Where's Waldo?

Many of you remember the classic Halloween picture of our friend Todd (who was Waldo) and Abby...

Abby knew who Waldo was because she'd absconded with some of Grant's childhood "Where's Waldo" books that we'd found in our garage. I figured Abby would never pick that book over, say, Penelope the Princess. Yet again, the girl surprises me. She throws open the Waldo books and says, "Okay, mom. Let me know when you find him. Then, give me a hint!" She never tires of it. "It's on your side" I'll say... and she bends down, getting really close to the page... "Mom! Where?" And usually she looks until she finds him. I expect her to yell "Found him!" the way I used to yell "Yatzee!" but she just silently moves her little finger over the spot where he's hiding with a bright smile on her little lips. Simple pleasures, right?

And speaking of reading, I read this today from Mem Fox, children's author :

Q: What, in your opinion, makes a child fall in love with reading?

A: The same: reading endlessly, many books a day, often the same book over and over again. Don’t just read here or there a couple of times a week. Read my book Reading Magic and it will all fall into place; your child will not fail to learn to read easily and quickly and happily.

We have always read with Abby, multiple times a day. Before she could talk she would be "reading" in her room by herself. But I'm realizing that with Ford I just don't have the time to sit and read to him before every nap, before bed, during the day... so this is my new motivation. To make time, everyday, to read with them both. Amen.

471. dodging the bullet, so far, of sickness
472. giving away little girl things
473. our washing machine. how did they live without them?