lifetime love affair

As a child I was not a reader. I didn't dislike reading; I just couldn't hold still long enough to finish anything. I think that is the same reason my mother gave up on me learning to play the piano. Reading a book didn't come to my mind as something to entertain myself. I wanted to play soccer, ride a bike, and play, and play, and play. So, it thrills me to see my children becoming devout readers. The reading gene certainly comes from the Kirkham side of the family. I tease them, and it is true, that they have already read more books than I did before I graduated from high school. It also is satisfying to see my children enjoying this pass time for it is a skill and desire that I strove to develop within them since infancy. My current favorite trick is to stratigically leave books that I want them to read on the couch or any other noticable place. I have to bite my tongue many times when I find them reading and they should be doing something else because I had set them up.
Joshi and Zayne have also been good example to me of how to squeeze in a read. Typically they have a book in the car to read while we drive or if we get stuck somewhere. Also, they leave books here and there through out the house and are handy to sneak in a few pages in between classes. I have found them reading in the bath, in trees, in the bathroom, perched on the kitchen counter and cirled up with the dogs.



I love to have them see me read. Most of the time they too go grab a book. Zayne sometimes wants to read what I am reading. For the past couple weeks I have been reading what they read. Sharing their books with me excites them. Reading all those books that I should have read as a child has been fun. I have also gained a great appreciation for juvenile literature.

There is a Kirkham family rule, which Dan has exempted himself from, that you cannot see a book based movie until you read the book. So in the past couple weeks we've raced through the "Water Horse," "Spiderwick Chronicles," "Nancy Drew," and "The Chronicles of Narnia." Well, Zayne is done with the prior and I am on book #2. He puts me to shame. Out of all the books so far, my children love the books from the "Redwall" series, by Brian Jacques. I hope they continue their love affair with reading through their lifetime.