Here's to a blessed beginning for the best year yet! Happy 2010 to all my friends fr the east coast to the west coast & around the world!

Bought my new 2010 journal - blk & silver, very diva! Tmrw, will write 2010 goals inside. :)

Rumors say Apple is coming out w tablet style e-reader very soon. Will wait before making decision to purchase B&N Nook.

Feeling a bit better. Leaving hosue for 1st time in 4 days! :) Quiet New Year's Eve celebration at home w family tonite.

Oh no! Woke up w elephant on my chest. Hard to swallow & coughing. Bright side - daughter made brkfst: fried egg, honey ham & cheese poboy.

Join 9 yr old Kid Chef Eliana's FB fan page for recipes & video tutorials! http://bit.ly/872pLa

My little girl, 9 yr old Kid Chef Eliana, now has a Facebook fan page. Please join & help her reach 100! Search Eliana Cooks.

Email inbox now down to less than 20! Yay!

Hubby installed new wireless router & Internet won't work. Worked on it for 3 hrs. Refuses to call for help. Says, "I can do it myself."

Saints lost second consecutive game. Will the Black & Gold make the Superbowl? Saints fans gotta keep prayin!

Reluctant to see Avatar but saw movie in 3D & loved it! Amazing effects & good story, like Fern Gully for grownups.

Luv DJ Hero & Just Dance for the Wii. Just Dance is a rockin awesome workout!

Celebrating Christmas w family & friends. Lots of food & frivolity! Joyeux Noel!

Yay! Santa stopped by our house! He sure has been good to my children! And my stocking is stuffed to the brim... No, I won't peek! ;)

Merry Christmas to college daughter, Soleil, who found out she rec'd another scholarship for outstanding academic achvmnt. 4.0 Ho! Ho! Ho!

Soleil gv me handmade Diva pin w Swarovski crystals. Luv it!

Santa, be careful! New Orleans is under a Tornado watch! Friends, track Santa at http://ping.fm/bSzVT!

Poor Santa will hv to navigate thru torrential rain & wind in Louisiana. Hope the reindeer hv rain gear!

He's making a list, checking it twice. Gonna find out who's naughty & nice. Santa Claus is coming to town!

Hubby calls new iTouch my "iCrack." Daughter & I shared our iTunes Lib wirelessly. Too cool. Yes, I'm addicted.

The iTunes App store is killing me! $.99 here, $1.99 there... It all adds up. But snap! They are sooo cool!!

Got a lot of work done today... Created a mktg plan for 2011 books, yes 2011!

Madame Poulet & Monsieur Roach rec'd great book review on The Well-Read Child Blog :) http://ping.fm/unEj7

Reading Ellen Hopkins' Tricks w iTouch Kindle. Downloaded "My Sister's Keeper" movie. Can't wait to get iPhone! Eligible 4 upgrade in March

Going to Miracle on Fulton Street in New Orleans w girls & their cousins to see "snow."

Using Ping.fm fr my new iPod Touch. Woo hoo!

Playing on my new iTouch. Luv it!

Eating lunch alone because a lunch mtg was cancelled. At least the food is good - Vietnamese!

Recovered fr last nite's cookies & cocoa Christmas sleepover w 4th gr girls. Can't wait for Tues. Vacay starts! :)

Just finished a fun Christmas show at St. Bernard Parish Library. Had a blast!

Last day at Bissonet. Put my books in ea classrm teachers' box courtesy of Ellen Miller, Librarian. Yay!

My students in grades 3-5 performed today & they were great! Yay!

At Bissonet Plaza Elem Christmas dinner. Ho ho ho!

With Ms. Morales' cool 4th grade class doing Handmade Tales. Yay!

Made huge "Cafe Bissonet" gift basket for new teachers lounge - coffee, cocoa, cookies, chocolate... Plus ea teacher recv individual gift 2!

Heavy rain pummels S Louisiana again. More flash flooding expected today.

Flash flood watch for SE Louisiana until Tues nite. Water in Jefferson Parish now safe for consumption. Rain, rain, go away...

On my way to Bissonet Plaza Elementary for Day 6 of my Handmade Tales Residency. Fun!

Had to miss today's Saints game cuz I had a book signing. Well, they won against the Falcons! So now we're 13-0... It's a Who Dat Nation!

Have to boil our water in Jefferson Parish, LA until Monday. Weekend's storms knocked out power to sewerage station. Water not treated.

On way to Baton Rougeto sign books at Sam's Club on North Mall Dr. 10-11:30 am

Made it home through horrible storm. Saw 7 accidents, several of them really bad. Got candles ready in case electricity goes out again.

Widespread rain and flooding throughout Southeast Louisiana. Trying to get home fr full day of book signings & moving daughter out of dorm in Baton Rouge.

Signing books today at Sam's Clubs in Gulfport, MS 10-12pm & Slidell, LA 2-4pm.

Full day. All day at school & now headed tto Baton Rouge for book show & signing w Marita Gentry @ B&N Citiplace 7pm.

Santa pics at school & accidentally walked in on Santa putting on his pants! Lol I even got to sit on his lap for a pic. ;)

Auto Zone determined that car battery was still good. Terminals were bad. Brother changed them & now car runs again. Whew!

With Ms. Morrow's awesome 4th gr class doing Handmade Tales at Bissonet Plaza.

Made it to first class few min late but able to do lesson. Car dead in teacher's pking lot. Gotta get jump aftr school.

No electricity from bad storm last nite & then car battery dead. Going to be late for school. Ugh.

Had a great first day of my Handmade Tales residency. It's nice to be local and come home in the afternoon! :)

Beginng 2 wk "Handmade Tales" residency today @ Bissonet Plaza Elem in Metairie, LA for grades K-5. Will be fun teaching handmade tales!

Nail-biting game but Saints squeaked out win over Redskins in overtime. Whew! 12-0 baby & NFC South Champs! Yeah!

Santa, thx for stuffing my mailbox w book contract! There's a Dragon in the Library will be book 14 & pic book 5. Spring 2011 Pelican Pub.

Rec'd a new picture book contract for There's a Dragon in the Library. Woo hoo! What a great holiday gift!!!! :)

Eliana & my friend's son, Stephen, built snowman taller than them last nite. "Blizzard" didn't last but kids had a blast! Snow in Louisiana!

Finished book signing in Baton Rouge just in time for the snow fall. It's heavy.

Snow tonight in South Louisiana. Book signing in Baton Rouge. Hope drive ok.

Going to Baton Rouge this afternoon for book signing at B&N Citiplace; 7pm. Also having dinner w college daughter who lives there. :)

Holly (illustrator) & I creating study guide & bk activities (bkmarks, color shts, puppets, etc) for our new book, Mama's Bayou. Spring 2010

Lft ankle still healing fr torn ligament. After exhaustive 2 wk search, finally found CUTE blk flat books in patent leather alligator! :)

Saw movie "Precious" & met cast members fr Broadway show "The Color Purple." Gave them ride bk to their hotel in downtown New Orleans.

Delivered Christmas gifts to my publisher. Eating steak dinner to celebrate a good day. :)