read to me

Today after the second session of conference I was so wound up I needed to a. get outside for some fresh air and a walk, and b. do something productive.  Four hours of sitting on a couch watching conference just about does me in.  Don't get me wrong, I love conference, but I do much better if I can listen and be active at the same time . . . should have thought ahead and planned a project for today :-).

Before our walk, I noticed the girls' book shelves were in dire need of some organization, so I began pulling out books that they had outgrown and made a pile to give to the kids when they start their families, and a pile to save for our eventual grandchildren.  Suddenly, I was awash in tender memories as I felt the spine of each familiar, worn title from their childhood.  Books have always played an important role in our lives and I was surprised how many of these treasures tugged at my heart as I reminisced the hours spent cuddling with each child on the rocking chair or snuggling in bed reading a favorite bedtime story.

Although Ryan and Caroline are now reading Shakespeare and classic American novels for English class, and our bedtime stories have evolved from "time for bed little mouse, little mouse" to giggling together under the covers as I read Anne's latest antic, I hope the memories of those sweet stories will forever be etched in their hearts as they patiently wait to be passed on to the next generation.

Ryan, Caroline, Sophie, and Elizabeth's favorite childhood bedtime stories:

Beautifully illustrated poetry beloved by all ages . . .

There was a young lady of Niger

Who smiled as she rode on a Tiger;

They came back from the ride

With the lady inside,

And a smile on the face of the Tiger.

The GREATEST book of alphabet poems in print - love!

Ahhh, such a sweet book of poetry 

(and I'm a sucker with anything illustrated by Jane Dyer) . . .

Read to me riddles

and read to me rhymes,

read to me stories of magical times.

Read to me tales

about castles and kings,

read to me stories

of fabulous things.

Read to me pirates,

and read to me knights,

read to me dragons

and dragon-back flights.

Read to me spaceships

and cowboys and then

when you are finished--

please read them again!

Looking for the perfect collection of Fairy Tales?  This is it.  

Our book is falling apart and we've read it cover to cover many times over.  

Every classic fairy tale is in contained in this book, along with fantastic illustrations.

Chris Van Allsburg.  Need I say more?  

Ryan's favorite story (along with Where the Wild Things Are).

A sweet story of the simple life and passing our love of family and nature on to our children, 

as we teach one another about "all the places to love."  Gorgeous illustrations.

I gave this to Ryan when Caroline was born . . . sniff, sniff.

This is Sophie's favorite story.
Such a sweet tale of a little bat trying to find her place in the world.

Liza's favorite story.  The other day I walked into her room just as she had finished reading it yet again, and she exclaimed, "not easy being a bunny?? pssshh, it's not easy being a PERSON!"

The title says it all . . . we love them, "no matter what."

Who doesn't love NO DAVID!  Caroline loved this book and Chris would read it to her night after night when she was a little toddler.

My mom gave this to me the day I brought Ryan home from the hospital.  It will always have a special place in my heart - it's been read hundreds of times to all the kids.

Said the mother horse to her child,

I love you as much as a warm summer breeze . . .

Said the mother bear to her child,

I love you as much as the forest has trees.

Classic.  My kids love this story just as much as I did.

Another classic . . . sends my little girls into hysterics each time we read it, 

especially if you can do the monkey sounds just right :-).

I love you to the moon and back.

And the all time Cantera favorite bedtime story . . .

It doesn't seem that long ago that both Chris and I read this 

sweet, simple poem to each child night after night as they pointed out each picture:

Goodnight room
Goodnight moon
Good night cow jumping over the moon
Goodnight light
And the red balloon
Goodnight bears
Goodnight chairs
Goodnight kittens
And goodnight mittens
Goodnight clocks
And goodnight socks
Goodnight little house
And goodnight mouse
Goodnight comb
And goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody
Goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady
whispering "hush"
Goodnight stars
Goodnight air
Goodnight noises everywhere.