STELLA SAID WITH GLASSES

Stella freaking loves wearing her mommy's glasses. It is cute, but sometimes very annoying...because, well...they are MINE. She says she can't see clearly without them and I just laugh. I thought it was about time to do a "Stella said" post and pics with my glasses seemed like the perfect match.

• "Daddy, don't pull on my arms. They are delicate!"
• "Stella, did you get enough sleep last night?" "No, I only got one."
• "Thanks Chef Mama!"

• Making whining sounds while holding up a huge spoonful of ice cream: "I can't eat this--my tongue is too little!"
• "I can't marry Catchy-Cy, they're my boys!"

• "This root beer is spicy."
• "Stella, how much root beer do you have left?" "Twenty minutes."
• "I am going to the money store to get more money."

• She always says when going to the bathroom: "I need my privacy."
• After being told to sit and be reverent at church: "I don't want to be reverent--I just want to do my moves."
• After being told that her dance recital was over and that she wasn't going to have another one the next morning she cried: "I only get one?"

• "Mommy, do you remember when we saw the pictures by Degas?"
• After showing her the dress she would be wearing at Tyler's wedding she yelled: "I don't want to get married! I am too little!"

• While walking to church in the wind: "My hair is goin' nuts!"
• After realizing I forgot her stroller at the mall, I asked her if she could just walk. "Yes, my legs work."

NEW BOOK BLOG

I just started a blog dedicated only to talking about the books I have loved and want to share with the world. Please follow it if you have any interest in books. Thanks!

http://www.ilovedthisbook.blogspot.com/

YOUTUBE TIMES

Stella is going through a YouTube phase. She has spent hours clicking chipmunk "music" videos and watching them no matter how boring or how bad the classic chipmunk sound has been produced on the song. (Personally, I wonder who spends any time turning a song into a chipmunk song and then posts it on YouTube with still pictures of animated chipmunks, but whatever.)

Today she found full episodes of her favorite shows. It was while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that she asked for a few pillows and made herself a little set up. I thought it was too cute.

MY FAVORITE READS OF 2011

My official count for books read this year is 242. That number isn't totally right since I re-read a few favorites and didn't finish some very bad books, but marked them on my Goodreads account as read to keep track of them. Still, I would say that total is pretty on track, meaning I might have a serious addiction to books!

I can't imagine I will ever top this total so I feel like I have to make note of the accomplishment (or sickness, if you want to look at it that way) on the family blog. Most of the books I read were quick YA reads, but I had a few very long ones in there too (longest read: 896 pages). I also read some non-fiction, classics, and popular adult reads as well.

Out of the 242, there were a clear top 10 favorites so here is my list in descending order:

10. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
A totally innocent, sweet, and poignant love story. The characters are young but the message is timeless: A friend who is comfortable with who they are is a rare find.

9. Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
A daughter who has just lost her photographer dad goes searching for answers with a mysterious boy who was once his protégé. Emotions are brutally raw and Summers sucks you in from page one. My original Goodreads review was just one word: wow. My only complaint is the excessive use of the f-word.

8. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
This is the kind of story that makes you want to get up and cheer at the end. The completely loveable heroine D.J. is good at football and coming-of-age magic ensues. I love this book as much as I hate football. This is the first book of a trilogy; the rest are not as good, but I dare anyone to read this and not want to see what happens with D.J. and Brian.

7. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Marchetta is the queen of Australian YA and this book is my favorite of hers (I have read them all). I have never fallen so much in love with a ragtag group of friends like this ever. Makes being the uncool kids at the fancy private school seem like the coolest thing ever.

6. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
When I first laughed my way through this completely original story about a horny young teenager with ADD I didn't know if anyone else I knew would like this, let alone read it. It has been an absolute hit with my friends who have given it a chance. It is totally irreverent and offensive while being sincerely heartwarming at the same time.

5. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
Sweet, funny Bronwen actually has some standards and, when she falls for the ever adorable Jared, her life just gets better and better. This is the book I would write if I could actually write a book.

4. The Summer I Turned Pretty (The Summer Books Trilogy) by Jenny Han
Book 1, total fluff...but good fluff. Bring on book 2 and 3 and welcome to the best love triangle of 2011. These books kept me up late (not difficult), and woke me up early (impossible) to see what would happen next. The only flaws being that Jenny Han has no idea what the word ironic actually means and she didn't write a book 4.

3. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Raw and beautiful, this book is a treasure with a voice so honest it breaks your heart and picks it back up again. I usually skip poems in books, but the ones found here are tremendous and make this story so full and rich. A little bit of scandal here, but I kind of like it.

2. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Another Aussie favorite. I read this the first time too fast because I had to devour it, but the writing is so insanely beautiful that I had to read it again as soon as I got it a month later for my birthday. If I were to make a movie from a book it would be these quiet pages of perfection.

1. Amplified by Tara Kelly
If you have ever wanted to know what it felt like to be a girl in a band, but I mean really totally feel like you are this fictional character who is in a band, this is the book for you. No other book has ever made me forget that I am only me like this one. I was completely sucked in to the highs and lows of this story. Kind of wild, but so worth it.

So there they are! It warms my heart to remember reading each of these books. I enjoyed most of the books I read this year, but these are the standouts. They are all already in my collection and most are out on loan to friends so I can share the love.