Monday, September 8, 2008

Little Miss Independent

I love to read. Plain and simple, there it is. I love to sit for hours, reading. I love books or magazines, blogs, gossip, anything. I currently have 5 magazine subscriptions which keep me occupied. These work well because they're usually short articles that don't require my full focus, so I can read them while I watch the kids. Books are reserved for when the kids go to bed. I pop an invidual size bag of popcorn, curl up under a blanket, and read for a while. I shouldn't do this. For my own sake, I should go to bed the minute after I put the kids down for the night. I just can't do it. At this point, I'm rereading a lot of books, so even though I know what's going to happen, I still want to read. It's my way of relaxing at the end of the day.

I remember in middle school when I realized how much I loved to read. The Babysitters Club and VC Andrews (polar opposites, I know) were my favorites. My friend Julia would come over and we'd sit for hours propped up against my headboard, reading. I ate cheese while I read back then. Kraft Singles. I had a particular way I folded and then nibbled it. I even got Julia doing it. Ahh, the good ole days.

Since I found out I was pregnant with Logan I couldn't wait to read to my kids. I remembered all the books I used to love and set out to stock the bookshelf with them, waiting for them to be old enough to listen. He used to cry when I sang to him so I started reading to him pretty early. My sister Catherine got us started on Sandra Boynton board books, which rhymed and manage to hold the attention of a toddler pretty well. I still read to Logan every night, though we've moved on from board books.

I didn't start reading to Gracie quite as early. She didn't really have the patience to sit still and listen, even to a small board book. But as soon as she was ready, I jumped in. I could just see my baby girl sitting on her bed next to her best friend the way I used to. However, little miss independent has foiled my plan. She used to sit on my lap as I rocked her and read three or so books every night. She has moved on - she no longer needs me to read to her. Now she grabs a couple of books, plops down on her bed, and "reads" to herself. She is not interested in sitting on mommy's lap or letting me read. Instead, now I sit and watch her read. It's rather boring. Every once in a while she'll sit on my lap and snuggle while I read "Snuggle Puppy." But now she can, and wants to, do it herself. My babies are growing up. It's so exciting, and so heartbreaking.

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