Vegan Goodness:
Today we ate . . .
- Breakfast: Blueberry smoothies for Dad and LP, followed by the oatmeal for everyone.
- Lunch: Quesadilla for Dad, 1/2 a leftover burrito for LP and leftover chili for Mom
- Mom had a lot of snacks today: chocolate chips, peanuts, a bowl of rice crispies and then some amazing beer bread made by a good friend.
- Dinner: Lentil soup with carrots and greens. Basic but delicious!
Money Matters:
Today we had IP’s well-baby visit (she is doing great!) and Mom met up with a friend for tea and beer bread. Nothing spent!
Tuesday Toddler Update:
LP really made a huge shift in reading over these last few months. I really seems like he developed an attention span overnight. Not that long ago we couldn’t get through The Little Engine that Could without him wandering off. For a long time he wanted us to read to him while he did other stuff; I called myself his human-audiobook. Then, all of the sudden, he was ready to sit through a whole book and pay attention the whole time. Now he is really interested in understanding what the words say. He has memorized a whole book (the “epic” Llama Llama Nighty Night) and he has the first couple verses of Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site down pat. He also knows the end-rhymes in lots of his books. However, even if LP forgets a word or phrase that he knows, he will turn to me and say “Mommy, what that say?” It’s a little thing, but it means he is developing some text awareness. This understanding about how the words on the page translate into meaning is a huge step in reading.
As I see LP start to develop his understanding of how books work I’m most excited and intrigued by the enjoyment he derives from this. I get it. I’ve always been a reader, I’ve always loved reading and I’ve always seen myself as a reader, from the days when I used to sound out license plates (and make walking through a parking lot the longest walk ever). I’m glad my son seems to be seeing the same fun in deciphering words on the page, even in this parroting phase. Mostly, though, I’m glad he sees himself as a reader. As a teacher I’ve seen how important that is when I have students how are lacking that reading history, and therefore that reading confidence. Reading, at the heart of it, is about unpacking, deciphering, and putting together a puzzle and, like so many things, there is as much to be learned in the journey of reading as there is in the end. I think LP is having fun on his reading journey so far. And nothing makes me happier.
