The Henderson Family Chronicles

I know I missed a few, but for my records and your ideas, here is the fiction I read in 2010: Midnight Whispers Princess of the Midnight Ball The Red Pyramid Percy Jackson 1-5 The Lost Hero The Mother Daughter Book Club The Girl who Chased the Moon Julie The Measure of a Lady When you Reach Me Yearbook City of Bones 1-3 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society A Year on Ladybug Farm At Home on Ladybug Farm The Hourglass Door The Golden Spiral Fairest Fablehaven 1 Mormonville As Always, Dave Just Henry Suite Scarlett Scarlett Fever Book of a Thousand Days Beauty (x2) Confessions of a First Daughter My Lady Witch When the Bough Breaks Shiver The Host Hunger Games 1-3 Murder by the Book Pursued Vanished

I have some HUGE blog posts looming over my head, some big things to write, but I am not quite ready to put the work into them tonight. So for now, a preface: As I was studying motherhood, and some other topics that have come up lately, I found an interesting section in a book. The title of the section is "Duty brings one to desire". It talks about how there are things that we all have to do that are "unpleasant" to us. There are two ways to handle this conundrum. One is to avoid it all together. The other is to use duty to bring desire. You know you have to do it, so throw yourself into it, do a little extra research, go an extra mile, and find yourself WANTING to do it, ENJOYING it. I kind of compare it to serving someone you don't like, that you are mad at, and the way your heart softens towards them. As I read this theory, I suddenly realized: I haven't had a single "I hate being a mom" thought in weeks. Related? I'd guess so. And on...

Okay, really non-controversial stuff here. I just need a name. I like to pretend that I am a writer, one of my goals for the year is to actually finish a story. So I have this great story idea, all outlined, I start working on it, and I can't name my character. Normally they name themselves, and I am stuck with it whether I like it or not. So I went searching for a picture that resembles the picture I have in my head of this character, and this is as close as I could come. Pretend you don't know who this actress is - If you ran into this person on the street, what would you guess her name is? Throw a few out there, and I'd prefer if they somehow alluded to something beautiful. Here's the face:

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my post, or in a Facebook message. It makes my heart swell to know I have such great friends, and to remember that ALMOST EVERYONE feels overwhelmed, underpaid and guilty about some aspect of motherhood. I appreciate all of the suggestions and commiseration, some will appear in a future blog post about my Game-Plan for enjoying this trip more. I love my life, I love my family, I am happy - I just want to be a little bit more like the women that love having snot wiped on them, and feel a little less guilt about not liking that snot being wiped one me :) And now I know ways I can come closer to feeling that, and I know that 99% of the time I don't HAVE to love it, even though some women do. So friends, I love you. And for those of you who don't know me really well, and were slightly startled by my outburst: Really, I am OK. And if anyone figures out how to give birth to 11-year-olds, let me know...Then I can skip the baby business!!! :...