Little Footprints Making a Big Impression at My House

I've taken the last few months off from my blog and my writing projects for one small (but very important) reason. We welcomed a new little baby girl into our family earlier this month - a whole week late, I might add. Baby Tara has turned everything upside-down instantly, and we couldn't be happier! She is a calm, happy, sweet little girl.

This is when Allie first met Tara 
 (before the melt-down when Allie learned she would not be allowed to carry Tara around like a dolly)

 

Tara - 1 day old

Sisters - destined to be great friends!

 Baby and I are both doing well, though I may seem a little zombie-ish for the next few months. Just ignore anything I say or do that seems like my brain isn't banging on all cylinders. Sleep deprivation and I don't get along very well. Fortunately, I've got my wonderful husband here to help me (he works from home). And, my brother, Ean, is staying with us for a few months and helping out a lot. I feel pretty blessed right now.

So now, when I can keep my eyes opened and I'm not taking care of the baby or my exuberant little two year old, I'm getting an itch to get back to reading books and writing my own. It's been a long time coming, but I'm working on final edits to IN AN INSTANT. Then, I'm super excited to get back to work on TEMPO. Click on the titles to find out more about both of these projects, and look for more details to come.

I've Decided to be Happy!

“I have decided to be happy;
it is excellent for one’s health!”
—Voltaire

I came across this quote today, and I have to say - I LOVE IT. It is good for your health to be happy. As a nurse, I can state this as a fact. And, I truly believe that happiness is a choice. So, I've come up with the following list of reasons that I have to be happy today (and every day). Hopefully in sharing them, I'll spark some realizations of why you should be happy too!

• I have a husband that is my best friend, who I love very much.
• I have a beautiful little daughter who makes me smile everyday.
• I went on a nice walk today with my family in the cool weather.
• I have a comfortable home to live in, where I feel safe and loved.
• I have been reading some interesting and fun books. (Check out my Goodreads page).
• I have pretty good health. Again, as a nurse, I truly appreciate what a blessing this is.
• I have the opportunity to work with the teenage girls at my church, whom I love and am inspired by.
• I have great friends that I know I can rely on and trust.
• My husband and I are both able to work from home together.
• I had delicous homemade chicken soup for dinner.
• I'm going to see my mom this weekend.
• My daughter has slept through the night since she was 3 months old.
• Chocolate - need I say more?  

My Little Reader

How do you instill a love of books and reading in children?

I thinks it starts from when they are the tiniest of little babies. I started reading to my daughter, Allie, when she was just a few weeks old and haven't stopped. She is a year-and-a-half now and she loves books. She's gone through different phases along the way. Sometimes she would really let me read to her, and other times she wanted to turn the pages so fast that I could hardly get past two or three words per page, but I always tried to follow her pace and let her be involved. I think that really helped. I never want reading to be a frustrating experience for her.

Here's Allie reading in her rocking chair. The bookcase is close enough that she can grab books and keep reading (or at least turning pages) for a long time. They all end up on the floor before it's over, but Allie has a great time.

Amazingly, Allie spends more time looking at books than she spends playing with any other toys. She even likes to carry a book around with her when she's playing outside.

I read to Allie, and I take her to story time at the library nearly every week. After story time, she chooses several new books to check out and take home.

I really hope she continues to love books as she get older and starts actually reading on her own.

What have you found helps to instill and encourage a love of reading as children get older?