What The Kiddos Are Up To

 CLEDI LEIGH:  Cledi seems to be very excited about spring.  She has been happier, more interactive, and more tolerant of the rest of us recently.  One of our dear care providers has been sick and unable to take Cledi on walks.  So she has begun reading Cledi books---like real books.  She read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to her, some other book with a bunch of Alaskan words, and now they've moved on to the BFG.  It has been really fun to watch her positive response to the reading.  I don't know that she is understanding anything, but she is understanding enough to enjoy the experience.


ELENI RAE:  I've been meaning to do this for months, but that's not saying much because I'm finally getting around to doing things that I've been meaning to do for years. 

But I started teaching Eleni some piano lessons this week.  And -wow- that first lesson was something else.  I realized I'm going to have to grow some major patience in this process--because if she senses any frustration or anxiety in me, she will pick up on it and give up.  But we made it through the first lesson.

We had another lesson 2 days later, and it was so rewarding to see how much she was starting to understand.  She began playing her first two songs, which she thinks are just the best songs in the entire world and will play them for you 78 times a day if you want.  And she feeds off of the positive encouragement I give her.  "Mom, I just really like it when you look at me so happy and tell me I did so good and it just makes me feel so excited!"  She must have told me that 3 times today.

This is going to be fun.  :-)




NASH ANTHONY:  Nash has been so excited about Eleni doing her homework that I give her every day, that he started requesting some.  So, I've been making some quick worksheets for him to do--and it's darling!  He firmly grips his pencil and arduously writes his name at the top.  All we have worked on so far is matching words to pictures (I want to start the real reading lessons with him in September or so), but I'm excited to see what other stuff he lets me do with him.  I love this part of being a mom!