Volume One. 2007. It will be the shortest volume, because I started the blog in October of that year. I’ve already ordered Volume 2, 2008, which will be considerably longer (220 pages!). 2009 will follow shortly thereafter.

When I opened up the package and saw the book, I almost started to cry. Seeing all those entries and photos in print is just priceless. Especially for a book fiend like me.

I can’t wait to show everyone I know. OK, not everyone I know. Just the people I care about. I’ve always dreamed of publishing a book. And now, I guess I technically have. With at least two more to follow. Taken together, the three volumes will be at least 500 pages long. The equivalent of a decent-sized novel. Who cares if I’m not earning royalties and selling the foreign language rights to 20 different countries? Who cares that they’ll never make any kind of bestseller list? These are my books. And they’re for my girls. And they’ll survive long after the blog disappears into an internet black hole.

My job is challenging these days. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I’ve been having a rough go of balancing everything. And I’ve been questioning my priorities and what I want to do when I grow up. A mid-life crisis of sorts, I suppose. And sometimes, it’s hard to come home after a long day at the office and think about everything that needs to get done.