A Little Sunday Reading

When we got home from church today, Hannah grabbed a book and headed out to the sidewalk to do a little reading out in the sunshine. Have I mentioned how nice the weather is here?

100 Hours!!!

Andrew participated in the summer reading program at our local library again this year. He reached his goal of reading 100 hours and earned his gold medal! He worked extra hard this last week so that Nana could see him receive his medal before she went home. Andrew's favorite books this summer have been the Scooby-Doo and Magic Treehouse series and Beverly Cleary's Henry Huggins books. It's been so exciting to see him enjoy reading and I really hope he will continue to read for fun even though the program is over.

We are so proud of you Andrew! Great job!

I don't get it!

My mom and I were comparing the Twilight book and movie today, discussing what we liked and didn't like about the movie, when Andrew walked in.

Andrew: "Are you you guys STILL talking about Twilight?! I've seen like a thousand commercials and it doesn't look interesting AT ALL!"

2008 Reads

2008 was a great year for reading!!! I found more time this year to read then I ever have before. I also have tried to read the monthly book with my ward book club (even though I have never been able to actually make it to the book club meeting). By reading with the book club, I have read several really good books that I would NEVER in a million years choose for myself! I also joined GoodReads, where I found several books recommended by my friends. I read a total of 29 books this year - a record for me (unless you count the Babysitters Club books I used to devour as a tween)! My favorite book I read this year was The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Reading has been such an enjoyable outlet for me this year!

Inspired mostly by my friend and supermom, Lisa, I started reading chapter books to Andrew and Logan at bedtime. I was nervous at first that the boys wouldn't pay attention or be very interested in books with few (if any) pictures, but I was pleasantly surprised! Sometimes I have to remind Logan to lay down and listen, and I'm not sure if he gets anything out if it yet, but I think he'll grow into it! Andrew really seems to love it and often begs for, "One more chapter, PLEASE!!!" Reading aloud at night has really become a special time for me, to share some of my old favorite books with the boys and discover some new ones together too! I'm exited to include Hannah in the ritual in the future and read some more girly books like Anne of Green Gables, and the Little House on the Prarie books. I hope they will let me read to them for many years; I think it would be so cool to read the Harry Potter and Narnia series together, and when they're much older, maybe even Lord of the Rings and some of the Classics. Do you think they will still want to read with me when they're in high school?

Chapter Books We've Read Together in 2008:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
My Father's Dragon (Trilogy) by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1) by Mary Pope Osborne
The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes - this was Andrew's very favorite book of the year!

Breaking Dawn

This morning at midnight, I went with some friends to the release of the fourth book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn. The release party we went to was not nearly as packed as what I heard the Utah parties were, so we didn't have to wait in line hardly at all. Most of the small crowd were goth-dressed teenagers. We Twenty-something Mormon Mommies were definitely the minority!

I got my hands on my copy a full two hours before my Mom and sisters in Utah, and of course, had to call and rub it in. They were a bit jealous. I think it was the first time I've ever heard my Mom admit that there might be advantages to living in the East!

Well, I'd better get reading. I gotta find out if Edward and Bella live happily ever after. Hopefully I won't neglect my family too much the next couple of days!

Holly, Summer, Rachel, and Cathy at Barnes and Noble for the Breaking Dawn release. Okay, we're nerds. But it's kinda fun to be a nerd every now and then!