Reflections

Harry Potter

I won't write anything here incase ppl are reading and don't want spoilers yet, but I finished the last Harry Potter book this afternoon. I laughed, I cried, I raged, and lastly, I sighed. It's over. The whole series is over. And it makes me sad. No more Potter stories to read. The great thing about these books was that you could connect to Harry. Rowling had a way of putting into words many things that we've all experienced. We may have never fought a real living breathing Dark Lord, but we've all faced evil in our lives. We've all made friends, lost friends, fought with them. We've all had crushes and heartbreaks. We've all felt love. What made these books so wildly popular was that she took all of these things we have experienced and put them into a world of magic. And admit it, who hasn't at some point wished they could REALLY do magic? It's a cool concept. All the more of a connection to Harry and his friends.

Birthdays

We spent last week in Cleveland visiting family and celebrating my birthday. Thanks to everyone who sent cards or called or MySpaced me. Birthdays just aren't the same when you become an adult and the little things really add up. I don't know if anyone else feels that way about their birthday, but it just doesn't feel as special anymore. As a kid it's one of the most exciting days of the year, closely tied with Christmas morning. It's the day when everyone focuses on you. It's YOUR day. The older we get, the less it's about us and the more it just feels like another day of the week. We are more focused on deadlines and paying our bills and home improvement projects- those things we stress about every other day of the year, so why not on our birthday?

Even presents don't hold the same excitement for me. As an adult I have the money to buy the things that I want. And it almost seems a hassle to have to make "lists" for my family. When I was a kid I never really made any official lists. My parents just observed my interests and suprised me. As a grown up, the list becomes an irritation. I feel like I have to wrack my brain for things and then there's no suprise to it. And when there is a "suprise gift" it's usually something that I didn't want and the person didn't use the list. I know that sounds incredibly selfish, and I should be greatful for the presents, but it just seems stupid to ask someone to make you a list and then not use it. I feel the same way about wedding and baby registries. I ALWAYS stick to the list. The only person who truely seems to know what I want without asking is Kendall. When I open his presents I feel like a kid again.

Screeching Babies

Recently my niece has learned how to scream. I don't mean cry. I mean scream at a decible so high that only dogs should be able to hear it. She has also learned that if she screams like that, she gets what she wants from her mommy and daddy. Now I preface this statement with: I KNOW THAT I AM NOT A PARENT YET. But why in your right mind would you give your child something after they behaved that way? Isn't that sending them the message that if they scream, they get their way? I know it's not my business to say anything to the parents about their child, it's their child they can raise her how they want. But do I have to tolerate her behavior when she is in my care? My answer is NO. I've found that she doesn't scream as much when I am in charge. Why? She knows that I will just let her keep screaming. And she doesn't get what she wants. Does that make me the mean aunty? I guess so. But at least she doesn't scream as much when mommy and daddy aren't around.....

Let me also p.s. this with, I would totally cave in public. I know what it's like to be the person irritated over a screaming baby two tables away at a restaurant and I would totally bribe my kid.

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Kendall started his new job today and I think he's doing okay. He checked in at lunch time to tell me he had a good morning. While I enoyed having three weeks off with my husband, I was a little glad that he went back to work today. It gave me some alone time that I haven't had and the excuse to lay around in my pjs all day. With only a month until school starts again, I really haven't had much time to just relax this summer. It's nice to finally start doing that. I'll try to blog again later this week. For now, I'm going to go watch some MTV. :)