My kids are lucky

Allie had another field trip today, to the local library. We don't actually visit the local library that much because Allie gets new books almost every day from her school library. This is a significant difference from me as a kid. I was a bookworm and we owned very few books. In fact, I don't know that I owned any books until I was older, maybe 12 or 13. So though I got some books from the school library, my sisters and me (mostly me) went to the local library on our bikes pretty much every weekend.

Going to the local library was a scary trip for a, say, 9 year old. There was a busy street at the end of the trip, with a left turn that was challenging, followed immediately by a bridge that had a open grid deck, followed by railroad tracks. Despite my nervousness, I'd trek up there all the time, stuffing the basket on the front of my bike with as many books as would fit.

I remember checking out too many books more than once. The library's return book slot was right next to the bike rack, so I'd fill my basket with the books I really, really wanted to read, then go through the rest, prioritizing until I determined which books to put in the return slot.

Allie and Julia own hundreds of books, some from Greg's childhood, some from their cousin Emily (thanks Em and Michelle), many they've gotten as gifts from other people, and many, many that we've bought them.

We say all the time that our girls are spoiled, but you know what, they really, truly are. They have thousands of words waiting, to take them away to adventures that they can't even imagine right now.

I got a new book from the girls and Greg for Mother's Day that I've started but not finished, but you know what--I'm thinking of heading off for the local library myself. Why should my kids have all the fun!