Her kids were always reading...

That is what I want my tombstone to say...

Reading is a love of mine. I would be happiest reading, reading, reading all day long. I am even happy just looking at books; imaging that I am reading them. I am even happy making lists of the books I'm going to read... when I find the time. I know it sounds... like it's been said before... but reading is fundamental! (What a great reading campaign.) We read books aloud. We listen to books on CD. I am reading fairy tales to them and a storybook with Ethiopian fairy tales I picked up at the library. I am attempting to instill this love of books in my children... and so far, most of them LOVE to read. A few of them obscess over books like I do. The rest I'm working on.

We are in the midst of a reading competition in our family. We are going to read 200 books over the summer... and the prize... well I haven't exactly figured that one out yet. I hate to reward them with movies or video games since that's what I'm trying to get away from. Perhaps a special night out?

So we have been living at the library. I just about need a suitcase to go in and out of that place. On our last trip to the library, I showed Josh again where the books are. I explained fiction, non-fiction, biography, reference etc. I made a big deal out of the library tour. I sent the kids off to look for a few books of their own. Josh came back 15 minutes later, "I didn't find one."
"What do you mean you didn't find one?"
"I don't like these books."
"Well, what do you want to read about?"
"Nothing."
"Well, what are you interested in?"
"Nothing." (Sadder statements have never been said.)
"Well, what do you want to learn more about?"
"Nothing."

So we went up and down the aisle looking for a book that interested him. I started calling out topics. We looked on the computer for books that interested him. In the end, I told him that he would either find a topic that interested him, or I would find one for him. He wasn't happy about it, but he finally found a book about Ethiopia and a book about soccer.

I explained to him that without practice, reading will never get easier. He reads on about a 2nd grade reading level right now. I gave him the "if you can't read, you can't get anywhere in life" speech. It must have helped in some way, because I found him reading his book about Ethiopia twice now.

Is he just homesick? What is his deal? Yesterday the kids were all swimming and he sat in a lawn chair looking solemn. Then retreated to the house to look solemn. He has gotten in a bad habit of eating as fast as he can, putting his plate in the sink and disappearing before anyone else is done with dinner. I should call him Houdini because he disappears more than anyone I know. UGH! On a brighter note, I think he is beginning to maybe realize how much this hurts us, as he has gone out of his way the last few days to come give me a hug... I don't know. I don't feel like I can do anything other than support him through this slump... and attempt to not get sucked down into it with him.