Story Books

The kids have been on this crazy up/down schedule for a few weeks now. They just don't need the same amount of sleep and no amount of juggling and manipulating is making things easier. I fought and I battled and I begged for synchronized napping (read: mommy downtime) and then I waved the white flag and welcomed this new schedule we're evolving into. One upside to the crazy is that I now get about an hour of alone time with each kid per day.

I've taken to reading to them. This is something I don't get to do a lot, since my squirmy wormy babies like to wriggle and writhe more than sit and stare. But one-on-one, I can easily hold a baby in my lap and we read together.

My favorite children's book right now is The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (the illustrations by Lane Smith are awesome too!) - I used to use this to teach point of view and characterization back in the day so I had it in my stash of books for children big and small. Reading to the kids has been awesome, I forgot how easily you could get lost in a book.

One of the plans I have for the almost, really someday it will finally be finished basement playroom is a reading nook.

{ the title of this photo is insomnia and photoshop }

To help fill the nook with reading materials, I started going through book lists like the ALA's Notable Children's Books, the Newbery Medal list, the Caldecott Medal list, and the Coretta Scott King book awards and compiling a list of books I want to have in the kids' library. I figure these are good things to have on Christmas and birthday lists too. I seriously can't wait until the kids are older and I can read them chapter books like Island of the Blue Dolphins and the Giver and Freak the Mighty.

The way it will silently break Joe's heart if the kids don't love lacrosse, it will silently break mine if the kids don't love to read. What a gift it is to sit with a book and have the world stand still.

So mommas out there, what are some of your favorite books to read with your kids? Any that I should add to our growing list?