The Gift of a Book!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

 

Years ago, when our girls were very young, my husband started the tradition of buying them one special book for Christmas.  He has always been an avid reader and cannot go more than one day without a book. I love to read too, but our book choices are very different. When our girls were in elementary school, part of their curriculum was to read or be read to every night. The parents were supposed to sign a worksheet that the reading was done. I am not trying to start a big debate, but I hated the thought of reading being an assignment or a chore, although I knew it was necessary.  I had one daughter who found school to be very tough and doing homework every night was excruciating.  Most nights it ended with her in tears and me ready to start a petition at the next PTA meeting to ban homework until she graduated.

We would finish all the homework and then I would turn to her and say, “We need to do twenty minutes of reading,” and usually, that statement was not met with a positive response.

I worried that she would never learn to love reading. I have to admit that I tried once to sign the paper that the reading had been done when, in fact, it had not been done.  I assured my girls we would read double on the weekend only to have my oldest write “did not” with an arrow next to my signature, thus thwarting that time saving technique. That particular daughter was big on arrows back in those days and would often draw pictures of me towering above everyone else and write “biggest” with her lovely arrow in case someone was not able to piece that information together.

All year, I listened and remembered what each girl talked about and always tried to pick out Christmas presents based on that in mind. I put a lot of time, energy, and thought into my gifts. I still do. When I married my husband, I quickly found out that another type of gift giver existed.  The type of gift giver who operates strictly from a list, goes out a few days before Christmas, and likes to give clues as to what he might be getting you, “where did you say the coat is you wanted?” and then when you tell him, mentions he has to go to that store in the mall.  The first year he placed his wrapped gifts under the tree, I guessed what every single one was by his wrap job and he was dumbfounded that I cracked his code and figured out I was getting a tennis racket and tennis balls.   He now prides himself on wrapping nothing and gets our daughter to do it for him. In fact, she wrapped her own gift one year and we all cracked up when she said, “Hey, didn’t I wrap this and didn’t I see you reading it too?” He just smiled and despite the food prints inside the book admitted nothing.    The one thing he does do every year is label the gift tags on my gifts and I have to say I do laugh when I read them. I have had gifts addressed to Mama bear from Papa bear and once I had one addressed to Smokin’ Hot Mama from Your Fire Extinguisher, which had the added effect of making our daughters gag on Christmas morning.

 

So, keeping all this in mind wouldn’t it seem like our girls would favor my well thought out gifts over his one book apiece gift.  WRONG! From the time they were old enough to understand they were getting a book, every year one of them would say, “Can we open Dad’s gift first?” and I would sit back in my exhausted state and think, “the man who showed up for another Christmas morning in his Where’s my Carrot? pajama bottoms won again.” No gift I bought them could ever compete with that book and believe me I tried. Sometimes, I would say, “I wonder what is in this great big, beautifully wrapped box marked Megan.  Could it be Justin Timberlake stopping by to say hi?” only to have her say, “Good one, mom. I almost fell for it. Now, hand over dad’s book, please.”

Somehow, every year my husband picked out just the right book for our daughters.  Since I usually rate the books he reads and recommends to me between One to Four Big Yawns, this surprises me year after year.   Once, he tried to get me to read Life of Pi, which caused a bit of a tiff when I realized one page in I was not reading a pie cookbook written by an author that couldn’t spell pie. 

We may not agree on our reading material, but our girls read every book he picks out for them. He spends a lot of time figuring out that one book and now gets our son-in-law a book each Christmas. I think it is his favorite gift too.  Both our daughters love to read and the daughter who had such a hard time in school, can’t go one or two days without a book. I really do think, but please don’t tell him I admit defeat, that he should win every year and the love of reading might be one of the best gifts he every gave them.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Allyson, I think you picked out some great gifts. I love Golden Books.

Leslie, The heck with my girls. I am asking for the fireman for Christmas!! LOL

[Leslie and Halas]

The books are a great tradition.  Maybe you should just try to get them book accessories as gifts, like a book light, or like that fireman to just stand there and read to them.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

To add to the world's longest blog (good job Laurie!), I just went to the university bookstore and picked up a collection of xmas stories for two of my friends 1 year olds (birthdays).  Also some good old goldenbooks - gotta love those!  They may be a little old for them, but I remember hitting two and my parents read to me every. single. night.  At least 5-6 books/night. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

F, I knew what you meant, but was too lazy to type it all out. My DH has not read the book. I just asked!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

BTW, it was Everything is Illuminated--can't believe my own typing.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

F, That is one good thing about getting a little older....we realize life is too short to spend it on a boring book. I am going to ask my DH if he read the Everything book. He will stick with any book until the bitter end.

Lisa, I love that show and I agree, she was being mean. I think it was all that wine talking....LOL!!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Oh I saw it, watched with Mike (uncanny they share the same name), he was squirming through the entire episode! He was stealing nervous glances my way. LOL, I enjoyed that as much as the show. He did say at the end, "she was really being mean" and I had to agree, it was getting uncomfortable.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Laurie, not at all. I do read some things a little denser but nothing too taxing. I enjoyed the help and have had Water for Elephants on my Xoom for some time but I got distracted by this detective series.
I read all sorts of things and now can stop reading a book if I'm not enjoying it. I found a John Grisham around the house, left by a visitor I suppose. It was a true crime story and I struggled for a bit and decided to give up the ghost--boring. A few years ago I tried Everything is illuminted, some people loved it. Never could get into it but I loved! the movie.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lisa, LOL on the night before your birthday card story! One year, my DH asked me if I got him something for Valentine's Day and when I said yes, he yelled, "Oh crap." I took that to mean he just realized he had to go shopping...LOL!!!! Did you see The Middle last night? It made me laugh and was about the same thing.

F, I will be waiting for your recommendations, although something tells me your reading is far more intellectual than mine. LOL

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am so excited that as soon as I come to a parting of the ways with my Venetian detective, I've almost finished the series of about 20 books, I have some new suggestions.