I am Thankful, #3

I am thankful to have a family of readers.  With the exception of an occasional test of comprehension, I have never done a formal reading program with the kids for school.  I have never told them that they have to read a certain amount of time each day.  Don't get me wrong, I would if I had to, but they love to read so much that I just let them do their own thing and make sure that it is a pleasure, not a chore.  Jeremy says that there is nothing you can't learn if you know how to read and I think he's right.  Just read Gifted Hands, the story of Ben Carson if you don't believe me.

I love that the librarians know my kids by name, order books they think they would like and hold them back so they can check them out first.  It's a total recognition of kindred spirits.

I love that when we went to Barnes & Noble yesterday, the guy at the check out counter said he hadn't seen us for a while.  I had to laugh because we were there less than 24 hours prior.  That's what he gets for having a day off of work.  ;)

Oh, and I love the smell of books.  Old books.  I love to just pick them up, open to a random page and inhale.  It smells like my favorite times in the library as a kid.  I still remember the very first book I ever checked out of the library at school....  LYLE! 

Apples and Trees.  Apples and Trees.