a big milestone for D

We're having a snow day.  Except it hasn't really snowed yet.  Well, just a tiny bit, but not enough for the kids to go sledding.   Regardless, the kids are off school and we've already made muffins, played with Model Magic, did some tracing, folded laundry and had a Wii-athon.  They say that big snow is coming later this evening into tonight and if they're right, we might just be snowed in thru the weekend.  This may equate to many blog posts, as we'll be house bound.

In the past three days, Dylan, completely on his own, has laid on the couch and read both of his library books from school.  Each of them are about 64 pages; chapter books.  He never asked for help.  I never asked him to read them.  He just did it, all on his own, because  he wanted to.   This is a first... a huge milestone for him.  Reading has not come quickly or easily for him.  He's worked really hard.  We've tried to support him without turning it into a battle, or totally turning him off from books.

It was hard not to do cartwheels across the house.  Because I LOVE reading and always have, and want my kids to have that same love. But its not something you can force.  You can supply the books that interest them, you can praise them when they read, but you can't force them to pick up a book and actually enjoy it. That has to come from within. And with all the choices kids have these days with TV, assorted video games, high tech toys, its easy for books to fall to the bottom of the interest list.

Without going completely bonkers, I made a big deal out of him reading these two books on his own.   He has no idea how proud I am.  And, he already has his next book picked out when he feels like reading again, ready on the coffee table.