What Should Bubba Read? | Enter to Win an Amazon Gift Card (closed)
Sometimes Bubba will find a book that Daisy has read and he squirrels it away. Enticed, I assume, by both the cover and Daisy’s interest, I often will find her books stuffed under his pillow on his bed or in the bathroom, where he sort of surreptitiously reads them.
I’m not sure why he seems to hide them–we’ve never given either of them any grief over reading “boys” or “girls” stuff. In our house, every printed word is fair game.
Read MoreJanuary is almost over!
Yes, I’m excited about it ending. I have decided that I will enjoy the hell out of February despite my historic distaste for the entire month (save for the anniversary of my first date with the hub…it’s truly February’s saving grace).
I’ve got my head meds squared away, my Happy Lights are glowing, and–hot damn!–the taxes are even filed. The kids are doing reasonably well, hub’s happy at work, and now? Now I am working on me. That means writing more, as well as making small steps in my never-ending quest for organization around this chaotic house! And hip-hip hooray, for the first time in TEN days, I don’t have a sick kid at home with me.
So now I’ve got a few things up my sleeve. Despite my writing hiatus, I have a draft about our latest pets (yes, that’s plural) and I’m just getting it polished up for Prime Parents Club. Speaking of which–Jackie has been so busy over there, updating the site. There are even perks for being a member (you know, beyond reading the amazing writers that she’s got contributing) and I’m hoping to get in on the first one myself, since it’s a course in couponing, and I could use all the help I can get in that respect. Go on…go over there and check things out!
I have a number of book reviews I want to share, one from a local author, which was a very entertaining read, the jewelry book that I received from the illustrious and ever-creative Margot Potter, and an MG that Daisy recently brought home from the library.
And here and there, I’ll throw in some more of the v-logs. Because, well…it’s fun. Look, here’s one I did a couple of weeks ago…
Disclaimer: I realize that every time I publicly announce on my blog that I shall henceforth ______, I tend to flop disastrously. However, I am an optimist at heart, so I’m giving it a whirl one more time.
Read More>Clarification on Lunch Wars
>When I wrote about Lunch Wars for the BHBC, I indicated that my kids buy school lunch, which they do. Am I thrilled with the choices offered every day? I’d be lying if I said I was. But it has come to my attention that I might do well to clarify the fact that I am not actually embarking upon a Lunch War of my own.
Clearly, if I let my kids consume the food served at school, I’m not on some crusade to change things up. I’ve seen the lunches that were outed by Ms. Q–what my kids receive is head and shoulders above that dreck.
To be clear: I hold no animosity toward the lunch program in Podunk. Could it be improved? Sure, if all things aligned and money was no object. But that’s not the case. And frankly, I let them eat the school lunch because they want to, it’s easier for me, and we balance things up with the meals at home. At the end of the day, my kids are fed just fine. I’m sure the same holds true for most families in the district.
Remember, my kids are customers of the lunch program. I’m not planning to march in to request information about some wellness committee, or how the district negotiates their transactions with the commercial provider. I think the ladies who work there, and feed our kids every day are wonderful, caring women who are looking out for the kids and seem to really enjoy what they do.
If my readers are inspired to look into their district’s food program and want to work on initiating changes to their systems, Lunch Wars is a cogent, well-written book about doing just that–I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Just understand that I am not actually interested in doing that myself. Status quo is working for me, thankyouverymuch.
Read MoreBuy The Book: How to Be an American Housewife | #BHBC
How to Be an American Housewife
So many of us have mothers who have their own story to tell, secrets they kept which necessarily impacted the way they raised us and the way they carried out their own journeys. It is for this reason I think, that I find myself drawn to novels centered around mothers and daughters. Frankly, the complicated relationships we often have with our mothers fascinates me.
We first get to know Shoko, a young Japanese woman who eventually marries an American G.I., in her native land. As she navigates her way through young adulthood, Shoko faces choices and opportunities that are not entirely hers to make–familial obligations come into play. In trying to satisfy those obligations, and still remain true to herself, Shoko ultimately makes a choice that while pleasing to her father, creates a lifelong rift with her brother.
Her choices also impact her children, both born after Shoko relocates to the States with her Mormon husband. She simultaneously embraces elements of her Japanese heritage while trying to assimilate herself into the American culture. There is confusion arising from the juxtaposition of these two different ways of living for Shoko, and it remains so throughout her life, which has lasting implications on the way her relationship with her daughter Sue plays out.
In the first section of the book, Shoko narrates. Dilloway does an excellent job blending Shoko’s internal monologue with her spoken words, so the reader gets a sense of the thought process behind what would otherwise appear to simply be the short, clipped statements of a non-native English speaker. There is so much more behind the mere words spoken by Shoko and this style offered me an understanding of the dynamics that fed into the relationships both between Shoko and her world, and between mother and daughter.
The other narrator is Sue, of whom I wasn’t a really big fan at first; I found her to be detached from her mother, and somewhat cold. As I got to know her background and perspective though, it made more sense to me–my empathy and understanding of Sue grew. It took the trip to Japan with her own daughter for Sue to recognize the depth of her mother’s love for her family as well as the complexity of her history. As Sue’s journey unfolded, I felt increasingly more connected to her. By the end of the book, she felt like a friend to me.
As I do so often with books I love, I read this one really quickly. I was touched by the way this mother and daughter were able to ultimately connect as adults in a way that they never did before. As Dilloway weaved the tale, and I dove deeper into the intricacies of their respective experiences, I really enjoyed getting to know both of them and understanding their complicated relationship.
To read more about this book at BlogHer, go visit their How to Be an American Housewife page.
You can also read more from Margaret Dilloway at her blog.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review, and was compensated for my time reviewing it for the BlogHer Book Club. All opinions are entirely my own.
Read More>BlogHer Book Club: Lunch Wars
>My kids buy lunch most days. I’ll admit it’s some laziness on my part, and I never make them buy–it’s entirely their choice. If they want one of the selections, I’ll let them buy; if they don’t, I send them with lunch.
For more interesting discussion on the topic, pop over to BlogHer and answer this question: Do You Really Know What Your Kids Are Eating at School?
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