Harry Potter and The Whys of Life

Most of you know that Megan can read a book three times before I get through it once. She is an incredibly voracious reader. She ended the school year with more AR (remember that post?) points than any other kid in her class, and probably in the school, and received a special award for her hard work.

For the last year or so Megan and I have been working our way through the Harry Potter books for bedtime. A couple nights ago we finished Half Blood Prince. As we got further and further into the series and the books got darker and darker, I became more worried about Megan's ability to read these books without having nightmares. Her night terrors resurfaced a couple months ago and I've no interest in seeing them return on a full-time basis. The few she had brought memories of being helpless and frustrated to the forefront of my mind.

I think it was her first grade teacher that did a whole unit on fiction vs. nonfiction during reading. I'm grateful for this because since then, she's done so much better with "scary" books and movies. But still, these books get much more dark and scary than Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal.

*Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read the books and have no intention of doing so, you're all good. If for some insane reason you haven't read the Harry Potter books because you've been putting it off, you might want to skip the next two paragraphs.

We got to the chapter where Harry and Dumbledore are in the cave and the inferi are about to attack. I knew that no amount of fiction vs. non-fiction discussion would be enough, Megan wouldn't be able to handle it. I was right. I wasn't a full sentence into it and I had to stop and ask Megan if she wanted me to skip that part. It was the first time I'd had to skip anything.

Then came the confrontation between Dumbledore and Snape on the astronomy tower. I can't read that part without crying. I'm not sure how many times I've read the books. I read them with Nathan, each once. But I've also read them on my own for fun and also for study (before the last book came out I read each book and took notes on Snape, trying to find out if he was truly a Death Eater or not). I cried and cried through that whole section. When we finished it, Megan and I talked for a bit. She's a smart cookie, that Megan. On her own she decided that Dumbledore was asking Snape to kill him. She didn't fully understand why, but she knew Dumbledore wasn't asking Snape to not kill him.

It was so hard as a mother to not share with Megan all I know about the Dumbledore/Snape relationship. I wanted to comfort her, to explain to her the background information so it would all make sense. I wanted her to pity Snape and see him in a new light. Instead I had to let her grieve for Dumbledore and remain confused and upset with Snape.

If I'd been reading this book with another adult who didn't know what happens in the final book, I wouldn't have been as tempted to share all I know about what's to come and the whys of what happened. I'd be excited for them to read the next book and discover on their own what's to come. However, because it was Megan, my child who internalizes books the same way I do, because I could see the pain she felt and felt it myself, I wanted to ease her pain and explain it all away.

But I couldn't do that. How much more will she appreciate finding out on her own, the right way, than if I told her all I know.

It made me think of our Father in Heaven. He who knows all. He who knows all the whys and hows. Sometimes He gives us little glimpses, but never all the reasons and information. He lets us find out on our own and as we do, He comforts us if we let him. As we go through life and experience the horrible, or difficult, of seemingly unfair trials of life, we always want to know the whys. As Megan had to trust me that all would be well, and trust me when I said I couldn't explain it all right then, we must believe our Father in Heaven when He says all will be well if we trust in Him, despite how grim or sad or terrible things look and how few answers we have at the moment.

We've begun reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We're a couple chapters in now. I'm excited to be with Megan as she ends this adventure. I'm grateful I get to be with her as she learns all the whys and hows. I'm grateful I get to see her face as she makes these discoveries. I'm excited to talk with her when it's all done and over and we can sit and contemplate and mull over this world that was created for us to enjoy. Just as I'm sure our Heavenly Father is excited to sit and contemplate and mull over with us, when it's over, this earthly world that was created by Him for us to enjoy.

Expelliarmus!

I walked into the living room and found Emma and Nathan playing Harry Potter. It was adorable so I had to take a few pictures. You'll notice Memory Cards on the floor. We are back to playing Memory all day long with Emma.

Emma Wins!

Harry Potter Speaks the Freedom Language

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Harry Potter Movie Clip!

Coming Down From a High

Have you ever experienced a crash from a book high? You know, you finish this really great book or series and it ended how you wanted and you couldn't have asked for more. But for some reason you find yourself driving to the grocery store and thinking of the characters and what they are doing now? You're anxious about what to read and feel listless when you realize, the story is over. You keep walking back toward the bookcase, thinking you'll just read a chapter and then make dinner before you realize you finished the book already.

Then what's worse is when you've read the book before. . .like three times now. . .and it still gets to you. It's not like it's even the best book you've ever read, just a really good one with characters you love, and if you were a kid and could get away with it you might be one of them for Halloween.

This is me right now.

Tonight I'm going to start a new book that I haven't read before (I have seen the movie, however). I have to read fast because book club is coming up. I hope it cheers me up because I'm really bummed.

Then after that I will be reading a book I read in college. I loved it and now that I'm in Cleveland, I thought it be good to read it again. In my opinion, it's a must read. Especially if you live somewhere like Cleveland. I opted to buy this instead of borrow from the library because our closest Borders is closing and was having a huge sale.

Sadness abounds when a book store closes. I went to this particular Borders all the time when we first moved here. I hated living in Cleveland where I knew no one and had no place I could go and feel comfortable. The Borders wasn't in the nicest part of town, but at least it was familiar. I went as often as I could, which was usually at night after Nathan was home and could put the kids to bed. Sitting there with a book or my laptop reminded me of being back in the Logan Borders and made me feel comfortable again. When I bought this book I told the cashier this and she said that she'd heard similar stories from most of the people that had come in the store that day. I thought it was really interesting that so many people would choose a bookstore to help them find solace in a crazy city.

It's amazing the feeling we can experience in a bookstore or library. One of my favorite children series has a line that is repeated through most of its 13 books. It refers to a library and it goes, The World is Quiet Here. I love that. The World is Quiet Here.  When you are with books the world takes a backseat and only you and the characters exist. The dirty dishes, lint on the carpet, and kids begging for juice can all fade away. Ok, maybe not the toddler begging for juice, that one's a little harder to tune out, but still, I think you get what I mean.

When you're reading a book, all media is turned off. You aren't thinking about that sewing project, or the stupid game on Facebook that has sucked up so much of your time, or the fact that your toilets need to be cleaned. This is why I am anti-Kindle or any other electronic book thingy. Give me a paperback, please.

All of the thoughts that usually rage in your head, bouncing around begging you to pay attention to them are calmed and quieted when there is a book in your hands. Which is why, I think, I have such a hard time letting go of a great book. I've finished it, but I'm not ready for it to be done with its therapeutic work on me.

Harry Potter, What The. . . ?

Where was the huge battle the end of the book? Did I blink and miss it? Other than that, I absolutely loved the movie. Loved it. But I was really upset they couldn't put in 15 more minutes for a good battle. I don't think any H.P. fans would have minded.

I went to see it last night around 10:45. I had to wait for the kids to fall asleep before I could take off and leave them with my parents. It was worth it.

I'm A Muggle

I'm so excited I think I'm going to die.

Make Believe

I've missed blogging. And even though it takes my in-laws' computer about 10 minutes to load the page so I can write a post, I need to write.

I thought about this yesterday when we were all teasing, feeling sorry for, and admiring (all at the same time) my sister in-law. You see, she has someone in her life that at the age of 21 still likes to play house. And not just any house, but "Harry Potter house". My sister in-law has been forced to be Hermione on a number of occasions and has had to pretend to ask someone to the Yule Ball. I say we were teasing her because she was going to see this girl yesterday for a party that was non-Potter related, but few could believe that H.P. would be completely absent. I say feel sorry for because obviously she's not thrilled to be playing Hermione (she'd rather be Ron, just kidding, Laura!). And I say admiring because it isn't always easy to be friendly and do something you really don't want to do with someone who should have the mental capacity of a 21 year old, but doesn't. Kudos to you, Laura.

Anyway, I said this whole thing made me think of a time in my life when I was forced to play make-believe games when I didn't want to. In elementary school I was a little bit of a tomboy. I liked some of the girly stuff, like My Little Ponies and The Baby Sitters' Club but with Barbies I was really picky. It had to be a really cool Barbie for me to like it or want it. Like the Barbies and the Rockers doll or the Barbie with the poodle skirt. I lived in a neighborhood where there was only one other girl and she loved Barbies. All Barbies. And she loved Ken, too. She would have her Barbies go on dates and get married and have kids. Her Barbies would dress up in fancy clothes and shop. She would always want me and my Barbies to participate in this nonsense. She'd come over and we'd go out in the back yard, bringing all the Barbies into the wooden club house my dad built for my brother and me. She'd start telling me which Barbies where doing what, who was marrying which Kens, and which Barbies were the kids. After about five minutes (tops) I would announce that my Barbie had a terrible disease and needed to sleep. I'd then sit and daydream about other thing I could be doing with my time. If my friend tried to bring my Barbie back into play, I went to extreme measures and I killed her off. "Oh, she didn't make it. So sad. Wanna play something else?"