The Color Book

It's no question that books are an important part of our family. Right now actually we are all 3 reading and that is a pretty big accomplishment getting Dustin to read. I've mentioned in the past how much I like Sandra Boynton or many other books but I've never really talked about how much I love the process of reading to Reese.

When she was really little I laid her on the bed and let her look up at the pictures. When she was that size I could read 10-15 books at a time and she'd stay engaged in them for a long time. She'd laugh at the silly voices I'd make and we would go to the library for more books every week.

Now that she's a little older the way reading looks is a little different. We usually sit down sometime in the evening after dinner and get out a few board books. She beats on them and feels the pages and textures. Sometimes she eats them and sometimes she just sits patiently and lets me read her a few. She is an easy audience because she can sit still for several books without getting antsy. We read a book several days in a row before we switch out and get a new pile. And we've read every book in our little library about 300 times. I even recited one of our favorites for a friend today. (Right now my mom is reciting, "I hit the ball, I made it fly, I hit the ball oh my oh my.")

Anyway, my point is, reading is important to us, people read to learn, to enjoy pictures, stories and snuggling time with our loved ones. Most of the time we read for enjoyment. I always hope she is learning but at this age, and while she doesn't talk, it's hard to see if she's getting anything from them....that is until tonight. Tonight we read a book about colors. Each page has a bunch of pictures and the reader picks out the object that is a certain color. The first page was yellow, I told her to point to it and I'll be danged if she didn't point right to it. "Sure, I thought, but let's see if she can do it again." Red was next and again, right to it. We turned the page again and this time it was a green grasshopper. That little stinker went three for three and picked the color out each time.

I guess all this reading has paid off. She IS learning something, she IS paying attention and Mama IS so happy at the Baby Einstein I have here at my house!!!