It's been a while.
I don't even remember what I have posted about on here since it has been so long. I post on my other blog sometimes, but only a few people can read it... but as I've said many times before, most of what I post here is for myself to remember anyway.
The kids are great. I mean, they really are great kids! They get along really well. Carter is clearly learning so much from Madelyn. He plays along with her little games and she plays along with his. They sort of remind me of Derek and I as kids. I can remember basically acting out a whole story with Little People and Derek just sitting there listening and playing along as I told him. Carter does the same thing with Madelyn. He does contribute though. He is so cute to listen to. The only time they really fight is when Carter takes a toy that belongs to Madelyn. There are certain toys she just does not like to share. Carter is pretty easy going and will share anything with Madelyn (for the most part), but there is the occasional tantrum when Carter takes one of Madelyn's favorite toys.
I saw Carter pretend to read for the first time last week. It seriously melted my heart. Any time Carter shows an interest in books I get very excited. Madelyn has loved books since she was itty bitty. Carter, not so much. I remember feeling so sad for Madelyn when it would be time for her beloved bedtime stories after Carter was born. I never made it through the book. She never complained. Sure, she was barely two, but she was pretty mature for her age... and even though she never threw a fit, I still felt bad.
Anyway, I remember how happy I was the first time Carter sat through an entire book on my lap. He used to love Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? My kids are big Dr. Seuss fans. The book Carter picked up to "read" was Green Eggs and Ham. I actually haven't read that one much. I like it, but I think it is long and it is obviously redundant, so it bores me quickly. I was reading the books Madelyn brought home from school with her and Carter picked up that book and was flipping through the pages super quickly saying, "Sam-I-Am, Sam-I-Am, Do not like it Sam-I-Am! Not in a house. Not in a box..." I ran to get my video camera because it was SO cute, but I was too slow.
I also love when he grabs my cheeks to talk to me. He makes his voice quiet and low and says things like... "Mommy... I wuv you... k?" Yesterday he was making me laugh all day... of course I can't remember what he was saying now. One thing was, "Mommy, what are you doing?" I replied, "homework." He said, "I don't like homework." :) I don't either... but I don't tell him that! He asks a lot of questions like his sister and his sentences are getting longer and he has to be very precises with each word. A lot of times he'll just take role call or just point out things in the room. "This is my Buzz Lightyear. This is Madelyn's book bag. That is a banana." He makes the cutest little faces and he is just adorable. I must tell him he is cute a lot because yesterday Madelyn asked me who was cuter, her or Carter. Of course I think they are both absolutely perfect. :)
Madelyn is reading like crazy. I mean... words I don't even know if she's ever seen before, she can read. It's pretty amazing. Yesterday I printed off the 220 Dolch sight words. I made a game out of seeing if she knew them throughout the course of the day. She loved it! She missed a few words that I know she would get if she read them in context, like "said." She read it as "sad." Anyway, she knew 151 of them. I didn't count it if she didn't read it pretty much automatically... and I know she knows more if she read them in a book. These are words from pre-primer up to third grade sight words.
She brought home five new books from school last week. I think I had to help her with three words. One word was "newspapers," and apparently she didn't even know what a newspaper was. We don't get any newspapers, but I feel bad that my 4 year old has not been exposed to them. I also had to help her with the word don't. I don't think she's learned much about contractions yet, and she read it as "do not," which would not actually be counted against her for a meaning change if she was being assessed on her reading. I can't remember what other word i helped her with. Oh I think it was "pond." She read it as "pool."
The one book stressed her out at first. It had two sentences per page. She said she couldn't do it or that she was done. This is what she does if she thinks it is too hard. I told her I knew she could read it and that if she just touched the words she would do it no problem... and she did. Yesterday I asked her to read them again. I looked at the back of that book and it says it is for grade 1. I told her it was no wonder it made her nervous... she's a preschool reading first grader books!
Yesterday we were talking about what she wanted to be when she grows up. Her answer is always the same. She wants to be a mommy. I asked her who she was going to marry. She was like, "What?! I'm not getting married!" I said, "Well you should be married if you want to be a mommy!" She said, "Umm... I'll marry daddy." I told her that he was already taken. She said, "Ok, I'll marry Carter." I told her that was against the law. She said, "What does that mean? Against the law?" I told her that the police wouldn't let her do that... she had to pick someone else. She said, "Ok... I'll marry Jacob." :)
One of her best friends at school just got a new baby brother, so she is back on the "girl baby" kick. I told her yesterday that she was my very favorite daughter. She gave me a huge hug and kiss and said, "...but I still want a girl baby!" :)
I love them to pieces. :)
The kids are great. I mean, they really are great kids! They get along really well. Carter is clearly learning so much from Madelyn. He plays along with her little games and she plays along with his. They sort of remind me of Derek and I as kids. I can remember basically acting out a whole story with Little People and Derek just sitting there listening and playing along as I told him. Carter does the same thing with Madelyn. He does contribute though. He is so cute to listen to. The only time they really fight is when Carter takes a toy that belongs to Madelyn. There are certain toys she just does not like to share. Carter is pretty easy going and will share anything with Madelyn (for the most part), but there is the occasional tantrum when Carter takes one of Madelyn's favorite toys.
I saw Carter pretend to read for the first time last week. It seriously melted my heart. Any time Carter shows an interest in books I get very excited. Madelyn has loved books since she was itty bitty. Carter, not so much. I remember feeling so sad for Madelyn when it would be time for her beloved bedtime stories after Carter was born. I never made it through the book. She never complained. Sure, she was barely two, but she was pretty mature for her age... and even though she never threw a fit, I still felt bad.
Anyway, I remember how happy I was the first time Carter sat through an entire book on my lap. He used to love Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? My kids are big Dr. Seuss fans. The book Carter picked up to "read" was Green Eggs and Ham. I actually haven't read that one much. I like it, but I think it is long and it is obviously redundant, so it bores me quickly. I was reading the books Madelyn brought home from school with her and Carter picked up that book and was flipping through the pages super quickly saying, "Sam-I-Am, Sam-I-Am, Do not like it Sam-I-Am! Not in a house. Not in a box..." I ran to get my video camera because it was SO cute, but I was too slow.
I also love when he grabs my cheeks to talk to me. He makes his voice quiet and low and says things like... "Mommy... I wuv you... k?" Yesterday he was making me laugh all day... of course I can't remember what he was saying now. One thing was, "Mommy, what are you doing?" I replied, "homework." He said, "I don't like homework." :) I don't either... but I don't tell him that! He asks a lot of questions like his sister and his sentences are getting longer and he has to be very precises with each word. A lot of times he'll just take role call or just point out things in the room. "This is my Buzz Lightyear. This is Madelyn's book bag. That is a banana." He makes the cutest little faces and he is just adorable. I must tell him he is cute a lot because yesterday Madelyn asked me who was cuter, her or Carter. Of course I think they are both absolutely perfect. :)
Madelyn is reading like crazy. I mean... words I don't even know if she's ever seen before, she can read. It's pretty amazing. Yesterday I printed off the 220 Dolch sight words. I made a game out of seeing if she knew them throughout the course of the day. She loved it! She missed a few words that I know she would get if she read them in context, like "said." She read it as "sad." Anyway, she knew 151 of them. I didn't count it if she didn't read it pretty much automatically... and I know she knows more if she read them in a book. These are words from pre-primer up to third grade sight words.
She brought home five new books from school last week. I think I had to help her with three words. One word was "newspapers," and apparently she didn't even know what a newspaper was. We don't get any newspapers, but I feel bad that my 4 year old has not been exposed to them. I also had to help her with the word don't. I don't think she's learned much about contractions yet, and she read it as "do not," which would not actually be counted against her for a meaning change if she was being assessed on her reading. I can't remember what other word i helped her with. Oh I think it was "pond." She read it as "pool."
The one book stressed her out at first. It had two sentences per page. She said she couldn't do it or that she was done. This is what she does if she thinks it is too hard. I told her I knew she could read it and that if she just touched the words she would do it no problem... and she did. Yesterday I asked her to read them again. I looked at the back of that book and it says it is for grade 1. I told her it was no wonder it made her nervous... she's a preschool reading first grader books!
Yesterday we were talking about what she wanted to be when she grows up. Her answer is always the same. She wants to be a mommy. I asked her who she was going to marry. She was like, "What?! I'm not getting married!" I said, "Well you should be married if you want to be a mommy!" She said, "Umm... I'll marry daddy." I told her that he was already taken. She said, "Ok, I'll marry Carter." I told her that was against the law. She said, "What does that mean? Against the law?" I told her that the police wouldn't let her do that... she had to pick someone else. She said, "Ok... I'll marry Jacob." :)
One of her best friends at school just got a new baby brother, so she is back on the "girl baby" kick. I told her yesterday that she was my very favorite daughter. She gave me a huge hug and kiss and said, "...but I still want a girl baby!" :)
I love them to pieces. :)