The Ten Year Nap

Delicious, witty, thought-provoking, and so carefully crafted. All mothers should read this book... all women who have mothers should read this book... all men married or related to women should read this book... basically, all people should read this book. More than anything, Meg Wolitzer is a genius writer. Her prose is so intentional, she makes word selection a form of high art. A quote from the New York Times describes it best, "The tartly funny Wolitzer is a miniaturist who can nail a contemporary type, scene, or artifact with deadeye accuracy."

I have been listening to The Ten Year Nap on audiobook during my drives to work and evening class, and I almost can't wait for a reason to get into the car.

Though I will not be getting this right, let me share a short paraphrased excerpt:
One of the characters was watching her daughter play with a toy horse, and brush its long blonde woman-head of hair. She explains the toy horse is a normal horse, but also has a long mane of hair and long female eyelashes. The character imagines the advertising for the toy, "Does your daughter dream about riding horses, and also about being a slut?

That one made me snort outloud. Why are girls' toys all so hypersexual? Even the horses? Though not entirely related, this does remind me of the first time I got Ade a Happy Meal and was asked at the drive through window, "Girl or boy?" - a question that totally caught me off-guard until I realized they were asking so they knew which toy to give me. I wanted to say, "I'll take the gender neutral toy," and see what happened. Really, though, just give me the toy choices, and I will pick the one my child will like best. Do not assign a toy based on their down-belows.

And no post is complete without a few good pictures...

Adelaide loves technology and iChatting with her grandparents:


Mommy remembered how Big Grandma used to make bubbles from dish detergent and rolled up paper: