Chapters 9-15 Summary and Analysis

If it weren't for department stores, many people would miss holidays altogether. Fulghum believes kindergarten teachers are even more efficient in that they plan all year to make each holiday a spectacular event. Children are given supplies to create works of art for their parents. A favorite gift from one of his children was the "gummy lump," a Valentine's Day box made with macaroni, gum drops, and small confections. The candy has melted, giving the box a gummy texture and a homely look. Fulghum has placed other items from the children inside the box, which is now a treasure trove of memories. No treasure is as special as one's very own gummy lump, which is there to save the day. A cottage in the wilds outside of Seattle, surrounded by thickets of blackberry bushes; its exterior was inhabited by...