I’ve always loved reading. Well, at least since I was about 10 years old and discovered the Harry Potter books. They got me hooked for good. Hell, I even have a Literature degree because of my love for books. Since having kids though, it became increasingly difficult to find the peace and quiet one craves for having a good long reading session.

So I adapted. First I figured out how to grab a few sentences here, a paragraph there in between preparing snacks and changing diapers. Man, I would even read one sentence while walking from one part of the house to the other if my current book was that good. ‘But why don’t you listen to audiobooks while on walks or something?!’ you might ask. Let me tell you, I am really bad at listening. Just ask my husband. He will explain to you my inability to listen in exhaustive detail… Oh, where were we? Ah yes. So I am a visualist. Sometimes a visionary too but that’s a different story.

Seeing the light!

Anyways. A BIG help for enabling my reading quickies was buying an eBook reader. Now I could read with only one hand! Sometimes even no hand at all (yeah figure that out)! Sooo many more possibilities. And imagine my joy once I upgraded to a backlit Kindle Paperwhite. I literally saw the light (most of the time at 2am during feeding sessions)!

But of course, with having to be an attentive, affectionate and responsible mom, I couldn’t just read every semi-free minute of the day. You know, once you start making little people, they come first. So you have to feed and clean and play and talk and teach and tease and sometimes scold, listen to them tell you about the 375th Pokémon and (my favorite) read to them. So while I do all that, I still need to read. Yes, I need. That’s what keeps me sane, its almost like a good smoke (which I don’t do), or an antidepressant or well… it’s a well-needed and well-earned short break.

I’ll be right back, Schatzi

So here’s what I do: sometimes I hide from my kids. When they have their snacks and their games and their fresh diapers and clean clothes and are happily occupied by themselves or with each other, I go and hide for a bit (of course still within hearing distance). I might have to “use the bathroom real quick” or “take a quick shower”. I’ll take my reader with me and then cozy up for 10 minutes and read real fast and come back out again a bit more relaxed. Now you know my dirty secret. I hide from my kids to read and that’s what keeps me going.