Between the Lines

Like a lot of families our evening schedule can be hectic. By the time everyone is home, fed, bathed and entertained there is little time for anything else. Sometimes it's a blessing that 8:30 rolls around so quickly; sometimes it's a curse.

In order to wrest our evenings back from Cartoon Network and Nintendo I decided that when school started back up we would put the kids to bed 30 minutes earlier and I would read to them. Not put them in bed and hand them a book, but sit by their beds and read.

I chose our first book, "The Wind in the Willows." I had an old, beautiful copy I found at a flea market that I was anxious to read. And while it is lovely, gentle and poetic, it is also a little uneventful - especially in the age of Harry Potter - so I assumed our first chapter would also be our last. But the next night both boys asked if we were reading again. Both boys went to bed with nary a word. Both boys were asleep within 20 minutes.

And here we are 12 chapters later. There has been great discussion regarding our next book choice. The boys have their opinions on what we should read next. I suppose I do too, but moreover I'm just tickled at how much they like our new 'tradition.'