MotherReader

This past week I was wrapping up the last bits of the Girl Scout year for my two troops, so it's not a big surprise that I'd stumble on this appropriate title. Timely too, as it gave me that extra bit of connection and dedication I needed to make it through two financial reports.

First Girl Scout: The Life of Juliette Gordon Low
by Ginger Wadsworth
Clarion Books, 2012 review copy from library

If you were a Girl Scout, than you may know a little bit about the founder of the organization, Juliette Gordon Low. We hear about how spunky she was as a child and the sad tale of how a grain of rice thrown at her wedding caused her to lose her hearing. And then all of a sudden she's a woman in her fifties starting the Girl Scouts. Is it just me, or are we missing some backstory there? Well, this book provides it. At the same time it becomes clear why it is missing from the narrative that the organization prefers. For the founder of an American classic in scouting, "Daisy" spent a lot of her life in England. For an organization of acceptance, she spent her life in a truly privileged class. For an organization of high integrity, she was forced into divorce proceedings at a time when such things were absolutely scandalous. The lady herself - for all her drive, dedication, and lasting impact - could have been, personally, a little hard to take. All of which made the book fascinating for a Girl Scout leader and former scout who loved to see the blanks filled in. The book is also an insight into a personal story of growing up in southern society at the turn of the century, with lots of photos, letters, and personal stories. It was a truly interesting middle-grade biography with a great deal of care devoted to the research and to telling the story of a woman who defied the odds and expectations.

For more Nonfiction Monday titles, visit our host at Booktalking.

Ah, I feel like a person again. It takes me a whole day to recover from one of those camping trips. I realized today that it’s not just the lost sleep, but that it takes time to shake off the stress off being in charge. Being a supremely unorganized person, the lead-up to these Girl Scout Encampments is torture. Packing for me, my two daughters, and the troop — remembering the forms, maps, special activities, and supplies — is exhausting. Once we’re there, I have a great time and I’m laid back about whatever happens. Someone falls in the river? Huge spider inside the tent? Inadvertently inviting a large and somewhat odd troop to join our campfire? Hey, teens can change clothes, spiders can be swept out, and prankster girls who decide to scream “Vampire!” at a passing troop learn their lesson when that troop thinks that they yelled “Campfire!” and comes to join them. We all had a good time in spite of the rain, but it was good to see flush toilets again. Really good.

Now, I didn’t get back to the Summer Blog Blast Tour yesterday, so today I’ve got both schedules. Looks like I’ve got a lot of interview reading to do today.

Monday’s SBBT Schedule:

• Andrew Mueller at Chasing Ray
  
• Kekla Magoon at Fuse #8
  
• Carrie Jones at Writing & Ruminating
  
• Amber Benson at Bildungsroman
  
• Greg van Eekhout at Shaken & Stirred
  

Today’s SBBT Schedule:

• Maya Ganesan at Miss Erin
  
• Amber Benson at lectitans
  
• Carolyn Hennesy at Bildungsroman
  
• Jo Knowles at HipWriterMama
  
• Sherri Winston at Finding Wonderland
  

Tomorrow I’ll have my interview with Barbara O’Connor. At least one of my questions was close to that Chris Farley sketch: “You know how you write these amazing books about small towns without giving the characters all these bizarre traits and you make your endings so real and satisfying at the same time? That’s awesome.”

I have to do a ridiculously abridged post because I need to be at work shortly, and yet cannot shirk my posting responsibility entirely. So...

From my Facebook update, I can let you know that I survived the camping trip. No rain the first evening and night. One thunderstorm the second afternoon, then rain the second evening and overnight. So, I’m seeing the rain gauge as half full.

From the Summer Blog Blast Tour, I can tell you that it starts today with many great author at many great blogs that I don’t have the time to list and code for you. In the meantime, I’ll point you to the master of ceremonies, Chasing Ray with the full schedule.

From the 48 Hour Book Challenge, sign-ups are going great and will continue up to the last minute... because “Last Minute” is my middle name. (Which makes filling out official forms a real bitch.)

And last minute is exactly how I’m leaving for work now.

After I got back from the Kidlitosphere Conference at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning, and after a full week of work, blogging, and activities, I got to go to Girl Scout Camp. Oh joy.

Now I like nature, but mostly as viewed through a screened window — as God intended it.¹ However, I make sure our troop goes camping because I believe that we should all stretch our comfort zones.

The first word I heard about the camp was not promising, but the trip was a wonderful experience. We kept a laid-back approach and gave the girls freedom to explore and fall — literally, in the actual creek water. Here’s our weekend in a series of haiku. (Oh, Anastasia’s got today’s Poetry Friday round-up.)

Mice? In the cabins?
You have to be kidding me.
Should have picked the tents.

Finally let loose.
teens buck sophistication
to play on the rocks.

Into our silence
the creek babbles, birds chatter
the forest leaves speak.

Taking off our shoes
The cold water feels so good
On our tired feet.

Nine middle-school girls
and three leaders in one room.
Sleep proves elusive.

Morning hike reward
a sun-dappled waterfall
Complete enchantment.

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. I can sense the world settling down around me. It’s a good feeling.

In my head I had aimed for June 14th as an end to the chaos, but then amended it to June 16th after realizing that we still had a play rehearsal, a play casting call, my mother’s arrival, Father’s Day shopping, and my daughter’s play to wrap up over the weekend. Still pretty busy.

Of all the things I’m proud of this year, near the very top is my sixth... no seventh grader’s play. You see, she was selected, along with two other students and three older women, to write a ten-minute play featuring characters from the younger and the older generations. Then over the course of the last few months, the play took shape with actors and staging and props and lighting. The whole thing! The actors could use their scripts, because technically it was a play reading, but the teen and the kid in her play were off-book for the final production. It was wonderful. The actors were great, and in all honesty, I think it was the best of the six plays. While I asked her questions to help her shape the story, and Bill helped her understand the logistics of writing a play, my kid wrote the whole thing and it was fabulous.

And now with it done... breathe in, breathe out. Smooth sailing for the summer. I’ll be working on the getting the prizes out to the 48 Hour Book Challenge winners. I need to catch up on some email and blog reading. Laundry is beginning to be an issue. But how nice to take care of everything with air in my lungs. Deep breath... and out. Ahhh.

So now my news. Not News. But news, little n. Over the summer I’m having a book club with my rising seventh grade Girl Scout troop, and you’re invited to read along. Every two weeks we’ll be reading a book, generally a coming-of-age/transitions type book, and getting together to talk about it. I’m hoping to have the authors answer interview questions from the girls and post them on my blog the following week. I haven’t exactly asked said authors, so let’s all hope for the best. In fact, before announcing the whole schedule, maybe I’ll check in with those writers. But I will announce the first book anyway, because I’m unstoppable.

I’ll be meeting with my girls on Tuesday, July 1st. I’ll write up our discussion for Wednesday, July 2nd, inviting your participation. The first book in the MotherReader Summer Book Club is... Shug, by Jenny Han. This was a book I absolutely loved two years ago, and I can’t wait to share it with my daughter, her friends, and... you.

Many days I feel like I’m trudging along, doing what everyone else is doing. I’m making coffee, taking the kids to school, folding laundry, and so on. But at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, it occurred to me that nobody in America, maybe even in the world, was systematically pulling the googly eyes off yarn bugs and re-gluing them. Apparently, “tacky glue” isn’t the same as Elmer’s glue — which the girl who came up with the Girl Scout swap had told me — but pshaw, it had to work because I didn’t feel like going home and getting the “right” kind of glue. Lesson learned.

I’ve been so busy with all this GS stuff and school stuff and stuff stuff, that I’ve missed the boat on a few things. I totally spaced out on submitting for The September Carnival of Children’s Literature over at Charlotte’s Library, but at least I can read the great posts there — as can you.

In the category of Other Great Things I Didn’t Contribute To This Month, the September issue of The Edge of the Forest is up with exciting features, as well as interviews, reviews, and much, much more. Take the time to check it out.

I haven’t made time to talk about the upcoming Cybils, but the nominating and judging panels are now up, and I’ll be serving on the picture book nominating committee. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to find the best five books out of all the 2007 picture books nominated. Come to think of it, that’s sounding like a lot of work. Anyway, nominations for the best books of 2007 will open on October 1.

If you’ve been in a KidLit-free cave, then you may have missed the wonderful brainstorm of 7-Imp, where bloggers will help promote the snowflakes made for auction for Robert’s Snow for Cancer’s Cure. I’ve got Mo Willems (naturally) on Halloween (if you’ve seen his snowflake, then it makes sense), but that’s all I’ll say about that — for now.

I have some breaking news. Jenni Holm is profiled in today’s Washington Post’s KidsPost section. It’s a nice article about her mentioning her Babymouse books, and one of my 2007 favorites, Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf. She’ll be at the National Book Festival this Saturday with tons of other great authors.

I will not be there. I will be camping with my Girl Scout troop and handing out yarn bug swaps, now with non-detaching eyes. Sigh.

My week has been tough. I lost the first round of Volunteer Chicken, which means I now have the responsibility of placing kids in Girl Scout troops at my school. Unfortunately, there are a lot more girls than troops, so some of the moms of these troopless youngsters are going to have to step up and make a troop — or two. And guess who has to talk them into it? Oh, and I need to pay attention to my own troop at some point this month, since we’re going camping in a week.

As if that weren’t enough, I coordinate the Drama Club for the school. I generally don’t mind doing it, because it’s very little work. I change the dates on a flyer that I inherited from the coordinator before me. I photocopy it, the teachers hand it out, I pull together the forms and money from the kids who’ve joined. After that, it’s pretty much in the hands of the instructor.

But today, as the last straw in my volunteering haze, I received an email from the County Schools Official in Charge of Meaningless Things telling me that I can’t use the name of the instructor’s company on the flyer itself. Did I mention that it’s the same flyer that’s been used for at least four years? Knowing that, I hadn’t waited for the official go-ahead, and it’s been copied, gone home, and been returned. So, oops? But the best part is that under her signature she had the phrase “Pray for Peace.” On a county email. In this extremely politically-correct county. I mean, how can I object to the phrase “Pray for Peace”? Everyone wants peace, right? But still, “pray” is a pretty loaded word for an official email. I’d say more loaded than my including Acting for Young People on my flyer.

Anyway, the whole thing has given me the Volunteering Blues and inspired me to write this poem. Actually it’s more like a song, especially given that I had the tune in mind as I wrote it. Whatever — I think it counts for Miss Rumphius’s Poetry Challenge and for Poetry Friday. Read, Write, Believe has the round-up. Now who has the guitar to accompany my singing?

The Volunteering Blues
I’ve got the volunteering blues.
I’ve got the do-gooder blues.
Ain’t got a moment to call my own.
Am I too old to run away from home?
Lawd, would someone get me off of the phone!
I’ve got the volunteering blues.
I’ve got the do-gooder blues.
The Girl Scout troops and the PTA —
I’m not sure I can make it through another day.
And here comes a memo from the county to say,
“You used the wrong words for your Drama Club play!”
If everyone thinks I’m doing it all wrong,
Then why have they stayed away for far too long?
They’re the reason why I’m writing this here song.
I’ve got the volunteering blues.
I’ve got the do-gooder blues.
Ain’t got a moment to call my own.
Am I too old to run away from home?
Lawd, would someone get me off of the phone!
I’ve got the volunteering blues.
I’ve got the do-gooder blues.

You can take a bit of my blues away by giving me some titles for the list of Best Books of 2007 (So Far). I have just under thirty participants, and I’m still missing a HUGE book. Think YA.

Today I’m giving you a poem that made me laugh out loud from an excellent, funny book, Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf, by Jennifer Holm.

I think you should get a badge
for not smacking
your bratty little brother
when he eats the charms
off your bracelet because
he thinks it will give
him super powers.
I think you should get a badge
for taking the blame
about shaving the cat
when it was
your weird older brother who did it.
I think you should get a badge
for not crying when
your new stepfather
forgets to pick you up
after school
and Mary Catherine Kelly
gets the part
of the Sugarplum Fairy.
I think you should get a badge
for all these things,
but the Girl Scouts
don’t agree with me.

Man, those last lines crack me up. Really the whole book is funny and interesting and so very different. The subtitle is A Year Told Through Stuff, and that phrase explains it perfectly. The book covers a difficult year for Ginny as she starts middle school, gains a stepdad, loses a friend, makes a friend, changes her look, deals with brothers and endures disappointment. But the whole book is told through... well, stuff. Notes, an ad, a school schedule, a bank statement, poems, essays, flyers, horoscopes, receipts, and on and on. It’s brilliant storytelling and a fresh, new way to convey events. Great example: On one page we see an article on five ways to look pretty that includes coloring your hair. On the same page is the box of a hair coloring product and a receipt from a drugstore. Now, turn the page, and we have a receipt from a hair salon for “hair color treatment (color reversal from red to blond)” along with “haircut and style (to remove burned ends).” And if that weren’t enough humor for you, then the next page has a change to Ginny’s Big To Do List with “Look good in the school photo for once!!!” crossed out, and “Why bother!!! (maybe next year)” now noted.

I loved this innovative approach to charting a year, and props go out to Elicia Castaldi for the pictures. My sixth grade daughter (not middle school here, but still) really enjoyed the book too. I gave it to her and she read it straight through, right then, as opposed to her usual preteen way of half-heartedly taking the book from me with an implied eye-roll, tossing it beside her bed, and ignoring it for two weeks. So, that’s gotta mean something, right?

It’s my own contest and I’ve kind of left you hanging like I’m not even there.

I’m here now. It’s all going to be okay.

Like so many things in my life, my reading has started out in chaos. Fortunately, my husband Bill has taken over the adminstering of the contest so I can focus on reading, writing, and singing.

Singing? Huh (you may say)?

Well, I’ve got to head into lovely DC for a Sing-Along event with my Girl Scout daughters and my Girl Scout friends. Because my life wouldn’t be my life if there weren’t an important parent-like activity smack in the middle of everything. I’ll be taking six hours off schedule to do this thing, but I’m going to come back strong and read way into the night to make up for it. Yes, I am.

So how’s it going so far? Fine. Thanks for asking.

Okay, honestly, it’s tough. I’ve been reading, but I haven’t been able to fit in the writing due to both logistics and mental energy. As it approaches the zero hour for my departure, I’m not sure I’ll get a book review post in now either. Crap. But let me tell you what I’ve been doing.

Started reading at 1:00 with Robin Brande’s Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature. Put it down at three-ish to pick up the kids from school. Found out that eight-year-old wore the wrong color shirt for Field Day, and because I clearly don’t have enough drama in my life, she was all upset about it. She’s the sensitive type, and having people tell her all day that “Shouldn’t you be over there with your team?” kind of got to her. It wasn’t our fault, as the sheet I have says light blue. But somewhere along the way it was changed to dark blue — I never understood this part — and I didn’t know. The sad thing for me is that the school is two minutes away, and I would have been happy to bring her the right color shirt if it would have saved her from all this angst. So there was that.

Calmed down eight-year-old, and read for another hour finishing Robin’s book. Really liked it. Talk about it later.

Took the girls, hot and sticky from Field Day, to the pool. Mad house there, OMG, what was I thinking about reading at the community pool on Friday afternoon on the hottest day so far? But I brought a light book, The Bermudez Triangle of Maureen Johnson book-banning fame. Read for two hours at the pool. Didn’t finish, but needed to get home for my birthday dinner, already purchased and waiting on the table.

Ate said dinner. Answered a couple of emails. Opened presents. The Daughtry CD, a movie, a cool book light for reading in the car, and a lovely necklace with three diamonds for my three family members. Or three cats — interpretation remains open.

Back to reading The Bermudez Triangle. Finished 11:00ish. Really liked it. Talk about it later. Tossed up post with picture of huge stack of books because I didn’t feel like writing reviews yet. Checked out email and contest progress. Went to bed and watched the clock change from 11:59 (still my birthday) to 12:00 (no longer my birthday).

Got up at 6:30 a.m., not entirely on purpose. Started Cecil Castellucci’s Beige. Finished it by 9:00. Loved it. Talk about it later — except I will say that I am totally in the Cult of Castellucci. I need the T-shirt, Leila.

Checked contest progress, email, assorted Sing-Along logistics, and wrote this post. Now I have just a short time to pack bags and such for the trip to DC. I’m going to write some notes for my books, and come back later with reviews and more reading. Oh, lots more reading.

So far: three books, 942 pages, twelve hours counted.

Yesterday I wanted to do another post in the countdown to the 48 Hour Book Challenge but I was unable to after the approximately twelve hours I spent on Girl Scout stuff. And I’m not talking a camping, all-day event. No, because that would make sense. It was hours preparing for the meeting, two hours of actual meeting, hours more sorting through the paperwork and financial forms due that evening, and hours at the leaders’ meeting. Then, because I obviously have some sort of time-boundary issues, I spent an extra hour going through the three hundred photos the girls took with my camera this year to get a decent collection to put on CDs for each girl.

Anyway, I’m reading the newspaper this morning. Specifically I was reading the comics, and my eyes drifted over to the horoscopes. Mine today:

GEMINI: It’s your lucky day to ask for everything. Don’t hold back. There are blessings to be had lining up faster than callers on your call log. Such unparalleled generosity makes your day one of the best of the year.

Damn. That sounds kind of... good.

So today I’m asking for everything. Not holding back. Waiting here for your unparalleled generosity for prizes for 48 Hour Book Challenge. I received an email from Tricia with the offer of a very long prayer flag from Tibet. I’m not even sure what that is, but it sounds awesome! I know that other bloggers, authors, and illustrators are out there ready to send me something great. Apparently, today is the day to contact me about it. I mean, it’s not like my horoscope could be wrong.

Scroll to the end of my blogroll for the Email MotherReader! button, and send me a line. This would also be a good day if any publishers, agents, or editors would like to make inquires about getting me to write a book of essays on parenting and life. I’m just saying.

You know when you’re so overwhelmed that you want to throw your head back and scream?

Where I am now, I’m feeling a little nostalgic for that point.

December is always a busy month for me, what with all the holiday prep, but at least it’s generally focused on one broad thing. Online shopping has also made things so much easier in the last few years, as has my artificial tree. But the two-month period from the middle of April to the middle of June remains my endurance test, and adding the Girl Scout leader thing to the mix has put me deep in the weeds.

Here’s my schedule: Birthday, Girl Scout overnight trip, 48 Hour Film Project, work yearly review, Girl Scout dance, Mother’s Day, Drama Club play, Girl Scout camping, birthday, second grade biography project... breathe... 48 Hour Film Project Best of DC Screening, Dad’s visit, booktalking, friend visit, Girl Scout awards ceremony, my birthday, Girl Scout Sing-Along, middle-school booktalking, and 48 Hour Book Challenge.

I am only up to the breathe so far.

I lose focus with lots of irons in the fire. I tend to put my energy into the current situation, and then make odd choices with my next bit of free time. I’ll sit for three hours over three days to help the second grader come up with a song for her biography project on Susan B. Anthony (she really did write most of it, and it’s pretty darn good). But then with my only free hour, I’ll decide that I need to power-wash the deck instead of putting away the laundry. So while my wood deck is now actually the color of... well, wood... my kids are sitting on the floor of the family room playing a version of laundry Go Fish for matching socks. I’ll take the time to write this post as a creative release, while upstairs the past month’s copies of the Washington Post have creeped off of their tidy pile and are now forming a sort of second carpeting for the dining room. (Which is helping with the clean-up, I guess. Now instead of vacuuming, I can throw away the top layer of newspapers. Like a bird cage.) I’ll spend twenty minutes searching online for the last ten minutes of American Idol which did not tape last night, and then step over two belts, six random shoes, and seventeen Polly Pockets on my way to the stairs.

I’m not telling you this to provoke your sympathy. Well, not entirely. I just want you to know in case I owe you an email, or didn’t review your book, or haven’t been commenting at your site. I’m still reading email, but am responding pretty inconsistently. I’m not reading books much at all, and I’m less likely to read a book that I’m looking forward to because I want to read it in a good state of mind. I’ve always prided myself on going to my blogfriends’ sites and commenting, but while I go here and there to read, I’m not always thinking of things I want to say. Maybe I’ll start using true dat! and fo’ shizzle! more as sort of a commenting crutch.

I’ll be using this space for the next two weeks to profile books I’m using for booktalking at the public schools. I may even ask for your suggestions for introductions. My older daughter has always been incredible at coming up with great hooks, but I could use all the help I can get. Obviously.

Still feel like helping out? Prizes. I still want/need prizes for the 48 Hour Book Challenge. The extra book light you got as a gift and can’t use, ’cause how many do you need? Your handicraft expertise in T-shirts, jewelry, or macramé — who doesn’t love macramé? I know I do. Hit my Email MotherReader! button and send me some love... and stuff.

As you may have read from my husband/editor’s post on Saturday, I took my girls to Virginia Beach for the weekend to see family. We spend a lot of time with my baby niece. In fact, we got to keep her with us at my mom’s house from Saturday noon up until this morning. She was delightful, especially with all of those helping hands to take care of her every need. I’ve said for years that I don’t want another baby, I want a neighbor with a baby, but this is even better.

Maybe you picked up on the “this morning” reference above and pieced together that I drove back to Northern Virginia (Motto: The Fifty-First State) today, and you would indeed be correct. I drove back and immediately went to a booktalking session in the afternoon. I feel like I know my booktalking stuff, but it never hurts to hear some new ideas — especially when the speaker is using the books from your county’s summer reading list.

I also came back to a Girl Scout emergency, whereby some mothers — or one — in my troop did not agree with the date I had picked for an overnight outing and wanted to take me to task on that decision. But now the mothers know what they’ll get from me when they question my decisions: a very long description of my entire decision-making process. I only wish that I could have added sketches and diagrams. Yeah, take that.

So after my three-hour drive (we shouldn’t talk too much about speed limits), a booktalking session, and a failed coup, I’m out of juice to review anything or read any blogs or really do more than hit the booze and hit it hard, but I’ve made a error and I can’t wait any longer to correct it.

I was tapped by Magpie Musing with a Thinking Blogger meme. I am touched that anyone would look at me in that way. My thanks. But as it turns out, two blogs have bestowed that honor upon me. I was also tagged by Book Nut and I was also very touched, and then hit a week of overwhelmedness (it’s probably a word) and let it slide.

I don’t know if I have to tag five blogs or what, but since the meme police are unlikely to come after me, I’m going with three. I decided to take the title of Thinking Blogger as literally as I could and only highlight the blogs that really make me think. I mean really, really.

• Original Content has been on my blogroll since I started because I find such interesting topics there. Gail does not always see things my way, but seeing a different view expands my understanding and I appreciate her for it. It also amuses me that she will hate all the leading personal fluff in this post, and therefore may never get to this part where I say how great she is.


• Oz and Ends was not on my blogroll for a long time. I didn’t have it on my blogroll because I would only go to the blog when I had plenty of time and mental energy to read it. I didn’t want to skim these great thoughts. After meeting the blogger at the kidlit drink night, I realized that I needed to get it on my blogroll to remind myself to read it because it always challenges me.


• Chasing Ray is not on my blogroll, but will have to be now. Someone is always mentioning something interesting Colleen is writing about and I go and read it and like it and think that I have to visit more often and promptly forget because that is pretty much how my life goes these days. She’s a wonderful writer and thinker.

Now that I’ve responded to the Thinking Blogger challenge, I must help my second grader make a stuffed paper tiger for school tomorrow. Man, I hope we have staples.

“I cannot go to school today,”
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
“I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I’m going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox
And there’s one more — that’s seventeen,
And don’t you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue —
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I’m sure that my left leg is broke —
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button’s caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,
My ’pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my spine is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out,
My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is — what?
What’s that? What’s that you say?
You say today is... Saturday?
G’bye, I’m going out to play!”

I’ve always loved this poem — “Sick,” by Shel Silverstein — and the book Where the Sidewalk Ends itself (it would be a mighty fine gift, in fact), but I chose it today to represent my week of feeling like crap. Why is always when you need to get it together and get stuff done that your body falls apart? Very annoying.

On Monday I took my Girl Scout troop shopping for stocking stuffers for the Salvation Army. Then we celebrated our shopping success with pizza and talking. I came home to supervise homework for an hour, cooked dinner, and then went to the Girl Scout leader meeting. There we had a supposed-to-be-short-but-really-a-freaking-hour-long-meeting and a gift exchange, with lots of laughing and talking. On Tuesday, my throat hurt (see the “talking” references) and my head ached, but I went to work because I had traded shifts with a co-worker and it seemed like bad form to switch hours and then not show up. Afterwards, I rested at home for an hour and then went to the drama club rehearsal (not a lot of talking) and then to the drama club play (much more talking with the parents). The play went very well.

On Wednesday, I felt so bad when I woke up that I took a sick day. I cleaned up some photo stuff on my computer and read and napped. And that’s about it. On Thursday, I have no idea where the morning went, but I spent the afternoon and evening at work.

Now, on none of those days will you see that I “did Christmas shopping” or “cleaned the house” or “put away laundry.” Here it is Friday, and I don’t work today. I do feel better (Yeah!), but I have a week’s worth of chores to do (Boo!). I have some reviews that I would love to get up soon — like today — but that may just have to wait. I haven’t seen who’s doing the Poetry Friday round-up today, but I can guarantee that it’s not me.

I get up this morning at 7:30. Okay, 7:39 thanks to the nine-minute snooze on my alarm clock. Get the kids ready for school, which involves getting their breakfast and making their lunches. For the rest, I am the cheerleader. Get dressed. Brush your teeth. Comb your hair. Does everyone have homework, backpacks, coats, shoes? Let’s go.

Home again. Find the books I am reading to the second-grade class today. Darn, left one at work. Find replacement book. Look for paperwork I need to give the teacher. Can’t find it. Decide it would be a miracle if I found it in this mess and give up, gracefully.

Call the roller-skating rink to book a date for the Girl Scouts. Call Girl Scout service unit coordinator to pass on skating information. Firm up some details of the skating outing. Collect ten old toys for second-grader to take to school for the swap. Wonder how many she will refuse to exchange. Throw in two extras.

Call the Rec Center to register second-grader for ballet class. Explain to two people that no, she doesn’t meet the age requirement for the class, but yes, the teacher said that she could sign up for it. Remind same two people that second-grader was already signed up for same class in the fall, when she was four months younger, so it really was just fine. Get bumped up to program manager. Leave message conveying problem and resulting irritation.

Search house for working flashlight and globe to bring to work for program today. Wonder briefly how many children will comment on dent in globe from where second-grader stepped on it. Gather other supplies for program, including plastic bag and fake tea lights. Find two books for program tomorrow.

Send out email for a change in Drama club’s meeting place next Tuesday. Remember to check Tohubohu’s site for biography information update. Look briefly. Decide that unless listed as a hooker, not important. Check MotherReader. Wonder why only one commented on Cathy’s Book post. Perhaps didn’t need to stay up until midnight to post that one. Lesson learned.

Pick up pocket calendar from scattered Girl Scout papers on floor. Realize that change in admission for skating will affect budget plans. Make quick note on budget paperwork.

Take shower. Get dressed. Wonder if anyone notices obsession with black T-shirts, sweaters, or tops with whatever else. Decide should make it a thing, like Simon on American Idol. Put powder in new shoes.

Grab bagel and juice box to eat during lunch with second-grader. Grab books to read to class. Grab books for library programs. Grab globe, flashlight, and other gear. Grab jacket for later. Take one last look for papers for teacher. Amazingly enough, find them. Go to school.

Read Estela’s Swap, since it’s related to the swap tomorrow. Read But Excuse Me That Is My Book to the class, with second-grader playing Lola. (Put in audio one more time, giving blogfriends a last chance to hear and comment). With five minutes left, read Chickens to the Rescue. Accept lively response. Join class for lunch.

See fifth-grade daughter in cafeteria. Say hello. Ignore panicked expression as she wonders if I will try to sit with her. Return to second-grader’s table where I am appreciated. Run into first-grade teacher who inquires after now-second-grader. Discuss second-grader’s attention problems. Leave school.

Get in car. Drive to work. Hit seven red lights. Squeak through three yellow lights. Come to information desk. Sit at computer. Wonder what stinks. Realize that new shoes have manure on them from gardening work at school. Understand how truly fitting this is.

And it’s only 2:00.

When I was younger, having a great weekend meant going to an awesome party (with alcohol, natch), hooking up with a cute guy (hooking up being that ambiguous word meaning anything and nothing), and not being hungover the next day (so that I could do it all again).

Oh, how things have changed.

First of all when I had a great night of going out recently, I had a fight with a close friend in front of a new friend — who now thinks I am crazy — and sprained my ankle falling on my way to the car. The next day, I was hungover, angry, embarrassed, and in pain.

And that’s when I gave up drinking.

Now a good weekend is so much calmer. It’s about long talks with good friends. It’s about beautiful sunny days stretched out in front of you. It’s a book in your hand and a Diet Coke on the table.

It’s about love from my fellow bloggers.

Over one glorious weekend, I received links from Big A, little a; Chicken Spaghetti (with a nice intro), and FuseNumber8 (see how I did this). What a rush. Also, FuseNumber8 is going to help my cool coworker with her job search in NYC, meaning that I finally understand networking.

My other blog firsts this week were an author comment, an email to an author (see tomorrow’s entry), and my first comment spam. The last means I will need to add the second level of protection to my comment box, but I can live with that.

And here’s the kicker. I talked to a Girl Scout troop about my career for their book badge. When I took questions, one third grader asked, “Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life?” Pretty heavy stuff. I told her that if I wanted to move forward in my career, then I would have to go back to school and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do that. In fact (I said), I guess if I wanted to do more of anything it would be writing. I told them how I started a blog to share my books and thoughts and to make myself get in the habit of writing.

So, what if it turns out that this Girl Scout presentation is what makes me sit down and write my book (or books)?

Now that’s what I call a great weekend.