Boast Post

Seems like we're all pretty healthy now - which I know everyone was dying to hear. Thank God!
Tessa coughed yesterday - a real cough - a couple of times. Almost gave me a heart attack. There's a asty cold going around - Becki had it last week. That's all we need now! I'm really pushing hand washing, tea drinking and vitamins on everyone. Must stay healthy!!!

Friday was Ryan's Birthday. He's 25 now, same age as me ;)
We had dinner at Matt's parents to celebrate. Ryan's gf, Lauren, and her little boy, Damien were there. Damien is about 6 weeks younger that Asher - they play pretty well together, though Asher isn't the BEST share-er. Anyway, when they got there Ash saw Damien and said "hi, Dami" with no prompting from anyone! I was so impressed that he remembered his name! they've only played a few times, and the last time was at Asher's Birthday party over a month ago. Anyway, it was cute.
He's such a little talker! He says everything, and talks all the time. He's well ahead of most two year olds, but I know that's just because he's around me and Tessa all the time! He had to learn to talk in order to compete! People often comment on how talkative and friendly my kids are...I know it's a good thing, and I'm certainly proud of both of their vocabulary's, but sometimes, I just want them to STOP! lol

Tessa is doing so, so well in school. She is so smart. Her favorite subjects are Math and Reading, she says. Very funny, since Matt is Mr. Math Whiz and I've always been such a reader. Seems like she got a 50/50 split of our genes in every way. When she reads to me I notice that she skips words and occasionally reads things a bit differently from how they are actually written - exactly like I always have and still do. Matt says she's going to have the exact same problems he always did. She has trouble with speed and memorization, which he did, too. But she grasps the concepts so easily, and the more difficult it is, the better. She jumped from addition to subtraction like it was nothing, I don't think she even knows that she's subtracting yet. The problems that say 3 + __ = 10 are the easiest for her. They only have 4 or 5 of those, in comparisson to 20 regular addition problems (5+3=__) becuase they are supposed to be harder.
They'll be starting multiplication this year, too, after Winter break. I can't wait to see how she does with that. I bought her some multiplication flash cards to put in her stocking. I love Summit's curriculum. I think it's awesome that she'll be startig multiplication in 1st grade! And she's reading at about a 3rd grade level now. She checked out a book at the Library that she's been reading to me...I've been just stunned by the words she reads without any help! I had to help her with ancient and one or two others - but she read sarcophagus all by herself! Wow. Starting in October they'll have a book report due each month. I can't wait too see how she writes that - should be cute.

She wrote a letter to her pen pal, Karissa (in Denver) yesterday, and made her a bracelet, too. Her letter is so cute - I love the way she spells things and the things she chooses to write. She told her all about Lake Powell (which she spells 'Lake Pall') She also wrote about that trip for an assignment at school.

Anyway - that's probably enough boasting for one post. :)