Favorite moment

[Stephanie]

What was your favorite anecdote from the book?

[Hillabeans69]

My favorite moment was the purchase of the second hom in Freeville even though it was a reck of a house, through love and family, it was transformed into a home full of love and hope.

[DSaff]

There are many good lines/scenes in this book, but my favorite moment is on page 199. Working in a college admission office makes it even more real and funny.

"When I saw Emily after school that day, I peppered her: Was she preparing for the PPSAT, and if not, why not? Did she need a tutor, and if so, would she go to one? If she didn't go to a PPSAT tutor, would she end up slinging garlic knots at a Pizza Hut, not that there's anything wrong with that?

Emily spoke slowly, the way you might to a mental patient. "The PPSAT is a practice test for the SAT."

"And? So?" I offered, helpfully.

"The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT," she said.

My mind was a blank.

"So you want me to get a tutor to practice for the practice test of the practice test?" she asked

Well, actually -- no. Even I know how dumb that is."

[cocospals]

My favorite is where Amy proudly opened the screen door to her new house and it fell off. I could only laugh as my son is in the process of looking at houses  and believe me, many a screen door has fallen off in front of us. It brought memories of the movie "the Money Pit" to mind.

[kayJ]

One of the favorite moments for me was when Amy was leaving "The little folks school, absorbing for the last time the grand lessons that working with toddlers had taught me: to be in the moment, to play with abandon, to nap when you need to, and to perserve your frienships by saying "I'm sorry" when necessary."

[Alililymom]

I liked the whole chapter on "Dorkitude" but the phrase that had me rolling was, "at a wedding last spring when I reached into my coat pocket for a pen in order to write down my phone number for a guy and, instead of a pen, pulled out a Tampon."  Haven't we all had a moment like that!  Good for her daughter for embracing those moments and moving forward! 

Chris

[kayJ]

Yes Chris both of those were good! the tampon moment has to have happened to us all at some point. ha

Another part that was very memorable to me and one I could relate was growing up on a farm and realizing the cycle of life when her friend the cow died and then ended up in the freezer. I grew up on a dairy farm too and we named our cows and other animals.  It is very hard to explain to non-farm friends what that was like without them looking at your cross-eyed.

[Bethany66]

I loved so much in this book that it is hard to find my favorite moment, but I think it may have to be when Emily was coming down the stairs of the Freeville new house in her Snow White costume and slipped on the worn carpet and came down the stairs on her butt.  I laughed so hard. 

Also, buying the Freeville house was funny too!  I loved so much of the that it wasn't her dream house, but it was $58,000.  Boy, haven't I been there on that one! 

I have to say that I loved this book and found myself laughing out loud often!

[PB684]

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DSaff wrote:

There are many good lines/scenes in this book, but my favorite moment is on page 199. Working in a college admission office makes it even more real and funny.

"When I saw Emily after school that day, I peppered her: Was she preparing for the PPSAT, and if not, why not? Did she need a tutor, and if so, would she go to one? If she didn't go to a PPSAT tutor, would she end up slinging garlic knots at a Pizza Hut, not that there's anything wrong with that?

Emily spoke slowly, the way you might to a mental patient. "The PPSAT is a practice test for the SAT."

"And? So?" I offered, helpfully.

"The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT," she said.

My mind was a blank.

"So you want me to get a tutor to practice for the practice test of the practice test?" she asked

Well, actually -- no. Even I know how dumb that is."

---

I have to agree...that was a great exchange! It's true that ,as parents, we sometimes get completely drawn into the "well if everyone else's child is doing that then what is wrong with us and why aren't we pushing our own child to do more" syndrome. It was great to see Amy step back and really listen to Emily and then be able to see the ridiculousness of the situation.

[PB684]

One of my favorite moments has to be the chapter when Emily is going off to college. It brought back, moment for moment, so many memories of taking my own son to college. It could have been me writing that chapter it was so similar. It made me laugh and cry at the same time.

-Paula

[LollySirk]

As someone else has said, there are too many good parts.  I haven't quite finished the book yet, but I think one of the best was when Emily and other's on the stage fell through the floor. And, she was the only one who laughed at what happened.

[vivico1]

I really came to like her daughter in this chapter. I think she said her daughter coined the phrase but actually, it sounded like Emily was more comfortable in her own skin, than Amy was! I love that her daughter could take it all in stride or not even see certain things as a problem to begin with.

---

Alililymom wrote:

I liked the whole chapter on "Dorkitude" but the phrase that had me rolling was, "at a wedding last spring when I reached into my coat pocket for a pen in order to write down my phone number for a guy and, instead of a pen, pulled out a Tampon." Haven't we all had a moment like that! Good for her daughter for embracing those moments and moving forward!

Chris

---

[Worducopia]

I loved the part about buying her new house, and how they did the walk through, noting that it had things a house should  have, like walls and doors and a toilet. (I'd quote from the book but it's upstairs and I'm downstairs...)

[AleaML]

My favorite anecdote was about Bill the neighbor. "Well, I see Dave's shirtless - I guess it's time to plant the flower boxes and get the bikies out of the barn." SO funny b/c everyone has that neighbor that doesn't wear a shirt for three months out of the year. Haha

[Fond_of_Books]

I also liked the chapter on dorkitude. I love the word because it describes me and much of my family perfectly.

I personally like her witty remarks. For example, when she turned down a position from Time Magazine and was asked why. She responded, "I'm trying to raise a person." Well said. I don't have kids myself yet, but I teach. How many people realize that raising kids is a full time job in itself, or should be.

I really enjoyed all of the little stories. Amy's voice really comes through in her writing. It is so much fun to read because it is like listening to her tell the story rather than just reading the story.

[ahandy]

I too had so many "favorite moments".  It's hard to pick one. I felt as if I was right there with her during all of her life experiences.  Throughout the book I couldn't help but think to myself that I'd wish she would find someone that truly appreciated who she was "dorkitude" and all.  I would have to classify my favorite moment in the last chapter I'll Fly Away.  Page 224:

"Wow, what's with all the flowers, Mommy?! I replied with a sentence that, in all our life together, I had never once uttered to my daughter.  Honey-I think I have a boyfriend! I think I have a boyfriend too she said."...So who is your boyfriend anyway? she asked. When I told her she said, Bruno?  Hubba hubba."

Then at the very end I thought this was so romantic:

"Then, one frosty night, standing together on the sidewalk, Bruno said that he was sorry he had declined to renovate my house, but then happily-he asked if he could renovate my life instead."

[GnANorman]

I loved the Sunday School and Peanut Jesus story!!

[RJH]

 I related to the times she spent with her father. My father is a  similiar character. I totally relived part of my life with the whole flatbed truck getting stuck and other vehicles becoming stuck in the process of trying to release them. I now enjoy reliving those character building moments!!

[ahandy]

I did too, I laughed when she asked "Did you just eat Peanut Jesus?"  too funny!

[cindysloveofbo…]

There was a few favorite parts in the book that I liked:

1) was the peanut story, how cute was that

2) when she told her daughter about the boyfriend

and

3) the house in Freeville