From the beginning I desperately wanted to install the love of reading in my son. I bought his set of Dr. Seuss before he was born. I've always read to him. My husband has finally stopped looking at me like I'm stupid for buying him books instead of toys for Christmas and Birthdays. You know that look that says, "Yeah right, like a kid wants a book for a present!" accompanied by the sarcastic eye roll. I remember his Kindergarten Sunday School teacher was so impressed with how well he knew his Bible stories. "Well, duh he had only had me read his whole Toddler's Bible to him a few 100 times!"

He has always read well enough but preferred me to read to him. This was mostly due to his desire for meatier novels that were above his reading level. Together we've read Eargon, all the Chronicles of Narnia, all the Harry Potter books (well, almost finished with book 7), 5 of the Redwall series books, and Black Beauty plus a few more books here and there. Lately when different friends or family members have heard Brandon ask me if I will read to him I've been getting this response, "Why doesn't he just read it himself. He is old enough!" I'm thinking that they think he can't read well on his own which is not the case. He has read several chapter books on his own and even a couple of larger novels. However, that is not the point. We enjoy the time together. He enjoys being read to and I like the books too! Has it bothered me that he doesn't read much on his own? At times. But I felt it would come with time. And it has....

Some of our new curriculum has forced me to look high and low for books to supplement our lessons. So first to our local (very small) library. Here he got two very decent sized books all his own even though he was still only half way through the last Harry Potter book. Then to a larger library in a near by town where he got two more books. Lastly we went to a used book store where I remembered I had some credit. Here he got 8 more books. Actually he gathered up 14 and I made him cut back a bit. Now these last were Goosebumps books (not exactly quality novels) but hey the kid is excited about reading.

Yup, I've installed the same love of reading that I have myself. Why, I was up until 1AM myself last night just because I couldn't put my book down without finishing it. I woke up a tired Mommy and decided I just had to suck it up and do school any way. After all I knew I had to get up early and I stayed up reading anyway! So, I had my bagel, sipped my coffee and bravely woke my little students up ..... Only to discover that my boy decided to stay up until around 3 or 4 (he's not sure) in the morning reading!!!! So, I have installed the love of reading. It's nearly 11 and my son is still in bed. Now What? I guess we'll do school when he gets up. You can't educate a zombie.