The Bird

My love for books runs deep.  Sadly, however, this year's Spring Cleaning meant it was time to sort through the good, the bad, and the falling apart.  Some of our books had lived the good life and were ready for book retirement.  Others took up undeserved shelf space, not read often enough to be loved (or kept).

Our beloved Board Books fell into a category all its own.  Most had been sucked on, chewed on, rolled over, and read thousands and thousands of times.  If the book were a Velveteen Rabbit, it would have hopped off the shelf to join it's bunny friends at the Library many years ago.

Even though most of the Board Books were literally falling apart at the seams, I couldn't bring myself to throw away a few of our banged up favorites.  Someday I hope grandchildren (lots of them) will provide me a reason to replace them for a newer version. Until then, I have kept a small collection of favorites, but placed them in the corner, no longer on the bottom shelf, offering first and easy access to chubby-fingered babies. 

Somehow, over the span of my years in this Early Childhood Reading stage, I've collected a sizable lot of books.  It's nice to stand back and admire the collection now that it's all organized and pretty.  Amazing!  My kids are finally past the stage where they'll pull every book off the shelf as part of their morning exercises!  When did we cross that milestone?  

In a moment of clean contentment, I came across a book and flipped it open.  Nostalgia swept across my heart as I turned each page, remembering all the times I'd read it, pausing at that exact moment, waiting to hear my baby's giggle as they lifted the surprise flap.

And then....(gasp)...what did my eyes behold?!  No!  Oh, no.

Funny?  Yes.  Hilarious, actually.

Appropriate?  No.  Unless the Universal Sign of The Bird is used judiciously, not just to communicate the irritating sentiment of "Darn you for cutting me off!"  A point of clarification I don't intend to teach my children any time soon.  I'm just saying, the one fingered solute, well it might just have it's place, if the timing is right.  I said might, children. 

Will I ever find out which kid did it?  Not likely.

Did I throw the book away?  Heavens no, an added touch of character like this makes it's irreplaceable!  It will be permanently shelved right next to "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?"  Birds, Bears, seems fitting to organize all B-Books together.   


Always on the grow,