Look at the Big Brain on Allie!

Allie's teacher gave me a paper this morning showing that Allie is reading independently at a 2nd grade level. Imagine my surprise! We always knew she was reading well above grade level, but 2nd grade? The paper reads: "Her reading skills are therefore comparable to those of an average second grader after the sixth-month of the school year. She has mastered most of the basic sounds related to word recognition. Allison is blending sounds and word parts to read words more quickly and smoothly. Students at this level begin to spend more time reading silently and can read unfamiliar easy-reading materials." The teacher will now be sending books home for Allie to read and comprehend so she can take a quiz on them.

Michael is Engaged!!

My brother called this morning to share the happy news! His lovely lady, Rumi, is wonderful and we love her. They're getting married in Fall 2009 upon his return from deployment. Congratulations to my baby brother and his fiance!

Allie First Month of Kindergarten

Allie will complete her first month of kindergarten tomorrow. She has done amazing. She had an assessment 2 weeks ago and wowed the teacher. She is reading at a first grade level and can count to 100 without help. She is bored with her homework because she already knows how to read and write. I tell her almost everyday, "I know you know how to do this. You have to practice so you can get better." She does have difficulty sitting still but she is improving. I volunteer in her class every Thursday morning. She is so proud and excited that I'm there. I'm having fun watching her interact with the other kids and her teacher. It's also fun to see all of the work she does.

Melanie's First Birthday

Happy Birthday Melanie! It was one year ago today that we became a family of four and Allie became a proud big sister. The time has gone by so quickly. Melanie is starting to say words, like more, daddy, mama, up, and out. She is starting to take a step here and there. She is also giving open mouth kisses on our cheeks. (When do kids close their mouths and pucker up?) She wakes up happy and smiling every morning and goes to bed with such ease. She has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives. Happy first birthday to our sweet little Melanie.