I'm not doing a stellar job of documenting my girls' milestones on this blog. I think it's because they do something new so frequently and I usually vindicate myself by saying "Ah well, they will do something else grand tomorrow and I'll write that down for sure."
But these two things were biggies and so I'm going to share them proudly!
Last week, I put Winnie down for a nap with all the usual apparatus. Blankie? Check. Bear? Check. Binki? Nowhere to be found. Now folks, this was deja vu for me. When June was exactly this age, she owned about 20 binkis and would gladly die before she parted with a single one of them. I tried every trick in the book to convince her she didn't need one anymore - including a Jedi mind trick. I think we even tried tying one to a baloon and watching it float away, to no avail. Binki was her drug of choice until she was 3. Anyway, back to Winnie. Of course she asked for it. "Dee-dee Mama?" So I decided to tell her the truth and brace for the worst. "Mommy can't find it." My sweet little Winnie's reply was a disappointed, "Otay." Not a fight, not a tear, not another word about it. And she hasn't asked for it since! I had no idea things could be so simple! One less thing I have to remember to pack everywhere we go or so I though. I hardly had time to bask in the binki-less glow, when I noticed that Winnie didn't give up her binki, she replaced it. For the past four days, Winnie has packed her dolly's little green sippy cup all over town! It's not even a real sippy cup! At first I thought I was crazy for noticing something so silly, but my fears were confirmed today when she woke up crying in the middle of her nap and asking for "tup." This lesson only reaffirms that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
Now lets move on to June's major accomplishment. I have to preface this story by saying that June and I have been doing "school" for an hour every day while Winnie takes her nap. She's such a whipper-snapper, and she wants to know how to read so badly. Although I really don't know what I'm doing, I created my own curriculum to get her reading before kindergarten. Before we started, she knew all her letters and the sounds that most of them made, so I have been teaching her about letter blends, long and short vowels, and the silent "E." I didn't think June was even making the connection that these letter sounds became words, until a couple of weeks ago. We were sitting at the table as a family, a rarity while Dad is studying for mid-terms, and June picked up one of Kolby's pharmacology flash-cards and began sounding it out. Our mouths dropped open and I think we were a little in shock. June sounded out her first word:
MUSCARINE
I have to admit, I was a bit freaked out. I wouldn't have been more surprised if she had levitated the sugar bowl with mind powers. I didn't know what else to do, so after praising her extensively for her mental feat, I wrote down the words cat, mom, dad, and dog for her to sound out, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. She read them all like a pro! So there you go, my little Junie is a reader!
12 comments:
Maybe June's smarts are coming from that butt-rocker wig she's sporting. She is ONE FINE WOMAN in that. Arlee keeps asking me to teach her to read. we got the My, Me, Cat, dog, hat, bath, dad, mom and even had mastered the 'S and what that does to different words but BOOM BABY-JUNE...I am way impressed. Give Junie a "Way to go miss Genius!" from me.
Winnie and Dewie sound like the same kid, except dewies fix is this little 3 inch tall dora figurine doll. She sleeps, breathes and eats (literally EATS-dora in one hand, spoon in the other) with it, we can't seem to get it away from her and if Arlee touches it - it's DEATH!
ps. Have you regretted getting June's ear's pierced? Arlee wants to do that for her Bday and I can't decided if she's still to young to know what she's asking for.
I have to say that it seems to always work out that way. We as parents try and try and try to teach our kids things and we think they're not getting it and then one day they just surprise us! Oh, they're actually listening, even when it feels like they're not.
I feel for you on the pacifier story. We finally got Josie to drop using her "binkie" a few months ago. We went on a trip. I really forgot to bring it. She teared up a little but said okay, just like Winnie. Then when we got home, I decided to run with it and told he she couldn't have it anymore and it was gone. We had a few hard nights of some crying for a little bit, but she always went to sleep and now she doesn't even ask for it. I was shocked!
YAY!!!!! I seriously am soo excited for June!! I know what it now feels like to teach your kid something and have them GET it!! You are such a great mom YAY!!!!
I LOVE that Winnie has her "tup" my kids leave the hospital with 2 things a binky and a stuffed puppy that I purchased. At 16 mos the bink is gone but puppy stays. my boys love their puppies and I just found the girl version of their puppies and you know little girl Bigelow is coming home with hers!!
Hey June, Your hair looks cute! It's curly just like mine except mine is black. I love you June. I'm just watching a cat movie. BYE. ARLEE
(arlee thinks June grew her hair out! she was impressed at how fast it grew.)
Wow, June is a brilliant child. Way to go Jess. As for Winnie, she is brilliant too but have you tried to "lose" the baby's sippy?
June is a genius. Cambria takes a pacifier too and I am going to try and take it away when she turns 1, bt it helps her sleep so well. We will see how I do. Wish you guys were closer.
So, I'm going to have to stop reading your blog - it's a bit depressing for me. I LOVE hearing about the girls, but whereas Junie is learning to read, Caulder is learning how funny it is to pee on the couch. Please, PLEASE come home and help me teach my child. You don't even have to teach him to read. Just housebreak him for me.
Tell Junie that Aunt Misty says she rocks, and I can't wait for her to read to me when she comes to visit at Christmas. And tell Winnie that I think her "tup" is awesome. Maybe I'll give Tukker a cup instead of a lovey. What do you think the nurses would think if I tried to get him to cuddle up with a sippy cup?!!!
Jess you have an einstien living with you. I just LOVE reading your blog you are such a good writer. I read your blog then I get embarrased that I even have a blog- can we say BORING!!!
Don't you love how the kids suprise you all the time. They are so smart and can remember almost anything.
Congradulations to the kids on there new accomplishments. Thats pretty cool that June wants to read. Kade is our all star in school and art. The only problem we have now is Benson has a total different personality. He can't sit still for 5 minutes to let us work with him.
I always laugh through your posts. Your kids are always doing the funniest things. Plus you write the stories so well. I think I would actually enjoy reading if you wrote a book. haha. And I'm sorry about the new binkie. :) What a little character. Oh crap. I'm getting kicked out of the library since it's too late. (That's what you get when your husband is studying.) When I was student teaching, this is the program our school used and the kids made so much progress. Just in case you want to give her a jump start. http://www.mariinc.com/workbasics.html?gclid=CJuThtmkx48CFRsFagodu0DcYQ We just used the workbooks. Love you! Doors are shutting.
Well, that is a bit frightening. Can't you start her on some really good words like Tori Amos, or something? Muscarine, seriously. But, I have to recognize a mental feat when I see when. Well done, June (and proud parent, Jess).
Go June, and way to move up the ladder Winnie! :) Just get your mom to stop sucking her thumb would ya?! ;)
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