Reading Machine

Here is a haphazard photo of Sidge with Book #2 of Harry Potter. To be fair, I am not a Harry Potter fan. Not really for any good reason -- I just didn't get into the books when I tried to read them. (Truthfully JB and I have discussed the "okay-ness" of these books and movies and both us generally feel they are simply an imaginative piece of literature like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.) 

Anyways, JB was a HUGE fan. He absolutely loved the books and the movies. I remember him devouring them all when we were fairly early in our married years. He decided to read each book to the boys, let them watch the movie, and then let them read the book on their own. 

Isaac jumped right into it. But Sidge took a little more nudging. But suddenly, I watched as the book devoured him. We were at ballet, and he read for the entire hour! It was one of my greatest homeschool-mom-moments of my homeschooling-mom career. You teach your children to read, and you tell them how wonderful books are, and you make them read. But you can't make them love reading. 

But then they do. Both boys this last month said something along the lines of: "Mom, I get why you wanted us to read so badly. It's really cool."

And then to Sidge I said, "Isn't that book almost as good as watching a movie?"

And he said, "Mom, I think it is better."

Be still my heart.

Isaac finished book one. Then Sidge read it. And before Isaac could even start on book two, Sidge had finished it. We would catch him early in the morning and late at night ... reading. 

Honestly, this might be the highlight so far of my homeschooling. To have the privilege to teach my boys to read and then see them love to read like both their Dad and I do was so incredibly satisfying. 

This homeschooling this is NOT easy. It is overwhelming and lonely and the most challenging thing I have ever done. 

But it has its moments.