Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

I did mean to post yesterday–truly, I did. But the morning started with the AC/Furnace people coming before 9–NOT to measure, as I thought, but to install. Which entailed my almost-17-year-old finding a ride to seminary council, since I didn’t want to leave the littles home with the installers first thing, plus dishes and then a warm house by the time they were done and the AC was on again. My oldest was blessedly on her way home and close to the high school when her sister was ready to be picked up, but between doggedly cleaning the living room (my youngest was sure she was going to die), taking a child shopping, and finding time to eat meals, well–it was a day. And I never do well when my expectations of the day undergo sudden and significant revisions first thing in the morning.

On the other hand, here I am now, right? And on Tuesday–starting while the littles and a friend apiece were at Classic–I read the start of a delightful new graphic novel series by Deborah Underwood and Jorge Lacera. The Fairy Tale Fixers: Cinderella owes some of Cinderella’s character to ‘The Princess and the Frog’, but it’s got mice, an evil stepmother and stepsisters, and a handsome prince. One of the mice, in fact, gets the plot rolling–she’s so tired of all the yelling at Cinderella that she employs the Fairy Tale Fixer to get Cinderella out of the house so she (the mouse) can (hopefully) get some sleep. Unfortunately, the handsome prince is an incredible bore, so the initial fix needs some serious fixing. The plot is highly entertaining, the illustrations are fun, and at 120 or pages, it’s got crossover appeal between early readers and solid ones. Check it out when you’ve got a chance!