I was driving the other week and a song came on that made me vow to check the Current’s website when I got home. Of course I forgot until two days later. Then I heard the song on a commercial for the US Open, and did rather more googling than I thought I’d have to do. It’s by KT Tunstall, from Eye of the Telescope, called “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”. Woo. Catchy as all get out.
For this week’s episode, the designers were challenged to make an outfit for an international jetsetter. The twist? The jetsetters were they! One would think that designing an outfit for her/him self wouldn’t be hard, but Crazy Vincent and Ditzy Angela had a lot of trouble. Kayne didn’t, but he should have. I agreed with the this week’s judges exactly (thumbnails of the outfits at the Bravo site): Jeffrey as winner; Michael as almost winner; Laura, Ulli, and Vincent allowed to stay; Kayne as almost loser; and Angela sent home. Yes, Jeffrey was being a confrontational jerk. But Angela let him get to her, and it sent her already wildly uneven talent into a tailspin.
Angela’s outfit made me think that it was Laura’s tailoring influence that not only helped win the Macy’s INC challenge from Episode 4, but that spilled over into Angela’s lovely Audrey Hepburn dress for the following episode. Her outfit looked like something from the junior department at Macy’s–way too many “fleurchons.”She said again and again that she wasn’t a jet setter; her outfit was certainly more Ohio than international.
Jeffrey’s meanness did not prevent him from making an outfit that fit the challenge and himself perfectly, and reminded us that his almost win (and perhaps undeserved loss) from “Waste Not, Want Not” was not a fluke, despite the ugliness of the dress he made for Angela’s mom last episode. Don’t get me wrong. I agree he’s being an ass, though I don’t despise him as much or as hilariously as Midwestgrrl, but I still thought this outfit and the recycled dress were spot on.
Michael Knight revealed he’d worked as a model. He is so talented and seems to be such a decent guy I feel bad noting that he has terrible teeth. Perhaps if he wins this thing, which he seems on track to do, he’ll take care of his mom, and then find a good dentist.
Laura now looks pregnant, and I have to wonder how a 42 year old woman in her first trimester (likely exhausted and nauseated) will shoulder the early mornings and long hours. If it were me, I’d certainly cave, but she’s clearly made of sterner stuff. Her biscuit-colored dress, while lovely, and more flow-y than what she has done before, made her look a little monochrome with all that pale skin. And, as she noted, 4 inch heels aren’t ideal for jet setting.
Vincent played it safe and got lucky. Kayne didn’t play it safe, but got lucky anyway. The judges sent him a clear message that his stuff is tacky, and he better shape up if he wants to stick around. As Manolo the Shoe Blogger notes, the problem wasn’t that he looked like Elvis, it’s that he looked like cheap Elvis.
The judges warned Ulli that they want to see if she can do something different from her usual flowing mix of patterns. I’d thought her a shoo-in for the final three, but now I have my doubts. Before this episode, I thought it would be Michael, Ulli, and Kayne. Now I’m wondering if it could be Michael, Laura, and Jeffrey. In any case, I don’t think Vincent is going to last much longer.
G. Grod and I did our very first visit to the fair on our own as a family. Going with Drake and Guppy isn’t that much more challenging than going with Drake by himself, as we did last year. As usual, we eschewed traditional fair activities for my favorite one: eating. I tried several new foods, and sought out some old favorites. My wish list was, not surprisingly, too ambitious, but we did eat a variety of different things.
We began with breakfast at the Blue Moon Diner, near the Loop entrance. We had a strawberry waffle, sausage egg strata, and pull-apart cinnamon rolls. The latter were supposed to be gooey, but were instead overbaked, so crunchy but still tasty. This was a quite decent breakfast, and the diner showed The Andy Griffith Show and Three Stooges videos on a big screen in its eat-in area. This was good if you are looking for fair food with substance.
Next was Tom Thumb mini donuts followed by roast corn on the cob. Drake wasn’t that excited by the corn this time, but he loved the donuts. Drake likes to pat Guppy’s head, and G. Grod and I were amused to find patches of donut sugar on Guppy’s head. We next headed to the Food Building for fried cheese curds. G. Grod was wrangling Drake and collecting the curds when Drake twisted the wrong way, and the curds went flying. Drake found this hilarious, and the cheese curd people kindly gave us a replacement. I tried the Spiral Chips at Sonny’s, but they were only OK, and in typical fair fashion, they were expensive ($5) with a portion much too big for just two adults. Outside the Food Building we got a cup of my favorite root beer, 1919, which was sweet, herbal, and just bubbly enough. Drake had a hard time sharing it with me, but I persevered. G. Grod got a Red Bull push up, and then he and I shared a frozen mocha on a stick, my new favorite item.
Heading north, we stopped at Giggles and tried the porcupine meatballs of elk meat mixed with wild rice, in portobello mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes. These were good, but unseasonally heavy for the summer weather. Like breakfast at Blue Moon, the choices at Giggles were excellent quality for fair food, and good quality in general. They’re more like real food than fair food, so better for those who are staying for an entire day, or not looking to try a lot of different foods.
Drake surprised us by saying yes to a hot dog on a stick, so we got him a beef and wild rice corn dog in the food building, but he only wanted to lick the ketchup off, as if it were a condiment lollipop. The three of us then shared a cone of Sweet Martha’s cookies and a cup of milk before heading to the parking lot. At the car, we were boxed in by marching bands. Drake listened and danced in delight for quite some time, then wanted to go dance WITH the band, and was reluctant to go home. Even after a long, hot morning and lots of food, he continued his nap strike, which has been going on for about 2 weeks. It was a beautiful day, both boys enjoyed the trip, and we had some wonderful food, though, so the trip was certainly a success.
Way back, pre-kids, I tried to do the bulk of my grooming the same way I tried to do laundry and other chores: once a week. I’d reserve one day, usually Sunday, for a long shower, exfoliation, shaving, plucking, clipping and even sometimes finger- and toe-nail painting.
Those days are gone. Now I feel lucky if I get a medium length shower twice a week, and anything else is gravy. The fatigue of parenting plus the additional work makes it harder to muster the energy for maintenance work: ah, I’ll just get dirty again, why bother? Yet ever-increasing levels of filth (on me, rarely the kids) weigh upon my psyche. They’re like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Showering, then has become another of the several things (like writing and naps) that I have learned to shove to the top of the list. Because there’s not much that kills the simple pleasure of a shower like knowing Drake has the run of the house, or listening to the escalating screams of Guppy, who decides that shower time is EXACTLY when he wants to be held, or fed, or whatever.
And all that other stuff (shaving, et. al) just has to get worked into the crevices, like most things these days.
Once again I find myself at the end of August, with the new TV season about to begin, without the bible of the Entertainment Weekly fall TV issue in hand. I hope to correct this, soon. In the meantime, though, I’ll remind you that Bones starts this Wednesday. The mysteries are OK, but the chemistry and banter between David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel is great, as is the comic relief of the supporting cast.
Next week House, M.D. returns. If you can’t wait, check out Hugh Laurie with his native accent as a dim, goofy optimist, as Bertie Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster, and as George in Blackadder.
Our family will be visiting the Minnesota State Fair this week. Other families go for the rides, or the exhibits. I go for the food. A kind friend this week commented that I was passionate about food. Some might say obsessed. Last year’s visit found me not as prepared as I would have liked to be. Here is this year’s food plan. I’m not sure if it’s even possible to eat all these things in one day. But I’m going to try.
Old Favorites:
Food Building cheese curds
World’s Best french fries
roast corn
Sweet Martha’s chocolate chip cookies
Tom Thumb mini donuts
1919 root beer
Rick Nelson’s Best of 2005
- Frozen Mocha on a Stick (Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop, Dan Patch Avenue at Cosgrove Street).
- Mini cinnamon rolls (Cinni Smiths, Murphy Avenue at Cooper Street).
- Sorbet in hollowed-out fruit (Key Lime Pie Bar, Cooper Street at the Skyride).
- Spiral Chips (Sonny’s Spiral Chips & Sandwiches, Food Building).
- Puff Daddy on a Stick (Sausage Sister & Me, Food Building).
- Smoked salmon wrap (Giggles’ Campfire Grill, Cooper Street at Lee Avenue).
- Boatload of Chicken Sticks and porcupine meatballs, Giggles’ Campfire Grill, Cooper St. at Lee Av.
- Chocolate-covered marshmallows, Ultimate Confections, Grandstand
- Breakfast, Blue Moon Dine-In Theater, Carnes Av. and Chambers St.
- Wild rice corn dogs, Minnesota Wild Rice, Food Building
And, for the husband:
- Red Bull Push-ups, Axel’s, Food Building, southeast corner
After observing my son Drake at his three-year checkup, our doctor commented “I see he has an oppositional personality.” He recommended a book, which I got from the library and have yet to read. My husband and I were talking about the oppositional thing yesterday. Drake was in the other room.
“Yeah,” I said. “He’d probably claim that the sun wasn’t shining on a day like today.” (The weather was clear and beautiful.)
Drake came running into the room. “The sun is NOT shining,” he stated.
I laughed. “Yes, honey, it is.”
“NO, it is NOT!”
Meaningful glance exchanged between parents.
Today we were walking home from church. The closer we got, the more reluctant Drake became. “Let’s cross the street to our house,” I coaxed.
“It’s NOT our house.” he shouted.
“Um, yes it is. That’s our house, right there, across the street. Let’s go to our house.”
But Drake was adamant. “That’s NOT our house!”
I tried a different tack. “OK, Drake, let’s go to our house. Which house is our house?”
He pointed vaguely up the street. “That guy’s house. I want to go to that guy’s house, Mom.”
I reminded him. “But if we go to that guy’s house, we can’t ring the doorbell. Why don’t we cross the street and ring the doorbell?”
That was part of what finally worked. Drake likes to push buttons, in more ways than one.
or, Why I Shouldn’t Ask for Books Before I Read Them. Drake’s third birthday was last weekend. I told his grandparents that he would enjoy the new Olivia book by Ian Falconer and the new Lilly book by Kevin Henkes. I thought these were sure things. In one way, they were. Drake loves them both. I, however, only love Lilly’s Big Day.
Don’t get me wrong. Olivia Forms a Band has many of the elements that make our previous favorites, Olivia and Olivia Saves the Circus, so wonderful: the pencil drawings, the imaginative inclusion of real images, the humor, the spare use of color. But this time I found some of the photorealism a little creepy when Olivia puts on lipstick and sports a coquettish smile full of teeth. Of course, Drake loves these pages and wants to linger over them. Also, I didn’t enjoy the pages that didn’t move the story forward (the first two about red socks and the lipstick pages) and I found the ending predictable. This is a book I’m happy to own, but I would be just as happy to return it to the library, as we did with Olivia’s third adventure, Olivia and the Missing Toy.
Lilly’s Big Day, though, made me laugh. I don’t enjoy all of the Henkes mouse books. I think Lilly is too mean in Julius, Baby of the World, and I was appalled by Wendell’s behavior in A Weekend with Wendell. Lilly’s Big Day, though, reminded me pleasantly of my favorite, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. It has a finely balanced story, with some nice in-jokes for the adult reader. Lilly’s teacher Mr. Slinger is getting married. She wants to be a flower girl, but he’s already asked his niece. Lilly is spirited and charming, and the ending was not predictable. While the book isn’t preachy, Lilly, unlike Olivia, learns something about herself by the end.
I am reminded yet again that the library, not the bookstore, is where I should browse for books.
The designers were challenged to make something for the everyday woman, and their mothers or sisters were brought in. The designers, though, had to pick someone else’s relative as their model, and did it in one of those horrid selection events where one person ends up picked last, like the worst grade-school gym class ever. With family came revelations: Laura is pregnant with #6; Jeffrey is a recovering alcoholic according to his mother, but was a street-living junkie by his own admission (kind of a chasm of James-Frey-ish ambiguity between the two, no?); and Kayne was really fat as a kid.
Manolo the Shoe Blogger loved Joan Kors as a guest judge, and reminds fans to visit the Blogging Project Runway site. The gals at Everybody Loves Saturday Night were universally hating Jeffrey.
Vincent won. While the judges lauded the fit, I thought the fit neither great nor flattering, though Vincent’s design was attractive and age-appropriate. Uli’s outfit was both beautiful and better suited to her model, Kayne’s mother.
Robert was eliminated, finally. Tattoo Neck Jeffrey came awfully close, and his interactions with poor Ohio Angela’s mom were hard to watch. I thought they kind of ganged up on him, though, by asking her what she felt without him there, and asking her the only open-ended question at the end. It also became clear that at least some of his attitude stems from insecurity and defensiveness, not innate mean-spiritedness. Some might argue convincingly that Jeffrey’s was as bad as Robert’s. Both were unfortunate, but Jeffrey at least tried to infuse some style. Angela was also called onto the loser’s carpet. Her all-over-the-place talent was on the down side for this show. She should have done a variation on her chic, structured Audrey Hepburn design of two weeks ago. Instead, she committed the same fringe faux pas as departed Bradley for a shapeless black outfit that did Laura’s mom no favors.
A question from our audience: why didn’t the designers with the lusher models show some cleavage?
Favorite moment: when Vincent says there’s something European about Uli’s mom’s style. Vincent, she’s FROM Europe. Vincent seems to exist in a separate reality from the rest of us, doesn’t he?
Did you know if you kill a centipede, and some of the legs fall off from the body, they keep wriggling for a LONG time? This is especially creepy if there’s more than one pile of them. Drake was with me, so I had to be all “brave mommy killing the bug” but I was shuddering inside.
It’s either the sound of silence, or the sound of me sucking.
I’m feeling a little bitter today. I applied for an annual writing mentorship earlier this spring, one I applied to a few years ago, and heard nothing back. This time, I felt I had a strong manuscript and application. I knew the competition was difficult. I didn’t expect to win, but I knew they recognized many writers in each category. The winners were just announced, though, and I didn’t make the list of four winners, two finalists, or twelve honorable mentions. There were 90 applicants; 18 were recognized. So my writing and manuscript (again, even after much work) weren’t deemed worthy of recognition, and weren’t in the top 20%.
While this is discouraging news, there are two possible responses. One is to take it personally and give up. The other is to humbly admit that I still need to work on my writing, and get to it.
Guess which one I’m picking.
#49 in my book challenge for the year, and #25 in my summer reading challenge was the YA novel Satellite Down by Rob Thomas, the writer/creator of the shows Cupid and Veronica Mars. I didn’t expect to like this book, as I was feeling rather fatigued after my run of high school boy books. But when I started, I was immediately drawn to the character of Patrick and his sudden switch from a student in small town Texas to a reporter for a fictionalized Channel One. Patrick’s adventures in LA, and his changes and insights are engaging and sympathetic. But in the last 70 pages, the book takes a sudden turn, and winds down to an even more abrupt ending that feels either tacked on, or like the author or editor just decided to stop the book at a certain page number. I really enjoyed the first 230 pages of this book, but the last 70 left me surprised and disappointed.
#48 in my book challenge for the year, and #24 in my summer reading challenge was We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier, a recommendation from Michael Cart’s history of YA, From Romance to Realism. We All Fall Down is a tightly written, hard to put down novel about the effects of violence. A family’s house is trashed, and a daughter is left in a coma. The novel switches views among her sister, one of the trashers, and a witness to the event. Each character is troubled in realistic ways, and the ending manages to be both redemptive and dark. There was a surprise that I was expecting, though, so that wasn’t effective for me. The strong plot, writing and characters all contributed to a novel that I’d recommend for older audiences, not just for young adults.
These quotes from Helene Hanff, excerpted at Mental Multivitamin, resonated with me:
It’s against my principles to buy a book I haven’t read, it’s like buying a dress you haven’t tried on (84 Charing Cross Road)
I despair of ever getting through anybody’s head I am not interested in bookshops, I am interested in what’s written in the books. I don’t browse in bookshops, I browse in libraries, where you can take a book home and read it, and if you like it you go to a bookshop and buy it. (The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street)
This year I’m trying to make a dent in the books I’ve purchased over the years but not yet read. Progress is slow. After I acquire a book, some of the thrill is gone; reading it feels like an obligation, not a joy. Space is limited. So is time. I run afoul of the reserve system at the library, too. The ease, and the free-ness of it are seductive. But if I use the library carefully, and thoughtfully, and with Hanff’s habit in mind of reading a book first to audition it for the home collection, I can be the reader (and consumer) I aspire to be.
Drake had his third birthday over the weekend. In honor of the occasion, I made Boston Cream Cupcakes, which I’ve been dying to try since I saw the picture in the June/July issue of Cook’s Country. They were time intensive, but not difficult, and worth the effort for a special occasion.
Boston Cream Cupcakes
from Cook’s Country 6/2006
Bake the cupcakes in a greased and floured muffin tin rather than paper cupcake liners so the chocolate glaze can run down the sides of the cooled cakes.
Makes 12
Pastry Cream
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch table salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 additional teaspoon
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter , cut into 2 pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus additional for dusting muffin tin
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. For the pastry cream: Heat cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add cornstarch and whisk until mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 15 seconds.
2. When cream reaches full simmer, slowly whisk it into yolk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to small bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
3. For the cupcakes: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray, flour generously, and tap pan to remove excess flour.
4. With electric mixer on low speed, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter, one piece at a time, and combine until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add milk and vanilla, increase speed to medium, and mix until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.
5. Fill muffin cups three-quarters full (do not overfill). Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan 5 minutes, then transfer them to rack to cool completely.
6. For the glaze: Cook cream, corn syrup, chocolate, and vanilla in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Set glaze aside to cool and thicken for 30 minutes.
7. Prepare and fill cupcakes as shown in photos 1 through 4. Refrigerate until just set, about 10 minutes. (Cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)
STEP BY STEP: How to Make Boston Cream Cupcakes
1. Insert the tip of a small knife at a 45-degree angle about 1/8 inch from the edge of the cupcake and cut all the way around, removing a cone of cake.
2. Cut away all but the top 1/4 inch of the cone, leaving only a small disk of cake.
3. Fill the cupcake with 2 tablespoons pastry cream and top with the disk of cake.
4. Set the filled cupcakes on a wire rack set over parchment paper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of glaze over each cupcake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
#47 in my reading challenge for the year, and #23 in my summer reading challenge by The Perks of Being a Wallflower. If I were in a different, more generous mood I might like this book more. But I’m not, and it struck me as precious. The main character, Charlie, is so stunted emotionally and socially that he reminded me strongly of the main character of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The ending, which purported to explain some of Charlie’s behaviors, felt contrived. Also annoying was the conceit for the structure, which is Charlie writing letters to a stranger, and supposedly hiding people’s identities. So is his real name Charlie? Do the other characters have different names, or details than what is included in the story? The idea of the anonymous letters is more than awkward; it defies belief. If you’re looking for a high-school-boy book, King Dork, Catcher in the Rye, and Black Swan Green are all more worthy of your time.
#46 in my book challenge for the year, and #22 in my summer reading challenge, was Monkey Island by Paula Fox. It’s a short, spare novel about a young boy forced to live on his own. The prose, like the story, is simple and stark. The story doesn’t pull punches, and the ending is redemptive but not at all artificial. Like Baby by Patricia MacLachlan, Monkey Island is a book for kids that is well written enough for all ages. It deals with dark stuff, but in truthful ways that are never cheap or gratuitous. A lot of popular young adult novels or novels for older kids are poorly written. There’s a common, not undeserved, perception that children’s and YA novels are not good enough to be marketed to adults. Books like this show what a reductive understanding that is.
I took Drake and Guppy in for their checkups last week, and left with a long list of things that I should be doing, or doing differently or more often. Guppy hadn’t gained weight since his last appointment, so I should start him on solids. Drake doesn’t listen and talks back, so I should read a book. Guppy needs vitamins. I shouldn’t try to bargain with Drake to eat. Guppy isn’t sitting up. Drake should have access to craft materials like paints and crayons.
Of course, there’s a flip side to each of these, as I explained to our doctor. Guppy hasn’t gained weight because he’s sleeping through the night, so he’s eating less frequently. Drake doesn’t listen and talks back, and my reading a book probably isn’t going to change his personality, or the fact that he’s three. Guppy’s vitamins aren’t carried at Target, so they require a special trip, plus they stain and are fascinating to Drake, who runs off with the bottle and its non-child-proof cap. I know I should just put healthful food in front of Drake and let him be, but sometimes his attention wanders, and he needs to be reminded about the food. Guppy isn’t sitting up because that requires fairly constant supervision, which is tough for me to guarantee, with Drake’s short attention span. And finally, we do have crayons and colored pencils, but I put them out of reach because Drake just peels the paper off the former (I think he thinks they’re like bananas) and snaps the tips off the latter.
Since both my boys are awesome (I won’t bore you with the details. Anyway, aren’t my incompetencies more interesting than any bragging I could do?), there’s no way I can be as incompetent a mother as I feel like I am. I think receiving the advice for both boys at once made it feel more overwhelming. Perspective will return sometime soon.
Reality television should come with a warning label. I’ve managed to avoid it almost entirely, then a friend who loves Project Runway started inviting people over. Now I’m hooked. Healthy? Probably not. Entertaining? Hell, yeah.
The group I watch with has nicknames for many of the designers: Blondie (Alison), Square Head (Robert), Meth Man (Bradley), Tattoo Neck (Steven), Ohio (Angela), Basket Hat (Vincent). In the short time I’ve been watching, I see a disturbing mini trend, and it’s not about fashion. In Season 3, episode 4, “Reap What You Sew”, the designers were divided into teams to create a look for Macy’s owned brand, INC. Bonnie’s and Robert’s designs were the two worst. Robert’s had an ugly jacket, a shapeless top, and a skirt with a back slit unwearably high. Bonnie’s also had a jacket, though not as bad as Robert’s, over a cowl neck, and pants that the judge Nina sneered looked cheap. Bonnie was criticized for not being fashion forward enough, and she was cut. I thought Robert’s outfit was much worse–ugly, mismatched, and poorly made. The implication is it’s better to wear a jumbled attempt at fashion than a more conservative ensemble.
On last night’s episode, “Waste Not, Want Not”, Alison and Vincent’s designs were voted the two worst. The judges noted that the model could not walk in Vincent’s dress, and wondered why he hadn’t made it a mini dress. But the vitriol heaped on Alison seemed far greater than she deserved. Her constructed paper dress wasn’t great, but its unforgiveable sin was that it didn’t flatter the model. “She looks like a plus model,” Heidi Klum spit out. Michael Kors said he couldn’t believe a woman designer would do such a thing. So while Vincent was merely chastised, Alison was sent home. The implication is it’s better to wear something ugly in which you can’t move than wear something not ugly that isn’t slimming.
In both episodes, the male designer made the uglier, less wearable outfit. Yet the female designer was voted out. While it would be foolish to criticize a fashion show for valuing style over substance, I didn’t see style in either Robert’s jacket outfit, or Vincent’s weird art dress. Maybe they’re favoring the men designers over the women. More likely, though, they’re favoring stronger personalities over weaker ones, as noted by Manolo the Shoeblogger.
Then again, that wouldn’t explain the choice of the winning design, though. For the second week in a row, supposedly nice guy Michael Knight’s design won. While it was good, and won the coveted comment of “I’d wear that” from the judges, our group thought bellicose Tattoo Neck Steven’s design had the most style and substance.
My son Drake is nearly 3 years old, my baby Guppy is 6 months old. Much of my day is spent caring for them in very basic ways–making sure they’re dressed, fed, and safe. While this often is challenging, it also weights very heavily toward the mundane, which is one reason I set book and movie goals for myself. I don’t want my brain to shrivel up and fall out of my ear.
There are, however, compensating joys. Not as frequent as the diapers, tantrums, et. al. But also of a different nature, so that I’m not tempted to tally and compare them. The other day I was trying to get us out the door, and was running late as usual. I was trying to get myself ready, while Guppy’s cries escalated, when Drake poked his head in the bathroom and asked me to read him Frederick. “I can’t right now, honey,” I said, my voice high and frantic. “Why don’t you read it to Guppy. He sounds sad. That would be a big help.” I never expected it to work. But Drake plopped down in the hall, opened Frederick, and started to “read” aloud. Agape, I stopped getting ready, and peered into the hall. Guppy had stopped crying and was looking avidly at Drake, who I discovered had memorized several pages of the not text-light book. He went on for a few pages, then closed the book and said to Guppy, “We’ll stop there for now.”
Then Guppy started to cry again, and I was still not ready, because I’d been staring at him in joy and wonder. I told him he’d done a good job, and thanked him for being a good brother. And we eventually got out the door.
