What's in YOUR Backpack?

So we took this little road trip. The girls packed their own backpacks with a week's worth of clothing and (prepare to gasp in horror—at least, that was their reaction when I told them) only two books each. TWO books. Not twenty-two, which is about how many Jane figured she'd need for a six-day trip. I reminded her that 1) she was going to be too busy talktalktalktalk- talking with her bosom buddies to (gasp) do any reading while we were there and 2) if by some unimaginable chance there came a lull in the talktalktalking (and swimming and eating and singing of songs from the Snoopy soundtrack), she was going to be staying at possibly the only house on the east coast with MORE BOOKS THAN OURS.

(Actually, that's not true, and is in fact somewhat of a slander against Alice. Between us, Scott and I have amassed more books than is sane and reasonable for any one person. Alice is both sane and reasonable. She has a lot of books, but not a basement full. But then, a lot of what we have are comp copies of our own books, and it is fairly reasonable to keep those around. Then, too, we have wound up with a lot of freebies. And both of us have kept pretty much every book we ever owned since, um, birth. And then all the stuff I've collected for homeschooling. It adds up. However, a massive subtraction will have to occur very soon, because with gas prices what they are there is no way I'm putting all these (beloved, sob!) volumes on a moving truck. And horrors! I hear they don't have basements in Southern California! Nowhere! It is the Land of Perfect Weather But No Basements! I believe it's a state law, and that border check Scott had to pass through as he entered California was not, in fact, to screen for illegal aliens but rather to make sure he wasn't trying to smuggle any basements through in his trunk. They have specially trained German shepherds who can sniff out a basement a mile away. Grrrr...I smell cellar! What do you think this is, New England?)

So. Two books each. When I saw the girls' choices, I had to laugh. Sometimes it's like we're a parody of ourselves. I do believe I have blogged about every one of those books at one time or another. For example, Beanie picked one of her beloved Tintin books—a fine choice for a long ride, I must say. She can't quite read them yet—Go Dog Go is more her speed—but she loves to pore over the pictures and puzzle out the story. Her other choice was one of Scott's Disney adaptations, I think.

Jane's two books were A Wind in the Door, Rakkety Tam, and Little Women. Apparently she thinks I can't count.

And Rose chose The Children's Homer and her tattered, read-to-shreds copy of Adventures of the Greek Heroes. Because no trip is complete without a little Hercules. (Whose little-known thirteenth labor, by the way, was to smuggle a basement into California. Since California as such didn't even exist in his day, this was quite a feat indeed.)

Who needs books when you can watch the traffic on I-81?

Comments

[Christine M]

My daughter (age 9) will bring six books with her for an overnight at her grandparents. A 5 minute drive to the grocery store requires at least one book in the car. My six year old son is getting to be the same way!
Christine

[Laura]

You can't have a basement in Southern California - it will just collapse during the first earthquake! Nobody builds brick houses there for that reason, too. Now that I live in the midwest, I can't imagine not having a basement! They are better than AC in the summer for a cool retreat.

[Jennifer]

Jane has the best taste! I love A Wind in the Door and Little Women.

[Joann]

I actually know a couple who rival you for Books Beloved. Their home is filled with books. His law office is filled with books only a very few of which are actually law books. They're contenders for sure. :-)

[Love2learn Mom]

Too funny about the basements, Lissa! One thing they didn't tell us before we moved to California in '95 (thank goodness they repealed it later - we actually got a refund several years after we moved back to Wisconsin) was that the DMV charged a $300 "smog impact fee" per vehicle that wasn't purchased in California. Just a completely dumb way to torment poor young families who thought California might be a good place to look for an entry-level engineering job.

[Leslie in Springfield]

If you're getting rid of books... will you have a book sale? (Like I need any more books, LOL!) Can blog readers have a sale preview if you do?

[Stephanie]

Have you considered shipping them through a freight service? Since they move heavy shipments all the time the price might be more reasonable than a space in a moving truck.

[T.]

Kids nowadays still love Snoopy? Cool. I thought this generation had no interest.

[Alice]

>Alice is both sane and reasonable. She >has a lot of books, but not a basement >full.

LOL! Before you give me any credit for sanity, I would like to note that you were not down in the basement during your all-too-brief visit. The reason for this is, of course, that we can no longer open the door because of all the books!