Warms a mom's heart...and turns her a little green, maybe...

Comfy, cozy by the fire with a good book.  Ahhhhhh..

Full disclosure:  Kendra still doesn't LOVE reading.  She reads only the requisite amount each night to please her teacher (a.k.a. me!).  She never chooses reading over other things.  But she sure does look cozy here, doesn't she?  That's where the green part comes in for me...MAN, I wish I could cozy up to a good book!  JEALOUS!!!  She doesn't even know what a precious thing she has going there.  I can't allow myself to read during the school year.  I know.  It sounds so BACKWARD for a teacher to say that.  But if I get into a good book, I won't do the work I always have to do every night.  And I'll get behind, big time.  So no books for me, at least until Thanksgiving break, and then Christmas, and then spring break...and then (insert angelic chorus here) SUMMER.  Oh yeah.

Side note:  When we moved into our house almost 3 years ago, the contract dude I had do all my fixer-uppers, painting, flooring, etc. told me that he couldn't get the fireplace to light.  Being raised in an all electric home I admit that gas intimidates me.  I worry about blowing us up.  Rational fear, right?  Anyway, I assumed it was a thing that needed a repair dude, which I really didn't want to pay for.  Finally this fall I decided to buck up and pay.  I asked around and someone suggested it was simply that my pilot light needed to be lit.  I was still a bit unsure so I borrowed my neighbor and he lit the pilot and voila!  We have a fireplace that works!  Dang it for losing the last two winters without the ambiance of a fireplace, but I'm sure glad it works now.  It really isn't cold enough to use it yet, but Kendra just LOVED the idea of reading next to it tonight.  Far be it for me to deny her the pleasure....  anything to encourage the reading!