Security Booklet

For awhile there, I was getting a bit worried about Little Miss.  At an infant age when Little One had been all about reading, Miss was only interested in books if there was counting involved, or to eat them.  And not for long.  It seemed like books were just not Her thing.  Certainly not as much as blocks, or dumping stuff out of other stuff. 
I tried to just accept it and roll with Her preferences.  After all.  We can't all of us be complete book nerds. I suppose. And I loved Her the same! I did! I just wasn't sure how to raise such a creature over the long term. What does it....do?
But! Never you fear, Peanuts.  She was just holding out on us. 
She still has a passion for counting and blocks. But Missy has gradually evolved into the book-nerdiest bibliophile of the whole lot of us. Eight times out of ten (really, I measured it once) when it gets too quiet (you know what I mean right parents? Eerily quiet?  Up-to-no-good quiet?)  8 times in 10 I will peek around the corner and find Her sitting amidst a little mountain range of books.  All piled up in stacks around Her.  Leafing carefully through one, and then another. 
When I really need a solid 20 minutes of quiet time to take a phone call/bleach the bathtub/breathe deeply and regain sanity, the best bet is to sit Her down with a bin full of books and just leave Her alone.  She's in Missy-land.  She can't even hear you. 
I've learned that books are the very best tools to use for bribery or placation! For instance, the Dreaded Car Seat.  Oh, She hates the DCS.  But hand Her a book to read on the way?  All smiles. 
The library is like heaven for this kid people.  When we walk in, She does an actual happy dance. 
Story-time at our house comes twice a day, rain or shine, and it is incomparably Her favorite part of living.  If this kid could have story-time and watermelon 24-7, She would have reached nirvana. 
Her current favorites are "Mrs. Wow Never Wanted A Cow" and anything with pictures of "BABIES"!  And in case you think I am hyping up this book-love too much, I will just let you know that at night, Missy has never attached to a security object.  Little One liked (still does) to choose a stuffed animal to cuddle in bed at night.  Little Miss hates that.  She will actually throw the thing if you try to lovingly offer it at night.  Poor, unwanted Teddy.  But.  What did She ask for, time and time again, until I gave in?  What must She now have, in Her little arms, wrapped tight and hugged and kissed?  What pillows Her little cheek as She drifts off to dreamland?  Oh yes.  A book.  Or, in Missy-talk, a "booka".  Any "booka".  Better yet, three "bookas". 
On the down side, our kid-library is becoming a bit tattered from the constant use.  On the up side, I'm no longer worried that we won't share a love of reading.  And She goes to bed so easily now!
She has enough stories memorized now that I'm starting to think that learning-by-osmosis thing we all tried in college might actually work, too.