Simon is a kid of many passions: his first love was airplanes, followed by trains, then specifically Thomas the Tank Engine and company, then Bob the Builder especially and construction more generally; sprinkled in there have been bursts of interest in the guitar. Ian, on the other hand, has yet to really get into any one thing. He likes things that go—trucks and tractors and trains and such—and he pays careful attention to animals, but there’s hasn’t really been anything that stands out as his current kick in the same way.

We have, however, noticed that the child loves books. Loves. Books. He usually “reads” to himself for a half hour or so before falling asleep for naps or for the night, and when we go to fetch him from his crib, more often than not, he is already awake and quietly looking through his books. He’s even been known to page through a book in the dark.

Last night Jason let him keep his light on, and when we went to bed a while later, we found him like this:

Better yet, though, this morning, this is how Jason found our little scholar:

In the hustle and bustle of getting dressed this morning, I saw him already trailing after Jason with two books under his arm and begging, “Ree boo? Ree boo?” I don’t think Jason probably had time to read to him before all five of us got out the door before 9 am, but, man, that’s a hard request to turn down. I suppose it goes without saying, but I hope he is always so excited about reading.

What are you into right now?

On my nightstand: Jason just got A Dance with Dragons (book 5 in the series a Song of Ice and Fire), so I’ve laid aside all else and picked up A Clash of Kings (book 2).

Want to read: Books 3 and 4 in the aforementioned series, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Zeitoun, and oh so many more.

TV show worth watching: Can’t wait until Game of Thrones comes out on dvd (a bit of a theme here). Really enjoying White Collar.

Movie I’ve seen (in or out of the theater): Jason and I got to see Tree of Life last week, and he wrote up some good thoughts on it. We also finally watched Harry Potter 7, so now we’re ready for 8.

In my ears: I am loving a mix that Joie Meador made for her wedding a few weeks ago. And I’ve also pulled out Mavis Staples. When we’re in the car, Simon alternatively asks for Joie’s music or Mader Steeps.

What I’m looking forward to next month: Two—yes, two!!—trips. One to celebrate our anniversary (just the two of us!) and one for family getaway. Also, our anniversary (6), my birthday (38), and my sister’s wedding. And even with all that, I’m probably most excited about our “big” ultrasound (and, yes, we hope to find out if this little one is a boy or a girl).

A really great bookstore and one of my very favorite places in Lincoln.

When Jason and I married and combined our book collections, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was one of only five or six that we both had copies of. To his credit, he claims that he saw it on my bookshelf when we were dating and got a copy to impress me. Why he didn’t just borrow it is a good question. Anyway, I’ve picked up but not finished Kavalier and Clay several times. The first time I just didn’t get it, and other times I just got busy or whatever and by the time I got back to it I had to start over because I couldn’t remember what was happening. I’ve been reading it off and on again lately. This morning, though, I had one of those all-too-rare reading moments that left me literally smiling as I closed the book, really, really wanting to know what happens next (tempted to skip ahead but enjoying the story as it unfolds too much to “ruin” it), and wishing that I had a long, rainy day with no responsibilities so I could lose myself in the world. I’m always surprised at how much I like superhero tales (Kavalier and Clay is the story of cousins in the late 1930s who create a comic book, so the comic book is woven into the main plot, or maybe it is the main plot). I suppose I’m somewhat of a closet comic book geek—or I could be if I knew where to start.

Jason’s going to love this post. I’m having one of these days. Blame it on the rainy weather (love it), the (caffeinated) coffee I have in my system, that Simon was particularly good this morning while Ian snoozed, that I just finished a really good book (in three sittings in two days), and probably especially on the fact that I have a babysitter at home with the kids and am sitting in the library with my feet up, but I am feeling inspired and happy this morning.

**Important disclaimer: I have a constantly changing mental list of things I want to do and, realistically, it’s not to be confused with a to-do list. In other words, by writing these ideas down today I am not looking for accountability, I’m just blogging and dreaming a little.

In no particular order:

• Rethink my blog and actually do something with it. I’d like to focus on a photoblog, since I take pictures (almost) every day and am trying to let my photography be a creative outlet.
• Tag, geotag, and otherwise organize all our digital pictures, both on our computers and on Flickr.
• Quilt. I’d like to find the quilt I started for our wedding and finish it and to finish the quilt I started making for Jason’s 29th birthday (2005). But most of all, I’d like to make a whole new quilt in this pattern (I haven’t decided yet if I’ll use scraps I have or get new fabric).
• Continue my decluttering rampage, which has been neglected lately for lack of time but not for lack of desire.
• Learn (again) to knit.  I do have a specific project in mind from this book. (I checked his book out of the library because out of 30 projects, there are at least 11 that I could see myself actually doing and, of those, 3 or 4 that I really will do—you know, probably.)
• Read. A lot.
• Set up a sewing room in the basement.
• Paint and otherwise finish decorating and/or furnishing our living room and dining room.
• Make a bunch of these shirts for the boys out of Jason’s old band shirts (this project has been approved pending Jason wearing each shirt one last time).
• Make a quiet book. Or three.

Even though I blurted these out in no particular order, I can see how they will have to line up in a logical progression (e.g., finish decluttering so I can set up a room so I can sew). And, truth be told, I’m finishing this post in the few more minutes I can squeeze from the Simon just woke up from his nap and is groggy time before he starts in with the chorus “Mama done! Mama done!” and trying to close the computer on my hands, so already my idealism is taking a hit. Nothing gets crossed off the list today. I’m off to play blocks.

Last night we had no cable service and no Internet: the perfect excuse to spend the evening in Middle-Earth.

As Rebecca said, this meme has been making the rounds on Facebook. This would be a lot harder (maybe impossible) if it were fifteen favorite books, but, no, it’s just fifteen books that you can think of in fifteen minutes that stick with you. In that case, I could go on and on, but here’s my fifteen (in no particular order):

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
What Is the What by Dave Eggers
Dakota by Kathleen Norris
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory by Randall Balmer
Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner
Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

And now I want to go back and read each of these (and several more that came to mind).

So, we’re taking this little trip to Japan, and I have a feeling that we’re going to have a decent amount of reading time, since the little pumpkin likely won’t want to be out all night dancing. I’m currently reading The Time Traveler’s Wife, but I’m enjoying it so much that I’ll probably be done with it before we go. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m guessing it might be a three-book vacation (one or two might be more realistic, but better safe than sorry).

I have a new favorite place in Lincoln: I try to get to Indigo Bridge as often as I can.

They are having their grand opening event this weekend. On Friday, November 7, there will be free coffee and live music for the First Friday Artwalk. And on Saturday, there will be free drip coffee 8 am to 10 am, storytime at 10 am, kids music (Jim King at 11 am, Mike Mennard at 2 pm), piano music in the evening, and giveaways all day. The best part, though, is that all profits from the entire day will support the folks from Zion and Redeemer who are headed to Peru in December. 

I’ve lately been engrossed in George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. I finished tonight, and I can see why Jason was so taken with it. (Jason has lately been spending his evenings/late nights after I crash thusly.)