Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I should have blogged on Wednesday, yes. Shall I tell you about my Wednesday?

I was at the elementary school to collect money for the PTA fundraiser from 8:10-ish to 8:50-ish, after which I booked it home to exercise and get ready so I could be at the library to pick up holds right when it opens at 10. From there I went back to the elementary school to check out my daughter, then to the junior high to check out my son, then on to therapy. After dropping them both off at their respective schools afterwards I ran home to use the bathroom, grabbed lunch at Sonic, and then headed to Kearns High to donate blood (it was the most convenient blood drive I could find for this week). I did get to go home for an hour or so before leaving to pick up my elementary schooler, but I used some of that time to snag a bit of rest and more of it to consider laundry mountain. I had kids in and out for church things from 4:30 until after 9, and so in between my four loads of laundry I fed them, sent them off, welcomed them back, sent them off again–you get the idea. By the time I was truly done with the day, there was no coherence left in me.

(Honestly, I was gone a good bit yesterday as well, but almost three hours of that involved driving to Draper and having lunch with one of my best friends, so it was a better kind of busy.) Today, however–today is the day I get to attack a book review or three (depending on my level of coherence, you understand), go to Costco, and then drive kids around all afternoon. Good times, right?

So. I finished listening to Jamie Sumner’s One Kid’s Trash earlier this week…again. (Because the first time I listened to it I let too much time pass before managing a review.) My second girlie and I both enjoyed Roll With It and Time to Roll, and both my older girls and I read and thoroughly enjoyed Tune It Out; I wanted to love One Kid’s Trash as well, but I have to confess–on my second listen, I started to find Hugo a bit whiny. To be fair, however, I think it’s a much more gender-specific thing to be bullied for being small; I’m not saying girls don’t deal with short jokes and such, but I don’t think it’s quite the same. And Hugo does have a good bit to deal with–he’s had to move away from his friends and his dad’s lack of attention to home and family commitments is no small thing. While it’s not unusual for a kid to let newfound popularity go to his or her head, however, I’ve always found it to be a particularly annoying thing to read about, and Hugo’s rationalizing needed a more significant epiphany moment for me to consider him fully redeemed. (Of course, on the other hand, family relationships are in some ways more complicated than friendships.) Still, it’s a good story with likeable characters, and Hugo’s grand gesture is impressive; I know I’m letting myself be more irritated than the situation warrants. I’m thinking my second girlie will probably enjoy this one, and for any boy that’s been picked on or bullied, this could be a fantastic choice. (And Hugo’s epiphany over his crossword mistake is significant, thank goodness.)

As for me? I’m already looking forward to my next Jamie Sumner experience!