Mystery Solved!

So, for the last two weeks, we've had a mystery on our hands.  I'm a bit of a neat freak about my living room because that is the place that everyone sees when they first come in.  We keep our shoes on a rug by the door and I'm constantly organizing them when they get messed up- my daughter is pretty good at organizing them as well!  Well, there have been several times lately where my kids have gone to put one of their shoes on and the other shoe is missing.  I will remember having seen it in the upstairs hallway and we always assume one of the kids took it upstairs for some random reason.

So, this happened for several days.  I will bring the shoes back and the exact same shoes will end up upstairs.  Well, one day they were lying near the cat food dish and I could have sworn they weren't there before bedtime.  We started wondering if one of the new cats was the culprit.  We were so sure, we just decided that was what was happening.

Well, last night while watching America's Got Talent, David tapped my arm.  I didn't look very quickly because I wasn't sure what he wanted, so I missed it.  Apparently, the cat had my daughters sneaker in his mouth and was starting to walk with it, but for some reason decided not to.  Mystery solved!  And a reminder that cats are strange creatures sometime...

Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

Are you familiar with the Sweet Valley series of the past?  I am!  I was IN LOVE with these books!  When I was in elementary school I read all of the Sweet Valley Twin books.  I would anxiously await the new arrivals and run out and buy them.  As I got into middle school, I start reading the Sweet Valley High series.  I was ecstatic about these and would go to used book stores and try to get the entire series.  At one point I think I had all of both series, but get this- I boxed them up and put them in my parents' basement and haven't seen them since.  The optimistic part of me wants to say that they are still buried somewhere down there.  The pessimistic side of me fears that my sister stole them and sold them.  I can't think of another logical explanation because I can't imagine my parents just throwing them away without asking me!  Then there was the short lived series The Unicorn Club, which I wasn't a big fan of.

Anyway, fast forward to today.  Francine Pascal has realized that some of her fans are probably wondering what would have happened to Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield after becoming adults and moving out of Sweet Valley. 

I was THRILLED when I got offered this book to review.  It was like they had somehow received full documentation of my interests from the past and realized I'd love to review this... but that's probably not what happened.  When I received it I was giddy and stoked to get started.

Okay, now onto what I thought.  The book established that Elizabeth had pursued journalism and moved to New York to make her way into the writing world.  This was after a huge fallout with Jessica when something completely unforgivable happened.  I won't tell you what because it's a shocker.  Jessica is still in Sweet Valley living with her boyfriend (or was he her fiancee, I can't remember.)  She is beyond desolate that Elizabeth refuses to speak to her.  In fact, most of her old friends are so shocked by what happened that they feel awkward being around her.  Life is extremely rough for Jessica, but it's not that easy for Elizabeth either.  The book details the struggles they have dealing with their own problems while trying to repair a bond that no one thought could be broken.

I wish I could say I loved the book.  I really tried.  I just had a couple things that really bugged me.  The first was all the flash backs and references to things in the past.  It happened quite a bit and I found it extremely annoying.  I ended up just skipping all those parts.  The other thing that bothered me, which I'm sure wouldn't bother a lot of other people is that I was so used to the writing in Sweet Valley High being mostly PG and PG-13 on the rare occasion.  So, this book was a bit more graphic and talked more about sex and it made me sad because it showed a change in writing style that I wasn't quite able to readily adopt.  I guarantee that isn't going to be the way most of the other readers feel.  I just had a loyalty to the previous writing.

Otherwise, it was good catching up with the girls and I would definitely say that people who were die hard fans like I was would be really interested.

MOTR Grade:  B

Happy Father's Day to the Non-Biological Fathers!

You know, they say that blood is thicker than water.  But, I'd like to add that love is sometimes thicker than blood.  In these days of "broken" families, step parents, foster parents, absent parents, etc., the meaning of "father" has changed.  I believe that the meaning should include any man who loves a child like their own, respects them, cares for them and does right by them.  I think the words "deadbeat dad" are getting all too common in society today.  Why are those dads to be honored because they made babies, but the men who are raising their children are not technically fathers?

Today I am reminded of several types of fathers.  I have a friend that is a father, but not allowed to see his children for father's day because his ex is mad at him.  Yet he's a father, why does he not deserve to be honored.  My boyfriend David has no biological children, yet for the past 5 months, he has provided for my children in ways their own father has not.  He loves my children as if they were his own and I believe that the more love a child gets, the better they can be as adults.  David sacrificed living on an income only having to support one to trying to support FOUR.  He is constantly wanting to do better.  He nurtures them and cares for them and in return they love and adore him.  Is he their father?  Not biologically.  Is he a father? YES.

So on this day I think we should honor FATHERS.  Men who do right by their children and men who do right by the children in their lives.  It is easy to become a father, but it is much harder to BE a father- and those that are willing to try are to be commended!

And I'd also like to honor my own father.  He was the kind of dad that changed diapers, bathed us, tucked us in at night, prepared dinner every night AFTER working all day.  When I had my tonsils out, my dad was there.  When I broke my first bone, my dad was there.  When I got my first stitches my dad was there.  When I was giving birth to my first child, both my parents were there, but it was my dad who paced with worry hearing me screaming down the hall.  He has been a phenomenal grandparent to my children and it is clear that he adores them.  Although we have views that are about as opposite as they may come, I think my dad raised me to take pride in what I do, work hard and become someone that others can admire.  He has also shown me that you can accomplish any goal at any age.  And then there's all the money he's loaned me that I have and haven't paid back.  Thank you, dad!  I love you.