Taking a Leap...Into a Book

This morning in the car, my son, Boy #1, and the ever classic two-year old, said something absolultely brilliant and it immediately set my mind racing about what I would say in a blog post about it.

Let me give you a little background...we have recently instituted a "no TV during the week" rule at our house, and this mainly applies to the evenings. My husband and I were feeling guilty about getting home, rushing through dinner and baths, only to spend the last 30 minutes of the night watching Dora. We have always been big advocates of books, and reading (obviously) - it would be highly suspicious if we weren't being that I just recently finished my master's as a reading specialist. But why were we letting Dora get this precious time (Dora, this is nothing personal!) We were VERY impressed when he counted to five in Spanish the other day ;)

Since the "rule change," each night he picks 5 picture books off his shelf of hundreds, and we read. We read, re-read, and read again - and it is wonderful :) And then he trots off carrying his blanket and an armful of books where he continues to flip pages for another 20 minutes. I couldn't be prouder...

So, in the car this morning, he is reading his First Dinosaur Encyclopedia and he says to me, "Mommy, I want to jump inside this book." FINALLY! The moment I have been waiting TWO LONG YEARS FOR! So of course, I start obsessing and sharing how much I also want to jump into books, and that when you read you should always feel like you are right there with the characters, and - wait a minute...I am talking to a two-year old and I am WAY OVER HIS HEAD! I just can't help myself though...

I just know that this is the start of something great - and if there is one thing that we pass on to our kids (besides the most important - manners, character, and how to treat others and be kind), it will have to be a love of reading. I am saddened daily when I hear my middle school students saying that they hate to read, or have never finished a book - I can't help but think about all they are missing out there!

Reading offers a whole world, and I could not be happier that my son is already getting that - I hope that traveling back to hang out with Prehistoric dinosaurs is just the beginning for him!