O.G. Readmore

It's official, Deklan is a reader. I'm calling it: Time of reading March 1st, 2011. (I watch a lot of doctor shows.)

I will give a short (maybe) play-by-play of the timeline of what will now go down in history as the Day Deklan Learned to Read....For Real.

It was a cold and blistery day...

...haha just kidding..

Deklan got a Tag Reading Pen for Christmas from Santa Claus. He got one book with it, and liked it enough, but kind of lost interest since the words in the Toy Story book were way beyond what he could "learn" to read. So for his birthday, Grandma Julie and Papa Barney bought him the Learn to Read Short Vowel set of books for his Tag pen. I was excited for him to play with them as he was already pretty close, I thought, to being able to read. Patience was the main concern. Otherwise he could already do a pretty good job of sounding things out and writing small words, etc.

I told him to go get his Tag pen. Oh, what's that Lassie? The pen is LOST? In a well?..er I mean HIS MESSY ROOM??? Of course it is. So we were without the Tag pen. I still wanted to look at the books with him so we sat down and started with the short vowel book of 'a'. I asked him to start sounding out the words, and after a brief explanation of how to pronouce "The" (he was seriously doing the Dumb & Dumber rendition of "te-heh, te-heh) he was off and reading! It was kind of crazy. Makes me wonder if he's been secretly reading at school for months...I would imagine his teacher would have mentioned this, but maybe she thought I already knew, I don't know :o) He then whizzed right on through o, e and i, before losing interest. He did inform me that he knew what vowels were, and "sometimes Y" he said. So every day when he comes home from school answering my "what did you do today" question with "nothing", I know he's lying.

Now this is very exciting to think he can start to read things himself, and be that little bit more independent. Deklan is super excited and can't wait to tell his teacher today when he goes to school. Despite my feelings of joy for my son, I can't help but think that this is going to be a big change for me as well. No longer will I be able to lie about what things say. For example, when asked what the words on the side of a pop can are, I can no longer answer, "it says "Not For Kids" or when we are going through the drive thru at McDonalds and the kids ask why we can't go in and play in the play land, I can't lie about phantom words saying "Play Land Closed."

Of course maybe some of these words are still big enough that I have a little time before I have to be an honest mother. Let's hope he doesn't learn very fast...haha just kidding!

An Angelic Poet

Blakely isn't feeling well so I let her lie on my lap on the couch last night to try to fall asleep instead of being in bed. She asked for a book so I started reading "the critter book." At the end of the book, "All By Myself" it says "goodnight". Blakely followed that by a grin and said "sleep tight." I added, "and don't let the....."

"monsters get you." True. One should not want the bed bugs to bite, OR to let the monsters get you.

Deklan's Letter to Santa

This posting is a couple months late (obviously). My apologies.

The following was transcribed from Deklan's verbal letter to Santa.

"I love you Santa! And I want something what I want for Christmas. The thing that I want for Christmas is a Leapfrog Tag Reading System because it will learn me how to read. Deklan wants that for Christmas. I wasn't naughty. It's not a fib. Um....I have a beautiful tree with gornaments and Christmas lights and a star on the top. Angels are swinging by. Santa, you're the best. I never want to be on the naughty list. Now you can write the rest Mom... My family is a wonderful family. I want to thank Missy for my Mom and Nick for my Daddy. How can you write so fast Mama? My Christmas lights are shining. You have a naughty list and a good list. I love you. I love you. I'm not gonna say you have a long white beard. I think that would be too rude. Don't write that. I've been good all day. I thank my family and share. (I'm not gonna say I put a big sign on my door that says Blakely can't come in 'cuz that would put me on the naughty list.) Santa Claus, please get me a transformer. (I'm using my manners.) Thank you for giving me a transformer. I think that's it. (Hey did you write "I think that's it?" hahaha) What's a workshop? (Let's hang this up.) I like snow. You have a special sled with reindeer. Deklan"

U.S. Coast Guard Regulations...

While getting ready to go to a pool party for Dek's friend Karsen's birthday, I was "assembling" my swimsuit top, and inserting the thin pads that go in the top of the bikini. Blakely came into the bedroom and said excitedly, "Are you making my life jacket!!?"

I swear the pads are not that big....

Fun in the Sun

100_0226, originally uploaded by eyenetgraphics.

Here are the kids while playing outside last Thursday...in 50 degree weather. It is Tuesday today, and -20 with school cancellations all over due to the extreme cold. Crazy weather!

SNOW DAY!

Today started as a 2 hour late start for school due to the extreme temperatures but school ended up being called off before it even began. We stayed in our pajamas all day and did minimal cleaning, but mostly lounged. The kicker is, that it was my day off, so we could have done this anyway, but school being canceled made it feel more necessary.

Despite lounging around, a lot went on today in our house full of four people. Earlier in the morning Deklan hollered from the bathroom to have me assist him in wiping his bottom. When I got in there, he scooted his bottom to the side and said, "Look Mom, and 'M'" and sure enough, there was a very nicely placed, squiggled 'M' made of fecal matter floating in the toilet. "I made it for you." He proudly boasted. I could say nothing but "Thank you." You can imagine the pride I was beaming with.

During a slight scolding later on, I explained to the kids that they have to be thankful for the toys they have and not act so selfish. Blakely, never phased by a scolding, quickly blurted "MOMMY! We not FISHES!!" I had to repeat what I said outloud to understand what she was talking about...those are the moments you can't help but smile and just move on.

We just finished supper and Deklan was hoping to "serve" us like a restaurant as he did last night. Nick and I each had a glass of wine with dinner last night and Deklan wanted to get us both a glass tonight. He said "Dad, what did you do with that wine? Where's that box?" (haha, yes we drink very expensive wine :o) Teasing him, Nick said "I hid it so you wouldn't drink it all." Deklan got defensive and threw back, "I wouldn't DRINK WINE!! I know better that that. I know that wine is just for HUMANS."

I've been beginning to wonder about that boy...especially after witnessing his advanced bowel skills.

Enjoy the Ride!

While I was posting on here, the kids were being very wild behind me in the living room playing and giggling. They were using a laundry basket as a boat. They both got in and I heard Deklan say "Please keep your hands and feet and bottom and pee-pee-balls in the boat at all times..."