Reading is Fundamental

Summer is winding down, yet Jim finally started his vacation.  Our niece, Theresa, has also arrived to spend these last two weeks before school begins visiting us. It's been a quiet summer at home.  Other than a quick two-night camping trip, we've been home the entire summer.  I don't think that has ever happened before. I didn't realize until now how much we travel.  Whether it's a long trip down south to see my family or weekends in nearby cities, we always go somewhere every summer.  Why, the last two summers included cross-country trips to Utah.  This might explain why I've been feeling a little housebound lately. 

On the flipside, I've been able to spend some time learning to make yogurt (recipe coming), canning cherry preserves, and making scones.  I've also spent a lot of time with Sera.  It's been wonderful to watch as a whole new world is opening for her.

It started in the beginning of the summer.  For months now, she's been asking us how different words are spelled.  Sometimes she just wanted to know, and sometimes she'd write down the words to make a card.  One day in June on the way home from swimming lessons, I stopped at a red light.  Sera started reading the letters on the door of the BBQ place at the corner. O P E N She then sounded it out and yelled, excitedly, from the back seat, "Open, mommy.  It says open!" We cheered all the way home. She is now sounding out words everywhere.

This morning, Sera & Jim put Finding Nemo on to watch.  She woke a bit out of sorts & needed some couch & cuddling time.  When the opening credits came on, Jim told me that Sera had a revelation.  She sounded out Nemo's name when she realized she'd been saying it wrong all along.  She told daddy that Nemo was Knee Mow, not Mee Mow.  She proudly shared that fact with me when I joined them later.

I love seeing her love for learning as she adds more and more words to her reading vocabulary.  Pretty soon, she'll be reading her bedtime books to us.