The research is clear. Children who are introduced to books at an early age have an advantage for a lifetime. And while the academic advantages can be cited through research, there’s something even more valuable. Throughout their lifetime, children who are read to by loving, caring adults will associate reading with the overwhelming experience of being loved. This is an advantage for the adults, too.

It was raining today, and both Penny and Scarlett felt a little under the weather this morning, so Penny skipped a day of preschool. We all stayed home to make the most of the day. The girls played with a variety of toys in the morning while listening to children’s Christmas music on Pandora. Then, just before lunchtime, Penny pulled out the first of five books for me to read to her today. It didn’t take long for Scarlett to join us.

After longer than usual naps (for all of us!), Grandma pulled out the box of plain sugar Christmas cookies for Penny to decorate. The task was a bit more complicated than Scarlett can handle at this point, so she busied herself with other endeavors. We now have a variety of dessert items to enjoy: stars, bells, and Christmas trees decorated with bright-colored red, green, white, and blue frosting.

As the afternoon went on, Scarlett still wasn’t feeling well and got a bit cranky, so I held her in my arms standing by the dining room window. This enabled her to see the trees and enjoy the rain falling outside. It was magical how it calmed her down.

Am I enjoying being a grandpa? Oh, yes!!! I can’t think of anything better to do with my life at this point.