Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Today marks what would have been Dr. Seuss’ 107^th birthday.  It’s also National Read Across America Day.  This amazing writer and cartoonist is highly rated in our home as well as many other homes, libraries, and book sellers.  His work was not only innovative, but creatively expressed his own social and political opinions.  Jack’s bookshelf is stocked full of many Dr. Seuss books.  Mysteriously,  the books always seem to disappear under his bed.  I recently learned that after I kiss Jack goodnight, he likes to look at all the pictures even if he can’t read the words yet.

When I picked Jack up from preschool yesterday the first thing out of his mouth was “Mommy, tomorrow is Dr. Seuss’ birthday.”  I asked him if his class was going to celebrate his birthday by reading one of his books.  He replied, “Yes, we are going to read a bunch of books, play games and the best part we are even going to eat green eggs and ham.”  I find this hysterical for two reasons, One because green eggs are funny and Two because Jack can’t stand either eggs or ham.  Hmmm.. maybe I should change the color of peas and green beans to blue?

I am looking forward to hearing how Dr. Seuss’ birthday celebration goes in Jack’s class today.  We will surely read several of his books before bed tonight.  I hope you can read one or two today as well to share in the merriment.  Go on and make your own green eggs and ham for breakfast!

If you ask Andrew what he did at daycare, his first response is always an enthusiastic “TWO BOOKS!” He’ll very happily tell you that these were Elmo books or Sesame Street books, though I suspect they sneak a few other ones in between. It’s very rare that I can get him to leave the house in the morning without him lugging at least one (if not four) books out the door with him.

We’ve been reading to Andrew since he was born. It seemed a little silly at first, reading to someone who clearly had absolutely no idea what I was saying. But it quickly became routine. At night while we were desperately trying to get our cranky one month old to sleep, I’d read him “Good Night Moon” and sing him two songs before trying to put him down.

Some of my favorite pictures are of Hubby reading to Andrew when he was only a couple months old. They would sit on the couch and read “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” Andrew would try to eat the book. We’d try to keep from laughing.

Every day for the first five months that I was home with him, we’d sit on the floor (well, I’d sit and he’d lay on his play mat) and I would read him nursery rhymes. Somewhere along the line, the little guy really developed a love of books. The pictures. The words. The time we get to spend together.

We enjoy it too – even when we’re reading the same book to Andrew endlessly. We’re both avid readers, when we’re able to look at something other than briefs and case law… So it’s great that our son shares our love of stories. And I’m sure it’s helped with his vocabulary and is probably a better way to spend the night than being glued to the tv…

This week they had the Scholastic book sale at daycare. An entire display case of books was right in front of Andrew’s classroom. He raced for it each morning and happily grabbed stacks of books and bawled when I made him put them back. Wednesday night, I told him to go pick out a book.

He was so excited – like a kid in a candy store. He immediately grabbed a book with dogs on the front cover. Then he looked up at me with his huge eyes and said, “Please, mommy! Two books?” He left daycare with two new books and a huge smile. He spent the ride home flipping through the pages and pointing out all the pictures.

Thursday was the last day of the book fair. He ran around the school again trying to grab every book he could get his little hands on. Ones with horses. Fire trucks. And, of course, Sponge Bob. (I’m not sure where he learned about Sponge Bob, but he was very excited by that one…)

I told Andrew that if he wanted a book, he had to pick out one for all his friends in class. He had as much fun picking out the book to give away as he did finding ones for himself. After we had paid, he proudly marched back into his classroom and gave the book to his teacher.

As we walked out the door, with Andrew clutching his new purchases, he smiled up at me and said, “Two books!”