Something sweet

When I went to see my brother and sister-in-law last week after they had Lyla, Amber showed me this.  A book I gave my brother when I was ten years old.  I tried my best to hold back tears when she showed it to me.  We used to call him "Chipper".  Apparently his nickname came from his huge chipmunk cheeks (totally adorable), that he had until grade school (his new daughter Lyla has them as well).  He didn't change his name until junior high I think, and to this day I miss the name "chip".  Don't get me wrong, I love his name Leo.  It's just that "Chipper" represents him as a little boy.  The little guy that used to bug the living hell out of me with his incessant need to be social.  The baby boy who used to talk to his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle as if it were real (sorry bro).  The little brother who used to come into my bed with me at night when he was scared and would sleep with me until morning.  The little guy who I once promised that I would make everything ok.  I think what made me tear up is the fact that I don't remember giving him this gift at all.  Not one bit.  I must have forgotten it somewhere along the way, along with a billion other details.  

I have loved books and reading and all things to do with them since I was able to talk.  My dad used to let me go to the library weekly and pick out new books.  I thought library cards were made out of gold, and when I could finally get one of my own I had finally arrived.  Every time I finished a new book, he would drive me over to Walden Books and let me pick out a new one (I was usually knee deep in a vampire series).  Books make me tick, always have.  I get lost in them, in the imaginary world.  And this was a great reminder that I have always been this way.  I wanted to give my brother a gift -- my eight year old brother -- whom, to this day, (no offense sweet brother of mine) does NOT enjoy reading.  I'm sure he was thrilled when he received this!

I hope this is something I can share with Vivienne as she grows.  She has already shown such an interest in books and I try to foster this in her as much as I can.  She will sit with me for a good 45 minutes reading books, sometimes several times a day, and I just cherish that time with her.  I can't wait until she's older and I get to read some young adult literature along side her. 

Sorry if this post has become WAY too English Literature major bore.  I can't help it!  Which leads me to introduce the newest idea I have for this blog (which is so ever changing).  I am going to start having a little book review of the books that Vivi and I seem to enjoy the most, along with the ones we don't!  I can't promise it will be frequent, but I will try to be consistent (right now we are enjoying We're Going on a Bear Hunt).  Vivi has shelves and shelves of books so it won't be hard to slip a few in here and there.  I'll keep you posted...