To love reading ...

I want to teach Luke and Amelia to love to read.  My dad did that for me.  It was part of our bedtime routine ... we read through some great books - from The Hobbit to the BFG to Little House on the Prairie.  I looked forward to that time every evening.  Every year for our birthdays we would get a gift card to Powell's, the dollar amount would equal the age we were turning, and we'd go on a special date with dad to pick out new books (and cookies and hot chocolate from the cafe, of course).  It made reading and picking out new books exciting.
Friday night Scott and I went on a date, only the third since the twins were born, which is entirely our fault.  We've had many babysitting offers but between being first time parents (I prefer to think we're nervous, not neurotic :)) and being exhausted after work and caring for the babies, a date night usually sounds like a lot of work.  This is something we're working on! Anyway, Friday we had a great time heading down to Powell's to spend our gift cards from our birthdays last year.  I forgot how much I love just meandering around bookstores.
I've been inspired recently by two books.  The first is a parenting book (surprised?) called Simplicity Parenting.  The idea is that by simplifying our lives (less clutter, fewer activities, less media) we give our children the freedom and space to be creative and to be kids.  I don't think the idea should be taken to the extreme because it would lead to sheltered children and neurotic parents, but I think that I can always benefit from keeping life simple whenever possible and I think that children thrive on simple rhythms and routines.  Too many options and choices can be overwhelming. "By simplifying, we protect the environment for childhood's slow, essential unfolding of self" (Kim John Payne).
The second is called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and it's her journey through keeping a gratitude journal.  As she keeps records of all that she is thankful for she begins to realize that cultivating thankfulness is key in living a joyful life.  As a mama of six she has amazing wisdom to share about grace, trusting God and about living fully in the moment, something I am always working towards.  "And this, this is the only way to slow time:  When I fully enter time's swift current, enter into the current moment with the weight of all my attention, I slow the torrent with the weight of me all here.  I can slow the torrent by being all here.  I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment.  And when I'm always looking for he next glimpse of glory, I slow and enter.  And time slows."
Right now with the babies our "story times" usually last all of ten seconds before Luke decides he'd rather eat the book and Amelia decides she'd rather get off my lap to explore.  But that's okay.  We're establishing the rhythm or reading together ... or at least in theory we are.  For now, that's good enough for me!