carmen learns

My very favorite place in the whole world....the public library.  Especially when books like these jump off the shelf at you!

This past summer, we discovered books on CD.  We listened to People of Sparks, The One and Only Ivan, and Infinity Ring, The Trap Door.  While those CDs played in the car, the children sat quietly in rapt attention...even Diego, despite the books being a little above his head.  The only possible drawback of books on CD is that the reader's voice is almost certain to get on your nerves at some point.  But it's not really a drawback because then you get to imitate the way they talk and burst into fits of laughter.

Since the summer, we've also listened to Love That Dog and Knucklehead, two of the B.O.B. books for elementary school.



So now, more about Carmen.

She has been dying to taste what we are eating at the table.  She stares at the food going to your mouth with hers watering.

I would occasionally give her the bottom of my cup to pretend to drink from and she'd be overjoyed.  That cold porcelain probably feels so refreshing on those toothless gums.





But she's six months old now, so it was time to try something new.  The American first food....Rice Cereal.  I even had to make a special trip out to the store just to pick some up because I had forgotten to buy it while grocery shopping.

So we excitedly mixed up a spoonful, and I sat her on my lap since she's still too tiny for the high chair.  She was just as excited as we were, and I had to wrestle the spoon out of her hands to place the first bit of cereal on it.  Carmen was all smiles as she opened her mouth to take that first bite.

But the grass isn't always greener on the other side.  I think this face says it all.