When I Read: A Log

The last week has been pretty typical, schedule wise, so I decided to keep a log of what, when, and where I read. I think I did this several years ago, but definitely not recently. I think the main takeaway anyone can get from this is that if it's important to you, you'll find time. I am a busy teacher, mom, wife, and friend, but reading every single day is something I make happen, so that I feel like myself. 

I also have to point out that I basically do not watch TV; during this whole week I watched less than an hour and a half (one hour of Fargo with Scott and a half an hour of This is Us). It's not that I don't like to watch things, but I rarely have time to sit down for a full 45 minutes to an hour to actually commit. When I do watch things it's usually just to relax with Scott; I very rarely will watch anything alone, and never do I turn the TV on for myself when it's Sawyer and I (we don't have satellite, so that's part of it). I honestly just don't like the extra noise; I am generally surrounded by chatty (but lovable) teenagers, so it's nice to have a quieter atmosphere at home. 

Here's the breakdown (and probably too much narrative):

Texts mentioned, and the abbreviations I'll use: 

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (ALWG)

A Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wild (DG)

Kafka by Robert Crumb (KF)

How to Win at Feminism by The Reductress (HWF)

Wednesday 1/18

11:45-12:05 KF- My friend usually joins me for the last ten or fifteen minutes of lunch (we get thirty-five minutes), so I have been spending the first bit reading while eating.

5:15-5:30 ALWG- While Sawyer happily played with his trains

6:50-7:05 DG- I am reading this on the Serial App, so I try to get in some time while I supervise Sawyer's bath, since he ignores me anyway

9:20-9:45 ALWG- After a run and right before bed

Time: 1 hour and fifteen minutes

Thursday 1/19

11:45-12:00 KF- During lunch 

8:05-8:15 DG- Under the crib while hanging out with Sawyer until he settled down a bit

9:25-9:50 DG/ALWG- Post hanging out with husband and before bed

Time: 50 minutes

Friday 1/20

7:30-8:00 KF- I technically am off (as in not my prep period; I am contractually not bound to work first period since I teach a very late class on Modays, but because of our daycare drop off time I end up at work anyway), and today I decided to read instead of work like normal, since I am caught up on grading and planning. 

11:50-12:00 KF- lunch

9:05-9:25 ALWG- in the bath 

Time: 1 hour

Saturday 1/21

2:20-2:40 ALWG- This was during Sawyer's nap, after I did some cleaning. Saturday is usually our day to do fun things, so I don't generally read a lot. This weekend we had friends over, other times we are off in Orange County, or whatever else we plan. 

Time: 20 minutes

Sunday 1/22 

7:34-7:45 ALWG- I got in a few pages while I ate my breakfast and Sawyer played.

3:00-4:00 ALWG- It was cold and rainy and I couldn't resist curling up on couch with my favorite blanket while Sawyer napped.

8:10-8:20 DG- Under the crib, sneaky-like

Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Monday 1/23

5:50-6:10 KF- I decided to read a book instead of blogs while I ate my breakfast before waking up Sawyer

7:50-8:10 KF- I busted my butt grading essays all weekend, so I spent some more of my off period reading

11:45-12:05 KF- Lunch

8:10-8:20 DG- Under crib

9:30-9:45 ALWD- After run and before bed

Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes (this is really surprising because I am at work really late on Mondays)

Tuesday 1/24

11:45-12:15 HWF- My friend had stuff to do during lunch, so I read 

5:20-5:45 ALWD- While Sawyer played with trains

6:50-7:00 DG- While Sawyer was playing in the bath 

Time: 1 hour 

Total time: 7 hours and 10 minutes

Thoughts

- I miss reading in larger chunks, but I make it work

- Having books for different times is good for me... right now. Depending on what I am reading this doesn't always work, but a classic on my phone, a graphic novel at work, and a normal piece of prose for longer periods did the trick (I am also listening to an audiobook from my ride from work to daycare, but I don't count that as reading)

- I think I do a good job of playing with my son, but I also like him to see me partake in my own hobbies, like reading

- Taking some time to read during my lunch as been a really nice reward for working super hard and efficiently during my prep period, and often during my off period

- Not all weeks are like this; I was bringing my A game. Right now, a few days later I feel like my game has been graded to a C-. 

Reading Log- A Week of Keeping Track

There's a lot of things I have been doing very little of this summer, that I thought I'd actually be doing more of, like drinking wine (my child's sleep is too erratic), swimming (the weather has been fairly mild, for this area, and cloudy), and cleaning (wahhhh I don't want to!). Then there are things that I've been doing more of than I thought, though, like socializing, cooking/baking (usually the heat minimizes oven use), and reading. I thought it would be fun to keep track of my reading habits for a week to see how I'm doing and then repeat the process once work starts. 

Before I go any further, I invite you to do the same! I think it would be fascinating to see how everyone finds the time to plow through their TBR pile. Let me know so I a can be nosy. 

For those that are new followers, or found this blog because Google failed them in some way, I'm a high school English teacher on summer vacation, mother of a very active fourteen-month-old, a wife to a low-maintenance husband, and lover of to-do lists ("read ten books" is an item on my summer list). I also don't really watch much TV (we don't have satellite), which frees up a lot of time. We are currently working our way through Newsroom (love, love, love!), so we maybe watch two or three episodes a week at night after Sawyer is in bed, and maybe two or so movies a month.   

Here's my log:

["nap time" is when Sawyer sleeps... not me]

[Yes, I leave my child so I can go read at Starbucks]

First of all, this is the beauty of summer vacation; when I'm back to work full time in two weeks things will drop off drastically.

Secondly, I feel good about the time I read in front of my son- it's always while he's independently playing, right in front of me. He's obsessed with the tupperware cupboards lately, so I sit in the kitchen with him while he's destructive. I always stop within a minute or two if he comes to see me and if he indicates he'd like to play ball, be read to, etc... He also goes to daycare twice a week for a few hours, which is good for him socially and to stay familiar with the care-giver, so I'm able to read during that block too. I've been reading two books at a time lately, something I've never done before, so that I have something less challenging while I'm hanging out with him. I like that he sees me read- I know I'm setting a good example. 

And last of all, I think that this proves that if something is a priority or passion, you can fit it in (as long as it's reasonable, that is). I try to do things, like folding laundry, when Sawyer is up or my husband is around. I make sure we're busy and having fun outside of the house, but I've tried to not double-book us or over-extend our days. My husband and I spend time together in the evening, but he has his own hobbies too, so we tend to sort of split the difference. If only cleaning organizing were something I was as devoted to (not that my house is a dirty disaster, I just need to do some of those boring, not fun projects we all have).

Let me know if you log your time, too (no you don't need your parent to sign off), or if you know how much time you read a day. It's always interesting to see how people fit it in.