bub...

annaleenas home

this photo makes me smile... not only for it's simplistic beauty, but because it reminds me of my nephew's early days.  

when i first moved to new york, i lived with my sis and brother-in-law and nephew (who was than 5 months old) for about nine months.  from the beginning, my nephew wasted little time dealing with the hindrance of non-movement.  he plowed through every physical milestone with intense determination... flying about the house with his 'commando crawl' by five months (he wouldn't let the fact that he couldn't yet keep that fat little tummy off the floor from hindering his movement).  constantly on the move (even in his sleep!), curiously exploring his world, he spent a good deal of each day with books.  removing the stacks of books from the shelves over and over, and lining them up across the floor... a little bridge to walk across by the time he was nine months.  

and his only moments of perfect still and quiet were the result of books.  even as a small baby, he could spend hours studying the pictures of books.   and it was not only pictures, but the books themselves... you could find him sitting on the couch, the gigantic bigger-than-him dictionary in his lap, turning the pages in serious study.  and listening to stories!  whether it was one of us or a book on tape, he could listen to any story (including those with plots and words that should have been far beyond his mental grasp) with endless patience... for a kid who rarely exhibited much patience in general.  a trait that, while at times could be frustrating, was more often fascinating to watch when used to conquer a goal.  

any pause in the storytelling would be quickly followed by a command of "read!"; in fact, this command became so second nature to him, that he would usually, and unconsciously, fill any pause in conversation with it.  and the vocabulary on this kid... a sponge for all things literary, he would store up vast amounts of words and save them to use in perfect context.

fast forward to today... age eight.  i think i can say with confidence that i've never seen him tire from reading, which is why we can often sit and plow through an entire novel in one sitting (reading is a family trait).  i think i can also say with confidence that he has, by far, listened to more of the classics (and many of them fifty times over) than almost anyone i know, adults included.

my nephew, on the right, and niece; picture by my sis

yes, i'm quite proud of my bub ;)