My little reader!

One of the things about Holden being 2 that I am really enjoying is his sudden interest in books. I have read to him since he was in my tummy, and as an infant he loved when Jay or I would read to him. He'd turn his tiny head toward our voices and wave his hands around. Eventually, when he could focus on things, he liked to stare at the pictures; the brighter the better. Then he started to crawl, and then walk. Mobility took away the interest he'd seemed to have in books, other than to chew on them, use them as a hammer, a step stool from which to climb onto forbidden areas, something to throw in his dump truck, etc. I dismayed at ever enjoying the reading time that I remember loving with my parents as a child. I LOVE children's books; in fact, when I head into a bookstore nowadays, my first stop is still the children's section. Teaching first graders gives me a great outlet for that end, but I still longed to enjoy books with my own child. Suddenly, at 2, he is interested! I guess I wasn't patient enough. He won't let me read all the words on each page yet, but he frequently brings me favorites and asks me to "rock and read." A few of his first favorites are "Love You Forever," which he calls the "potty book" due to his favorite page, coincidentally the page about the boy as a 2 year old making a mess, :) a St. Louis Cardinals book about the mascot, Fredbird (which is hilarious since he can't stand characters and would probably flip out if he truly saw Fredbird!), and this book my Granny gave me that is extremely old-fashioned, called "Canticleer and the Fox." It is about a rooster living on a farm who almost gets eaten by a fox, until he outwits him. Holden loves pointing out the "mean, mean fox," and making animal noises for all of the animals on the farm. It cracks me up how much he likes it!

I signed him up for the Normal Public Library's reading program this summer. They have a program for very young children that involves their parents reading to them and writing the book titles down. Each time he reads 5 books at home with someone, he can turn in his reading log for a sticker and a prize. We go through way more books than that in a given day! This morning was rainy, and Jay is off this week, so we took Daddy along. We turned in the first two logs, so he got to pick 2 prizes. He picked play-doh and a coupon for free McDonald's french fries. We have a million books at home, but he enjoys getting new ones from the library. There is one whole tub in the children's area that has Tonka books that are all about trucks and vehicles. Holden is absolutely obsessed with construction vehicles right now, and calls them all "diggers." He also loves emergency rescue vehicles. He knows fire trucks and ambulances, and calls all police cars "Daddy cars," since Jay is a deputy. (So cute!) Tonight we read 10 books before bed, then read his favorite one again. The majority were about motorcycles, trucks, diggers, etc. Such a boy thing!

Here is my little reader at the library with one of his Tonka books.

The children's dept. has a really fun playroom with books, puzzles, puppets, arts and crafts, a train table, and other hands-on activities. Holden loves it in there!

Here he is enjoying some of his library books at home one morning. I came into the living room after putting the breakfast dishes away, and he had them spread all around him and was quietly "reading" to himself, pointing and commenting on the various vehicles he recognized. :)