Nothing Like a Good Book . . .

All of our girls LOVE to read. Of course "reading" is a relative term at this point. Ali has just sped her way through The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and loved it. Often times I stop and realize that I haven't seen Ali in a while and discover that she is snuggled away in her bed reading. She is my one who would rather read than play (especially playing outside - not an outdoors kind of girl).

Emma is reading but her reading material is still pretty simple. A good Dick and Jane book is her thing. Unfortunately, she can't read in her head so well yet, so when it's reading time at bedtime, she mostly just looks at books, so as to not disturb Ali (who shares her room). She wants so badly to be able to read like Ali. The other day Ali told Emma that she thought she was wierd b/c she likes looking at books that have no pictures in them when she can't read them. Emma was obviously hurt and after some parental intervention things were dealt with . . . but in the end Emma told Ali that she likes to look at those books b/c she likes to pretend she can read like a big girl.

Meg is obviously a little ways from learning to read, but she would sit and listen to books for hours. Every day after lunch, I put Julie down for her nap and then Meg and I snuggle up on my bed and I read to her. While I'm putting Julie down I tell Meg to go ahead and pick out some books . . . It's is hilarious to see this mountain waiting for me on my bed . . . and that mountain would be bigger, except that she has emptied out the entire book basket. She pretends to read those books which she has memorized. She will often bring me a book and decide to "read it to me" Unfortunately, if it isn't one of the memorized ones, she stops every five seconds saying " Mommy, what does this say?" Oh Megan . . .

Then there's Julie. Julie has just recently come into her love of books. She is often heard (from miles around) saying "Goo" while she waves a book in my face. If I take the book and agree to read it to her she squeels like a pig and flaps her arms like she's about to fly away, saying "goo" (even louder, if possible). If I tell her no she, screams and pouts . . . we're working on that one : )

I snapped this picture this afternoon. It was so adorable to see her lying on the floor with her book . . . it was reminiscent of a teenager lying on the floor with a magazine, headphones on and blowing bubbles with her gum. Thankfully I have several more years before we get there!

And, of course, as soon as I snapped that one, she noticed that I had the camera and turned saying "Cheeee!"