The More That You Read...

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

-Dr. Seuss

As I opened the car door, Amelia reached to be unbuckled and taken out of her car seat.  As I unfastened her seat belt, she cheerfully repeated an approximation of “up” and grinned.  For Amelia, it’s always about the destination.  She puts up with her rides in a car seat as her vehicle to wherever we’re going.  Eventually, we’ll work toward loving the journey; but for now, I’m more than happy with loving the destination. 

On this particular day, we were taking a trip to one of my favorite places; a library.  Anywhere with books is ok as far as I’m concerned.  Right now, almost-thirteen-month-old Amelia agrees with me.  Like me, Amelia loves books and I cannot even express how much I love that.  It may not always be the case, but for now, books rank right up there for her with Mickey Mouse, trucks, Little People, babies and animals (which are all apparently dogs at this point).

We walked into the library and looked around.  Amelia doesn’t miss much and was busy from the moment we entered, taking it all in and trying to explore every inch that she was given.  First, we said hello to Big Bird, of course, as one does.  Next, we discovered the train table and to my chagrin, what some of the train cars taste like.  After that adventure, we hit the jackpot. 

Amelia rounded the corner past one of the shelves filled with children’s books.  She glimpsed the board books and made a beeline for them; however, this time, something even more exciting pulled her off course.  From her vantage point on the way to the board books, she was able to see the steps and mini-amphitheater that hosts story-time.  At the time, there were a handful of babies gathering with their respective parents/grandparents/babysitters/other adult friends.  Amelia loves people and especially other kids.  She immediately changed course and gladly joined the group.  It was time for “Baby Lap Time” a.k.a. Amelia’s mecca. 

The librarian who led our first foray into Baby Lap Time could not have picked anything more interesting to Amelia.  The group followed the librarian’s lead as she sang songs, did motions and read a couple of books.  Amelia was enthralled.  The only times she took her eyes off of the librarian were to watch the other children participate.  She clapped, danced and babbled on and on.  Between “The Wheels on the Bus,” blowing bubbles, and reading a book about zoo animals, thirty minutes passed more quickly than I could have expected.

As perfectly as Amelia fit into Baby Lap Time, story time was another animal altogether.  Story Time for the big kids involved sitting and listening to books that didn’t have as many motions and included a group of kids who were old enough to know not to shout/babble during the story.  So, we called it a day.  I understand that Amelia’s performance was age appropriate and probably boringly predictable to any adult other than me.  But for me, and for Amelia, it was huge.  She’s growing up and getting to an age where we can do things together.  We can share interests and I can help to foster her personality and experiences however I can.  It was another first for Amelia and for me as a parent. 

In this case, the first won’t be the only.  We’ll go back to Baby Lap Time.  Soon, it will lose it’s magic; it’ll be something she continues to enjoy, but won’t seem as charmed.  Just like her other firsts.  We don’t clap every time she waves anymore; we don’t cheer when she stands; we aren’t astounded when she says one of her words.  And somehow, that’s a good thing.  She’s growing up and I’m so fortunate to be a witness to it.  I am so thankful that milestones are being mastered and accomplishments eventually become commonplace. 

“Many people, myself included, feel better at the mere sight of a book.”

-Jane Smiley