Book Club at Midnight

...well, it wasn't midnight, exactly...but it was after bedtime.

I put the girls to bed last night, and headed downstairs, as usual, to catch up on some news.  The monitor in the basement stays on, and I didn't hear anything -- also, as usual -- for a good 15 minutes.

Then I thought I heard something.  And then I heard it again.

The girls were talking, by then a full 20 minutes after I'd left them for bed.

That's not the way it works in our house.  I tell them goodnight.  They go to sleep.  Right???

I'll admit I was aggravated.  I didn't hear them bickering -- which occasionally is the case, especially if one wants to go to sleep and is hindered in some way by the other -- but there was definitely conversation happening.

As I neared the top of the stairs outside their room, I paused.  I decided to listen to see what was the cause of the not-sleeping.  I crept just outside their door and put my ear to their door frame.

"...that's what I thought, too!"

"...and you know the part where XYZ?  I didn't really get why ABC..."

"...and I pictured him making a really mean face!  Hahaha!"

"...yes, that was cool!"

I opened the door very slowly.  B gasped to A, "It's Mommy!"

"Are you having a book club meeting?" I asked them through a big smile I didn't even try to hide.

"YES!"  They both giggled.

I told them how happy it made me to hear them discussing a book.  ("We do it all the time!" A told me.)  I gave them both big hugs and kisses, reminded them by then it was FAR past bedtime, and that they needed to conduct the rest of their meeting the next day.

I don't think I heard anymore discussion over the monitor.  But I went to bed smiling myself at the sweetness I got to witness.

Surprise and Delight

On Wednesday, I came home and the girls were working on their homework.  I encouraged them to do a good job, and I told them I had a surprise for them at bedtime.  They couldn’t contain their huge smiles, and they began to guess what it might be.  “Pajamas???”  “A night-night story???”  “A new Christmas CD???”

They went back to their homework, and then we enjoyed a nice supper…but they were a little more anxious than usual to head upstairs for the evening.  They really wanted to look around, to see if I’d hidden something.  [I hadn’t.]

Once everyone had donned their PJs, brushed their teeth, and straightened their beds, I ran downstairs to get the girls’ treat.  Sure enough, it was a new bedtime story, a Thanksgiving-themed one, A Turkey for Thanksgiving.

The girls piled up on either side of me, their attention even more rapt than usual.

(I couldn’t help but be thankful that the girls’ routine still includes me reading them a story every single night.  They’ve been capable of reading to themselves for two years now.  I know this won’t last forever, but I sure savor it.)

I began to read in my best animated voice.  Mrs. Moose asked Mr. Moose to find a turkey for their Thanksgiving meal.  He set out and was joined, page by page, by other animals as they hunted.

The girls were on the edge of their seats…peering intently over my shoulders…I could almost feel them wincing as the animals cornered the terrified turkey. 

Of course I knew the ending to the story…that the turkey was the honored guest at the Thanksgiving table, all the animals talking about the joy of sharing the holiday with friends.

And when the ending finally revealed itself, I relished the girls’ utter delight.

Surprising my baby girls…enjoying a new night-night story…appreciating them, appreciating the story…it was such a wonderful night.

Not Much Has Changed in Six Years...

Six years.  Wow.  In some ways, not much has changed.

Readers are leaders.

And I can't wait to see what the next six years holds!!!

Bad Words

Two years of big-kid school under our belts, and I haven’t encountered many “bad words” from the girls.  Here and there I’ve gotten a report about someone saying a particular word at school.  I remember “butt” and “OMG” being discussion points at our house, but the girls have generally been very smart about asking us if they think a word or phrase seems out of place.

We’ve reinforced with the girls that they will never get in trouble for asking us a question.  We talk about what a word or phrase means, and why it’s not appropriate.  We remind the girls how hurtful words can be, and how people will sometimes try to garner power by the words they use.

Often, when I read to the girls, I edit text here and there.  I don’t like the words “fool” or “ugly”, for example, and I rarely say them.  Now that they can read so proficiently, the girls will sometimes call me on my omission.  We’ll talk about why I changed the text, and discuss words the author could have used in their places.

A few days ago, I was reading the sixth Little House on the Prairie book to the girls.  I’d edited the word “stupid” a few times, but I decided to say it for the purpose of discussion.  Of course it was used in a different context as to what might be heard on the elementary school playground, but I thought it would make a good point of conversation.

The girls’ reaction was one of seven-year old innocence.  “Laura’s fingers felt numb and stupid,” I think the line went.  Both girls’ mouths dropped open.  They both gasped slightly and looked at me with big eyes.

I couldn’t help a little smile.

I was glad for the opportunity to discuss the use of the word.  And I was proud that they recognized that word as one we do not use.

May they always recoil when they recognize something inappropriate, and may the ways of the world not numb them to what is right.  

STOP READING

For the last few months, nothing makes the girls happier than a new book.  Or a book they haven’t read in a while.  Or even a book they recently enjoyed and want to read again.

The girls each got a book series for Christmas, and I think they devoured it within two days (switching off books so they could read what the other got).  And then, less than two weeks later, they got two more series for their birthday.  And again, it was read within days.

The girls have gotten a few new books here and there – for Valentine’s Day, for Easter, spending a gift card to the bookstore they got as a present – augmented with very frequent trips to the library at school.

This week was the book fair at school, and the girls could hardly wait to make their selections.  I joined them for lunch, and then we went to shop.  

We decided on a total of seven books…two of them were compilations of three stories each…in the neighborhood of 360 pages each.

We’re four days out from the book fair, and the girls have read all their new stories.  Seriously.

While all this still and quiet is really nice in many ways, I have found myself at times directing the girls to STOP READING.  (And that feels a little crazy to say!)

Let’s PLAY something, I'll encourage them.  A game…a puzzle…some blocks…a Lego set.  They’ve been happy enough to oblige, but it’s clear that reading takes first place in their hearts.  Or sometimes they’ll agree to have me to read to them, which is a nice compromise...and I’m happy to oblige that little “blast from the past”.

If readers are leaders, then look out, World!

A Good Problem to Have

Baby A came home shortly after school started with some news.  “Mommy, we won’t get homework until September.”  How do you feel about that?  I asked her.  “Awwwwww,” she moaned, with a dejected face.  “I don’t want to wait!”  HA!

I later realized the girls were unofficially counting down until the end of August.  September 1^st was on a Tuesday, and they just knew they’d get homework that very day.

As it turns out, their teachers waited until this week to finally bestow upon them their long-anticipated homework.  They were SO excited!!!

They had a story to read and some questions to answer by Friday, and then they are supposed to read to a parent for 10-15 minutes a night.

I had to laugh when I saw the girls after school today.  (Daddy had a faculty meeting so I left work a little early to hang out with them…woo hoo!!!) 

“Mommy, can I read in the car?”

“I can read for 10 minutes in the car and then I can do my homework when we get home!”

“Have I read for 10 minutes?” Baby A asked.  When I told her I thought it was close, she read the blurb on the back of the book.  “Now it’s 10, right?!  Now I can do my homework at home!!!”

Baby A ran in and got right to work.  She waaay over-delivered on writing sentences.  She almost wrote a book herself!

Baby B had done her reading in the car, but she didn’t get to her homework right away.  She was too anxious to read  new library book.  Hee hee!

So much “academia”…so little time!  It’s a great problem to have that the girls just wanna read and work and learn!!!

This Was Big, Y'all

Baby B brought home the year’s first library book.  She chose a new Berenstain Bears story, and she was elated to tell me about it.  “Can we read it tonight???” she asked as I walked in the door from work.  A few minutes later, Baby A told me, separately, “Sissy got a Berenstain Bears book from the library!!!” 

As I was making supper, the girls were sitting on the couch in the den, looking at the book together.  I asked B if she wanted to come read to me while I was working.  She scurried right over.  And then I asked A if she wanted to come while B read.  She scurried right over, too.

I was so impressed…not only that Baby B powered through the entire book with confidence…but also that Baby A sat there, such a patient audience.  She helped her with a word or two, but she was enjoying B’s presentation.

It was a proud Mommy moment, for sure.

It was funny, though…B had read the book at school already, and she kept foreshadowing events.  “Just read!” I kept telling her.  “I want to be surprised!”

B finished the book, and it was time to eat.  “Can we read it for bedtime?” the girls asked.  "Read it to us!"  Although we were running a little late, we piled up in the den and I got my turn with the book.

Seeing my girls supporting each other in reading…that’s wholesomeness right out of a Berenstain Bears book, for sure.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago...but this is a common sight at our house these days!  Love!!!

The Day Before School Started, We...

…slept all the way until 7am (the girls, that is).  I went upstairs, truly incredulous that I hadn’t heard them.  They were still SNOOZING and their clock was green!

…had cinnamon bites with a candle to make a wish for a great school year...our tradition!

…colored some really cool bookmarks.  (We are all loving "coloring books for grown-ups"!)

…took our supplies to the girls’ schools and delivered our paperclip “happies” to the girls’ teachers.

…went to the bookstore and browsed around.  We read a book about the invention of the Ferris wheel, along with Dr. Seuss’s newest book, What Pet Should I Get?  We bought the next Mercy Watson book, Anne of Green Gables, and Barnyard Dance.  (The girls have been clamoring for that book for YEARS.  We had it when they were babies, but it got “eaten” and was thrown away.  They’re way too old for it, but I couldn’t resist any longer!)

My precious BABIES!!!

…got our bookmarks laminated at Staples and found the missing school supply item we’d been searching for (a particular type of journal).

…went to lunch at Yuki.  Baby B chose a Bento box, and Baby A went with her favorite standby, teriyaki shrimp.  They shared some of my soup and salad, and A kept checking out the sushi chefs right beside us.  She can sometimes be kind of shy, but she was very intent on watching them today.

Love these BABIES and their adventurous palates!

…went to Target and picked out a new bookcase.  The girls were very helpful in getting it in the cart, which they thought was really great.  They also got to push the cart into the corral…big fun!

…came home for Quiet Time and read our new Mercy Watson book in Mommy’s bed…just like old times.

…made strawberry-banana smoothies for snack, “with special straws”.

"What do you think, Sis?"

…went outside to play.  The girls rode their bikes up and down the big hill in front of the house.  Baby B made it a few times, and Baby A wanted to keep going.  I told her that was enough of bikes, since I didn’t want them to get too hot and sweaty.  Baby A first asked if we could take a walk.  I told her we could walk to the top of the hill and back.  And then we skipped up and back.  Then Baby A asked if she could run instead.  She ran at least twice…my little nut!  I finally got everyone corralled on the driveway to play some catch.  And then Daddy SURPRISED us by coming home early!!!  We all got to play together a little bit.  It was such a treat!

Love the joy in this one!

"High five, Sissy!"

…came in and got a well-deserved shower, getting squeaky clean to start school. 

…built our bookcase!  The girls were THRILLED to help me.  They got to hand me pieces, turn the screwdriver, AND pound a [tack] nail.  Such big kids!!! 

…enjoyed our famous baked shrimp scampi supper, and then we had just enough time before bed to get our bookcase in the office.  Success!  We’d said we wanted to get the office organized before school started, and we JUST made it!

...made Mommy's heart melt.  When I told the girls I was taking the day off on Monday, and it would be just the three of us (since Hubby had to be at school all day), they were so excited.  “We haven’t had a day together since preschool!”  And at the end of the day, “Mommy, this was the best day ever!”

***

Makes me miss being home with my babies, for sure.  

So thankful we at least got to end the summer in *our* style.

Somewhere Deep in Bear Country

I bought the girls a few early reader books when they were around three.  One was Biscuit, which I don’t really remember from my childhood, but two were ones I remember fondly, Amelia Bedelia and the Berenstain Bears.  We read them each hundreds of times, but the girls particularly latched on to the Berenstain Bears one.

I remember being so taken with those fun-loving bears when I was growing up.  I think it was the treehouse that intrigued me so.  What kid doesn’t love the idea of such neat things being tucked inside a gigantic, rambling tree???

As a very special treat for the girls, the Christmas just before they were five, I bought a Berenstain Bears DVD.  They were thrilled to see the bears come to life on the big screen!  And then I discovered that the Berenstain Bears is available on PBS on-demand.  We still watch very little television, but the occasional family pile-up and sing-along to the Berenstain Bears theme song seems like a great way to spend a few minutes now and again.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been going through some boxes of stuff from when I was a kiddo.  I’ve found a handful of Berenstain Bears books that were mine.  The girls are smitten!  And then, I was tooling around online a few days ago and I happened to think to search for “Berenstain Bears”.  I found a great compilation of 5 books, in hardback, and I ordered it for the girls.  They were THRILLED when it got here earlier in the week!

From our new book, we immediately had to read three stories (all we could pack in before bedtime).  And it made my heart smile when I was putting the girls to bed.  As I leaned in for my last kiss, Baby A said, in her always-raspy baby voice, “Thank you for the Berenstain Bears book, Mommy.”  Awww!!!

I may have loved the super-coolness of the Berenstain Bears treehouse as a kiddo…and now, as a parent, I know my girls are loving that, too.  What’s more are the wholesome lessons the books are written around.  And I think it’s pretty darn cool how those characters transcend time the way they do.  I love seeing my girlies enjoy the same things I did when I was their age!

***

(I started writing this post on Friday morning.  I didn’t quite finish before it was time to get ready for work.  Sometime during the day on Friday, I got an email from a colleague, asking a random question if I remembered a cartoon from growing up, a family of bears, written by a husband and wife team.  “The Berenstain Bears!” I immediately responded.  Turns out there’s a funny spoof making its way around the interwebs right now, pointing out the parallel universe of “Berenstain” and “Berenstein”.  Quite the coincidence in my book…making me question…what role do I play in said parallel universe???!!!)

Bama's Best

So we made our quick down-and-back trip to Alabama this weekend.  It was short, but definitely sweet.

I have some great pictures, and I'm so thankful I took a few minutes to jot down some great quotes.  Being in the car for 10 hours over two days will do that for ya!

Some of the funnier moments came as the girls were reading signs.  I sometimes forget THEY CAN READ, and it strikes me as so funny, some of the things they come up with...

Baby A read, "Left shoulder closed."  "But Mommy, I need both my shoulders!"

And then, she read an advertisement, "Skydive Today!"  She immediately protested, "I don't want to skydive today!"  And then, "What's skydiving?"  Hahahaha!!!

We were getting a little antsy during the last few minutes of the drive on Saturday, so I started to quiz the girls on some math problems...

To B, "What's 25 x 3?"  "75!" she immediately answered.

And then, to A, "What's 6 x 5?"  She paused for just a second.  "Well, that's 12 x 2 + 6."  And then, "30!"  I really thought she'd memorized that multiplication fact...or at least that she'd count by 5's.  Her algebra amazed me!

When we got to Granddaddy's on Saturday afternoon, we decided to brave the heat and head to Noccalula Falls Park.

(Looking at the pictures, I realize now that Granddaddy and the girls had a tropical theme going on.  Hee hee!)

The beginning of our adventure...waiting on the train!

Our beloved train!

Petting a baby goat...sweet!!!

And we were so lucky to witness some of nature's magic.  When we first got to the petting zoo area, we saw a goat that was VERY pregnant.  We went inside to check out the bunnies and birds...and when we came out, there was a crowd gathered around to watch the baby being born!!!

We missed that particular action, but we did get to see the mommy goat cleaning up her baby...the baby's first steps...and the baby's first drink!  It was so sweet to see the girls cheering the baby goat on.

Late July in Alabama was probably not the most comfortable of days to be traipsing around the park, but we enjoyed it.  This crew was looking a little more exhausted by the end of the afternoon, though.  I love this picture of everyone, waiting on the train to come pick us up.

We came back to Granddaddy's and go cleaned up to go out to eat.  Unfortunately, though, I don't have any pictures from our gorgeous dinner.  We sat on the deck at the Fish Market and had a super-yummy supper.  I did capture a quote, though, as the server set down in front of A the crab cake dish I'd ordered for the girls to share.  B immediately reminded her sissy, "Half of that is mine!"  HA!!!

Sunday morning, we enjoyed breakfast out, and then some play time outside.  I didn't take a ton of pictures, but I did capture this beauty.  B was very serious about her technique (no doubt what she learned during basketball camp this summer).

Shooting some hoops!  (And enjoying time on the swing, of course.)

A short but fun trip...some great memories made!!!

Big Kids in the Car

We don't have a DVD player in the car, and we don't intend to get one.  And outside of the little rattles that used to tie onto the girls' carseats, we don't allow toys in the car, either.

On trips of any distance, we keep ourselves entertained by singing and playing little "quiz" games.

We have a number of kiddie CDs we all enjoy, and I have a handful of "real" music CDs that are appropriate for the girls.  (We hadn't listened to the Beatles in a while, and I was scrolling through the CD changer when the girls and I went to Alabama a couple of weeks ago.  "THE BEATLES!!!" Baby A exclaimed.  "Let's listen to the Beatles!!!  That makes me think of going to Chicago!"  Hahaha!)

In the way of "quiz" games, for the longest time, the girls loved to count the syllables in a word, or a phrase, or a sentence.  Now they're READING, so we look at signs, which is all sorts of fun.  And there's plenty of math to be done, too...calculating how many miles until a particular place, using the mile markers, for example.

Yesterday, as we drove to north Alabama (about 175 miles) to meet our family for a long lunch, we talked a lot about money.  "If you have $.75 and I give you two dimes and three pennies, how much do you have?"  It kept us all entertained for much of the trip.

While our singing has reached new heights, and our word- and math- games go to new levels as the girls get older, there are a couple new things in our in-car repertoire...and they make me all sorts of giddy.

As the girls and I drove home from Alabama a couple of weeks ago, I was in *real* need for some coffee.  We went through a Starbucks drive-thru, and the girls asked for hot chocolate.  I'm fine with them having the occasional hot chocolate now and again...but we've never done that in the car.

With all sorts of admonitions in place, I ordered a tall hot chocolate (not too hot), and asked that it be split between two cups.  How ADORABLE was it for me to look in my rearview mirror and see the girls sipping their Starbucks!!!

And this weekend, the girls asked if they could take a book to read in the car.  I told them they could take a paperback book (as a hardback scares me a little bit with its corners and potential to be a projectile).  How ADORABLE was it to see them READING in the backseat??!!!

(Pardon the blurriness of my iPhone picture!)

Even if I'm often in disbelief, I'm so proud of my baby girls and what BIG KIDS they're becoming!

Love Notes

The girls have been into "love notes" for quite some time now.  My home office has a full garland of post-it notes adorning the full stretch of cabinets.  It's a lot to take in, but I love it.  :)

It's not uncommon for me to come home to the girls having made something for me...some kind of "love note"...notes that are getting more sophisticated as the months go by and the girls learn to spell more and more.

I couldn't help but delight in the note my B handed me as I walked in the door this evening.  She's had a thing for "flaps" lately, as in "lift the flap", and this is exhibited here.

Translation:

Name: _________________________
Email: _________________________

Do you know how much I love you

(Answers right here)

[flap]

And under the flap was written, "I love you!  From: B".

A moment in time...and I love it.

So Much Super Stuff!!!

I have been absolutely terrible about carving out time to write over the past few months.  I won’t lament that [here]…but I am very thankful to have jotted down a few gems over the past few weeks.  Super stuff, for sure!

1)    When GG was here for Thanksgiving, we surprised her by having uploaded her picture to JibJab, the video making site.  We were all in hysterics, seeing her dance online to Feliz Navidad, the girls along beside her.  She had never seen anything like it, and just couldn’t quit laughing.

2)    In the fall, a children’s author came to visit the girls’ school.  They were so impressed, and they told me all about what he said.  When we brought out our Christmas books for the season, my A noticed he illustrated one of their books.  “HENRY COLE!!!!!  Mommy, HENRY COLE!!!!!  He came to our school!!!!!  HENRY COLE!!!!!”  I LOVE her enthusiasm…AND that she would read the name of the illustrator by herself!!!!!

3)    One of our first Christmas activities was to make snowflakes.  I got out some coffee filters and showed the girls how to fold and cut them.  The girls were intrigued.  And when B finished hers, she must have said five times, in awe, “Mommy!  It’s just so beautiful!!!”

4)    I took the girls to see Rudolph the Musical at our local performing arts center.  It was our first time to go to a show there, and the girls were in awe.  What a pleasure it was for me to take them...to introduce them to one of my childhood favorites, at that!  And My A, in particular, was sitting on the edge of her seat!  I’d prepped the girls that the Abominable Snow Monster would be a part of the show.  They were nervous, but they both did great, keeping it in perspective.  My A later said that was her favorite part of the program.  HA!

5)    The girls learned (maybe from school? as we didn’t focus much on it during our reading at home?) to name the 8 reindeer.  They are fiercely passionate about doing so, any time they see a drawing of Santa and his reindeer…and then they interrupt whatever story or situation to break into song about “the most famous reindeer of all”.  Hee hee!

An elf and a reindeer...my loves!!!

6)    We had a really crazy day on Friday before Christmas.  It’s a post (or two) in itself, involving numerous X-rays and a potentially broken arm.  When the day finally closed on a high note (with the option for us to just watch B for any signs of distress), I told her we should celebrate at the Dairy Queen.  That baby girl looked like she had a new lease on life…that was definite cause for a celebration!

7)    During our Crazy Day on Friday, I told B at one point (before it was all over), “It’s been a crazy day.”  She tearfully replied, “And I don’t like it!”  Me, either, Baby Girl!!!

8)    On the first weekend of Christmas break, we were having a pretty ordinary day.  We were doing laundry, coloring, cleaning up a bit.  Out of the blue, my precious B said, “Mommy, I just love days like this!”  Me, too!!!  Oh, how I miss our unstructured time!!!

9)    One morning during Christmas, my A asked, “Are we going out today?”  I originally told her no, to which she exclaimed, “YES!!!  I can wear my pajamas ALL DAY LONG!!!”  I later remembered we had an errand to run.  She reluctantly got dressed…but she came home and put her PJs back on!

10) WE GOT KITTENS!!!  The girls have been looking forward to this for months and months…and so have we.  They are the sweet big sisters to those furry babies!

11) We got our kittens on December 21, and of course we had to make stockings for them.  We decided to use the stockings the girls brought home from kindergarten…we cut out the kittens’ initials from felt and glued them on.  The girls were so excited to hang them over the fireplace!

12) A couple of days after we got the kittens, A asked to spend Quiet Time in the basement with them and her daddy.  She “napped” on the couch with them (I CANNOT believe she slept…but she was quiet for a good while!).  Afterwards she said, “This was the best quiet time EVER!”

13) We went to a sandwich shop over the holiday break, one we hadn’t been too in a long time.  I could not believe that B walked in and immediately remembered that her daddy spilled a cup of water the last time we were there – a year ago!  These girlies don’t forget anything!!!

14) Before Christmas, B was taking guesses at what Daddy bought for Mommy.  When she realized she was right, she said, “That’s what you got her for her birthday, and for Mother’s Day!”  (Yes, I love dark chocolate…but Hubby is not very original.)  B’s horror and her accusation just made me laugh!

15) On the topic of presents, A worked hard to wrap up a piece of her artwork for each of us.  I overheard her ask B, “Do you have your gifts made for Mommy and Daddy yet?”  B said, “I don’t need to make anything…they already have the best gifts ever,” referring to herself and her sister.  Hahaha!!!

16) On Christmas Eve, we were buzzing around…doing the last few preparations for the big day.  During Quiet Time, I told the girls that Mommy needed a nap.  My A asked if she could snuggle with me and nap, too.  I’m so thankful I took her up on that…we piled on the love seat, stretched out, and that precious baby slept in my arms.  Merry Christmas to me!!!

17) Baby A has been so affectionate lately (not that that’s a new thing).  One of her favorite things to say is, “I wish I could snuggle with you every single minute of every single day.”  Me, too, Baby Girl!!!

18) I usually go up to check on the girls in their beds before I go to sleep.  As I pulled up the covers around A, she stirred ever so slightly…and then she whispered, “Thank you, Mommy.”  Heart. Melts.

Super Stuff, for sure!!!

Strides in Reading!

I don't precisely remember learning to read.

I remember not being able to read, and I remember an adult saying, "You can't even read that?"  (I was FIVE!)

I remember learning certain letter combinations in first grade.  And I remember being incredibly proud for sounding out and spelling the word "clown" for one of my classmates.

Everything turned out OK for me in the end.  ;)  I was a big reader throughout my growing up years, and -- as I discovered during the girls' infancy -- I just don't feel like "me" if I don't have at least one book on my nightstand.

My girls are reading.  They have been reading since shortly after school started.  And it's such an awesome thing.

Tonight, though, I saw my Baby A read completely new text with such incredible ease.  She needed a tiny bit of help on a couple of words, but she was otherwise reading so fluently!

It was beautiful to watch...and beautiful to see how PROUD she is of herself, too!

No flash = blurry picture...but look at that JOY!!!

For the first time, she brought home a chapter book for homework.  The teacher sent a note that this book was to replace the weekly book she read TWICE last night.  "She's flying!" the note said.

She instructed A to read one chapter a night.

Baby A read her chapter to Daddy after school.  Before bed, she asked if she could read another chapter to me.  And she was pretty disappointed I wouldn't let her read a third chapter after that...but it was already past her bedtime.

My Dearest Baby A,

May this be the first of many decades to come of you wanting to stay up past your bedtime reading.

With love and hugs, 

Mommy

They Still Delight...

For all intents and purposes, my girls are Big Kids.  They dress themselves.  They can buckle and un-buckle their car seats.  They go to school.  They are learning to read really proficiently.  They do math “just for fun”.

Much of this Big Kid stuff is welcome, and oh-so-awesome.  But I am so very grateful for the little glimpses I still get of their not-so-Big-Kid selves.

On Thursday morning, I let the girls watch as much of the Thanksgiving parade as they wanted.  This is the only time in their short lives they’ve been allowed to sit idly in front of the TV, and it was something they’d been looking forward to since last Thanksgiving.  It was the first thing they said when they woke up on Thursday, “Mommy!  We get to watch the parade!”  And they were some kind of disappointed they had to wait until 9am for it to start.

I watched the parade over their shoulders as I worked in the kitchen to continue to get things ready for our big Thanksgiving lunch.  They recognized some of the balloons from last year, and they were tickled to hear their first few Christmas tunes of the year.

We had a fun Thanksgiving day…we entertained friends for lunch, and then we had some glorious “quiet time” that afternoon.  We rounded out the day with some crafting, and everyone was actually excited to have leftovers for supper.

At bedtime, it occurred to me we should read the Curious George parade story.  In the story, they don’t call out Macy’s by name, but it’s not a big stretch to see the story is loosely set in the Big Apple.

At my suggestion, the girls SQUEALED with excitement.  (And my heart smiled big with pleasure.)

Baby A RAN to find the yellow Curious George book.  She first raced into the reading room, and then downstairs to scour the bookcase in the den.  She came bounding back upstairs, so excited to read about Curious George’s adventures in the very parade they’d seen on TV that morning.

I know one day my babies won’t delight in having Mommy read books to them.  I sure am thankful that today, they still do.  

The Reading Bug

The reading bug is a real thing…and my Baby A has got it!

Hallelujah!!!

As I’ve written before, the girls have had really solid pre-reading skills for a long, long time now.  I’d count at least two years that I expected them to start reading any day.  I never really pushed them, figuring it would happen when they were ready.  I thought that once they started, they’d just take off, and it sure feels like that’s what my A is doing.

She wants to read EVERYTHING now!

Last night, I was amazed as she made her way pretty proficiently through a huge stack of early reader cards.  She just kept plugging away!

And then before bed, she wanted to read a book.  She picked “The Very Grouchy Ladybug”, which is not exactly an easy reader.  With very little help, she got through the first several pages before it was time for bed.  She BEGGED to read more, but it was time to go upstairs.

It’s a little hard for me to tell exactly where Baby B is on the curve.  She hasn’t proactively sat down to read something with the same gusto as her sister, but she was helping A fill in the blanks in her book last night.  How cute it was to see them playing off each other.

How happy I am to see those synapses firing away.  I hope it’s the start of a long and storied love affair with reading!

READING!!!

The girls have had what I would consider really solid pre-reading skills for more than two years now…at least.  They’ve known all their letters since they were around two, and they’ve known all their letter sounds since they were in the neighborhood of three.

They’ve been able to sound out words, letter by letter, but they rarely put those sounds together to make words.

As much as I wanted them to start reading, I *tried* not to sweat it.  I purposefully didn’t push them on the topic, and we learned a million other things before they started school.  I figured that a light bulb would flash on one day for them, things would click, and they’d be reading up a storm.

A month into kindergarten, and I feel like I was pretty right!  The girls are reading!!!  While I wish I could have been the one to introduce the magic, I think it helped having encouragement from their teachers – someone other than Mommy – to get them over the hump.

Baby A, in particular, has been so fun to watch.  She wants to read EVERYTHING!  Two weeks ago, she ran an errand with me on Saturday afternoon.  I had the Kohl’s sale paper with me, and she asked if she could hold it in the car.  She tried so hard to read every single word!  And she was so proud of herself for being such a big kid!!!

Although we have a blue million books at our house, some of them being early reader books, I felt like the girls would get a big thrill from going to the bookstore and buying a new book they could read.  Last weekend I let the girls each pick out a new book.  I suggested they each choose a Pete the Cat book (having an affinity for the little guy myself), and they were tickled!!!

It was such a sweet occasion, made even a little sweeter by the lady who checked us out at the bookstore.  She oohed and ahhed over the girlies getting books THEY could read.  She’s been checking us out since I used to bring the girls in their stroller, and I know she delighted in sharing this milestone.

The girls worked so hard to read every word in their books…over and over.

This may not be a work of great literature, but it will always have a special place in my heart!

Things I'm Loving This Week

1)      GG visited us last week.  I love seeing how much the girls adore her, and her, the girls.

2)      I [finally!] bought the first “Little House on the Prairie” book for the girls.  They are in love!  We’ve read about 1/3 of the book already, in just two days.  Sweet memories from my childhood!

3)      One afternoon last week, when GG was here, the girls needed some down time.  I asked if they wanted to watch an episode of “Too Cute” on Animal Planet.  Baby A jumped into the corner of the couch, and invited B to sit in her lap.  Then B said, “Hold me, Sissy.”  They snuggled like this for an hour!

4)      We delivered GG to Nashville yesterday, to meet Uncle Tommy and Aunt Janet for her trip home.  On the car ride down, with five of us in the car, I sat between the girls’ car seats.  That little space is not really fit for a human, I now know.  I sat tall and straight and tried to keep my eyes closed most of the way, willing myself not to get car sick.  I may not have felt very well, but I had the sweetest company.  The girls kept stroking my arms with their sweet, tiny hands.  Sometimes we held hands, and they would kiss my fingers.  “I love you, Mommy,” they alternately whispered.  I could endure the torture of that seat again and again for those sweet nothings.

5)      During lunch with the family, Baby A asked me, “Do you think it’s OK if I sit in Uncle Tommy’s lap?”  Of course it was…he loved nothing more.  I watched the light in A’s eyes as she hung on his every word.

6)      After we ate lunch, I spied a big sale at one of my favorite shops.  B didn’t want to go (and Daddy certainly did not), but A did.  While Daddy and B drove around for a few minutes, Baby A helped me shop.  She was a great assistant!  She held the blouses I picked out, and as I tried them on, she kept saying, “What do you think about it so far?”…before I would even have it all the way on.  HA!

7)      This morning, the girls called me to take their picture.  “Come see, Mommy!  We’re two peas in a pod!”

I'm loving it!

Hooray for Evolution!

The first post I read this morning was Deanna’s, in which she talked about the evolution of bedtime stories at her house.  I just had this exact conversation with a family friend this week, talking about how our girls’ preferences have continued to grow and change.  It’s such an interesting evolution to witness!

Since the girls were born, we’ve gone through so many phases with books and reading…

I went from reading great works of literature to them as infants…to finally realizing they wanted to point to pictures, instead of be read to, when they were toddlers.

They’ve chewed books…and cuddled with books…and then peeled the laminate off others.

For this book-loving mama, it’s been quite a ride.  I want so desperately for the girls to love to read, as I do.  During those times – mostly as toddlers – when they wouldn’t sit still for anything…when they couldn’t be left alone with the most indestructible of texts…I worried.

Finally, when they were about two-and-a-half, I think, they settled into quite the listeners.  There were times that I think they would have let me do nothing else all day but read books.  While that could be a little tiring, ultimately I was so relieved!

The girls have tons of books.  With only a few exceptions, we still have almost all the books they’ve loved since they were tiny.  We might read a really simple story, and then sit down for something much more involved.

For a long time, I identified that, as long as there were interesting pictures, the girls were game.

We even have a number of science-oriented books…one on bees…one on butterflies and moths…one on snakes and reptiles…one on animals of Asia.  For Easter they got books on volcanoes and planet earth.  The headiest one they have is on the solar system.  It’s amazing to me that the girls often request those books.  I know at least some of the concepts are over their heads, but they seem to love them nonetheless.

What’s been the biggest surprise lately, though, is how they’ve taken to my classic Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy books.  Each story is five or six pages long…but those are mostly single-spaced…and there are very few pictures.  The pictures in the book I have are mostly black and white line drawings, with a simple color one now and again.

It’s been such a delight for me to share these stories with my girls…ones I remember from my childhood…to have them request a Raggedy Ann story over a new book with glossy pictures.

And it’s let me know they’re not just looking at pictures.  They’re listening and following and retaining information. 

Hooray for evolution!!!  And – in this case – hooray for harkening back to the old days of Mommy’s childhood, too.

Next up?  I’m thinking Little House!!!