This book changed my life

One of my dearest friends gave me this book for Christmas and I instantly fell in love with it. The Shack by William P. Young is the story of a man who had to deal with the worst possible heartache. No family should have to go through it. But he spent a weekend with God and found a way to forgive. Forgiveness is the main theme, but there are so many more. It will truly make you rethink some of the things you believe.

Wednesday's Book Recommendation

Sorry I've been gone so long, folks. We've all been pukey sick! First hubby had the flu, then myself and Nova at the same time. Great way to spend the holidays!

This week's book recommendation is She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. It's an oldie but goody! I first read it in college when it came out and fell in love with Deloris, the main character. Any woman can relate to SOMETHING she goes through. Several times, I found myself looking at the author's picture to make sure it was really written by a man!

The Sicklies

I've been gone for ages...did anyone miss me? Ha! We've all been sick...first Nova, then Kurt, then me. It's been a blast, let me tell you. I'll have lots to share, though, as Nova has a holiday program at preschool coming up and her Xmas pics will be in soon. Hope everyone is well!

Wednesday means get a good book!

This week's book recommendation was actually recommended to me and I just fell in love with it. It's called The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. It's a memoir that's so unbelievable you'll forget it's real! It's kind of like a modern day A Tree Grows in Brooklynn. What this woman went through as a child, who then became a successful adult in spite of it...wow.

The Rage?

I'm a pretty intuitive person. I know how people work and why they do the things they do. Which is why I know the rage is sitting below the surface somewhere and will come out sooner or later. Why the rage? Because my daughter isn't perfect.

Now, no one is perfect. And I don't care for me as much as I care for her. I worry that she won't have friends or boyfriends, that her future won't hold high school dances, cruising with friends, or marching band and sports. I ache for her future because I do not know what it will be.

I know this is normal. I know we have to grieve what our ideas of our daughter were. And I know in my heart, that it will be okay. I know in my heart that we'll have just as many joys---just different ones than we had invisioned. But I also know the grief process and rage has to happen sooner or later. Maybe it's coming soon, as I've been thinking about it--wondering when it would arrive.

Parents, it's okay to feel these things. Our lives are now seriously up and down and spirally at times. If we're not honest about how we feel and deal with it, well, we'll become spirally ourselves and that's not good for our children.

So, I say--Come on, fates. Bring on the rage.

Wednesday's Book Recommendation!

This week's book recommendation is The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks. It's a sequel to The Notebook, which many of us loved and loved the movie. The Wedding, though, is a different kind of love story. It's about trying to save a love that has changed over years and it's about taking those we love for granted. A quick and great read!

Alphabet

I have been working with Nova on her letters. We learned N O V A. She still won't say "Nova" but she'll say N O V A. That's great. Well, she has this horrid alphabet game that you press a letter and it SCREAMS (and there's no volume on this thing) A APPLE or X X-RAY. It's completely obnoxious.

The other day, my husband had her and my nephew out playing on the swings. He took some sidewalk chalk and wrote Nova and Brady (his name). Nova walks over and says N O V A as expected. Then she goes on, B R A D Y. Uhhhhh WHAT????

Turns out, that darn obnoxious toy has taught her ALL HER LETTERS. Wooohoooo!!!!! Now she knows all letters and numbers 0-10. Woohoooooooo twice!!!!