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.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Laurie, yes to The Help, yes to Water (a couple of years ago actually, very upsetting) no on the latter but I will put that on my list along with The Hunger Games your DD's recommended.

Really I prefer to keep my list to myself DH either goes big or stays home, sometimes he should have just stayed home....love his effort but ... It is a far cry however to the night before my B-Day years ago when he said, "do you think the drugstore has cards" ugh!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Ok, I am finishing a Debbie Macomber book and then it is next :)

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Ooooh you will LOVE.  I read until midnight last night.  Bad - on a school night (still call 'em school nights!).

 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Allyson, My daughters highly recommend Hunger Games and I actually have it on my list to read. They swear I will love it and the movie is coming out soon.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I need to add "She's Come Undone".  Loved Help and Water for Elephants. Reading Hunger Games right now - excellent!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lisa, Did you read The Help, Water for Elephants, or She's Come Undone? I loved all those books, although Water for Elephants was hard in parts. (mistreated animals)

Start showing that wish list to Santa!! He won't know until he sees your list!! LOL

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Laurie, I am so behind....love this blog, My daughter is an avid reader...on holiday she will read 3 or more books. Of course her holidays are usually on a beach, on a sand chair.

I need a good book for my time off after Christmas, what is the last one YOU read?

PS. The Kindle Fire is on my wish list, it's my wish list though so no one is reading it but me. Hopefully on sale after the Holidays so I can get my own.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Camilla, Ricki, and Bonnie!!

[Camilla and Darwin]

That is such a great idea! What a wonderful tradition.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Sweet post Laurie! Your DH is special!