Staycation
The kids are now on spring break. While many of our friends are driving somewhere or jetting off to great vacation destinations we are having a staycation and sticking around home. We have summer-like weather here with temperatures in the 70s and couldn't possibly have nicer weather for a week spent around home.
One of my goals for this staycation is to read. And by read I mean really read, like in a comfortable chair or on the couch...not in the bathroom like I usually do which, though a fine enough place to read a page or two, is not the ideal location to relax while reading a book. Though generally no one bothers you if you are reading in the bathroom...
When I was a kid I spent hours sitting on the couch reading books. So did Owen. I'm glad to see that my kids are as hooked on reading as we were as kids. Both Rose and Ryan read a ton. We just got a few new books from our local bookstore, Monkey See, Monkey Read, and from the library just to get enough reading material for our staycation. It's hard to disengage the kids from their books and I've found Ryan reading in bed under the covers with a flashlight more than once in the last few weeks. Rose and Ryan love to read - but it seems that I have forgotten how to love reading this way. As a writer, it's important that I read yet I seldom allow myself the pleasure of sitting still and enjoying a book.
When it comes to priorities I think Owen and I have lost sight of how important it is to sit still and enjoy quiet moments, especially quiet moments with a book. Actually, I don't think Owen has lost sight of this. I think I sometimes (ahem, probably often. Okay, yes, often) prevent him from having quiet moments because I tend to drive the household with my intense desire to get things done.
Rose has been telling me a lot lately that I look stressed. And I have been. And my stress sometimes stresses out the rest of my family. Enough already! It's time for me to do less and feel okay with it. It's time to sit still and read books more often, like I did when I was a kid. Because it seems like doing "less" in the long run will actually benefit us more than working harder. Than getting yet another thing done.
So this afternoon I have the windows open and a wonderful breeze is blowing through the house. The kids have been playing outside and now are both sitting next to me on the couch. Rocket the wonder dog is napping beside us. I have some music playing on the iPod dock. And I'm about to shut off my computer and read. And I refuse to feel guilty about it or think I'm not doing enough.
One of my goals for this staycation is to read. And by read I mean really read, like in a comfortable chair or on the couch...not in the bathroom like I usually do which, though a fine enough place to read a page or two, is not the ideal location to relax while reading a book. Though generally no one bothers you if you are reading in the bathroom...
When I was a kid I spent hours sitting on the couch reading books. So did Owen. I'm glad to see that my kids are as hooked on reading as we were as kids. Both Rose and Ryan read a ton. We just got a few new books from our local bookstore, Monkey See, Monkey Read, and from the library just to get enough reading material for our staycation. It's hard to disengage the kids from their books and I've found Ryan reading in bed under the covers with a flashlight more than once in the last few weeks. Rose and Ryan love to read - but it seems that I have forgotten how to love reading this way. As a writer, it's important that I read yet I seldom allow myself the pleasure of sitting still and enjoying a book.
When it comes to priorities I think Owen and I have lost sight of how important it is to sit still and enjoy quiet moments, especially quiet moments with a book. Actually, I don't think Owen has lost sight of this. I think I sometimes (ahem, probably often. Okay, yes, often) prevent him from having quiet moments because I tend to drive the household with my intense desire to get things done.
Rose has been telling me a lot lately that I look stressed. And I have been. And my stress sometimes stresses out the rest of my family. Enough already! It's time for me to do less and feel okay with it. It's time to sit still and read books more often, like I did when I was a kid. Because it seems like doing "less" in the long run will actually benefit us more than working harder. Than getting yet another thing done.
So this afternoon I have the windows open and a wonderful breeze is blowing through the house. The kids have been playing outside and now are both sitting next to me on the couch. Rocket the wonder dog is napping beside us. I have some music playing on the iPod dock. And I'm about to shut off my computer and read. And I refuse to feel guilty about it or think I'm not doing enough.
My stack of partially read books.Time to finish a few!
Comments