Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Meme and a Baseball Book

Jen tagged me for a summer goals meme, and even thought my "summer" (which to me goes from the last day of school to the first day of school) is well under way, I will play!

My top 4 goals for the summer:

1. Exercise - I had been a MAJOR slacker this school year so I am back - so far in the past 2 weeks I have walked 5 out of 7 days and due to my dance recital this weekend, I have been tapping away at least 2-3 times a week (YES, I am in a dance recital, I take "advanced adult tap" and it is SO much FUN!)

2. Catch up on reading - I have done pretty good on this goal, see the list of books I have already knocked out on the right.

3. Work - yes, teachers/media specialist do still try and WORK during the summer.  I have 3 classed that I am taking next week (all technology related) but I have been a slacker about getting some lessons planned and getting to work on my Revolutionary War virtual field trip (the freedom trail in Boston) - I really need to get going on this stuff!

4. Cook - this has been hard so far since one son is still in baseball and my daughter and I still have dance, but I am doing better than I was during the school year - although I made a FABULOUS blueberry barbecue sauce, which I grilled pork tenderloins with and grilled corn on Sunday night and only my oldest son ate it (the other 2 kids ended up eating at friends and the husband was sleeping - he works nights) sigh.

5. Visit my family - I have a new niece who should be arriving in this world any day now and I have 2 more adorable nieces up in Massachusetts that hopefully we will get to play with soon (plus enjoy a Red Sox game or two, some fried clams and the BEACH on Cape Cod!

oops - that is 5 isn't it, oh well, I like numbers in multiples of 5! I won't tag anyone specifically, but feel free to join the fun!

Last night I finished the new Mike Lupica book The Big Field.  I am a sucker for a good baseball book, and this is no exception.  This is the story of Hutch, a 14 year old from Florida playing in an American Legion summer league (I remember going to Legion baseball games when I was in high school!)  Hutch loves baseball, not just playing, but the game itself.  But he encounters some stumbling blocks this summer, namely his father (and ex-minor league baseball player) and the new kid on the team, a superstar named Darryl.

There is of course a few "big games" and even a reference to the Bill Buckner (Red Sox) through the legs error in the 1986 World Series against the Mets.  

This would be a great book to put in the hands of a middle grades (4th and up) boy this summer, especially if he is a baseball player or fan - I know I am hoping to get my 12 year old reading it this summer!

Well, off to the library to pick up some books on hold and to mail some Father's Day cards!
If you live on the East Coast - stay COOL!






2 comments:

Jen Robinson said...

Thanks for playing, Kathy! I especially hope that you enjoy the family visit, and your new niece.

Becky said...

Thanks for the great book tip. I am going to have to read, "The Big Field." I wanted to share with you a great baseball book that I just finished reading... it is titled, "Pinch Hitter," by Dean Whitney. I really liked the main character, his family, his friends, and his teammates. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will wish you knew more people like David Robbins, the main character. If you enjoy baseball books, you will love this book.