Mama Enchanted

Book Review: Ella Enchanted, written by Gail Carson Levine... I just finished reading this book, very awesome. It is the retold fairytale of Cinderella. Very well done. I have to admit I didn't know for the longest time that Ella Enchanted wasn't just a movie...when I found out I felt errr.. pretty dumb and uneducated. But if you've only seen the movie, don't judge the book by the movie. The movie doesn't do the book the justice it deserves. In fact, the movie doesn't follow it very well at all.

The book has a very strong character..Ella, she as we know was given a gift from a fairy at her birth to be obedient, which in the wrong hands can prove detrimental. Ella found ways around always doing what others told her to do....yes, she did what she was told and then some, let's say. Her quest is to find the fairy that bestowed the gift on her to undo it, so she wouldn't hafta be obedient, because she was afraid to marry thinking her obedience could harm her future husband and family. The end of the book is really empowering, as she has found that through her selflessness she is able to find her true self. But will she ever be able to make her own choices? You better check out the book and find out. This book is definitely a keeper.

Reading the book has really made me think a little deeper about my own life like: what kind of character do I have? What do I choose to do when told to do something? Do I have the right motivation?

I keep finding that my life parallels in some way to Ella's..how many of us moms have our path laid out day by day by the demands of our children and husbands? A lot of times our whole day is planned without our even putting forth any effort of planning. Even if a list is made it is always at the mercy of poopy diapers, a drink or snack, meals, crying, sleepy babies and 2 year olds, and now summer is upon us, so it's keeping after the kids to stay on task.

Instead of getting the things I want to get done, I find myself more busy keeping my kids on task. But, the difference between Ella and me is I choose to do those things, because of love. It's amazing the things that are prompted by love. I love my life, and am grateful that I can be home with my kids and have my life planned around them.

The one thing I have control over is my attitude, it's mostly good, I also have control over when I get up, and I choose to get up and run. That is probably a big reason why I run, cause it's one thing I can control, and also, because I can. I have found the perfect name for me, just call me... "Mama Enchanted".