It was sunny outside today, which is rare in Chicagoland for this time of year, so I let my kids play outside for a little while after school. Four little kids stuck inside for weeks on end is not always a recipe for happiness in the home so it was a much needed break to breath some fresh air and run around.
My little people like to play in front of our house in the middle of the cul-de-sac with their friends and the traffic is just sparse enough to make it fairly safe. Today, while the kids played and I took in deep breaths of chilly but blissfully fresh air, the UPS truck came rumbling down the street. It is a familiar sound that usually causes the kids to run to a curb and the moms to shout out warnings but today when I heard that truck, my heart kept. I knew something inside that truck was for me.
The UPS guy handed me the package and as soon as I read “Author Copies, Print Books” my heart started to flutter. My kids were COVERED in snow and they all wanted to help me open the box so I had to do a little crowd control before yanking off the tape. When I finally got the box open, I just stared at the books for a few seconds before touching them. As I flipped through the pages and familiar words and phrases stared back at me, I could feel the tears building in my eyes. Yes folks, that’s right, I cried. They were definitely happy tears but for a second I just stood there staring at the book in awe.
By this point my kids were done waiting. I let them pass one around and (gently) look through the pages. I said “be careful” so many times that my 10 year old said, “Who did you think we are, the Hulk?”
Since the book is not really appropriate for children, but my kids were desperate to hear some of it, I let them flip through and pick one page (per kid) for me to read out loud. What a fun way to become reacquainted with a story I’ve spent so much time with.
Sunday marks one month till WRECKAGE officially meets the world. I can’t wait until all of you have the opportunity to hold this little beauty in your hands. Let the countdown begin!!
Congrats!!! What a great feeling that has to be for someone who “gives birth” to a book.