Lego Friends Review

I was excited when Lego announced the Lego Friends line. And couldn’t wait to take my two girls shopping after Christmas. Why would I do such a thing? Wasn’t I reinforcing gender stereotypes? You can see my thoughts on it and why I bought pink Legos on a recent post here.

Last Friday, my husband had off and my three kids, L, the 8-year-old girl, M, the 5-year-old boy, and B, the 4-year-old girl, had a day off of school. So we went to Target. I had heard that the Lego Friends line was in stores and I wanted to see it. The kids had Christmas cash burning holes in their pockets and were eager to feast their eyes on toys. How quickly do the toys received on Christmas morning lose their luster!

We headed straight to the Lego aisle. I was disappointed by the lack of pink. There was a cute Duplo set that looked like cupcakes, but no Lego Friends. But then we found them on the endcap. Hooray! The girls looked over the sets. L was calculating the differences between the sets she could afford. (This one had a cat and a bird but THIS one had two dogs. However, this one had RABBITS!) This took a while but we finally walked out of Target with two bags full of Legos. M, had quickly decided on the Star Wars Ewok Attack set. Little B had not wavered from her choice of Butterfly Beauty Shop. And L had finally settled on the Fashion Design Studio and Puppy house sets. We also bought a few sets for parties we were attending the next day.

Alan and I thought it would be fun to go see a movie on our day off, but once the kids had their Lego sets in their hands, we had a mutiny on our hands. We went back home, had a quick lunch and started building.

Because B’s tiny hands still have a hard time with snapping bricks into place, I helped her build the beauty shop. Can I just say, it was SO much fun.

The pieces used in building the beauty shop are all standard pieces. It was fun to see blocks that I’ve used to help build a Star Wars craft, used in the building. The way the fountain is constructed is simple and ingenious. And the park bench is made using standard pieces. There were a few stickers to affix, but I was very impressed with how one piece turned into a computer screen. Another was to be the arms of a chair.

One of the critiques of the Lego Friends sets is that they didn’t seem “inspired.” I’m rolling my eyes at someone actually SAYING that in earnest, but I will say that this set was creatively designed. Tried and true pieces are used in innovative ways. It was a delight to see how it all came together.

L is old enough that she set about building with no help at all. The desk lamp she made is very clever. And the “fabric” drawers add a wonderfully fun detail. I also love the apple tree she constructed, and the tiny sandwich.

Yes, I questioned the amount of bows included in the beauty shop set and the tiny silicon/rubber lipsticks, but overall, I love the sets and our afternoon of play made me want to run back to the store to buy more Lego Friends.

Did I mention the afternoon of play? I’m not talking an hour or two. The entire afternoon was spent playing with new Lego sets. And then we got out the loose bricks and poured them out and started creating more. L constructed a giant letter “E” and then made it into a sort of bunk bed for her friends. The girls played and played. Pulled up stools to the coffee table and stayed there.

I am not overstating it when I say that this toy has been one of the most played with toys we’ve ever come across. I’m not sure of the psychology of it all. Perhaps it has something to do with the satisfaction of actually building the structure before you play with it. Perhaps the girls appreciate it more when they had to “work” at it. Whatever the reason, I can’t wait for Valentine’s Day to come around so I have a reason to buy a little goodie for my girls. It’s gonna be Legos.

Why I Bought Pink Legos

So if you don’t know, I’m a stay at home mom, married to a web developer who works at the startup Treehouse. We’ve been married for nine years and have three kids. L is an eight-year -old girl in second grade, M is a 5-year-old boy in kindergarten, and B is a four-year-old girl in K3 preschool.

As you might guess, my house is FILLED with toys. Some we buy from stores, some we are given, and others we stumble across at yard sales and the like. I love toys. They can be such a wonderful catalyst for pretend play. They can help build spatial and fine motor skills.

I also happen to HATE toys. They find the furthest corners and apparently fling themselves there. Although they are not considered living things, they seem capable of reproduction.

Some toys are brought into our home and are quickly forgotten (I’m looking at you, Zoobles). Some are played with constantly. In our family, one of our constant toys is Legos. Quick aside: There seems to be a debate about what the plural form of Lego is. Maybe it is simply Lego. But I can’t bring myself to type it. Maybe it’s not proper, but in South Carolina, we say “Legos.” For our purposes, when I mention more than one Lego brick, I will call them Legos.

M has a huge bucket of Legos and received his first BIG Lego set for Christmas. My husband, Alan, got Legos for Christmas as well (the midi Star Destroyer, if you must know). Little B saw how much joy Legos can bring and specifically asked me for “girl Legos” for Christmas. This was in November, so I thought to myself, “No problem! We’ll just stop at the Lego store on the way back from Thanksgiving.”

PROBLEM. After battling the hordes at the mega MEGA mall the weekend after Thanksgiving, we straggled into the Lego store. I figured I could just pick up a little bucket and fill it with purple pieces since it’s B’s favorite color. And that’s when I discovered that our Lego store didn’t carry purple bricks. There were only a few flowers that were pink. Seriously? But maybe, I thought, the reason is that our Lego store is just too small. I thought that I might be able to order purple bricks from Lego’s online store. SURELY, I thought, they would have purple bricks. I mean, come on, it’s part of the spectrum of light. ROY G BIV and all of that stuff. It turns out that I could only get purple bricks if I bought the girls brick set in the bright pink bin. So later on, I did. I picked it up for less than the MSRP at Target in December. Because that’s what a mother will do for happy Christmas mornings.

After all that, imagine my delight when I found out from npr.org that Lego was trying again with a line marketed toward girls. It was like Lego had read my mind! There was too little out there that appealed to girls. I couldn’t wait to see them in January.

And then I was brought back down to earth when I started reading the comments about the new Lego Friends line. Some people were really riled up that Lego would make the Friends have careers like hairdresser, veterinarian, or fashion designer, not to mention that the Friends looked closer to Polly Pocket than the traditional mini-figs. They were irked because it put girls in a box. And questioned what was wrong with the other Lego sets that were obviously gender neutral.

Whoa. What?

Gender neutral? You’ve GOT to be kidding me. What is gender neutral about having red, orange, yellow, green, and blue but not purple? What is gender neutral about houses that come with one little solitary male mini-fig? What is gender neutral about basic Duplo sets that come with a little boy in a baseball cap? Face it. Traditional Lego sets are geared toward boys. And it’s noticeable enough that when a four year old sees her big brother playing with them, she asks for girl Legos.

Yes, B is a girly girl. But if boys can have their own macho men sets, why can’t she have the female equivalent? M’s Lego sets include weapons like light sabers, pistols, cannons, and booby traps. Why shouldn’t B be able to play with four shades of lipstick, a hand mirror, and a tiny blow dryer if she wants to?

Go ahead and say that Lego Friends promote female stereotypes. They do. Just don’t call the existing sets gender neutral. They are far from neutral. And I for one, am happy to see Lego move to balance the equation.

Ribbon Organization

I have tons of ribbon that needs to be properly organized and stored. I’m thinking this idea from Creating Keepsakes could be perfect. Old fashioned clothespins + ribbon + jars = pretty. They could even be Mason jars.

How do YOU store your ribbon?

Protected: The Day 10 Months in the Making

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Down the Rabbit Hole

You might not guess from the frequency I write blogposts, but I really love the web and finding wonderful ideas and sharing them with people. Lately, I’ve been sharing via Twitter and Facebook. So how do I find all these great projects and crafts? It’s simple and I think it’s high time you learn to do it for yourself. Here are a few tips to get you started with your new hobby–surfing the web. You already have what you need to get started. A computer. Apparently, you also have time to kill.

1. Learn computer shortcuts. It’s worth it. It may take some time to get used to but you’ll be much more efficient. Learn how to cut, copy, and paste with a touch of a key. Find shortcuts on the right side of the dropdown menu in programs. Here’s a handy little chart to help you get started.

2. Learn how to Google. Or Duck Duck Go. Be specific in your search. Don’t just search for “crafts.” Search for “kids crafts tutorial Valentine’s Day cards easy blog.” You’ll get better results. Promise.

3. Once you find a blog that you like, explore. And what I mean by that is CLICK ON LINKS! If you start with http://www.skiptomylou.org, scroll down the side of the blog. Look at all those links! Go ahead, click on one! Do you see the button that says “Today’s Creative Blog?” Click on it! Once you’re at todayscreativeblog.com, scroll down to see their link party. Do ya see that? Tons of people have posted their ideas! Fabulous!! Click on those links. And then find more links on those pages, and click on them. And then find some more links and click on those. Go down the rabbit hole.

So what if you don’t know where to start? Here are a few of my “go-to” sites that I head to if I’m needing inspiration:

Make and Takes

Skip to My Lou

How About Orange

Living Locurto

Dollar Store Crafts

Little Birdie Secrets

Simple Mom

So what about you? What are your best tips and tricks? And what’s the site you love to peruse during those wonderful moments of quiet?

MOPS Excitement and the Devotion Devotion

Today was our pretty eventful MOPS meeting. The excitement included a small burner of Sterno tipping over onto the West Campus Fellowship Hall and burning the carpet, and a small child tripping and knocking out a tooth. (Those baby teeth are really scary looking when they come out too early!) On the more calm side of things, Vonda Skelton spoke about romancing your husband and I gave the devotion. Here is what I wrote for this morning:

I just love a good pun. My favorite birthday card was one with an anthropomorphized sweet potato on the front saying, “Aren’t you sick of birthday cards that rely on puns for their humor?” Do you know what the inside said? “I know I YAM!” So you can imagine my delight when I realized while I was preparing for this morning’s devotion, that devotion has two meanings. One of course, is a short thought provoking message that is spiritual in nature. The other means profound dedication or earnest attachment. It can also be used as a synonym for love. How perfect for this time of year! We can call this particular thought provoking message about love our “Devotion Devotion.” Loving it!

I know Valentine’s Day is controversial. Many of you coldhearted people out there would say that it’s a commercialized holiday aimed at the proliferation of singing stuffed animals and benefitting only the restaurant industry. There’s a part of me, though, that just LOVES Valentine’s Day. I love the red and pink color combo. I love the flowers. I love the chocolates. I love the syrupy sentiments on cards. I love the expectation of something a little special happening on that day.

This year, Alan and I are returning to a tradition we started in college but has been forgotten in more recent years due to the busyness and general craziness of parenting. We are making each other cards. Okay. Well I’m making him a card. And he’s writing me a love letter and getting me some chocolates per our negotiations. Most of our days are consumed with urgent things like taking care of the kids, going to work, fixing dinners. But when I receive my love letter on Saturday, I’ll know that my husband was thinking about just ME for a while. And he’ll know when he receives his cowboy themed card with lots of innuendo, that I was thinking about just HIM for a while. Isn’t that what the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts,” means?

Thinking about my card and Alan’s love letter reminded me of the expression that the Bible is God’s love letter to us. Usually, when people mention God’s love letter they seem to be referring to the frequency that God mentions his love for us throughout the Bible. That Love is a common theme. But what makes me awestruck is not just the wording and the final product. It’s all the preparation that went into creating this marvelous tale of how much God loves us. The craft that went into planning and waiting and ultimately giving the gift of Jesus. That while he was putting in so much thought and work, he was thinking about ME and YOU!

And then I stop to actually crack my Bible open and read John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And verse 14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. . .
God didn’t just give us a 1000 page document of the history of the world, He gave us Himself. Just as there’s no separating God from His Love, there’s no separating Him from His Word. His love letter. His very essence. True to who He is.

On Saturday, the card and letter exchange in my house will be fun, amusing, loving. But the sentiments expressed will be only a shadow of what God has already written in his love letter to me. His gift of Himself. And my gift to him (lest the gift giving become one-sided)? To decide, once and for all, that it’s time to just stop hearing about that love letter, but to read and experience for myself “how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is” (Ephesians 3:18).

Get Pretty

I’ve really been enjoying the newest Beth Moore study on Esther. It’s made me think of an issue that I haven’t really delved into before. The uncharted water I’m referring to is the  issue of Beauty. More specifically beauty and how I relate to it. I’ve been processing something Beth said a week ago in the Week 1 video and still don’t know how to express my thoughts. How women relate to the standard of beauty is so complex. And personal.

So the main question is this: How do you feel about beauty? Do you feel beautiful and by whose standards do you judge yourself?

What I’m starting to come to terms with is that I’m immature in this area. I’m stuck in an adolescent view of beauty. One of the homework questions asked us to recall our thoughts on the first day of high school. I don’t specifically remember the first day of high school. I’m pretty sure I was dropped off by my father in an ancient Mercedes. My stylish ride would be announced by the loud diesel engine. My classmates, standing in the courtyard would be sure to notice the smoke rising from the tail pipe. I don’t remember being nervous. But I’m sure I was. And I don’t remember feeling out of place. I was fortunate to have a large group of girlfriends to go and do things with. But even though I had a good group of friends and an ideal family life, I was suffering from some insecurity…

I wasn’t allowed to date when I was a 9th grader. That wasn’t a problem for me. It wasn’t a problem as a 10th or 11th grade either. No guy was interested. That lack of interest (I didn’t have a boyfriend until 12th grade!) left me feeling a little unwanted, a little unlikeable, a little defective, a little insecure. Although I was confident in most areas, I didn’t really feel like I measured up in the beauty department. Every girl wants to be beautiful and what better way to judge beauty than basing it on how boys perceive you.  At 5’0″ I guess I was “cute.” And maybe I could’ve aspired to cute nerdy chick. But I was definitely not pageant material. And so I covered up any desire to be wanted/loved/thought beautiful (not just cute) with nonchalance and apathy. Okay, and maybe a little disdain for those who did seem to be winners on the beauty front. I was above all of that superficiality. Or so I thought. When I’m completely honest, part of me still wants you to think I’m beautiful. And funny. And brilliant. Basically, I want you to assign me my self worth.

Back to the Week 1 video. Beth says there are four types of women. 1) A woman that wants everyone to think she’s beautiful. She’s miserable. 2) A woman that wants every man to think she’s beautiful. She’s dangerous. 3) A woman that wants no one to think she’s beautiful. She’s afraid. 4) A woman that wants a few to think she’s beautiful. She’s ____ (missed that essential part!). Maybe that lost word was something wonderful like “balanced.” Ha. I don’t think so. Although I can channel the misery, danger, and fear of the other women, I’m a #4. The list of people I want to think of me as beautiful is pretty short. (Although, if you do think I’m beautiful, I wouldn’t tell you you were stupid or anything and it would probably make me feel good inside.) Beth goes on to say that she’s a #4 as well, but after giving it some thought, doesn’t think that’s the righteous frame of mind. I’m with her on that.

As Christian women, we’re called to base our world view not on how we feel (or don’t feel) but rather on fact and faith. In the booklet The Four Spiritual Laws, there’s a picture of a train. The Bible’s inherent Truth or Fact is the engine. Our Faith is the next car and is made possible only by relying on the empowering Fact of the Bible. The Feeling caboose comes in last. Regardless of how we feel, the Truth of the Bible and our decision to believe that Truth stays the same. The Bible remains the same. As does the decision I made when I was 4. Feeling is pulled along by Fact and Faith and is subordinate to those preceding elements. Does that make sense? A lot of the time, I base my attitudes, actions and thoughts on how I feel (not too pretty, none too cute, downright ugly) instead of what the Bible clearly tells me. My next little project needs to be to take a page from Beth’s book. She says that she has three verses written on notecards at her table where she does Bible study. It would probably help me to have a few reminders that my REAL self worth comes from God, not from the approval of men. Or women. Here are Beth’s verses:

Colossians 2:10 And you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

Song of Solomon 7:10 I am my beloveds and he is mine.

Psalm 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us.

I personally like 1 Peter 3:3,4: Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

Or in the words of the timeless DC Talk–“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she ain’t playin’. Here’s what I’m sayin’ and I’m sayin’ it clearly, she’s the kinda girl I gots to have near me.” (I think that’s from Proverbs 31. LOL).

Bottom Line: Instead of wanting people to think I’m beautiful, I need to be concerned about meeting God’s beauty standards. It’s time to grow up. It’s time to get pretty on the inside.

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

Some are silver and the others gold. If you were a Girl Scout, you know what I’m talking about. Or singing about. Today’s been a happy day because I haven’t felt the Mommy Isolation that can make being a stay-at-homer miserable. My old roommate Mandy came into town on Saturday and left this afternoon. I got to drive to church with my good friend Natalie. And I was reminded of my dear friends in Cheraw thanks to a post on Facebook by Melanie. At times I feel like any gregariousness I possessed was stripped away when I became a “homer.” I begin to think that maybe my true personality leans toward introvertedness. It’s days like today that have reminded me that I’m NOT an introvert. Yes, sometimes I like being quiet. But really, I like hanging out with people and talking. And I get energy from those interactions.  And today I had many interpersonal interactions and they came in all shapes and sizes. That was good. I’m in a good mood because of it.

The first type of interaction was Reacquaintance. I hadn’t spent real quality time with Mandy in years. And so having a conversation with her was like discovering a $10 bill in last year’s winter coat. You try it on expecting it to be usable but you’re not necessarily expecting a bonus. And then there it is. Crinkly paper. Is it a receipt? Nope. It’s forgotten money. The joy of finding something you didn’t realize you were missing. I’d forgotten that we had been such good friends. And why we had been such good friends. Becoming reacquainted with her made me resolve to be better about keeping in touch.

The second type of interaction was Camaraderie. Driving with Natalie to set up for tomorrow’s MOPS meeting offered a chance to have some pleasant mommy talk. It’s not usually anything too deep. But just like deep calls to deep, mommy calls to mommy. I love having a friend who’s in the same place as me. Literally and figuratively. The fact that she lives two blocks away is an extra bonus. Four years ago, I didn’t realize what a blessing it was that Matt and Natalie moved into our neighborhood. It seemed a pleasant coincidence. Since then, our friendship has grown from college acquaintances to dear friends. She’s the one I call when I’ve just gotten done cleaning up vomit. She knows what it’s like. Although she’s more of a poop expert.

The third type of interaction was Remembrance. Calling it that seems funereal. If you’ve got a better word, let me know. Today, my lifetime friend Melanie posted a memento from her childhood. It had nothing to do with me personally. But it made me remember  the days we spent together playing. The dynamic of two blond twins, a short brunette, and an imaginative redhead…um…I mean strawberry blond. Being in the real world has made me realize that not many people have friendships that have lasted a lifetime (cue Michael W. Smith music). But somehow I was blessed enough to have three friends that I knew from church nursery on. Cheraw seems like the perfect place for those types of friendships to be forged. Practically, there was only one elementary school and high school so we spent our days at school together and our Sunday mornings at church. A small town also has little to offer in entertainment, so walks to the gas station were routine. As were afternoons sitting on the porch swing. We talked a lot. When I think about it,  we are a branched tree. We share the same roots. But we have grown in our own directions. But still the roots remain, grounding us. Reminding of us of who we are and where we came from. Cheraw. On the southern bank of the Pee Dee River. With its old churches and historic buildings. Its Wal-Mart. And just about any fast food restaurant. I know where I came from and where they came from. Which made Melanie’s childhood artifact poignant and pretty hilarious. Although I was never subjected to it, Melanie’s mother Chrissy often used writing lines as discipline. Imagining the scenario in which Melanie was given this “assignment” made me giggle.

From Melanie’s Facebook post:

I found this gem (circa 1990, obviously just after a spat) while looking for slideshow photos. It’s written in my very best cursive on a lovely sheet of wide-ruled notebook paper. My favorite is No. 13.

1. I like the way Kate laughs.
2. I like the way Kate kinda looks up to me.
3. I like the way Kate sometimes wants to sleep in my room.
4. I like it when Kate comes up to my room and brushes her hair.
5. I like the way Kate takes good care of her glasses.
6. I like the way Kate swims like a fish.
7. I like the way Kate sometimes wants to play with me.
8. I like the way Kate likes to do things I do.
9. I like the way Kate usually agrees with me.
10. I like the way Kate shares her things with me.
11. I like the way Kate lets me into her room.
12. I like the way Kate picks her clothes so cool.
13. I like the way Kate will do most things I ask her to do.
14. I like the way Kate makes me laugh.
15. I like the way Kate fixes her hair.

Because of all these things we like about each other we will be kind to each other.

(signed) Melanie Depew
(printed) Melanie Depew

Me again. Okay. So it makes me giggle. And cry a little. I love my friends. New and old. Silver and gold. It really is a circle that has no end. O the wisdom of campfire songs!

Because I Can

I have no clue what to blog about but feel that I must for a variety of reasons: 1) It’s been a long time since my last post, 2) I need to do housework but REALLY don’t want to. Okay. So that’s not a “variety.” More like two.

I’ve been trying to figure out why I hate cleaning so much. I really enjoy the benefit of a neat and tidy house and having clean clothes. But I have a terrible time motivating myself. I’m at a loss. Any ideas?

Most recently in the War Against Dirt, I read Sidetracked Home Executives. If you’re familiar with Fly Lady, you’ve heard this term before but may not have realized that it comes from the title of a book written by two slobby sisters who figured out this crazy method for organizing their lives by using an intricate system of 3×5 notecards. Seriously. As a side note, when Alan and I were first dating, he told me that his mother ascribed to said system and mopped her floor daily. No joke. DAILY. I of course, thought Julie, my future mother-in-law, was off her rocker. And that any book that made someone mop their kitchen EVERY DAY was straight from Hades. On their latest trip to our home, Julie brought her homemaker’s Bible with her for me to read (she’d asked beforehand if I was interested and I replied to the affirmative) and I was surprised to find that it wasn’t the book that made her mop the floor daily. There is no rule in SHE that dictates such a stringent mopping schedule. I suppose the Johnson children tracked in mud at a rate that made such mopping necessary. Regardless, the book wasn’t as stern as I thought it would be. It was a rather fun read, actually.

Of course, after reading a self help book, you’re generally expected to help yourself out of the situation. So I should be on my way to a clean home, right? WRONG. There are a few reasons my home has not been transformed from “pigsty to paradise.” So after reading SHE, I’m thinking I need to go out a buy prescribed jumbo notecard file box and notecards and dividers for the file. But Alan stopped me in my tracks. I’ve got all this momentum going and he tells me that the notecard file box we already possess if fit for the job. REALLY? It’s filled with old receipts we might need and it’s hunter green. If this is something I’m going to do, I’m going to do it right. And it’s going to look pretty. And hunter green does NOT fit into this picture. Any excitement I had at the thought of a clean home is dashed when I think of the hunter green notecard box becoming a permanent kitchen fixture.

The other reason for my house continuing in its usual state of disarray is fatigue. And not my fatigue; Alan’s. Picture this: I get a nap in the afternoon and when we finally get the kids down for bed, I have the energy to do something around the house. But my husband, who has forced himself to get up at 5 a.m. for no apparent reason, is bushed. And promptly falls asleep as soon as his body is still for .6 seconds. Alan, our resident clean freak, is normally the responsible adult who forces himself to fold laundry and unload and load the dishwasher. He is incapable of doing any housework while he snoozes. And I am incapable of doing housework when I have no one to “help.” As I said, I struggle with self-initiating in this area.

And tonight I would have cleaned up but Alan was absent and after calling two friends and only getting their voicemail, I returned to the computer to do something productive. Like blogging. Because I can.

Chance Exchanges

I don’t even know how I got to this website but chancexchange.com looks like it has a lot of potential. It’s a website that allows you to mail books, dvds, games, and other junk you no longer want anymore to people who do want it. And it’s free. Well almost. There is the annoying fact that you do have to pay the postage to send your item to its new home. You get one credit per item you send and then are able to choose what you want sent to you. I listed three books just to see how it would work. So far, both of my Janet Evanovich books have been requested. I’m planning on tomorrow to make it to the post office. If you know me, you know that I HATE the post office. The slow line and the crazy kids. My kids. They decide to “act the fool” at times. I have other things I need to post too–Kate and Melanie’s birthday gifts–so I REALLY need to go.

In other news, I finished Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex last night. It was absolutely wonderful. I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to discussing it at book club on Wednesday. I haven’t been in several months but am really excited about this book. A lot of times, I read books and enjoy them but don’t recommend them to Alan. He’s so busy, I hate to persuade him to read just anything. Like the Twilight series. There are certain people I would recommend it to because they’re avid readers and won’t be wasting half a year to read them (Melanie, Hillary, etc.) but if you’re only going to read one piece of fiction a year, you better make sure it’s a good one. Middlesex measures up. It was utterly convincing and had me walking away wondering if Jeffrey is a hermaphrodite–if the book was largely autobiographical.

In other book news, Hillary and I are tentatively planning to attend the Twilight party at Barnes and Noble on Friday. I’m almost giddy. Hill originally had to work that night but because of another family obligation, she’s going to have to take off and will most likely be able to fit in coming up to Greenville. I’m wondering what the age range of people there will be. I’m imagining that Hillary and I will be on the upper end of that bell curve. Which reminds me that I should go reserve my copy of Breaking Dawn right now. Yes, I’m grinning from ear to ear just thinking about it.