Last night, Thing Two was finishing up his homework, when he got that deep worried look...
"Mom, were you catty when you were young?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Oh, I just was wondering if I have to figure out how to put up with these girls being catty forever, or if they'll grow up to be nice like you".
Yes, it was killing me not to probe more and figure out what these girls in his class were saying that he, "Captain Obvious" noticed. Usually, he's totally clueless to the drama unfolding around him.
But, I didn't want to expose the truth....girls grow up to be moms like me...who manage to disguise their cattiness a little more.
Last week, the "baby" had his first energy drink. Yeah, bad mommy...but he really was being very low key about his 12
And finally....first time in years I had the right number of candles for the birthday cake
I wonder what they are talking about?
Oh would you look at that, I've finally used my first tank of gas. Time to fuel up. Hee Hee...didn't realize you could fill a tank with just the lose change in the bottom of your purse. (ok, not really, for convenience, I used the plastic, but I had enough change to have paid in coins)
And today...Stewart met Target. I am sure they will form a life long relationship! The downside? Can't do much impulse buying when you have yet to decide on a supplemental storage system. What I bought had to fit under the seat (which it did). 
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly. I may have started this one before summer break. Not exactly sure. Anyways, the women at work were talking about the movie coming out, and I hadn't heard anything about the movie or the book. Sounded interesting. And it was...especially as I pictured the main character as the ever-so-yummy Matthew McConaughey. The book moves quickly, with a couple twists that were well thought out. I liked it: and am now eager to read other books by this same author. 
I kid you not, but I read this book in a day! I dropped the boys off at the movie theatre, and started reading. By the next day, I was finished (and yes, I did pause to retrieve the boys from the movie, fix dinner, sleep and other essential tasks). The book starts with the disappearance of the Governor's pregnant wife. 20 years later, the remains of the pregnant woman are found. Only problem is, there was no signs of the baby. She had been born and only the woman had died What happened to this woman and her child? Read the book and find out! That's why I couldn't put it down. I had to figure it out (and on a nook, it is much hard to jump ahead and sneak a peak at the ending). Ok, after I read it, I was a bit disappointed. The premise was great but the way it all wrapped up? Seemed a little too neat and pretty for even my tastes. One to something with a bit more "bite" to it...
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. I read this for my neighborhood book club meeting in June. It was fascinating! When I finished, I remarked that a book can be good even if it sad. The story, set in the late 1700s on a plantation in Virginia (with some of the story taking place in Williamsburg), follows the lives of two women living on the plantation. One was a black slave and the other was a white woman who arrived in America as an indentured servant. Through other books/films, I had a pretty good appreciation for the challenges that slaves faced during this time in history, but hadn't really given much thought to the indentured servant experience. The author did a great job of creating characters both primary and secondary that were credible and engaging. At times I wished for happier story line but let's face it, this time in history was not happy. Overall, I would encourage others to check out this book...however, have a happy book ready to dive into next.
That being said, I jumped right into this book by Lisa See. Shanghai Girls. It had been on my nook for months and I just never got around to reading it. Figured I was on a roll with historical fiction. Um, uh...probably not a great idea to go from one emotionally draining story to another...set in a different location and time in history but still a story filled with hardships and sadness. This story starts in Shanghai in the 1930s and follows the lives of two young girls sent to America for arranged marriages. Perhaps because of the culture I married into, I found it fascinating to learn more about the immigration process during this era. Also, I am not a "serious reader", so I need to have my history served up to me in a fictional fashion. This book delivered that and more. I will say I HATED the ending...until I discovered that the author has already written a sequel. Good, because she sort of left you hanging at the end of this book. Ok, I like my books to end with things all wrapped up. I'll let it slide knowing that this was more of a "cliff hanger" than an ending. 
Next up, I found myself setting the nook down and picking up a traditional book. I received this book last year for my birthday. From my aunt I believe. She said she it reminded her of the "coffee club" I so often speak of. Yes, for the past 4 years, a group of us have met at the local coffee shop every Wednesday morning. Ok, not every Wednesday, but the group meets on Wednesdays and when schedules permit, we all try to drop by for a quick chat and cup of coffee. 
Talk about an easy summer read, this book by Alexander mcCall Smith is our July Book Club choice. It is less than 100 pages and well written. If you have ever read anything by this author, you will be familiar with his writing style. Some may say it is an acquired taste and at least for me, something I can handle only in small doses. In this book, the reader meets 3 very quirky Linguistic professors. As one reviewer noted, think of the German version of Frazier and Niles. 'Twas a fun read and I am sure our book club will have a good time talking about it later this month.
And finally, these last three titles. No, I didn't read them, we listened to them on our big vacation adventure. I'm not sure I've whined on my blog about the 'car' side of our vacation, but I really was a bit worried about driving that many miles. I used to love the adventures of a road trip, but then I became a mom and got old. Driving across town is an effort for me. If I can't get there in 15 minutes, I don't want to-or- need to go. So knowing that about myself, I decided I had better be prepared. I went to the library and scoped out what I hoped would be ok books to listen to in the car. The boys would be zoned out on their gadgets, but I had to make sure what I was listening to was "ok" in case they tuned in. And, I hadn't really planned in advance, so I had to go with what the library had in stock vs. requesting books in advance. 
Clouds cleared, looks like the storm is not going to follow us home...
The restaurant with the tasty sandwiches had this cool playground...
No need to seek alternative means of transport home...Schnitzel continues to perform as if she is on the Autobahn in Germany. *and I have yet to receive a performance award, which is good...have I mentioned she just floats at 80mph?
Lunch was a trip down memory lane....I took the boys over to the General Store where I worked as a soda fountain girl some 27 years ago...
Thing One was feeling a bit grumpy as we waited for the "show" and I pointed out that watching Old Faithful is Americana at its best...his sassy-14 year old self replied with a "Yeah, we could just stay home and watch it on You-Tube". 
The advantage of sitting by the window on the fully enclosed air-conditioned coach bus...Thing One had cheered up by this point and said "Can we bring him home and call him Sprinkles?".
Taking advantage of the "twin connection"...a family with young twins approached me and asked if I wanted them to take a picture of me and my twins. Who was I to correct them when they managed to capture Thing One smiling AND looking at the camera (a rare occurence). 
And here we are, back where we started...Mammoth Lodge...dinner time for the elk. 10+ hours in a tour bus, over 150 miles traveled, countless photos taken... 
