Of Board Books and Barking

Our lovely Christmas day was filled with board books. Yep, Sandra Boynton board books, to be specific. Our life with children has had silly rhymes as the background music almost from the first baby. We do serious board book, too. Goodnight Moon and Grandfather Twilight each have had a greatest hit stint with the kids, but through it all, it's silly words in the car, in the bath, with the first "sit in the lap and read a story" times.

Thing 1 hated her carseat passionately. But she loved Doggies. So, when a car ride got too long, we would chant, "One dog. . . Woof! Two dogs. . . Woof, yap yap!" as long as it takes. Believe me, even shouting inane barks beats hearing your child wail at the injustices of the five-point restraint system. It got to the point that we barked at the slightest provocation.

At any rate, Thing 4 is now old enough to hear her own books, and her sibling Things are old enough to enjoy handing her a package "from" them. So she has the start to her own library of silliness. She also ingested enough wrapping paper to keep her for a while, but that's a different story.

We ate dinner with my sister's family, and as I looked across the Advent wreath, now complete with its central candle, I realized how stunningly blessed I am. We have food, a home, people who would do almost anything for us. And we have laughter.

And it's hard to be anything but profoundly grateful when you realize that you get to bark at yet another child.