The Monster at the end of this book

This is, by far, Christian's favorite book. He loves it and can read it 100 times a day. We have made it into a special Mommy game. He asks me to read it but I refuse because it is just too, too scary for me. This cracks him up and gives him a sense of power. He reassures me that it isn't too scary and holds my hand while I read. He has to encourage me to be brave and turn the pages. Every time we reach the end, I am shocked and amazed that the monster isn't scary, after all. I love having a special game that is just for us. In a small way, the roles have changed. He is the one encouraging me to be brave and comforting me. I love being silly with him in this way. It's our little way of connecting every day. I love how animated he gets each and every time we read it together. Now, we take turns reading it. He has basically memorized it and makes up his own faces and gestures for each page. He is almost three and I can see him starting to become a "big kid". But, I love when he can still be a silly little boy with me. I will be sad when he outgrows this book but I look forward to sharing other books with him.