Monday, March 30, 2009

Each peach, pear, plum

I was invited to Abby's birthday party on Saturday. She was three.

I only meant to go and drop off her present and say hello but I had such a good time I stayed.

I was sitting on the floor playing with wooden bricks with Aaron, who's nearly two. He knew rectangle and triangle and all the colours, and numbers. His mum reminded me that I'd bought him Each Peach, Pear, Plum when he was born. 'It's his favourite book,' she said, 'and he knows it off by heart.'
'I still do too,' I said. 'Each peach, pear, plum, I spy Tom Thumb. Tom Thumb in the cupboard, I spy ...'
'Mother Hubbard,' said Aaron.
His mum went on to recite the whole book and he got every one right - except the last line, which he deliberately gets wrong as a joke! It should be 'I spy everyone,' but Aaron says, 'I spy everyBODY!' and laughs.

I think he is quite possibly a child genius. And when he is a Nobel prize winner I hope he will remember my part in his development.

It is such a wonderful book. I have given it to lots of young parents.

You see, I am so desperate for grandchildren; I have to go and play with other people's.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

WE have that book I bought when Dd was a baby :0)

I *need* to go guitar shopping... come over here and babysit :0)

Leslie: said...

I'll have to look out for that book. Do you know the author's name? Sounds perfect for Eden, who's 1 year and 1 month now.

Furtheron said...

Liz ... *ahem* enough with the grandchildren jibes - I think your kids know, just don't push it too far... :-)

Actually I don't know the book, maybe this is a deficiency in my parenting. Have I cost my son his Nobel Prize through this oversight?

Liz Hinds said...

I'm on my way, amanda!

Janet & Allan Ahlberg, leslie. Wonderful writers/illustrators though, sadly, she died young.

They'd think I was ill if I stopped nagging, furtheron! You must have seen some of the Ahlbergs's books. There are loads.