Today was the first day of summer vacation.
We got dressed only to go to my favorite toning class at the gym, and I made it just in the nick of time. I abhor a schedule during our summer break from reality. Bird slept til 8:00 and happily read in bed until breakfast was ready. Deal lounged on the couch with a LEGO book. It’s going to be a new world with both my boys reading now. There were actually moments this afternoon that both of them curled up on separate couches with a book. No wrestling. No whining. No he kicked me, he pushed me, he blah blah blahed me. Deal fell lazily asleep after a few pages, book still in hand and a stream of drool making its way to the folds of his neck. He is his father’s son for sure. Bird asked me to read aloud while he nestled into my shoulder and rubbed the underside of my upper arm as he did when he was a toddler. The dog laid by the sink in the kitchen where the vent blows the coolest air and, I swear he was focused on the story too. Because we spoil this mutt of ours we find ourselves reaching awkwardly to wash dishes so as not to disturb his personal cool oasis. Sometimes Deal reads to Lark, especially if it’s a book with a canine protagonist. Bird even read to Deal last night. It was a rare moment of brotherly adorableness that will be forever etched in my brain. I ruined it when I snapped some photos for posterity’s sake.
This will be our summer of books. It’s a magical thing to see a child grow from a toddler to a reader. I’m amazed that teachers can find this nugget, polish it, and teach children to nurture it to a fine gleam themselves. I find myself folding headlines over and standing in front of newspaper boxes to shield the boys from whatever the alarming headlines are that day. I tried my damndest to block Deal from the uber cocky SOB at SeaWorld who was obnoxiously dissing everyone in line and wore a Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax T-shirt. This jerk had likely never seen a surfboard in his life and didn’t have the physique to be much more than someone else’s innertube. Oh, he was a jackass like no one I’ve seen. I mean, who wears a shirt like that to a family place like SeaWorld? Nevermind that Mr. Zog only lubes up surfboards and isn’t actually anything lewd. There’s nothing like hearing your five-year old saying s-e-x, s-e-x, s-e-x over and over and over again. It wasn’t as bad as what my boys read on Carolina Beach a while back, but that’s little saving grace.
Now where was I?
Oh, the summer of books. We’ve already been to the library, and the boys have gobbled up what they checked out. I’ve been a reading fiend since I got a Nook for Mother’s Day and love that we can chill out as a family now with our feet propped up and a book in hand. I find the boys asking for less TV time and see them flipping through books or writing in a notebook instead. Bird just got a journal to chronicle his summer, and Deal plays copycat to everything his big brother does. We’ll use up some piggy bank money at the bookstore and join the library’s summer reading program. And Mac Daddy and I will continue to read aloud to the boys. It makes for lovely bonding time, and I get a chance to try out different voices for each character, which annoys Deal madly but lets me indulge my inner actress.
That reminds me, I’m hosting my book club here next week. I better sign off and go read my book (Yes, Man by Danny Wallace). By the way, we worked our arms so much in that toning class this morning that I’ll be hurting to even hold up a book tomorrow. Anyone want to come read aloud to me?
So tell me, what’s on your reading list this summer?