grow up

This is what happens when your babies grow up.

They learn to read and write and then they give you love notes.

Can babies do that? I don't think so. Babies give you poopy diapers to change. They give you spit up all over your dress at church. And they give you months and months of sleepless nights.

Sure, they give you smiles and giggles and all that blah blah blah about the joys of parenthood. I get it. But if you wait long enough they'll grow up and really make something of themselves. Readers! Writers! Love note writers!

I think I'm loving this babies growing up thing. Like a lot. Probably because I wasn't very good at the mom of babies thing. Most days I think I'm not very good at this part either but at least I get love notes out of it.

I'm framing this one and crossing my fingers that one day he's a sweet, kind teenager who really does still love me. If he ever tells me otherwise, well, I've got a love note that says it ain't true.

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The kindergarteners started an online reading program. We got the login and password in the homework folder yesterday. Danny is extremely motivated to win things (no clue where that came from). He's pretty much decided that he's in a reading contest with his class and he's going to win. I'm pretty sure that's not how this works but whatever. He's reading!

He finished reading all the online books on his level in less than 24 hours. I think it was about a dozen (maybe more). You get points for reading the stories and then points for taking the quiz after. He loves seeing his points increase. Also, he's now been promoted to the online rank of commander (not sure what that means but he totally loves it) and we're almost done with half of the next level.

This morning while he was working away he stopped and said, "Mommy, I'm like a readin' machine!" I felt like quite a bum when I hadn't taught him to read by the time he was 3. And then 4 and no reading. Even 5. He just didn't care. He had no interest. But now here we are a few months into kindergarten and he's a readin' machine! I love it. Makes me feel like less of a bum, that's for sure.

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Funny stuff he's said lately about his brain (yep, he talks about his brain sometimes):

"Mommy, my brain is thinking of all the different ways I could slice a square...but not into triangles."

"Usually when I wake up it takes about fifteen minutes for me to get my brain straightened up."

That kid's a thinker. I love it.

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And we'll just end with a dose of Cate because she doesn't like to be left out.

She's awesome, as you can clearly see.