Reading

After the soccer game today, we went to the library. The boys played with their sliding beads table for quite a long time; ditto for the puzzles. In the puzzle/puppet section, a man was putting on a great, and very quiet, puppet show for his children, so we got to watch that as well.

I borrowed the only Robin Hobb book I found/could snatch from the adult section in my limited time there. Unfortunately, after finding time to peruse it, I realized I have already read it.

I also got:

• If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss
• We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
• a National Geographic Kids "Funny Photos" issue
• and Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner

As I suspected, they were all pretty much big hits. Nick, Xander, and I all had a nice long reading session together before Nick's bedtime. The one that I was most impressed with tonight was the Dr. Seuss book. I hadn't read any Dr. Seuss to Xander in a long time, although he was reared on Dr. Seuss along with his mother's milk back when he was still taking it. (We are on our second copy of Hop on Pop and it has seen better days. Our Dr. Seuss's ABC has been much-requested - somehow that book made it all the way from my childhood. I think the scribbling in it is actually from me or one of my siblings.)

My point is that Xander really appreciates Dr. Seuss's humor now. I'm so glad I read it to both of them. He laughed about the "deer that's so nice he could sleep in your bed/If it weren't for those horns that he has on his head." Seriously, if those horns were real they could give you nightmares.

My favorite line was: "In the Far Western part/Of south-east North Dakota/Lives a very fine animal/Called the Iota." Try to visualize the geography. It takes several moments, no?

Now, Nick. Nick is a different story. He does not quite appreciate the humor of Dr. Seuss. He did like the book, but he did not see eye to eye with its author.

He would say, "What's that, Mom?" and I would say, "It's a Joat." He would say, "What's that, Mom?" a little more insistently this time. I would say, "It's a Joat." He would say, "Cow."

Fine. Cow.

He was on board with the bugs, I guess because some bugs in real life can look pretty outlandish. He also did a very sweet toddler rendition of "Mulligatawny."

Then there was the Fizza-ma-Wizza-ma-Dill. Repeat above scenario for this beast but substitute, "Horse," for Nick's previous, "Cow."

Fine. Horse.

No, not fine. This beast looks like an old man who is really a camel with furry sea turtle legs and pom poms on its ears. I am not on board with, "Horse."

We got through the book and everyone was pleased with the time spent. Even Nick.