04 August 2009

Shame

Shame on me. I failed.

The deadline to complete the requirements for the summer reading program came and went on Sunday and I did not read the 18 hours I needed to in order to get my prize.

I'm actually quite upset about my failure. In my childhood summers, I finished the reading programs within the first week or two. With days and days on end available to lay in the hammock swinging and reading for hours a day there was no challenge.

Ramona Quimby, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield (I should give a prize for anyone who can place the books those two are in?), those wise babysitters in The Babysitters Club, along with random others were my best friends for many summers.

This year I joined the club attempting to relive those childhood reading summers and committed to not counting the Franklin, Curious George, and dinosaur books I read to Asher or the time consuming blog posts I read everyday, or the drafts of my dad's book towards my Reading Program goal.

I found that I could sit down for 10 minutes at a time before something erupted. A pacifier fell out, a bottom needed wiped, dinner was about to burn, or most frustrating of all my eyes became so heavy I needed toothpicks to prop them open.

And so, it became apparent last week that reading in 10 minute intervals would not be enough for me to complete my goal.

I bumped up reading on my priority list, drank more caffeine, and buckled down.

But alas, it just was not meant to be.

There's always next year...

2 comments:

Mouseymom said...

oh you were hooked to Sweet Valley High as well! The characters of those books seemed as if they were my own friends!

It would be fun to go back and read them now. Do you remember when Regina died? I was so traumatized.

Beth Sethi said...

Oh shoot, someone already got the prize. I so loved Sweet Valley High too, Angie! I've rediscovered reading this summer myself but I've actually had the time because, miraculously, Grace has decided to extend her naps from 1 1/2 hours to 3 or sometimes 3 1/2! I can get an hour or two of work done and still sneak in some reading time on the backporch. It's been wonderful since I've read very little since she was born. I'm sure it will all be very different when we have another so I can imagine why it's been so hard for you. Think loooong naps for Amelie next summer. :)