Wednesday 10 February 2010

The joy of words and clean babies...

There is a real joy to bedtime at the moment. After scrubbing the mud off knees and cajoling warm pink bodies from the bath, I visit their rooms separately to read stories. He and she have developed different tastes; the five year old likes comedy - Horrid Henry and Capt. Underpants seem to rule at the moment while, at seven, she is completely hooked by Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Several months ago the five year old couldn't be separated from me, he would follow me into his sister's bedroom to listen to her story too. She was most unhappy with this arrangement, first because it meant he got two stories, second he was in her room uninvited and third she had to share me. Lately he has decided that Harry Potter is just too damn complicated so, sated after a bottle of milk and his private reading, he lets me depart.

I'm loving the fact that I can now share a story book like Harry Potter with my child. Until recently I read many books that they enjoyed but few stimulated me. Of the few, I did love the Dr Seuss books, Flip and Flop by Dawn Aperley, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Love is A Handful of Honey by Giles Andreae and Vanessa Cabban. These and others have become treasures which will always remain on the bookshelf.

A special mention must be made for The DK Star Wars Visual Dictionary without which I may not have been able to communicate with son during 2009!

I'm reading the Secret Scripture at the moment. Chosen for my book club, I'm finding it difficult to get into. I'll get there. I'm a bit anal like that, if I start it I'll finish it. Every time I struggle through another couple of pages I turn to the front cover; 'shortlisted for the Booker Prize' it declares and this encourages me to try harder.

I've written a book, one of my proudest achievements to date. It's about three girls, best friends, off to boarding school for the first time. I desperately hope my 9+ readers wont find my book a chore. I want them to be sucked into the story, oblivious to calls from mothers to set the table or put shoes and coats on. Keep your fingers crossed please.

If you have time, let me know the books you love or books you're enjoying. I'm off to the real world now to unpack the Tesco order, plan dinner and pay the Autoglass man who is on the drive replacing my windscreen.....see you soon....

6 comments:

  1. I am reading Wolf Hall given to me for christmas by my parents...It is a Historical epic and requires a tad more concentration then other epics such as Pillers of the Earth....am half way through...am glad to hear my GD is enjoying Harry so much...I have read them all w/o child, and thoroughly enjoyed them.....

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  2. Wolf Hall is our next book. I'm just starting to get into Secret Scripture....in fact I might light the log fire in my office and have me a little reading day today....stuff the dishes...

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  3. I'm loving Wolf Hall at teh moment and The Boy is heavily into and dare I say it almost finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I feel slightly envious as it is my husband who is doing the reading where once it would have been me but he doesn't get that much time with the children.
    Luckily my youngest Bog Boy (aged 3 nearly 4) is happy for me to read The Gruffalo and The Snail and The Whale not that I need to read as such anymore after 5 years I know them noth by heart!

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  4. See now I'm desperate to finish the Secret Scripture, although it is getting easier as I get to know the leading lady....

    Did you know (I'm sure you do) that there's a brillian Gruffalo Web Site
    http://www.gruffalo.com/index.html
    Lots of interesting stuff there for interested little minds, but only if you're brave enough to let grubby little fingers paw thy holy keys.....

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  5. Talking of pants, one of my favourite kids' books is Aliens love underpants. Then there's Dinosaurs love underpants. Hmmm I notice a theme developing. However in recent months, my best read has been Remembrance by Theresa Breslin. It was very moving and superbly written.

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  6. Thank you, actually we do have a recurrent theme of pants in this household....as long as the sproglets keep them on at school and they are vaguely clean I'm not too worried...
    Thanks for the Rememberance tip, I've also been Told Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is pretty good. Boy I certainly have a long wish list to get through, I used to be able to demolish a book a week but our renovation is taking its toll and I just can't stay awake some evenings!

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The Archers at The Larches

Lou - Chicken whisperer....

Lou - Chicken whisperer....

Snowy and Moon

Snowy and Moon