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Truth is that Anna has been reading for awhile now. Her school teachers have done an amazing job with her. We never really pushed reading at home (despite my intentions to do so)...so I was a little worried that she'd be slipped in with a crowd of kindergartners that could already read and be the "slow" kid of the class. Luckily, if that was the case, the teachers got her up to speed quickly and never told me anything about it. I'm grateful for the hard work that they have done, because tonight's treat was AMAZING.
Anna read a whole book in English to me tonight. She's really quite good at reading in Spanish, but the English reading is something we really don't do often at home. Her teachers prefer her to practice Spanish over English for now. Spanish is a much simpler language to read, since pretty much everything is pronounced exactly as it appears. English is a mess of silent letters, different vowel sounds, and odd combination letters to form even newer sounds. Things like "ph" and "ought" are difficult for new English readers. So, to watch Anna smile as she read this book was all the sappy things that you could imagine I'd say. Warm fuzzies, mother's love, swelling heart, tears in my eyes. She was so proud of herself and I was too.
The other special part of tonight was the book that she chose to read. Several years ago my friend, Howard Kolb, wrote a book called "Rainbow Reef" and dedicated to his daughter. He did the pencil sketch illustrations for it as well. It's the story of three seahorses who have an adventure at sea. Anna chose the book off the bookcase and has been asking to read it to me for the past two nights. She loved the story, and kept telling me about her favorite illustrations. I can't wait to show Howard these pictures and tell him how his book brought me this cool experience.
To further celebrate and pay some recent kindness forward...I'll send a copy of Rainbow Reef to the first 10 people to comment on this post. In that comment, you gotta tell me what your favorite scent is. Mine is definitely little babies...followed closely by pink jasmine blossoms. If I don't get 10 comments...then I'll assume you are all olfactory challenged and/or illiterate. (LOL...I almost spelled illiterate wrong!) Come on...speak to me...get a book.
your girls are adorable! if you ever get sick of them send them down my way :)
I am in no way expecting a book considering the distance (but I am going to have a look out for it) but my favourite scent is the smell just after it rains. Its heavenly - so clean and enveloping.
(04.22.09)Ok... I'm so not going to pass this up. Hi, Katie. I've been lurking around your blog because I'm a sucker for wedding pictures, and the sweet stories you tell. Now you know.
I love seahorses; in fact, I've had the awesome chance to be helping work on the Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! Check it out here: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/seahorse.aspx
...and my favorite scent is my mom's perfume when I get a big hug from her. *channeling steven colbert* book, please.
(04.22.09)Orange blossoms. Lilacs. Onions being sauteed in butter. Freshly grated ginger. Toasted cumin seeds. I could go on and on and on with food smells. But I have to say it's the smell of spring that really gets me -- the orange blossoms and the lilacs. I want to drink them both.
(04.22.09)How fun! I've got to go with the smell after it rains, but more specifically, it's the smell of the wet asphalt I love... I know, I'm weird :) Freshly washed bed sheets run a close second, too.
(04.22.09)My chlorine-soaked teenage son! The scent takes me back to my childhood days of competitive swim. I was never a stellar swimmer, but as the youngest child, swim practice afforded an opportunity to be with the big kids, and be one of the gang. Plus, I know Chaz has just had a good physical workout when he's chlorine scented; he's spent time with real friends in real time, rather than cyber friends in the e-world.
(04.22.09)my favorite scent is my new hubby after he showers. haha much better than his pre-shower smell ;) yay new book!
(04.22.09)I think listen to your child read is one of the most wonderful things to hear. My daughter has learned to read this year and surprises me everyday with new words she can read. It is a proud moment for a parent.
(04.22.09)What a great blog! That is such a special moment for you and your daughter to share...and a huge milestone for her! Congrats! My favorite scent is peppermint pipe tobacco...it floods me with many fond memories of my grandpa, as he loved to smoke from his pipe, thus his clothes, everytime I hugged him, smelled of it. Thank you for bringing that memory back alive to me today!
(04.22.09)I love the smell of fresh cut grass, cucmuber melon, and sea island cotton. Oooh, I wish I was in the shower right now. Those are all soap scents.
(04.22.09)And I totaly forgot my favorite scent is fresh cut grass.
(04.22.09)beautiful work, as always.
my favorite scent is what i like to call "clean man." aka my husband after he gets out of the shower and puts on aftershave. :)
(04.22.09)wow - didn't even read kristen's comment! now i don't feel original. i shall add to my favorite scents my mom's cinnamon cider candles that always and only burns at Christmastime :)
(04.22.09)favorite smell= ripe mangos
(04.22.09)In no order.....favorite smells Gardinas, Ben, after he has shaved. Not aftershave but the combo of shaving cream and him, garlic cooking in almost anything, roses, my dog when he's fresh from the groomer.
(04.22.09)A&A would love a book if Kate hasn't already responded.
Love the pictures. Always
Lesley
Okay, I know I am #14 but I just wanted to play along too:) My favorite smell is my husband. Seriously. Ever since we started going together I have loved to smell him whenever we hug.
(04.22.09)Well, I missed the top 10 but love that Anna brought tears to your eyes with her reading. Ahhh, I'm waiting for those reading moments...we have other sentimental toddler moments and first words/sentences right now. Sometime we just crack up at what he says. Ok, so on with it my favorite smell...gardenias remind me of Hawaii (ahhh) and of course my son right when he gets out of the bath with his hair still wet, and my husband after he puts after shave on =) Give the girls a squeeze for us!
(04.25.09)