great expectations

for next month's book meeting,
i have to have 3 book suggestions from a genre of my choosing.
i decided on 'classics', and was poking around in the bookcase tonight
looking for some ideas.
while digging, i came across the book great expectations and it took me back,
way back to 1998 to be exact.  i dragged c to the theater to watch the film version.

i was a pretty big fan of gwyneth paltow fan back then and i distinctly remember
c saying "really, you're making me see this movie". YES was my response. *grin*

the movie wasn't worthy of an oscar, but it inspired me to do two things:

1) buy and read the book by charles dickens that inspired the movie, and
2) add the name 'finn' to our my baby name list, after the main character in the film
{in the book, the main character is named pip}

i was in my 20s then and far from from starting a family, 
but i loved the name and put in on my 'name list' for down the road.
{don't laugh, i've learned many woman have or created name lists} *wink*
i also put a star next do it, indicating it was my favorite boy name.

i've been thinking of the title - not just because it inspired my firstborn's name,
but because it made me think about expectations parents have for their kids.
spoken or not, my guess is every parent has expectations for their children.

i think about all the expectations i have for my boys.

some of them change based on their ages. chores for example.
scoutie can't make his bed yet, but we expect finn too.
scoutie is expected to put toys away in their proper bins,
and finn is expected to complete his homework and practice piano
before he gets access to any technology.

beyond these small day-to-day expectations, i do have much bigger ones.
i expect both boys to attend and graduate college after high school,
i expect them to play an instrument, to respect their bodies and to show
gratitude {including handwritten notes for every gift received}

i have so many expectations, like millions of parents -
the ones i shared are probably shared by a million others.

when discussing expectations, i have to remember to be realistic about them,
the ones i have for the boys and the ones i have for myself - as their mother.

i have two very different little boys with their own personalities and talents.
as their mommy, i have some expectations of myself.
i'm expected to be patient, i'm expected to be nurturing,
i'm expected to listen to them and try to understand them.
i'm expected to raise them so they become independent and happy adults.
most important, i'm expected to love them unconditionally.

and oh how i love them.
i hope i can live up to their expectations.

~ tonight we enjoyed breakfast for dinner {completely prepared by c}, *yay*
then we changed into our pjs and piled onto the couch to watch
the film hugo which i hear recently won an academy award?
it's a unique and beautiful film, full of imagination and sentiment on many levels.
a must see!