Repition

Gracie has become fanatical with books.

It is both wonderful and horrible at the same time. I love the fact that she is fascinated by the stories right now, even if some of them just contain animal noises.

BUT. BUT. Oh my word - if we let her, she would bring us book after book after book for hours without any stop.

Last night I dreamt in children's books -

Cheezie Puffs and Oatie Crunch
What would little llama like for lunch?
Llama Llama does not know
Llama Llama wants to go.

Could be fun, right? Sure, except for the fact that I wasn't Mama Llama or any character in the books. I was just trapped reading the book. Over and over and over again.

How can I really complain though?

She is starting to point out objects and correctly identify them in the more basic books. Duck, ball, flower, bug, fish, boat... and every day there are new additions.

She is starting to identify pictures of animals and the noises they make. Cow=Moo, Dog=Woof, Cat=Meow, Snake=Sssss, Duck=Quack, Donkey=HeeHaw... and how do you not love a kid making donkey noises?

Oh, and lets not forget Snail=Schlllerrrrrrrrrch. Even though Grace has yet to say either snail or schlllerrrrrrrrrch (which is Matt's amplified and high speed version of a snail trail (included at his insistence)) it is in fact one of her favorite characters in the Baby's First Animal book.

We have a book of opposites, and she is starting to understand the difference between back and front, smooth and rough, quiet and loud, hard and soft.

These are all fantastic developments. It is amazing to watch the light and excitement in her eyes when she bring a book over to be read.

BUT. BUT. BUT.

Loaf of bread and Cream of Wheat,
Llama Llama wants his treat.
It's no fun at Shop-o-Rama,
Llama Llama mad at Mama!

The rhyming! Oh, it's a cute book. They are all cute books. And it seems like we have a million already, but they cycle through so quickly. Every 10 minutes you come back to the same book. Gracie's trinity right now is: Baby's First Animal Book, Goodnight Moon and Llama Llama Mad at Mama.

I guess the answer is to just give Amazon some more business and order more books though, huh?