Read Sarah Vowell!!

Sarah Vowell,

Where were you when I was striving through History in high school? And how awesome is it that I can tell my kids that Violet Parr (off-spring of Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) writes fascinating books about American History and other things? So awesome.

I am reading "The Wordy Shipmates" and enjoying it immensely. I bought it at DI for $2. I sound like my dad. But I like it so much that I went to the bookstore and paid $14 for "Assassination Vacation." It took a great deal of self-control to not buy "Take the Cannoli" and "The Partly Cloudy Patriot." I will own and read them in time...

Go read Sarah Vowell. Put down the Mortal Instruments series; put down "Percy Jackson"; put down "Fablehaven." Go read Sarah Vowell!

A Judd (Brewer, Lundgren, Kim) Family Christmas

After our traditional Christmas Eve dinner by the tree, we all went to bed. Christmas morning dawned bright and not-too-early (my favorite kind) and we all ate breakfast before approaching the Christmas tree. Here is O with two Daniel Pinkwater books and a Tech Deck from Uncle Ernie. He's also wearing a watch from Auntie Eunice and holding a whistle-pop from Santa. Christmas doesn't get any better than that!

Grandpa and Grandma Lundgren brought over their gifts later which included a Playmobil castle for S, a set of foam disc guns for O, and construction toys for H.

When Grandpa and Grandma Kim arrived at night, the boys all had another Christmas celebration, complete with books, Legos, and finally...

the Leapster 2 that O had been quizzically receiving cartridges for all day. He was too tired to really appreciate it then, but it has become a favorite!

Happy Belated Halloween!

Halloween started for us this year on Thursday when S wore his ninja costume to school (sans mask) for Storybook Character Costume Day. Inspired by S, O and H wore theirs when they went Visiting Teaching with me. On Friday our ward had its annual Trunk or Treat, complete with chili cook-off and costume contest.



By Saturday we were Halloweened out, but we had to pay the requisite visits to Grandpa-Great, Grandpa Judd (actually that was a surprise visit and this

is all we saw of him, though we heard him inside talking up until we knocked), and Grandma and Grandpa Lundgren. Grandma Lundgren took the boys trick-or-treating around her neighborhood and added to their candy stash.



That night the Great Pumpkin came to our house, collected the boys' candy, and left them each a book. S got the first Fablehaven, O a Dr. Suess book, and H a board book about the USA. I can put up with all the sugar if the Great Pumpkin comes.

There Must Be Something Wrong...

I spent almost 1 1/2 hours in the bookstore on Saturday and came home with only 3 books. This is not like me. Something must be wrong.

I looked at plenty, even sat down on the floor to read a few pages of several, but only came home with three. Normally, I have no problem spending money on books. I also don't think about where to stash them when I get home with them. (The wall of bookshelves in my front room should be sufficient, thanks.) And I have no problem getting completely lost in a book, emerging from my reading stupor around 3 AM, having neglected the home and family, sleep and common sense. On Saturday, I choked looking at the price of the books. Maybe I was spoiled by having bought "Eragon" at DI for $3 and having found Harry Potter 7 there for $5. For some reason $7.99 a book was too much for me. And where was I going to put it? It's true that I'm running out of room on the shelves. I've scoured them over and over, trying to weed out the ones I could send to DI, having less and less success each time. Then, I read the first few pages of "Eldest" and didn't really get caught up in the story like I thought I would. Ditto for "Fablehaven," a few Shannon Hale books, and some other ones I don't even remember. I'm losing interest in reading -- something is wrong here! Not sure what it is. I'll let you know when I figure it out.

If you have any suggestions for books that may kick me out of my inexplicable reading slump, let me know!

Playing Catch Up

I am sitting on my couch, deliriously exhausted, but having to be awake to manage the irrigation water for the next 1 1/2 hours, so this post may not be very coherent. Just to warn you.

Since my penultimate post much has happened. According to my camera, we have walked the Provo River Parkway Trail to Bridal Veil Falls (along with everyone else in Utah County, it seemed that day), hiked to Stewart Falls on the back of Mt. Timpanogos, hiked the "Y", and meandered around Cascade Springs. Pictures are forthcoming, although if you are not my mom, you probably don't care too much.

O, H, and I have lunched on Provo Temple grounds, gone to the library, and generally enjoyed each other's company while S has been in school.

Here is a picture that I really like for some reason:

H's fat little cheeks, the big broccoli tree -- I don't know. It just makes me giggle.

J has been in and out of town, taken days off and worked overtime -- you know, the usual.

I just finished reading "Quicksand and Cactus" by Juanita Brooks. It's a memoir of her life in Bunkerville and Southern Utah during what historians call, "The Middle Years" of Utah history.
"The Middle Years" refers to the time after the great Mormon Migration happened, but before "The Outside" came into Utah. Very interesting read.

Sleepy lady off to check the water...

Binge

I am a comfort/binge/escapist reader. I love to read. A whole long wall in our house is bookshelves, and all of those shelves are full. I'm not saying it's necessarily a good thing. When I read, especially when I read something interesting, something that grabs my attention, I succumb to it and let it take all of my attention. Laundry piles up, the dishes do too. Dinner, if made at all is made one-handed. If anyone wants to talk to me, they get the half-glazed look from me because my eyes are unfocused from reading.

My latest reading binge has come in the form of "The Little House Books." Girls, you know which ones I'm talking about. "Little House in the Big Woods" to "By the Shores of Silver Lake" to "These Happy Golden Years" and beyond. When my sister and I were young we read those books to pieces. She has since bought her own collection, and I need to do the same. I love all of the books in that series, but my favorite are "Farmer Boy," "Little Town on the Prairie" (who cannot love it when Almanzo Wilder first touches Laura's elbow and asks,"May I see you home?"), and "These Happy Golden Years." It's gotten me thinking about so many things:

• They worked so hard from dawn to dusk. I make my kids do chores in the morning and then they're done. Do I need to plant a bigger garden and throw bins of toys away to build character in my sons?
• So many times Laura talked about biting back words, breathing and thinking before she spoke. I know I could benefit from practicing that!
• They ate the same simple meals over and over and over again. I feel so spoiled and feel like I am spoiling my kids with all the choices we have for meals.
• It just feels like we have too much.

I've talked over this last one with J quite often. Sometimes it feels like I must be crazy because I don't know that other people feel the same way I do. I think that we have too much. Too many clothes, too many books and toys, too many choices, too many conveniences to help ease our way. Now, I know that I could go live in a yurt in the middle of nowhere. I'm nutty like that. I could be Amish if they let me. But I don't think that's the answer. We're counseled to "be in the world, not of the world," but where's the balance? I don't want to shelter my kids so much that they can't handle all that is out there once they're thrust into the world, but I don't want it to influence them too much growing up. Always fighting, fighting for balance. Any insight?

The Fabulous Reasons...

Here are some reasons why I get to celebrate Mother's Day:

Me and S

Me, H, & O

Me and H

Me, J, and H (love that look on H's face!)

The boys bought me a chocolate and books for Mother's Day this year. They know me so well. The Principles of Uncertainty" by Maira Kalman, "What It Is" by Lynda Barry, and "The Arrival by Shaun Tan. They look really neat. I am excited to read them.

Church was nice. S and O sang with the Primary. I had no idea O knew that many words to those songs! It was also heartwarming to see S take O's hand and walk up to the stand with him and look for him to bring him back to our bench when they were done.

After church H and I had naps while S and O played and J prepared dinner. While the meat marinated we went to J's mom's to wish her a Happy Mother's Day!

Grandma Lundgren

Aunt Alisa

Grandpa Lundgren and H

J grilled a yummy dinner while the boys played and I watched, sighing contentedly, glad to be a mom. I wondered if it was backwards that I was resting and J working this day because, after all, if he had not contributed those defective Y-chromosomes, I wouldn't be blessed with this houseful of boys. I really have him to thank for making me a mother. Shouldn't I be doing all the work today? Then on Father's Day he could labor in honor of the woman who supplied 3 eggs to give him 3 sons? Think about it.

A dinner conversation between J and S last week:

J: Do you know what Sunday is?

S: Yeah, it's Mother's Day.

J: We need to go get mommy something special and treat her extra special on Mother's Day.

S: I know! We can make her breakfast and dinner and get her a present. Then next month is Father's Day. (slight pause) Why isn't there a Child's Day?

J (under his breath): Every day is Child's Day.

S (of the bionic ears): What?! No it's not!

J: Oh yeah? Well, don't we make you breakfast everyday? And lunch and dinner?

S (who doesn't handle being proven wrong very well): Baaahhhhhhhh! (After all, what better thing to do when you're embarrassed and incorrect than yell?)

J: See?

Logic is the end all and be all for S

Pinkwater

Who took my Pinkwater Challenge? And who thinks I'm even weirder than they had previously thought? I'm almost done with "The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death" again. I had forgotten how great and strange that book is. I think my favorite is still "The Education of Robert Nifkin." I'm not sure why stories about portly oddball boys with eccentric friends appeal to me. Maybe it's because I've always felt slightly oddball-ish myself and my boys seem to be going that way too. I like that the main characters in Pinkwater books are comfy in their weirdness. They have nutty parents and nutty friends and don't do things in a conventional way.
Anyway, if you didn't like your first Pinkwater book, try another. I realize they're not for everyone, but if you give Daniel Pinkwater a chance, he just may become your favorite author.

Must Read

If you have not already read Daniel Pinkwater, you must start right now. Turn off your computer and go to your local library. Pick up "Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars" or "The Snarkout Boys and the Avacado of Death." Try "The Education of Robert Nifkin" If you want a quicker read, reach for "The Hoboken Chicken Emergency" or "Spacebuger." I guarentee you'll be singing "lovely ravioli, lovely ravioli" for the next few days. We have adopted as our family book "The Big Orange Splot." It changed our lives -- or at least gave words to what we have felt for a long time. Daniel Pinkwater is great. If you don't think so by the time you are done reading his books, well, we are going to have to seriously reconsider our friendship. That is all.