the reader

And just like that, our boy is a reader. An avid one. It's amazing and wonderful and makes Steve and me both nostalgic for our childhoods.  We were both the sort of children who were happy to disappear for hours into stories, who read constantly (annoyingly!).  So to watch Sebastian become enthralled with his ability to read is magical.  Some vignettes, for me to remember:

We arrived at the SWCC for swim lessons and he walked across the parking lot with a book held up in front of his face. Walking and reading! I remember it so well.

He wouldn't come in to the coffee shop with me because he preferred to keep reading his book in the car.

He asked me to read a chapter of his book, and when I said I couldn't because I was busy, he replied "Fine, I'll read it myself", and did. 

I almost - almost! - said to him the other night: "Get your nose out of that book and come to the table for dinner!" But I laughed at the thought, and reflected again on the justice of karmic revenge, and instead asked him nicely to come when he finished the chapter. Which he did.

We are keeping track of the number of books he's read so far this summer, and are up to 49 already. I had promised to buy him a book at Powell's for every ten books he read, not realizing I was committing to quite so many!

His favorite books right now are the Thornton Burgess Bedtime Story books, a set of 26 books written 100 years ago and bought by my dad for Carl and me. I remember reading and re-reading them as a kid. I can't believe that these are his first real books! Really shows the enduring value and quality of the characters and stories.