Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Ah, Halloween–where you worry you don’t have enough candy and so your hubby hits Costco on the way home, only to end up with loads of the stuff left when you’re trying (or, perhaps, trying to try) to make better food choices.

Anyway.

I can’t promise much by way of coherence, because the virus that had my youngest puking and my son just exhausted with no appetite has my 8-year-old coughing up a lung and a half every few hours, ALL NIGHT LONG.  The poor thing coughed so hard she threw up at one point–into a bowl, thankfully–and was so tired and miserable.  I’m tired because I was up with her, and her sister is tired because they share a room and she’s been waking up with the coughing (she ended up in the guest bed last night at 10).  I did finish Patricia MacLachlan’s latest book, however, and like all of her books, it’s eminently worth reading.  Just Dance centers around 10-year-old Sylvie, who wants excitement and is sure it’s not going to be found on her small town farm in Wyoming.  Why her former opera singer mother is content there baffles and worries her, because what if she really isn’t?  How can she not miss the life she gave up–and what if she decides to do something about it?  How Sylvie finds the answers to her questions makes for a lovely little story about love and joy (and may leave you with Con Te Partiro in your head indefinitely!).  If you’re feeling a little stressed going into the holidays–because, say, your older two daughters’ science fair projects are due the week of Halloween and there’s been sickness and out-of-town-ness going on to boot–grab this one and enjoy.