Opportunity of a (Nerdy Parent's) Lifetime

I contributed to keeping my favorite local bookstore open last week:) It was Anna's last official day of afternoon kindergarten, which was totally worth lunch out and a new book for all of the girls in the family.  Anna picked the next in the Ivy and Bean series.  I picked The Help (GO GET IT! IT'S FABULOUS!) Since Molly wasn't present, I did the picking for her and decided it was time for her to read To Kill a Mockingbird.  And I decided that book needed a permanent place on our shelves.

 Molly did okay the choice.  I told her ahead of time what I was thinking of picking up if the store did not have Millicent Min, Girl Genius. They did not.

Unlike Anna and I who read our books within the first 24 hours, in typical Molly fashion she paced herself and just finished.  And when she did, I received one of those rare moments in parenting - the kind that when you are sitting in your rocker with a foldout of ultrasound pics trying to picture what life with this new person will be like, that you dream of.

She said, "Mom, I just finished To Kill A Mockingbird."

"What did you think?" I asked.

"Well, I don't know.  It was good, I guess.  Not good the way I thought it would be.  I think I liked it.  But - could we talk about it or something because I am not sure I really got it."

Dear God, Let me not blow this opportunity so that many more will follow in its wake.  And Thank You for this rare moment of parental bliss. 

I mean, how many times does your child come up and ask for a discussion of one of the best books of all time?!

I told her it had been awhile since I read it, and I want to have it fresh in my mind - can she give me a few days to re-read it?

Sure.

Really, nerdy people like me dream of these conversations with their daughters.  I have lots to do, but my house may have to be a disaster for company so that I can plow through that book.  My friend who is coming over is an English-teaching-literature-lover who would want me to do nothing less.  She, in fact, would be mad at me if I cleaned my house and did not read the book and discuss it with my child.

The trick is not to appear too eager or I'll scare her off.  I totally have to be, like, whatever, about it.   


Which clearly I am not.