The Liar's Diary

As a blogger, I regularly put it all out there on the internet. Maybe I don't say quite as much as I would in a diary or journal, but I think that my readers know almost as much of me as any journal reader would.

So when Mother Talk offered me the chance to review a new book by Patry Francis, called The Liar's Diary, I couldn't wait. The book definitely kept me reading.

The main character, a high school secretary, mother to a 16-year old with problems, and wife to a cold and withholding surgeon, wasn't someone I could relate to. She seemed to let life happen to her rather than directing it herself. But what I could related to was Jean's sense of isolation and feeling of numbness, classic signs of depression, that lead her to befriend Ali, her polar opposite.

Ali is a woman who embraces life and lives it on the move. She's a musician and new teacher at Jean's school, who flaunts her affairs and her emotional life. The relationship between Ali and Jean has something to offer both of them, and leads each of them to a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships.

Tragedy strikes, as it often does in books and real life, and Ms. Patry has us wondering were dysfunction ends and psychosis begins.

My usual test of a really good book is whether or not I would read it again. I rarely reread books. Those that I do, I reread constantly. Ms. Patry's book is not Jane Austen, but as a psychological profile of family and relationships, I found it intriguing and probably will read this one again. Maybe I can find some clues I missed along the way.

You can read interviews with Ms. Francis here and here. But what I really found interesting was Ms. Patry's blog, Simply Wait. You see, Ms. Patry is living with cancer. Of course, that isn't the defining piece of her. She's an amazing writer and blogger. Her observations about people and life amaze me. I've read her entire blog.

Check out this post, The Woman Who Said No. It will tell you an awful lot about who Ms. Patry is, who she wants to be, and how her illness has changed her. Then go buy her book. You won't be sorry.

Who Knew Bob The Builder Could Be So Fascinating?

My three year old is obsessed with construction and all things construction related. Every morning we drive by a construction site near our house and Hollis comments on the progress. Heaven help them if the workers aren't there (even on a Sunday). Hell hath no fury like a three year old who can't get his crane fix.

"Where are the guys, Mommy? WHERE ARE THE GUYS!?"

I can't even tell you the raptures Hollis went into when T rented a backhoe for a weekend to work on a drainage issue in our yard more than a year ago. To this day he still tells us that we need to go to the tractor store and get him another tractor.

Do I even need to tell you that Hollis loves Bob the Builder?

So when PBN offered me the chance to review the new Bob the Builder DVD, On-Site - Roads and Bridges, I snapped it up. Man, am I glad I did.

This DVD isn't just a collection of Bob the Builder cartoons. This is Bob and his friends actually explaining how roads and bridges are built. The cartoon portions are interspersed with film footage from real construction sites explaining every step of construction.

The show also includes real children using kid friendly materials like blocks and sand demonstrating the construction process in the sandbox or playroom. This is stuff any kid can reproduce at home. But when your kids are building their road in the sandbox, they can make sure they don't use shoddy construction practices! Bob even gets into simple engineering problems and makes it understandable for toddlers.

My. kids. were. fascinated.

Hell, even my husband enjoyed the DVD. It goes without saying that I did. In fact, I kind of suspected that I would. I secretly watch all those mega construction shows on the History Channel and TLC. Something I don't mention often on my blog is that I'm a constr*ction att*rney. (Letters removed to protect me from The Google.) I visit job sites on a regular basis. I have my own steel toe boots and hardhat. So I was thrilled to see this DVD that breaks down construction in understandable language. If only more att*rneys and expert witnesses could do that.... But I digress.

Would I recommend this video? Hell, yes. In fact, I might suggest that my firm make it required viewing for any first year associate in my firm without an engineering or architectural background who thinks they might be interested in constr*ction litig*tion. Heck, I might even show it to a jury sometime!

Here's Hollis watching the video and simultaneously setting up his own construction site:


He's now the only toddler in his preschool class who could manage a project site. I couldn't be more excited if he'd mastered multiplication!

Do You Speak Penguin?

Have you heard of Pingu? Pingu is a claymation cartoon brought to you by the wonderful people at PBS. It features Pingu, the lovable naughty little penguin, his sister Pinga, their family and friends. It's a world where penguins are actually friends with seals and the seals don't try to eat the penguins. They all speak this interesting penguin language, but somehow we can understand exactly what they're saying.

I had never seen Pingu before I began obsessively watching PBS Sprout with the boys, but now I'm an addict. I've even written about Pingu before! So when PBN gave me the chance to review a new Pingu video, I snapped it up!

This video didn't disappoint.

Pingu is up to his old tricks, picking on his sister, getting into trouble, but being as cute as can be while doing it. (Hmmm, kind of sounds like my Holden....) Oh, yeah, I suppose you'd like to know what the kids thought too. Well, they love it, of course! We've watched the video about 50 times now and it never gets old for the kids. More importantly, I can stand watching it 50 times in 2 weeks!

My only complaint about Pingu is that he's not very big in the U.S. Consequently, if your child becomes a total addict and demands a Pingu birthday party, you will be forced to buy stuff of Ebay internationally. (Not that I've done that or anything. Noooooooo. Those Pingu stuffed animals and Pingu t-shirt in that picture just materialized here in the U.S.)

So, if you're looking for a new video to keep the kiddos entertained while you shower, do laundry, or cook dinner, this is a great one. If you don't want stuffed penguins reproducing all over your house, Pingu is a good choice. At least until he catches on and the merchandise starts "sprouting" from the shelves!