she's back. . .

I went upstairs into the hot attic this morning to find her. . .

It's been three years since we've heard her silly talk. . . heard about her outrageous adventures. . .

And, I think we've missed having her around.

So, I brought down a great big stack of Junie B. Jones books. . . that have been waiting for little Luke to finally turn five. . .

I first read them to my Kindergarten class. . . gracious. . . must be almost 11 years ago? I remember shaking my head at the crazy things that she did. Thinking how out of this world they were. Clearly exaggerated. . . And my Kindergartners loved them. Every year I would bring them out, starting with The Stupid, Smelly School Bus. And ending with Graduation Girl. We would read a few chapters at a time, at rest time. Getting a little further each day. Probably finishing a book in a week or so. . .

And I remember how excited I was to read them to Jack. How I missed her silly ways. . . And how he loved reading about Junie B. Giggling. . . His first chapter book. We read a chapter or two every night. Until he couldn't take it anymore. . . And brought it downstairs one afternoon (about a week before school started) and demanded we finish it.

And we did. In one sitting.

And he carried that book around for days. Looking over and over again at the pictures. Couldn't wait to ride the school bus for himself.

So, this morning I found the Junie B. books for Luke. Excited.

He, on the other hand, was less than enthusiastic. "Let's read it later." he told me all afternoon. First, after lunch. And then after he played the Wall E game. And then, later still.

"OK, then. I'll read it to Jack," I said.

Bingo.

At first he hid around the side of the couch as I completed the first chapter (which was about as far as I was going to go).

He crept closer and closer to get a peek at the pictures.

"Read Jack another chapter," he said.

So, I did. By chapter three, he was up on the couch looking at the pictures. Laughing at her exploits (which sound so very familiar. . . those once "out of this world" adventures sound so very much like the adventures of our Luke. . .).

We stopped at chapter 4.

And picked up there at bedtime.

We read to chapter 7. "Just one more page," he asked. But, it's getting late, and I'm trying to get these little night owls into a routine (school starts in 2 weeks, sigh. . .).

So, he was happy to look at the pictures and make up his own story (we stopped at the point where Junie B. is hiding in the school room so she doesn't have to ride the bus home. . .I hope he's not getting any ideas. . .).

So hard to imagine that my own baby is going to Kindergarten like Junie B. Where did that time go?

But, overjoyed at the thought of revisiting an old friend in the process. . .