Ten on Tuesday.

1. It's busy season here, but we finally found time for Alla to show us what she does at recess.

2. The days are so short, but we had record warmth on Sunday and so decided to make a giant pot of vegetarian chili and a pan of cornbread, get a bonfire going, and invite the neighbors. I think this will be a lovely time in the winter snow, too.

3. Regarding the National Book Awards results tomorrow, I made a fair attempt to read the five finalists in the Young People's Literature category, however, Bone Gap hasn't yet made it to me, and I've only just picked up Most Dangerous today. I'm 1/3 of the way through The Thing About Jellyfish, didn't care for Challenger Deep, and greatly enjoyed Nimona.

4. In other family book updates, Alla is enjoying Jack, and Fisher today started the new Wimpy Kid book. Fisher discovered the Jeff Kinney books the summer after kindergarten and I daresay were the first books he could read on his own that really showed him the joy of reading. I picked up his copy tonight while he was off building Legos with Daddy and think I might make this my first Wimpy Kid book; I chuckled a few times.

5. Before I move on to other topics, I must strongly suggest immediately requesting the new Gary D. Schmidt book from your local library. Orbiting Jupiter is one of the few books I've given 5 stars this year, a book I was awaiting and which I read twice. As in, I just closed it and then opened it back up again. Please read this book.

6. Best new show on television: The Grinder. Fred Savage is killer.

7. Three more days til Thanksgiving vacation.

8. Which means I should probably finalize the holiday menu and figure out when I'm going to shop for it, sans kids. I can just taste the cranberry sauce! Thankfully one of my kids is looking forward to the actual turkey.

9. In preparation for the new Star Wars movie, we, like every other household in America or the World, are watching all six.

10. It's the second rainy day in a row. Fisher might be going stir-crazy (but thank goodness for the new Wimpy Kid book), and the rest of us are a little punchy. I got in a quick drizzly run this morning, but behind tomorrow's third day of rain we are due for twenty degree-cooler temps and blustery winds. It's time to break out the tights.