Saturday 2 July 2011

Summer Reading for Men

Our community library has a summer reading program for kids. You know the schtick--after reading so many books, children earn various prizes; a blatant ploy to deter them from becoming mindless organisms only capable of using a joy stick before school convenes in the fall.

This year Hannah has won the "You're a Terrific Reader" certificate (coughlame), a coupon for a chocolate chip cookie (thanks local grocer), a nifty change purse from the electric company, and only recently, the ever coveted "I'm a Truly Awesome Reader and You're NOT" t-shirt. Conversely, Logan JUST earned his second prize--thanks to my gentle maternal encouragement, loving support and the timely application of a cattle prod.

Today, we spent an hour at the library reading the final five books for him to merit his "Get a Free Cookie" coupon. Of the 20 gazillion books in the library, he was able to find the first three. The process of finding interesting reading material was simply too Herculean a task, so he asked that I find the final two, with the requirement that they be, "mumble, mumble books." Since I'm not very fluent in Mumbo Jumbo, I asked him to please repeat. Restating his request in English, he said, "I only want you to pick manly books."

Ugh! There goes my chance of picking out any of those pantywaist books from the sissy shelf that I've been itching to read with him. I hate it when he limits me like that.