Eager to Read

Lately, Ada has been asking me again and again to teach her how to read certain books.  I think in her head, she has to learn how to read each book separately, and she is trying her best to memorize the ones that we read over and over.  She also uses the pictures to make up her own stories. 

I finally told her that I would teach her to read, but that we would have to start at the very beginning, one letter sound at a time.  I checked out several books at the library, so that I could actually look at the books before buying one to use as Ada's reading curriculum.  I still have a couple that I need to pick up from the library, but I am loving Phonics Pathways so far.  It is very user friendly, and each lesson takes about ten minutes a day.  Plus there are several fun games to play to reinforce what we are learning.  Perfect for not-even-four year old Ada.  We are starting with the vowels. 

Ada knows the sounds of most consonants, and she often puts three consonants together and asks me what it spells, so I am glad we are starting with the vowels.  Plus, the vowels seem the trickiest for her because they have similar sounds.  We are tackling the hardest part first.  She is so cute when she says the sounds because she says the sound so hard, practically shouting it and concentrating so.  It's too cute.  She is doing great with A, I, and O, but she always makes the I sound for E.  We are working on that.  Tomorrow she will learn U.  I think we will probably camp out here for a week or two because the books says her reading the vowel sounds needs to be as automatic as saying her name. 

Again, it only takes about ten minutes a day, and we usually fit it in during John's morning nap, or we just get it done while he plays around us.

Today she learned I and reviewed A and E.  She practices writing them as well as reading them.

We spent the rest of John's nap time playing in the backyard and soaking up this beautiful Spring weather (with plenty of allergy medicine in my system)

The other "exciting" event of our day?  Ada received her first black eye from John.  I say first because I feel like it won't be the last.  I don't know, I didn't have brothers, though Ann and I did pull hair once or twice.  It was a complete accident, obviously, but John wacked Ada in the face with a weight, and I, randomly, caught it on camera.

They were being funny playing together, and I tried to get a picture of that.  Instead I got a picture of Ada right after John wacked her.

Look at John thinking, "what's the problem?" 

It was funny, though, because I was doing Thirty Day Shred, and John was trying his hardest to do it along with me.  Moving his pink weights to the music;)  Ada then wanted to be helpful and explain to John that he was doing the wrong thing, and that is when he "punched" her with the weight.  Sad for Ada, but funny too.

And one last thing to report, which won't make much sense to some of you.  But...

Ever since we moved into this house, there has been an empty lot next to us.  An overgrown, very ugly, empty lot.  When we first moved in, we assumed they would build there, and then, of course, the real estate market took a nose dive, as did our neighborhood, and we have been staring at a big pile of dirt and weeds and trash ever since.  Well...As of today, the lot is leveled!!!!!!  This is a huge praise!!!!  I am not sure what the plan is for the lot, but it looks so much better.  Still dirt, but nice, leveled, no trash, no weeds, dirt.

And last but not least, this weekend, Scott and I are going to buy the rest of the paint for downstairs.  I know paint colors for every room except for the half bath.  I am stumped.  Do I do a gray to blend with the hallway and living room.  Do I do light brown to go with the dining room, or do I do a completely different color to add some fun?  I thought about doing some kind of orangeish-red to match a lot of my pillows and vases in the living room.  I am stumped.  Feedback, please?