What the Little One and I are reading.

Last school year Little One’s teacher read “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief” aloud to the class and then they had a Blue Party to celebrate getting through the entire novel.

As a result Little One has been obsessed with Percy Jackson ever since 🙂 so for her birthday this summer I bought her the Percy Jackson and the Olympians boxed set.

I hoped she would love this gift and enjoy all the other stories in the series. She surprised me by wanting to read the first book again because I hadn’t read it and she wanted to share the fun with me. What a cool kid!

Through the start of the new school year, we read Percy together in 20 minute chunks every day – that’s the required amount of reading homework for her grade – but occasionally we’d manage a little bit more, especially on rainy weekends.

She also had ‘Gregor The Overlander’ to read for her class reading group – which she occasionally read aloud to me. I encouraged this, but honestly it kind of addled my brain to have her reading two different books to me at the same time.

When we finished ‘The Lightning Thief’ I thought Little One would want to take a break. I thought the boxed set might sit and gather dust now, the initial fascination over, joining all those unread Rainbow Fairy books in the crammed bookshelf.

But instead Little One demanded an immediate start to Book Two! So together we read ‘Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters’ and not just in 20 minute bursts. Little One would read to me while I brushed her hair, and when I made her breakfast. She would hand the book to me while she ate, and again when she had to brush her teeth. She asked for my company while she took her bath, so I could continue the story 🙂 and she read to me while I drove her home from school.

She is LOVING these books!

We sped through book two and last night started book three, ‘Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse.’

Thank you Rick Riordan, we have a winner!

Little One just noticed that one of the shelves on MY bookcase contains the first three ‘Heroes of Olympus’ novels – I think I’m going to have to share.

Thoughts on life

Sometimes life seems so full. Sometimes it feels too full. So many things needing attention, so much to be done each and every day, places to be, situations to deal with, problems to resolve, issues to worry about.

Sometimes all the little things that make up every day life become overwhelming. 

Sometimes it feels like juggling, while blindfolded. And someone keeps adding in more items. And  those extra items are angry kittens.

Sometimes, a thing happens. 

A thing that makes you stop and really think about life. 

Really think about it.

To think about all those little things you had been so concerned about. 

And you think about what it means to be alive, and have a life to live, a life so full. Full of ups and downs, full of sadness and joy, full of love and adventure, full of hope and opportunity.

Today I don’t care about the leaves tracked in to my kitchen, the dog hair on my bed, the tangles in my youngest daughter’s hair. I’m going to stop worrying about what time I should go to sleep, if I’ve eaten too many candies, if my son forgot to turn in a school assignment. I’m not stressing about  the laundry I didn’t put away, or that we don’t have someone’s favourite granola bars, or that the car is low on gas.

All of those little things are just that ‘little things’ and they only exist because they are attached to amazing, life filling big things.

I have a beautiful kitchen, the floor of which my husband and his friend tiled themselves. And my husband and I grouted together, finishing just days before some family came to visit. My family has meals together in my kitchen every single day.

I have a sweet, lovable dog that we adopted from the animal shelter last year and now can’t imagine life without. 

My Little One likes to brush her own hair, she does her best because she values her self, and she can almost get those pesky nape-of-the-neck knots, but she’s still small enough to need her mama.

I have a safe, warm bed to sleep in every night.

 I’m so lucky I received lots of my favourite treats for my birthday. 

My son is a smart kid, he just needs help with organization but he has great teachers and he is doing well in school.

My bank account has enough funds to buy new cozy cold weather gear for the whole family.

My pantry is stocked with enough food for my family each and every day. My kids never go to bed hungry.

We have a safe, reliable family vehicle. My husband is able to take care of all the maintenance and I try real hard not to leave too many snack wrappers and scraps of paper in the cups holders 😉

My life is full. So very full.