Enjoying a "First"

Maddy holds the firstborn status in our household.  With this status, she has certain rights that all firstborns hold.  She has the right to be bossy to her younger siblings, she has the right to try almost everything first.. and she has the right to ALWAYS know more than Travis and Peyton.  ( At least in her opinion...) 

Tuesday evening marked another first that Maddy gets to enjoy before her brothers.  It is something that not ALL people would actually enjoy, but I am raising little kids that LOVE to read.  I have been called a nerd before ( usually by my husband ) due to the fact that I would rather curl up with a good book than do most anything else.   I have shared and fostered the love of books in my kids, and I am proud to say that they "seem" to be following in their nerdy Momma's footsteps, and they LOVE to lay on the couch and crack open a book.  As usual, I digress... Tuesday evening, Maddy and I left Daddy at home with the boys and snuck off to the magical world of reading otherwise known as the Library.  We had some serious business at hand... Maddy's FIRST book report!! 

The assignment was to read any Arthur book, and color a picture of all the characters in the book.  Then she was to circle the most important character in the book and tell why she thought that they were the most important.  Maddy could hardly contain her excitement as we passed through the library doors.  We moved swiftly to the kids section where we looked up the author of the Arthur books, and found the right section.  She excitedly combed through the choice of Arthur books and honed in on one entitled, Arthur's New Puppy.  "Mommy!!! we have a new puppy!  We should read this one!," she said in a whispery voice.  I agreed that it was the perfect book for her and we settled at a little desk to read the story of Arthur and his Puppy, Pal. 

With the book read, she got on with the important business of working on her report.  We discussed the characters as she drew each one on her paper and then the all important task of deciding WHO was the most important character in the book ensued.  She decided on Arthur, since the book was an ARTHUR book.  I asked her if it should be the new puppy, but she was determined on Arthur.  So she circled him and that was that! 

I know you might be wondering why in the world I would wish to chronicle such a boring everyday evening such as this.  But in Maddy's eyes, it was ANYTHING but ordinary.  The shine in her eyes as she browsed the books, the bounce in her step as she walked out of the library with her chosen book cradled in her arms.  These are things I WANT to remember.  She might not always be so excited about school and assignments... who knows.. She might be the nerdiest of nerds like her mom, but she might take another path.  I can look back at this moment in her life and remember a first... that's enough for me.