We have a nightly bedtime routine with the kids: bath, brushing teeth, pyjama’s, read books while eating a yogurt. We’ve done this since Merrin was young. Very young. Although I’m not sure when the yogurt snack started, possibly when Elsa was a newborn (she got milk, not yogurt) when we were trying to break Merrin of her bottle of milk before bed habit. Yes, that’s right. We let Merrin have a bottle of milk before bed right up until she was past 2 and a half years old.

Wait, this wasn’t supposed to be about our lack of discipline around food with our kids. This was supposed to be about reading.

We’ve been reading to our kids since they were infants. We read books to them at least every night. Sometimes in the morning, or during the daytime – but that usually only happens on weekends.

Plus I talk. A lot. Perhaps not as I used to, but it’s still more than Cory does. But come on, it can’t be working out too bad for me. I mean the word “communications” is right there in my job title after all.

Anyway, all the reading and talking have seemingly help our kids pick up fairly decent speaking skills. And apparently reading skills.

Tonight Elsa read* her first book. She turned 2 on Saturday.

When Merrin read her first book she was almost 2 and a half. Nearly twenty-nine months old to be more precise.

The first book Merrin read was a Sesame Street character tome about bubbles in the bathtub. For her first book recitation Elsa choose “My Pretty Kitty”, a delightful foam board book that mom bought her in Labrador.

So without further aideu, here is Elsa’s book of the night selection:
(italics of Elsa’s recitation)

My kitty’s so pretty so soft and small,
she runs and plays and catches her ball.
My pretty kitty’s so clean and neat,
after each meal she washes her feet.
I love to pat her silky fur,
and listen when she starts to purr.
My pretty kitty has so much fun,
and then she takes her nap in the sun.

*clearly I am using the word loosely. Even so, she’s pretty smart wha?