I’m a 30 something married mum of 2. I say 30 something as I’m quite prone to forgetting my age. Not in the ‘I can’t believe I’m over 30 kind of way’ but in the ‘did I actually have a birthday last year?’ kind of way. I know the kids did because I’ve once again purchased a raft of toys that I’ve already attempted to re-home, but did I have a birthday?’. My eyes say ‘yes’. My hair says ‘yes’. My energy levels say ‘Hell, yes’. Thankfully I have a twin sister who, when listening to my suggestion that we have a big 31st birthday to make up for the absent 30th, dutifully reminds me that it is in fact our 32nd year. Que gasp. Never fear, age is a state of mind, so they say, and since we, as Mums, very rarely have time to be in any other state of mind than that of the utter chaos of managing the kids, the house and the husband, it’s no surprise I often forget the state of mind which reminds me of my age.
It follows as only necessary that I find a new way to measure my time (outside of loads of washing, nappy changes, housework and finding the socks the washing machine simply had to devour) in books. I’ve selected the Dymocks 101, because if I’m honest, (and my husband will most definitely confirm this) I’m indecisive. Not with the kids, not with the dinner, the cleaning or most things related to the family, but in pretty much most things that relate to my leisure time (reading, movies, shopping, exercise, whether or not I should devour that fat laden, sugary treat for morning tea or if I should just eat the equivalent calories in nuts and fruit, thereby rendering my diet completely ineffective), I’m hugely indecisive. So, since I undertook the challenge of finishing the list in 2011 and loved the organised nature of knowing which book I would read next, I thought the structure would offset the chaos that prevails at home. It’s nice to have choices delivered right to you by many other book lovers, and as the list isn’t finalised, I am confident to say, I am not yet behind in my reading!
I should also mention I like to read…. a lot.
My better half
He’s a 30 something professional in the Property business who loves reading Fantasy, Fantasy and sometimes when he gets bored of that, Fantasy. He has introduced me to the joys of the genre, but I’ll never understand how he can read the same David Eddings book 8 times. The spines are literally falling off his books. So, while he too is a book lover (let’s face it, we’ve been married for nearly 10 years so he has to share the passion a little), he is of a vastly different ilk.
My kids
Our boy, V1 is 2.5 going on 10 – aren’t they all? He loves his books. Especially when they have trucks in them. Or tractors. Or Bulldozers. Or diggers. Did I mention he likes trucks? He has his favourites and it would seem he is very much like his father as it is a rare day that he allows a new book into his inner sanctum of those favourites. He takes the best ones to school to read to the class. He literally knows them cover to cover for memory so he can ‘read’ to the class. What I’m trying to understand is why this exceptional memory doesn’t apply to what he needs to do after he has taken his pants off to go to the toilet. But if I’m honest, I’m more proud of his ‘reading’ than if he did remember to actually put his pants back on.
Our chubby V2 is a little princess of 10 months. Already partial to her books, she likes anything that sticks up and out, or that she can tear off and eat (I’m literally wincing as I type).
Diary of a Reading Mumma 