For the Love of Reading

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We began reading to Kendry at an early age.  Over time this made it easy to establish a bedtime reading routine – some of our most cherished, quiet moments with our little man.

We still read at least one story before tucking Kendry in for the night, and lately he has started reading some to us. Fortunately, he has moved on from the Dr. Seuss obsession he had at age 2. In fact, he prefers a nice variety these days - from chapter books like Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing to his early reader Bible, and pretty much anything by Mo Willems. Last month he demanded we check out a geography book about Yemen.

Like I said, variety.  And variety means our couch isn't "eating" many books these days.

I would love to tell you I read to the littles in their first 6-8 months of life, but honestly…and it pains me to admit this…I really don’t know where the time went those 6-8 months. 

Or where my memory went, for that matter.  Although I very clearly remember this stage:

By the way, if you called me during that 6-8 month stretch and I still haven't returned your call, please don't be offended. Rest assured you are not the only one.

Much to my chagrin, up until their 16 month mark the twins' only interest in books was yanking them off the shelf - a very sore point for this OCD mama. After too many times stacking the books back up on the shelf nicely (spines out, of course), I finally threw in the towel. Totally not worth the stress.

FYI: any mommy blogger who displays pictures of her 5 and under kiddo's bookshelves looking all neat and tidy is lying.  Lying!

Ideal:

Reality:

Before punishing myself too much over the littles' lack of love for the written word, I came to two realizations.

Point #1:  In order to effectively read a book to a toddler one must first get the toddler to sit still. As in, stay in one place for more than two seconds.

Bwaa ha haa haaa!

Point #2:  In a situation with two toddlers, one must hold the book with a vice-like grip to keep Toddler A from turning pages whilst Toddler B tries to yank the book away.  Although technically, in keeping with proper multiples referencing, it would be actually be Toddler A (aka Jack) yanking the book away from Toddler B (aka Cohen).

On a side note, whoever thought up board books?  GENIUS!  Just try to rip pages out of those suckers.  It cannot be done!  Well, except the time a two-year-old Kendry was left unchaperoned in his bed with an open-the-flap board book.

Oh the massacre…  

Anyhow, after months of pondering this difference in our children, and praying that Jack and Cohen would soon appreciate books as Mommy and Daddy (and big brother) do, God has answered our prayers, in excess. 

The personality on this biting, climbing, shrieking little fella' is deserving of its own post - and its own parenting book.  For now, just know that if the house goes quiet with Cohen around you should investigate immediately.  He either has his nose in a book or his hand in a toilet.

While still early in his speech development, Cohen prides himself on stating "The End" at every last page. His current favorite is Hand Hand Finger Thumb by, you guessed it, Dr. Seuss. Each time he finds this book on the shelf he comes pleading for story time.

Then again, and again.

"Millions of fingers, millions of thumbs, millions of monkeys drumming on drums..."

I'm not ashamed to admit another Dr. Seuss book has found itself eaten by our couch in recent months.  A parent can only take so much.

Jack's favorite book?  Whatever Cohen is currently reading.