When my kids started preschool I wanted to make sure I inspired them to read. To me, that meant having plenty of books around that would interest them. I made the decision early on to have books all around the house so they could easily pick one up. And that fostered my love of buying books.

Our favorite tradition each holiday is decorating the house accordingly. The kids love to help and always fight over who gets to put out the holiday books that are just for them. We have a huge stack of children’s books for every holiday. Now that the kids are older they still love to go through the picture books each holiday season. Here is their Halloween favorite.

Do you buy books for holidays for you or your kids? Do you have a favorite Halloween book?

To celebrate Independence Day this year we are taking Pickle and Porky to California to enjoy the festivities the way I did when I was growing up. My grandfather is 95 years old and we are ALL making the trip back home to eat homemade ice cream and hot fudge, sit on his back patio, and watch upwards of five different fireworks displays. And when I say ALL, I don’t just mean my little family of four. I mean, my ENTIRE family. That means, this year, on July 4th, there will be 29 people celebrating at my grandfather’s house. His son and daughter-in-law, five granddaughters, their husbands, and 17 great-grandchildren. I sure hope he’s ready for the invasion!

When I was young I used to get in trouble while I was reading. Not because I was reading, but because I tuned everything out when I started a book and heard nothing around me. My parents would call my name several times and assume I was ignoring them. They never understood that I was lost in a world inside my own head that was as vivid as a movie.

My website is almost three years old and I was ready for a change. What better time to push out the old and make way for new than in the Spring? Thanks to my “Computer Boy” for making it happen for me this weekend. Staying up way past our bedtime goes above and beyond. Thankfully, the kids and I let you sleep in on Sunday.