Read Any Good Books Lately?
One of the most special times of day at our house is just before bedtime. Almost every night without fail, I read to my son. It's a time we both look forward to as a way to reconnect after a busy day, to just sit quietly for 10 or 20 minutes, and to enjoy the gift of good books.
One of our all-time favorites is called "Rooster Can't Cock-A-Doodle-Doo," by Karen Rostoker-Gruber. The story is funny, and the illustrations have my almost-six-year-old in hysterics every time. It's about a rooster that loses his voice and can't wake up the farmer. He enlists the help of all the farm animals to wake up Farmer Ted, and then they all pitch in to get the farm chores done. Believe me, the drawings in the book are hilarious.
Another must-read for us is Highlights magazine. We have a subscription and look forward to getting it every month. Remember Goofus and Gallant, the Timbertoes, and Our Own Pages? They're all still in the magazine, along with jokes and puzzles. (What does a sea monster eat? Fish and ships!)
About once every two weeks we go to the library to pick out a new stack of pictures books to read. Anything with a Halloween theme is big with us right now, including "The Best Halloween of All," by Susan Wojciechowski and "Pumpkin Cat," by Ann Turner. I highly suggest checking out a book of the season. It amazes me that there's actually a children's book for holidays like Labor Day and events like the autumnal equinox.
Most of our reading time right now revolves around the Magic Tree House series of books. We got hooked on the adventures of Jack and Annie during book one, and now we're on "Dolphins at Daybreak," number nine in Mary Pope Osborne's series. This was our first try at reading chapter books, and it's been a big hit.
With the days getting shorter, and the temperatures about ready to cool down, this might be a great time to start a reading hour of your own with your children. There are few better ways to unwind at the end of the day, laugh and just enjoy sitting side-by-side, getting lost together in a good book.
Favorite Rites of Fall
One of my favorite rites of fall has arrived. You may consider it a chore, but I love getting my son's closet ready for cooler weather.
Don't get me wrong. I consider the same job in my own closet a complete chore. But when it comes to my little one, I get pure joy out of looking through and sorting out his clothes. It amazes me to see how much he has grown just in the past few months.
Those summer t-shirts that seemed so big on him back in May are now just a little too short, and a little too tight through the shoulders. Those cute dinosaur pajamas for warm summer nights now look like they belong on a much smaller child. And the swim trunks he wore almost daily have long been relegated to the bottom drawer; a steep fall from their typical top-shelf placement in the summer months.
Then there's the thrill of discovering the end-of-the-season items bought on sale last spring. You know, those sweatshirts that were half-off and such a bargain next to the spring and summer arrivals going for full-price? If you're like me, you stood there trying to guess how big your child would be when the cooler weather returned in about six months.
Now, all of those new cool-weather clothes tucked away last spring are ready to come out. It will be fun to see what new shirt-and-pant combinations he comes up with. I can expect to see a few summer t-shirt favorites mixed in. When you're five, Power Rangers never go out of style, regardless of the season.
There is some heart-break in this process. My son's favorite fleece from last winter, a bright orange color with gray trim, is now too small for him. He can't part with it, and insists on wearing it around the house. The sleeves ride way above his wrists and the bottom way too short. I'm hoping a bigger red fleece will soon take its place as a favorite item to wear.
Next March or April, I'll do the same thing in reverse. I'll be getting the warm-weather clothes ready to take their place in the drawer. And I'll be remembering back to this fall, and marvel again at just how much my little one's grown.
A Tribute To Cousins
I had a huge flashback to my childhood over the Labor Day weekend. My extended family gathered in Milwaukee for a family reunion of sorts, and for the first time, my five-year-old son had the chance to meet a large group of cousins who don't live here in St. Louis.
He was so excited! Not just to meet children his age, but to meet the cousins and relatives we ask God to bless every night before he falls asleep.
For me, the thrill was to watch him run around, laugh and raid the bowls of snacks and stacks of soda cans with the next generation of cousins. The kids instantly bonded, talking about Star Wars and singing songs from High School Musical 2.
The weekend triggered so many memories.
My group of cousins are all grown now, and as you've already learned, most have kids of their own. But it feels like yesterday we were the kids, eating candy apples at a family gathering, and throwing them out after two bites. Or running around Disney Land and Knotts Berry Farm, harassing the costumed characters.
I grew up many miles from most of my cousins. But whenever we get together, it as if we just saw each other last week. To this day, we have this ability to instantly pick up where we left off. I got a thrill this weekend sitting back and listening to the threads of conversations and old stories being told by relatives who share years of family history.
What made the time even more special was knowing my son is building his own special friendships and memories, just like the ones that I cherish. Friendships and memories that are made more special because they're made with your cousins.
One day he will one day look back on these gatherings and laugh about the songs they sang and the pranks they pulled. And he'll know there's no bond more special than that of a family.
