Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Can I seriously just go to sleep now and wake up when it’s over? Because four children have therapy on four different days and parent/teacher conferences on three different days, my second girlie has two orthodontist appointments, I need to help out with the elementary school’s Scholastic book fair as much as I can, I may need to cancel piano lessons, and did I mention that I’m triple-booked for some of these things on Thursday? UGH.

The bright spot–such as it is–is that I’m more than halfway done creating dinner out of various things, including smoked chicken that needs using, so there’s that (and of course, I’m doing it now because there won’t be time to do it later). I can also review Thien Pham’s Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam, which I finished last Thursday and was fascinated by. (Yes, I just ended that sentence with a preposition. Sue me.) Pham’s graphic memoir of his emigration from Vietnam and growing up years in the US culminates with a satisfying decision on Pham’s part and a series of comics highlighting his research and writing process for the book, both of which contribute to a sense of completion that graphic memoirs for youth sometimes (understandably) struggle with. There are people that make you angry AND people who remind you that there is real goodness in the world; there are also some teenage decisions that make you cringe. I’m still deciding whether or not to give Family Style to my 8-year-old (who will be 9 in FIVE DAYS, in case you’re wondering), but for teens (even maybe tweens) and up, I recommend it as well worth your time.

Now. Wish me luck on the week ahead…