Project: B.S.E. -- Day 1

Well this is it, the most dreaded/anticipated day of the school year: the end. Alpine School District definitely goes out with a whimper--the last day of school is from 8-9:30. An hour and a half is nowhere near long enough to justify the morning routine of waking, dressing, feeding, driving, etc. But we did it, for old time's sake, and now we bid a fond adieu to 2nd, 5th, and 9th grades. It was a pretty good year.

This is what Day One of Project: Best.Summer.Ever looked like:

The kids acted like hooligans at my college campus.

The princess celebrated her fifth birthday.

Our neighborhood friends dropped by for some cake and presents.

And we thought it'd be a good idea to take Zack off his ADHD meds for the summer. We'll be seeing this weirdo face a lot. 

The cake was abso-freakin-lutely delicious.

And the boys' newest thing is to look off in the distance when they're getting their picture taken. 

Here's what Day One of Project: Best.Summer.Ever. sounded like:

Setting: Minivan, Krispy Kreme donuts, four children, loud music on the radio.

Noah: This song is overplayed.

Brad: You're overplayed.

Noah: Your mother is overplayed.

Me: Hey! Your face is overplayed.

Silence. I think I won that one. 

And now the Project: Best.Summer.Ever. reading list update. I've made some real headway in my quest to read all the books that I own whose pages have yet to see the light of day. Unfortunately, I forgot that in order to actually make progress, I need to STOP BUYING BOOKS.  For every book I've read this month, I've bought two more. And hey, this isn't supposed to come out like I'm complaining--in fact, this is a sign that my life is pretty freaking awesome. But still, the list isn't looking much shorter. I put an asterisk next to the latest acquisitions.

Fiction:

The Swan Thieves - Elizabeth Kostova (borrowed from Luisa two years ago, maybe.)

Beyonders: Book Two - Brandon Mull

Crossed - Ally Condie

Where Nothing Was Long Ago - Virginia Sorenson

Night Soil - Levi Peterson

Big Trouble - Dave Barry

Before You Know Kindness - Chris Bohjalian - mediocre, should have been a short story, not a novel

Gilead - Marilynne Robinson

The BFG - Roald Dahl - halfway through, possibly the most painful children's book I've ever read to my kids.

The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood

This is Where I Leave You - Jonathan Tropper

These is My Words - Nancy Turner

*Passion - Lauren Kate

*Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman - I have a feeling I've read this before...

Non-Fiction:

The Digital Diet - Daniel Sieberg

The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell

Pledged - Alexandra Robbins

The Tiger - John Vaillant

Twinkie, Deconstructed - Steve Ettlinger (This I've only borrowed for a year, maybe)

*Drop Dead Healthy - A.J. Jacobs - I love pretty much everything this man has written. This is no exception.

*In The Plex - Steven Levy

Travel:

Lost On Planet China - J. Maarten Troost

Turn Left At The Trojan Horse - Brad Herzog

The Ridiculous Race -Pretty good book, the authors go so many cool places, it makes me kinda jealous. Okay, really jealous.

Memoirs:

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Anne Fadiman - super interesting topic, about Hmong refugees in California and their interactions with the medical system.

Same Kind of Different As Me - Ron Hall

The Color of Water - James McBride

If I Die In A Combat Zone - Tim O'Brien

52 Loaves - William Alexander

Denial - Jessica Stern

I Feel Bad About My Neck - Nora Ephron

Science Fair Season - Judy Dutton

The Tender Bar - J.R. Moehringer

Girl Meets God - Lauren Winner - Loved this!!

*When Women Were Birds - Terry Tempest Williams - Loved this, too!

*Refuge - Terry Tempest Williams

*Goodbye, I Love You - Carol Lynn Pearson - Also fantastic. 

My favorite book of the summer (so far, and yes, I know it's only been one day) was Lauren Winner's "Girl Meets God." It's a memoir about an Orthodox Jewish woman who converts to Christianity. It was entertaining and thought-provoking and well-written but most of all, I spent the whole book thinking, "I wish I was her friend!" When she talks about her love of books and all of the books she buys and stacks in her New York apartment, I know we are, like, twins separated at birth. Mom, you didn't actually give my twin sister up for adoption to a Jewish/Episcopalian couple, did you?

Day One=success.