Books That Have Managed to Hold My Attention in my Current State of Chronic Sleep Deprivation

Still spending hours a day nursing Truman or allowing him to nap on me, I've recently stopped mindlessly scrolling social media and have spent that time reading. I've missed reading for fun. I think I got discouraged by reading as I was attempting to read Steinbeck, per my husband's suggestion. And I do agree with him that Steinbeck is a phenomenal author but on 2 hours of sleep a night... Not so much! I currently am seeking easy, somewhat jovial reading. But I also have a low tolerance for books that are just fluff from authors who publish 5 books a year. You know the kind, read like a romcom starring Katherine Heigl. Here are some I've found recently that bridge that gap nicely.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Part forklore, part snapshot of Alaskan life; this book sucked me in it's very first pages. Mabel is introduced as such a perfect characterization of quiet depression and I felt her sadness immediately. Throughout the book I continued to be overwhelmed by the many emotions. Ivey's descriptions transported me so I felt I was living on Jack and Mabel's Alaskan homestead, I could see the sights, smell the smells and feel the weather as I tuned the pages. I can't wait to read more from Ivey.

Sourdough by Robin Sloan. This was an extremely easy read that was just strange enough to hold my interest. A good story about finding your passion and yourself in the most unlikely of places... Admittedly I was disappointed in the ending. I wanted a different moral of the story... Perhaps that was too much to hope for such a light-hearted tale. I won't say anything more for fear of spoiling the story. But if you read it I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep. Cep is a writer I will have to keep an eye on. This was her first book but she sleighed it. I'd describe her style as friendly text book. This book is really 3 stories in one:

1. The story of a Reverend who is believed to have murdered several family members to collect insurance money.
2. The court proceedings for the man who killed the aforementioned Reverend.
3. Harper Lee's coverage of the trial with a brief biography of her life before and after.

Cep presents the facts in a professional tone, guiding the reader to draw their own conclusions. It was a very enjoyable read. 

My Antonia by Willa Cather. I've heard several people go on and on about Willa Cather but I've never actually read anything of hers until now. I enjoyed her somewhat romanticized glimpse of frontier life. The characters all seem a bit cliche now, but seeing as it was written over 100 years ago, that's to be expected. Overall, it was a nice feel good tale about days gone by. I'll probably read more from Cather again but she's not at the top of my current list.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos. This book packed a big punch for a quick read. This novel is fiction but is actually a pretty accurate glimpse of our current society. Immigration, wage inequality, education, parenting... All themes tied together in the stories of Jane, Mae, Reagan and Ate. 

There There by Tommy Orange. Another first time author that impressed me. There There follows the lives of Native Americans living in or traveling to modern day Oakland, California. A good look at their current culture and sense of community, or for some lack of. Each character struggles with his own personal dilemnas as well as identity issues surrounding their heritage. Definitely worth a read! 

Life Right Now

Life has been so busy but so beautiful lately. I'm not going to pretend it's been constant laughs and smiles. We have our moments of frustration and tears. But overall the kids are all at really fun, loving and hilarious stages. Every day they do something that has me laughing. And it makes my heart sad knowing in time I'll forget so many of these moments. So I thought I'd take a moment to share some stories from life recently. Years from now I'll look back on this post and cry about how big my babies have gotten.

Truman's personality is really developing. He gives the best smooches and challenges everyone to screaming matches. (He is always victorious.) He says daaah-yeee for Daddy and calls me Momba!

He asks to have dance parties and his dancing mostly consists of head banging. Though, tonight he was watching Lucille's dance recital DVD and started trying to do ballet with the 10 year olds in stage. Adorable!

Lennon has been super into our library trips. He is constantly asking me "can we get an interlibrary loan for ____?" (Ps we're so lucky to have such a nice library in town that is also connected to dozens of other libraries that we can also borrow from.)

At the end of the school year Lucille would recap her days on the car ride and Lennon has already mastered his I'm not really listening response. "Wow sissy, I had no idea school was so interesting." "Wow sissy, I had no idea gym class was so interesting."

Our cat has been on a real killing spree in our yard. We've found lots of chipmunks, mice, squirrels and birds. A Fisher lived in our yard during the winter and early spring before our constant trips outside caused him to relocate. He killed a HUGE hare.... I didn't know there were hares near my house. Anyways I thought these bodies would scar my kids. Instead they are very intrigued and have made a list of the dead things they've seen. It's actually incredible. They recognize it's sad and don't delight in death, but are truly interested in seeing the insides of these animals... Definitely a trait they get from their dad.

I should clarify, my kids acknowledge how sad it is for the family of furry dead bodies we find in our yard. Insects are different. Lucille feels no compassion for them. The second she sees an insect she screams for someone to "come die it!" 🤣

My sister in law's favorite Lucille story is when she asked her if she liked SpongeBob and she said no. Then after a moment of contemplation said "Actually I like SpongeBob because him's a cheese and I love cheese."

My favorite recent Lucille memory is her pre-school graduation. Well she was singing songs on stage she locked eyes with Truman most of the program and every time he would clap she clapped along with him. It was so sweet to watch her interacting with her baby brother during a moment of such excitement and so many faces.

Oh and I overheard Lucille say this while her and Lennon played today: "Batman, it's time to come home." "Okay mom!"

2 out of 3 of my hams with their block city.

And ham #3, laughing at himself. 

Happy Birthday Lennon Wallace

My sweet Lennon Wallace, how is it you're 4 years old? These 4 years have gone so fast, yet I can't imagine how I lived my life before you came along.
Lennon, you are the lovingest being I've ever met. Your heart is so tender and pure that it makes my heart break wishing we could all be half as sweet as you.
You're full of energy and wonder. You love to explore but love coming home more. You know exactly what you want, how you want it, where you want it .. and you make it happen with your unmatched persistence.
Your curly hair is as untamed as your spirit. I'll miss these days with you... Singing, dancing, creating. You sing "All You Need Is Love" dozens of times every day as well as a couple rounds of "True Colors" and "Can't Stop the Feeling". You color and draw endlessly, taking such pride in your work. You're an amazingly helpful and proud big brother who gives Truman endless and unconditional love. You're an adoring little brother who hangs on every word Lucille says and wants to play with her every second of the day. Your current stage of life is so fun and precious and I hope to always remember it vividly. But I also look forward to what's to come. I know you'll form amazing friendships in school, get a thrill out of learning and adopt new interests. I can't wait to watch your life unfold.
Thank you, Lennon, for choosing me to he your mom. The love you give me is something no person is truly worthy of, but it has made me a better person as I attempt
to be a deserving recepient and give such transparent love and acceptance back to this world.