Bad Becky Buying Books

I love books. I love to read - I have since I was in elementary school. I was never quite to the point of bringing a book with me everywhere I went, BUT I have considered it a few times. :) There is nothing more wonderful than loving a book for its pictures or storyline or characters. Even children can understand this love at an early age, and I have been determined to encourage this in my kids. It's funny, because my husband used to find this obsession with reading to the kids a bit crazy...and now he's totally into it. He's quite proud of his book nerds. :)

Why is this important to me? Because my parents did the same for me. My mom had - still has - an antique pie safe FULL of children's books. It has sat in our living room for year, and I can still hear the creak of the doors and conjure up the scent of the old wood. The inside of the doors are pokey because of the tin-punched designs on them, and the shelves are stuffed full of old friends. I literally mean friends, because every time I start to go through them I remember how much I loved each story. I start to show Nathan my favorites, and before long I have a whole stack picked out. I have a very picture-oriented memory, and I remember details that I would stare at in each illustration, and favorite phrases that my parents would read. They must have read to me a lot! And, they love reading to their grandchildren.

So, why the "Bad Becky Buying Books"? Because I have started preparing for my own "pie safe". :) My children probably own about 60-70 books already between the two of them. Of course, we borrow books from the library on a regular basis, but there's something really neat about having your own favorite friends at home with you. I am constantly looking for classics at yard sales, and when I find something that was a favorite of mine, I purchase it with glee! I just went through my stack of Christmas presents and I have about 20 books saved for my children. I just bought a few more this past weekend.

At first I almost told my self to back off and not go crazy with the books anymore. Do they really need to receive a pile of books at each Christmas and birthday? I mean, I never spend more than $1 on them, but shouldn't I save the money for something else? Then, I realized that there really is no better gift to get them. Reading encourages language, brain function, learning, discussion, family togetherness, quietness, patience, comprehension and so much more. PLUS, they will some day pass their love of reading onto their children; and really, what could be better than that?

So, does anyone know of an antique pie safe for sale???