Day 4 - What I Have My Nose In Right Now

I’m currently half-way through the book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. It’s listed on the NY Times Best Sellers list at number 5 this week for hardcover fictions. It's been getting glowing reviews (click link above) and is being talked about having the potential to become an American Classic. One reviewer wrote, "...a remarkable story about the language of friendship—a language that transcends words." And that hooked me....




I started this book on Sunday afternoon in between glances up at the football games.

At first look, it’s not usually the kind of book that attracts me, and since this is a first time author, I was not sure what to expect. The cover is really a beautiful piece of art though don't you think? Looks like many of the unassuming farm fields out here in the Midwest. It had a special charm to it for me when I first picked it up.

I’m getting better at becoming the type of reader that will continue with a book even if I don’t enjoy the first 50 pages. My grandmother never pulled a bookmark from a story to give up and try a different one, she would stick with it and then decide in the end if it was enjoyable.

Me, not so much. I like to be grabbed in the first few minutes. I need a story to make me not want to do anything else all day but inhale the words. Once you are familiar with an author though, you can get over some hurdles in a story that might not keep your attention at best, because you know that you enjoy all their work by the time the story has ended. But when I’m reading a new author, I find it hard not to be picky and judgmental up front if it’s not a page-turner, so I had to convince myself not to be annoyed if the book started off this way.

I’m happy to say that I am definitely enjoying this novel, but I did have a hard time getting it started. I love details, but sometimes an author can over compensate and give me too many to digest. I get distracted and they lose me. The Prologue to the story was a bit disassociative to the actual story, so I was a little nervous in the middle of it when I found myself wondering if this story was going to be one I will enjoy. Once the set-up was in place about the Sawtelles, it was much easier for me to slip down into my chair with a blanket on my feet and devour the story.

Around 100 pages in, I found my groove and became engrossed in the storyline, excited to read what was going to happen next and what turns it might surprise me with. I like that it is not very predictable which is keeping my attention. I needed Kleenex already, and that is usually a bonus for me too.

I’m looking forward to finding some more down-time this week so that I can finish the rest of the story… I might have to forgo some domestic duties (bummer!) during Olivia’s naptime, but I think everyone will survive if I let things go a bit in honor of a good book.

I hope I need Kleenex again, too!

Day 19 - Sending out an SOS!

Sending out an S.O.S! Bah!

Sounds from the sickbay: "Mommy! I had a little accident!"

Nurse Ratchet: thinking - oh crap, "What happened honey?"

Sounds from the sickbay: "I got a little choke on the coffee table, and a little on Daddy's shoes!" (choke is the word Carter uses for puke)

Nurse Ratchet: thinking - double crap, "Coming!"

Nurse Ratchet: "I'll clean it up, let me get something. Why didn't you use the choke bowl you've been using?"

Sounds from the sickbay: "I missed..."

*Sigh* Here we go again. Is there ever a dull moment you ask? Not really. I've got a sickie. Of course I do, he only has school 2 days this week, and he'll probably miss those. I think his body senses a vacation of sorts, because it's impecible timing. Let's hope this is not some bug that's getting ready to infect the whole family. Yikes! Wait! I know why he's sick - the New England Patriots are 10-0! 56-10 final score. Yep, there's some puking going on... I'm digressing...

This is not officially how my morning started. The kickoff to the vomit marathon began at around 3:17 to be exact. A.M. When I was woken up by a frazzled sickly one who said he got a little choke on his bed sheets and floor. I was a child once - I remember not making it to the bathroom. I knew there was not going to be a little choke on the sheets and floor. I was right. It covered pajamas, top sheet, bottom sheet, pillow case, a few stuffed animals and a trail of discernable leftover chunks of gook on the carpet. Mmmmmm - just what I was hoping for at 3 in the morning! I don't know if it was the time of night, er morning, the smell of vomit permiating the air, or having to clean it all up - but my stomach began it's acrobats too. Although I did not get sick (yet), I felt mere seconds away. I'm feeling better now though.

So from 3:17am on, we had a total of 2 pajama changes, 2 sheet changes (then I started adding towels to catch the goods so I wouldn't have to change the sheets again!), about 7 cleanups on aisle 1 (thankfully those did not miss the bowl) and then Tom woke at 5:15 (without a clue as to what had been going on around him all night) to get ready for work (early meeting). I felt like a Mack Truck has run me over. I'm so tired! Every 15 minutes I would hear "Mommy!" screaching from the infirmary. It would jolt me out of whatever semi-coma my body was trying desperately to get back into. The thought crossed my mind to grab my pillow and a blanket and sleep on his floor so I'd be close. But I didn't want him to miss the choke bowl and get ME! My eyes are burning and I just want to sleep. But I can't. The day has well been started and I have 2 short people to account for. Sleep will have to wait. Motherhood, what's not to love? Maybe the Swivel Sweeper or some Oxy Clean would come in handy today... I'll never know.

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Edited ** PS....
My doorbell just rang and a box from Amazon came -oooooh don't you love that? After ripping it open I found this little gem inside thanks to this awesome dude! Maggie Mason has her own blog that is SO funny! What a nice surprise to an otherwise miserably yucky sick day here in the infirmary! Can't wait to devour this! THANKS UNCLE JOHN!!