Joshua has been reading for a couple of years now.  He started out slow, but has picked up speed here lately.  He's been reading really well for about a year, but wasn't able to read much on his own except our Pathway readers and some select beginning readers.  However, there hasn't been a day go by that you don't find him with a book in his hands.  He can be  seen flipping through picture books and story books and encyclopedia books and magazines looking intently at the pictures.  And that's what he has always been doing.  I have seen him spend an hour on the couch or chair or bed or floor or swing gazing at books.  But for the most part he wasn't reading the words, just looking at the pictures.
    Just recently a friend gave him a large stack of the "Magic Tree House" books.  He became extremely interested in them when his daddy picked one out to read to him last week.  He didn't want for his daddy to stop reading the book.  And ever since then he's been looking through the books.  Today I caught him looking at the books again.  I thought that it was very neat to see him "reading" the books thinking about how there are quite a few pictures for him to look at.  But upon peering over his shoulder I discovered that he wasn't even on a page with pictures!  He had been quietly reading through the book on his own!  He spent over an hour with the book, and I don't doubt that he finished it or mostly finished it.  I was thrilled and excited and overjoyed. 
    There's nothing much sweeter than knowing your children love books!  Books open the door to learning and that learning can be facilitated on their very own when they read and love to read!
    And I'm hoping it is a trait that can be passed on.  All 3 boys enjoy looking at books.  Caleb and Daniel (3 and 22 months) both spend large amounts of time flipping through pages in books.  It's a joyous site to behold!