{31 Things} Day 3: Read

I'm a book worm…always have been. I think my mom is to thank for instilling a love of reading in me as a kid. We went to library constantly when I was little, especially on those long summer days that just begged for a good book. I still remember the bags they'd give you to tote your books home; I would stuff mine with as many volumes as I could fit, and the drawstrings would dig into my little hands as I lugged my treasures home.

I loved all types of reading- SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) period at school, curled up in the coat closet with my current volume of The Berenstein Bears; Teddy Ruxpin Storytime, cuddled up against my furry friend, following along with his adventures in Boggley Woods; Read Aloud, listening to my teacher telling tales of Narnia while I picked at the rubber label on the back of my Keds; Road trip reading, tearing through a Judy Bloom novel or two, glancing at the scenery whizzing by; Library Day, huddle up on beanbag chairs with my elementary school friends flipping through back issues of Cat Fancy magazine…But my favorite was probably at night, staying up way past my bedtime with a flashlight under the covers. I made a habit of falling asleep with a book in my hand as I challenged myself to get through just one more chapter for whichever Sweet Valley Twins editions I was currently obsessed with.

As I grew up, I maintained my appetite for reading, transitioning my focus mostly to required titles for school, or blowing through endless piles of magazines in my free time (In high school my closet was split about 50/50 between clothes, and Vogue). And though as an adult, it’s a bit tougher to fit in as much reading as I used to (that pesky job cuts into my page turning time) I do still love to read. Magazines are still a top choice- my desk houses a rotating tower of editions, stacked high enough to pose a danger to passers-by. I’m also in two bookclubs, which is proving to be too much at times- I only actually finish about half the books- but I like the encouragement to check out new books, and enjoy discussing them with friends. And Dustin will attest that I still like to read in bed…though he doesn’t love dealing with the glow of my book light.

There are a few aspects of my childhood that I desperately hope to recreate in Piper’s life, and one of them is definitely a fondness of reading. We designed her nursery around books, hopeful that the right environment will foster her literary love. We are already exposing her to the written word, flipping through board books, and aiming to read a story together every night. I can’t wait until we can snuggle up in her bed and listen to her sweet little voice narrate my old library loves back to me. What a happy ending...