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.

[BG and Gavin]

Wonderful tradition.  What a guy!

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

love this tradition and they will remember it for years and hopefully carry it on with their kids

[Margaret & Pebbles]

This blog touched me.  My mom died in 1984, and she always included a book for a Christmas present.  My mom was such a huge reader.  She would have 2 or 3 paperbacks on her nightstand, one in the kitchen, a few in the living room, and read chapters from each one everyday.  How did she do that??!!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Laurie - make sure you have the kindle FIRE on your list.  It's slightly bigger, plus you can enjoy your DK obsession also :)

[Donna K & Quincy]

What a wonderful tradition. My son absolutely detested reading and I feared he would never willingly read a book. I often say that school sucks all the fun out of reading. What kid likes to read a book and then have to disect what they just read. Ok, maybe a few but my son was not one of them. Enter Harry Potter, thank you JK Rowling, these were the first books my son read willingly. Having my son ask for books for Christmas was a gift in itself. Life of Pi, isn't that the prequel to the Weight Watchers cookbook? :>)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Another lovely blog Laurie. That book buying tradition is amazing. and I love your rating system. I used to date a guy who always had his nose in a history or sci-fi book. His reading material was four yawns for sure. That being said, you really should give Life of Pi a shot. It's a neat story even if it doesn't involve eating pie.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Doris, Your mom may surprise you.....LOL!!! Thank you!

Cheryl, I think you are definitely entitled to some of the comic book money. Most definitely!! LOL I guess as far as your DH is concerned, he is happy and that is what counts. Everyone has different interests. It is what makes the world go round, right?? Now, as to my husband looking like that picture...well, you will have to come on the cruise to find out...LOL!!!

[Doris, Knox & Flash]

My mom is a retired librarian and I know she would absolutely LOVE this blog!  (perhaps I'll delete the red hot mama part...she's 81 and still has virgin ears, lol!)

[cheryl & oliver]

oops, if that cute guy is your husband, lol, I really do envy u!!!!!

[cheryl & oliver]

Laurie, I don't have to tell you how important reading was in our house, but that was because it was me that pushed and prodded and made them read.  I had the crying jags, etc, just like you did, lol, but they loved to read as the years went on.  My older one loved his comic books, his superhero's etc.  I didn't care, our deal was if he read a book a week, on his own, or with me, he could get and read his comic books...Well he did and now he has one of the largest comic book collections out there, worth a lot of money.  Now I think I am entitled to some of that money,when he sells it, if I live that long, lol, afterall it was me that started the whole thing.  The other one you know is a literary agent , so he reads constantly...Now my husband believes in his kids reading, but he is a math person, and does not enjoy sitting and reading.  He will read a newspaper, or a magazine, but in all the 40 odd years that we are married, I have never seen him sit down and read a book.  I am embarrassed to say that, because he is a very intelligent man, and answers obscure Jeopardy questions when he watches the show....Anyway, I admire your persistence and your husbands caring, see they do surprize us, lol....