Happiness Is....

the ice cream truck stopping right in front of the house.

Amazing

Thursday was Caroline's First Grade Reading and Writing Celebration. She and her classmates have been engaged in a wonderful writer's workshop all year long. They have explored personal narrative, how to books, all about books, realistic fiction, poetry and so much more. Caroline writes at home ALL the time so I have seen her growth throughout the year but I have seen no work from her writing workshop. The 'Wow Factor' upon seeing her writing all together from the entire year made the wait well worth it.



Rob and I snuggled up on her classroom floor and listened as she read selections from each of her units.

The reading began with "Going to Dizney World"


"I got into the car And Jrov to the airpot."

and ended with "Briget's Run Away!"


"By the time she got home the sun was shining bright and her mom was releved to see her!"

Amazing...

Lovely

When it comes to teaching the girls, I often feel like Rob focuses on all things athletic while I take charge with the academics. On one hand, we should certainly play to our strengths. After all, I am the one who was still on the JV lacrosse team as a senior.

But there are such obvious benefits to our switching roles every now and then. I stumbled on the scene above earlier today and I was taken back by how comfortable Katherine was leading Rob in her letter game and then snuggling in to write her "stories."

Maybe tomorrow, I will try to pitch a softball Caroline's way...

Sadness

I got mad at the girls today. They crossed the street without me- twice. We live on a busy street where cars go over the speed limit more than they don't so this was a big problem. Neither Caroline nor Katherine have learned that they have to look before they cross- every time. So the rule is pretty clear- no crossing the street. Neighborhood children playing proved too tempting and the rule was broken- twice. So needless to say, by the second time, it was pretty hard for me to stay calm.

As I watched Caroline's face, though, it became obvious that, for the first time, she really got it. When I told her that if she didn't look, she could be hit by car and if she got hit by a car she could die, she began to cry and the look of terror on her face broke my heart. And I began to cry.

Katherine, not yet totally getting it, said, "Mommy, why are you sad even though you're the one who made the sadness?"

I had no answer other than to think that sometimes being a mother means being sad because you made the sadness.

So Proud

I don't know who is prouder of Caroline- me, Rob or Caroline. She ran her first 5K on Monday in 35 minutes. She stopped twice (for water) and averaged eleven and a half minute miles.

The look on her face says it all..