Sponge

Linus is going through another phase in which he is fascinated by everything and I can tell he is soaking up loads of information. Since he received the Market Day book from BryAnn last week, I picked up on his interest in books that have more complex pictures on each page instead of a picture of a single object. He studies each page in that book with so much focus. And by the way, his way of saying cockadoodledoo is "cockadoo." I wish you could hear him say it. Yesterday at the library I got him a book with Jack and Jill as the story line and pictures taken of little felt dolls acting it out. Linus is especially interested in the part about Jack breaking his crown. At that part Linus puts his hand to his head. When we went for our walk this morning, he wanted to bring it along. I wasn't too keen on his taking a library book outside, but he wouldn't let go of it. So off we went for our walk and about 2 houses up, he plopped down in the middle of the sidewalk and wanted me to read it to him. One of the neighbors was mowing his lawn and he laughed when he saw us.

Before Matthew left for work this morning I made a run to a community-wide yard sale at the nearby elementary school. I got some books and a toy shopping cart for Linus. He was so excited about the books. He pulled them from the cart and couldn't decide which to look at first. What a joyful moment that was for all of us. One of the books he'll have to grow into, but I had to get it. It was one I recognized from my childhood. It is called Be Nice to Spiders by Margaret Bloy Graham, copyright 1967. It is a Weekly Reader Book Club edition, from back when they sold hardcover books. It is a wonderful book to add to our collection.

Here is Linus playing in the play house I made for him out of a dishwasher box. We've been having so much fun with this thing. We play a variety of peekaboo games, including one involving his stuffed snowy owl. In one side of the box I cut a door and in each of the other sides I cut windows of different styles. I had a blast making this for Linus and look forward to one day helping Linus decorate a box playhouse with crayons or markers.