What We're Reading

After a two week hiatus, it's time to get back to sharing What We're Reading.

Over the past two weeks in which I didn't share our favorite books, Makayla has still been hung up on the Two is for Twins book that I shared last time.  I have to admit that it has grown on me.  I'm sure it has everything to do with how much Makayla loves to read it to us.

Austin has also really started to enjoy reading.  I've found him sitting down and reading books by him self a few times even. This kid doesn't sit still for anything, so it really warmed my heart the other day when I found him sitting against his stuffed frog chair and flipping through the pages of Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.  He was pointing at the pictures and mumbling something out loud, as if he were actually reading each page out loud.

However, this week, Makayla has a new favorite.  It's another one of the Baby Einstein books.  All I can say is, these Baby Einstein folks know what they're doing!  We are currently reading...and rereading...and reading, Baby Einstein: Language Nursery.  This isn't a book I would have picked out on my own, it was a hand-me-down.  It seems a little boring at first glance.  Simple, plain images, very few words, most not even in English.  But Baby Einstien gets it right , every time!

This book has a simple (but bold and easy to see for Makayla) image on one side of the page and on the opposite page there is a short sentence about the image and the sentence is written in about six different languages.  I have yet to actually ready the other languages to them, but the back of the book says that hearing the different languages is good for children during their language learning years.

On the last page, instead of an image, there is a mirror.  This is Makayla's favorite part.  She is always so excited and surprised to find herself in the book!  It cracks her up and she gets supper close to the mirror and kisses herself and giggles.  We have mirrors for the kids to play with, but there is something about having in it the book that makes it SO much more magical!

One of my favorite things about the book is that it's taught Makayla the work "duck."  Of course, now everything that isn't a dog or cat, is a duck...but she's learning!


Please remember that the voting for Circle of Moms' Top 25 Moms of Multiples blogs is still open!  And we sure would appreciate it if you would consider voting for us.  For the past week, we have been fighting for a spot in the top 10 on the list, but have been steadily hanging out in 11th!

What We're Reading!

Well, we're sick again!  All four of us this time.  With less than a week until our big trip to Ohio, we are shaking off what is left of our most recent cold.  I'm hoping that we are all in the clear before we leave on Tuesday.  With Austin's asthma, I really don't want to leave him behind with a flare up ready and able to happen at any moment.

While we are all under the weather, so was the rest of Northern California!  We have been having some very unusual, almost Midwestern weather.  Complete with thunder and lightning storms, and a supposed tornado-watch, just over the hills from us.  Of course, all this makes for great reading weather!

This week we are reading Two is for Twins.  This was a birthday gift to the twins by Makayla's Physical and Vision Therapists.  Although the gift was very thoughtful, personally, I'm not a big fan of this book.  Something about the drawings creep me out a little and the words to the book doesn't flow off my tongue easily...but, what I think about it does not mater, because the kiddos are crazy about this book.  I cannot even tell you how many times Makayla and Austin have demanded that we read it to them.  It's a bit longer than a lot of other books we have read, which I think is part of why they like it so much.  And although I do not care for the drawings, Makayla loves to point out all the details, and goes on and on (in Twineese, not English) about all the things she's finding.

What We're Reading

The kids are finally into books! Well, Makayla is.  Austin is way too busy to slow down and sit with a book, but since he's been sick, he does like to curl up on my lap and have a book read to him.  I don't think this will continue once he's feeling better.

Both of their grandfathers are big readers and I feel a great deal of responsibility that I raise eager little readers.

Up until this point, books were for gnawing at, and tearing to confetti sized pieces, a sight that would probably send my father into cardiac arrest.  But in the last few weeks, something changed. 

Our thoughtful friends whom threw our baby shower asked each guest to bring a book to help start our kids library.  Everyone wrote a sweet note in the cover telling Austin and Makayla why it was their favorite book.  Since that time, I've continued to collect books for them, making sure to snag the board book copies that are much more difficult (but I assure you, not impossible) to ruin.  And just a few weeks ago, they discovered the book shelf that's been in their room since they were home from the hospital.

Now that they are interesting in books, I thought it would be fun to share what we are reading each week and why it's our favorite, or not so much.

This week's (actually, for the last several weeks) book is an undeniable classic: The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

This is a book I remember reading with my dad.  I can't imagine anyone hasn't heard of this book before, but in case you haven't, it's a story about a little caterpillar that hatches from it's egg and eats through many fruits and other foods, counting all the way through his meals. 

The story is quite simple and a bit repetitive for my taste now, but Makayla LOVES it!  The bright, bold colors are easy for her to see, and the tiny holes where the caterpillar eat through each item are the perfect size for her little fingers to explore.  The page with the strawberries and oranges are her absolute favorite.

I can see this book being one that we continue to love and grow with for it's obvious education purposes.  No wonder it's a classic!

Reading her favorite "strawberries and oranges" page.

Showing mommy her favorite book, nad how happy it makes her