Never Too Old...

See how big these feet are? The ones in the middle are mine... they're only 7 1/2. My daughter's are on the right... 8 1/2. And my son's feet are gigantic. Like Thumper's, they look too long for his body right now. He'll grow. It'll work out.

Sometimes, I can't believe how big these feet have gotten. (The orange feet just got their first driver's license last week!) Weren't they barely holding up wobbly legs under a Minnie Mouse diaper just a little bit ago?

This foot scene isn't out of the ordinary for us. We've been reading like this most nights since before they could really walk or talk. But at 15 and 13 years old now (plus throw in more extra-curricular sports and big-kid homework), I'll admit we haven't sat down together like this in a few years.

But then I was in the bookstore last week and saw a new book by a local author displayed on the front table. It's set at the Biltmore House in the city where we now live. I stared at it for a while. "Hmmm... I wonder if the kids would go for this... they're pretty old now." Thinking of snuggling up and reading with them again made me feel really nostalgic (and old). Who was I kidding? They're teenagers. They're reading the Mortal Instruments series and Rick Riordan's books in their own beds at night... like teenagers do... alone... mini-grown-ups.

Who cares. I bought it anyway and sent the invite. Meet me on the couch... 9:00... If you dare. They came. They sat. I read. It was nice, but I figured they were being polite. The first chapter was really long and, frankly, I was getting tired of reading. (Ironic, I know.) So I stopped in the middle and said we'd pick it back up tomorrow.

And what happened?

I know you know.

Surprising the heck out of me, they whined for me to finish the chapter! (Mom-heart melting.) And, even though I didn't really want to read anymore, I pushed ahead because who knows how long these moments will last.  

My takeaway? I don't think we're really ever too old to enjoy the gift of literacy with our children. Don't stop reading aloud, no matter what grade you teach. Remember how captivated Robin Williams' students were in The Dead Poet's Society? Let's do that. Let's captivate kids! Let's be KID CAPTIVATORS!

Suddenly I feel like a superhero.

I might need a cape.  

What are we reading?

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Asheville Author Robert Beatty

Happy teaching!