Happy Book Day

We at the Bingham's have a little holiday we invented a few years ago. We call it "Bingham Book Day." (Not our most creative naming endeavor.) I think I originally stole the idea from someone else, because I'll take any excuse to buy a new book (I used to complain about the cost of textbooks when I was in college because that was what you did, but I was always secretly delighted to go into a bookstore and spend $400. JOY!) buy it was my lovely wife who made the idea better (as she does with most things in our family) by making it an event. That last sentence was a little heavy on the parentheticals. Sorry.

Here is how it works. We make a BIG deal of it and talk about it a lot and get the kids all ramped up. Then we take a trip to the bookstore where everyone gets to buy WHATEVER book they want. This is the part where I get annoyed, because while I want the kids to choose charming and clever picture books we can curl up together and read, they inevitably choose some sort of "trucks picture dictionary" (see Jonah's selection below) which just don't make good bedtime stories. I am sure that my annoyance will continue as they get older and pick out trading guides to Pokemon, or comic books, or whatever. Then we all go to lunch to celebrate. Fun, aye?

This year we decided to Portlandize the whole thing:

First, instead of driving to Portland, we took the MAX (our lovely light rail.)
Our kids think this is super cool. And it only costs like $8 for all of us to ride and means no gas and no dealing with paying for or finding parking in Portland. We are so eco-chic now that we are Portlanders! Amy even bought shoes from REI the other day that were quite cute and made of recycled care tires and hemp, or something.

Anywho, we bought our books at Powell's Books which is the greatest book store in the world. If you haven't been, it is HUGE and has every book you could ever think of. The fun thing is that all of the books are just shelved together, new and used, paperback and hardcover. So when you go to find a book, sometimes you get a surprise and find a used copy that is dirt cheap.
The picture doesn't do the store (or my hairline) justice. It is a book lover's dream. (Not my hairline - the store.)

Here is what everyone selected:

JOSH (who is often mistaken for a 14 year old girl)
AMY
Oh...looks intriguing! I may have to borrow that one.

JONAH
Is anyone surprised? It is called "You Can Name 100 Cars, Trains, Boats and Planes" and is a scintillating as it sounds!

NOEL
Of course he did. Because watching Max and Ruby 42 times a day isn't enough. Now we can read about their madcap adventures at bedtime, too!

Lunch was at a nearby Noodle's and Co.
I would like to hope that in the future our adventures in eating will be at some exciting new downtown bistro we heard about or whatever. But for now, a bowl of Mac and Cheese from the Noodles makes my children happy. As we walked into the N&C, to which we had never been before, Noel said "I want some Mac and Cheese!" Ahh, the power of brand identity.

Noodles were enjoyed by all...
Can you see the "I got lost in Powell's City of Books" sticker on his chest? He didn't really get lost. My kids just love a free sticker. (Also, could you hang a Christmas ornament off of those eyelashes? Seriously.)

Can you see the glazed over joy in his eyes as he eats carbs and cheese? The only two food groups my kids like!

Have you got out your list of "Reasons we should go visit the Bingham's" list and added this to it yet? We'll do it again! We don't have to wait until Bingham Book Day rolls around next spring. How many of you can ride charming mass transit to a major independent bookseller? I'm just saying...

I can't wait to read my book! Nerdy alien love story, here I come!