"Sleep with me" she said to my side while I rinsed of the dinner dishes. I tried to hide the cringe that happens almost like a bad-mom reflex. It's not that I dislike the bedtime routine or more time with my daughter, there are just
"Are you sure you don't want Dad to put you to bed?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"Noooooooo" and off she ran before the discussion can continue. This discussion was complete as far as Bumper was concerned.
After washing up and changing into her pjs, she sat on the edge of her bed and said "Read to me Mom".
Now there is a request I rarely refuse, the exception being the times when it is the delay tactic du jour.
I'm happy to read and I replied with another reflex response "Three books Bumper. Which books do you want?"
Oh no, I forgot about her must- have books of late. Why do my mommy reflexes have to be so quick to respond?
Please please please don't say it Bumper, I said in my head. Please please don't ask for that book.
She hummed and hawed, started to form some requests and then says "that book mommy, the book".
I pretended I didn't know which book. She didn't buy it.
Up she got, slightly miffed as she makes her way over to the pile of books right beside me.
Watching her rifle through the pile, I didn't see it's tell tale cover and felt some relief. Maybe she will ask for Boo!. Oh please let it be that one.
Then she stopped, muttered "there it is" and stood up waving the book triumphantly.
"Here's the book mommy - this one!".
It's Love You Forever.OMG, I can't get through this book without choking up.
I know some folks find this book slightly creepy but not me. It's such a perfect simple yet complex story and it makes a cranky person like me get all leaky eyed.
So as I snuggled down with Bumper I tried my best not to cry before getting through. Damn, it's like someone is pulling my nose hairs as I get to those last few pages. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Damn you [not really] Robert Munsch and your happy but sad little stories.
Seriously this book always gets me. Earlier this year SB downloaded a reading of this story on iTunes and we were listening to it on our last road trip. And in the name of entertaining our child, I almost drove off the 401 from weeping so hard. I had a red snotty nose and leaky eyes for over 50 kilometres. Not very pretty folks, not pretty at all.
I swear that reading or listening to this story is like sitting through a zillion of those long distance commercials they always play around the holiday to make you feel guilty about long lost friends and out of touch family members. I was raised Catholic, therefore I'm an expert on guilt and the makers of those commercials are nothing but mongers of guiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllllllttttt.
So does that mean that this book makes me feel guilty? No, not really but I seriously do believe that this book will keep me in line for the years to come.
21 comments:
I haven't read this yet nor have heard of this book. But when I looked it up through the link you've provided here, I am touched.
Reading through the summary of the story, my heart goes out...I think that I'll be up for tears as soon as I get hold onto this book.
Thank you for sharing this. Now I have an addition to my lists of books for me and my boy.
Did the iTunes recording have the song sung, or read? We discovered that there's actually a tune to that song a few years ago, and find it makes us choke up MORE if that's possible.
But yeah, I hear ya about that book. A little creepy (I've heard some refer to it as "the stalker mom book") but still quite sweet.
My mom just can't even read that book, and it wasn't part of our collection as kids. It's a sweet book.
You read a mean book, I've seen it happen!
I'm totally the same way when I read that book.
I feel the same way about Crime and Punishment...
Never heard of that book. Thanks for the heads-up so I'll know to avoid it.
i almost bought this book 2 weeks ago but i got distracted and never ended up getting it. i have to get it now!
This is also a favourite in our house and never fails, it chokes me up. The first time I heard it was about 20 years ago when Robert Munsch himself read it at the Rebecca Cohn (I was an usher at the time).
A few years ago, on Richardson's Roundup there had a phone in show of people singing there own tune of "Love You Forever" -amazing how many different tunes people came up with.
I SOOOOOO cannot read past page three without breaking out in heaving sobs. I refuse to read this book!
But it's amazing isn't it... the "oh God please don't pick that book because I might gouge my eyes out if I have to read it again" reflex.
I cried the first couple of read throughs, but I was definitely desensitized by the 200th.
Pumpkin only wants mummy to read her her stories, so I sometimes tell her that I'm going out to buy milk, then hide. Daddy is permitted to read on those occasions.
I have memorized this book and while it used to make me cry, now it just makes me fall asleep before Nate does. Mid-read.
Plus it merits the conversation, "Hey, there is no way in hell that mommy is getting in a car at 2 am and driving to your grown man house to stalk you and watch you sleep. No way. So don't get any ideas."
My wife cries over kid songs. It makes road trips interesting.
I never heard of that book. i dread the ones that I've read 10 billion times. My daughter use to throw such a fit if her dad put her to bed. But she finally outgrew it.
I have to admit that I have this book and I hide it from my kids. Not because I hate it but because I am also a big cry baby after reading it. I get all choked up, it just isn't a pretty sight. I find the sentiment of the book very beautiful.
Ok, I admit, I find the mom getting a damn ladder and crawling into her adult son's house a smidge on the "really?" side, but omg, I cry like a Lifetime channel movie star (I like to think Jenny Garth, but probably more like Tori Spelling) when I read that book. Still. I nearly drowned my oldest one afternoon as I held his tiny baby body in my arms and read it, then startled him when I cried out "Why did no one tell me about this!?"
We have four copies! Four! Had I known there was an audio version...well, let's just say I'm glad I didn't, but now that I do...
Alas, my kids have moved on to Robert M.'s book about how everyone in the house farts. You have to appreciate a well-rounded author.
Even more cry-worthy? The story behind the story. How that particular story came to be in Munsch's head is a very sad story. Google it if you must. Makes me tear up now just thinking about it. GAWD.
I cry all over the place when I read that book. That's why we don't own a copy. It brings back very painful memories for me.
I can totally relate to the bedtime responsibility thing. There are times when Mr Babbler calls me upstairs to do the story reading I just want to scream. I have no. desire. at. all. to be back on duty. (The days, they are long around here lately.)
That story though? Sob fest, every time.
I loved reading this book to my boys when they were young, and yes, my eyes leaked :)
one of my favorite books - although now that I'm going to be a mommy I might not love it as much... but I definitely want to have it as part of my baby's collection... I too tend to cry over the smallest sentimental things... and the big ones :)
See, I just imagine my MIL sneaking into our house to hold Kyle in her arms and rock him, and then I'm too f'ing creeped out to cry.
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