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Jax, me and the BFG
taken by my sister, Michelle
Statesboro, Georgia
August 2012
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Telecommuting.
I've spent the past week working from Statesboro, Georgia, where most of my immediate family lives. That's my Mom, my two sisters, Michelle and Carrie, and my niece and nephew, Celina and Jax. Despite the thousand miles that normally separates us, I am very close with my family. Going long periods of time without seeing them would be difficult enough, but with this whole rapidly progressive neurological disease thing we discovered a little over a year ago, I will, without a doubt, be visiting every chance I get.
When I first arrived, Jax and Celina started telling me all about school and I started to feel really old (because doubleyouteeeff, mate, didn't this just happen?!). And after telling them about when I was their age and saying "new fangled" about six times, I realized that they are both finally old enough to start the thing I had been waiting to do with them since I received that excited phone call from my Chellie back in 2005. So, I grabbed my cane (I don't have a cane) and marched (drove) down to the bookstore (our main intent may or may not have been to buy satin at the neighboring Hobby Lobby) and I walked straight back to the youth novels (after first purchasing a round of coffees and chatting with the baristo about my "real thick New York accent" that doesn't actually exist) and then I spent about half an hour taking a walk down memory lane.
I am a nostalgic person. On a typical bookstore visit, I browse my usual sections (fiction, memoirs, art/photography) and then, I go and "shop for my niece and nephew" which does not involve shopping for them at all, really, it just makes me feel better about reading picture books for an hour or three. (Sorry, I'm not sorry.).
Anyway, I had no idea what I'd been missing out on in the youth novels section! My original intention was to go in, grab a copy of The BFG
(obviously!) and leave to do errands, like an adult, but instead I got sucked back to the days of The Boxcar Children
and Judy Blume
and, does anyone remember Bunnicula
?!
(obviously!) and leave to do errands, like an adult, but instead I got sucked back to the days of The Boxcar Children
and Judy Blume
and, does anyone remember Bunnicula?!
Once I finally made it to Roald Dahl, I had to restrain myself from buying pretty much every book he's ever written. I managed to escape with the BFG and a sly copy of Matilda
that I'm still not sure I remember purchasing in my euphoric haze of nostalgia.
that I'm still not sure I remember purchasing in my euphoric haze of nostalgia.
I guess I should explain that thing I mentioned earlier, about them finally being old enough. See, when I discovered I was going to be an aunt back in 2005, I found myself in the kids section of the bookstore. I picked up all of my favorite children's books, determined to share my favorites with the baby I was already really, really in love with. When Jax was born and I was living in Georgia, I would spend our days together reading these books to him in hopes that some part of his baby brain would grasp onto the words and make a connection that would last. It was my greatest hope that, years later, when his teacher would read The Giving Tree
out loud, or if, on the off chance, they made the driest, most yawn-inducing film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are
(like that'd ever happen!), and he actually sat through just a little bit of it before being bored out of his mind, he'd be brought back to those days we spent together, when he was curled up close to me, and somehow he'd feel all that love I have for him at that very moment. Similarly, since I had such limited time with the baby-version of Celina, it was so important for us to have that thing so that she would know how much I love her, even when there are so many miles between us.
And now they're finally old enough to get it!
out loud, or if, on the off chance, they made the driest, most yawn-inducing film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are (like that'd ever happen!), and he actually sat through just a little bit of it before being bored out of his mind, he'd be brought back to those days we spent together, when he was curled up close to me, and somehow he'd feel all that love I have for him at that very moment. Similarly, since I had such limited time with the baby-version of Celina, it was so important for us to have that thing so that she would know how much I love her, even when there are so many miles between us.And now they're finally old enough to get it!
To my delight, Jax loves the BFG. We read a few chapters each night, and each evening when I'd close the book, he'd protest. "Please, Aunt Jackie," he'd plead, "can't we read just a few more pages?" I was so happy when he looked at me, eyes filled with wonder, and said, "I can see it all happening in my mind!"
Celina isn't as into it yet (not enough princesses) though she will sit with us and snuggle and stop me if I'm not doing the voices right. Once we're done, she insists that we read a few fairytales, because, um, hello? I just read, like, six chapters to Jax! And I do silly voices for those stories too, which is fantastic, but I am seriously so excited to introduce her to Matilda.
So I'd love to know, if anyone would care to share, what books were your favorites? I still can't get over Bunnicula!
So I'd love to know, if anyone would care to share, what books were your favorites? I still can't get over Bunnicula!
3 comments:
I love this photo!
Your job is awesome!
Love this post!
When I was little I was so obsessed with The Babysitter's Club and before that, Babysitter's Little Sisters (yeah, I know. Geek squared). Lately I've been thinking I should pull the Little Sisters series out of my mom's basement. Sam would love them!
Lately we've been reading a newish series called Frankly Frannie. I don't know how into it Jax would be, but Celina might like it when she's older. It's about a job-obsessed little girl (she carries around her dad's old briefcase with a resume and business cards made out of cereal boxes) and the trouble she gets herself into when she gets so exicted that she doesn't exactly think and/or listen. Not going to lie, I'm obsessed!
This is testament to why you, Jackie Pfeffer, are awesome and we are, most certainly, going to be buds. : )
As a kid, I remember being really into the Ramona series for a while there. Roald Dahl books, of course. I also recall Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH blowing my mind. I was so into that book. Oh - and I think I cried for a week straight after reading A Taste of Blackberries.
~Lilah
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