Monday, February 21, 2011

Book love


I've always loved reading, it's one of the great pleasures of my life. I remember being in grade 2 and finishing all the readers for the whole year in the first term, such was my love at an early age. Mark is a big reader too and we are happily passing this wonderful love affair with words down to our kids.


All of them were read to as babies & toddlers and they continue to love & treasure books. There's nothing better than snuggling up at bedtime and finding ourselves immersed in another world, a world of words & ideas & often amazing images.


Something I have been really enjoying lately is reading to Lucy. At ten she is a very confident reader but we have both been benefiting from my reading books to her in the evening. As well as being a relaxing and peaceful thing to do it's also been a bonding time and a way for her to learn about the world and other experiences & ideas.


We are both loving the very beautiful book, I am David, by Anne Holm. Did you read it as a child? I did but I'm finding I had forgotten quite a lot of it, or perhaps I didn't take in some of the finer details when I was younger.  It is such an amazing book and brings up so many questions about humanity & life, I think both Lucy and I have been a times quite affected the challenges faced by David who has to struggle on by himself in a world he doesn't really understand. At almost eleven years old Lucy is about to enter the next part of her life as a pre teen and it's good for us to explore some of the ideas & themes presented in I am David together, and also to share a special time with each other. I wonder what our next book will be? Do you read with your kids?


Bill has always been into books and spent yesterday afternoon re reading a favourite.  
I know that ipods and wii and computers & all the other electronic devices are always going to be
popular but I'm so glad my kids have books in the lives too,
a love of reading is truly the gift of a lifetime.


Besides reading we also got to spend some time outside in our garden over the weekend.


It's so strange seeing green grass at this time of year, it's usually so brown & dry. Our tomatoes are starting to turn red,


and there is so much else to eat and enjoy. Zucchini's, basil, parsely, red onions, carrots, strawberries...yum!


Oh and the logan berries that creep over our neighbours fence!


Max is very cheeky and in a typical cocker spaniel way he likes to raid the chook yard for scraps. Here he is is with half an apple, good score!  On a sad note our beautiful quince tree has broken in half and is torn at it's base. It is probably my favourite tree in our garden and I have been waiting patiently for it's gorgeous quince's to be ready for me to make into jelly. I hope it will survive and keep growing for many years to come, it's such a special tree.

What did you get up to on the weekend? Hope it was fun! It's very cold in Daylesford today, almost like a winters day. The children went off to school in shorts and skorts, I bet their little legs are freezing!
Hope you have a great week, see you soon xo

6 comments:

Maxabella said...

Reading and books are two of my greatest pleasures. If we can pass our love down to our children, they will never be lonely. x

Sue said...

Books are wonderful to read. My children love to read too and can spend hours doing that if they find a favourite book. Isabelle reads all the books in her classroom and then takes her own to read, and they have a book read to them by their teacher now on a regular basis. I agree it is a wonderful gift to give to your children. I love the photo of your doggies, stealing the scraps how cute. Your tomatoes look so nice and ripe. I have been enjoying my dad's tomatoes lately as he has so many they cant eat them all!

teddybearswednesday said...

It's a wonderful thing that your kids love reading like you and Mark and such a precious thing to pass down to them.
It's such a special thing to be reading to Lucy, I'm sure she's loving it. I remember the time when my mum used to read to me soo fondly for exactly the reason as you are loving it.
You're an ace mum that's for sure!!
xo
PS I love your Hills Hoist. I'm very envious as I would love to have one.

Rachael @Mogantosh said...

I have a growing shelf of teenage books, picked up at the op shop along the way, that I so look forward to passing on to mine when they get old enough.Judy Blume, Paul Zindel, the Borrowers...etc.

I so agree; opening the door to the world of books is an incredible gift to give the kids, and a wonderful conversation-sparker about the world.

Shall keep an eye out for I Am Dave...

hester said...

I loved this post. What a gift to pass the love of books on to your children. Em and I are just finishing "The Secret Garden". It's incredibly beautiful and full of the healing magic of nature and gardens.

Your home and yard look like such absolute havens, Beck.

susieq said...

I wish this was facebook so I could tick like to this post. But I would need to tick like numerous times as this post really resonates with me too. I have worked on creating a family love of books and we share books regularly. Its a wonderful gift that will last forever.

In fact I think you have inspired a blog post :)