this plus that

On our weekly library trips, Puddin' and I have a routine. She picks out books with recognizable characters - Dora, Blue, Ms. Frizzle, etc. - and I find an equal number of picture books from the stacks. Often, she focuses her attention on the series books and ignores my choices. She'll let us read one as a bedtime story but they aren't her daytime playtime books. Every once in a while, though, I find one that captures her attention. this plus that is one of those books. Here's the trailer:

(Since when do books have trailers? It's an odd world we live in.)

Reading this book with Puddin' this morning I came across the words "good days + bad days = real life" and "once upon a time + happily ever after = pretend." Honestly, we all know that, right? This shouldn't be news but some days I need a reminder. Today, those words smacked me upside the head. Today, whether it's a nine-scoop-ice-cream-cone day or a trip-and-the-scoops-scatter day, it's going to be ok, because it's real.

Crazy Wins

Crazy keeps popping out all over the place, especially in my life. I'm starting to wonder if crazy is normal and sane is aberrant. Neatly controlled utopia is an obvious myth but is it possible to even get close?

I've spent a lot of energy in the past 6 months trying to fight the crazy. It's not going well. The more I fight, the more my routines and relationships are out of sync. There's so much crazy, I just can't handle cleaning. There's so much crazy, I can't be held accountable for what I eat. There's so much crazy, I don't have time for a run. There's so much crazy, I'd better not try to write. I've been so afraid of the crazy - both inside and out - that I stood stock still and let it invade. I've become a crazy zombie, feeding on sane brains, passing on the crazy with each passing day.

You know what? Crazy wins. I give in. Maybe by giving in and admitting that I've gone crazy I can reset the norms and use crazy for good. It's got to be possible, right? Crazy can be good. Crazy can be whimsical and fun. Crazy can be creative. Crazy can be inventive. Crazy can provide new ideas.

So that's my new goal. I'm giving in to the crazy but I'm not giving up. There will be crazy amounts of good in our family life again, as soon as I figure out how  to corral the stuff.