Two Things I Never Thought I Would Say

I hate books.

I hate reading.

It should be noted that I am being a bit hyperbolic, but Ezra is driving us bananas with the compulsive reading. He's been reading about two years, but suddenly, he disappears for hours at a time leaving chores undone or people missing him. It could be funny, but my sense of humor is strangely inactive on this point. He is hitting too many sore points with this behavior.
1- I really think reading is a lovely pastime and part of a WELL- ROUNDED individual. However, I think a child can not be truly well-rounded without some tree climbing or bike riding or game playing or woods exploring or hole digging or sister pestering. I see encouraging "well-roundedness" as part of my job.
2- We are an interdependent group and when one person vanishes for hours at a time or leaves chores undone, the rest of the group suffers. I value interdependence; I value the time and efforts of all members of the group. I want the children to do the same.
3- I hate being late, and he reads so much that he makes us late, even when given multiple warnings and "assists" in time management.
4- I hate repeating myself, and the reading problem has me saying, "Put away the book!" 700 times a day.

In my defense, I do make sure the children's days are not crammed full so there is lots of free time to read. There are at least 3 to 4 hours daily that he can read without me commenting, and I even preserve the peace if his sisters are being disruptive. But it seems like the more time he has, the more time he tries to squeeze in more reading.

I sure hope this is a phase. And I sure wonder what families do who have to also compete with electronic media.