Wednesday's "Way to Go"

While sitting here, struggling to come up with something to post about today, I decided to list a few things I'm proud of or happy about lately. This would fit into the "Thankful Thursday" deal many bloggers do, except today isn't Thursday, so I had to be creative. *grin*

1. Connor WILLINGLY sat down with me the other day and worked on some alphabet letters. I bought some dry-erase flash cards for him to practice writing his letters, while also opening the "door" to work on letter names and sounds while we're at it. It's been a bit of a struggle with him (if it's not running, jumping, biking, climbing, wrestling, or any other type of PHYSICAL activity, he doesn't want much part in it), so to have him sit there, happily tracing (very scribbly, but he was doing it!) his letters was AMAZING. And he even recognized the letters A and B later in the day, and could tell me the sound for B after the fact. He'd lost it again by bedtime, but it was an amazing start, and I hope it continues. I've been a bit worried!

2. Jared's handwriting is improving!! Jared was a bit like Connor, not interested in coloring, drawing, writing, etc. so he really didn't have very good control of a pencil for forming letters nicely. His teacher had him evaluated twice at the beginning of the year, but he wasn't considered delayed enough to qualify for extra help (they basically chalked it up to lack of experience over an actual inability to do it, which makes sense). His handwriting has improved IMMENSELY, however, now we have to work on SPEED. He's so deliberate about forming his letters nicely (something the rest of his class was focusing on at the beginning on the year), that he often falls behind in school work. We've made FANTASTIC progress so far, and I'm confident we'll get his speed up to par as well. We have some papers that we work on at home to help build his skills, and they seem to be doing the trick, slowly but surely.

3. Hurray for Em's glasses! We recently found out that her current lenses have helped her "lazy" right eye improve since her last appt 6 months ago. This means we don't have to patch her good eye afterall. Since getting her new lenses in October, she's rediscovered her love of school, her confidence in herself, and her school scores have improved greatly! For the reading comprehension testing they have at her school, she's allowed to read books up to a level 4.2 (which is a book geared for a 4th grade reading level, and she's only in 2nd grade), and her teacher has commented several times lately how much she enjoys listening to Emily read out loud. Em's GOOD at putting emotion into her words as she's reading. It's so fun, and such a change from October when she was calling herself stupid, sobbing about having to go to school, and refusing to read. Last night? She begged to stay up a little past bedtime because she was reading "the best book EVER and I need to see how it ends or I won't be able to sleep." LOVE IT!!

4. Jared is reading chapter books. In Kindergarten! He's a little choppy, and needs help with words here and there, but he's really good at reading through words, sounding out words, and even predicting at what a long word (one he wouldn't be able to sound out) might be in a given sentence as he's reading (and he's right more often than not!!). He's found a love of reading, and has been begging lately to sit and read to me. I've always enjoyed reading, and I'm thrilled to see my children developing a love for reading as well.

I'm not a proud mommy or anything, am I?!? ha!