My Amazin' Babies

It's been a

week of "Mommy chooses the bedtime books." Which means, instead of reading yet more Arthur or Bearnstain Bears or Star Wars books, I choose what we haven't read in awhile and/or what I like to read. I like books with pleasing picture, flowing text, and thoughtful or interesting narrative.

Last night, I chose board books from their early and mid babyhood, nostalgia on my part as I've been thinking a lot on those baby days since the birth of Cousin Hungry. So I read I Kissed the Baby, a striking black-and-white board book with a sing-song narrative (at least the way I read it), Star Baby (even more poetic, as it walks you through Baby's day), and The Napping House, which repetitive refrain and amusing pictures soothes. The kids liked hearing the stories, not remembering any of them, but especially liked that I pointed out that I Kissed the Baby was missing a corner--where they had eaten it! They thought that was hilarious.

And then Bud read it back to me.

Yep, read. Sure, it was fresh in his mind because I'd just read it and it is easy, but he spotted his sight words and sounded out several of the others. And then he even mimicked my vocal patterns! I was so proud, so amazed. Then, Sis picked up The Napping House, a harder book with more text, and also started to read it. Again, not all of it, and surely some of it from memory, but I could hear the difference: she was reading. And they both kept at it and we delayed bedtime so we could all bask in this new-found, hard won accomplishment.

And then I went out in the hallway and cried. Tears of pride, joy, maybe even more nostalgia . . . .

And of course I kissed the babies! Even though they clearly aren't babies anymore.