She Reads!

I was beginning to think that Clara might be my only child out of our three that did not read at four years of age. Not that that would have been a big deal by any means. But of all of my three...Clara is WAY more verbal and advanced with her vocabulary....she just kind of gets stuff like that quickly. So I would have been surprised if she did not follow in the shoes of her two older brothers. I knew she COULD do it. She has known all of her letters and their sounds forever. She just hasn't really been interested in how they all come together. She has had some success at stringing 3 letter words together...with effort. So I had just kicked back to see what would happen. Then this week she wants to play school non-stop. So when it was my turn to play teacher, I wrote up a few simple sentences for her...just to see what she would do with them. She loved it...and within just a few minutes had sounded them all out just as easy as pie and was asking for more. She read "A fat cat had a hat." and "Sam had a bug in a jug." and "That pot is not hot." and "Pat the rat sat on a mat." and "I had a run in the sun." and "It was fun!". I was very surprised at how easy it actually was for her. Today she started the Bob books....she read the first three without effort. So quick and easy for her. Not that she doesn't need a little practice...she does...but for the most part she is NOT struggling. And the best part is that now that she realizes that she is actually reading real words and sentences...she is just THRILLED! So I am excited and proud for her. Now...she may be bored in kindegarten. Clara will actually be our first child to GO to kindegarten. With our boys we were homeschooling....which God is really dealing with me on right now....so they were home with me and working very much on their own level. I don't want to homeschool again. I DON'T. But I keep finding it laid on my heart. I will go absolutely insane if I take that on again...I KNOW that I will, and I know that I am a better mom to my kids when they go to school and work for someone else. See...the Lord...in all of His great and hilarious humor...granted me with two boys that are COMPLETE POLAR OPPOSITES of their mother. I like to get things done...the right way....in a timely manner...the first time around. My boys, on the other hand...tend to drag out assignments FOREVER and attempt to complete them with as few words and thoughts as possible. It's a frustrating road with them. Especially because I live with them and I KNOW how smart they are and I KNOW what they are actually capable of. So...we end up butting heads...more than a little bit! And if they aggravate ME the teacher in school in the morning, it tends to spill over into ME the mom after our school day is over...and I just stay grouchy with them all the time and frustrated all the time. So they HAVE to go to school. It is all so very clear in my mind. And if that is all so clear...then WHY do I keep finding this issue in my heart and in my head? WHY did I find myself in the education section and Barnes and Noble today looking at fourth grade skills? Doesn't God know I JUST started a business and it's already almost more than I can keep up with? How in the world would I school AND work? Not to mention that Chris would NOT EVEN be a little bit on board with that idea again since he knows how crazy it makes me. So...there is that. I have pretty much resolved that if I am really supposed to homeschool any of our kids again, then God is going to have to go through Chris, and Chris is going to have to come to me and say "Let's do this." with no promptimg from me. THEN...I will know it's God and that I am in no place to argue with Him! Besides...I think the boys are already smarter than me! At least Max is! So that's my life struggle for the night. And my
life triumph! I feel like I should homeschool my kids...despite the threat to my sanity...and I am busting with pride over Clara's new found reading skills. So...life is good in the desert!