2) I just turned on the TV (children's programming on PBS, but still!) to staunch the relentless requests to have story books read... over and over and over. Oh, the guilt! I can just see the pattern I'm establishing now... "What's that, honey? You want an encyclopedia set* for your birthday?? How about these nice video games instead..." Seriously, the child likes a book or
*Yeah, I know, I know, there won't actually be print encyclopedias by the time she's old enough to read. Or paper books, for that matter. Humor my fantasy world, here...
3) Consider the following, and tell me What is Wrong with this marital exchange:
Neb [sentimentally]: "Can we talk about when I was in labor? I don't really remember it too well. Can you tell me about it...?" [I've asked him this many times before; last night it was prompted by news that some friends from Lehigh just had their baby.]
Nate: "I don't remember it either! I was bored! That's why I was over on the sofa..."
Neb: "You were BORED?!? At the birth of our CHILD?!? Next time I have a baby, I want you to be EMOTIONALLY SUPPORTIVE! I want you to be right by my side, encouraging me on! After all, I was supportive when you defended your dissertation [the day before!] I went shopping for food! I prepared all kinds of things for the reception! I lugged heavy containers up and down the stairs to get everything ready..."
Nate [with a wicked gleam]: "Well... you waddled up the stairs..."
4) And now, just a few [too many] pictures of my child:
These were all taken before church on Sunday. In nursery, she "made" her first craft!
They grow up SO FAST!!Love,
Neb
2 comments:
Awww, they sure do grow up fast. Why, I remember reading nine repetitious, boring, unstimulating (is that a real word? well, you know what I mean) to my mind, Dr. Seuss books to Nate, not once, nor twice, not even three times in one sitting. Just over and over and over and over and over again, and then some more, and more and . . .
We didn't have much TV, other than PBS coming through the UHF. We spent two hours a day with Sesame Street. And in between the show times, we read Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb; The Foot Book; The A B C Book; Hop on Pop; Go Dog Go; Ten Apples up on Top; One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish; Are you my Mother?; Great Day for Up; for hours and hours and hours and . . . Arg !!!!!! I feel your pain. Reading over and over and over again, the same books take patience, and lots of self control.
we eventually added more books like the Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? . And don't dare try skipping a page, or missing a word, she will let you know! (At least that is what Nate did to me.)
So, let's take aback for a moment and ponder over this issue. Hmm . . .
At least the library should provide more variety of books than good olde Dr Seuss. We didn't have a library in our town, just Dr. Seuss from the mail order book club.
They say reading improves your vocabulary and stimulates thinking. I guess that's one good thing about reading to your child.
Now, stretching a bit far, but, maybe some day when chores need to be done you both can recite fun quotes you learnt from reading to help the bore of cleaning more endurable.
Nevertheless, this phase of life will move on and Madelaine will be an avid reader on her own before you know it.
The mind of one who reads much is never a loss.
And, as good olde Dr. Seuss said
"The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go."
So, go ahead and enjoy those books. .
dum- ditty- dum- ditty- dum- dum
I'm looking forward to the kid being willing to read books with more words on the pages. The Poky Little Puppy, for example, has some pages that require her to show a great amount of patience instead of ripping the book out of my hands and throwing it on the floor. I can handle that sort of book because it takes more than thirty seconds to read. And by read, I do mean read and look at pictures and everything, not just read.
Given that my mom has just demonstrated that I was mildly autistic early enough in life that it can't be an act, I don't know why there are standing demands for me to be emotionally interested in... anything? Unlike most males, I don't know what emotional interest means because I can't understand it, not because I haven't tried.
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