Waiting for summer

He looks so sad

Hula Hoop Necklace

Always ready to playsuper cheese

There have been many wonderful books over the years, as well as some that I simply hide try to avoid.  By far, my favorite board books have always been Sandra Boynton’s.  Her latest addition to the group is Fifteen Animals and Preston laughs hysterically at the end, every. single. time. (Me too). 

Some of my other favorites are by Amy Krouse Rosenthal – we recently added Duck! Rabbit! to our collection, and she is the author of my beloved littles: Little Pea, Little Hoot and Little Oink.  Cute books, good message, fabulous illustrations.

Another of my favorites is Te Amo, Bebe, Little One.  This book was given to Matt on his first birthday, and was signed by the author with birthday wishes for him; it’s a sweet story of a little boy growing up, with a very rhythmic style.

Of course, the boys love Dr. Seuss. Preston’s current favorites are The Cat in the Hat and Wacky Wednesday.  Matt has always enjoyed one of the books I adored as a kid, A Fish Out of Water…

The boys have 100s of books and I keep buying them more and I can’t seem to get rid of any. I’m honestly hoping I’ve turned them into book lovers like me.  I certainly believe that my reading to them from the time they were little ones has helped them become smarter; and that has to be part of the reason my kindergarten kid is reading at a end-of-1st-grade level.

I look at kids in Matt’s class and I wonder if their parents read to them or encourage reading and books as much as we do. And I honestly hope to god that we’ve given them some sort of unfair advantage.  Yes, bedtime can be a chore, but both boys get 4 books every night.  Generally we let them choose, but we choose as necessary (because seriously? The Sleep Book, The Lorax, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and a Berenstein Bears book in one night? NO thanks!!). I know people who don’t read to their kids at all, who read one book, who read as many books as it takes.  I’m glad we read as much as we do.  It will probably change as they change, but right now, reading to them ranks up pretty high on the awesome things we get to do as parents.  (Yes, even when Matt is completely bratty and won’t calm down).

the best orange juice

the cutest rock star ever

getting big too fast

the best husband and kids anyone could ask for

(even though it’s a kind of crappy picture)