Tuesday, February 28, 2006

curling up with a good book...

I just received a book in the mail - a children's book that was one of my kids' favorites. I'm giving a baby shower in a few weeks and I am giving the new mom a basket of books. I've ordered her 6 of our favorites. I have been unable to find the 7th I wanted - "Never Babysit the Hippopatamuses." It was hard to narrow down our list.
I absolutely LOVED reading to my kids. Paul cringed when we went into a good bookstore because I would charm the credit card out of him and nearly give him a stroke with the number of books I'd buy. He believes God made libraries for a reason. But with a library book, you have to return the memory. You can't cherish the jelly handprint on page 5 or the rip on page 3 from an eager toddler. There was a time I had about 200 children's books in our basement shelves. Paul was not happy to have them taking up all that space. So I gave many of them to a neighbor who had just received his teaching degree and was starting his own first grade library. I think I regret that.
We visited the library too. And we'd come home and read book after book on the rocking chair. And the ones we really liked - well we went out and bought those.
As each book arrives for my friend's book basket, I smile at the memory each one brings. That feeling of my baby melting into my chest as he listens; hearing her "read" with me as she remembers the story because we've read it dozens of times. The sound of his deep even breathing as he falls asleep listening to my voice. There was nothing better.

Here are the books for my gift basket:

The Monster at the End of This Book (starring Grover)
The Napping House
I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words (Dr. Seuss)
The Spooky Old Tree (Berenstein Bears)
Am I Beautiful?
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

There are so many more that every kid should have but the gift basket can only be so big...

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