christmas!

Ah, Christmas! We had a super Christmas month around here, one of the best Decembers ever. Mostly because I said no to a lot of things this year, like Christmas cards and goodie plates for every single person we know and elaborate homemade gifts. And blogging, too, apparently. I said yes to a whole lot of amazon shopping and saved my gigantic self the bother of actually leaving the house. It was great!

I did this in part because I am enormous at 7 months pregnant and mostly because I couldn't say "no" to the ward Christmas party that I was responsible for this year. You know, because Young Womens presidents who are 7 months pregnant have a lot of time on their hands... and that's all the whining I will do about that. It is over and it was reasonably successful and hopefully I will be in charge of a different activity next year. Like no activity whatsoever. Just kidding! Sort of...

So here are a few highlights from our magical laid back December:

We got our tree from a tree farm this year. Talk about the best of both worlds! We have tried to both ways - tree lots and BLM-style - with varying degrees of success. Tree farms are 100% guarantee! Everywhere you look there are gorgeous trees, just waiting to be cut. All you do is wave your little flag, and a nice man with a tractor and a chainsaw shows up, and there you go! Sam really loved the tractor and the chainsaw.

We made our annual gingerbread house, courtesy of Costco.

On Christmas day, we opened presents galore, went to church, opened a few more presents, and spent the rest of the day relaxing in our sweats, eating delicious food (like cheese! Thanks, Dad and Miranda!), and wishing the day wouldn't end.

Eve's favorite gift: a box full of Warriors books.

One of Sam's favorites: his new robe, courtesy of Grandma, that just happens to look a Jedi robe. Especially when paired with the light saber lollipop that came in his stocking.

Eleanor's hands-down, no-doubt-about-it favorite: the life-sized cheetah stuffed animal that she has yearned after for almost two years. Like Eve said, "This HAS to be from Santa because there is no way Mom and Dad would spend that much on a stuffed animal!" True story. Santa is very savvy with the amazon Black Friday deals.

To prolong the fun, we surprised the kids with a day-after-Christmas overnight trip to see the magnificent Christmas lights at Shore Acres State Park in Coos Bay, Oregon. All the awesome pictures of the lights are on Jared's camera, but I think the highlight for the kids was spending hours in the hotel pool.

I am a little sad to see this December end, especially since I did such a poor job of documenting it in pictures and blog entries. But it's nice to think this is the last Christmas I will spend pregnant and that just one year from now our little guy will be bopping around and joining in all the festivities with us. Makes me excited for 2012! Merry belated Christmas, everyone!

sick day

We are having one of many sick days around here today. Thanksgiving was perfectly lovely - we had several good friends over and ate way more than we should - but then got hammered with an unpleasant bug about two days later. Nothing too nasty (or stomach-y, thankfully!) - just enough to give everyone a fever and make us want to lay around and watch TV. So kind of what most people did last weekend, just with a fever.

I thought we had kicked it, but Sam woke up this morning with a terrible croupy cough and nose running like a faucet. And I woke up at 4:45 with a nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep, mostly just because I am too big to sleep like a normal person (yay, pregnancy sleep!) So we are definitely having a stay-at-home day today.

It's actually been pretty great. Fun to hang out with Sam, especially. We spent a blissful morning drinking cocoa and playing many many rounds of Candyland. I hardly ever get to do that kind of stuff with him because we are always running around like crazy things. It was nice to put all that stuff on hold today and pretend that I am not responsible for the ward Christmas party next Saturday (la, la, la - I can't hear you!)

Before I get back to said paperwork,I wanted to answer a few questions you had about our impending addition. We are told to expect a boy, which is awesome. Two of each - I couldn't have planned it better. And I am due March 1. But because of the size (enormity?) of Sam, I seriously doubt I will be permitted to reach my due date. So I optimistically tell everyone I am due in February. Also, it is a Leap Year next year, so I would like to stay far away from delivering anywhere near March 1...or, rather, Feb. 29. I would prefer not to be on the local news right after delivering a baby. One of many reasons.

To prove that I have no pride and that this blog is not about pretending that my house is always clean or that I am always showered, here is a picture of me I found on our camera a few days ago:

See? I really am pregnant! Only pregnant ladies look this radiant in the morning.

unusual migratory patterns

That is the sight we woke up to on our front lawn this morning. Impressive, no?

Or, should I say, scary! I discovered our unseasonal little flock last night on my way to bed and it kind of freaked me out. I had just turned off all the lights and was passing the front door when I caught a glimpse of a beady little eye staring in through our front door window. I was a little freaked out.

So I went to the window to discover thirty plastic flamingos in my yard! Flamingos that must have been placed there in the brief hour between when I closed the living room curtains and when I stood up to go to bed. A brief hour where I was sitting in my absolutely silent living room, reading, mere yards from my...um...yard! I don't know what I found more eerie - the total bizareness of it or the perfect stealth in which it was performed.

Maybe it's just me - okay, I'm pretty sure it's just me - but there is something really sinister about thirty plastic flamingoes appearing randomly in your yard late at night! They look extra eerie in the dark, I promise. So I made Jared go outside and see what it was all about (there was a suspicious looking note on one of their necks. The ringleader, I assume.)

Apparently, it was a cute little prank/fundraiser put on by our local high school orchestra. (Yes, I know..."orchestra" kind of kills any scariness. "Drama club" may have been slightly more threatening.) You donate to their trip fund and they will place the flamingoes on the yard of your choosing. So we were lucky enough to be chosen by some jokester friend. And that's pretty much how you get them removed, too, so it's kind of extortion. But at least for a good cause.

My kids thought it was hilarious - "Just like Gnomeo and Juliet!" said Sam. So they apparently have a more finely tuned sense of humor when it comes to practical jokes. Just wait till it gets dark! Then we'll see who's laughing.

*Update: So I was in the living room all night again tonight and, when I got up to turn off lights and head to bed, the flamingos were gone! I was kind of bummed, actually. The "ransom" note said we had two days to pay up, so I was waiting until it stopped raining tomorrow to get our moolah back out there in it's ziplock baggie. Sadly, they flew off a day early. *sigh* I miss them already.

back from the dead

Wha-wha-what???!!! Can it really be true? Almost exactly 5 months to the day, I have decided to return to blogging. Both my readers, I command you to rejoice! I have missed you!


I would like to now present some thoughts called In My Defense. In my defense, one of the main reasons I began my blog in the first place was to keep in touch with Maryland friends and to let my parents see pics of the grandkids while they were in another continent for 3 years. But when my Maryland readership dwindled (sniff, sniff... where have you gone, sweet friends? I promise I am reading your blogs, even if only as a lurker. Let's throw off the shackles of our lurker-hood! Let's begin again!) and when my parents came home in July, I lost some of my motivation. But now that I have a dear friend who moved to Texas, I am beginning to get some of it back.


Also in my defense, I have read maybe 30 Newberies since we last chatted and - not going to lie - that thought is a little daunting.

Still in my defense. our ward went through some big changes in July and it was like starting my calling all over again after perfecting it the past three years. I was stressed out and cried some. Or a lot. Anyway, I had some mega YW work on my plate for a while and was barely managing to read my Entertainment Weeklies from cover to cover, much less blog!


And one more thing in my defense - I finally gave in to pressure and got a Pinterest account. Pinterest is like a drug - a really pretty, endlessly regenerating drug.

Oh, and one more teensy thing in my defense...


I know it's tempting to look at the kids in this picture - they are cute in their Halloween costumes, I agree. Also, I hope Sam looks at me like that for the rest of his life. But let's direct our attention to my belly and the fetus skeleton on my wacky shirt. Hooray! Baby!


I spent a good chunk of the summer feeling pretty miserable, but kind of hit my stride again about a month ago. It looks like I will have to change the name of my blog to thirtycents in a few months here...

summer 'beries

We are off to the library where I will inevitably pick up some fresh Newberies (I took a break for a month or so, but I'm ready to jump back in.) So, in the mean time, some reviews:

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (1998)

A gut-wrenching story of 14-year-old Billy Jo growing up in the middle of the Oklahoma dust bowl. As if that weren't hard enough, Billy Jo, her mother, and unborn brother suffer through a terrible, maiming, guilt-riddled accident that permanently alters the course of our heroine's life. Told through a series of free verse poetry, the book never dips into sentimentality, but simply and elegantly crafts the standard tale of hope triumphing when it seems that all hope is lost. But this time there is nothing standard about it. I would love to read more by this author.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2002)


The first Newberry winner about Korea! Woot woot! Sadly, not a super awesome one but still pretty solid. Just like a kimchified version of Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze but not quite as funny, despite it's more recent publication date. A young orphan becomes an apprentice to a grumpy vase maker and hopes to one day get the chance to design his own masterpiece. Kind of bugged that the author used names like "Crane Man" and "Tree Ear" for her characters instead of their traditional Korean names. Smacks of orientalism, which is weird since the author is herself Korean. We do have one of her picture books, however - Bee-Bim Bop! - and it rules the school.

Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins (2006)


I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved the characters - they were quirky and funny and were an achingly sweet reminder of early adoloscence. I loved the dreamy, contemplative tone of the book - it really seemed to capture the essence of the self-absorbed, universe-expanding ruminations of a thirteen-year-old. Now that I think about it, I really did like this book quite a bit so maybe "hate" is a strong word to voice my objections. I just really have a thing about gimmicky literary techniques and this book is FULL of them. A whole chapter written in haiku, another written in a question-answer format; cutsie little hand-drawn illustrations scrawled in the margins. Seemed a little try-hard and little late to the post-modern party. But now that I think about it, this is exactly the kind of thing a tweenie reader would get a kick out of. And while it is geared toward an older audience - the main characters are 14 - it is honest, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. With the wealth of trashy tween books out there that hightlight cliques and crushes and vampires, Criss Cross stands out as an example of what these kids could be reading instead.




Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (1971)

I don't particularly care for this brand of 70s book. Seriously, did you see the cover? Don't these kinds of books give you the creeps like they do me? Maybe it's just because I have such a Pavlovian response to The Bridge to Terabithia, and this book is cut from the same cloth. I just hate the descriptions of the hair, the clothes, the sneakers, the cars, the TV shows... I can almost see it with the same grainy sepia quality that all movies from the 70s are steeped in. This book just felt like a made-for-TV movie or after school special. Teen Sara is the middle child between a gorgeous older sister (of course) and a mentally handicapped younger brother (okay, I didn't see that one coming, but I applaud Byars' taking it to the next level!) She hates her gawky body (no!), doesn't know how to talk to boys (suprise!), she resents her parents' divorce (shocker), and lives with her surly aunt? grandma? Whatever. The book covers one day in Sara's life - a day that her little brother wanders off to find the swans nesting on the lake for the summer and doesn't return. By the end of the book, the brother is found and Sara learns to care about someone other than herself. The book ends as she departs for a party at a boy's house. Mission accomplished!




Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James (1927)

While the title of the book provided plenty of laughs, the book itself did not so much. At first, I was astonished at how boring it was. And then I was astonished at how depressing it was. Though the book does gain some significant street cred when you learn that Will James was an actual real-life cowboy in his youth. And then it loses some when you learn that his real name is Earnest DuFault and that he is Canadian. Oh well. Easy come, easy go!

school's out!

Hooray! School officially ended last Friday and I am so excited to spend this summer with my kiddos. They all seem big enough to really do things with and, if we have another little one, this will be the last summer like this for a few years. The kids are pretty excited, too. They have cooked up all sorts of plans - craft projects and science experiments and campouts and recipes to try. Should be fun.

They even said they wanted to do some sort of homeschool-y type thing with me (their idea, not mine, I assure you!) so I have an elaborate plan in the works that should take shape by the end of the week. I'll post more on that later. Or, if it's a total flop, I will never post about it and we will pretend this paragraph never existed.

In the spirit of all this excitement, we decided to throw a little "block party" on our cul de sac for all the neighborhood kids on the last day of school. Nothing big - we had popcorn and popsicles and lemonade, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and a water balloon fight. I have to say, it was pretty awesome and a perfect way to usher in summer. We cranked some summer tunes (Bob Marley) and let the kids eat their way through 5 boxes of popsicles while running around like maniacs.

I have now earned my Mother of the Year patch and can now be a total slacker mom for the rest of the summer. Go watch some TV, kids!

Eleanor and friends cooling off in the back of the van, post-water balloon fight.

Sam and buddy, Gabe. They wear their goggles everywhere.


Eleanor and neighbor/friend K munching on popcorn

Eve demonstrating how pipe cleaner bubble blowers rule the school. They work way better than the ones that come in the bottle. So easy to make, too.


And when the party started to die down and the heat got to be too much, what did the big kids do? They did what all hot-blooded American youth would do! They came in to play chess and Legos.

My one over-achievement, but they are so cute I had to post a picture. I made little party favors shaped like rockets - they say "Have a blast this summer!"

I'll admit, putting this together did take some effort and it would have been easier not to. But it was so worth it when Eve pulled me aside and gave me a sticky popsicle hug and said, "Thanks for throwing this party, Mom." Rare words from my undemonstrative eldest! And then when Eleanor ran up to me, soaking wet from water balloons and beaming from ear to ear, saying "This is the best party ever!" I hope it's a good omen of the happy weeks to come.

memorial day fun

This year we made our annual Memorial Day pilgrimage to MacGregor Park, a fun spot right along the Rogue River. It has a cool nature walk right next to the water, an interesting interpretive center, and a killer playground. And it is about 40 minutes away, so it feels "trippy" without having to drive too far. A perfect combination!

Sam was recently hired by the coast guard.

A bird's nest

We ended with a stop by Sonic for some happy hour slushies. They were well-received.





And then a BBQ with friends.

A really great Memorial Day weekend and such a fun way to kick off the summer. Now I just need the weather to get the message....

on raising a feminist

A few days ago I installed some new hardware in the kids bathroom (which is looking great, by the way - I should post some pics!) I used Jared's drill, which Sam found extremely impressive.

Sam: "When I grow up, I am going to be a mommy and use tools."

Possibly my proudest parenting moment. *sniff sniff* Next he will be reading Margaret Atwood.

a texas-shaped hole in my heart

My dear friend Aimee moved last week and it has been a major bummer. I have handled my funk by vascillating wildly between extreme busy-ness (organize closets! Paint bathrooms!) and extreme lethargy. I pretty much either want to be so busy I can't think about how sad I am, or asleep. Our little town has had such a rough time with the economic crisis and, one by one, I have seen too many friends pack up and leave Medford. This move was just almost too much to handle.

But it has been a week now and I am feeling better. Better enough to blog, at least! And while I miss my friend, I realize that this is a great thing for her family and I am so very happy and excited for them.

I also realize that just because you don't live next door to someone doesn't mean they aren't your friend anymore. I have tons of friends! They just happen to live in Texas and Washington and Maryland and Virginia and Kansas and Utah and Arizona and all over the place. I love and miss all of you wonderful friends!

So in honor of my friend Aimee and of my own turning point today, I would like to post 10 Fun Facts about Texas. Hopefully some of these facts will fill that Texas-shaped hole in my heart. (It really IS the biggest state! Ouch!)

Ten Reasons Why Texas Is Awesome

1. The armadillo is the state mammal.
   




2. The first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was "Houston."
   




3. King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.
   




4. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas in 1885.
   




5. Even their state capitol building is the biggest! It is 8 ft taller than the U.S. Capitol building. And it's kind of fruity looking.








6. In Texas, it is still a "hanging offense" to steal cattle. (Also illegal: putting graffiti on someone else's cattle. Hopefully not a hanging offense.)
   




7. It is also against the law to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel window.
   




8. The Mars plant in Waco Texas produces 75% of the world's Snickers bars.
   




9. Rodeo is the official state sport.
   




10. Texas was an independent nation fron 1836 - 1845. Surprised, no?
    

Mostly, Texas is awesome because my friend Aimee lives there. Do you know any more fun facts? Feel free to share!

how-to: friend moving away edition

A general how-to if you find out your dear, sweet, wonderful friend who was supposed to move to Houston in June is now moving in less than two weeks:

1. Cry your sad little eyes out.

2. Glare in the general direction of Texas.

3. Eat some chocolate.

4. Sigh gustily, pick yourself up out of your sulk, and acknowledge that this is really what is best for your friend.

5. Offer to watch her kids every waking minute of the next 10 days so she can get packed.

6. Tell your friend you love her dearly and will miss her so much it will hurt, but you are so happy her family will all be back together again. And ask her please not to wait too long before she visits.

Love you, Aimee!

easter fun

Good times yesterday! We had a super Easter. Just the usual stuff, but it seemed extra fun this year.

We dyed eggs Saturday night, of course:

Sam tried to ...surprise!... eat the eggs. While still in the shell. I asked him after I took this picture what he thought was inside. "Chocyate," he whispered back, all reverently. No wonder he thought this was the most incredible activity ever! After I enlightened him by peeling an egg, he was still pretty into it and started calling himself "the egg controller." He gave himself the job of arranging the eggs in the carton after they had dried. I can't blame him - there is something so magical about handling those rainbow eggs.

Next morning, we had a candy hunt:

Don't you love the curlers? Their hair looked pretty darn cute after I took them out. Sadly, no pics. I even made them cutsie little tulle-rosette headbands and still didn't take a picture! I had to leave early for meetings before church and peeled out of there pretty fast.

I will admit that I was annoyed at having meetings on Easter Sunday, but it all turned out pretty great and was one of the best Easter services I've ever been to. In fact, all three hours of church were really amazing. How often can you say that?

After church, our friends came over to share Easter dinner with us. It was so nice, in the absence of any family in the area, to spend the evening with people we love and that have become our family here in Medford. So glad the kids can have substitute cousins to play with!

And Eleanor dressed up like the Easter bunny:

We always do these scripture eggs the week before Easter. And, while there was the usual wrangling and noise, this was the first year the kids - the girls, especially - really got into the story and understood it. It was really cool to answer their questions and see their little testimonies germinate. So glad all that Primary tuition isn't going to waste!

everything back to normal

As you can see from this picture, we are all very happy that Jared is home. Look at that look of sheer bliss on Sam's face! It didn't take long before the kids were piling on Jared and making him be a human jungle gym. No, I didn't try to stop them - he knew he had it coming!

But I forgive him for leaving me. He brought me back a beautiful necklace AND a giant tub of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Peanutbutter Cups. Jared really knows how to play his cards right.

Everyone is much more cheerful now that Daddy is home. Sam is feeling much better and is back to his usual self, as evidenced by the following conversation I had with him this morning:

Sam: "My tow truck is so strong it could tow our house!"

Me: "Woah, that is really strong! Could your tow truck tow a dinosaur?"

Sam: scoffs like I'm an idiot "No...dinosaurs don't have a hitch."

Back to business as usual! Happy Monday, everyone!

doing worlds better

Just wanted to say thanks for listening to my whining yesterday! Things are definitely looking up today. Even though Sam did get up a few times last night (curse that cough of his!) and woke up at the crack of dawn banging on the wall and shouting "I want to dig outside!"... things are still looking up. My temperature has gone waaaaay down and my throat is feeling much better - it's amazing how not being sick can really perk a girl up.

Incidentally, Sam was banging on the wall with the giant plastic shovel that he went to bed with last night. I'm not sure I get little boys.

So thanks for your kind responses. It helped me not feel quite so abandoned and pathetic!

Now for something completely different. Remember the Where's Waldo activity our church youth group did last year? It was such a hit, we did it again this year. I was worried I would have to miss the activity, what with Jared being out of town, but my bishop's sweet wife came to watch my kiddos so I could don another crazy wig and walk around the mall:

I went as Pregnant Velma, apparently. I wasn't really going for the Velma part, but whatever works. My friend Ginny went as Outrageous Granola Lady. She heard one employee say, "Wow, that lady must be from Ashland!" so I guess her disguise worked.

I had many people ask me when I was due, if it was boy/girl, what names I was considering... I wasn't prepared to answer these questions! I made up many lies. I hope the guy from the cell phone kiosk never talks to the girl from The Children's Place because my story will not check out! I even had someone say, "Are you sure there's only one in there?!" Really, people? Really? I have to put up with that crap when I'm actually pregnant - I shouldn't have to when I'm fake pregnant.

See? All I needed was an orange maternity sweater!

single mom and some newberies

I don't usually broadcast this information on my blog, but my self-pity is overwhelming. Jared is out of town for some work training. We didn't really believe he was going to end up going thanks to the goings-on in DC last week, but when the shutdown was narrowly avoided he packed his bags and took off. When Jared is out of town, I usually console myself by making the kids PBJs for dinner, not cleaning the house, watching girl movies, and starting an enormous home improvement project that Jared would stop me from doing if he were here. This time, however, I have been up with a sick Sammy every night and am now sick myself with a raging fever and sore throat. Not so fun. Painting all the doors in the house, like I had originally planned, sounds a lot more fun. (I did one! Only eight more to go...) So please feel sorry for me. That's all I ask. *sniff, sniff* Because I am unable to do more than lay on the couch in my jammies while Sam watches "Bob the Builder," I thought I could at least add some more Newbery reviews:

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

by Jean Lee Latham (1956) I could not for the life of me figure out why so many people were dying in this darn book! Our poor main character loses mother, grandmother, beloved sisters, brother, brothers-in-law, and finally a wife. So much for one fictional character to bear! Then I realized Nathaniel Bowditch is not a fictional character but was an early American mathematician from Salem who revolutionized ocean navigation and did indeed lose a lot of family members. Aside from all the dead relatives, Bowditch is an odd choice as a topic for a children's book. All children love to read about innovative mathematicians, right? A ho-hum little book, it combines historical fiction with ocean adventures but not a whole lot else. Though I am fascinated by anyone who can teach himself Calculus. A runner-up this year was Men, Microscopes, and Living Things. Must have been a brainy year for Newbery!

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (1952)

Jerry Pye scrimps and saves to earn a dollar to buy a puppy. After he brings home Ginger, Jerry and sister Rachel are overjoyed and the book promises to unfold into a delightful little tale of two children and their dog. And then Ginger runs away (or, as we find out later, is kidnapped) and doesn't return to the book until nearly the last page. So why is this book called Ginger Pye? He is pretty incidental to the book. It should be called Two Kids Have Some Picnics and Express Mild Concern Over Their Missing Dog For A Year. Yes, a year. The dog is missing for a year. The whole time Ginger is hidden in a neighbor's backyard being trained to be a circus dog. Now that sounds like an interesting book!

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (1951)

Is this weird or what? All the Newbery runners-up for 1951 were biographies: Lincoln, Gandhi, Johnny Appleseed, and - the ultimate winner - Amos Fortune. If you can look past some of the condescending racial conventions of it's day, this really is an inspiring true story of a man taken from Africa at the age of fifteen to live the life of a slave in Salem in the 1700s. Fortune is finally able to purchase his freedom at the age of sixty and begins a new life as a tanner in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. He marries, has a family, and becomes a prominent member of the community of Jaffrey, where you can still visit his grave stone and see a monument to him. I know the story is very sugar-coated, but it is hard not to be moved by the underlying fact of a man beginning his life at the age of sixty and spending his remaining years doing so much good. While this book itself is not terribly intriguing, Amos Fortune the person is. There was a short film produced in 1997, Amos Fortune Road, about trying to find orginal records to preserve his story.

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry (1941)

A basic coming-of-age story, Mafatu wants to prove to his tribe and his father (the Chief, of course) that he is not afraid of the sea. Launching from his island home with only his spear, some food, and his dog, Mafatu is on a quest to find his courage and come home a hero. He lands on a deserted island and manages to survive just fine until he discovers the island is really the home to a tribe of cannibals. I hate when that happens! A quick and predictable read, but who doesn't love a good survival book? Also, the author's illustrations are stunning. And is that his real name? Too good to be true!

One of Sperry's woodcut illustrations

gross parenting moments: tootsie roll edition

If you're not into this sort of thing, avert your tender eyes.

Sam is pretty sick. He was up last night coughing his little snotty guts out, poor guy. He couldn't even manage a nap today, he was coughing so hard.

I had just gotten him out of his bed this afternoon and set his sweaty, boogery, cough-racked little self on the kitchen counter when he gagged. And threw up all over the kitchen floor. Repeat three times. Each time followed by Sam screaming, "AHHHHH! IT'S ON MY HAND!" Not a veteran vomitter yet.

Eve stood by watching, mildly concerned. Inspecting one of the puddles, she says, "What is that?! A Tootsie Roll?...(long pause)... Can I have one?"

Ew.

red tape factories rejoice!

Sitting on my sunny porch, watching Sam shovel his trucks through the wood chips while my just-barely-blooming tulips nod in the breeze, it's hard to remember that I am supposed to be stressed about something. But I am:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110408/ap_on_bi_ge/us_spending_showdown

It's never a good sign when you type "government" into Google and it immediately - and helpfully - adds "shutdown" for you. I was very much peeved by the following quote from a Fox News article: (I should know better than to click a Fox News link, but I couldn't help myself!)

Should Congress fail to reach a budget and non-essential federal workers are forced to stay home as a much ballyhooed federal government shutdown goes into effect at midnight Saturday -- don't tell the Obama administration, which apparently sees nearly everyone as essential.

Yes, museums and national parks will shutter. Yes, about 800,000 people will be on the standby list, unable to use government-provided BlackBerries and cell phones.

Really? Jared has a government-issued Blackberry? And he works for a museum?! I hardly know that man anymore, I tell you! What will really happen is thousands of decent, non-tax-wasting federal employees will be forced to stay at home while their work emails get clogged, their desks pile up with unfinished projects, and their bank accounts deplete.

But do not fear, American public! Your Congress person will not be forced to suffer such indignities. Their paychecks will continue to be cut. I have a few choice words about which federal employees I consider essential: the ones who are currently at their desks frantically trying to finish as much work as they can before midnight tonight or the ones munching on government-provided sandwiches and effectively stymieing the democratic process? Hmmmmmm...such a hard choice.

newberies: father/son edition

It finally happened, the day I have been dreading since committing to this project. My random number generator turned up no. 56. The Bridge to Terabithia. My most hated childhood book. I am headed to the library to pick it up in a little bit, so wish me luck. Better now than ending on it, right? Wouldn't it have been a cruel twist of fate if 56 had been the last number drawn? Bleh.

So a few more reviews. I apologize that this is really all my blog has consisted of lately. I need to tell my kids to be more funny/cute so I have things to blog about again.

I had a rash of father/son books on my list lately, all from the emerging emotional awareness of the 50s and 60s. Two from the same author, even! (Yes, it is safe to say that Joseph Krumgold has daddy issues.) And some were definitely better than others.

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold (1960)

Joseph Krumgold won two Newberies - for Onion John in 1960 and also for ...And Now Miguel in 1954. (Too bad they weren't handing out Cheesiest Title Awards in 1954 because I am just sure he would have won!) One was pretty good and the other was pretty not so good. I just didn't really care all that much for Onion John. Generic suburban boy - Andy - in generic suburban town befriends the homeless guy who the town has dubbed Onion John and kindly permits to live in the local dump and rifle through their trash for food. Could this possibly be a social commentary about accepting those who are different (Onion John is from an unnamed Easter European country and no one can understand a word he says)? Or about waking up a suburban town to the realities of indigence and poverty? No. Not so much. It's about Andy trying to thwart the plans of his oddly jealous and controlling father who wants nothing more than for Andy to go to MIT and become an astronaut (can you tel this was written in the 60s? An astronaut!) Long story short, after the town ruins Onion John's life by building him a little suburban house (in the dump) and helping him to abandon his medieval ways (growing onions in his bathtub), the little house goes up in flame (Onion John doesn't really understand electricity and starts a fire.) Andy decides they should run away together. Andy's dad intervenes and stops their plans, Onion John leaves the little town he has lived in for 50 years because a little twerp messed up his life and his house burned down, and Andy goes back to bed. The end. The book was condescending and I didn't really get the odd Industry! Technology! theme that was probably much more relevant in 1960. And the relationship between Andy and his dad was creepy. Heck, the relationship between Andy and Onion John was creepy! Not really a book that would resonate with today's kids.

...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (1954)

I really dreaded reading this book, not only because of the title, but because I really didn't want to read another book by Joseph "I Hate My Father" Krumgold. But this book was surprisingly and happily a lot different from Onion John. Miguel is twelve and a middle child on a sheep ranch in New Mexico. The burning desire of Miguel's heart is to prove to his father that he is old enough to go with him and his older brothers on their annual three month trip to the mountains to let the sheep graze on the lush mountain grass. Miguel is a guileless and believable narrator as he describes the angst and humor of being twelve and not always taken seriously. The desert scenery is lovely and evocative. And Miguel's family is warm, loving, and waaaay more functional than Andy's repressed family. There is an odd bit at the end where Miguel and his older brother Gabriel have an existential discussion about God, fate, and the meaning of the universe. But even that was funny, too. The last few pages, where Miguel finally ascends the mountain with all the men of his family , was genuinely moving. Stick to this one and pass on Onion John.

It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville (1964)

This book rules the school! From it's crazy cool 1960's title to it's very teen narrator, 14-year old Dave Mitchell, it's a little slice of sixties awesomeness. The underlying theme is how Dave works out his troubles with his uptight, prone-to-lecturing attorney father... a little cliche, I know. But I love the setting, the language, the characters. It seems that most American kids' books in the preceding decades were set in little suburban towns or even the country. This seems to be one of the first to write about a kid who doesn't go hunting for arrowheads or swim in Farmer Brown's pond, but who walks down 42nd St to buy a Coke and who hops a subway to go to the zoo in Brooklyn. I love that Dave says stuff like, "My Pop's going to blow his stack!" and his dad says stuff like "Don't get fresh!" And they talk about Harry Belafonte records and the new show called West Side Story. It would seem so trite if the book was written as a nostalgia piece but instead it's the real thing. And enjoy the cool soundtrack that will inevitably play in your head while you read!