Books!

Life has certainly changed in my house!  I am changing, my kids are changing, the way I think is changing....I love that God knew all this before I did and is probably smiling :)

One major observation that I have noticed is this:  Homeschooling mothers and children love to read, love books, love to go to the bookstore. 

I come from a family where my mom and brother (and now my dad) love to read!  John and I are not "born" readers...I don't know why, maybe its our factual/hands on/scientific brains...its hard for me to sit and read about something that is fiction...I admit it..it seems irrelevant to me in the grand scheme of things.  But I have an awesome mother and an awesome friend that are always giving me ideas for great books...I texted my friend one day about a year ago and asked her for a recommendation of a good book (I knew she would have one) and the list was so long, she couldn't text it to me...she had to email me a list x 2!  It bothers me that I haven't been good about giving my children a wide span of literary knowledge...I just didn't get it.  I have tons of books in my house but they are mostly children's picture books and we read them here and there but then when Emily got old enough...I didn't lead her to GOOD books....I let her pick ones that were "o.k." but not Awesome ( like Tinkerbell chapter books)..I really just didn't know.  I don't have a lot of book knowledge myself.  When I was having bad days with the kids over the summer, we started reading at night and it has been a huge blessing.  They love it and it makes for a great end to a sometimes trying day.  These books that I have started reading are GOOD books....fiction but stories that I can enjoy with my kids...

I also started reading more myself...on my own time.  I will read during our rest time and read at night.  The TV comes on very rarely around here anymore and in many ways we have "broken" a strong addiction in that aspect...there are some days where it doesn't come on at all....

I have read (and finished!) No greater Joy Vol 1 and 2, Confessions of a Prayer Slacker, Getting Started in Homeschooling, In Grandma's Attic (with the kids), Managers of their Homes, and have started Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit, Understood Betsy (with the kids), 100 top curriculum picks, and the Well Trained Mind.  This may not seem grand but I am such a starter and NOT a finisher of books...so I am proud.

Emily and I are in a book club that just started.  We had our first meeting this week.  I was surrounded by about 5 other moms that LOVE books and read all the time from what I can tell...I was a little intimidated to be honest..they all knew about the books and what they were about and had read some before...NOT ME!  Silly me even asked if we were all staying on the same chapters together and they explained to me that the goal is to finish the ENTIRE book in a month.....which is doable but that wasn't even on my radar...I'm just so "behind."  But all that to say I am totally excited about becoming a lover of books...we have visited 2 bookstores this week and the library.  I like the peacefulness that I feel when reading.  I like the unity that it creates between my kids and me.  I like hearing the other women talk about the books and their love of reading.   I like the smell of books.  We are reading the following books for our book club:  The Hundred Dresses; Island of the Blue Dolphins; Charlotte's Web; Misty of Chincoteague; and The Pied Piper of Hamelin.  We may also read Baby Island.  I can't wait to read these books and be able to eventually list all the books that we have read this year on paper....It really will be a BOOK YEAR!