Holidays - staycation! and Coraline the movie

Staycation!
So....if you've noticed, I've been able to blog much more frequently this week. I'm home on a week's holiday with the kids. This is good for relaxing, playing in the sun, taking day trips, and very very very bad for getting anything read. I like that somehow staying home because we are getting windows replaced makes me trendy: "I'm staycationing this year, you know. Staying around Ottawa," and it's cool. I can't remember when that was cool, ever! I'm not the only one: Charlotte at Charlotte's Web is also staying home, her staycationpost is here, and has a post here on her staycation reads. She's got books set aside for her holidays! Why didn't I think of that? How did I not plan to read anything? Maybe because I knew what would happen: I would spend my day doing things with the kids, evening would roll around, and I'd be dozing as soon as they fell asleep.

I am cheered that I feel like reading in the mornings, and after carrying The Shorter Pepys (the edited journals of Samuel Pepys) around on my shelves for almost 20 years, it's time to read it! So every morning before the kids are truly awake, I've been able to read a little. A' little' is the key word here. Here is a link to what the book is about, since it's been re-released with a new title. I've gotten to March of 1660. It is very interesting reading - I like how he talks about where he goes every day, what they eat, the people he meets with. He moved in fairly high circles - he meets the king on occasion, but mostly deals with his Lord (**Added later: Edward Mountagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich) who is his patron (** also added later: Pepys first works as his secretary in 1655) - and seems to be worried about money alot. Not so much has changed over almost 400 years! He also comments on the weather, like a true Brit. If I finish this book - which comes in over 1,000 pages (and these are his EDITED journals!) - by Christmas, I will be very very happy. I wish I'd joined the Chunkster Challenge now!

I'm trying to get through Peter Robinson's Friend of the Devil, but haven't got very far - I'm not sure why, maybe it's not the book for now. I don't really have anything 'to read' for the rest of this week, like Charlotte did. Maybe I should have my own personal read-a-thon day! I'd like that! I'm not sure my children will, or my husband, he will think I'm running from chores and looking after the kids, and he'd be right!

Staycation events so far
So far, we have gone to the library on Monday (only time for books for the kids, not a book time for Mommy!), played at a local outdoor pool and saw a reptile show there on Tuesday - no spiders, hurray! and I like reptiles, so the turtles and snakes were awesome! On Wednesday, yesterday, we had one of the children's friends over for some water play with the water guns and the sprinkler, after which we recovered by renting Coraline and binging on junk food for a movie afternoon. Today we went to the National Museum of Science and Technology, followed by a shopping trip to Toys R Us for flutterboards for both kids for the local pool, and a special toy each (Nascar cars for Graham, Littlest Pet Shop for Holly-Anne), followed by everyone falling asleep either on the bus ride home, or at home (that was me dozing on the sofa!) We have our first heat wave of the summer this week, which is lovely except we are getting hotter and hotter as the week goes on! Tomorrow the kids have voted for swimming at the local outdoor pool with their new flutterboards. I am secretly hoping I can bring a book with me......I can hear you all laughing at me! I know, I have no real hope of getting anything read there, but I live in hope that I can grab some time to read this holiday!!!

Coraline the movie
Coraline was fabulous. I am so surprised at how much I loved the movie. I really thought, because of the commercials both last fall and even before the movie started, that it would be too bright and lose the dark quality that I love so much about the book. I am so relieved and delighted to say that the movie is as good as the book. Yes, I actually wrote that! It might be the first time in history that I think a movie based on a book is as good as the book. It's safe to say we'll be adding this movie to our collection shortly. Everything about it, from the music, to the set design, to Coraline herself, and the cat and those lovely Scottie dogs, and the weird strange neighbors, the good parents and the bad parents - just lovely and perfect. They don't take away from my reading of the book and my private vision of it, which is so rare for me to experience. So I really send a thank you to all the producers and artists of the movie, for staying so true to the spirit as well as the telling of the story.

So if anyone out there has hesitated like I did - please, go rent it and see for yourself. It really is very very good. Thank you bloggers, for persisting in telling me I could see it! I also have a very good friend who kept telling me I should, too.

Bad Bloggers journal
I don't have a picture of it yet, but I thought I would share with you how reading blogs has changed my book-buying habits: I have had to use a special journal that is now 7 1/2 pages filled with titles, authors, and the blogger I got the book from. I started it around April, after I realized I just couldn't keep track of all the books I wanted to read that I'd found on blogs. So thank you, my book blogging friends. You have brought so many new books and authors to my attention, and I know my reading has expanded unexpectedly since I began blogging. Soon to come: more bad blogger points, now that I am keeping track of you all! Someone somewhere is going to win a prize from me at the end of the year, for posting about books that made me want to read them.

The house is hot and sticky and we are all cooling off as best we can. I think I'm going to try to sneak some reading in while everyone is occuppied. Happy reading, everyone!! Happy summer!