Our Family Read Aloud: The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne. This is really 2 books in one. It combines Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. We have had so much fun snuggled up on the bed together (yes, all 5 of us on our queen size bed. It gets crowded and someone usually falls off, but it's worth it for the memories : ) Tony and I do the voices; we argue over who does them better. His Tigger is hands-down the best. I think my Piglet, Owl, Kanga and Eeyore are pretty awesome. Try as we may, neither of us has mastered the voice of Pooh Bear. River gets pretty lost in all the dialogue, but he loves the voices of all the characters and I'm pretty sure will remember his first time reading this classic and much-loved book. Scout surprises us with how well she follows the storyline and the subtle humor she picks up on. One of my favorite things about this book is how entertaining it is for the parent reader as well. Of course Ryder just drools on the pages and looks at Tony and I like we're crazy, but I look forward to reading this again with him in a few years.
Scout's Read Alouds: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. Oh the magic and adventure of this book - such a treat! This is one of the first chapter books that we read to Scout when she was four. She enjoyed it then, but now, at 6, it's a completely different experience. We are truly savoring every page. I thought this would be the perfect book to read during the holiday season and hopefully we will celebrate completing the book by watching the movie.
Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War: An Epic Tale From Ancient Iraq written by Kathy Henderson, illustrated by Jane Ray. This book really surprised me. It's like a little treasure. It lines up with our study of the first ancient civilizations but I didn't expect it to be so captivating. The print is large so Scout and I could read it together. The story is rich in history (especially the introduction and closing that contains a nonfiction account of the people of places discussed in the legend) the legend is whimsical and engaging and the illustrations are incredible. I'm so glad we stumbled upon this special book and I would highly recommend this book as an addition to any home library. (note: I would not read this with River quite yet, since, as with all early civilizations, there is a heavy emphasis on false gods, idol worship etc. Scout is old enough to understand what a myth/legend is and after studying the Egyptian gods and goddesses this was nothing new to her)
River's Read Aloud: Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo. When River turned four in October, we told him he could start reading (or being read : ) chapter books. This is sort of a rite of passage in our house and is so proud. I wanted to start with My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet, but he didn't seem to be quite ready to follow the irony yet. We decided that the Mercy Watson series would be perfect for him; short chapters, simple storyline and pictures on every page. While they definitely lack any real depth or vocabulary, I think it's a good start for Riv.
Ally's current read: The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. I checked this book out from the library mainly for the index included in the second half of the book. Jim Trelease provides a fantastic list of books to read aloud to children. He organizes them by genre, appropriate age level, book length etc. He also gives a brief synopsis of each book. This alone is an incredible resource for any parent. What I didn't expect was how entertaining, engaging and informative the first half of the book was. I found it very inspiring. Trelease is passionate about reading and his writing is smart, witty, well-researched and has an overall optimistic tone. He tells countless inspiring stories of everyday parents, world-changing teachers and home-town heroes. It definitely makes you want to do something in your own world to get books into the hands of the children who so deserve them. He also gives great practical tips too ( I'm all about practical things I can actually start doing right away, before I forget or get distracted by some other great idea : )
Tony's current read: Eggs by Jerry Spinelli. Tony says he's enjoying this but beyond that I don't know much about it. I hope to read if after he's done.
Oh my goodness how I love this little guy! I think I must kiss him at least hundred times a day. Of course we have our moments when he spits up (on everything!) and gets a little cranky when his gums hurt (still no teeth!) but honestly, Ryder is just the sweetest little baby ever. So content, peaceful, quiet ( at least for now : ) He just likes to be in the room with the rest of us and he's one happy camper. I do need to work on his "roomtime" since eventually he won't just be sitting in the bouncy seat, but crawling all over the 3 floors of our house (note to self: need to look into babygates). 
He is eating like a champ and I couldn't tell you what his favorite foods are because he seems to like everything we give him. I have really enjoyed making baby food for him in my beloved blendtec : ) (I've taken a ton of pics for the baby food post. Just need to type it u
The next step will be to move him to the sleep sack, but I'm not messing with this good sleep right now. Maybe we will try after he gets some teeth in. 
