The task has been on my list of projects since I left my office job almost one year ago. The photo files on the computer. Almost 10,000 pictures memorializing our family’s adventures since 2006. Plus a few stray photos from many moons ago when my husband and I were kids ourselves, scanned for posterity in case the paper versions someday disintegrate into thin air. And lots and lots of garbage – blurry photos, duplicate photos, ugly photos – that have no business taking up valuable computer memory.
Tag Archives: Roald Dahl
There’s a First Time for Everything
I have waited on line for concert tickets. I have waited on line for roller coaster rides. I have waited on line to meet Disney princesses. I have waited on line to board airplanes.
My Friend, Big Bear
Sophie has started to interact with imaginary friends. This morning, soon after waking up, I heard her talking to the stuffed animals that keep her company in her crib – she was very loving, making sure that they were comfortable.
After waking up from her nap this afternoon, Big Bear accompanied her everywhere she went. Including to the potty. Big Bear apparently even went potty. Number two. And when they both finished their business, she brought him downstairs and started to play with him. Making sure he sat with her in the sunroom.
A few minutes later, she announced, “Big Bear smells.” “He does?” I asked. “Big Bear prouted.” For those of you not in the know, a “proute” is a fart in French. And to emphasize the gravity of the situation, she exclaimed, “Big Bear stinks!”
Other than Big Bear having issues with flatulence, we had a very nice Father’s Day. It was relaxing, and while we didn’t make it to the pool, we had fun together.
We bought some books for the girls. Chloe has been reading Roald Dahl’s “The Witches” since early this afternoon. It’s more than 200 pages long, and she is almost finished with it. Needless to say, we haven’t heard much from Chloe’s mouth since about 1 pm. It’s now after 8 pm. I’ve always loved books, but I am now starting to have a totally new appreciation for them.
Spelling Bee
Chloe has her first-ever spelling bee on Friday. She’s supposed to study the spelling words she’s accumulated in class over the last few months, and we started our preparations this evening. She spelled word after word after word. And in a tribute to the movie “Akeelah and the Bee,” which we watched together a couple of weeks ago, we stuck to the most difficult words from her lists.
But she was more interested in singing the spelling than actually spelling the words correctly. So she spent most of her time misspelling and then respelling. But she had fun, and I did a good job of maintaining a calm demeanor (the spelling coaching does get kind of boring after a few minutes, but I will admit to enjoying that more than some of her arts & crafts projects).
In the meantime, we’re making good progress with Matilda by Roald Dahl. We haven’t laughed out loud as much as we did the first time, but we’re enjoying it a whole lot. The downside is that Matilda’s precocious reading hasn’t really inspired Chloe to read much on her own, but that will come with time. I just know it will.
Matilda
I just spent the last 1/2 hour reading the first three chapters of Roald Dahl’s Matilda with Chloe. We finished A Wrinkle in Time yesterday, which she loved. But it was a little intense, and I thought we’d do well to enjoy some lighter fare.
By the third chapter, we were laughing so hard we were crying. It was the image of a little boy with a finger superglued inside his nose that did it. And the language, of course. We laughed and laughed and laughed.
It was actually difficult to put the book down, but I didn’t want to set precedent by reading too much at once, or else she’d be pleading with me to read and read and read every night. And I’d go insane. What I’m hoping is that this might actually be the book that pushes her to read on her own.
You’d think she’d get it. If she reads on her own, she can read when she wants. She wouldn’t need to depend on her mommy’s schedule for reading sessions. She’s a great reader, so that’s not an issue. I like to think that it’s simply because she loves my company and how I read to her.
In the meantime, I will admit that I’m actually looking forward to tomorrow’s visit with Matilda. On second thought, maybe she should wait for the next book before she discovers the joys of reading on her own.