Reading and other things in the ditch

I used to read for pleasure.
Now reading helps me sleep.
I love books. When I was in high school I participated in a yearly trip to the BWCA with twelve students and two chaperones (teachers.) We portaged, canoed, ate gorp, caught fish on my snoopy rod and lost my favorite orange Rapala lure, George, in the rocks. I wonder if he's still there. We drank lake water and pooped in holes covered with buckets (that's called primative campsite) and we read books. I would pack a few books for the days we would lounge on the mammoth rocks in the sun to read. When there was time (remember those days?) I used to sit and read for hours. I would devour trashy Harlequin novels, crime fighting coroners and scandalous Babysitters club books. Now I'm lucky if I have time to do my required reading during daylight hours. Anything attempted after the sun sets and I'm done. Stick a fork in me, I'm sawing logs(Wow, what amixed metephor.) Now my book light wakes me hours after I've fallen asleep with my head tilted in just the wrong position. My neck screams as I try to right it. I close the book light and when I'm lucky, I fall back asleep. When I'm not, I reopen the book light and Voila' it's "Ground Hog Day." 
Instead of reading there's the garden, the windows, the garage, the lawn, the weeds, the sprinkler system, the dogs, the kids, the laundry, the dishes, the cleaning, the clutter and the bills. Always something that needs to be done. One day in the future, I will read for hours without feeling guilty that something else needs to be done. I won't put a time constraint on that but I will put it on my radar. Read for pleasure. Check.
I am excited to read "chapter books," as they are called in 2nd grade, to my kids. We have tackled "Little House in the Big Woods," "The Mouse and the Motorcycle," "Stuart Little," "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," the Ramona books and some Choose Your Own Adventure books. 
My daughter loves to read and I want her and my boys to see me reading. This is very important to me. I know if they see me reading they will be more likely to read for themselves. I would be extremely proud if they would choose a book over the TV or a Leapster.
My oldest son is into the books he creates in kindergarten. He can "read" them and goes down to his grandma's to read to her most nights. He is so proud and so eager to learn to read. He has started retelling stories as well, his first was the gingerbread man. My hope is for him to read "real books" within two months. He knows 3 star words-I, see and my.
My youngest son is my "Llama Llama" boy. If you are not familiar with the "Llama Llama" books, they are wonderful. "Llama Llama Red Pajama,"  "Llama Llama Mad at Mama," "Llama Llama Misses Mama" and the newest "Llama Llama Holiday Drama" are about Llama Llama and his mama. Of course they rhyme and have the meter similar to a Dr. Seuss book. That's why I love them. 
My absolute favorite book in the world is "Fox in Sox" by Dr. Seuss. "Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew..." It doesn't get better than that. OK, when your daughter begs to read it to the boys "and then you can read it next, mommy" that's when it doesn't get any better. "Fox in Sox, our game is done sir, thank you for a lot of fun sir."