That's my girl, reading Encyclopedia Brown, at her Grammy and Grampy's house when she was five years old. I'm blessed with a reader. We love different kinds of books, but we share a great love for all things reading.

We started young.  I spent a lot of hours reading aloud to Anna.  I love this photo since she's holding Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - she absolutely had to hold this book whenever I read aloud to her.  No other book would do - or meltdowns would ensue. Even though the picture is horribly blurry, I love that her book is upside down. 

A few weeks ago the owner of Mrs. Figs' Bookworm told me about an amazing book called After the Fall, written and illustrated by Dan Santat. It's the story of Humpty Dumpty's life after the fall - what happened when he decided to get back up.  

I loved it so much that I had to share it with my girl who is now 15 years old - way too old for picture books, right? I didn't care.  I had to read that book to someone!

School had just ended, no one in the house was awakened by an alarm clock, the sun had been up for hours, and we were still in our PJ's. 

Ah, the divine first days of summer.  I gently woke her up, and got in her bed with After the Fall in my hands.

Just like old times, I read aloud to my 15 year old, woman-sized daughter.

And it was the sweetest thing ever.

She loved it.

"Mom, it's been so long since you read to me.  It brings back so many memories!"

So, the next morning, I went into the garage and searched for the tub of our favorite picture books.  I brought it inside, and picked one her dad and I read to her almost every night.

And I did it the next morning with another favorite.

And again.

And we're still going strong. 

An unexpected and unplanned moment of precious childhood revisited in the midst of driver's education training, doing all her own laundry, and learning how to leave the nest in a few years.  

Yes, the sweetest memory of summer will be reading old picture book favorites. Snuggling. Remembering.

Easing in and out of our summer days in the sweetest way I know.

Always writing,

Lorrie