One of my friends and cohorts, Matt Mikalatos, posted a week ago about glow-in-the dark pigs being bred in Taiwan. I decided to write my own Green Eggs and Ham post.Robin and I take turns putting Luke to bed. Since about September, Luke has only allowed me to read three books: Chickens, Green Eggs, and Little Bear Goes to the Moon.
After about 70 readings or so, Luke and I both have had some random thoughts / observations. I will credit Luke where he made this observation.
- The steering wheel on the car (Would you like them in a car? Eat them, Eat them. Here they are!) mysteriously disappears after a few pages. - Luke
- The ham and eggs glow in the dark tunnel. - Luke
- I wonder if Dr. Seuss was making a statement on nuclear holocaust or waste since it was written in 1960.
- The goat appears out of a compartment door that was not there before. - Luke
- The train track just ends. - Luke
- The track is very poorly engineered because it is on sticks precariously held by rope and it ends over the water.
- The people on the train and the engineer never open their eyes until they come up from the water. The captain of the boat sees the train but then closes his eyes as he fly through the air after the train crashes into the boat.
- I have random thoughts wondering if this symbolizes that they are dead (or die in the case of the captain) and only revived after being 'baptized' and the offering of the chicken (the eggs) and the sacrifice of the pig (the ham), albeit a strange color, are accepted. I know its very random but every story is about redemption, isn't it?
- We never learn the name of 'other guy' who Sam-I-Am tries to get to eat the eggs and ham. - Luke
- At the end, he eats the whole ham in one page and there is no knife to cut it with. - Luke
- He also must eat the ham bone.
- Sam-I-Am does not get any. - Luke
- I don't think he wants it but was trying to pawn it off on this guy.
- I read that Dr. Seuss wrote it on a dare.
- I don't think it teaches kids to try food but rather teaches them that if they bug big people enough they can eventually get what they want. This is what Luke seems to have learned.
On a side note, please pray for us. Since the twins were born, Luke has not gone to sleep without one of us laying with him. We have decided to try to gradually break him of this habit this week. We are praying for a miracle!
5 comments:
In children's lit. class at school we've discussed that book and quite a few of the thoughts you came up with were raised. My favourite, if I can remember it correctly, was that it was a analogy for capitalism. Sam was the corporation pushing his products on the poor and unwilling until he finally sedeuces them into thinking they like it.
Very interesting observations. About Luke going to sleep, be gradual. He is adjusting to a major change (as are the two of you) and he needs assurance that you are both still HIS mommy and daddy. He will be just fine and so will you. Blessings.
very interesting! Of the hundreds of times I have read that book, I had not noticed most of those things -- in my defense, I don't really look at pictures in books as a rule.
I know it must be exhausting to deal with Luke's slight insecurity in addition to the overwhelming work and responsibility of the younger twins. Try to enjoy these days and nights -- things WILL smooth out. As someone once said: the hours may seem to creep sometimes, but the years fly by! God bless all 5 of you!
Jane and Joan, thanks for your encouragment. Our mantra this year has been 'to thrive not just survive' after hearing so many parents of twins say just try to survive the first year. We have to admit is hard to enjoy moments of some days and nights.
We are trying a gradual approach. We decided to do it without rotating parents too so Robin is running point this week. One night she sat in the bed w/o laying beside him. The next night she sat at the end of the bed. Then she sat on the floor by the bed. Last night she sat on the floor on the other side of the room. Tonight she is going to sit in the doorway, if he will let her keep the door open. He's pretty particular about that.
Well if you notice its my 3 1/2 year old who noticed most of the pictorial anomalies. He has a keen sense of observation. he also has pointed out that the egg on the table in the "Little Bear Goes to The Moon" is brown in the book but white on the video version which we also have.
Any observation I have made is my mind wandering while I read / recite it to him.
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