Whatcha Readin?

Fall not only means back to school, it means my book club is starting up again!

Woo-hoo! Love it! Love the books, the giggling at Chevy's, the chips and salsa! But, I'm tapped out of ideas for books this year.

So, I'm asking. What are a couple of your all-time favorite books?

Waiting For Her Letter

We adore reading around here. Something I've blogged about here and here.

This summer, I decided that Girlie Whirl, 6 1/2, was old enough to deal with Harry Potter in book form. She wasn't sure she wanted to, but I convinced her to give it a try and we began.

Oh, the fun we've had, the adventure, the humor, the discovery! It's one of the joys of parenting, this introducing your child to a new world through the written word! There is nothing like your little girl gazing up at you with a mixture of hope and pleading in her big blue eyes as she says, "Please just read one more chapter, pleeeeease!"

Playtime at our home now commonly features magical themes. Dolls take on names like Hermione and Ginny; and Girlie-Whirl keeps her wand nearby, hexing invisible foes with abandon. Needless to say, it was a very Harry summer and because we still have just over two more books to go, the Harry-ness will continue through much of the fall. Can you guess what she's gonna be for Halloween?

G-W started daydreaming about getting her letter of acceptance from Hogwarts, and asked me if I thought it could happen in real life. Last month, her twelve-year-old sister, Banana-Girl was sad. As G-W knelt by me, I asked her to remember her sister in her prayer. I was touched and amused as she earnestly petitioned Heavenly Father to bless Banana-Girl that she'll get a letter from Hogwarts, the pinnacle of heavenly blessings in her mind. I think she's finally decided that no letters are going to arrive, but she's holding out hope that it could happen in the next life.

I know that there's nothing original in the sentiment, but can I just say that I adore Harry Potter! Rowling is, in my opinion, a master story teller. The hours of quality time that my family has spent in her books are countless and full of good memories. I firmly believe that forty years from now, her books will still be in print and there will be third and fourth generation fans out there introducing the world of Hogwarts to their children.

What are you reading with your kiddles?

Whoosh.....Summer's Gone!

It's time to get back into blogging -- I've missed it!

Sooo much to say. Too many things happened over the summer to write them all so here are a few of highlights.

1. Nauvoo. Mom and Dad have finished their mission there and it is once again a 20 hour drive to visit them. The three hour drive to Nauvoo was such a blessing. We spent a lot of time there this summer, playing Quirkle, measuring historic homes (you should see my hubder's sketches!), giggling and being together.

2. Triathlon. I didn't meet my goal of beating last years time, but as I didn't train as hard and I'm a year older, nine seconds added to last year's time is more than respectable. This year's trialthon was sponsored by my Big Bro (thanks, Bro!)

3. Utah trip. We took the kids out of school for a week to go to Utah to my little sister's wedding. It was beautiful and made me happy. We also spent a couple of nights at our favorite place on the planet with Hubder's family. We giggled and ate too much and slept very little. Seeing family is a boon to my soul.

And now, for the low light:

Long story, short (trust me, I could write pages). On the way home from Utah, car troubles stranded us in Laramie, Wyoming for three days. $500 later (towing, hotels and food) we learned that the car was essentially totalled, bought a brand new Toyota Rav4 and drove home. Yeah, we exceeded our vacation budget! As we unloaded the car, Banana-Girl (12) said, "This is the coolest souvenir we've EVER bought!"