I am so proud...

Galen's reading skill is growing like a weed. I'm not sure how he equates to kids his age, but the boy reads a lot. In the car, at restaurants, standing at the kitchen counter. He devours books like ants devour sugar. His latest discovery? Eragon. Dragons are a draw...

Thankfully, this doesn't get too much in the way of his life. He'll still do chores and such, with gentle prodding. I interpret his love of books as validation for us taking the hard road, not permitting much in the way of TV and electronic gaming. When bored, he doesn't waste too much energy trying to persuade me to let him watch TV, he knows it is unlikely. He knows he can escape into some other world through books.

Or Legos.

I think Liam might be following. He too will sit and read books, though I believe it's still mostly about pictures with only some comprehension.

I love books, Shanna loves books. It looks like our kids will too and that makes me proud.

We must be doing something right

Christmas has come and gone. The tedious tasks of wrapping, decorating, keeping kids unaware of the bounty they are about to receive is more than offset by the excitement, joy, and smiles on Christmas morning.

We were awake before they were, how & why I'll never know. But we sat on the stairs, watching & waiting for them to rush out of their room. And at 6 AM, they did exactly that. A zoom up, giggle & glee, and then they started looking for us. No shaking, or early present opening. They wanted to get us before beginning the event.

It was glorious! There were no sighs of disappointment, only smiles, giggles, yeas, and a dogged rush to open the next present.

Our biggest surprise, how did we learn we are doing something right? It came from their exclamations. Galen's biggest yelp for joy was upon opening an atlas. Liam's was upon unwrapping a violin.

Somehow they began with the patience to sit for a photo before the mayhem... I love my kids. I love my wife. Life is good...