There are 8 of us in the house and 6 of us can read. Though Gemma is not of that number, she still has her favorite books. There are three at the moment, actually. These titles are carted about with her everywhere and if you visit, you will be asked to read one of them.
Truth be told, if you visit, she will request you to read “A Potty for Me.” It’s like she knows it is the most awkward book in the house and takes great joy in making guests participate in it. Fr. Christensen, Bridget, Jaaron, Johnny – they’ve all had to blush and laugh and stagger through it. It’s a winner!
For a while “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” was the most beloved book but now it has been replaced by “Panda Bear, Panda Bear.” Ev-er-y time we read it she exclaims, “Dat’s a BIG panda bear dere!” Oh, good times. We’ve also watched numerous YouTube videos to determine the sounds each of the animals make so now the readings include animal noises. And we can’t forget that we MUST whisper when we get to the dreaming child page. They’re sleeping, after all.
And lastly, she’s become a BIG fan of Sandra Boynton’s “But not the Hippopotamus.” She likes to yell out the “But not the hippopotamus!” part each time around though ‘hippopotamus” is still tricky for her to manage. I think that’s why she likes it, aside from the predictable rhythm and cute images. She likes the challenge, which seems fitting for this challenging gal.
Challenging but darn cute. It’s her saving grace.’
