A Couple from the Bedtime Rotation

I cannot believe that it has taken me soooo long to write about these books.  They have both been apart of the Bedtime Routine {which used to be so much easier....  dang terrible twos!}  for quite some time.  

They are just like what they sound like.  The Daddy Book tells all about different sorts of things that daddies like to do while The Mommy Book tells all about different things mommies like to do.  

I just love Todd Parr and kids do, too!  The pictures are fun and bright and he is always so inclusive in his writing.  I  guess my love for him stems back to my more liberal pre-Mommy days.  Ha!

If you don't own any Todd Parr books, get some now!  One of my personal faves is The Underwear Book!  Early Elementary age kids love it!  

And that is officially the end of my list that I had going....  that means, gasp,  I am all caught up.  So now I just have to finish some books on my bookshelf!  I know you will be sitting on the edge of your seat.  I will try to read fast!  ;)

James Favorites from 2-2.5

I am going to go totally out of order and write first...  Hope you don't mind.  ;)

Right now James is very into trains, trucks, cars, and animals.  So most books that are read over and over in our house are about one of those.  That is really the key for getting kids of any age to read, I think.

Some hits are novelty sorts of books like lift-the flap books and any book that makes noise.  Some of his favorite include those shown below:

There are also quite a few non-novelty books that he likes read over and over!  Some are classics, some are fun songs!  Here they are:

There are quite a few that he still reads found here and here.  It's kinds crazy he has been reading some of these books for more than a year!  It's also crazy that I have more than 50 posts!  I guess I really like to read.  ;)

One Day

I read about this on someones blog and also heard about the movie.  It seemed like a fun book and it really was!

This is a book about a British guy and girl who began hanging out the day after they graduated from college July 15, 1980-something.  Anyway each chapter of the book is what is happening in their lives on July 15 of every year for the next 20 years.  It is totally different than any other book that I have ever read.  I was not a fan of both of the characters to begin with but they both really grow up and grow on you.

I think that maybe I liked it because the main character totally reminded me of myself and I like how she matured...  it was fun to see how they grew up through their twenties and thirties.  Let's face it I am in my mid-30s so I have been through a lot of what they have.  ;)

I heard the movies not great though.  Also be forewarned the ending will make you cry!  I totally didn't see it coming...

This is a good, easy read.

Read:  September 2011 Book Club book for Jan. 2012
Pages:  448

Time for God

This is another quick and easy read by Jacques Phillipe.  The last on that I read by him was good but I couldn't remember what happened.  This one however I totally remember.  Probably because this one is about praying and since that is what my church group will be studying this year, I am really interested in it.

This book basically says that there are many different ways to pray and meditate, but Phillipe just wants you to do it.  All that God cares about is us making time in our busy lives for him.  I loved that.  It really got me thinking that I do need to be better about committing to spending more time each day with God.  If we will just give him a little of our time he will bless us beyond measure and we will actually hear what he is telling us.

This is a good one.  I definitely know that I will go back to it and refresh my memory from time to time.  :)

Read:  May-August 2011
Pages:  120

Parenting with Grace

I finished this book a month or two ago and loved it.  I always hear Dr. Popcak on the Catholic radio station and love the little bits of advice he gives.  So it was a no brainer to get this book to help figure out the toddler days (aka, terrible twos...)  {As I write my son is refusing to nap, he has napped once in the last week!  2.5 is too early to give up a nap, surely!}

This book goes all the way until children are 18 {I think}.  Anyway I read the beginning and the section on toddlers.  It was really good stuff.  It was a lot like the Sears' and attachment parenting.  So if you are more of a BabyWise sort of parent, you most likely won't like this one.  I loved it though.  I reminded me to follow through with James.  For some reason that is so much easier said than done, though...

I think that I need a little refresher read!  Ha!  No one will be borrowing this book from me because it is a jewel!  I highly recommend it!

Read:  May-July 2011
Pages:  not sure because I only read what pertained to us at this time in life

Water for Elephants

Oh my goodness!  I have been dying to write about this book.  This is the story of a young man who is just about to finish vet school when his parents are killed in an auto accident.  Do what does he do?  Why join the circus of course.  Along the way he falls in love with one of the married ladies in the show.  The story is told from his memory as he lives in his nursing home.

Y'all this was such an amazing book.  I loved it!!!  I think that I read in in just 3 days.  I loved how it was told from when he was older.  The ending was fantastic!  Go out and get this one as quick as you can!!

Read:  August 2011
Pages:  368

Safe Haven

This was our August book club book.  {Do you see how close I am to being caught up?!?!?}  I think that I have read literally every Nicholas Sparks book that there is.  Problem is I starting getting them all mixed up in about 2004.  Now for honesty before beginning...  I did not actually finish this one {I know, you are shocked! ;)}

I started reading this one, but then I got to skimming {this happens far to often}.  The book seemed like it was going to be very predictable.  It is about a woman who left an abusive husband.... you see where it's going... and meets a nice man in the little town she moved to.  I felt like I had read this one a million times before.  But when I skimmed to the end, it was way to kooky for me!  And that my friends is all I can say without giving it away.  2 of our girls really liked the book because of the twist that I so disliked.

I would say if you really, really like Nicholas Sparks read it.  But get it from the library.  I do have a hard back copy if you are interested.  :)  I for one am officially done with Nicholas Sparks though.

Read:  July 2011
Pages:  340

Forever

This was the last book in the Firstborn series.  I really liked this one.  It really brought the series together.  I also liked seeing Katie and Dayne's relationship mature and go through tragedy.  Karen Kingsbury always had a letter at the end and I really loved those.  This one really showed me some things that I had not thought about.

I literally finished all 5 books of the series in about 2 weeks.  I was a maniac.  I think that my husband was glad to see me again after that...  he seemed to be a book widower then...  Now I am excited to read the next series, but am going to try to read a few other books on my list before then.  :)


Read: August 2011
Pages:  368

Family

This is the book that Dayne gets to meet his birth family and it is a great culmination to the adoption part of the story.  Katie and Dayne are still trying to figure out just how they will work out in this one.

I feel like it's hard to tell you about these books without ruining what will happen in subsequent books...  Just know that this is a great series and you should totally read it!!!

Read:  August 2011
Pages:  368

Found

This is the third book in the Firstborn series.  In this book, Dayne's birth family learns about him and his father searches for him.  Dayne wants to protect his birth family from his public life, so this presents a bit of a problem.  Of course Katie and Dayne still can't stay away from each other.  Another quick and easy read.


Read:  August 2011
Pages:  368

Forgiven

This is the 2nd book in the Firstborn series by Karen Kingsbury.  In this book, Dayne is searching for meaning in his life and looks into Christianity.  You learn a little more about Dayne's past and it is overall another good book.  I think that I read it in less than 3 days.  Run out and get all 5 of the books in this series.  I l.o.v.e.d them!!!

Read:  August 2011
Pages: 384

Fame

A few weeks ago, James and I were at the library and I wanted something easy to read.... like I could finish it in under a week.  So I remembered that I had read a Karen Kingsbury book a while back {I actually had to go look at past post to remember the authors name...}  I stumbled upon this sweet little book.

I like Karen Kingsbury.  She reminds me of Nora Roberts, but Christian stories.  This book was JUST what I was looking for.  It is the story of a famous A-lister who can't get a small town girl out off his mind.  When she comes to Los Angeles though things don't go the way they are supposed to.  This is the beginning of Dayne and Katie's five book love story.  I can't really tell you much about the books with out giving it all away.

However I will say this series really got me thinking about the paparazzi and I have not bought quite as many Us Weeklys since.

Read:  July 2011
Pages:  368

Cars books

These are currently some of James' favorite books.  {James is currently 2.5 years old}  A friend gave him one in May when he began his H.U.G.E obsession with Cars.  Truth be told I never really was a fan of the Step into Reading sorts of books as a first grade teacher {mostly didnt like the vocabulary and thought they were boring)...  but now I see the value in some of these little jewels.

 Now James is not actually reading {yet, ;)} but these are the perfect length for an impatient 2 year old. The Step 1 books are the perfect length because they are about 1 sentence per page.

Most importantly though, it is just having books about something that your child is interested in!  I have quite a few more books that I want to share that James has been interested in for the last few months.

I am trying soooo hard to catch up { I have at least 5 James books, and 9 of my books that I need to blog about!}, but James is going thru a little I don't want to nap phase and that is my time to blog...