Harry Potter Blues

My kiddos -- when book 5 was released.

Am I the only mother out there feeling a bit blue about the release of the final Harry Potter book? I mean, I'm looking forward (anxiously) to finding out how the story ends... probably almost as much as my daughter, but I also find myself feeling a little down in the dumps about it.

Just timing in our family, I suppose, but my memories of my children's growing up--our reading together and their learning to read on their own--are indelibly marked by the Harry Potter series.

We picked up the first Harry Potter book about the time the hub-bub over the third was settling down. I think Evie was five. I was babysitting a neighbor part time and his older sister was a huge fan. She loaned us her copy.

By the time Evie was seven, we'd read the first four books and had decided we were, indeed, onboard for the course. If you haven't read the series, the third book, IMO, is where JKR really hit her groove. Evie had a Harry Potter themed birthday party and then we moved to eastern Kansas where the book stores were bigger and the marketing efforts greater. One of our first out-and-about activities upon moving to Topeka was the Harry Potter midnight madness party for the release of book five.

2003 - the year we joined the craze.

In 2003, reading was still a family activity. The days after the release of book five found us all huddled on the couch as I read the story out loud. By 2005, Evie kept reading ahead on her own and spent an entire day telling me she knew how the book ended before I got there myself.

I hope to read this one together, as well, but I know my speed reading girl is going to be devouring pages every chance she gets. She'll likely trade off reading with me so my voice won't suffer so much cracking and hoarseness this time around. Maddie recently informed me that she won't be listening in for book seven. She decided this year to read the entire series on her own and she is still at book four, the day before the release party is scheduled. She's saving the story, she says, to read it all in order on her own.

I feel a bit silly to be so emotionally moved by a book I haven't even read yet. I expect to be moved by the story, as well as the reminder that my babies are growing up so quickly.

A Harry Potter in our own house.

At least, I know what our plans are this weekend... reading, reading, and more reading.