Box O' Books

I've noticed I have a little habit of buying books ONCE a year. Well, it's more like one month out of the year I feel like we need new reading material. It's usually for the kids. Since they are getting older the little one word per page board books are, um, too babyish for them. There are a few negatives about this little habit.

• I already have a million books (and really should go through them and donate them or something).
• Sometimes they're expensive (which is why I buy them at least 40% off once a year) 
• I have an addiction to paper and this doesn't help
• I've tried audiobooks and it doesn't work for me. I have serious issues with distractions. Plus, audiobooks tend to be more expensive than print. At least with the books I'm interested in.

I want my kids to learn to read and love books like I do. In my defense I always enjoy the books I buy for myself or T. I enjoy almost all the books I buy for the kids. I'm pretty picky when it comes to what I buy them. Mainly because they can't read yet and T or I will have to read to them and we don't want to torture ourselves.

This morning I saw a box sitting in the drive and knew what it was. Books! I came inside tore open the box and read the books I got for the kids right away. I could not read my book right away since it's just a short 547 pages. I know I will love it though. Sometimes it's just a given.

The books I got for the kids were Dinosaur A-Z  (For kids who really love dinosaurs!) and Charlie the Ranch Dog. The boys immediately went through the dinosaur book asking all sorts of questions about them. It's really helpful that the book has the pronunciation for the names. Because seriously you try pronouncing Euoplocephalus (say my name: YOU-oh-plo-SEF-ah-lus). Or this one, Janenschia (say: yah-NEN-chee-ah) I would have said: JAN-ins-CHEE-ah  and would have been wrong: Ruh-on-GUH. Sorry. Moving along...the book is pretty cool and has all kinds of facts about the dinosaurs and really great pictures. It's also helpful for learning those fun ABCs.
As for the Charlie book; I really like the illustrations. I read it to the kids and they really enjoyed seeing what Charlie and Suzie (his little doggie friend) were up to. Those two stay busy chasing cows out of the yard, napping, fishing and napping some more.

What did I get myself? Streets of Laredo. It's the sequel to Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I have the DVD and watched it several times but what I'm hoping to discover with the book is why/how Lorena and Pea Eye got together. Will it remain a mystery? I guess I'll have to read it to find out. I, for one, never would have imagined them together. I thought she'd finally marry Dish. I would be Ruh-on-GUH.

Hope you find some new reading material for yourself this summer,
Mama