Reading Time

Since taking away naptime, we have instilled reading time for Brooke. Reading time consists of sitting somewhere nice and quiet, while Brenna naps, and reading books of her choosing for a while, only stopping to maybe do other quiet activities - like writing, coloring, etc. No electronics (TV, games, computers) allowed during this time.

Of course, now that school has started, reading time only happens on the weekends. We've gotten into a great system during the week. Leave the house at 8am. Drop off Brooke at 8:10am. Leave there, and take Brenna,.. walk her in and drop her at school at 8:30. Mommy comes home and does any number of things - work around the house, volunteer at school, grocery shop, laundry, edit pictures, whatever - for 3 hours, lunch for me, then pick up Brenna at 12:30. Come home. She already eats lunch at school, so she comes straight home and naps from 12:45-2:45. Wake up Brenna by 2:45p, leave to pick up Brooke, getting into car rider line by 3:00p. School lets out at 3:25 (Brenna watches Letter Factory or Talking Words Factory while we wait in line), pick up Brooke, come straight home, her telling me all about her day on the way home and what happened, what kind of work they did or didn't do, what is going on w the friends situations, just whatever. She actually usually gives me a lot of information during the drive! (so grateful for that) We get home, Brenna goes and plays by herself, while Brooke and I go through her backpack and lunchbox, I read notes and comments from her teacher and go over any paperwork while she does her homework. So far the homework has only taken 15-20 minutes at most each day. Then we go from there to the piano, where she does her daily practicing of whatever her lesson that week consisted of. I am so glad we are getting her into this routine of doing her homework and piano right away first thing when she gets home. Maybe we can avoid procrastination with her later in life? Anyway, by that time, its close to 5, Daddy gets home soon, we eat dinner and spend any extra time playing, then bathtime comes at 7p, bed right after that. So they are in bed by 7:30 every night. Not necessarily sleeping, but in bed. Usually asleep by 8 (for Brooke) and 8:30 (for Brenna). Brooke is way more worn out than Brenna so she can and does go to sleep a lot faster.

Anyway, so needless to say these daily activities don't leave much spare time. But on the weekends, Brooke still has her designated reading time and part of her homework is to read at least 20 minutes every night (which we do before bed). This past weekend, she enjoyed spending her reading time with Barkley. :)

Towards the end...reading time became snuggling time. :)