Been Reading Again

I found Tim had gotten some books from the library, so I started reading again. Non-fiction. I read 280 pages on the bios of the groundbreaking studio recording producers. George Martin (Beatles), Phil Spector (the '60s girl groups), Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), the guys who invented rap, the guys who invented Ska/reggae recordings, etc. There were two major themes in common with all of them: drugs (even Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys was over-the-top drugged out), with LSD and pot being the drugs of choice, and they hung around in the industry "making a name" for ten years or more before they got to be free to work and get paid. I guess Tim has 2 years to go.....if it's possible to be a musician without drugs.

The other book I've been reading I found in the garage: "Penny Candy," by Jean Kerr. I LOVED "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," also by Jean Kerr, about ten years ago, so I had high hopes for this one. I was a little disappointed. Perhaps because now I have my own set of boys, and our lives are actually MORE chaotic and funnier (I would guess) than hers. She does have a nice way of putting things, though. The two things that stood out from the entire book were, 1) the observation that it's harder to get a driver's license than a marriage license, and which is more important to society?; and 2) When you have a large, "nicely spaced" family, you end up saying, "Don't put your milk there; it might spill" at dinner every day for twenty years. She had 6 kids in 20 years. I figure her problem was the "nicely spaced" part. If she'd had 6 kids in ten years, she would have only had to say it half as much because you say it to several kids at once each night for ten years instead.

I must admit, I've said that my fair share of the time. I finally figured it out, though. You don't say it. You just reach over and move the cup. I figured this out after cleaning up spilled juice literally every night the entire year Anda was 2. She also fell off her chair every night at dinner, and I still haven't figured out a solution to that. She grew out of it, but what if someone else starts doing it?

Why have I started reading again? Well, there were books available that I hadn't read and that were longer than 20 pages and had no pictures. And night time has become exceedingly stressful, disjointed, and brightly sunlit, to my great disappointment. The problem isn't Caleb this time. The problem is that Dan and Ben each wants me to rock him to sleep first, and they keep each other awake fussing about it. I haven't been able to drop into bed until after 6:00 am even once this week.

I take comfort from the fact that this happens every time I have a baby--I remember missing church one Sunday because Dan kept me up until 8:00 am and church started at 9:00.

In the meantime, I have grown to loathe sunrise.