Boys Should Be Boys

So for a long time {as in all last year} this was in my car for me to read whenever I had a few minutes I needed to fill.  Mostly when I was waiting to pick up James from school.  So it feels like I read it for.ever!

Anyway I really liked this book and I am totally keeping it to revisit often as James gets older and older.  I loved how no nonsense this book was.  A lot of the advice seemed like duh...  but often knowing something and actually putting it into practice are two entirely different things.  I find that I need to be reminded of common sense often {especially while parenting!}.

One of the main things that I took away from this book is right now while James is almost 4, I am setting the ground work for our relationship for the rest of his life.  I need to take the time now to listen to him, to play with him, to cuddle with him.  If I don't do that now, then he is never going to want to come to me and talk when he is older.  And y'all sometimes it is hard to step away from the dishes, the laundry, the cooking, etc.  Especially when it involves playing trains again.... so not my favorite pastime.  But it is his favorite pastime.  And raising a healthy son is all about the example I set and the relationship that we forge.  It is all about investing my time in my son.

If you have a son this is a GREAT book.  I advise you to pick it up and give it a read.  I don't think that it will disappoint.

Read:  Sept. 2011-Feb. 2013

Pages:  287

Favorites of 2012

This year it was harder for me to pick a top 5. {and youll notice im a little late posting....  Lets just say new years was not rachels easiest days!}The top two were really, really easy. Besides that I liked quite a few of the books that I read, but not much more than the others.  Most of these books were not from my book club which is totally opposite of last year.

Here are my top 5 of 2012:

5.  A Seperate Country

4. Stories I Only Tell My Friends

3. The Secret of the Rosary

2. bittersweet

1. Cold Tangerines

The Dovekeepers

Y'all know that I am honest...  I really didn't want to post on this because it is another book that I just could not get into!  Boo!  I had really high hopes for his one.  But I just couldn't get into it.  It's about the fall of Jeresulum in 70 AD.  I love to read about fiction about biblical times, but I think that I couldn't get into it because there was an affair in this book.  I just had a hard time stomaching that with the fact that it was semi-religious...  Oh well...

Read:  (or not) Novemeber 2012

Pages: 528

I Spy! & Toyland Express

Do y'all remember these books from when you were little?  They were the best and apparently they still are. James, Daddy, and I all enjoy these ones.

It all started when we found Toyland Expess at the library. It's part of the Do You See What I See series. Truly amazing for a train loving little boy. We literally had the librarian searching the library for it one day because James was determined the get it and we knew it was there somewhere.

Every night at bedtime we read James a book or two. Then we leave him with a lamp on and one of these books. He's out in a few minutes but man he enjoys looking at all the little details.

James' age:  3 years 10 months

I'm Dirty!

I always saw the I Stink! book when I was a teacher, but I'll be honest I stunk at knowing good books for little boys. Recently at the library, I saw this one and thought James might like it. He sure does we read it 4 times in 6 hours!

This is a cute book about a backhoe loader. I think big boys would appreciate the humor lots, too. James mostly likes it since he's majorly into construction vehicles. He told Daddy tonight he wants to be a backhoe loader.

Age:  3 years 10 months