Bedtime, the States Game, some books and some Holtisms

Holt loves to read and has since infancy, by this I mean that he would sit as still as could be without making a sound and I could read pretty much anything out loud to him and he was an content as could be. I would read cases and outlines out loud, or I would read novels or magazines. He would sit and stare at a book and follow my finger and look at pictures even before he could crawl. When he started crawling, he would crawl to the bookshelf and pull books down and flip though them. I didn’t appreciate how rare this was until Harper Ann came along. She is just now letting me put her to bed with a book. When Holt was just home from the hospital I started reading one fish, two fish... to him because I thought he would like the cadence of the book. That started a ritual and for the first two years of Holt’s life, every night Jonathan, Holt and I would curl up in our bed after bath and read that book. (Either of us could recite that book from start to finish right now). We would read other ones too, but that was the one that we read right before it was really bedtime. Holt knew the book as well as we did. I am not sure when the ritual stopped, but at some point Holt started wanting different books, but that one will always and forever remind us (Jonathan and Me) of putting Holt to bed. It makes me a little sad to know that Holt won’t have any real memories of us reading that book to him the way we did.

We replaced the Dr. Seuss book with many others and Holt’s picture books are long a thing of the past, but his love of reading is as strong as ever. Our bedtime routine has changed a little over the past couple of years. One of our most recent rituals is what Holt calls “the states game” I like to call it Jonathan’s exercise game. Two years ago when Jonathan went to Idaho Elk Hunting (thanks goodness he didn’t kill anything trip) Holt and I talked a lot about his drive out there and we followed him on the US placemat Holt eats on. Since then Holt has mastered his US puzzle and is a big fan of his book “Scrambled States of America” book. Since Jonathan decided to hang Holt’s maps illogically high on the walls he has to do the lifting. After we read, but before prayers at night, I will call out a state and Holt has to find it on the map. If he finds it on the first try then Jonathan will toss him down on the bed. Holt laughs and I laugh because Jonathan gets so tired. We talk about the different states and something significant about each one. He is a big fan of Pennsylvania b/c he likes to hear the story about the Liberty Bell.




A few years ago I bought Holt the collection of “Schoolhouse Rock” cartoons. He loves them and is a big fan of the History Rock collection. One of them is the British are coming, well that sparked Holt’s interest in all things Revolutionary War.



He wanted to hear all about Paul Revere’s ride and so for his birthday I bought him some books. Among them are “John, Paul, George, and Ben” (Holt’s favorite) and “Let it Begin Here.” I also got him Lynn Cheney’s “When Washington Crossed the Delaware,” about the Christmas night attack on the British troops. Well, the book explains the Hessian Army role in the war and the attack. Well, a few months ago, I was fixing supper and Holt came up to me rifle in hand and asked, “What are my orders General Washington.” I started laughing and told him to break up the ice so we could get the men and artillery across. He promptly went into the dining room and began pounding, rather loudly, on my the hardwood. He returned for his next orders. “Get the men ready to attack the British troops,” I said. Holt looked at me with all the contempt in the world and said, “It’s not the British mama, it’s the Hessians.” He then promptly went off to lead the charge. Oh my, I’ve got a lot to look forward to.


His trusty steed.I was standing in the kitchen washing dishes 2 nights ago and Holt walked up to me pointed his gun at me and said, "Alright Cornwallis your surrounded, you better give up." Then he shot me.

What an angel

A few Holt stories that are too good not to share:

So, a few months ago I was backing out of our driveway and hit a tree. Holt was with me and I told him that if daddy asked he could tell him but that he didn’t have to volunteer the fact that I hit the tree. Well, I was backing out of the driveway a few mornings ago and Holt said "watch out for that tree you hit that time, I didn't volunteer that information to daddy just like you said, remember that."

We were in the car on April 15th and I saw the date flash on the Bank marquee, so I told him that it was tax day. Well one of Holt’s schoolhouse rock videos was about King George taxing the British and compared it to stealing. I am assuming that is where the following conversation stemmed from a few hours later in the day.

Holt-did they steal all your money
Me-did who steal my money
Holt-you said it was tax day today isn't that when they steal your money

He’s a smart one.

In the car a few months ago Holt says, “Mama, I wish our car had a hat.”
“A hat? What kind of Hat?”
“You know one of those hats that says dominoes on it; that way we could eat pizza anytime we wanted.”

Watching Sunday night baseball with the boys and Holt says I don't like that vampire he's mean. What vampire? That mean vampire standing behind the batter.

One night I walked by Holt's room and heard him tell Teddy, "it's okay Teddy you don't have to be scared; Daniel wasn't scared in the cave with all those lions."

One day Holt asked, “Mama, I wonder how they make chocolate milk.” I thought I was being very clever by telling him that there are chocolate cows and made up a very convincing story about how the cows eat cocoa plants and all they eat is chocolate.” After my long explanation he looks at me and says, “That’s silly mama I mean do they have a machine to mix the chocolate and milk.” I’ll have to save that tale for Harper Ann.