Fifteen years ago, a Barnes & Noble opened in the next town from ours just about the time school was closing for the summer. That started a tradition for me and our kids which we've carried on to this day: a day or two after school ends, we go to Barnes and Noble to celebrate summer vacation and we all buy books. Of course I'm the one who pays for them! Then we eat lunch (usually at Red Lobster).
Both my children, Amy and Josh, were in elementary school at the time we began this tradtion. Now Josh is finishing his next-to-last year of college and Amy is done with grad school and has been working for two years. But we still continue the tradition, which I love.
We went from buying many American Girl books (Amy) and how to do better at video game books (Josh) to adult books (both of them like Michael Crichton's novels). We always buy a mix--my choices are heavily into romances--and usually get 5-6 books each for our summer reading pleasure. I personally always buy a book by an author I never tried before (last year I bought one by Sandra Hill and it was very funny).
I think that even when both of them are out of school, we'll carry on this tradition. I love it! Browsing at books, stocking up on summer reading, eating lunch out--what fun!
What kind of family traditions do you participate in at this time of year?
8 comments:
Picking the first ticks of the year off the dog.
What a great idea. You could write an article for a woman's magazine on this topic.
My kids are now adults. When my daughter was little limiting chocolate and lolly consumption was a constant problem. I decided Friday night would be treat night. I would buy some treats --sometimes a box of chocs sometimes a range of Mars Bars etc. for Friday night. Nothing else during the week. My son was born and Treat Night was already well established. That became an institution in our house. Even now if one of them is visiting over a weekend we're asked. "It's treat night..what have you got?"
I hear you, IJ. Just started my dog on Frontline or whatever it's called and she had her lyme preventative booster.
Zelda, that's an idea! I used to do a lot of article writing for magazines but now I concentrate on romance novels, so I'd have to think about spending the time on an article.
This isn't really a summer tradition, but from the time she was little, I've taken my granddaugher (now 12) to a local bookstore and out to lunch for her April birthday. Just the two of us or us an one of her friends.
One fun tradition (with family and friends) is game night....everyone getting together to play everything from charades to trivia games, from Disney bingo to Pictionary, from chess to Scrabble, depending on the size of the crowd. Teams, challenges, and lots of attitude. Hmmm. I'm more competitive that I used to think I was! Lots of laughter in this tradition.
We open the swimming pool and have the first party of the year, but as an author your book buying tradition is wonderful. I'm starting that this year. Thanks for the idea,
Cami
When the boys were small, it was trips to the local library. Each day, they had to read a book before I took them to the pool.
Now they're adults, we stop in at B&N for coffee and shop for books...fun visits.
I like the idea of buying a new author at least once a year.
Great suggestion.
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