Favorite Time of the Day

 Throughout my life I have had many different favorite times of the day.  When I was in high school and my mom had gone away for a couple of weeks, Dad bought us Toaster Strudel.  I still remember the look on his face when he discovered strudel in the frozen food section of the grocery store.  I looked forward to eating those every morning.  So for a couple of short weeks, that was my favorite part of the day.  It passed, and, sadly, Toaster Strudel never quite tastes as good as I remember....
  During my freshman year of college when I worked at 7:30 in the morning and then had classes until 4:30 in the afternoon, bedtime was my favorite time of the day.  I would wake up in the morning and think: 17 hours before I can go back to bed.  Though it was generally at least 19 or 20, I was a freshman after all with roommates.
  During the first year of marriage when I didn't have a job to go to and didn't have kids waking me, my favorite time of day were those thirty minutes or so in the morning when your alarm has gone off, but you can snooze guilt free.  Rainy mornings were especially enjoyable.
  After Dom was born, my favorite time of day often coincided with his naps...generally because I got a nap too.  And let's face it, nap time will ALWAYS be in the top 2 times of day for me.
  Once Will was weaned and the nights were solely my own again, my favorite time of day became the hours after we put the boys to bed and before we turned out our bedroom light.  Eric and I could catch up on the day, watch television, read a book, or just be still for a few minutes.  It was glorious.
  Well, recently I realized I have a new time of day that I look forward to.  All of those other times of day still give me some delight, but there is one time that trumps those...at least in this stage of my life.  That time is reading time.  With my kids.
  We go to the library every week and pick out a selection of picture books that are age appropriate for all three kids.  I have also started reading longer chapter books to the boys (which Molly is welcomed to listen to, but she just doesn't seem interested).  And finally, I have Dom (and Will on occasion) practice reading to me.  We spend at least an hour a day on the couch all cuddled together.  It is wonderful and I often wonder how anyone could want anything more.
  I am never really sure what books will strike something with the kids.  We read one about a duck in socks that Will thought was hilarious and would quote for days.  I got another that was a version of the Little Red Hen called 'Manana Iguana.'  Now when I ask Dom to do something and he doesn't want to he says:  Yo No!  Naturally I don't appreciate the response as much as I appreciate that he is quoting a book we read together.  (and I can also just give him a look and he gives me a smile and goes and does what I asked)  And then there is Molly who only recently started to listen patiently to a book instead of frantically paging through it.  Now she listens attentively and laughs along with the boys...though perhaps just a second later.