Going to bed with Shakespeare
The transition from 2019 to 2020 has been all about enjoying the pleasures of family life and catching those precious little moments with the children that will soon disappear as the little ones grow older.
One of my few favorite duties of parenthood is reading to the children before they go to sleep. This activity took a whole new dimension during the last few weeks, quite accidentally.
When I said that I like reading to the children before they go to sleep I omitted the fact that I absolutely hate actually bringing them to bed. Keeping them under control and making them go through the sleeping time routine absolutely sucks the last daily drops of energy out of me.
A couple of weeks ago in an attempt to keep them quiet and focused while putting on their pj’s I asked the if they wanted to hear the story of another boy named Oliver. Somehow they were immediately enticed by my offer. Borrowing wildly from Mr Dickens and applying a few duly adaptations I managed to get Nora completely absorbed into the narration. Oliver had very quickly given up suspecting some moral lesson coming up after the description of the other Oliver’s life in the workhouse.
The day after Nora came back to me with the request of another story. “Mama” she said, “do you have another story”. “Of course “ I reassured her, “what do you think about the story of the twins Viola and Sebastian and their shipwreck along the coast of Illyria?”. Another great success to be followed by the story of Romeo and Juliet and their unfortunate love.
In Nora’s shakespeareless world I have suddenly become a glorious storyteller, able to bring fantastic worlds, intriguing plots and delightful characters to life.
I already hate the moment when I will have to tell her that all these stories do not come from my even though fervid imagination. And she will happily replace me for a library card.
I guess a mother’s got to do what a mother’s got to do!
One of my few favorite duties of parenthood is reading to the children before they go to sleep. This activity took a whole new dimension during the last few weeks, quite accidentally.
When I said that I like reading to the children before they go to sleep I omitted the fact that I absolutely hate actually bringing them to bed. Keeping them under control and making them go through the sleeping time routine absolutely sucks the last daily drops of energy out of me.
A couple of weeks ago in an attempt to keep them quiet and focused while putting on their pj’s I asked the if they wanted to hear the story of another boy named Oliver. Somehow they were immediately enticed by my offer. Borrowing wildly from Mr Dickens and applying a few duly adaptations I managed to get Nora completely absorbed into the narration. Oliver had very quickly given up suspecting some moral lesson coming up after the description of the other Oliver’s life in the workhouse.
The day after Nora came back to me with the request of another story. “Mama” she said, “do you have another story”. “Of course “ I reassured her, “what do you think about the story of the twins Viola and Sebastian and their shipwreck along the coast of Illyria?”. Another great success to be followed by the story of Romeo and Juliet and their unfortunate love.
In Nora’s shakespeareless world I have suddenly become a glorious storyteller, able to bring fantastic worlds, intriguing plots and delightful characters to life.
I already hate the moment when I will have to tell her that all these stories do not come from my even though fervid imagination. And she will happily replace me for a library card.
I guess a mother’s got to do what a mother’s got to do!
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