The New School Year

I have to make some mention of the new school year.  Heidi is starting 2nd grade.  We are all glad.  The last few days of summer she kept complaining that she wanted to go to school.  Even the day we went to Volente Beach Waterpark, she said, "I want to go to school."  Well, we said right back, "You're going to swim and go on waterslides and you're going to like it or you're GROUNDED!."

She has turned into a great reader.  I take some

 of the credit because I taught her to read in kindergarten with Hooked on Phonics.  She took off after that and now is fun to listen to.  She does voices for all the characters in the books and reads with great expression.  

Even Phoenix could not resist Heidi's relentless eagerness for school.  He was actually looking forward to it.  This was such a blessing because last year he did NOT want to go to kindergarten.  But 1st grade is turning out well.  He has Heidi's teacher from last year (Mrs. Reed), which was a plus since Phoenix already knew her.  I feel like we have finally turned a corner on Phoenix's reading.  That first bit is just so painful.  Slowly, painfully sounding out each and every letter is no fun for the reader or the listener!  But now, Phoenix can read his phonics readers pretty easily.  Here's to good progress in first grade.

Adam is not in any kind of school.  He just hangs out with me and we play and run errands.  He misses his siblings.  All day I hear, "Whey Hi?"  Translation:  Where's Heidi?  He likes Phoenix too, he just can't say his name in any recognizable form.  Can I just say that Adam is so darn cute?  We ask each other all the time, "Were the other kids this cute when they were two?"  It seems to be different with Adam.  Cortis and I are just more relaxed and not so panicked about everything parenting.  So I think we have more time to enjoy what is going on with him.