Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Today was supposed to be a commitment followed by time to do household things followed by a commitment; my 9-year-old went to bed with an iffy-feeling stomach, however, and it doesn’t seem to be feeling any better today. I still made a hot dip to take to the school for the teachers’ luncheon, but I’m not likely to be driving the 9-year-old and her iffy stomach to therapy this afternoon (or getting my Trader Joe’s shopping in while she’s there). We’ll see what happens, I guess. The Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Taco Dip I took to the school smelled fabulous, although I didn’t try it before I dropped it off, and today’s load of laundry is in the dryer, so there’s that. I know I didn’t post on Monday like I meant to, but my son was home sick with a cold/cough, and that plus the remains of a scary kitchen and the need to make another pot of applesauce pretty much wiped out my best hours of concentration. Yesterday my oldest and I met with her assistant principal about a 504 for over an hour, which meeting I went to straight from the library. Afterwards I booked it home for lunch and a walk before heading back to the high school to pick my 15-year-old up from an NHS meeting, which was an ordeal because the traffic light was out at Redwood and 54th. She and I went straight to the elementary school from the high school to view the science fair and take her younger sister home, and then there was a break before I had to take her to dance, but still. All the things!

Anyway. The half unfortunate news is that because I managed to finish a graphic novel last night–that’s the NOT unfortunate part–I’m reviewing that instead of one of the other books that’s been waiting its turn.

Sigh.

Still, I’m anticipating Unhappy Camper (by the creators of Measuring Up) to be a hit with both my graphic novel lovers. Sisters Michelle and Claire were the best of friends before Michelle (the younger one) encounters ridicule from the school mean girl about her Taiwanese American heritage; wanting to fit in, she drops everything she can that marks her as different, while Claire holds on to her heritage. Militantly.

Their camaraderie is long gone when their parents decide to sent Michelle to the Taiwanese American summer camp where Claire is now a junior counselor. Neither girl is thrilled, but over the course of camp, they begin to find their way back to each other. Will they make it all the way, despite the obstacles they encounter? Will Michelle still fit in with her school friends? How do you decide who you are–and find friends that accept you that way? And isn’t that what all middle schoolers want to know?

The ending isn’t exactly surprising, it’s true, but there’s a reason this kind of plot is so prevalent in middle grade fiction, and it’s NOT because it’s fantasy. This is a solid story with important messages and an interesting look at Taiwanese culture, and if my 15-year-old were younger, she’d be getting it for Christmas. It’s a bit short for her now, however, and my youngest might be more into a fantasy graphic novel, so it’s just going to get read and enjoyed for a while. If you have a middle school girl who loves realistic fiction and graphic novels, however, Unhappy Camper is a great gift idea.

As in, another book for a Christmas present. Yesterday I finished Arianne Costner’s My Life as a Potato, and I’m thinking it will be a great fit for my son. (At least, I hope so. He’s frustratingly unpredictable, though.) Here are the points in its favor…

1. It takes place in Idaho–where we go regularly to visit family.
2. It’s about a kid who makes an impulsive decision that ends up getting him in trouble. (He should relate.)
3. To avoid getting in trouble with his parents, he agrees to become the school’s mascot for two weeks–which is, of course, a spud. (My son loves sports enough I’m hoping even a mascot’s experience will speak to him.)
4. He wants to be liked–which in the minds of middle schoolers equals cool. (Most middle schoolers ought to be able to relate to THAT.)

Other points in its favor? He tries to keep it secret, but ultimately handles it well. (Was I still annoyed at the deception? Yes, but I’m in my mid-40s and hate that kind of plot. At least he’s way smarter about it than Aladdin was–if it hadn’t been for Robin Williams, I think I would have actively disliked that movie.) His friends are nice people, his family feels real, and the ending is kind of fantastic. Bottom line? My Life as a Potato is relatable, entertaining, and quietly wholesome, which makes for a solid find for middle school boys. If it doesn’t make you laugh at SOME point, you may be broken.

Just–cross your fingers that my unpredictable son will really like it, okay?

Yes, I know this post should have happened yesterday. But yesterday morning, after taking my 4th grader to school, hopping on the elliptical, and doing your basic get-ready-for-the-day-personal-hygiene, I drove my hubby to the oral surgeon’s, waited with him in the waiting room for a frustrating amount of time (because why tell us to be there at 10 instead of 10:30 if we’re just going to sit there until 10:30 anyway?) picked up library holds once he was sedated, waited until he was done and ready to actually leave, and then left him in the car while I picked up his medications before we finally headed home. And since we all know I struggle to write coherently unless it’s relatively early in the day, well–you get recipes.

To begin with, I needed soup for that hubby of mine AND I had some leftover baked potato, so I searched out this copycat Outback Steakhouse Baked Potato Soup recipe. I used evaporated milk instead of cream and more of that than actual milk, I think–I was really low on actual milk–but other than that, I more or less followed the recipe, and I thought it was solid. The same holds for this Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter recipe, which my family demolished for breakfast this morning. Neither one is necessarily a “you must make this recipe immediately” recipe, but both are definitely “if you’re looking for a recipe for such-and-such a thing, try this one” material. I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream and half canola oil, half melted butter, since I didn’t have coconut oil; beyond that, I pretty much followed the recipe, and I was kind of sad that I had to ration my breakfast portion so that my youngest and my hubby also got enough. (I didn’t actually bother making the honey butter.) If you’re looking for a cozy meal, this would be a solid combination.

In the meantime, now that I’m home from Costco and have eaten lunch, I have a list of things waiting for me to do. Hopefully you’ll get a book review tomorrow!

I’m going to use that as an excuse for missing Friday, folks, although it’s probably not a fully accurate one. I did make two kinds of applesauce late last week, however, and I did have a PTA meeting on Friday morning, and I was thrown off my game by my hubby’s dental misery. (He’s off to the dentist for his root canal now, since he was too swollen last week and they sent him home with amoxicillin instead.) Saturday felt full–doesn’t it always?–and yesterday I took the kids up to dinner in Clearfield again since my hubby’s two California brothers and their families were in town. It ended up being a celebration of BYU’s close win over the University of Utah late Saturday night, about which Utah’s athletic director promptly mouthed off with an astonishing lack of class. (He’s been hit with a public reprimand and a $40,000 fine, which should tell you all you really need to know about the whole thing.)

Today, of course, is Veteran’s Day, formerly Armistice Day, and so I’m (once again) sharing John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields to mark the 106th anniversary of that Armistice. Because History.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high.

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.

On a different historical note, I finished Kathy MacLeod’s graphic memoir Continental Drifter this afternoon, and it stirred up a lot of feelings. MacLeod’s father is American and her mother Thai; she lived most of the year in Bangkok, but spent multiple summers in Maine while growing up. Quite the contrast, right? And of course, therein lies the problem–when you belong to two such very different places, it’s hard to feel like you truly belong in either. Kathy speaks English at her school, watches American shows, and loves American food, and yet when she goes to summer camp in Maine her fellow campers have trouble seeing past her differences. Like many kids–like me at that age–she wants too desperately to fit in to be able to celebrate her differences, and so once again she feels other. Is this what her whole life is destined to be like?

OH, the feelings! Maine is my happy place, and so I was both jealous that Kathy got to be there and upset for her that her experiences were so mixed. (In my experience, Maine is pretty white.) I also, however, felt pangs of empathy–my friend Kim and I were frequently called by each others’ names because of our red hair, which was a rarity in RI, and my own parents’ Utah upbringings marked me as different in a myriad of ways. Being half Thai, of course, is a far more visible and sizable difference, but I still felt a kinship with Kathy. Her family’s vibe, however–for want of a less trendy word–is a bit different from mine. Our family was physically affectionate and spent far more time together, although her dad and mine have some notable similarities, and our extended family is much bigger. Still, though–all the stirred up feelings.

Ultimately, I think I found the reading experience meaningful, although there is that pesky memoir difficulty of less resolution in the ending. How young readers feel about it, however, is likely to depend a great deal on personality.

I have to say, this morning’s chilly walk to school was invigorating! The whole voting experience? Yeah, not so much. Either I didn’t much like either candidate, or I couldn’t find information about one of them, or both candidate’s goals were worthwhile, and how do you know who is actually going to do better at honestly representing their constituents? My hubby and I filled out our ballots on Monday evening, and yesterday morning (before dropping them off on my way to the library) I took some time and finished Alina Tysoe’s What’s Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics, because a)I was close and b)its comforting humor felt wonderfully soothing. It popped up on my radar because I read a children’s graphic novel by Tysoe, and I’m SO glad it did. I may not be a dog lover, but ‘relatable’ is still an apt description, and Tysoe’s sisters, parents, and (later) husband are the kind of supportive people we all deserve in our lives. If you are (or love) an introvert, if you’ve ever felt anxiety, if you have people that help make the hard times easier–if you have hard times–pick up this little book for yourself.

It’ll make you smile.

In the meantime, it appears that Donald Trump is the new Grover Cleveland, I froze two more quarts of tomatoes, my hubby has dental woes, and parenting isn’t for sissies. How’s your life today?

I didn’t manage to post on Friday because the kids didn’t have school and it was–after some sleeping in–a very productive day; I’m barely posting today, because my good friend who lives in Pleasant Grove came up to visit during the day, and I’ve been productive during the time I wasn’t visiting with her. (As in, my dishwasher is running for the second time today.) I certainly don’t have it in me to review a book today, because I have to save all the brain cells I have to fill out ballots with my hubby later. I can, however, share this recipe for Hashbrown Hamburger Casserole with Veggies and Cheese, because I tried it a week or so ago and I was pleased with the flavor profile. I did improvise on the veggies, because I tend not to love frozen veggie mixes, but I didn’t do anything crazy–I had some canned green beans passed on to me and so I drained one of those and added an indeterminate amount of frozen corn plus a cup of diced carrots (I sauteed that last with the meat, since those were going to take longer to cook). My hubby mentioned he would have enjoyed more cheese on top, which probably everyone agreed with, but he and I both enjoyed it, and while the kids were mostly a thumbs middle, nobody was a down. If you’re looking for a shepherd’s pie sort of meal but you don’t have any leftover mashed potatoes, this is a good substitute!

In the meantime, good luck on the voting front. Oh, the horror!

Normally I wouldn’t dream of tackling a book review after 9 at night–on a weeknight, no less!–but since I can’t get in the shower–my three older kids aren’t home from their youth activity yet, and they’re going to need to shower as soon as they’re back–I decided to give it a go. Look at me, being productive! Over the course of my day I have:

1. Driven my oldest to school, since the kids’ car got left there yesterday
2. Blanched, cored, and frozen 3 quarts of garden tomatoes
3. Done two loads of laundry
4. Exercised
5. Driven BACK to the school to bring my oldest the car keys
6. Picked up my youngest
7. Read my scriptures
8. Fixed dinner and cleaned up the kitchen
9. Made pumpkin chocolate chip bread for breakfast tomorrow
10. Ran to Sam’s, since we were out of eggs
11. Deleted two recipe emails
12. Finished Jenn McKinlay’s Love at First Book

That last item, of course, is what brings us together tonight. (Bonus points if you caught that oblique film reference.) Love at First Book is the companion novel/sequel to Summer Reading, which I enjoyed; it isn’t set in Martha’s Vineyard, true, but Ireland isn’t exactly a letdown. And while the plot–girl travels to Ireland to be an assistant to her favorite author and falls in love with her welcoming Irish village AND her bookstore-owning son–is certainly predictable, that’s pretty much unavoidable with romance (to some degree at least) and not necessarily a bad thing. McKinlay does spend more time than necessary reiterating her hero’s amazing sexiness–everyone has flaws, and it’s a bit silly to have a romance lead of either gender be so ridiculously perfect–but the dynamic between the main characters is enjoyable. Em’s mother as a plot line is a noticeable loose end (she just kind of disappears), but her relationship with Siobhan has all the feels, and that plot line is handled beautifully. There are flaws, certainly–McKinlay’s sex scenes are a weakness, and I can’t help feeling like her writing isn’t always worthy of her books’ heart–but the last hour and a half of the audio book had me completely (there were tears). If you’re looking for a booklover’s romance (or perhaps, romantic booklovers’ fiction?), Love at First Book is a solid choice.

Now, cross your fingers that I can get my showering kiddos to bed quickly so I can hop in!

That’s what we’ve been doing, folks. On Saturday I took my three younger kiddos to pick apples; yesterday we carved pumpkins; and today I cut up my first pot of apples for applesauce. I also cleaned up the kitchen and tried a new recipe for dinner, which means my feet are sore. On the other hand, I spent some time with my son in his room, which was terrifying, and progress has been made. (Much more progress NEEDS to be made, but we got a solid start, right?) I also did a good bit of laundry, took back a bag full of library books, and was generally productive while barely leaving the house.

It was glorious.

Tomorrow, of course, is going to involve some errands and more laundry, and maybe Wednesday I’ll actually get to a book review. In the meantime, there’s a cold front coming in, and I can’t wait!

To be fair, though, I kind of knew it would be–my oldest had appointments on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and on Tuesday I helped with the elementary school’s vision screening from 8:45-ish to almost noon. Plus I spent Saturday morning at Instacare with my oldest, whose hands wouldn’t stop shaking. (This turned out to be a blessing, because both the nurse and the doctor were almost shockingly wonderful–they listened, considered, and gave us ideas for directions in which to go.) That oldest now has an ADHD diagnosis and a new medication to try, plus blood work that we’re hoping to get the results of today. We’ll see, right?

In the meantime, we also spent last Friday afternoon pulling out the garden, since it was going to get down to a low enough temperature over the weekend to threaten the tomatoes. We therefore have a dining room table half covered in produce and I’ve frozen 5 plus quart bags of tomatoes so far; I also made two more batches of pear freezer jam this week, since the pears were starting to get iffy. Thank heavens we didn’t have dance in the evenings! (It was our dance teacher’s school district’s fall break.)

Alrighty. Today is my first day this week of nothing but usual commitments–picking up my elementary schooler, taking kids to piano lessons, etc.–and I am over the moon. I also finished listening to Flying Lessons & Other Stories last night, and I’m excited to review it and get it out of my room. (It’ll probably just head downstairs to my girls’ room, but that’s okay.) It’s the second ‘We Need Diverse Books’ anthology that I’ve read, although I believe it was published first, and while I’m not sure I loved it as much as I loved The Hero Next Door, it was still completely enjoyable and totally worth your time. It’s got stories about athletes–one in a wheelchair–and nerds and outcasts and pirates PLUS people of different colors and backgrounds, and features at least six Newbery authors. What’s not to appreciate, right? Oddly enough, the two basketball stories were among my favorites–not that basketball’s odd, you understand, but I was an unathletic band geek in high school–but I enjoyed pretty much all of them, and the concept behind both WNDB and this anthology matters.

You should definitely give it a try.

1. I had great intentions for a book review today, and then I had to go to two different Costcos because my oldest had to bring an appetizer to a seminary thing tonight and needed pickled asparagus, and MY Costco didn’t have any. (They usually do.)
2. Also there was a doctor’s appointment to bring that same oldest to.
3. And a terrifying kitchen.
4. But I finally saw my new driver’s license, and I really think the picture is marginally less awful than my previous one!
5. Costco tries: Autumn grain salad with champagne vinaigrette–yes. Chicken and wild rice soup–nah. Lemon raspberry muffins–yes.