Rachel's Reading Party

We finally finished Rachel's reading lessons! I think we're both pretty excited. Me, because I dragged out the "100 easy lessons" waaaay too long (we started last summer right before Henry was born - bad timing on my part) and she because it was finally time for her "I'm All Done with My Reading Lessons Party". Plus, as she reminded me the minute she finished her last lesson, she gets to have her own reading time at night now.

Toward the end of the book the lessons get a little long and tedious, so for some extra motivation I put a chart up on the fridge when she had 30 lessons left, and she got to put a sticker on the chart each time she finished a lesson. I told her when the chart was full, she could have a party. Instead of choosing to have a custom "reading party cake", like Oliver did, Rachel requested to have a banana splits party, which was just fine with me.

Here's a little video clip the night of our party. (She introduces herself as Hermione - yes, we're still in the Harry Potter stage).

2009-02-14 Rachel's Reading Party from Joanne Mott on Vimeo.

The happy reader

The happy reader with her happy mom

Enjoying her banana splits (notice the wand next to her bowl)

She goes around now sounding out words wherever she can. The other day I found her on the couch reading one of my books - she had opened it up in the middle and was plugging away, sounding out one word at a time. Since then I've checked out some beginning reader books at the library, and she's a little less confused.

Scoot, scoot. . .cough, cough. . .

Henry started scooting a few weeks ago (before that, he just rolled everywhere), but he's kind of funny about it. Even though he's realized that scooting is currently his best way to get to where he wants to go, for some reason he doesn't like having to do it. He tries to make that clear to us by doing little fake coughs the whole time he's scooting, like "fine, I guess I'll scoot forward, but just so you know, this is very strenuous and I'd rather that you just pick me up and take me there."

Example #1 (yes, pretty much the whole family is cheering him on in the background, but if you wait and listen carefully, you'll hear it):


Henry Scooting from Joanne Mott on Vimeo.

And example #2 (he's incredibly uncoordinated in these clips - he has gotten a little better since then):


Henry Scooting (2) from Joanne Mott on Vimeo.


I thought that his little coughing act was limited to just scooting, but it turns out it's not - he's been learning how to sit up this last week, and any time I try to practice with him, he makes sure to do lots of little coughs so I know he's not enjoying himself (I promise he's not sick - the coughs are very fake and forced and he reserves them for specific times).

Here he is yesterday with Tristan. This clip isn't the best example of his coughing (he only throws a few in there at the end), but I wanted to post it because I thought Tristan was so cute in it:


Henry Sitting from Joanne Mott on Vimeo.