PAWS for Reading

Last night Jack went to the PAWS for Reading program at the library. The kids practice reading aloud to a therapy dog. Jack has wanted to do this for a long time, but this was the first time we saw it for 6 year olds. He read a Henry and Mudge book.

Alice was interested, but she was a little nervous.

Jack loves series books and he recently found a couple he loves. Marion Dane Bauer has three ghost stories (The Red Ghost, The Blue Ghost, and The Green Ghost) that Jack could not put down. He read all three of them in two days--these are about 95 pages each.

He bargained to stay up late to finish one.

He also has enjoyed the 26 Fairmount Avenue series by Tomie dePaola.

Our library doesn't have the last book in the series and they weren't able to get it for us, so we are watching the mail and hoping Amazon delivers soon!

If you haven't read it already, be sure to check out Heather's article on what to do with your emergent reader--and if you have any book or series recommendations, please share them!

And So It Begins

We kicked off party season (AKA: June) by heading to the store to pick out invitations. Yes, Alice is wearing pants, they're just shorter than her shirt. And yes, her boots are on the wrong feet. And yes, she did want to get one of every lunch box they had. And one of every lunch box they had for her brother, too. We managed to get out of the store with invitations, thank-you notes, two Darth Vader masks, and one Dora (or as Alice calls her, Dodo) mask. One step down, a hundred more to go!

A Weekend Away

Since we were going to go to Touch a Truck, Jay took the day off Friday and we made a weekend of it.

We started off at the science museum.

About one-third of all students residing within 60 miles of Oklahoma City were also there on field trips, so we visited some exhibits in the back where it wasn't as crowded and noisy.

After it cleared out some (though I did yell at some 5th grade boys who were trying to empty the water table onto the floor), we played up front. Alice loves the water.

Both kids like the face paint. Jack always comes up with some wild look, but this was Alice's first time to really get into it.

Here she is watching another girl for ideas. She was covered by the time she was done. And it stains. Good-bye, cute shirt!

When we checked into the hotel, Jay told the kids he thought he'd rather take a nap than go swimming. The kids didn't like that idea.

We always took a picture before swimming when I was growing up.

Guess who has to do it now?

Alice had a good time learning to kick.

Swimming was the highlight of Jack's weekend! He was disappointed when we had to get out and go to dinner with friends from the base.

After Touch a Truck, we headed to the Sam. Jack showed Alice how to dig for dinosaurs.

Making an ocean together

Everyone gathered around listening to a talk about snakes--and do you notice my child in the bug glasses? This cracks me up.

We had a great time, but we were glad to get home!

Lucky Love

Seventeen years ago tonight (and also on a Tuesday), Jay picked me up from an awards ceremony and we proceeded to amble around town on a completely unplanned first date, never realizing where we would eventually end up. Happy anniversary. I love you.

~~~
Lucky love belongs in teenage heaven, I know
I know, 'cause I've been there with you.

Touch A Truck 2011

We went to Touch a Truck this weekend. Alice enjoyed it a lot more once Jay found her some earplugs.

We found our favorite librarians, Ms. Kim...

...and Ms. Susan.

Jack loves the Money Saving Robot. Really, really loves him. This is his first visit.

The news van

Second visit with the Money Saving Robot

Hanging out in the mail truck

Watching the helicopter land

Alice really liked riding in the "a-mame."

Third visit to the Money Saving Robot

Alice getting scooped!

Alice was also excited about the bus--very different from Jack at this age!

We had a great time! More pictures of our trip will be coming soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm glad to have a mom.

I'm glad to be a mom.

I'm glad to have a husband who makes it possible to do the best job in the world full time.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hymns In My Heart

Tonight was the end of the year awards ceremony for choir. Jack got an award for high attendance and a hymnal with his name on it for memorizing and singing six hymns. He sang:

Jesus Loves Me
Trust and Obey
I Love Thee*
Oh, How I Love Jesus
My Jesus, I Love Thee
Holy, Holy, Holy

*This video is creepy looking, but it's the only one I could find.

His favorite was My Jesus, I Love Thee:

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.