The Sprague Lab

It has been fun just enjoying my ordinary life for a few days. I’ve been  laying a little low (you might have noticed), just taking in the ebb and flow, and it has been good.

A few things:

Kirsten sent my kids these Jibbitz (and since she has two kids as well, she knows the importance of exact matching sets - and p.s. check out her GORGEOUS daughter, who was one of the flower girls at Nisa’s wedding… she gets it from her mama - no offense, Dan…). Now, not only are they EACH sporting a Lightning and a Mater jibbit (is there a singular for this word?), they can both say “jibbitz” in their sweet small voices. (I think that Rowen might be the only little girl who wears hot-pink Crocs with Lightnin’ and Mater jibbitz … and I think that’s cool. :))

This package totally, completely made their day yesterday.

Topped off only by this:

The man behind the well-oiled machine that is JessicaSprague.com is also a champion bubble-blower (at least to his kids). This was one of those pick-it-up-and-snap-it kind of moments. Glad I had the camera downstairs, and peeked out the back door in time to see.

And look how into it he is.  I love how he’s sitting there on the little kid-sized chairs we have on the deck, right down among the kids. Now there is a real man.

*sigh*

*swoon*

 He’s my favorite. :)

Have I mentioned that if there are ever beta tests for implantable eye cameras you can use by blinking, I’ll be the first in line? But every now and then I get a photo that is SO beautiful, I just sit and sigh.

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Poor fella. His face is pretty red. He’s pretty itchy. Anybody know how long this poison ivy stuff takes to run its course?

At least he enjoyed the cupcake (we’ve been celebrating his birthday all week). :) And he’s such a cheerful kid most of the time, needless to say it’s impossible not to hold him tight and be extra, extra nice to him right now.

Michael Chabon

I picked up a book in the airport after hearing the author reading it two weeks ago on Minnesota Public Radio when I was up for Nisa’s wedding. Minnesota has one of the finest public radio stations in the country, by the way, and it’s something I kinda miss (although I know you can listen to any of their shows online, it’s not quite the same thing as just driving and hearing it). They have a show called Talking Volumes every month, where an author comes in front of a live audience and reads portions of their works, and answers questions. May’s guest was Michael Chabon. He read bits from his new book, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, and I was mesmerized by his gift for words. Wow. One of those sit-in-the-car-and-finish-this kind of writers. He’s a rare author for whom clear and wonderful simile is just a natural way of thinking about the world. I didn’t even really care what the book was about - I just wanted more of that writing. Good thing the book is good too. ;) A little bit police mystery, a little bit theoretical history.

I’m planning to pick up another one of his, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, as soon as I finish this one. I’ll also give a couple of examples of his writing genius. Not overflown language, but so clear and descriptive and real.

So, are there any other wordsmiths I should check out? People whose way of writing just makes you want to savor all the words in your mouth as you say them (whether that’s out loud or in your head)?

Have a wonderful night! (or.. morning..). Tomorrow is Photoshop Friday, Family Pizza Night, and general mayhem celebration at our house. :) Big plans for your weekend?