A Good Book

"We swim in words all day long--stock quotes, headlines that scream, to-do lists, insurance forms, the occasional fashion magazine or dime-store romance. Yet for all their power to occupy or distract us, these types of writing will never compare to a good book.
A really good book doesn't just entertain; it leaves you fundamentally different. It's both a mirror and a magnifying glass--a woven compilation of seemingly small details that has the power to show you your truest self. When you read a good book, you see that everyone's problems are the same, but they're just a jumping--off point--that there are as many ways to live as there are grains of salt in the sea.
How do you know when you've found a good book? Time melts as you read it. Unsuspecting, you crack the spine and find yourself whisked to a place that sings to every cell in your body. Soon you're befriending characters that become soul mates, following a story that seems truer than reality.
Indeed, in the middle of a good book, you become so wrapped up in the story that you forget about this language, the way an exquisite painting renders color transparent. No on word, or hue, stands out as the most beautiful--they are all elemental, irreplaceable, in one complete, perfectly balanced whole.
Then, as you near the end of the book, you start metering out the pages in small doses because you don't want to leave the special world you've entered.
Most of all, a good book inspires you. As the words flow in and out of you, they change your attitude and open you up to new experiences. Read long enough, and a good book can make you want to be a better person, live a better life, talk to strangers, jet off to Paris, pick up a pen to write your own stories.
Next time a good book finds you, take a moment to give thanks for how one object, no bigger than the span of two palms, can contain so much of the world, teach you so much of what it means to be human, and make you feel so alive."

My little girl...

Wilkins has become quite the little accessorizer (don't know if I spelled that correctly or not)...

It's funny how at such a young age she already puts necklaces on, holds out her arm for her braclets or purse, and always brings me a hairbow to put in. What would be even funnier is if she actually brought me hairbows that matched!! She loves to put her sunglasses on top of her head not on her eyes...

It's like she knows it is more stylish to wear them there!! It's crazy! She is so girly, but at the same time she is so rough it's ridiculous. She just plows into Logan (her cousin who is 6mths older) like it's nothing. She falls down and has crazy bruises all over her legs but she hardly ever cries. It's amazing to see all the different sides of her personality developing. I mean she absolutely loves her baby which is a small Minnie Mouse and a Minnie Mouse that is almost the size of her. She drags these dolls around everywhere and calls them her "baba". She loves on them and for some reason chews on the nose!!

And let's not forget Dora the Explorer...I think her first word was "backpack". I am not joking!! She says that word a million times a day and unfortunately she walks around with that stupid Dora backpack on for hours!! She almost looks like she is going to school. It is so funny! The good thing is that she will watch Dora the Explorer and The Mickey Mouse Playhouse for hours too. So when I have worked really long hours or really late at night she will lay on the couch beside me and watch tv while I snooze!!!
Who can complain about there 1 year old laying on the couch snuggling and letting you take a nap all at the same time?!

But just as she is good she is definitely bad...she loves to pull all of her clothes out of her drawers, play in the toilet with my mom's hair brush (ha ha) which I think is funny because my mom thinks Wilkins does no wrong! She loves to empty my purse or the diaper bag and put it all back in. And what is it about kids...she loves to eat paper!!!! Better yet anything that will fit in her mouth she will try! It drives me nuts!!!

The weirdest thing about Wilkins so far is the way her teeth is coming in. Her first two teeth were her top two fang teeth (canines) and then her bottom front tooth. For the longest she literally looked like a Jack-o-lantern. Now she has all 4 front teeth on top, still just the bottom front tooth, and now she has her jaw tooth on the bottom on both sides!! This seems crazy to me...is this normal?!!

Isn't this a funny thing...

I would say we were about 13 or 14 years old and we thought we were so cool!! I have such a good time today talking with Melia and Jill about this picture and others. Remembering the summers we spent together, and how much fun we had. I think that I would love to go back to this time in my life. No cares and just lots of get togethers with friends.

I have no idea why we decided that we would dress a like or where in the world I found shoes that matched so perfectly. Oh goodness they were so ugly. But I guess all that matters is how you felt in that moment and in that moment you can tell that we were having a good ol' time and we thought we looked pretty darn good!!

Just looking back brings such a smile to my face...

A late night...

I am just sitting here at the computer trying to figure this blogging thing out...

Maybe I am completely stupid but this is a lot more complicated than I thought. I should already be in bed considering that Wilkins will be bright eyed and bushy tailed at about 7:00am. That is only a few hours from now but I am determined to get this figured out!!

We'll see...