In the ferociously smart style of Poppins, I'll just say this one thing quietly. Today my daughter "got" reading. She is also a pretty talented little photographer. Look at the picture she took of me and her Daddy on Sunday. It is ok if I brag on her a tiny bit, right? She has been feeling so out of place since we left Texas. She still misses Texas. She has never replaced her lost girlfriends. And she feels the weight of being the baby of the family. The smallest. "The One Who Does Not Read." Reading will be a huge triumph for her. She has felt the pressure for so long. I don't think she was ever going to get it until I figured out how to really really let go of my need for her to read-right-now-and-prove-that-homeschool-works-and-ease-my-mind. Imagine that. Today she read a long story out of Dick and Jane. And she read with confidence and she was truly reading for FUN. And I was having real FUN listening. Not pressuring, not lording over, not hovering, just listening with pleasure. It was so exhilarating for her, she wanted to read more. I insisted we quit (so this session would be 100% successful and leave her wanting more) by screaming like a toddler, "NO, MY TURN MY TURN MY TURN!" Which delighted her. Then I began rereading "Wise Child" for the 100,000th time. Page one. Opps, this is not the smart style of Poppins. This is the rambling style of me. Oh well. I am so excited for her I can not contain myself. I had to come here and let it out because I was PROFOUNDLY DETERMINED for her not to notice or care how freaking very much I am so happy she is reading. la alalalalalalalalalalallaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!