2 for 2 for Sandra Dallas

I tried Sandra Dallas's Chili Queen. Not so much. So she's 2 for 2. Yes on Tallgrass and Persian Pickle. No on Chili Queen and Alice's Tulips.

Although, I do like an author who can use the adjective "rascally" and get away with it. And a main character who says, "When it's raining porridge, hold up your bowl." But the storyline didn't appeal to me---just couldn't jive that the main plot revolved around a house (ahem) of ill repute. And then I skimmed to the end and it just didn't seem worth getting there . . .

Day After Night by Anita Diamant

People should do what they do well. And Diamant proved herself capable, with The Red Tent, of being able to move a story line along while taking the viewpoints of four different women.

And she did it again, well, with Day After Night, a novel set in post WWII. The main characters are Jewish women who have escaped (in different ways) the concentration camps. And now find themselves in a British compound while governments figure out where they should go. But it's also about mourning, and hope, and healing, and grief. And friendship and secrets. My favorite things are:

1. Diamant never, not once, plays into the "women are so catty/fickle/backstabbing" stereotype. Please, that would insult her. Diamant's women have deep and meaningful women friendships that get them through.

2. There's this beautiful and artistic scene at the end with Zorah, one of the characters. All about how Zorah can finally taste her food. Meaningful to me because I remember grief so deep of my own that the color left the world, food lost its taste, and flowers lost their smells. But I also remember tasting food for the first time, smelling smells that had been absent, and seeing color again . . . part of my healing. So I had one of those moments where this author I do know now and will never meet plucked at the heartstrings of my heart and put it in this character.

3. I knew nothing about the topic. And now I know more.

It's a savoring book. Not a beach book with lemonade. More like a good winter break book where you can find a deep couch and a solid quilt and read late into the night when everyone else is asleep.

Some sensuality. Little language, some violence. But nothing to put it on a "no" list for me.

Find a copy and let me know what you think. Sarah, this might interest you because you like to read about Jewish heroines, and Melody, because you will appreciate the character development. Mel, didn't you say you like Poisonwood Bible? Or was that someone else? I couldn't get through PB, too dark for me . . . but this takes dark themes and lets the light shine through.

Just a little bit of holiday silliness with a cute song

Especially for Mariann, in honor of your recent Muppet movie sighting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBuBjFwDj-E

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas

Though I loved Persian Pickle Club, I didn't get too jazzed about Alice's Tulips. So I was hesitant to give Sandra Dallas another shot, but I did anyway.

And she came through for me. I read her Tallgrass, a story about a little fictional town that's set near one of the historical Japanese Internment camps.

I find this part of our country's history perplexing. I read Journey to Topaz, but never taught it in my years as a teacher. But the topic is haunting.

The book started slow for me, and I had to will my way into the plot, but I got there. And found some excellent characters. Dallas is strong with characters and plot. The dialogue drags a little in some places, but the other strengths compensate. Loved the end. Didn't see it coming and I can usually guess the end before I get there. So good job on that one, Ms. Dallas!

I would recommend this. Good for book groups. Ample fodder for discussion.

Katy, you don't do WWII now, but if you do, this would be good extra credit. Tough themes, good writing material. And it hasn't been made into a movie that I know of so they'd really have to read it. If you have a really sensitive soul in your class, probably not for him/her because of just a few lines of violence description. Pretty mild, but there.

The Outside World by Tova Mirvis

The trick about writing about the other is to make the foreign familiar and the familiar foreign. So that we can see ourselves in the other, and the other makes us see new things in ourself.

Kind of like when My Big Fat Greek Wedding came and and everyone could relate to it. One of the first things I heard about the movie was, "Well . . . it's about this Greek family and their daughter getting married. But you'd think they were Mormon!" A few days later one of my students was talking about the movie and she said, "It's about this Greek family. But they are just like my family. Except we're Chinese." It was a game I played: seeing how many times I could talk about the movie so more people would say this Greek family was just like their own family. And most people could. Maybe because it's about a single daughter who's getting older and she has adoring parents, relatives with opinions about how to wed her off, and therefore there's conflict and drama. It's pretty universal.

Well Tova Mirvis's The Outside World is about a daughter. Who's getting older. With a meddling family. But they are Orthodox Jewish. It's all about dating and mothers and fathers and religion and faith and finding the right spouse. It's about first dates and bad dates and worse dates. It's about finding a perfect soulmate and then realizing the soulmate isn't so perfect. It's about starting anew and then starting anew again. It's about finding meaning in religion and finding the meaning for yourself.

And Mirvis is a master at what she does. How she writes. The characters she develops. The humor she finds. She shows the human imperfection of people trying to live perfectly---all the while being respectful and non-critical. And she has some great one-liners like "The matriarchs would have made quite a stir in Brooklyn." Classic.

She made me see the foibles in my own life as I try to live religiously. And she made me laugh and laugh with some of her descriptions of dating talk among young women at a all women's school in Jerusalem. Orthodox women, but the conversation is almost word for word what's said in the BYU women's dorms. There I was, set in Jerusalem, and I could have in Provo.

If I were to pick my top 10 bookclub reading suggestions, this would be on the list.

Find a copy. I really think you'll like it. And if you want to compare and contrast, then read Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith, about a young couple in a totally different time and place.

No essay. I promise. Just come back and tell me what you thought.

Kristen C, I think you'll like this one. You'll jive with the voice and the irony. You'll get it.

How very Marianne Dashwood of me

Last week, Eric was out of town on business for part of the week. Then on Saturday he had an all-day scout training. Yesterday he had meetings early in the morning, meetings after church, and tithing settlement until 8 PM.

All the kids were sick.

I stayed home from church yesterday with the kids so my second son could sneeze and snot on me and not in Primary. My little girl had the croup, so I was a breathing treatment diva. I've gotten really good at holding her on my lap on the rocking chair in her room while giving her a breathing treatment while we watch ourselves in her long full-length mirror that's on the other side of the room. I sing "Little Peter Rabbit" in different voices with big actions with one hand to keep her entertained while I hold the Nebulizer in the other hand. I'm actually pretty good at fish voice, which is the most requested version.

So while the kids were supposed to be having rest-time, I ran out the front door to take the garbage out. And I tripped. And sprained my ankle. Pretty badly. So I dusted myself off and sat in my overstuffed red chair in the front room with my ankle in the air. I thought, "I have just sprained my ankle. How very Marianne Dashwood of me."

And then I started to think about the fact that Marianne Dashwood had someone come to her rescue. Ah, Mr. Willoughby. He was there to pick her up. Take her home. Bring her flowers and poetry. Say witty things. Give her an excuse to make her hair all curly. And I thought that it would be nice to have someone come and rescue me and try to tame the children who were THUMP! CRASH! BANGING! around upstairs during quiet time.

But I did not marry Mr. Willoughby, and it's a good thing because Mr. Willoughby was lacking in fortitude. Mr. Willoughby couldn't take it. Mr. Willoughby didn't stick around. Mr. Willoughby was a jerk. I am glad I did not marry Mr. Willoughby.

And sitting there, on my red chair, with my ankle puffing, I realized no one was going to come rescue me. I got up. Hobbled around. And then Eric came home at 8 PM and took care of the kids for an hour before they went to bed. And then he changed his plans for this week so he could be around to help me in my inability to walk. I love that man.

I called my sister after I'd sprained my ankle and told her about my Marianne Dashwood insights. And she said profound words. She said, "And what do with learn from Sense and Sensibility anyway? We learn that the right man will eventually come along. But in the meantime, your sisters will get you through." Liz and I talked about how we'd love to live on the same block for moments like the one I was having. I could call Liz and say, "I sprained my ankle. Up all night with a croupy child. Eric won't be home until later," and she'd say, "I'm going to the front door. Send the kids over and I'll be standing right here watching them come down the street."

My right man did eventually come around. But it's tricky---I married the right man and now work/church/his job/the world realizes what a good thing I have and they need a part of him too. So he goes. Because he is a good man.

So I call in the troops of women in my life---my mother who is here with my kids today, entertaining them and being her usual fairy godmother grandma self. I will call my sisters who live too far away and they will laugh with me or let me cry. Tomorrow when the kids are over their colds, I'll call on my sisters at church and they help.

And Eric will go and do what needs to be done and help everyone, including me.

And I will be here.

And my sisters will get me through.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

Have you read this one yet?

I checked it out of the library and then bought myself a copy so that I can read it again and loan it out. This is a keeper.

This is one of those delightful books that's labeled "adolescent literature" so it's sold for less on Amazon.com. Yet, in reality, it has universal appeal. Story is pretty canned: coming of age. Early 1900's. Girl trying to figure herself out as she grows up. Becomes great friends with her grandpa. They both like plants and bugs and other things considered unfeminine. It's a story that's been told a hundred times in a hundred different ways.

And this retelling is a gem. The writing is great. It is FUNNY! I treasure books that make me laugh out loud, and this one did. The characters are worth knowing.

It's a great read on its own. It would be a great book club read, especially if you are looking for something to do in a church book club and you need something clean.

It goes right along with Limberlost, which is where I'll put it on my shelves.

Sarah, this would fun for Sophie, Amy and Liz put this on your list for Millie and Ella for eventually.

And enjoy.

P.S. Does anyone have my copy of Ladies Auxiliary? Or Garlic and Sapphires? I let them swim out on loan into the big wide reader ocean and I can't remember where they are. If you have them, tell them to swim home.

Ode for Getting People to Sign up for PTA Luncheon

There's no real reason to post this, other than that Kristen C might see it and laugh. She and I spent many hours creating some very silly verse while we were in college. It's a talent.

I'm not sure where is a good use for this talent, but a talent indeed.

So here is the ode that I wrote to get people to sign up for our PTA luncheon. You have my full permission to use it anywhere anytime. You can even claim you wrote it.

Ye Olde Annual Staff PTA Luncheon Sign Up Sheet Ode

'Tis time in the year to give thanks where it's due

To our staff at _________, so loyal and true

We want to say thank you and we have a hunch

That they'd like our thank you, but that they'd love some lunch.

With soup and with salad! With cookies! With treats!

With bread and with snacks! With beverages! Sweets!

So please read the sign-up and then volunteer

The staff holiday luncheon just comes once a year

So look over the list 'til something catches your eye

Decide what you'll bring, and then hit "Reply".

See? A skill for sure, but where to use it . . .

Another tip for working with Pediatric specialists

I've had two more thoughts to follow-up on my last post of what I've learned about working with medical specialists. These are things I'm glad I did and found to be effective:

1. I find it very effective to be polite and thankful. Calm on the phone. Courteous in person. If a specialist has gone shown particular attention or fit us into her schedule, I write a nice thank you note on lovely paper. I remember to thank the workhorse doctors on our team at appropriate times: holidays, at times when Danielle is doing well at time-milestones that we've been given, etc. I send pears at Christmas to one doctor who is a particular star---she tells me that it's not necessary, but that her kids gobble up the pears. I send movie tickets as a holiday thank you to nurses in the office who have had to go above-and-beyond as they have cared for my daughter. In short, I acknowledge to our care providers that I know they are "just doing their job", but I recognize it's a tricky job and I try to express that I am thankful.

2. I do PR for my kid, conveying that I believe she's a well child, not a child whose life is compromised. Medical treatment is a sidenote, not her identity.

After my daughter had been hospitalized for the second time, and things were crazy (again), that is when I dressed her up in a princess costume and sent out birth announcements on Halloween. I sent them to my doctors, so that they would have this cute, happy, darling child in their heads when they saw her chart or came across her information---not the image of a baby in a diaper/blanket combo, tethered to wires in a hospital. When I have taken her to appointments, I dress her up in cute outfits, and if the outfit isn't cute enough already, I put a tutu over her pants and that does the trick. My message that I'm conveying is that we are going on with childhood, not sitting home sulking.

My friend Lindsay did something similar with her child when he was in the hospital. She took a marker and wrote all over his bedsheets: I AM WELL! I AM HEALTHY! I AM STRONG! I AM HAPPY! She drew suns and flowers and happy faces.

And that's what I try to convey with my actions to my doctors: My child is strong and happy. She has a great life! Thank you for helping us!

Working with Doctors, especially specialists

The beautiful thing about a blog is it's randomness. The topic has nothing whatsoever to do with anything I've written about before.

As I've mentioned, our daughter surprised us at birth with needing to be seen by a kajillion pediatric specialists. Which we did. Her medical mania is coming to a close now; all of her issues are resolving and she is, today, a precocious little lady who is developing right on track. Seeing her, you would never know that she's been the Superstar at many doctor's appointments. And the specialists are now bidding us good-bye: they say she's doing great and we don't need to come see them anymore. She'll have a few yearly follow-ups but she's doing so well that there's no future expectation of more medical drama in the future. Not now, not ever. For this we are grateful.

And I emerge a smarter, wiser, and more empowered mama bear. Here are some ways I've found to be the good patient/parent of the patient. (My brother who is a pediatric dentist has a colorful metaphor for parents who do their medical coordinating well. I certainly can't repeat it here in print. But I'll let you guess . . . )

1. I have learned that I must dress like a professional when I go to the doctor. When I dress business casual, the front office people pay more attention to me. They apologize more when I have to wait. The nurses take more time with us before we see the doctor. When I do see the doctor, he/she seems to listen to what I say with more attention and takes more time to explain the issues at hand. When I show up to an appointment in Mom jeans and snot on my shirt from where a child has sneezed on me, no one takes me very seriously. But when I wear a skirt, nice shoes, and I look professional, the office staff and the doctor seems to treat me more like an equal.

2. I have learned that doctors do want me to be a part of the decision making process. But first I have to prove to them that I am intelligent and informed. I have to do my homework---I have to be willing to ask about medical terms I don't understand. I have to be willing to read medical journal articles until I understand. If I appear to be an emotional wreck, the specialist will stop communicating with me and take over and make all the decisions even if I am vehemently opposed to them. But. If I am calm, rational, and obviously well-informed . . . and if I propose another method of treatment, usually the doctor will give my idea a serious consideration. I just have to prove that my thinking is rational, based on current medical theory, and non-risky. If I can do that, I can have what I want.

3. I have learned that it is the doctor's job to propose more tests and more scans---the doctor wants to do this to have all information possible. It is my job, as the parent, to question whether these scans are necessary, especially if there's a radiation risk involved. We all need to do our jobs. He/she needs to propose a test be done. But I get to ask if it's really necessary. If I'm not convinced, see 4.

4. I have learned that I am the captain of my child's medical team. Me. I am the captain. And I get to decide which doctors are on the team, and which doctors are off the team. Just recently I replaced Doctor A with Doctor B. I made the change because I disagreed with Doctor A's management and Doctor B was a better communicator and has more experience in the area we need it in. Doctor B in. Doctor A out. Me. I am the captain.

5. I have learned that doctors do much better if I hand them a typed paper with all the information on it. Doctors learn through printed words. They are words-on-paper people. If I just talk, I'm getting half their attention: 1/4 is examining my child while I talk, and the other 1/4 is thinking about their last patient or their next patient. But when I hand them something to READ, I get all their attention. I include things like: update since our last visit, my questions, current meds, current treatment plans of other specialists, etc. I make sure I have copies of scans or bloodwork in my hand---a copy I can give to them. I do all the homework I can, anything I think they need to know and anything that I want to know and I type it out. Marvelously effective.

6. I have learned that in cases like my daughter's, eventually specialists do tell us we don't have to come back to follow up anymore. Eventually they sometimes say, "Your child is normal, healthy, and thriving. Have a great life and send me a Christmas card with her picture in it every year so I can watch her grow up."

And that is the best lesson of all. All the medical mania, the questions, the time, the money, the worry, the fear, the uncertainty . . . it's all so that I can give my child the best shot at the best possible life she can have. Doctors sometimes have to be part of this. And to those who have helped us, I tip my hat. And when possible, bid a very fond farewell.

Arranged. It's a Movie. And I liked it.

I saw a great movie about the fictional friendship between a Muslim woman and an Orthodox Jewish woman. It's called Arranged, and you can check it out here.

I will pay this movie two high compliments.

1. You could show this at a Young Woman church event and not be scandalized. It's educational, interesting, and uplifting. You could even have an interesting discussion afterwards. About real issues, imagine. Issues such as modesty, agency, conservative living in a liberal world, questioning ones' faith and finding faith is what you really want, peer pressure, choosing a spouse, different religious cultures, etc.

2. I read a critique that a New York Times film critic did of this film and I disagreed with just about everything he said. The writer did not "get" the movie. I think you have to have some experience with trying to follow a religion's tenants to understand.

So I liked it. I'd watch it again. It's not jazzy like Tangled and there's zero action. So don't go into it expecting snaz. But still. Worth watching.

Summer Booklist

I haven't compiled my summer book list yet, except for the fact that I want to re-read Summer of the Monkeys.

What's on your list? I need ideas.

What was that? Flying clothes?

I was in the mood for some good historical fiction. True to the times, insightful about the conflict, solid research on dress of the age, interesting characters, and good acting. I put the Civil War North and South on our queue and hoped for the best.

Boy, that was a mistake. There were just too many clothes flying off of people. Not squeaky clean for my taste, that's for sure.

So I'm going to try for something else. And hope my next copies of Lark Rise to Candleford, Season Three get here soon.

Sound and Fury, Hobart Shakespearians

I loved the list of documentary recommendations from the last few posts! We watched Sound and Fury, a documentary about cochlear implants and we really liked it. Very well done. I thought the producers did a great job portraying how complex this issue is and how emotional, especially to deaf people who value and treasure deaf culture. 9 out of 10. Universal appeal.

We also liked Hobart Shakespearians, about a teacher in LA who inspires his 5th grade classes on to greatness. While not as engrossing as Sound and Fury, still good, and a powerful example of the power of one teacher/one mentor/one educator.

How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman

I finished How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman. Good read.

Since our family has had much more face time, email time, phone time, and hospital time with doctors in the past year than I ever could have hoped for, I've developed a new appreciation for good doctors and nurses and they work they do.

My greatest criticism in our medical voyage has been that doctors only seemed to be treating the numbers of my daughter's tests. I worried they weren't treating my daughter---just treating to the numbers. This is a big theme of the book: what criteria doctors use to make decisions.

The book isn't meant to be an expose of doctors, just an examination of doctors doing what they can. The message of the book is: doctors are doing the best they can. Patients are doing the best they can. Modern medicine is doing well, but can do better. We can all do better.

A good book if you are interested in the subject.

And . . . I must make one more comment before I venture off. Groopman was ruthless in his examination of drug salesman. I relished his comments, having met many a tight-bodiced, cleavage-showing, perfumed drug saleslady, as well as many slick, shiny-shoed, sweet-talking drug salesman man during my time working in a doctor's office. I'm sure there are some drug salespeople who have integrity and make an honest living and are good at what they do. I just think the whole drug manufacturing business is crooked. Like health insurance companies, it makes money on people who are vulnerable because of illness or circumstance. Groopman and me: we have little tolerance for this.

It was enough to read the book and find a kindred spirit in Groopman, who sliced and diced the drug reps and their industry. But that was just a sliver of the book. The rest of it was worth reading as well.

Keep them Coming!

I love all the movie recs in the comments. Keep them coming! Our Netflix queue needed a facelift.

Katy, either comment or email me and tell me what you teach again. I've been doing some more YA historical lit (I'll have to blog about it) and I'd love a reminder what topics you do. Would be fun to help you have lots of historical fiction suggestions at your fingertips.

Documentaries Take Two

Thanks for the comments! Fun suggestions! Katy, I would love to have your list of historical documentaries.

We also watched Babies, Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, and Wordplay. We liked all of those and thought they were worth the time.

Stacey, I would be so, so interested in your charter school experience. There aren't charter schools where we live for elementary, but there is a math and science charter school for junior high that's opening. If there were a waiting list, even so early in the game, we'd be on it.

Documentaries we watched. Some we liked.

Sometimes we get on documentary kicks. Sometimes we find some good stuff. Sometimes we just send the movie back.

Here's a sampling of some of what we've been through that we thought were really good.

1. Waiting for Superman, about the public education system in the US. Fabulous. Really truly well done.

2. Mad Hot Ballroom, about the ballroom dance program for elementary students in New York? I think New York. Hilarious. A riot. I loved it.

3. Spellbound, about the National Spelling Bee. Good stuff.

4. Nursery University about preschool in New York. We liked it.

Other things we watched and thought were interesting:

1. The food movies. Like Supersize me, the reason that I cannot frequent McDonalds---seeing the movie obliterated my McD business forever. We also did Food Inc. (interesting).

2. The oil movies. King Corn and Fuel for example. Good.

3. The homebirth movies. Like Being Born in America. Interesting---ironic that almost every movie makes hospitals out to be BAD and then there's an emergency and that's where the BAD hospital homebirthers end up going. Eric and I always find that ironic.

I'm sure we'll find more topics. We like documentaries. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Temple Grandin. It's a movie.

We saw the best movie! Go find a copy of Temple Grandin. It's a great story about Temple's life. Temple was born in the 1960's. She has autism. (Nice choppy sentences, there, Deborah.)

Saying, "It's about this woman with autism" is about all I can come up with because that really is the plot. But the story is intriguing and the movie is SO well done. Claire Danes plays Temple and it's been ages since I've seen such good acting.

After you watch the movie, watch "The Making of Temple Grandin" in the additional features. You'll get the meet the real Temple.

I have been thinking about this movie ever since we saw it. Because it's also about teachers and the powerful role of positive mentors. It's also about finding similarities where it would be easy to only see differences. And it's about becoming more human.

Just find a copy. Words fail me.

But watch it before you let your kids see it. I would let young adolescents watch it, but not little kids.

Netflix series we love

1. BBC productions of Dickens. Bleak House with Gillian Anderson is fabulous. We also liked Our Mutual Friend and Little Dorritt was great as well.

2. Lark Rise to Candleford. Starts slow, picks up.

3. Foyles War.

4. All the Poirots mysteries.

5. Monk.

6. The Elizabeth Gaskill ones. North and South. Wives and Daughters. And Cranford, which I forgot to add.

7. Victoria and Albert (two disks). We thought it was good.

8. Berkeley Square . . . We just can't seen to get enough of turn of the century British drama.

Anyone else have any series suggestions? I'll do documentaries and movies in other posts.

A Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd

So it's actually a book review today!

I piecemeal read A Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus. I read half, then skipped to the end, read the end, then skipped back and piecemeal read the rest. Never did get around to putting in a bookmark, that's why. Never thought about a bookmark until I was settled, feeding the baby, thinking, "Should've found a bookmark."

The book is great. Along the delightful lines of These is My Words and with enough romance for even Guernsey fans. The plot is that women (of their own accord) are given to the Cheyenne nation in the 1800s to be brides of the Cheyenne men. Jim Fergus did a lot of fantastic research into the Cheyenne culture---I know because that's where I went after I read the book.

And it. Is. Funny. Of course, I'm drawn to any book where the women are intelligent, sassy, plain-spoken gals who have brains and wit.

It would be a great book club book. Truly fun to both read and discuss.

It is about marriage. So there are consummation scenes. Blip. Blip. Move on with the plot. But if those will offend you, skip them when you see them coming.

I think I'm going to buy this one. I'd enjoy reading it again and picking up the pieces that I missed the first time.

Read it before you give it a friend or daughter to read, then you can make the call.

OK, Caveat to my last post

So I had some response about my air duct post and I wanted to clarify:

Having the ducts cleaned out was WTM to me because we had stuff and smells that we needed to get out. The EPA says that it's debatable whether most people, who don't have problems and don't suffer from allergies, really do need to have the ducts cleaned out at all.

The other thing is that it stirs up the yuck in the ducts. Can't be good for breathing. But I was stuck. I didn't want to leave a stranger in my house and Eric was at work. So for part of the time, the kids were playing outside where they didn't have to breathe the stuff. Things you learn.

So there you go. More info.

Handbook to Life. Air duct Cleaning.

Sometimes I feel like I need a handbook to life. I mean the practical aspects of life. (I just had flashforward of someone giving in a talk at church, "I read this woman's blog saying she needs a handbook to life and I thought---the scriptures! That's what you need!" Yes, I know. And I do need them.)

I was speaking about the more mundane aspects of life. Like cleaning.

I'm good at doing what needs to be done, once I know what needs to be done. For instance . . . because of some questionable (and we think illegal) smoking habits of our neighbors, I've been annoyed (alarmed, etc.) by the fact that some second-hand smoke was wafting into our house. You know, the place where my children breathe. So the neighbors finally moved away and I decided we needed to have the air ducts in our house cleaned out. COIT came with their mighty vacuums.

I learned all sorts of things when I did this, some of which I wish I didn't know concerning just what possible yuck can be hiding in a furnace or air conditioning unit. The yuck we found is now gone. In it's place is left the residual Mom Guilt that I didn't know to get the yuck out sooner.

So, for the three people that actually read this blog (thank you, you are so devoted), here are my two cents about what I learned.

1. When you run our air conditioner or furnace, the air goes through the AC or furnace. If the AC/furnace is dirty inside, the air will be dirty when it comes out. I knew that before, but now I understand why.

2. Before we move into a new place in the future, one of the first questions I will ask will be "Has a smoker of legal or illegal anything ever lived here?" If the answer is "yes", we will walk away and find someplace else to live.

3. Before we move into a new place I will ask when the last time the air ducts were cleaned out. If I'm met with a blank look, I will ask if anything has ever happened to make this necessary. I'm not sure that ducts always need to be cleaned out (it's debatable by the EPA), but I want to make sure there's no yuck there.

4. Air conditioner filters should be changed every three months. Good thing Eric knew this one because he's been changing them---I'm so lucky he's so clever.

5. If there's a stinky smell coming from the furnace or air conditioner, this isn't just house smell. It's yuck. Get it out.

6. Getting air ducts cleaned out was WTM to me because it's good to have all that stuff out.

There. Now you know more than I knew up until yesterday. Now you know.

And knowing is . . . well . . . you know. (Thank you, GI Joe.)

WTM: Worth The Money

My sister Anjanette and I love the part in Sleepless where the girl writes the note and uses "MFEO": Made For Each Other. So, in honor, here are some things that I think are WTM in my mom life: Worth the money.

Frog potty. How we love frog potty! Frog potty is funny, so my potty training son likes to use it. Frog potty is two pieces---lift that blue bowl out and rinse rinse. Not like the last potty we had that had a ring and this other piece and this other piece and this other piece and it was always filthy because it was hard to clean. Enter frog potty. TADA!

Shoes my children can get on by themselves. I spent too much of Son One's life trying to get his shoes on him. But I have learned. Only buy shoes they can put on themselves.
Rain boots. This is the first year I bought rain boots---heretofore I just let the kids splash around in their shoes. No, no, no. There is a better way. Boots, oh yeah.
A bagel slicer. This would fall under "useless gadget" for many. But since I have a bagel slicer, I don't cut open my hand trying to cut up bagels in the few times a year that we actually have bagels. Saves me an Emergency Room bill. Sits up flat next to the cupboard wall. It's works like a bagel guillotine, but gives you two perfectly sliced halves. I've heard of a pineapple slicer, anyone tried that? Anyone have one?

The other thing that's worth the money is a good babysitter. We pay ours really well and hope that she'll come back. But a good babysitter isn't WTM; a good babysitter is WWWTHM---way, way worth the money.

Conference

Didn't you just love Conference? And was my husband the only one who grinned at his wife (me) when Elder Scott told the story about how his wife asked him to please go play with the children? Someday, another post will be about conversations I think we're all having with our spouses and kids. Different houses. Different times. Different people. Different places. Same conversations.

And President Uchdorft's reference to the fact he didn't make an aviation analogy. Hilarious!

It wasn't just the amusing that touched me, although it did feel good to laugh well at clever things.

I was really touched by how many people shared experiences of brave/amazing/inspiring children who have endured medical mania and touched the lives of those who care for them. I loved the story about the patient who asks, "Will I be different after this treatment?" and the reply is, "Yes, you will. You will be stronger. You will be awesome!"---I'll find the real quote for you when text is available this week.

Like my sister Liz, I was reminded to behold my little ones. To treasure these moments I have with my children. To soak it up. To make my home a place where they know they are loved and wanted. To help happiness to permeate into their souls. To let their souls permeate their light out to me. To help them feel the love that God has for them.

Conference was indeed a feast for me.

"What's for dinner?", Oh, it's right here

And, to follow yesterday's post. Here are some of our favorite "OK, OK, I'm doing the shopping. Here I am in the store. What will we have for dinner? Oh, it's right here" meals.

Trader Joes: Pasta and one of their yummy pre-made spaghetti sauces.

Savemart: The Rotisserie Chicken dinner

Costco: Bagels, turkey rolls, grapes. More of a lunch, but definitely dinner if Eric is going to be gone.

Chocolate Covered

Here's my MVP list of the chocolate covered items in some of the stores we frequent.

1. Costco. Dark Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Fillings

2. Target. Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

3. Trader Joes. Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels

Just in case you haven't tried one of those. They come recommended.

The last one on the list, the milk chocolate peanut butter pretzels, are actually my "no guilt" reward to myself for when I give birth. Some women get jewelry, I get those pretzels. If Eric and I start considering whether or not to have Baby Number Four, you can bet the pretzel reward will be up there in the "Why Deborah Should Have Another Baby" column.

Mom Trick Number One

Eric makes pancakes for the kids on the weekends. Makes a lot. Then we freeze them. Pop them in the toaster another day and presto! Breakfast!

See? It took me a long time to figure that out.

(So, you wonder. Is the trick about freezing the pancakes, or getting the dad to make the breakfast?)

Confession Number Two

Here it is, the other confession (I knew there was another one at least!) And this confession, I fear, will offend many.

I used to cook a lot with cream of _______ . Especially in college when I lived with Kristen C. and we roommates all cooked together. (I could never really get it to work, the "let's all take a night" thing, unless I lived with Kristen. I tried. It just never worked without her.)

Anyway. Cream of blank. Used to use a lot of it, but gave it up about the time I got married and realized that 1) Cream of blank is just a poor excuse for a good white sauce or cheese sauce 2) Making those big casseroles with cream of blank was doing nothing for my hips and 3) I find cream of blank rather disgusting, the way it slurps out of the can. SLURP! So good-bye cream of ______. Gave it up, haven't looked back. We manage.

So a few Sundays ago, the women's group at church needed a sign-up for a dinner they were hostess-ing. The last thing on the list, oh yes, funeral potatoes. When I balked at bringing them, the Sign-er-upper said, "Oh, it's easy. I'll give you the recipe. It's just hash browns, a tub of sour cream, a can of cream of chicken, and a few other things."

Hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken. That's nutrition!

I had to explain, with a straight face, that, oh, I could figure out how to make them. I just didn't like to do it. In the end, I found a mix for Scalloped Potatoes at SaveMart, did my duty, and took the dish on time. Hot.

But I didn't eat it.

Blech.

P.S. Eric and the kids liked it though, when I left some for them as I went to deliver it. Later, I will teach my boys that scalloped potatoes should mean real potatoes, some cheese other than Cheddar, and milk.

P.P.S. Let me add, as a final note, that I will use cream of _________. When camping. With a Dutch oven. Then I think it's just fine. But there better be some real vegetables in there.

The vacumm cleaner and the legos. A good place to start.

I'm going to be posting some new stuff on the blog. Still books, but more about stuff.

Just stuff.

I have all these writing ideas, and I need someplace to put them. Seems like this blog is as good a place as any. For example, I've had this confessions trailing around in my head for ages:

I enjoy buying my five-year-old son new legos. It makes me feel good to nurture his spatial development. But I also enjoy vacuuming the legos up on days when I'm sick of picking them up or stepping on them. It's the GRRR! CRUNCH! sound they make in the vacuum cleaner that I find especially cathartic.

See? I just needed a place to write about that.

There might be more of those random things coming. Get ready.

More for 1st grade readers

Time to resume book blogging!

I found more series you might want to try for beginning readers. These might be too easy than what Amy is looking for. I'd put these right with or right before the Julie Jones series difficulty. So see what you think about:

1. The Fox books by James Marshall . . . one is Fox on the Job for example.

2. The Morris books by Bernard Wiseman . . . one is Morris has a Cold.

3. The Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant. . . one is Harry and Mudge and the Starry Night. You can't always trust Rylant's YA literature, but I'm sure she'll keep it tame with these.

Non-kid fiction to follow soon. I would say "Adult Fiction" but that would imply hubba hubba fiction and I don't do that.