News from around the water cooler (or, you know, the kitchen sink):
I spent the ENTIRE trip home from seeing Mess Cat at Blackberry Flats this evening being interrogated–no, I don’t mean just questioned–by Cooter about the lineage of Lucious Malfoy, his wife, and the Longbottoms. (No, I don’t mean Draco and Neville.) For those of you playing along, that would be some of the folks from Harry Potter. Only he’s asking about a generation or two back…..before Harry entered the picture, before his birth even. He also was very intent on figuring out who took Neville to his grandmother after his parents were tortured. And here’s the kicker.
He’s only seen the first movie. He hasn’t read any of them. Princess is on the sixth book in the series right now, and he asks her questions, but she’s shut him down. She tells him he will have to read it himself. So these questions are coming from the knowledge he’s gained by playing the Harry Potter Lego game.
Wow. Those things are spot on and include a lot of detail. That’s impressive.
Oh y’all. My oldest grew up with the books and movies and grew along with the Harry Potter characters. I don’t know if this is real or if I dreamed it, but if JK Rowling comes up with a prequel, that would make me and my little guy very happy. For him to have the magic come to life as he reads it, without knowing things ahead of time–that would be awesome. Reading a story such as this for the first time as it is released is a wonderful experience. One I want each of my children to have with a story that they fall in love with, one that captivates them. That’s what the joy of reading is all about.
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Seen on the tissue box on our Princess’ bedside table tonight–a handwritten sticky note:
“It’s the last day. Make it big.”
A note of encouragement to herself. The note refers to her last day of swim lessons tomorrow. I cannot tell you how much I love that she is encouraging herself. And she’s not doing it by comparing herself to others or putting others down. She is simply telling herself to be–and to go and do her best. In the words of her older sister, “Awww. She likes herself.” Yes. I believe she does. I hope nothing ever takes that away from her.
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Last week my oldest, Aub, was in a situation where she could either sit and listen and stay put OR she listen and then speak her mind. No one placed any kind of expectations on her. It was entirely up to her. And in a moment, she was every bit of her almost nineteen years and then some. A lot. She nodded and said, “I’ll do it. I want to speak.”
Later when I mentioned to her that I was proud of her for doing what she felt was right in the moment, she replied, “I didn’t want to leave anything unsaid. I didn’t want to walk away wishing I had said something, anything. So I did. And I don’t. Regret.”
It made me think of this quote from Mitch Albom:
“Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say.”
Amen.
I am thankful my girl knew this without even reading it. And so she spoke. She’s brave, that one. She’s a pretty awesome and strong young woman–one who can speak up when she needs to. And I think she just might like herself too. That is my fervent prayer.
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Tonight I’m thankful for these ones I’ve been given to raise. Most of the time I don’t feel worthy, lots of times I laugh that I even think I might can do this, and every now and then I sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that there is peace in this house and all are well. Tonight is one of those rare and precious moments. And I am grateful beyond measure for that.
Wishing love and laughter to all. And may you really like yourself. That’s the real gift right there.
I Might Need A Nap 
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