Learning to read

It's an amazing journey watching, and being part of teaching, someone learning to read.  Zac has started school this year, and he's going so great with his reading. It's really exciting to see the new learning which takes place every day.  To spend time reading with him and listening as he works out words on his own.  To watch his eyes opening to the world around him, seeing words everywhere, and beginning to realise he can actually make sense of them.

He received this certificate at assembly the other day.

I'm loving watching him use this skill, and learning how to read.

The best part of my day

Every now and again in the parenting journey, you have one of those moments.  The kind that just make it all worth it, the kind that you replay over in your mind, and never want to forget.  I had one of those the other day.

Holly had been out with Stefan that afternoon, for some daddy/daughter time.  At the end of their park trip, they picked up some decorative note cards from Spotlight, and while I was out at the supermarket later on, they wrote a few notes to people.  Holly had chosen to write one to Zac.  It said something along the lines of "Dear Zac, I hope you feel better soon, love Holly".  (Zac is sick with a nasty virus.)  She'd then put it on his pillow for him to find that night.

When Zac climbed into bed that night, he found the note.  After carefully working out all the words, he immediately hopped out of bed, knocked on Holly's door, and thanked her for the card.  "You're welcome", she replied.  Then in bed just after that, Zac shared that the best part of his day was getting the note from Holly.

Simple but so beautiful.  Definitely the best part of MY day.

Emma!

On Monday, Claudia and I (with Liam and Kara) were lucky enough to be able to go to the Emma concert.  It was so much fun!!  Claudia just loved it.  Such a joy to watch her dance and try to follow Emma's every move.  And we were lucky enough to be able to say hi to Emma afterwards!

She's been talking about Emma non-stop since then. :)

Summer family fun

Some photos from our time in Sydney in December.  So much fun and such lovely memories.

Lunch with Claudia

Today is a glorious spring day, and Claudia wanted to eat her lunch outside.  I took it out to her, fully ready to give it to her, and head back inside to get on with some jobs.  But I changed my mind at the last minute, and sat with my sweet nearly 3 year old, in the middle of the trampoline.  We didn't say much, I just watched her as she ate the different bits of her lunch.  I was so tempted to hop up and grab the camera from inside, to capture the moment, but I didn't want to disturb her as she methodically ate her way through her most favourite bits, to her least favourite.  And so as I watched her, I tried to sear her beauty into my memory.  The way she sat in her undies and t-shirt, soft chubby legs gently crossed in front of her.  Her wild, golden curly hair, escaping from underneath the silver Santa hat (she calls it her 'wake up Emma' hat) that she insists on wearing everywhere at the moment.  Her cheeks, flushed from climbing the cubby house in the sun earlier.  The way she was completely absorbed in the simple task of eating her lunch, blissfully unaware of the adoring scrutiny of her mother.

Snow video

Kids using their snow paddles from Holland.  So much fun!

 

Fun at the snow

Some photos from our trip to Falls Creek yesterday: