Dancing Without Rhythm

S is in the hospital being induced today. YAY! She just got put on pitocin like 2 hours ago.
December 20th, that's what I'm going with. Nothing like a well-ripened, 2nd Christmas baby.

I got tagged a while back by Suzanne who loves roses, to do this cool little meme on reading and books. I don't know if my memory is as good as her memory is, but I'm going to give it a whirl.

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?
I was 4 years old when I started reading and my mom taught me. She says that one day she was reading to me and I just quietly said, "You don't have to read the words for me anymore, I can do it." Genius, I tell you. I grew up knowing that I had learned to read at 4 and I don't think I had any idea how early that really is, until I had my own kids. I won't even let my kids wipe their own bums until their 4, I can hardly imagine them reading. I do remember getting a cocoa puff (sugary food was nonexistent in my home) for pronouncing "our" correctly and not saying "are" instead. I still do that rull good.

2. What books do you remember owning as a child? I don't remember specific ownership of specific books. I remember reading Curious George. He always made me so anxious, all that trouble he got in to. It makes me laugh to this day because I am the least anxious-type person in the world. But I still remember thinking, "ohhhhhh George, don't do it, it's only gonna spill, don't do it, don't do it!" And he always did it anyway. I still love George. We had a lot of Richard Scarry too. I still don't know how to say that dude's last name. I think we had a lot of those books that had several different stories/fairy tales in them. Oh, I had these "bible story" books that were not actually bible stories but there was something religious about them and they always had a lesson. One of the stories that haunted me until I was at least 23 was one of a little girl named Caroline who was really sweet at school to her teacher, but when she came home she was awful and rotten and screamed at her mom and was disobedient and nothing like she was at school. She of course never wanted anyone to know how different she was, so she always acted like a good girl when she needed to. Well, one day her teacher hid behind a plant or something and when Caroline came home she witnessed firsthand how awful she actually was and was really disappointed. Caroline was horrifed and never threw another fit again. I'm sure my mom either planted that story or bribed an editor somewhere. It really scared me straight. That's why I'm the upstanding, completely straightforward, non-fit-throwing citizen that I am today.

I also read the The Boxcar Children later in elementary school and COULD NOT get enough of those books. I remember prowling around the section of my library, willing a book to appear that I hadn't read yet. I loved those books. Those sweet little Boxcar kids.

3. What is the first book you remember buying with your own money? Basics of Biology, my first year of college. I can't remember ever buying a book. Replacement library cards and overdue fines is where my money went. And strawberry milkshakes from Texas Toms that was right next to the library. Hmmmm, sort of telling, don't you think---TEXAS, I still love STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKES....
Oh yeah, I DO remember buying a book in high school. It was the autobiography of a one Ms. Reb@ McEntire. I tell you what, not only did I want my money back when I was done. I wanted my life back, the two hours I wasted reading it. And, if it ever came up in conversation with her, I'd like the money back for the gas I spent driving to the store to get it. At 17 my life would have been more interesting to write about. Even if I did end sentences in prepositions. At least I end sentences.

4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, what did you read the most often? Absolutely not. I tried so hard to be. And still do at times. I can't do it. I have reread a couple of Harry Potter books though. Yeah, that's a source of pride with me. J can read a book 3 times in a row and enjoy it every single time. He'll read a book, give it to me to read, I will put it down to you know, change the world, change a diaper, and when I come back he will be totally engrossed in it again and I'm left bookless. Book thief, he is.
Oh, I think I may have reread Anne of Green Gables.

5. What is the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it? Debbie Does Dallas, 18. Oh wait, you don't mean THAT kind of adult book. Hmm, now that's not as easy to remember....
This is actually one I don't think I can remember. I read so much through my youth. I know I was reading more grown-up stuff by jr high, but jr high has literally been blocked from my memory, culottes and bad hair, and books. I used to read these one books in 5th or 6th grade that were these fictional stories about women in different time periods. Like "Elizabeth" from Great Britain in 1735 or "Jessie" out on the wild frontier with the wild cowboy and the gentleman business man vying for her affections. I was always just hoping for one called "Angela" but never found one.

6. Are there any children's books you passed by as a child and learned to love as an adult? Hmm, I'd say a good handful of Dr. Suess. I don't know if I loved them as much then as I do now. And I suspect my mom didn't care for them because I really don't remember seeing them much as a child. That or white sugar. I need to read Little House on the Prairie because I never have and they are so many people's favorite. I also never read Hardy Boys. I just couldn't be bothered. It was titled about boys. How could that be interesting?

Posted by Angela on Monday, December 18, 2006 at 12/18/2006 | Permalink