There's something about Autumn. The crunchy leaves, the smell of apples and burning wood, the chill in the air... Right between the suffocating heat of summer and the icy, hibernation-inducing months of winter. It's like a breath of fresh (albeit moldy at times) air. It also makes me yearn for bookstores and coffee shops.
Seriously, I can't stay away. Before Monsoon, I would stop off at Borders on my way home from work or school at least twice a week. Sometimes I'd leave the house for only the purpose of clutching a steamy cuppa joe in my fingers and browsing the book shelves for hours.
Nowadays, it's a bit different. Monsoon and I can make a bookstore/coffee trip once a week if we're lucky. I switched from pumpkin spice to sugar-free whatever, and he gets hot cocoa or sugar-free vanilla kreme Kula, depending on the time of day. We spend all our time in the children's section, skimming for catchy titles or fabulous artwork and reading out loud those stories that interest us enough to do so.
I'm trying to instill in him a love of all things literary. I hope, as he grows up, we can continue to share these beautiful Autumn days at the bookstore. I hope he learns to enjoy it as much as I do - not just for soothing paper mug in our chilly hands, but for the beauty and magic that is the world of books.
For now, I don't mind spending most of my bookstore time in his section. I love watching his eyes light up at every sip. I smile hearing him giggle at a silly story line. The best part might be the lump in my throat that presents itself anytime my son begs me to "read it again, Mommy!" with such enthusiasm.
It's an addiction, it's getting worse, and I think I'm passing it on. Hooray!
Ask, Seek, Knock.
5 years ago
13 comments:
This made me smile. I got my love of coffee and books from my dad. He read to me before I was old enough to know what a book was. Convinced me that learning was fun. I memorized the stories and said them back to him, word for word. He let me drink the cold coffee out of the saucer. I'm 23, out of the house and married now, and he still asks several times a week "What are you reading right now?" =)
That's a great addiction to pass along! How nice that you get to spend that time together.
I am right there with you. Except we go to the library each week (and not going to the library is a HUGE punishment).
It does sink in though -- today as Little Miss was talking 45 minutes to drink her milk, I picked up a book and sat at the table with her to read. Ooooo Mommy! That's a GREAT idea to get a book to read while you wait. Yeah, it warms my soul!
No better addiction in all the world. My kids know there is almost nothing I won't drop when they say, "will you read to me?"
My little man and I had a date Friday night at Barnes & Noble. My heart swelled and almost overflowed when he asked that I read Edgar Allen Poe to him again, as I had a few weeks before. He didn't want new poems, but the ones we read aloud last time. He made his Dad sit and listen with us. Reading is a gift! This made me smile from ear to ear! :D
My mom passed it to me at a very young age as well, and still to this day I love it! This story really made me smile. Lucky Monsooon who gets to discover the greatness of books for the very first time!
It's not a bad addiction to have ;) My mom and I are the same way, we could spend hours at bookstores. Right now I avoid them because I have no interest in dealing with a train table disaster... but we love the library at this point. Fall, good books, and warm beverages are the best.
I like to take the kids to story time at the book stores...and then browse the clearance aisles!
Me, me, ME! I wanna come too! You told this story so REAL-like, I want to be right there in it.
I love this post!
My son one time had to be pried out of his book for our family vacation to go to the beach. He read TWO 500-page books in a week long vacation. I love him for that.
Some of my best memories from when he was little was curling up on the bed with him with a big stack of books.
Fall makes me feel the same way! M is lucky to have a literary mommy. It will come in especially handy when he's reading The Grapes of wrath in high school and needs to figure out all the Also, I'm a super sucker for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and I admire you for giving them up for the lighter alternative.
my son gets so frustrated when we stop at the Barnes and Noble for a 'quick visit' because it usually means two hours :D He still loves to read, but hanging out with mom at the bookstore, not so much -- teens these days - sheesh! ;-)
Hey! You are doing the RIGHT thing for sure. We started a new lit tradition about two months ago. I rediscovered the public library in our town. I can honestly say I LOVE IT!! We get 10 to 15 new books every two weeks and it's free. Ella really loves walking through the book cases and finding new material to read.
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