Mama’s Love to “Read Together” Manifesto
Remembering that first precious movement in my belly when you seemed to say, “Hello, I’m here.” And saying back to you, “Wow, you’re really here! And this is only the beginning, my sweet, sweetheart.”
From that day forward, I picked up old books, new books, any book I could get my hands on and read them to you, my hand caressing the hard roundness of the new life inside me.
When you arrived it was the most blessed and spectacular event that ever occurred in my life, ever. I counted your fingers and your toes, as if to make sure you were really all there and you were, every bit of you, perfect in your innocence and fragility.
Those early, early mornings and those late, late nights full of love and tenderness as we began our journey together will remain with me always.
With books that could float in the tub about frogs and tadpoles, to toys that would make animal sounds and music, our days were spent exploring our new world together.
That first year we read together about soft, round bears and their honey pots, little engines that drove freight, and our favorite, “Te Amo Sol, Te Amo Luna,” over and over again until you would just pick up your favorite and bring it to me.
Your first words were, “Hola, and “Dadda.” Your first sentences were, “Dadda, I love you.” And, much sooner than later, “Mama, I love you too.”
From there we kept moving forward, loving and learning from new books, new thoughts and ideas from talking trains, to wockets in pockets, monsters at the end of books, to cats with 2 homes. Over time you would pick out your favorite sentences and read them back to me.
More than anything else, my favorite words from you are, “Mama, read this story to me.” Or “Mama, read this one again.” And we did, and it was grand and so full of love.
Onward and upward, we moved into reading books like “beyond the spell of written words, a hidden land of beasts and birds,” to books about bad kitties, and wimpy kid’s to a book read all over the world, a book about a boy wizard.
Our reading together, led to more love and bonding than will ever be measured. Our time together is precious and forever memorable, and all your favorite books are saved for your future.
From each story shared our own stories have emerged; tales of ducks, chickens, farm life, bugs, birds and butterflies. Now is our time to share our stories with the world.
Mama’s love to “Read Together” is our future. From story time, to classrooms, to the world, our mission is to help prepare children for a good, giving and rewarding life by engaging them to think and live as fully as possible. And it all starts at home.
Amber Nieves, Mama Picky Pants
