Anna Danielle

My sweet five year old lost her two front teeth over the weekend. That makes a total of six teeth lost. I wish I could stop or at least slow her growth! She's getting older right before my eyes!

She's my genius. A few weeks ago, I created a simple math worksheet for her. I took a picture of it and maybe one day I'll get around to posting it. Anyway, it was, you know, those column problems, 5 on top of 2 w/ a plus sign and a line -- you follow, right? I made 12 problems, all equaling less than ten. I instructed her briefly on what to do with the problems and told her to solve them, and I left the room. She finished in just a few minutes and got 11 right. Yay, Anna! I was so impressed!

So today I was looking up math worksheets just to see what grade level certian problems are and found out the worksheet I made her was 1st grade level.

She's going to be so bored in Kindergarten.

I printed another first grade sheet today off the Net and she finished it, no problem. There was even a problem with a sum greater than ten, and she got it!

So now she's working on spelling words of the first grade level (according to one website) and she read each word, no problem, just went down the list as if all she ever does is read. She is printing them now. She's not so great at printing. So we're working on that. She's not very familiar with printing lower case letters. She recognizes them all and can read them fine but struggles a little w/ printing, only because she hasn't done it very often.

I may as well keep her home and work with her every night, you know? Seriously, I'm really thinking about it. I mean, in Kindergarten, they'll learn about shapes and colors and counting and COME ON! She's known that stuff since she was three. And she'll get the idea that school is supposed to be easy. I don't know if I want her to think school is easy. I want her to actually exercise her brain.

I don't know. I don't know what I'll do. Any suggestions?

I love that little girl! She's so smart and sweet and funny. OH. I have to tell you her story. She was pretending to be "Ashley" and Ashley knew Anna; they were friends. I was Anna's mom (just like I really am) and Ashley was telling me all about Anna and how much fun they have at "school" and she has other friends, too, called Jane and Arania. Well I, apparently, worked with Jane's mom. Anna--I mean, Ashely-- said Jane's mom is mean. I told her I don't work with any mean people, so Jane's mom must not be mean. Ashley insisted Jane's mom is mean. I gave. "How is she mean?" I asked. "She eats Jane's toys!" Anna/Ashley said. I laughed so hard at the image of a mother eating her daughters toys. I conceded, "yes, that's pretty mean." Anna then said, "Jane's mommy is mean so Jane got a new mommy." Me: "What? She can't get a new mommy! People don't just get new mommies." Anna/Ashley: "Well Jane's mom died." Me: "Oh my goodness! That's so sad, how did she die?" Anna/Ashley, matter-of-factly: "From the toys!"

Gracious.

Later she told me there's a cheetah in my trunk and it's a mommy cheetah and she had ten babies. In my trunk! I'm so scared to open it. OH, and then the same day she told me this really great story: "Once there was a little rabbit, she was a girl. Her little brother was a carrot. So she almost ate her brother."

Wow. She's a keeper, that one. :)

Pirate at Albertsons

We went to Albertsons yesterday, the kids and I. Shortly after we entered the store, a very old, stooped, bearded man wearing an eye patch entered. Matthias was sitting in the cart kid seat and asked me, "Mommy, is that a pirate?" I looked at the gentleman behind me and he didn't seem to have heard, so I said in a low tone, "I don't think so, son." I think I shouldn't have left so much room for doubt. We walked ahead a little bit, looking at the 10 for $10 sale items. The very old fellow remained just behind. Matthias kept staring at him, grinning his all-teeth-bearing grin. SO CUTE. The man was coming closer (because I was stopped, now, at the sale items) and Matthias was still staring at him. The man said hello. Matthias said, "Are you a pirate?" still grinning that flippin' adorable grin. He was SO excited to meet a pirate!
Luckily, the very old man was very good natured and he said, "Yes. I'm a pirate. But I'm a good pirate. Are you a good boy?"
Matthias could not have been more thrilled. His very wide smile widened and he nodded.

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