Super Reader Z

Z loves to read. So much so that she distracts herself with reading with every job and chore she faces. Inevitably, a 2 minute job of brushing her hair and teeth includes a chapter of Junie B. Jones, turning the 2 minute chore into a 10 minute one.

I can't believe my ears as I tell her several times each day: "No you cannot read right now, it is time to get ready for school. If you don't put that book down, you are going to find yourself in time out!"

A time out for reading? Crazy talk, yet I find myself struggling between the life lessons of a love for learning and the ability to manage her time wisely! My heart goes out to my parents for all the times that I disappeared at the bookstore with a good book, when I should have been filing the science fiction section. I don't regret the reading part though or skipping out on the work... hmm is there a pattern here? =)

I am thrilled Z loves to read and envy her ability to tune the world out as she settles into a good book. Does anyone have suggestions how to balance responsibilities and reading?

Z's teacher told me Z will begin a special reading program in the next few weeks. It is usually started in first grade but because she excels in reading, she will begin this year. She will select a book from a list of required reading and test on it each week, these points are accumulated throughout her time in elementary school. Reading chapter books will thrill Z to no end. No more "Mat sat on a rat" books for her!

Last Thursday, Z had student led conferences with me. Such a wonderful opportunity for her to show me all she's done this past year. A student led conference is where your child sits down with you in her classroom and presents her portfolio and shows you her evaluation of her reading, math, and behavior. Z practiced reading a Valentine's Day book for a few weeks to read to me. She showed me how to play Mickey Mouse Math using three circles and colored blocks. Finally she showed me her behavior checklist- it had a list of statements concerning behavior such as: I follow school rules. Next to each statement were three faces, a happy, neutral, or sad face for her to pick and color in. She of course did a wonderful job in each category, but my favorite was "I follow school rules." She had colored in the neutral face, erased it then colored in the happy face. I asked her about the change and she replied, "I love to swing on my stomach." While that may be a school rule, and it is important to follow the rules- if this is the extent of her rule breaking, I am in pretty good shape.

Christmas Card 2007- a little late

Deep Thoughts

Meet my four year old F-. He thinks deeply about everything. This week, my daughter in kindergarden celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday. I shared how I remember Dr. Seuss' birthday every year- we share a birthday.
My parent's own a bookstore and frequently in a panic call me the night before or after my birthday to sing to me. They get a little distracted with their Dr. Suess birthday party at the store. I don't mind so much now and actually get a bit of a kick out of the panic.

Ok, so back to my deep thinking son. The other night at bedtime, F and I talked about Dr. Seuss' birthday and the books Dr. Seuss wrote. As we had our bedtime cuddle, I explained the concept of pen names to F. F went on to ask if Dr. Seuss was alive. I said not anymore, he died when he was 87 years old, about 15 or so years ago.

F asked many questions about death and dying and began to weep, then sob over the death of Dr. Seuss. The conversation covered many topics and questions, including Heavenly Father's plan for us, where did we live before we were born, why were we born, where do we go after we die, why do we die, when will we die, resurrection and much more. I never knew a simple discussion of Dr. Seuss' birthday would come full circle and address the cycle of our lives. I comforted my sweet, sorrowful, deep thinking boy and held him until he slept. I wonder at what point do we as adults forget to ask these important questions and become uncomfortable with our mortality?

Guilty Pleasures

A few days ago, I was enjoying peace and quiet, while F attended preschool. O- stopped harrassing the computer keyboard, as I designed last year's family card. He disappeared and did not make a peep. I know that is the time to go looking for the little rascal, but peace and quiet do not come easily in this house and I savored the guilty pleasure. When I finally reached a good place to take a break I searched for O-.

Appearantly I was not the only one enjoying guilty pleasures. I had left a small amount of wheat on my kitchen counter to grind into flour. As I blissfully ignored O-, he took the opportunity to pull the bag down and emptied it onto the floor. I saw the mess and rather than freak out as usual, I snuck down the hall to find my camera. The resulting "uh-oh, I better clean this up faster" look proved priceless.

Now about that super late Christmas card for 2007- I think I'll just post it and not send it out. Maybe I'll get this year's card out on time, but I won't hold my breath.

Broccoli

I love plants. I want to know what grows well in each place I live. I want to know their names and how much water do they require. I live in the desert and don't want to consume too much of such a precious resource. Unfortunately, my thumb is a browner shade of green and while I do not kill every plant I touch, not too many live to produce again.

I am always amazed at the simple beauty of plants and nature. Today, I cut some broccoli from my teeny tiny garden for our dinner tonight, placed it into a cup and thought it looked beautiful. If I picked up broccoli at the grocery store, I would see a gnarled stem naked of leaves and a huge uniform bulb of brocolli heads. Instead, from my garden, I can see the dark green leaves on one side and silver green on the back. I can see the beautiful shape and texture of each tiny bunch of broccoli. I may not have enough for dinner tonight- maybe I'll look at it instead.