Fifty Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) by Gever Tulley with Julie Spiegler
We are going to do all of these things, including Put Strange Stuff in the Microwave (#14), Break Glass (#23) and Lick a 9 Volt Battery (#1).
So far, we’ve accomplished Play with the Vacuum Cleaner (#10) .
We missed our chance to Play in a Hailstorm (#2) today. Alas.
The Russian Debutante’s Handbook by Gary Shteyngart
I’ve now read 2/3 of Mr. Shteyngart’s works, the other being Super Sad True Love Story, and can say he is consistently good.
His main characters are similar, hapless, awkward men thrown into unusual situations.
In this one, our protagonist is a youngish, low level, immigrant clerk in NYC who gets embroiled in a series of worlds outside his own, from his low-rent slum apartment to high society New York City to a Russian Mafia outpost. The writing is amusing and smooth.
My only complaint is that I don’t particularly relate to his main characters, so in the end I am left with a bit of “so what?”, but the ride is enjoyable. I believe I’ll tackle his third (Absurdistan) when next I venture into a bookstore with cash in hand.
The Earth has revolved around the sun an integer number of times since I was born.
The sad thing is, I do all this prep work for camp, and then I don’t get to go to camp.
Summers in Atlanta make me want to be nocturnal or, alternatively, Canadian.
makes a rapture related post.
Scout spent part of morning screaming “GIVE ME MONEY!” If she offers you tips on handling your next performance review, politely decline.
wishes for the first time ever that the pool snack bar sold hot chocolate.
ETA: Later, they actually *did* sell hot chocolate, though not for very long.
Is there any greater angst than that experienced by a child trying to decide how to spend a Toys R Us gift card? I wouldn’t want to see it.
is on board with the latest BeyBlade obsession. Anything that makes my kids play happily together with tops all day is OK by me.