Reading with Joseph

About two months ago, I had just about had it with Joseph. Reading to a child is important. "Read to your child 20 minutes a day." I know, I know stop reminding me Nick Jr! But Joseph didn't want me to read to him. All he wanted to do was flip the pages. And dang, he's got a temper. It was sooooo frustrating. So I would just grab another book and read that one until he ripped it away. And I'd let him play in Will's room while we read books before bed. Sometimes he would seem interested, sometimes he wouldn't. I did try not to make a big deal about it — no forcing him to read a book or anything. But it was a big deal to me.

This was not a problem the first time around. Will always loved to be held and read to from the beginning. (I'll admit reading to him while breastfeeding. Not really thinking it would affect his intelligence, mostly I was just bored. No, Joseph didn't get that.) We read at least three books with Will's nightcap. 

When I signed Will up for the library's summer reading program, I signed Joseph up too. They both had to read 30 books to gain entrance to the big end-of-summer-reading-program party complete with bouncys. Will loves this party. I needed the motivation to keep working with Joseph. I tried really hard to create reading opportunities through out the day. Joseph and I made it to the finish line just barely. (Will read double what was required. Book-lover after my own heart.)

Then about a month ago, Joseph started bringing me book after book to read. And sometimes we'd get all the way through. Most of the time, we'd read a few pages and then he would be off to the bookcase to grab another. I WAS SO HAPPY! I love to watch him toddling around the house with his favorite book of the day in hand. I don't even mind reading "Big Red Barn" 20 times a day. (That one he likes to flip straight to his favorite page with the kittens.) Now one day he's going to have to learn that mommy is not always going to drop everything to read X right now RIGHT NOW! 

But right now, I will.