Yellow Wallpaper

Well, actually I'm off. For a week. Yesterday the kids and I drove down to Las Vegas to my parents' house, and then today we're going down to California to spend next week camping by the beach. The campground has WiFi, but I decided not to bring the laptop and just enjoy myself as much as I can. Mr. Fob was unable to make it because he doesn't have vacation time yet, but the truth is he probably got the better end of the deal. Hopefully today's drive will not be as arduous as yesterday; I think that having S-Boogie ride with grandma will make everyone a lot happier (except her little brother). And that's the best thing about this week: not only do I get to spend time with my family but my kids do too. I'll let you know how it goes on Saturday.

Just so you know, when I pregnant or otherwise hormonally impaired I am a crier. Good things, bad things, stupidly sappy things that I know are just emotionally manipulative. Like today I was reading a stupid picture book about a dog named "Santa Paws" and I started tearing up. That was lame. But some things aren't: First of all, I actually won a random blog giveaway. And not just any giveaway, but a really awesome one. I don't read Seriously, so blessed! very often, but I decided to stop in the other day for some laughs. There was a giveaway and I decided to enter, assuming I wouldn't win. Not only did I win, but I got the biggest prize, which is a certificate for a getaway at the Homestead in Midway. Mr. Fob and I usually try to do something special for our anniversary and have often been able to spend a night away. This year we decided to move it up a little because late November won't be a great time for me to be far from home and I don't think I...

Tuesday night I was baking some naan to go with our curried garbanzos. I noticed that the kitchen was feeling rather warm, but that wasn't surprising given the oven temperature at the time. Surprisingly, however, the next morning the house was still hot. It was hot on Wednesday too. Then Thursday morning we woke up sweating and I finally started wondering if the air conditioning was really working. We've never lived in a place with air conditioning before, so it took me a few days to get around to realizing that the puny stream of lukewarm air coming from our vents was not normal. We finally got in touch with our landlord, but no one came out to look at it until Friday night. Turns out that the compressor motor is shot. The good news is that we don't own the house and don't have to pay for it. The bad news is that they won't be installing the new motor until Monday. So we took a little mini-vacation to Mr. Fob's sister's house in Saratoga Springs for the wee...

I realized today that my blog has become rather boring lately. In theory I have more free time because I no longer have school. In practice, we have a lot of things going on this summer and I'm afraid that moving has thrown my brain off-balance. It's so frustrating that something positive and generally good has to seem so awful in my mind. Stupid brain. Hopefully things will settle soon and I'll feel more cheery. I'm also hopeful that my digestive system will figure itself out soon; lately I've been obsessing over the fact that my gallbladder seems to be failing and I don't have time or money for surgery. In better news, the kids are spending lots of time in the swimming pool and loving every minute of it. My sister-in-law is getting married soon (and my dress even fits her), and in a few weeks I get to go camping at the beach for a week with my parents. Mr. Fob has a job, we have a home, and I'm still pregnant. I also don't think it's too late to li...

I've never been a very spontaneous person; usually I like to plan things out exactly and follow my plan without deviation. Although I've graduated from writing out lists of my planned outfits for trips I still generally plan ahead as much as I can. But then this weekend we drove down to Saint George for a family reunion with Mr. Fob's family. I woke up in Saint George on Saturday morning and realized that we were quite close to my parents' house in Las Vegas and that the kids haven't been there for nearly a year. So despite the fact that I only packed clothes and diapers for two days the kids and I drove down there on Sunday morning (after a trip to Target for church clothes and extra diapers on Saturday evening). It turned out to be a great idea and we had a relaxing few days involving lots of swimming, fresh basil pesto from the garden, and Grandpa spoiling the kids with a trip to the Shark Reef complete with souvenirs. The drive back today by myself was less tha...

Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith I first discovered Lee Smith a few years ago through her novel Oral History , which I fell in love with as soon as I read it. Then I found this book on my shelf, unread, and decided to give it a go. I liked it even more than the first book by Smith that I had read; the voice in it is so strong and vivid that closing it feels like walking away from a new friend. It's an epistolary novel that spans the life of the protagonist, and while that may be a formula that doesn't always work, it is perfect here. Before the Dawn by Dean Hughes I know I can always count on Dean Hughes to tell good stories and tell them well. This book did not disappoint; all of the characters are vividly drawn and their stories are compelling. My only complaint with it was that I struggled to like the main character, but I believe that detail was intentional and it only made her moments of growth more fulfilling for me as a reader. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan As an example...