The Library

The girls and I went to the library today to turn in their Summer Reading Program forms all completed, to play, and to get me a book. While we were sitting at the back of the Children's Library playing with the games they have there for little ones (please note that right now, the library is a play place for Q--the magic of being able to check out books is currently lost on her), there was a family of girls each with a pile of books to check out and take home. Their ages varied from pre-teen to older toddler, but I was suddenly swept back to those summer days that my mom would take us to the Broomfield library and we would carefully walk down those steep stairs into the children's section in the basement and pick books to read. Always a pile of books to read. I remember not being able to wait until we got home to start my new books, so I would choose what I wanted and find a place to start reading before we even left. I used to get in trouble with Ramona Quimby, solve mysteries with Nancy Drew, get lost in the drama of Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High and tempering those with books about Helen Keller and various other biographies. I watched the girl today run to the couch with her pile of books and greedily look to see how many pages she would be reading in the next few weeks. If she is anything like me, she will wear that number like a badge of honor--and it won't take her two weeks.
I feel nostalgic for those days when I could spend my whole summer reading. And I did. Before bed, When I woke up. Before church. Outside under the trees. I got lost in the words--the stories.
I watch my girls play with their books, and I am so glad they love to read. I love to listen to Q tell me what is on each page or read Go Dogs Go because she has it mostly memorized. I love that T will pick up a book and open it and talk to it while pointing to the pictures. I love that they will bring me books over and over and over again and NEVER tire of them. My girls are readers. Like their mother before them. I can't wait for the day when they rush through the library grabbing a new book and start reading it before we even make it out the door. I can't wait to watch them get lost in the world of characters destined to be their best friends and worst enemies.
It's a magical place, and books...books are magical things.