have also seen the Broadway show of it. I read the 4 main Mary Poppins books and am now on to Mary Poppins of Cherry Tree Lane. Another movie, I saw this summer and really enjoyed is The Smurfs. If you watch Glee, you would know that the wife in the movie was played by Jayma Mays who plays Emma Pillsbury on Glee.So what I am trying to say is that I have a lot of favorite movies including more that I didn't mention.

Mom - My favorite movie of all time is The Sound of Music. It is also the first movie I ever saw when I was about five years old. I just love all the cute kids and the pretty songs and the beautiful settings. I have always been rather fond of musicals anyway even though I know some people might consider them sappy. I am so grateful that over the past ten years or so they have started to make musicals again thanks to the Oscar winning movie Chicago in 2002. Ironically, Chicago was produced by Martin Richards, a cousin of my mother. We are not very close to him though. I do remember the one or two times I saw him he was always talking about making a movie of the show Chicago, which he had produced the original Broadway version of. We never thought he'd actually get it made especially not in the Oscar winning fashion that he did. However, to me more important than the actual movie Chicago itself , although I did like it, was that it showed that movie musicals don't have to be sappy and accordingly, it made movie musicals fashionable again. Since then there has been Hairspray the musical, The Phantom of the Opera , and Mamma Mia among others and soon there will be Rock of Ages and Wicked among others. My other favorite movie is Dirty Dancing, the only movie I saw 4 times in the movie theater alone which I know isn't a lot compared to some people, but for me it was a lot. I don't know how one could see that movie and not fall in love with Patrick Swayze. I actually met Kelly Bishop who played the Mom in Dirty Dancing, and she told me that in real life Patrick Swayze was just as nice as he seemed on screen. Anyway, in my book nobody could ever play Johnny Castle better or even as good as Patrick Swayze. In fact, I like everything about that movie that way it was. If they really go through with making a remake of it like they are talking about, I do not ever under any circumstances have any interest in seeing it!

And that's our view. Tune in Monday for another topic.

Stuffed Animals

Me - Stuffed animals, wow! I love stuffed animals. I have a ton of them. I have Webkinz, Build-A-Bears and more. I have Daffy Duck from the Loony Tunes. I have a white bear that my sister won and gave to me. I called it Cupcake. It is really specially to me because Aurella gave it to me. I have three little lambs, Lila, Lily, and Lilac. I have a little bear with a heart on its stomach that says Be Mine. That bear is named Valentine. My Dad got it for me at Amazing Savings. I have a little yellow duck named Dick Duck. I used to have a big plastic duck called Dick Duck. I named it that because my grandfather was always talking about Dick's the sporting goods store.  I have always loved ducks. I also have a bunch of kitty cats including cats named Kit Kitty, Elizabeth and a Persian cat named Abby Fluffagus. Sometimes I call her Mrs. Fluffagus. She is married to a dog called Pugsy Floffagus. I often feel  really sad when I have to rid of some of my stuffed animals because I love them so much. I have  a chimpanzee named Molly. I keep saying I am going to get rid of her, but I can't. She is too adorable because she makes little sounds and give hugs. I have a toy Frenchy the dog from Fancy Nancy. Aurella gave me that one too. We are always giving each other toys and stuffed animals. I have Curious George and I have Fox in Sox from Dr. Suess which are also from Aurella. I have a Pound Puppy. I have Slider and Sparkee the mascots from the Somerset Patriots. I have a little panda, Pandalina Trina. I won that one for selling Girl Scout cookies. So over all, I have a ton of stuffed animals, and I absolutely love them.

Mom - When I was a kid I was always fond of stuffed animals as are my daughters. I had a lot of Disney stuffed animals including. Lady from Lady and the Tramp, Duchess from The Aristocats, Thumper from Bambi, and Dumbo.  I also had a bunch of ones that weren't tied to any movie or anything. Most of those I don't remember any more. Off the top of my head,  I do remember a kangaroo and a koala my grandmother brought back from Australia,  a little red teddy bear that my sister gave me on Valentine's Day and a purple elephant my first boyfriend won for me at the boardwalk. All of the stuffed animals had names. Usually cute names like Cupcake or Valentine. Other times the names were not so cutesy. There was a big old stuffed animal I kept at my grandmother's called Sir Drake. I think it was a dog, but I am not sure, and I don't remember why we called it that. Even now, I still have a couple of stuffed animals, a bear from my college , a bear dressed as an aviator that my husband got for signing up for some credit card, and a dog dressed completely in NJ Devils gear that my husband made for me at Build-A-Bear named Martin after Martin Brodeur the Devils goalie. My girls always have tons of stuffed animals, Build-A-Bears, Webkinz, stuffed animals from some TV show or movie, and even some that aren't particularly tied to anything. However there is a rule in our house. If there isn't any place to put any more stuffed animals, you can't get any more (this rule applies to other types of toys too) so periodically we go through the girls toys and they decide what they want to get rid of. They are pretty good about it especially my older daughter. We get rid of tons of toys mostly by donating them to charity. However, even after we have gone through and the girls have gotten rid of what seems like a ton of stuffed animals, there are still so many. So it's a good thing we do make the girls go through and get rid of some or else I think the house would be completely overrun with stuffed animals and toys. Sometimes on a particularly messy day, which is something that happens a lot with my younger daughter who likes to go from room to room making messes, it feels like the house has been completely overrun with stuffed animals and toys.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Little Kids and Babies

Me - Little Kids and babies, wow! I love love love love love kids who are ages 7 and younger. Anyone from 1 day old to 7, I absolutely adore. I like to play with my dolls where they are kids of my own. When I am a little older, I am going to babysit. First I will babysit for my sister than I will babysit for other people's kids.That she be very easy because there are tons of little kids in my neighborhood. During the summer, I will work at day camp like my Mom did. I hope to work at the same camp that she did. When I was little, I used to go to Mommy & Me there. I have a lot of  baby cousins. I have a 4 year old cousin, a 3 year old cousin, a 2 year old cousin, a year old cousin, and a cousin that is less than 1. My 1 year old cousin is just about the cutest baby I have ever seen (but don't tell my sister she'll get insulted). I can't wait to grow up and have kids of my own.  Babies are one of my favorite things in the whole world!

Mom- I have never been a baby person, someone who oohed and aahed over tiny babies.I mean, of course, I loved my own children when they were babies the same as I love them now. However, I have always been much more interested in kids from about age 2 to 7. When they are walking and talking and doing things, and yet, they still have that sweet innocence. Not that 2 and 3 year olds don't have the terrible twos or the horrible threes or whatever and not that 5 year olds and 6 year olds and 7 year olds don't talk back or act bratty ever. However, there is still a sweetness and innocence to kids that young. They still are not completely jaded and or convinced that they know everything about everything. When I was young, I worked at day camp for two summers. The first year I was with the 2 and 3 year olds. They were cute and sweet and adorable and only wanted to sit on the counselor's laps. They thought we were their best friends. Many of them hadn't even been to school yet so we were their first teachers aside from their families. The next year I worked with the 3 and 4 year olds because I wanted to move up with the kids from the previous year. There were cute and sweet too. Later when I was older, I was going to go into teaching, but I didn't. I did do some student teaching, but I never actually became a teacher. At first, it was because I was kind of quiet and there were too many different groups of people to deal with being a teacher; other teachers, adminstrators, parents, and students. Also, it would be different being a teacher than a counselor. Children are not expected to learn when they are going to camp. They can learn, but the main purpose of camp is to have fun.  School is the opposite. It can be fun, but the main purpose of school is to learn. Now, that I am older another reason that I am glad that I am not a teacher is that now that I have my own children, I do not want to deal with other people's children for 6 hours a day. Don't get me wrong, I love my children I really do, but they are enough for me. I'll leave the teaching to others who are dedicated to doing that, I am not.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Books

Me -Reading, wow! I like to read. Actually, I love to read! I try to read a book a day. I finished the first Mary Poppins book. I am very close to the end of the second. I read the first Nancy Drew book. I haven't read the second yet. I will now talk about some of my favorite authors and books. I like Judy Blume. Here are some books I have read by her: Freckle Juice, The One in the Middle is the Green  Kangaroo, Are You There God It's Me Margaret. I really enjoyed the Fudge books. I also like Beverly Cleary. I have read and loved all the Ramona books. I also read the Henry books. I am in the middle of Ribsy right now.  I also like Carolyn Haywood. I read all her Betsy books. Another author I like is Megan McDonald who wrote Judy Moody. My favorite was Judy Moody The Doctor Is In where she had a doll named Hedda Get Betta. I have a lot of Bobbsey Twin books, but I haven't read any yet. I have started the first one many many times but have not finished it yet. I read all Clarice Bean books. I really liked that too. I also love Roald Dahl. Books I read of his include two Charlie and the Chocolate Factory books, Mathilda, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I also like Louis Sachar. I read and liked There's a Boy In the Girl's Bathroom. I did not like Holes. I also really enjoy books about the characters in Full House. There are DJ books, Stephanie books, and Michelle books. I also like the Mary Kate and Ashley books. There are three different Mary Kate and Ashley series. In second grade, every week I went to the library and got a Mary Kate and Ashley book. In third grade, I often got Michelle books and once I got a Stephanie books. I read the The Diary of Wimpy Kid series,  all the Rainbow Fairy books, and all the Pippi Longstocking books. I am working on helping my sister learn to read. She has to learn not to guess so much but to read the words on the page. My whole family loves reading except my brother so my Grandma use to promise him a new book every time he read a book. At first I didn't understand that because if he didn't like reading why would he want to earn a book. My Mom explained it was because he just like getting things. My Grandma hasn't offered that deal to the rest of us because we love to read. So over all, what I am trying to say is I really love reading, and I hope I never stop!

Mom - Reading, I am happy to say, is something that everyone in my house enjoys. When Melia was little she used to memorize her favorite books. She had them so well memorized that she would sit there and recite them and people would think she was reading. My younger daughter is just learning to read now. I love that books I loved as a kid I can still share with my children. We have all loved Clifford, Amelia Bedelia and Frances the Badger among others. My younger daughter loves newer characters like Dora, Fancy Nancy, and Marley, the dog too. My older daughter has enjoyed Carolyn Haywood's books and Beverly Cleary's Ramona books among others as I did. She also has enjoyed newer characters like Megan McDonald's Judy Moody and Lauren Child's Clarice Bean books. I am sure she told you more about her reading preferences in her own blog post. As for me, I like mysteries, chick lit, classics, biographies, nonfiction and many other genres. I do not like every kind of book, I am not crazy about westerns or most science fiction (although I did enjoy the Harry Potter books), but I do like many different types of books. I try to read at least a book a week, but lately I have been reading two books most weeks, and sometimes I read even more. Some of my favorite authors are Jodi Picoult, Eileen Goudge, Joy Fieldiing. and Lisa Scottoline, but I am discovering more and more books and authors that I like all the time. That is the great thing about books, there are always more of them to discover. My one regret is that  I even if I did nothing but read for the rest of my life, I still could never possibly read all the books I would like to read in my lifetime.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Anniversary Wishes

Happy Anniversary to a wonderful husband and great father to my two beautiful girls.

The Glee Project

Me - The Glee Project, wow! I liked The Glee Project. It was a really good show. My favorite contestant was Damian because he was a nice guy and has a really good voice. I loved the way they put up subtitles because of his accent even though I can understand him perfectly. I don't understand what the deal with Marissa was. She was invisible the first couple weeks, then she was popular for two weeks, and the first week she was in the bottom 3, she was out. It was weird. I did not like the way they did that to her. I liked her. My favorite week was when Idina Menzel was the guest. She is one of my favorite singers. Ever since the first time I heard her name I liked her. My grandparents once took me to one of her concerts. My aunt was actually a childhood friend of Idina's but I never met her. So over all, I enjoyed The Glee Project, and I would definitely watch it again.

Mom - I was pleasantly surprised by The Glee Project. I generally don't like reality shows. However, all the contestants in The Glee Project were actually very talented. There wasn't one who I thought was completely lacking in talent. Of course, as the show went on there were some whose personalities I didn't like. I was not fond of Lindsay and Emily because they were mean and said not nice things about the other contestants. I also thought Lindsay was very fake. If she cried, it was because she thought they wanted her too not because she  was really feeling that emotional. Alex also was not always nice to the other contestants. My favorite contestant was Damian, and I am so glad he was one of the co-winners. He has a great personality, a great accent, and is cute (as Melia always reminds me). I didn't like that all four finalists actually won a little bit since two of them will have a 2 week role on Glee and two of them will have a 7 week role on Glee. I mean if they were all going to win why did I have to bother watching that final week. I liked that viewers did not get to vote on any results except for fan favorite and that Ryan Murphy and others actually involved with Glee chose who was eliminated every week and who eventually won. I love that the choreographers were the real Glee choreographers and the song people were the real people who do the songs for Glee. I have to admit now that I have seen the Glee project when I am watching Glee I sometimes think about the actors going over their choreography with Zach and Brooke or recording their music with Nikki or Adam Anders. All in all, I really enjoyed The Glee Project, and I would definitely would watch another season of it.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to Aurella, the youngest member of our family,  who is turning 6 today!

Our Very First Giveaway

Win Hannah Montana Books and/or Books by Katie Lane

Now that we have over 100 followers, we want to celebrate so we are having our very first giveaway. In keeping with the theme of our blog, mothers and daughters, we will be giving away two books for daughters, two Hannah Montana books, and two books for mothers by Katie Lane. Of course, you do not have to be a mother or a daughter to win any of the books.

In the interest of full disclosure, please note that the Hannah Montana books are gently used. They were read once by Melia.

For more details about the books see below:

Shoes

Me-Shoes, wow! Like many girls, I like shoes. I am already starting to fit in some of my Mom's shoes. I still can't fit in all of them. When I do fit in all of them, I'll have an endless supply of shoes. I sometimes get shoes from my cousin. I have a lot of heels and sneakers. My Aunt has been telling my Grandma about something you can put on your feet so you don't get blisters when you wear shoes without socks. I can't wait to get it because I have a lot of shoes that fit and/or look better without socks. However, right now, they give me blisters when I wear them without socks. I am a big shoe fan.

Mom- I love shoes. I always tell my girls that you can never have too many shoes or earrings. I must have over a 100 pairs of shoes in a wide variety of colors. High heels, flats, sandals, sneakers, boots and more. I wouldn't say I have every kind of shoes there is. I don't like flip flops, for instance, because I don't like to have anything between my toes, and I am sure there are other kinds of shoes I don't like either. My dear husband indulges my love for shoes because I don't buy a lot of clothes for myself. I keep the clothes that I do get for a very long time, and I get a lot of hand-me-downs from my Mom and sister. I guess from my sister it might actually be considered a hand-me-up because she is actually younger than me. I also don't spend a lot of money on my shoes either. I rarely ever buy shoes that cost more than $20.00, and I have bought many pairs that were $10.00 or even less. Also, I don't buy shoes that I never wear. Even with all those shoes I own, I don't really have shoes just taking up space in my closet. I keep careful track of all my shoes and which ones I have worn and wear almost all of them frequently. I do have a few pairs of heels from when I was working before I had kids that I don't wear that often but I can't bear to part with. Ironically, I think I actually look better in higher heels because I have short legs and heels make them look longer. However, flats and sneakers are more comfortable so I usually wear them. In any case, the bottom line is I love shoes.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Full House

Me - Full House, wow! It is my favorite show in the whole entire world out of every show in the whole entire world. I watch at least two episodes almost every single day. So far I own seasons 1-4, and I definitely will be getting the rest of the seasons eventually. I was first introduced to the show when I was in kindergarten by my Mom. She introduced me to it because she used to watch it and thought that I would like it too. She got me the first season as a gift. Season 2, she once gave me because I behaved well for a whole week. Season 3, I got for a holiday gift. Season 4, I got from my aunt for a birthday present. I am now trying to save up for season 5. I will keep doing that until I have saved up for and purchased all the rest of the seasons. My favorite character is Stephanie. I love Full House so much that I have a Full House necklace and t shirt I made. At my friend's birthday party, they gave us string and beads. I found the letters to the words "Full House" and made a necklace with little beads to separate each letter. Then, they gave out blank white t shirts. I started out by drawing all the regular characters from every season including Nicky, Alex, Vicky, and Comet. As soon as everyone else had finished their t shirt, they looked at mine said "Wow!" grabbed markers and started helping me. The shirt says "Full House" everywhere including on the sleeves and collar. Sometime, I'll have to do the back with the extra characters that I forgot including Kimmy, Teddy, Steve and more. I love Full House more than anything in the world. I figured out a few years ago, I am the biggest Full House fan in the world.

Mom - When Full House was first on, I think I was in college. Later, I was working as a paralegal and all the paralegals in our office always used to talk about what Michelle did on Full House that week. I can't believe that the last original show aired over 15 years ago and all those little girls are grown up and half of them have kids of their own. The Olsen twins amaze me. Not because I think they are so talented or anything, but because they are so lucky. It was just so arbitrary the way they ended up on that show. They brought a bunch of sets of twins in and the Olsen twins stayed happy the longest and that is why they got the part. Their billion dollar (or however much it is) empire was started arbitrarily too. Their producer thought that they acted cute together so he produced a TV movie for them to star in together. I believe it was called "To Grandmother's House We Go". The ratings were through the roof. Thus, an empire which later including books, movies, dolls, and clothing among other things was born. I actually thought the Olsen twins were ugly as babies that first season. From season two on they were adorable. However as adults they have always seemed kind of strange to me and not really pretty. I did enjoy seeing Mary Kate in the movie, Beastly, though.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Collections

Me- I have had many collections. When I was little, I collected rocks from outside. I got rid of that collection a long time ago because now I think it's gross. Then, I collected pebbles for a while. I would get them from the museum and my Dad would find them. They were all pretty colors. Then, I gave them away. I badly want them back. I collect stickers. I take them off their wrappers and stick them in a journal. I am going to start collecting key chains because my Dad has gotten me some, but other than that I don't have any yet. My cousin collects key chains from other states. I haven't been to that many states, and I just want to collect key chains in general. My most prized collection is my eraser collection. I have a ton of them. I keep them in a little bag. Whenever, I see one I take it. My favorite one is a little gingerbread man. I use to wear it under my hat when I went through a phase where I wore my hat every day. I love collections and hope to start more of them.

Mom- Over the years, I have had numerous collections. Some of them I have kept. Others I have collected for a while and then got rid of. Some of my collections have gotten quite large. Others have barely had enough objects in them to be considered a collection. For instance, I once started a music box collection which at its height contained only about two or three music boxes. There was one really cool music box in it though which was a horse and cart which played the song "The Isle of Capri" and actually moved across the floor. However, probably my oldest collection if not my biggest is my collection of dolls from other countries. My grandmother started it for me when I was just a kid. She traveled a lot and everywhere she went she got me a doll. Later, other people, such as, my parents, my other grandparents, and friends added dolls to the collection. When I was older and traveled myself, I began to add dolls to the collection too. Although in recent years, I haven't added any new dolls, altogether I have about 100 dolls in my collection. My dolls have moved with me from my parents house, to my own apartment to my first home with my husband, to the home we now share with our daughters and where we have been living for the past almost 9 years. While I love my doll collection, they make me a little sad too. They make me really miss my grandmother. I can't believe she has been gone for over 20 years now. They also make me really miss traveling something I really haven't had the time and money to do since I got married and had kids. Maybe some day I'll be able to travel again at least I hope so.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

Bumps, Bruises and More

Me - When I was little, I had the chicken pox. I think that was my first time I was sick. Since than I have been sick a lot although luckily I have never had a major illness. Ever since then, I have been a have been a complete disaster. I am always bumping into walls, falling down, tripping over things, or something else. I am always twisting my ankle. Once I had a stiff neck that hurt so much I had to be taken out of gym for a week and could not play at recess. When I was a baby I was always very healthy. I didn't even get a lot of bumps and bruises. I wasn't even sick until I was 4. It is kind of strange because I was born in winter. I thought people born in winter get sick more when they are babies than people born in summer. When I was a baby I didn't get sick at all. A girl in my neighborhood was born in summer and got sick a lot. My sister who was also born in summer got sick more than me when she was a baby too. However, that was partly because she was always catching illnesses from me. Now, that I am older, I don't get sick as often but I am a mess and still very accident prone.


Mom - I have been lucky in my life and have always been relative healthy and injury free. I always have lots of bumps, and bruises and scratches, most of which I never remember where I got them from, but that's just minor. I once had a black eye. I got it because my sister accidentally bumped her head into my eye when we were playing in our basement. Another time, my brother and I were playing pet owner. I was at one end of a long string he was at the other. My Mom sent me in her room to get something. My brother pulled on the string, and I smacked into the bed. That was probably about the worst injury I have ever had because my tooth is still messed up from that and that was years ago. When we were little my sister was always getting hurt. She had a broken collar bone. Another time she had to get stitches in her head. My brother didn't get hurt as much as my sister, but he did once get a broken foot when he was kicked while playing soccer. When she was little, my older daughter was the healthiest person I know, she did not even ever get sick, but that has changed since she started school. When my stepson moved in with me when he was little, I was always catching illnesses that he brought home from school until I built up an immunity. Later when my girls started school, I didn't have that problem. My younger daughter had a cold, which she caught from her sister, when she was only two or three weeks old. When she was older, she had to get stitches in her head when she crashed into the book case running away from having her diaper change. However, the unhealthiest person in the family is my husband. When illness goes through the house, he always gets it the worst. He has had more surgeries just since I have known him than I have had in my whole life. The only time I ever had surgery was when my second daughter was born, and I had a c-section. I also had a cyst removed at the same time. Overall, though I have always been very lucky and healthy.

And, that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

The Mall

Me- My family and I always used to go to the mall. We would go to places like Borders and FYE. We would always eat at the food court and afterwards go and get cookies at Mrs. Fields. Now it seems all that's left is a video store and a bunch of clothing stores. There is still a food court but even that has changed. There is no McDonalds. We don't really go to the mall anymore unless we need something specific like a pillow from Sears. I like to go to the mall though because I like the clothing there. I love Justice, Aeropostale, Children's Place, Crazy Eights and more. My grandmother takes me there sometimes. I can't wait to go there with her to get new fall clothes for school.

Mom - When I was a kid when we went clothing shopping, we always went to the mall. Later when I was a teenager, I was never one of those teenagers who always hung out at the mall, but I went there sometimes, and it was fun to hang out there. There were a lot of fun stores to browse. Even when I was married and had kids we liked to spend an occasional evening at the mall. Maybe it's just me, but the mall has gotten so boring lately. We haven't really shopped there for clothes in years. We usually go to stores like Target and Walmart where you can usually get better bargains and there is more of a selection of things than just clothes. At least around here, those type of stores are usually located in smaller strip malls. Still, we liked to go to the mall to have dinner at Friendly's or the food court and then browse. However all of the kinds of stores,we used to like to browse seem to be disappearing. There are no more book stores in our mall since Borders closed. There are no more music stores. There is still a video store, but who knows how long that will be there. There is really no place left that we like to go that we can just have fun looking around for a while and not really feel the need to buy anything, but just have fun browsing. I kind of miss it.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.

School

Me - School! Wow! I love school. My school is behind my house,and I walk there. It takes less than 1/2 a minute. Sometimes, my Dad takes me to the playground at my school when school is not in session. My favorite subjects in school are science, social studies, math, reading, writing, gym, art, music and library. So basically I like all my subjects. I love everything about school even homework. Of course, I am not in high school yet so maybe that will change. At the present time though. I can't wait for high school because I will get binders full of homework. When I was little and my brother still did his homework, when he was doing his homework I would take out a piece of paper and say I was doing my homework too. My favorite year ever so far was third grade because I loved my teacher so much. When my friend and I were leaving school the last day that year we were crying buckets. We had started crying a half hour to an hour before school even ended and we continued even after school ended, and we saw our parents.

Mom -I was never really crazy about school, but I didn't mind it. When I was young, I was good at all my subjects. When I was older, I was better at English and social studies than math and science. I loved English because I always loved to read and write which is what eventually lead me to start this blog with my daughter. I was always kind of quiet in school and never really in the popular crowd, but that was okay with me. My favorite year of school ever was first grade back when school was still really fun even though you were learning too. I'm glad to say that so far both my daughters seem to like school. Of course, my older one goes back and forth one day she loves it, the next day she hates it. When she was little, she loved school more than anyone I have ever known. In the morning and I would go into her room to wake her up, she would not want to get up. I would says "Okay, fine. If you don't want to go to school, I'm going back to sleep." No sooner would I get back to my room and lie under the covers, when my daughter would be in my room with her school clothes eager to get ready for school. I could never do that with my younger daughter or with my stepson, who lived with us until he was 15, they would have just gone back to sleep. My stepson hated school. He stopped doing his homework when he was in middle school. He didn't care if could get an A instead of a B or a C instead of a D or even if it was the difference between passing and failing. He just refused to do his homework. However, he still got passed from grade to grade. I don't think that was such a good thing. He learned from that that he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to do. Now, he is almost 17. He dropped out of high school, got his GED and since than he has drifted around from one course of study to another never finishing any of them. I'm glad that so far my girls still like school Whether they like school or not, they always do their school work and homework. I make sure of that. They are motivated anyway because they have learned from their brother not to take his example and to do what is expected of them.

And that's our view. Tune in again for another topic.