Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

The rescheduled surgery came with a bit more drama than the original, which was frustrating–first, the surgeon said the 7th when it was actually the 8th, and then my hubby got a bit of a virus a couple of days before, and I was afraid it would have to be postponed AGAIN. It wasn’t, which was good, and we figured out it was the 8th sooner rather than later, but my in-laws had tickets to “Hamilton” the night of the surgery, so Grandma couldn’t stay overnight. (Although she did the night before, thankfully, because our check-in time was 5:45 am.) Our fabulous neighbor came to the rescue and camped out on our couch while I stayed in the hospital with my hubby, and then my oldest drove the kiddos up to Grandma’s house Friday evening so that the first night home from the hospital could be calmer and without an audience. Now it’s been almost a week, the kiddos went back to school this morning, and after a dentist appointment and some cleaning, I’m taking a step toward catching up.

The bummer about the surgery being put off, among other things, is that everything was topsy-turvy. We spent last Monday (the 5th) in Logan because we could go then and my niece and her family will be moving in the next month, but my youngest had to miss a friend birthday party in order to do it. We did make family dinner in Clearfield on the 4th, however, and since my second girlie is one of the two August birthdays, that was a good thing. (As a matter of fact, the kids and I slept over, since it seemed folly to drive home and then right back north to Logan the next morning.) The kiddos had the dentist the day before the surgery (as well as the junior high’s back-to-school night and the seminary opening social), the elementary’s back-to-school night was Monday, and my oldest has her first day of senior year and her first day at her first real (as in, not including housecleaning or babysitting in the neighborhood) job on the same day. (We’ll see how that goes.)

In the meantime, it’s that time of year again–namely, time to figure out a good graphic novel to give my daughter for her birthday this Saturday. I had high hopes for Jessixa and Aaron Bagley’s Duel, which I finished last night, but it isn’t–quite–what I’m looking for. There are certainly feels, and the sister fighting and family dysfunction is perhaps understandable, given the death of their dad a few (I think?) years ago–we grieve differently, and newly single and grieving mothers have a heavy, heavy load–but some of the things they say to each other are just too mean to be read over and over again the way two of my three girlies will. (Even in the flashbacks, when the dad was alive, there are some unacceptable comments. I taught at Sylvan too long to find comments like “I hope her body remembers better than her brain” acceptable, especially when made about a younger sibling IN the younger sibling’s hearing.) The concept of Lucy’s challenging her sister to a fencing duel is solid–their dad was a fencing instructor, and some of their younger conflict involved vying for his attention as he taught them to fence–and the healing that happens is solid as well; I’m perfectly happy to have my girls all read it. (I’d be perfectly happy to have my kids all read it, but my son isn’t terribly into graphic novels.) I just don’t need the sisters’ behavior in the first half of the book to become an integral part of their reading memory, you know?

As far as whether or not I’d recommend it, it does have plenty of satisfying resolution, and it’s probably realistic; I’d say go for it, especially for readers dealing with the death of an important adult. I’m expecting it to be enjoyed at my house, and I’m happy to have that be the case.

I’m just also happy about it having to–eventually–go back to the library.