Hello and happy Thursday!!

Well, I’ve enjoyed my little “Throwback Thursday” series this summer but…these posts have also made me feel a bit nostalgic…and even a little sad thinking about all the sweet memories from when my kids were little!

Earlier this week, we had to be out of the house for a couple of hours. The kids had a workout and afterwards, we went to Taco Bell for lunch, and then Hayden requested that we go to Joseph Beth Bookstore. Now, he’s always been more of a reader than Hadley has, but even this visit, he was on the lookout for the Kentucky Football magazine…not a book.

That’s ok…I was still grateful for time in one of my favorite places, and Hadley even picked up a book too.

When I went to round up the kids to leave, I spotted my boy…and it made me smile.

This is Hayden at the same book store in 2011:

Then, I got to thinking about how summer reading was such a big part of their childhood. We spent so much time at the library, especially when they were little. We’d go to “story time” a couple days as week, and then I’d let them play for a bit and check out books. They always thought it was fun to return the books in the return slot…and as they got older, they thought it was so cool to use the scanner to check the books out.

Every year, we’d go and pick up the “Summer Reading Program” paper to keep track of the books we’d read. Eventually, they’d read on their own….what a rite of passage. Then, at the end of the summer, they’d turn their sheets in and pick out their free books and other prizes.

I remember doing this as a kid with my mom, and even though my kids don’t read as much as they used to, I hope they remember all of our time going to the library.

During the elementary years, the kids had an amazing librarian at their school, and they’d check so many books out at the school library too. Of course, they lived for the book fair every year.

I know it’s natural, as they get older, to maybe not read for fun as much given their schoolwork, their schedule, technology (ugh!), and just having other interests. As much as I’ve always loved reading, there were stretches of time that all I read was for school. It’s been about seven years now that I’ve gotten back into reading really regularly. I hope they continue to find opportunities to read. Both of my parents are big readers, and I try to model that for my kids too.

Anyway, here’s a look at library time/summer reading through the years:

2012:

I’d say the summer of 2012 is when we started going to the library regularly. The kids would have been 2 1/2, so that’s a great age to take them.

We’d visited my mom in KC, and she was doing story time at the public library she worked at after she retired. (She was a 7th grade Language Arts teacher for over 30 years…and then worked (and retired from!) at the public library a couple days a week for maybe ten years?

The kids were on their best behavior. haha

Here the kids are at our library…

I loved that they could go and explore, play games, and check out books once or twice a week.

At the end of the summer, they earned their summer reading t-shirts.

2013:

Lots of time spent at story time, and Hayden finding any books he could about trucks.

Arts and crafts at the library… always is a good time!

2014:

Y’all, I distinctly remember the first time the kids sat down at these computers, and had no clue how to use a mouse! They’d never been on a computer before, obviously. It was so awkward until they figured it out.

Hadley loved the little reading nook, and I’d often find her there.

Hayden started wanting to read The Magic Treehouse series, and most nights we’d read them to him at bedtime. Hadley always loved books about animals, including the Critter Sitter Club books. I don’t think she’s actually reading in this pic. haha

2015:

Kindergarten time, so of course they loved Pete the Cat.

Hadley was starting to outgrow the library reading nook, but I would still often find her there.

2016:

This summer, they were more “independent” in the library whenever we would visit.

…Hadley found a buddy to read books to…

2017:

I took this pic at the end of the summer. We’d gone to pick up school supplies and get back to school hair cuts. We also stopped by the library for them to pick out their books that they earned from their summer reading.

Of course, Hadley loved Pinkalicious, and Hayden was very into the “Where is” and “Who is” books. He was (and still can be) very inquisitive.

2018:

Awe…they were getting so big…but we still went to the library often.

2019:

Throughout the elementary years, they always enjoyed reading at bedtime. Hayden was reading a story from an old textbook the teacher had sent home.

Of course, even in 5th grade, they read a lot as well…but that was the year they were mostly learning from home.

It’s no secret that one of my favorite hobbies is reading.

I hope my kids keep books as a part of their lives whenever they get the chance!

This was a fun stroll down memory lane, but I can’t believe how quickly these summers are flying by.