Week 7 - Essay - My First Memories of Reading

My first memories of reading stretch back all the way to the age of 5 or 6.  Growing up (and even now as an adult) my mother and I did not have the best relationship.  She was very distant and cold, which are traits she learned from her father.  But when she would come in to tuck me into bed at night, it was like she was a totally different person.  She would tell me to go and pick out a book to read and then to hop into bed.  I knew this meant she'd be coming into my room to read me a story and then tuck me in.  We also always played the "bed plumps" game, which got me giggling every single time.  I still think it's funny 30 years later.

One of my favorite books was Are You My Mother? written by P.D. Eastman.  The little scrawny bird was just so adorable and all of the animals he encountered along the way to find his mother were so endearing.  I've always had a soft spot for animals.  Another one of my favorites was Disney's The Magic Grinder.  These stories were my favorites and were selected for reading many nights of the year.  Then, my mom would tuck me in and I would smell the blankets and stroke the soft fabric of my bedding.  Then she'd throw the blankets over my head and play "bed plumps!"  I'd curl up under the blankets and she'd pretend I was a lump of laundry and sheets under there that needed flattening.  It tickled so much and always made both of us giggle.

Those are fantastic memories I still cherish from my childhood.

Are You My Mother? - P.D. Eastman

The Magic Grinder - Disney

Bibliography:

The Magic Grinder.  Web Source: Magic Grinder

Are You My Mother?  Web Source: Are You My Mother?