the reading corner

When we moved into our apartment in Austin, one of the first things I did was create a reading corner for myself in the living room. Here's a look:

I loved the idea of my reading corner, where I pictured myself curled up reading Wuthering Heights for the 10th time with a glass of wine (after the baby, of course) perched on the table beside me. But in real life, maintaining a household and keeping track of two kids all day doesn't really lend itself to the quiet reading time I had imagined. By the time the kids are in bed and all my chores are finished and it's "reading" time, the sun has set and the harsh light in the living room is not conducive to a relaxed reading atmosphere. So instead I find myself using my chair mainly for sitting in and checking my email or blogging while Catcher is watching Wow Wow Wubzy or Dora or some other kids' television program I'm trying to tune out.

Catcher, too, has found a great use for the chair. Since we no longer have a dining room table and haven't purchased stools for the island in our kitchen, Catcher has been eating dinner at the coffee table while sitting on the floor. The other night he came up with this novel idea (spaghetti night...excuse the red face):

Not one to be left out of the action, Scout also put her mark on the reading corner when she decided it would be a great resting spot for toys: