Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Although not so much because I’ve missed posts, to be honest with you. Sunday was my birthday and I taught a Sunday school lesson and helped my 12-year-old get ready for Oakcrest–a Monday-Friday church camp for girls going into 8th grade. She was nervous and hadn’t prepped as much as I was thinking she had, so that was an endeavor WITHOUT the power loss that cost me a birthday cake. (One’s family does not prep for a cake that bakes for 45 minutes when no one has any idea if and when there will be electricity to bake it. One fully understands and supports this.) She needed to be at a neighboring church building to tag her luggage at 7, so my hubby took her while I exercised and then I took her to Murray to catch the camp buses on Monday morning. Monday was spent in 1)the craziness of hey, the new dryer I found out about yesterday is getting delivered earlier than I expected AND while my son and I are gone, so good thing we have a neighbor to come be the adult in the house! and 2)hey, my niece and her family are coming in time for dinner before sleeping here for an early morning ride to the airport. I got up at 5:30 Tuesday morning to get them to the airport and then had PTA meetings at 10 and 2; yesterday, thankfully, my hubby took our oldest to summer seminary so that I could sleep a bit more. My son had a friend over in the morning and we went to see my friend Andrea’s new house in the afternoon, and I spent a lovely evening working on a puzzle and listening to a fabulous audiobook. This morning my oldest had the orthodontist at 8:45, my littles had piano at 9:30, and then we headed to a friend’s house for lunch before I left the littles with her and took my oldest to a 2 pm appointment; we got home around 5 so that I could exercise and do a load of laundry before my hubby brought home Panda Express a little after 6. (My absent daughter hates Panda–hence tonight’s meal.)

The reason I HAVE felt sort of guilty involves Jarad Greene’s A-Okay, which my 12-year-old read at school and recommended to me. It’s a semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a boy’s struggle with severe acne, and reading it involved a lot of “dang, acne wasn’t a big problem in my life and that seems so unfair.” (To be clear, when I think about my teenage experience as a whole, I had plenty of my own struggles–that just wasn’t one of them. I got the occasional zit.) Jay ends up on a medication with some unpleasant side effects, which doesn’t help the scariness that is figuring out 8th grade friendships. Add to that Jay’s lack of romantic feelings for anyone, and you have a book that has you wincing on the author’s behalf. (And your own. Because let’s be realistic about how not great the average 8th grade experience is…) Thankfully, Jay does eventually figure things out–mostly–and we’re left with a graphic novel that some kids are going to hardcore relate to. (Others–like me–might not personally relate, but growing our empathy is always a good thing.) Give this one especially to the teenage boys in your life!