Capture, savor, and celebrate right now.
After a few weeks of having all three of us here together Chris is back to meetings (the new legislative session begins next week) and Simon has one more day off school today (it's a "professional development/planning day"). I am ready for a bit of "alone" time around here to get some more work done before the baby actually arrives.
I finished cleaning up, clearing out, and reorganizing Simon's room yesterday. One of the things that was most fun was having him rediscover toys he has not played with for awhile that still bring him entertainment and joy. I am glad to have that entire project completed and can move on to my list for the baby room (thanks for all those kind words on the sneak peek).
One of my favorite things over the past couple of weeks is that Simon has really gotten into reading. REAL reading on his own.
Our normal routine is to read a book to him each evening before going to sleep of his choice (we intervene or make suggestions depending on how late or early it is). One night last week he picked Green Eggs & Ham, climbed up on his bed, sat criss-cross, and told Chris he wanted to read it that night.
It took over an hour for Simon to read Green Eggs & Ham the first evening.
After the excitement (and a bit of fatigue all around) Chris had the brilliant idea to come up with a simple way to track the books he reads all by himself: each time he finishes a book he can add it to a list we are keeping on a bulletin board in his bedroom. That in and of itself was enough of a motivator for him to get down to business and it has been working like a charm for the last week.
The next night he read Robert the Rose Horse.
Tonight he fell asleep while Chris was reading to him. He had spent part of his afternoon reading Green Eggs & Ham (on his own on the couch) and starting on Horton Hears A Who.
I so hope this is just the beginning of a lifetime love of reading.
In addition, I would like to ask for your prayers and positive thoughts. Many of you know that I have had a bunch of moles removed over the last year and a half (actually more than 20 since August 2007). This past week I received some results indicating that the most recent one I had removed from my upper chest area is stage one melanoma (this is more serious on the spectrum than the melanoma I had removed in the past which was only on the surface of the skin). I should be getting more information this week as to what the next steps are in this situation.
Consider this your friendly reminder to have your own skin checked by a dermatologist if you have any suspicions or conerns.
i will add you to my prayers..it is so great that Simon is reading on his own..i remember when both of my children read their first books by themselves
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Thinking of you, Ali, during this nerve- wracking time :)
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Ahhh, those darn moles! I come from a very "moley" family, and feel like I have something removed monthly!
Good for you for being on top of it & spreading the word about dermatological health... best of luck to you!
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Oh gosh Ali - Definitely sending positive thoughts your way.
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Prayers for you, Ali. My husband has frequent mole removals...so far all just dysplastic nevi and melanomatic nevi...not cancerous. But I know the worry. He has a check every six months and they have a little photograph book of his moles (a mole-scrapbook?) that they use for comparison. His mother once asked the doctor, "Can't you just remove them all right now?" To which the doctor replied, "Uh, Mrs. F, we'd have to PEEL him to do that." I'll be thinking of you!
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You are in my thoughts.
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Hi Ali
I don't do this comment thing much but I wanted to send a hug your way. I have survived a stage 2 melanoma so I know what your going through. Don't forget to breathe
Erin
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Well, looks like you already have lots of well-wishes and prayers coming to you, but I am adding mine too. You have so much on your plate right now .... but God gives us what we can bear. We just have to remind ourselves of that (I am telling myself that, not YOU!) Hugs to you ... tell Simon to give it to you from me, okay?
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Yah for Simon!
In some ways some of the simple chapter books are easier when they are wanting to finish a whole book. My son loved to read an entire book all by himself at first too...and we quickly learned to read a chapter or two of Junie B. Jones (one of our all time favs, I think I will always remember sitting on his bed with him and both of us rolling with laughter over Junie and her antics). The next night reading another chapter or two and soon the whole book has been read all by himself. :0) PLUS they are all proud due to the fact that they are reading chapter books!
Also...Margaret Hilert has some really easy books (with easy, easy sounding out and sight words) for first readers and they are short enough that he could have read the whole thing all by himself and it wouldn't wear you out!
Praying for the healing of your body Ali...God is in control...always.
Blessings!
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P&PT for you Ali.
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You will be in my prayers. I can see it now, Simon will be reading books to his new baby sister :)
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You are going on my prayer list right now :). Big hugs to you. Take it one step at a time and thanks for sharing - we're all in this walk together! Blessings,
Gina
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Many prayers and wishes for you Ali. Super big hugs and many special angels out your way. Everything will be A-okay!!!
Yay for Simon and his reading. Great pictures and such a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing this journey with us.
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Best wishes and prayers for you and your skin. My mom is going in Wednesday to have part of her eyebrow removed. She has suspicious spots removed once a year (many at a time), and has since I can remember. I think I was 4 when she found out she had cancer and had her first eyebrow removed surgically (they took skin from her head to put there, which has given her a lifetime of tweezing and plucking that most of us never imagine.) Anyway, keep getting them checked and don't let them scare you. :)
And good luck to Simon. I have a vorcious reader at age 8- a chapter book a day, easily. It's awesome!
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oh no ali! i sure hope you are ok. Just remember that you are well loved by everyone out here and are an inspiration to us all...
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Ali--wonderful story capturing what will hopefully become a lifelong love for Simon. And prayers for you as you wait to hear next steps from the dermatologist. I'm very fair-skinned and freckle easily, so this is a great reminder to keep a close eye on my moles.
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Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
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Congratulations to Simon. How wonderful that he loves reading. Ali - prayers and thoughts are coming your way. The best thing you've done for yourself is have your skin checked - well done. All will be good.
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So wonderful to hear how you and your husband encourage Simon to read...and provide him with positive reinforcement for his efforts! We did homemade flash cards (cut 8-1/2 x 3 paper and wrote word in bold marker) for words that were hard as we read books at our house. Before we reread the story we would work through the cards. It was a great way to reinforce the learning...and show how many new words were remembered! So great to see the stack of words/flash cards!
Prayers for you. I believe that you chose the perfect word for 2009. Right now, NURTURE yourself.
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My daughter(she's 26) LOVES Dr. Seuss! :)
Glad to hear that Simon is starting to read on his own...that is just so cool.
Will certainly lift you up in Prayers.
Lisa
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Sending you all love, hugs and prayers from New Zealand. I am sure Chris will be silently suffering this with you but with your combined strength and love for each other I am sure it will be OK.
My son is 10 and has Aspbergers and he loves to read too. He is still a huge Dr Seuss fan an marvels at how clever the silliness is.
Take Care of yourself Ali.
Esther
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Praying for you Ali and thanks for the reminder about the moles. I've been telling my dh for more than a year to have a few moles checked. I will now insist that he does it and if he doesn't do it, I'll make the appointment for him. God bless!
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So exciting to hear that the little man is reading!
Sending as many positive thoughts and prayers your was as I can...
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Sending you all the good thoughts that I can muster. Seeing your child learn to read is and awesome thing. Wishing you the best.
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Ali - you have been in my thoughts this weekend as I filled up all 25+ pages of my (your) December Daily album that I ordered from CocoaDaisy - I've just been appreciating all of your creativity and organization. And I can't wait to start on the Family Gratitude Spinner (also from CocoaDaisy/BPS) now that the December book is almost done. You and your family will now be in my prayers. Lauri
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