Filling Up On Books

We’re managing the battle with our “prepare for baby” to-do list.  I’m ridiculously over-organized; therefore, my desire to have the house complete is in overdrive. Some call it nesting. At 26 weeks pregnant, I prefer to say it’s my obsessive need to feel in control.

Justin’s in the midst of a three-month training for his new job. So he’s traveling cross-country constantly. Our remodeling to-do list time is limited. I set a goal to have Jack’s big boy room completed by his birthday, Sept. 16, which is approaching at warp speed.

Over the weekend we finished our hallway modifications with furniture, upgraded my closet (so we could remove my dresses from baby’s closet), picked & purchased the paint & supplies for Jack’s room and reorganized Jack’s closet (removing all baby items).

In our weekend overhaul, I realized we don’t’ have nearly as many classic books as I imagined. Naturally as a writer, I love to read. Fortunately, Jack shares my passion. He enjoys hearing stories, naming objects & flipping pages. Since he was born, our nighttime ritual has always included a bedtime story (currently Cat in the Hat). With number two on the way and Jack’s love for books rising, I decided it’s time to visit Border’s liquidation sale. The next Saturday morning shopping trip is planned.

Knowing our kids will share books and wanting to keep the bedtime story tradition with the new baby, I decided to combine all the books in one easy-to-choose location. Both bedrooms and their bathroom are steps away from each other, so we fitted the hallway corner with a bookcase (purchased at Ikea). I’ve been wondering what to do with that corner since we moved in….  

Board books on bottom, rip-able books higher.

Here are a few of our favorite & must-haves reads:

Goodnight Moon

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See

Pat the Bunny

Dr. Seuss Hop on Pop

Richard Scarry’s Best Story Book Ever

The Very Hungary Caterpillar

Runaway Bunny

Go, Dog, Go

Caps for Sale

Curious George

The Little Engine That Could

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Corduroy

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Fox in Sox

Where the Wild Things Are

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

The Napping House

Polar Express

Love You Forever

The Mitten

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Guess How Much I Love You

Good Night Gorilla

Mother Goose

Frog and Toad Are Friends

The Cat in the Hat

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

The Giving Tree

Am I missing any?