Friday Flotsam

FRRRRRRReak out! FreakY, I meant. Like Freaky Friday. Never mind.

11 days, 15 hours, 51 minutes and 10 seconds (9. . .8. . .7) left UNTIL SPRING.

Goodbye.

I know it’s hard to believe with the naked eye, but this photo is not staged. What, you mean the yellow figure skating dress on the floor and blankets strewn everywhere in the wake of Hurricane Natalie didn’t give it away? (girl can’t keep her room clean worth ISH.)

The other day I went to check on the kids because as a parent you know that silence sends you into spiraling panic mode. “Why is it so quiet?! Did the windows accidentally fall out of their frames and crash into them? Did they choke on a dust bunny? Did the cascading pothos strangle them as they stood up to get a marker?” LISTEN, IT COULD HAPPEN. So I sped-sweat-sprinted into Nat’s room to find . . . well, Will. On her bed, all nonchalant “reading” a book that’s meant for a 5th grader. GUYS HE’S MIMICKING OUR IMAGINARY BOOK CLUB. He sees me like this, constantly, every single day, in various shapes and forms all over our house. And then he goes, “Yeah, I just finished my book,” all casual which made me want to birth 13 more of him.

Me, “Yeah?”

“Yeah, it was a Mardi Gras book. The family ran away from town. It was scary.”

My work here is done.

Which brings me to a Bev Books (my imaginary book club) update! Wait, did you leave?

Okay, these are the books I’ve (we’ve? I’ve) read so far this year, and then after that, I’ll list what’s ahead, if you want to get prepped. (you’re like, dream on, chachi.)

All We Ever Wanted
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Little Fires Everywhere
A Place For Us
One Day in December
Where the Crawdads Sing
You’d You Go, Bernadette

I couldn’t recommend these more. I loved EVERY SINGLE book in wildly different ways. I think the highlights (if I had to pick one or two) were Little Fires and Crawdads. Just incredible. Get your face in them.

I’m halfway through Hidden Bodies, and it’s, um – harsh. I never read YOU (only watched it), so reading Joe’s bluntly crass thoughts make me want to barf punch him 50 times. Obviously I’ll finish it out, because I’m invested in it and starting to get used to his run-on brain rant sentences. (which, embarrassingly I relate to. Ugh.)

What’s coming up next! (not in this exact order, but I’ll keep you posted in Stories on that.)

A Man Called Ove
The Woman in the Window
A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty
Dare Me
The Couple Next Door
The Wife Between Us
Educated
Becoming
Into the Water

I thiiiiiink I’ll actually start with Woman in the Window, as I had a tsunami of comments demanding I do so. Should I?! And then after that, either A Man Called Ove, or A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. We’ll see. And please, definitely chime in with other suggestions! I LIVE FOR THIS.

And my children and husband and personal growth life happiness tranquil peace balance blah blah blah.

BUT MOSTLY THIS.

I wonder if anyone’s ever said Pancake Dinner.

“I’m headed to the pancake dinner.”

“The what?”

“The pancake dinner. Downtown at the city hall.”

“You mean the pancake SUPPER?”

You can’t say pancake dinner. It’s not a thing.

. . . that’s all.

Weekend plans?

We’re headed slightly south tomorrow morning to meet up with my parents for a mini spring break train trip! (Because apparently the kids haven’t BEEN HOME ENOUGH YET THIS YEAR.)

I’m trying to figure out my train outfit, because that’s clearly imperative to the experience. You can’t just GET ON A TRAIN, you must look the part. And then call everyone Henry with a vintage detective accent because – trains.

We’re staying in a quaint airbnb like 5 seconds from the Bentonville square, which surprisingly I know very little about! (I’m from Fayetteville, ‘memba?) So if you’re from the area and have restaurant recommends (yes we’re hitting Crystal Bridges and no we’re not going to the Amazeum. Been there too many times for my murderous tendencies.) – holla!

All I know is that these nasty brown snow clumps better be DONE MELTED by the time I get back on Monday. (I said “done melted” like an old man with one tooth.)

What are you making for dinner tonight? Pancakes? Just kidding.