Kevin found an "I can read" ribbon behind our entertainment armoire and he put it on the buffet because - I am giving him the benefit of the doubt - he didn't know what to do with it (and not that he was leaving for me to deal with). Clover came home and found the ribbon before I saw it and awarded it to herself. The ribbon is from Leapfrog and probably came with some old Leappad books, but Clover acted like she had been given an Oscar. She can read, but really we didn't need all the drama that has come with this "award."
"Look at what I earned!" I wracked my brain trying to think who would have given her the ribbon until I realized she found it, but basically wanted me to frame it because she was so proud of her achievement. I can scavenge! is what it should have said.
Today our award winner is in a less celebratory mood. Maybe it was because her brother bit her soon after she woke up. When I reprimanded him and said "Look at your sister's face, you hurt her," he laughed. Clover than carried on about the pain and while I am sure it hurt, there was not a mark anywhere on her, so he must not have bit hard. A few minutes later Kevin asked her to move something and she yelled, "You keep making me feel upset when you tell me something!" I think I am going to avoid her for awhile.
But back to reading...I had pledged to find the time to read more books this year and because I goal-oriented (Kevin would say neurotic), I decided to read two books a month minimum. I exceeded January's goal by mid-month, so then I shifted my reading toward a growing stack of New Yorkers. Now that we are in February, I need to pick up another book or else this resolution will be dropped just like my promise to make sure I take my vitamins every day.
I read Heat, You're Lucky You're Funny and Eat, Pray, Love. I wanted to hate Eat, Pray, Love because, well, I can be kind of a snob about books and once something gets on Oprah and hits mass culture, I kind of get turned off. Anyway, I enjoyed the book. It was a fast read, but fun, even if it was somewhat of a fairytale only available to someone with a huge book advance (the same could be said about Heat).
Heat was also really entertaining and I loved reading about the inside workings of a well known restaurant, but toward the end, when the author focuses less on the action and more on his thoughts, it went dead. For instance when he commands the reader to never use the standard store bought tub of ricotta, I immediately thought that clearly he is not an Italian-American. I realize real, fresh ricotta may be superior, but like Proust's madeleine, the store-bought rubbery ricotta brings back my childhood. During a storm this week I made a sauce that was far more complex than the one my nonnie would make, but adding ricotta to it on my plate transported me back to her dinner table with one bite. It may be low brow, but it is what I like.
I watch Everybody Loves Raymond pretty frequently despite the fact the show ended, which made You're Lucky You're Funny interesting. The book is best for those who like the show or who want to work in television.
Clover's attitude mellowed as I wrote this purely through bribery. Kevin headed off to get French pastries at the farmer's market and I told Clover if she whined, complained or cried about anything, not only would she not get a chocolate croissant, but I would give the entire croissant to her brother. That did the trick.
