Reading, part 2

A month ago or so I posted about how horrid it was to read with the kids, and how much we dreaded it.  You can read it here. 

In the past few weeks or so, we have made a HUGE breakthrough. I think it was just age and timing.  Now we make the little boys sit on the couch while we sit on the floor and read to them.  We don't let them get down or grab the book (that took a bit of work and practice, but they finally get it).  But the past 2 nights, we have had their full attention for over TWENTY minutes of reading!  That is probably a solid 8-10 books.  They will now sit and listen to several different ones, not just the annoying and all torn up animal books, but they love those too.  The love books with rhythm to them...special favorites are Dr. Suess-ish books like Hop on Pop, The Foot Book, and Hand Hand Fingers Thumb,  but they also LOVE Five Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed (I will have to get video of them shaking their fingers as the "doctor").  They are fans of books by Sandra Boynton (Barnyard Dance and Pajama Time).  They love Llama Llama Red Pajama.  Eric Carle books are super too (Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Busy Spider).  Two last favorites are by Marion Dane Bauer, How Do I Love You and I Love You Through and Through. 

All of our books are just about in shreds, even the board books, because they are so loved (not complaining at all though, there are worse things to love!). They each have a My First Encyclopedia of ----  in their beds, and it is a big kid book, and the pages are mangled and torn out.  They have been relegated to the beds because they were so fought over and the shreds were all over the house. At least now they're just in and under the cribs!     

One more fun thing is about L.  The kid LOVES books.  He will happily sit in anyones lap to look at a book.  He just backs it on up and plops down.  Then he grabs your hand, opens it up (the thumb separate from the fingers) and shoves the book it.  If you don't "get" what he is doing, he will shut your fingers for you, then open the first page of the book.  I love it.   

Z also likes to read to the boys...sometimes.  I love this pic of L trying to climb into Z's lap.  (These were taken when Z was sick and his legs were a mess).