storytime happens a lot around here~

This little girl already has such a love of books and that makes me so very happy.  A month or two ago, when we were just beginning to catch on that she understood many of the things that we were saying, her book pile was one of the things that first tipped us off.  Asking her where her books were, she'd look at the pile (or basket) and crawl over to it and start pulling books off or out.  A few weeks later, she was pointing to the books and then going over to them.  And now for the last few days, she will choose a book herself (and I swear, if you watch her do it, it seems like she is really thinking hard about which one to pick) and bring it over to me.  She pushes it across the floor with one hand and crawls behind it, and when she reaches me and sees that I get what she's doing, that I understand that she wants me to read that book, right now, she beams.  It must be so satisfying to be able to communicate successfully after months of trying to figure out just how to do it.  Of course I've been trying all along to read her and communicate with her, but now that it has become so clear what she wants I think we are both a little relieved.

She has favorites, of course.  Some that were once favorites have been forgotten about, others have been steady, and still others are new favorites.  One that has been a constant is Going to Sleep on the Farm, a sweet book about farm animals bedding down for the night that I found at the local library sale months ago.  Aside from a brief hiatus that one has been part of our bedtime routine for a long time and lately she often wants us to read it more than once.  Other evening regulars include The Going to Bed Book, and  Goodnight Moon.

It is pretty easy to tell that this (Going to Sleep on the Farm) is one of the more often read books around here:

She has also long loved books that have pictures of baby's faces, such as Global Babies, Baby Food, and Baby, Boo!  Two of the books I found recently at the thrift store also fit the bill,  Baby Faces, and Baby's Alphabet.

Another favorite genre of hers is books about animals~ she seems to have a thing for pigs and horses right now, thanks to a sign we have in the dining room with a large red pig on it, and probably also to the fun horse sounds papa makes when he reads to her.  (well, when there's a horse involved, anyway)

I am thrilled with her love of pictures and books, and daydream about all the fun that books will provide for her and for us as a family, for many years to come.  It's easy to see that she looks so forward to our pre-bedtime storytime, and so do we.