NO! I don't WANT to!!!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
These were my son's exact words as I tried to convince him that he would love the book I was going to read him. He refused to believe that MY choice of reading could possibly be something he would enjoy, particularly since it didn't contain pictures. He fussed and fidgited (however you spell that), his voice escalating with each protest. He grew so loud and impertinent that his father entered the picture. Joel promptly swept him into the other room and sternly informed him that he was NEVER to speak to his mother in that tone of voice, and, in his *ahem* convincing way, pursuaded my five-year-old to return to the living room with his sisters (ages 10 and 16) to hear the story.
He sat, at first petulant, and did his best (without saying a word) to appear annoyed, or at the very least, bored. He drew circles with his fingers on his pajamas... stared off into space... bounced his foot as though he were about to take off running. This continued through... oh... the first paragraph.
I hadn't been reading three minutes before he was totally caught up in the story, hanging on every word. With each new sentence he crept closer and closer, staring intently into my face as I read. I delighted in putting different inflections into the tone of my voice to fit the mood of the story: curious, angry, frightened, excited, suspenseful.
He sat intently focused on the tale for a good fifteen minutes. When I came to the end of the chapter, he threw a fit!
"That's all??"
"For tonight. We'll read the next chapter tomorrow night."
"But I don't WANT to wait! I CAN'T wait that long! I have to know!!"
"You'll have to just wait and see what happens" (truth be told, I was enjoying toying with him perhaps a bit too much.)
"Can't we PLEASE read another chapter now?"
"Nope... sorry, buddy. I thought you didn't want to read this book?"
"Well I didn't know how GOOD it was! It's so cool! It's like MYSTERIES!!"
I hope he continues to enjoy the books. I decided over this past month to begin reading "The Chronicles of Narnia" with my children -- the two youngest, anyway (although J sat and listened as well this evening *s*). I've never read the books myself, but became a huge fan of some of the other writings of CS Lewis a couple of years ago. Since then, I'd been wishing that I'd taken the time to read them, and wondering why I never did. I decided that I don't want my children to grow up ignorant of these wonderfully told tales... either the drama of the stories or the spiritual implications behind them. At first I was afraid that the language might throw Noah for a loop and make it difficult for him to grasp the story -- kind of old-englishy -- but it didn't seem to bother him a bit. Perhaps because the fiction itself is so timeless and classic. The prose flows so wonderfully... with never a dull moment. What a treasure we have in CS Lewis!
And what a treasure I have in my children - who would sit and indulge the desires of their sentimental old mom.
I'm blessed.
He sat, at first petulant, and did his best (without saying a word) to appear annoyed, or at the very least, bored. He drew circles with his fingers on his pajamas... stared off into space... bounced his foot as though he were about to take off running. This continued through... oh... the first paragraph.
I hadn't been reading three minutes before he was totally caught up in the story, hanging on every word. With each new sentence he crept closer and closer, staring intently into my face as I read. I delighted in putting different inflections into the tone of my voice to fit the mood of the story: curious, angry, frightened, excited, suspenseful.
He sat intently focused on the tale for a good fifteen minutes. When I came to the end of the chapter, he threw a fit!
"That's all??"
"For tonight. We'll read the next chapter tomorrow night."
"But I don't WANT to wait! I CAN'T wait that long! I have to know!!"
"You'll have to just wait and see what happens" (truth be told, I was enjoying toying with him perhaps a bit too much.)
"Can't we PLEASE read another chapter now?"
"Nope... sorry, buddy. I thought you didn't want to read this book?"
"Well I didn't know how GOOD it was! It's so cool! It's like MYSTERIES!!"
I hope he continues to enjoy the books. I decided over this past month to begin reading "The Chronicles of Narnia" with my children -- the two youngest, anyway (although J sat and listened as well this evening *s*). I've never read the books myself, but became a huge fan of some of the other writings of CS Lewis a couple of years ago. Since then, I'd been wishing that I'd taken the time to read them, and wondering why I never did. I decided that I don't want my children to grow up ignorant of these wonderfully told tales... either the drama of the stories or the spiritual implications behind them. At first I was afraid that the language might throw Noah for a loop and make it difficult for him to grasp the story -- kind of old-englishy -- but it didn't seem to bother him a bit. Perhaps because the fiction itself is so timeless and classic. The prose flows so wonderfully... with never a dull moment. What a treasure we have in CS Lewis!
And what a treasure I have in my children - who would sit and indulge the desires of their sentimental old mom.
I'm blessed.
