What We Like Wednesdays: Summer Reading, Big Green Monster

We've always done a great deal of reading but now with summer here and longer days, we find ourselves reading quite a bit more. To add more fun to the reading, we joined our public library's summer reading program. The boys are having lots of fun with this, after every 15 minutes of reading they get a sticker in a reading log, when they collect 4 hours worth of stickers they get to go to the library and collect a prize, and after 8 hours worth of stickers they get a free book of choice plus a bundle of coupons including some free ice cream cone coupons...talk about incentives. The boys are excited about this. After joining this reading program, Aidan has really gotten into his chapter book reading which amazes us all as to how much his reading has progressed since we made the change from children's picture/story books. As for the twins, they aren't quite reading on their own, so they collect their stickers after being read to for the assigned amount of time.


Miles favorite book right now "Go Away Big Green Monster" by Ed Emberley has been a favorite since this past Halloween. All the boys really love this fun read but Miles by far enjoys it the most. Every time we go to the library he searches the shelves for this one and is so pleased if he finds it. Since it's been a favorite for awhile now I just might have to get our own copy.



So if you're looking for some more summer time activity, drop by your local library and see what fun summer programs they might have going on. You can never go wrong with reading.

What We Like Wednesday - Trucks, Trucks, and More Trucks

The hot topic in our house right now is cars and trucks. The boys especially love all sorts of work trucks and construction machinery. So much so, that every time we're on the road the boys keep an eye out for big trucks and shout out to everyone when one is spotted. Especially Liam, who is obsessed with bulldozers..we'll be driving down the road when suddenly from behind I'll here him shouting "look, look a bulldozer, it's a yellow bulldozer!" or "I saw a crane mama, did you see it!" and garbage day is always a thrill, you'll find Miles and Liam standing at our front window watching as the trucks make their way up our street.




So with trucks in mind, our most recent favorite book is The Little Dump Truck. This book is full of colorful eye-catching illustrations and is written in a fun rhyming verse. We like to read this to the tune of "I'm a Little Tea Pot". Check it out. If your a truck lover, I'm sure you'll love it too!

What We Like Wednesdays: Grappling the Complex With Simple Reading Fun

Having children has meant learning lots of new practices, the learning curve hasn't always been a smooth one. But, if there's one thing I can confidently say I got right, it's that I've taught my boys the joy of reading. From as far back as I can remember, I have always loved books. Reading a good book can always put a smile on my face. I wanted to make sure that my boys would experience this same bliss, for this reason, I have read to them religiously. Whether it be bed time or just some downtime during the day, we read. We make a weekly visit to the library so imagine, we read lots of books. Most recently we've read two books that we really enjoyed.



Round Like a Ball by Lisa Campbell Ernst. This book has fun diecut pages that leaves the boys guessing to the end, when they get to fold out a brilliant illustration of the earth. I absolutely love this books message of preserving our earth. Our household has been making an effort to live green in an effort to honor and protect our earth so this book is an excellent source to continue to support this message.



Is There Really a Human Race by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, is another book we recently read and enjoyed. It's a sweet story that has us looking at humanity, and sends the message, " be kind and have acceptance". My boys love this book fun rhythmic tempo, I love it because it reinforces what I aspire to teach my kids.

Both these books address complex ideas in a fun way that children can enjoy while still addressing the messages we hope to teach our children. Definitely two books we'll be adding to our family's favorites.