Saturday, October 17, 2009

Reading when you haave children

I have been an avid reader since I was able to read. My mother even tells of a story when I was in Kindergarten and started getting these inexplicable stomach aches. I was constantly getting sent home from school. My mother started keeping a journal of everything that I was eating and was getting ready to take me for testing, and then she asked me an innocuous question about what was happening in school when these stomach aches were coming on. I apparently calmly made some comment about already knowing the alphabet and wondering why I had to spend so much time on it. It turned out I did not have some strange disease, but instead a case of the boredom. To quell the boredom, I was given a special pass to library during the classes alphabet time and so I've been reading ever since. Well that is almost true . . .

after giving birth to my beautiful daughter, it was like someone put the reading brakes on. Who had time? and if I had a moment, that was all I had. During that moment, there were so many other things to do like showering, going to the bathroom, brushing my teeth. Thus, my reading material drastically reduced. Actually, it reduced not just in length of time but in form as well. With the lack of sleep that I was getting, I couldn't remember where I put my car keys, let alone keep track of a book plot. My reading materials shrunk down from books to magazines. Soon I was pregnant with number 2 and book reading was put up on the shelf for several more years.

I cannot even tell you how glad I was to read again. When finally the kids were older and more independent, I dared to turn the page again. I even joined a book club, so that I had a responsibility to read - - -no excuses anymore. I was thrilled to read again; Until, recently when I was reading Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. This book pulls you through it. There is no putting it down. There is one climax after the next. Every time you think everything is wrapped up, something else happens. Oh, what I would have done for a private island. It seemed as if my kids suddenly could not do with out me. "Mom", "Mom", "Mom". They had questions, requests, complaints. I couldn't get them to stop. Every time I fulfilled their needs and would get back to the book, another question was forming. AGGGGGGHHHHHHH! All I wanted to do is read in peace. Page by page with a million interruptions, I finally finished it last night. Wow! I'm glad I kept up the battle.

1 comment:

Andysbethy said...

Don't you hate that? You are always in the most exciting/important/enthralling part when suddenly the kids need you, repeatedly.
But, they do have to sleep eventually... and although technically I do too, I tend to forget that when I am in the middle of a good book!
I have had Angels and Demons on my "to read" list. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.