Bookworm on Hold

I am a reader. I love books and I have for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my mom used to read to me and my brother at night, and she didn't just read us picture books. She read adventures. At only six years old I was introduced to the magical world of Narnia and my life would never be the same. I began finding Adventures of my own. I sailed the seas with Long John Silver and solved mysteries with Nancy Drew. I sailed the river with Huck and scowled up at a Cheshire Cat with Alice. I even ran wild with the horses on Chincoteague (though don't ask me how it's pronounced.) Charlotte the spider taught me about life and Mrs. Frisby the mouse taught me bravery. Laura Ingles taught me about hardship and Anne (of Green Gables) taught me how to grow up. And, of course, Jo showed me how to lose someone you love but still keep going and love life.

All through childhood I read. And as I became an adult I read more. I fell madly in love with Mr. Darcy and even a little with Heathcliff. I laughed at crazy Puck. I even entered into the world of Harry Potter where I knew I wanted to stay forever.

I love books. And I am a good, no great, reader! I can read fast and still retain the story. I read the entire Harry Potter series in a week. (And I do again at least once a year!) So then, why was I intimidated by a 259 page book just the other day? That's nothing! It's minute! Maybe three hours worth of reading. No problem. Except, I don't have three hours. I barely have one. I have two kids now, and, for some reason, they expect things like food.

I miss books! I tried an audio book out of desperation and wanted to reach through  the headphones and strangle the man butchering a good story with a dreary voice and lackluster impressions. It was dreadful. I think it was Christmas when I last read a book all the way through. That's six months! 

Well, that's not entirely true. I read The Little House and Caps for Sale and other picture books to my clients this week. In fact, this week alone we have read just over twenty books together. I know this for sure because we are part of our library's summer reading program so I have to write down every book we read. I read to my clients every day and Client One loves it. She would happily let me read myself hoarse. She "reads," too. She actually sat in front of Client a Two the other day and "read" him a book. 

Books are literally scattered from one end of the house to the other. They are in every room- even the bathroom! (In fact, when we first started potty training Client One, we would let her sit and read and she started trying to go potty just to read her bathroom books.) We love books!

I want desperately to travel to another world, if only I could find the time. 259 pages should be a drop in the bucket for me, half an afternoon, but instead, it's intimidating. How and where can I find the time? So it becomes a snippet here and a snippet there. I'm part of our summer reading program as well. I have to read three books by July 27. I can do this. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. Sigh. 

I'm a bookworm working hard to cultivate a legacy of bookworms. So far, so good. I just need to hack out some time for adventures of my own. And soon!