Summer Reading Program

I went to sign my children up for the summer reading program.  I'm not sure why they are still too little to really understand.  We read at bedtime and there is no way I'm going to have J get out of bed and color the chart after he is already relaxed so I'm the one that fills it out.  But he does enjoy the prizes, and if he gets prizes, the girl sure as heck wants one too, and she lets us read to her too, so why shouldn't she get prizes.
But I digress. (ha ha, does that make me a real blogger to use that dumb phrase?)
They have a summer reading program for adults too, so I signed up.  I got a free book for signing up.  So I have busily reading my books this summer.  Here is what I've read, with one line reviews:

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll --I loved this book when I was in middle school, apparently my imagination is gone.  This was too gooby gock for me these days. 
• The Five Languages of Apology: How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships by Gary Chapman, Chapman, Jennifer Thomas --If you like his Love Languages book, you will also appreciate this one.
• The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale --This book was totally lame, but I had low expectations, I was just looking for a fast read to full fill my summer reading requirement and it was on display on the library so I grabbed it. It was INCREDIBLY predictable.
• Rapture of the Deep (Bloody Jack, #7) by L.A. Meyer  I loved this book, I love all the Bloody Jack books, if you are looking for fun YA strong heroin and you like pirates this is for you. 
• The Mother in Me: Real-World Reflections on Growing Into Motherhood ed. Kathryn Lynard Soper

I will actually give The Mother in Me a longer review, its been floating around in my head for the past week now. It will be good to get it out. Its a complied book of stort essays by Mormon mothers.  Yes, sounds real cheesey when I put it that way.  My sister wanted to read it, and here in Zion libraries loan things from Desert Book. After she gave it back, I read it.  One of the stories mentions being sick and pregnant and wondering if Eve had doubt like she did about being pregnant.  The author believed yes, I didn't really agree.  I think Eve knew what she was doing when she partook of the fruit, she had been taught about the future of motherhood by God, not by mostly worldly forces.  I'm sure Eve felt gross and disgusting like very other pregnant women, but I doubt she doubted her decision, I think she knew exact what was doing.  While most of us on the other, have no idea what we are doing, because we completely ignore anything about motherhood until we decided we want to be pregnant. Not to mention we have been taught since we could think that life is suppose to be non-stop happy, easy, and revolve around ourselves.  I'm pretty sure Eve knew life would not be easy if she ate the fruit.  Although the scriptures only use the word "nevertheless" I'm pretty sure the real life was a lot longer and lengthy and she knew life would be REALLY really hard.
  I really liked the third stories (second story as far as numbering goes) about the woman who didn't expect to be a stay at home mom and didn't start out as one, and often felt bad that she didn't hold up to being as good as a prophet's mother. Yes I could relate to all that. I'm very grateful that my husband has never forced me to be a stay at home mom, but at the same time told me in his opinion me raising our kids is way more important than a job, and he doesn't want a day care raising my kids.  I was not a stay at home mom the first 14 months of my kids life. It was a hard adjustment to being at home every day.
I also appreciated the stories from women who said they felt and knew their children before they ever conceived them, and their personalities were not surprising because they already knew their spirit. Neither of my kids have surprised me at all I've always known who they were, the little one's personality might be challenging, but hasn't surprised me. I've always known who she was since I realized my oldest wouldn't be an only child. It was also nice to remember, that God is merciful, and has not told to me to have more children than I can handle, or closer than I can handle. It was a nice reminder that children are challenging but can bring joy not misery.

Oh and as a part of the summer reading program I've gotten a pack of post it notes, and new chap stick. Sweet huh?