Tortoise and the Hare

Because life around our house is so boring, my oldest daughter decided to pick up a few books from the library over her winter break. One of the many books was this delightful number we had heard lots of good things about:

I don't know if she ever found the time to read it, but since she had checked it out with my library card and I was out of reading material, I decided I would hang on to it and give it a read.

However before I started reading it I found another book laying around I wanted to devour and so the book lay waiting on my nightstand. I finally started reading it a week or so ago when I had to renew it with the library. It should be an easy read since it is only 314 pages of good sized print, and the story has been very enjoyable so far. However, I've only been reading about a chapter a night before my eyes refuse to read anymore. I'm sure this is due to too much time on the computer!

Last Friday night as I lay in bed reading, my youngest daughter came and complained that she was out of reading material. This is often the case for her as she is such a speedy reader. She will check out five or six non-fiction books about crafts or animals, as well as two or three novels in a week and ultimately have read them all cover to cover before we return to the library the following week!

And so this week, despite being reminded to check out more novels, she came up empty handed. "Mom, I don't have anything to read!" The poor girl cannot fall asleep unless she reads at least two hours a night. I suggested she take the book I was reading and give it a go. She was excited for us to share a book and have something to talk about together. The next night when I went to bed I had to pull the book out from under her as she lay sleeping so that I could have my nightly read as well. Then last night as I went to bed I asked, "Hey, Where is my book? Do you still have it?"

"Right here, I kept the bookmark in your place for you when I finished."

"Oh, how far did you get?"

"I finished it."

"Huh?! Finished it, finished it?"

Just like that!

I've been reading it in small snipets for two weeks and she finishes it in two nights.
Stinker.

Here is my darling youngest daughter with my Mom making fried apple pies at Christmas 2001.