We love books. Well, some of us do. Most of us do. The girls do. And Gary. I think, in general, we are a pretty curious group.
Here we are in our yearly holiday photo, so you can get to know us. I usually do a “themed” photo, like, “wear red and black,” “this year is blue, grey and white,” “let’s try green and gold,” (before this year, my reigning favorite was my four, [at the time,] kids in black and grey with Riley front an center in a black skull sweater,) but this year, I decided to just go for it, and see what happened.
I told the kids, and their significant others, to wear their “dream outfits, whatever you want.” Eyebrows quickly raised, and the question was asked as many times as I doled out the instructions, “Whatever?” “Yes,” I answered, “Whatever you want.” Then added, “Oh! But don’t tell each other! It will be a surprise when we all show up together!” Again, the question begged, “WHATEVER???” The eyes started twinkling, hamsters jumped on the wheels, there were audible giggles, and they only had to be told once. Well, actually three times, but confirmation was pretty important. Whatever. They did not disappoint.
2024 Shaffer - Wasielewski Holiday Photo
In the left corner, wearing their family matching jammies, sits my daughter Sarah, with her husband Mario, and two twinkle toed girls, Maria and Emma. Sarah is the oldest daughter, oldest kid, quiet, pensive, comfy, cozy, and reserved. She is also amazingly physically strong. Like, oddly strong. Sarah is a fantasy, Harry Potter, manga, and Rick Riordan type reader. Percy Jackson was the character that got her into reading.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Behind Sarah, seated, is Gary. He is dashing, witty, and intelligent; a voracious reader, who is, obviously, taking after a certain Mr Timberlake and bringing sexy back. Gary is my husband, best guy, and business partner in this Curious adventure. He’s a huge Vonnegut fan, (1st Edition Breakfast of Champions right there on his shelf,) collects old Hoyles Rules books, American History, poetry, and the stoics. He has been reading Ulysses on and off for several years now. He is nothing, if not determined. One of his favorite books in his collection, and I know, because I just asked him, is a signed copy of Charles Bukowski’s Notes of a Dirty Old Man, gifted to him several years ago, by a beautiful woman in a red gown.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
Standing behind Gary, is me! Amanda! I chose a red, art deco inspired, sequin gown with a fantastic train, which, sadly, you can’t see in the photo, to wear for our Holiday Photo because I told everyone they could wear whatever they wanted, so I did too. Today, it is 6:52 pm, and I am still in my pajamas. That’s how days go. I’m changing jobs after being a stay home mom for the last 25 years, and I’m ready to combine some long term interests and hobbies with old job skills, and toss them around with some fresh ideas and see what happens. I am a long-time book lover, and medium-time book collector, and this road seemed so right to venture down with Gary. I am particularly fond of children’s books and literature, and poetry. Some of my fondest memories include Anne, Eloise, the March girls, Madeline, Sara Crewe, Dorothy and Ozma, and of course, Alice. However…I am equally drawn to old fairy tales, have a haunted dollhouse, and a beautiful piece of mourning art, I refer to as “my dead girl,” because I don’t know her name, she’s been dead for well over 100 years, and I have her framed photo and hair I purchased from an antique store in Churchville, Maryland. Maybe I’ll show you another time.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: The Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkley Breathed
Standing across the back row are The Italian Girl, Nora, Nick, and K*. They are not mine, well, kind of, not really, but yes, here we all are. Sir Nick back there is Anna’s, but you have’t met her yet, K* was Riley’s but you have only met him by name, not really been introduced, Nora is my niece, so she is mine, but differently, and Irene is Nora’s friend she met while traveling in Europe - guess where she is from - who had the grave misfortune of being here for a short enough time we could not quite grasp the pronunciation of her name, but was here just long enough to say, “The neighbor is here to take the family photo. Get in!” Nora, hiding in the horse head, and Sir Nick have played integral parts, not just in our family, but in supporting this vision, and I am extremely grateful to them both. Not grateful enough to give them a book bio though. They know I love them.
In the middle, left, is Emily-Jane, Fairmont State freshman, sporting her Acrobatics and Tumbling uniform. Emily-Jane, (hint, it’s Emily-Jane. She hates “plain Emily,” will usually tell people to just call her “EJ” because it’s easier for them, but she prefers Emily-Jane, and we usually call her Em around the house,) is the baby of the family, youngest daughter, and smack dab in the middle of seven kids, kid. Also, amazingly strong. Super-human level strong. Em likes various styles of poetry, and thrillers, and when I asked her what her favorite was, she told me she reads what catches her attention, but Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng, is at the top of her list. She is also a lover of Shel Silverstein. The memory of reading her The Giving Tree when she was about four, and witnessing her wisdom and fury when she threw that book on the ground, stamping up and down on it, and sobbing, “If I were that tree, I would have whipped that boy with my branches,” was a true sight to behold. She was only four, but she “got it.” She still “gets it.”
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (a cautionary tale)
Sporting her Women’s Right to Health Care By Any Means Possible t-shirt, looking beautiful as ever, is Anna, an oldest child, oldest daughter, second oldest child AND daughter, dyslexic, activist, cat mom, lover of the gays and faes, rage-reading attorney. Anna describes her “likes,” as “classics or modern…always fantasy.” I think that means smutty, smutty, smut. That girl loves her a gooooood smut. The fairy-er the better. She was my midnight opening of every book in the Twilight, series but you always had to read the book FIRST, partner. She was Team Edward, and that was where it all began. Ali Hazelwood, Sarah J Maas, Jennifer L Armentrout, Lauren Asher, and Lana Ferguson round out her list.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: Snoozers, by Sandra Boynton (SNORE!)
The one, the, only…formerly known on the Internet as “Naked Riley”, the only son, STEREO-TYPICAL middle child, chaos creating, oldest boy of four brothers, poor only boy with all those sisters…Riley. With a sonic scream, a feral spirit, and a heart of gold, Riley could not read so much as his alphabet until he was in the fourth grade. Through a wild ride of ups and downs through the educational system, set to the beat of 90’s alternative and grunge, he graduated high school with the grace of God and the tears of his mother. Ri isn’t much of a reader, but he does have an in interest in poetry and the metaphysical, coffee table-style books about musicians, and gardening. He has a surprisingly green thumb, and all animals love him. We called him “Mowgli” when he was little. He grew into it, I guess. The only books he has truly loved are The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, I Stink!, by Kate and Jim McMullan, and, probably why it’s one of my own nearest and dearest: Red Ranger Came Calling. He is into the spiritual vibe genre right now. He is currently reading The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz, recommended by former flame K*. At 23, he might still tolerate letting his mama read aloud to him, if I catch him at the right angle.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: I Stink! by Kate and Jim McMullan
Nearing the end in the front row here, is Landon - hooper, middle schooler, Lakers fan, and resident Bruh. Middle child, big brother, baby brother, only guy with the big brown eyes… Landon has an AMAZING and complex brain system that we have not yet learned to navigate. He is as right about everything, as he is wrong about everything. He’s really good at sports stats though. He is more of a talker than a reader, coining some family favorites such as, “I’ll take ‘sticks you chew on for $400, Alex,’” or presenting you with a scribble-scrabble piece of four-year-old “writing” he has just completed, and asking you to read it to him. Naturally, the answer to that is, “You just wrote it, sweetie, what does it say?” The reply you probably did NOT expect in return, is, “I don’t know. I only WRITE French. I don’t READ it” He is almost exclusively a nonfiction reader. Right now, he’s into biographies. Sports biographies. Only sports biographies.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: Pout Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen
Looking cool as ever in his leather jacket and shades, is Isaac, baby of the family. Final baby this time. Smart guy, smart ass, scrappy, trouble maker, sweetheart, and Sour Patch Kid extraordinaire. He is my dancing in the kitchen partner, and loudest introvert ever to reign supreme. Fan off music and books, he can be found reading the Warriors, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Percy Jackson series, (that many series, given his tempestuous temperament, in retrospect, may be be something to keep and eye on,) while jiving to Pink Pony Club or bopping to Taylor Swift.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: “I don’t know.” He’s always the one that takes some cajoling to come up with a title, and we usually have to suggest one for him.
Last of all, off in the bubble, is Dominic. Dominic is the oldest brother, the second brother. He is currently living out of the home, so for the sake of his lack of participation, I won’t share too much about him. He likes Manga, sports, and fishing books.
Favorite Baby Shower book to gift: Pete the Cat, by James Dean
So, here we are, Curiouser & Curiouser, all of us. Well, all of the human us. There’s still Echo, Utah, Bear, Puck, Oberon, Clementine, and Frankenstein King of Chaos. You might meet them later. Echo, the least likely, being a snake and all. Pucky, likes to follow me around, so probably him, and Obie is in the logo, so, if you look closely, maybe you’ve peeped him already.
Happy reading!
Amanda
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