Friday Things #543

1. This boy is eight today… EIGHT! Dominic greets each new day with a huge smile and enthusiasm; he has since he was a toddler and it’s such a joy to witness. He continues to be a ball of boundless energy, has loved learning hockey and baseball this year, loves Transformers and Justice League, building Legos, doing projects, and when I asked him recently what he wants to do when he grows up, he said, “I want to build things”. 💙
Every birthday celebrated is an unbelievable blessing and something we will never take for granted.
2. Joseph finally returned to school this week after his tonsillectomy; he’s still not 100% but has definitely improved since Tuesday. This has been a doozy of a recovery, I’m so glad he’s finally turned a corner.
3. Love this sweet girl and her spunk!

4. Let’s talk books… how do you decide which book you’re going to read next? Do you keep a running list, check out new releases, make lists by season, etc.? I kind of bop around all over the place, but two years ago when Dominic was in the hospital a lot and I was getting back into reading, I asked for book recommendations on Instagram, and got tons of amazing recommendations. Of course I put them into a spreadsheet 🤓 When I hit a lull, I go back to that spreadsheet and see what sounds good at that moment. My sister also got me a subscription to Book of the Month for my birthday, which is a great way to check out newer books. I’m still reading People We Meet on Vacation; I’m thinking that after I’m done I might pick up Beartown.
5. I always see summer bucket lists making the rounds once school is out, but I’m loving this list of 40 fun things to do this fall.
6. Since today is Dominic’s birthday, he chose to bring in chocolate chip cookies to share with his class. I baked up my favorite chocolate chip cookies and made sure there were extras for us at home :)
7. Okay, I had no idea that there was a difference between PYREX and pyrex!
8. I needed to see this list, maybe it’ll be useful for you, too!

9. We’re still watching The Killing and loving it! I believe we’re in season 3 now; love all the twists and turns.
10. TGIF! And this girl turned eight yesterday! I love our little birthday buddies; they really have very similar personalities 😄
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Happy Birthday Dominic, many, many more to come.So glad to hear Joseph is feeling better, I am certain you are thrilled he has turned the corner in his recovery. Also, Happy Birthday to Judith, what a sweet photo.
Michelle, you asked about books and how one decides what to read. What I love to do is read the book review section in newspapers I subscribe to (WAPO, NYTimes, LATimes) and then keep a running list of titles/authors that capture my interest. I find this method helpful and it allows me to discover some interesting offerings.
I have a good reads account and I track books that way.
Also put the briar club by Kate Quinn on your list. It was soooo good
Happy, happy birthday 🎂🎁 !!!!! May you have many many more Dominic. Eight looks great on you🙏🏻
DOMINC,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!🎂🎁🎉❤️
Happy Birthday sweet Dominic and Judith🥳❤
Happiest of birthdays to Dominic. May the coming year be filled with all good things. I’d pick CC cookies as well! Hope Joseph continues to feel better. Your daughter has a beautiful smile. I follow Good Reads for suggestions also try to keep up with new books by my favorite authors, anything by Marie Benedict or Lisa See, if you like historical fiction.
Wow, 8 years old already – Happy birthday, Dominic!!! So very much to celebrate this year! It’s incredible to see how far he has come. As for keeping track of my current books and what I’d like to read in the future, I am a HUGE proponent of Goodreads. I use it on my laptop versus the phone app, and it’s so great! It’s really convenient to have a place to keep a running list of books I want to get into.
Happy birthday to Dominic!! I hope he has wonderful day to go along with the wonderful cookies :)
I would highly recommend Beartown, I loved the whole trilogy. I’ve since read all of Fredrik Backman’s books and enjoyed them all, but Beartown and A Man Called Ove are my favorites.
Happy Birthday Dominic! I hope you gave a fantastic birthday! So glad Joseph is feeling is doing better. Your daughter is a cutie! Have a great weekend. Praying Dominic has the best year yet that’s filled with joy and health.
And—- Alan Bradley’s series that begins with “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” is lots of fun.
Happy 8th Birthday to Dominic and many many happy returns!!!!
I feel the joy! 🎉
Happy 8th Birthday Domenic!! Have a wonderful day!
Happy birthday, Dominic!!! As a longtime reader, it’s been a blessing to watch him grow up. I pray he has a wonderful and amazing day today!
I recently started using the Fable app for reading. I linked it to my Goodreads account, and I’ve noticed that the feed recommends books similar to my past reads. I can easily add them to my “Want to Read” list and check out the reviews on my feed. It’s like Facebook for book lovers! ♥
Happy Birthday Dominic! And a belated Happy Birthday to Judith! (I think I got her name right, please forgive me if not – remembering names is not my strongest skill!)
So glad to hear that Joseph is doing better. Your kids are adorable.
For books, I request books from my library as I come across them in book groups/book lists/etc. So I usually have a stack of several to choose from, and when I’m ready for the next, I grab what looks most interesting.
Happy birthday Dominic!! Hope he had a wonderful day and year!! 🥳
The beginning of this year I got on the Goodreads app. There I can keep track of what I want to read and what I have read.
My goal to read is 24 this year, I am on track! A great book to read is Fly Girl by Ann Hood. It is about her days as a flight attendant for TWA. She also has other books that are wonderful.
I use Goodreads to keep track of my tbr and what I am currently reading. There are different shelves you can “store” book titles in your account, such as want to read, currently reading, reread, etc. I also have a BOTM and love it! Beartown is amazing. There are hard topics addressed but there is also hope. I still think about that series all these years later. The author, Fredrik Backman, has such a way with words that make his books and words unforgettable. There are two other books in that series, plus he has many other books and they are all so good. Also if you enjoyed Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams, you should try the rest of her books! The same families and characters show up in each of her books.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOMINIC!
Have you read “Things You Save In A Fire”? I read it this week & really liked it.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Hi Michelle, I love reading and keep a list on my phone of suggested reads. I know you are going to love Beartown and it’s sequel. I recently read All the Colors of the Dark and even though it was a very long book, it read very quickly. I could not put it down and I think it is the best book I’ve read in a very long time.
Happy Fall!
Yes! Read Beartown & then you’ll need to read the rest of the series-they are excellent!
I just love your Friday posts! They are like a ray of sunshine in a sometimes dreary world! Love hearing about the kids & dogs! Happy birthday to Dominic!
Happy Birthday Dominic!
Love your children! Their pictures bring joy to my heart.
Happy birthday, Dominic! It is a joy to see your smile. 🎃
Happy birthday Dominic🥳
Happy Birthday to all!! Continued Blessings!
Happy birthday, Dominic!
Do you have a Goodreads account? I keep track of all my reads there. Usually, my choice for what to read next comes from Goodreads and/or whatever is available from the library.
Happy birthday to Dominic and Judith! And it’s good to read Joseph has turned a corner. Once my son had his tonsils and adenoids out, he was much healthier overall!
Happy Birthday to Dominic and your sweet Pup!
As always, I enjoyed your updates and news, especially the article on Pyrex! Never knew that….
Happy Weekend to you and your wonderful family.
Happy Eighth Birthday Dominic and sweet pup!!! My grandson turned 8 in August, so I think of Dominic side by side with him. He is such a miracle and I am so so happy he is getting to enjoy all of his sports and interests. He is destined to do great things!
I feel bad for Joseph and his rough recovery. Brings back memories of long long ago for me. Glad he is on the mend. Love the picture of Isabelle, too!
Each birthday is a gift.