Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilberth Carey

Most people are familar with this book.  Originally published in 1948, it's been a classic for a long time.  It's a happy, upbeat, hilarious book about a famous efficiency expert father, the mother who is his partner, and their twelve children.
Written by two of those children, this book is dedicated "to Dad, who only reared twelve children and to Mother, who reared twelve only children."

As the mother of a large family, I just love this book.  I love the father who is so involved and uses his children to test out his new ideas.  I love the foreign language tapes in the bathroom, and how dad writes on the walls of their vacation house to teach new concepts to the children.  I love how proud he is of his large family, showing them off to everyone who stares at them.  I love how old fashioned he is and how he protects his family. 
I love the mother, who is a steady influence and behind the scenes guiding force.  She is a true lady and is to be admired.  She guides her family with such gentleness, and I wish I could be like her.
I love the children, who play tricks on each other with hilarious results.  Their rowdy normalness makes me see my own family in the book.

This book is full of funny stories, most I can relate too.  Here is an example:

Some people used to say that Dad had so many children he couldn't keep track of them.  Dad himself used to tell a story about one time when Mother went off to fill a lecture engagement and left him in charge at home.  When Mother returned, she asked him if everything had run smoothly.
"Didn't have any trouble except with that one over there," he replied.  "But a spanking brought him into line."
Mother could handle any crisis without losing her composure.
"That's not one of ours, dear," she said.  "He belongs next door."
None of us remembers it, and maybe it never happened.  Dad wasn't above stretching the truth, because there was nothing he liked better than a joke, particularly if it were on him, and even more particularly if it were on Mother.  This much is certain, though.  There were two red-haired children who lived next door, and the Gilbreths all are blondes or redheads.


I read this book recently to my littlest children and they loved it so much we bought the sequel, "Belles on Their Toes".  This is the kind of bedtime story I enjoy!!