Hand-Made Gifts

I was the lucky recipient of many special gifts yesterday, particularly the hand-made ones from my daughters.  Julia spoiled me rotten, giving me not one but TWO personally hand-crafted presents. 

The first was a fun, brain-stimulating game:

"Try to make sentins.  P.S. Thars a bag.  Make shor they make sens.  Thank you."

I can't WAIT to try and construct some really interesting, sensible sentinses!  Thanks, Jules! 


My second gift from Julia was a very long book, written inside the pages of a blank journal she was given for her birthday.  The title of this book is:

"Have Fun Littel One" by Julia Rowe

"A Book of Sirprisis."



The story seems to be one of a mother reflecting on the joy of new parenthood:

"You are all I wish't for,' said new mother Jena.  'I loved you the momin't you were in my belly."

This definitely strikes a sentimental chord with me.  I often tell Julia about how much I loved her before I even met her.

"All you can say is 'gugu.'  I think it's sooper sweet.  Oh you are the cutist thing."

Aww.  This book is the BEST.

"Evin though I diyd my hiar you still know me.  And now that you are ten years old I am haveing anuther."

Wait.  Was the mom afraid that her daughter wouldn't recognize her after she diyed her hair?  It looks the same color to me as on page 1.  Did new mom Jena diye her hair to hide the grays?  Or has she always been diying it red?  In either case, I'm glad her baby still knows her, even with her hair diyd.  And also, Jena sure waited a long time to be ready for anuther baby.  Ten years in between pregnancies.  No wonder her hair is graying.

"And now you bourn.  You are 13.  Oh I am so proud.  18 and 8 you are getting to OLD."

I'm just a bit confused.  Did Jena's baby gestate for 3 years?  How is her older daughter 13 when the baby is bourn?  On the other hand, the siblings appear to resume their 10 year age gap on the next page.  And this book is really getting me in the gut.  Julia totally understands the bittersweet sentiment of watching your children grow.  Pride mixed with nostalgia.

"And now there all grone up.  Out the older one looking for a apartmint.  She stayd."

Aww.  They're grone up.  And either living in an apartmint or staying at home.  I'm confused.

"Halloween giving out candy veary nice.  It's Christmas Eve and evrything is perfickt."

And this is the point at which Julia starts to run out of ideas to fill the rest of the pages of her book.  You see, she's stuck here, because the bound book has a specific number of pages.  Now that Jena's kids are grone and living in apartmints, there's not a whole lot else she can do with the story.  But she still has pages to fill.

"Haveing fun is just the key.  And I'll tell you there names.  Lila and Holly."

Oh, good, we finally get to learn the names of Jena's kids.  I've been wondering the whole time.

But what else will Julia come up with to fill the rest of her book??

"A persin in need daz not have greed.  And I found out when Holly was looking for a home."

There is a clear connection between the two pages, no?

"Holly older and Lila younger.  Doing chours is what I clam."

You can tell Julia is even getting tired of doing illustrations.  I like the two lines on the left-most page, one labeled "older" and the other "younger."  That's some masterful artistic work.

"Open up your eyes and look inside.  Moms evreyware should know this."

Know what?  To open up your eyes and look inside?  Or is there going to be a big reveal on the next page about what moms should know??  Let's see!:

"I love my douter you do too! Me and you you and me."

Oh!  Moms SHOULD know that.  This book really taught me a lesson, because I wasn't ALREADY AWARE that I love my douters.


And now Julia really begins grasping at straws to finish the book:

"Are you lisning?  Snow is blisning.  Oh know.  I still have a wreath on the door."

The plot of this book has really gotten off track, here, folks.

"Mom, can I driv in your car?  I think I'll eat a pikol."

WOAH.  I don't know about you guys, but that pikol twist took me TOTALLY by sirpris.  That really came out of NOWHERE!


Hang in there Julia.  Almost done!  Last page coming up!:

"Is this book about Christmas?  It's about love and caring.
Like this book?"

Julia, I *LOVED* it!


I was not the only fortunate recipient of Julia's hand-made gifts.  Madeleine got a few good ones too!  Like:

"Fashon mix and mach.  Fashon, Rock Star, Toy Owner."

Ooh, I would LOVE to dress someone like a toy owner!  Lucky Madeleine!  Wait.  What does a toy owner look like?  Just like a regular kid?

Anyway, Madeleine also got this wacky brain-puzzler:

"Gesing Game: A Have Fun Game.  (Not alwod under the age of 3."

This is major brain calisthenics here. Not only are you supposed to guess in this game, but apparently you are supposed to guess exactly WHAT you're supposed to be guessing.  I'm not sure what to do with this strip of colors at the bottom.  I guess that's part of the whole fun puzzle!  What a game!


The best gifts of all are those crafted with love and care, so I think Julia hit it out of the park!