Mac had a bag.

Last summer, I began to work on reading with Porter.  He was so close, but all our sessions ended in frustration, and I eventually decided he just wasn't ready.  We put his beginning reading books aside, and honestly, I've been lazy and haven't taken the time to pick them back up.  He has been working hard in school, but everything I saw him "read" was mostly memorization and interpreting from pictures.  Which is fine, the first step, but not quite reading.  I kept telling myself that he was right on the edge.

And then on Thursday he came home from school, pulled out one of his books, and read this out loud:

It was a book we hadn't worked with before.  He sounded out each word.  Bryce and I weren't even paying a lot of attention, until holy crap he can read.  He read the whole book.  He was so proud!  We were so excited!  And then he read another book.  And another.  Woo-hoo.  It was one of those really amazing parenting moments.  A huge world just opened up for Porter in the blink of an eye, and it was so neat to see.

Meanwhile, not being involved in the fun, Molly had been playing with my phone over in the corner.  Apparently quietly watching YouTube videos, unknown to us all, she announced that the girls were dancing with the penis!  Holy crap you definitely don't have to read to get into a whole new world of trouble.

There will be no more YouTube on my phone.

Also!  Check out this couch Bryce made for the corner of our living room.  It is seriously awesome. 
   

Another First

After much, much, much (really it was grossing me out) wiggling, Porter finally lost his first tooth.  It made me laugh how small it looked on the outside of his mouth.  And he was proud.  And excited.  The tooth fairy made her obligatory visit, although I suspect he already knows that she isn't real and that this is all a game made up by us.  It's a fun game though, and he seems willing to play along.

Unfortunately all the excitement has been a little bit diminished by the fact that Porter has some dental issues.  He has what is called a shark tooth.  It's where the adult tooth came in behind the baby one before it even fell out (hence two rows of teeth).  You can see in his proud picture that other tooth back there. (They get a special sticker at school for a lost tooth, and I had to tell Porter he might have some explaining to do)  According to our dentist it isn't uncommon, but it presents, in Porter's case at least, a crowding situation.  Boring details, but it means that in the spring they are going to have to knock him out and pull out the other three of his bottom front baby teeth.  I know it'll be fine, but geez.  Poor guy.  It's going to be dang hard to eat an apple.  

In other news, Molly came running to tell me this morning that "the pink sunshine was falling on the mountains."  And indeed it was.  It's all in the little things.

Seventeen More Years To Go

Last summer, when I was mostly on my own with three kids to entertain all day, I looked forward to the start of the school year with a passion.  I dreamed of the day when a big chunk of it would be filled with two children, and sometimes only one.  I thought this was going to make things sooooooo much easier.  And it did.  Sort of.

I was very surprised to find that when winter break came around, it was a wonderful, delicious relief to be at home all day with the kids.  Part of that had to do with Bryce being around a lot, but also it was most definitely the NOT WAKING UP AT 6:30. 

I mean, I've had three babies.  I haven't really had a good night's sleep in six years.  I have no real problem waking up early.  I actually kind of like the mornings.  So I figured this to be no big deal.  But dragging Porter out of bed every morning at this time is truly awful.  No matter how early he goes to bed, he is tired and hates me, and sometimes he even cries when I go to wake him up.  He loves school, his teacher, his friends, and even riding the bus.  But it is all for nothing if he has to get up that early.  He does snap out of it eventually, but our mornings are often colored not so rosy by his tiredness, and it starts our whole day off badly.  Plus Molly and Cedar usually wake up then too when they hear the noise, which, you know, makes everything even more awesome.  I think that it's really the only reason Molly still naps.

So I am torn.  I am happy with how school is going for Porter.  And I know they have reasons for starting when they do.  But ugh!  I wish they could just start two hours later.  The other day at dinner, Porter told us he maybe was done going to school.  I'm sorry buddy.  You've got twelve more years to go.

That makes it seventeen more years that I get to drag kids out of bed.  Oy.


As a side note, here is a link to the Chocolate Pie I made on Christmas.  It was absolutely lovely, and really very easy to make.  I did it with a graham cracker crust, which made it even easier.  Just do it.  You won't regret it.

Maximum Activity

I've written a lot about how different Porter and Molly were as babies and toddlers.  And now that Molly is getting a bit older and out in the world, the differences are even more striking.

Porter has always been the kid (much like me) who doesn't raise his hand, who looks at the ground when a stranger asks him a question (still, even now), who is a little shy and does best in small groups.  Molly, on the other hand, happily volunteers personal information to the grocery checker and the guy walking by on the street, and is that kid who is raising their hand before the teacher is even done asking the question because she just wants to talk, about anything. 

Porter does love to get out and do things, but he has always needed a lot of down time at home too.  It has been easy not to over schedule him, because he lets me know when he's had enough, and when he just doesn't want to participate anymore.  When you ask him if he wants to go somewhere, he thinks hard, and the answer is often no.  But with Molly, she is the happiest on the go.  If you ask her if she wants to go fishing or to Home Depot or to the doctor to get a shot, the answer is always YES.  She enthusiastically begs to participate in everything she's seen Porter do and more.  So all of a sudden I found her enrolled in preschool, skiing lessons, swimming lessons and ballet class.  All at the same time.  She's only three and that seems like a lot!  I've always said I wouldn't over schedule my kids, and it seems like I've already done it.  Sigh.  But she loves it.  All of it.  So I guess we will just see where it goes.

At least I don't have to cart Cedar around to anything yet.  I see my days as a chauffeur approaching quickly.

2012

I know I am counting my blessings here today.  Happy New Year to you and yours!

But seriously folks, my car seat smells like champagne and campfire.