Daddy carries breath mints wherever he goes

Bethie woke up this morning (in my bed) crying for Daddy. She cried, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" over and over until she was fully awake. Then she rolled over to me and said, "I want Daddy." I said, "You want Daddy?" (She likes it when we repeat what she said.) Beth said, "No. I want mints."

Happy Mother's Day!

This is my mom and me. (I'm the one in white...) It seems appropriate to write a little something about my mom today. According to my memory, I never went through a typical teenage stage of disliking or not appreciating my mom. We have always been friends. I count her as one of my closest friends. She has always listened to me and treats me as if what I have to contribute is worthwhile. I appreciate her advice and recognize her wisdom. Her wisdom isn't the sort that comes with age--it's the sort that comes with study and learning. She has spent her life learning new things and she loves to share what she knows. I think that is among the things I admire most about her--her love of education. I am grateful she encouraged us to pursue our education. And I'm grateful she is a teacher--someone who always shares what she learns. Mom is optimistic and positive about people and about life. I love my mom and could go on and on, but I am really trying to shorten my blentries so they are more readable. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

All the cake is my canvas...

I don't know how to decorate cakes. But I sure like to draw pictures with frosting. This is my creation for today. My mom helped me to free up my afternoon so I could spend a relaxing hour with my cake. I really love birthdays. And I have no shame admitting that I love my own birthday! I feel very happy today because I have four wonderful children who make everything special for me. My day was filled with cheerful cooperation and lots and lots of hugs. Chris always puts a lot of effort into birthdays and holidays to make them nice for me. Today was no exception. I love Chris so much. We had a great party with my parents and our little family. It was simple and fun.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Cami posted this wonderful birthday cake on her blog for me. Just for me! My computer went crazy when I tried to comment on her blog and I had to restart it (the computer). Then I tried again and again. Why does this crazy computer do that? So, instead of commenting on her blog, I will repost the lovely picture here. (I'll try again later when my computer is feeling friendlier.)

Potter, Harry Potter

So, I took Ammon for his well-child check-up recently. Upon finding out the poor boy is homeschooled, the pediatrician tested some of his "learnin" and determined he is an exceptional reader. Then she asked him what kind of books he likes. Ammon, as I have blogged before, prefers books about rocks and dinosaurs to novels. The pediatrician turned to me and gave me a friendly lecture about how important it is to get kids to read. (I know, I know!) She then turned back to Ammon and said, "Read Harry Potter. The first one is not too scary for you. You're old enough for it."

I really like this pediatrician, by the way. I have lists of books from the library for people in Ammon's age group. There are some good ones on there, but it's mostly books that are just too boring or too simple for Ammon's mind. Plus, he really prefers nonfiction for entertainment. Why, just today I caught him reading a book about grammar--just for fun. He's a Rawlins through and through. Don't tell Chris I said that. Anyway, it hadn't crossed my mind that he was ready for Harry. That's not on the library list. Don't you have to start simpler--like with Beverly Cleary or something?

Naturally, as soon as we got home from the doctor's, I handed him the first Harry Potter. I read the first chapter out loud, then Ammon stole the book to read the second chapter. We continued like this for a while. But Sarah and Nathan were so into the book, we ended up reading it all together. We finished the night before last. The next morning, the kids got the second Harry Potter and insisted we start it. We read it in the morning; we read it in the night. We use Harry as incentive to get these crazy kids to clean their rooms.

Now, it's no secret that I love Harry Potter. I love him. The characters in these books are the types of people that I miss when I finish reading each book. I think the stories are wildly entertaining and I think that J.K. Rowling is nothing short of brilliant for the way she ties together every minor character and plot line. It is so fun to be able to share Harry Potter with the kids. I can't get Chris to read them. He thinks it's a cult. I think he's kidding. Anyway, it's nice to have Potter-friends.

I come now to my point. After the kids go to bed, I read other Harry books. The ones that are way too scary for the little ones. I read chapters at random--just my favorites. I try to trick myself into believing that if I just read random chapters, I won't have to reread all the books in order. Because that can be time consuming. And I am short on time these days. So, in case you've been wondering why I only had 7 blog posts in April, now you know. When I should be blogging or facebooking or doing other worthwhile activities, I am lounging in my bed reading children's books.

We won't have room to take all these books to England. They're heavy. We need to pack other essentials, like my Krypto cards. They're light. And I really need the kids to be done with Harry so we can put them in storage. But that's another problem for another day.

Here we find Bethie reading. She was muttering to herself, "Harry Potter. Read Harry Potter. I Beff." (She likes to identify herself often.) You will notice to the side, she has finished The Sorcerer's Stone and The Goblet of Fire and has moved on to The Order of the Phoenix. She is amazing!