We’ve had one of those weeks. Holidays, delayed openings, predictions of more snow and two sick children. I was feeling a bit discouraged this morning before I sat down to read with the girls. I had gone to the library yesterday so we had a full bag of new books. I always get a collection of picture books for the girls and I to read together as well as some chapter books for Caroline to read on her own.

Today, Caroline grabbed for the chapter books before I began reading the picture books. As I read to Katherine, Caroline sat beside me, shushing me the whole time because she was trying to read to herself. Part of me wanted desperately to have some alone time this morning or at least some silence. 

As I sat on the couch, I realized my time reading to the girls was really an investment. I may not have gotten much quiet time this morning but my time spent reading aloud today, would lead to quiet moments later. If I hadn’t spent day after day reading aloud to Caroline when she was Katherine’s age, she wouldn’t have been shushing me this morning, trying to find her own reading quiet.