Miracle

 Today I got up to a miracle.  I came around the corner of the sofa and Levi was reading, by himself, by choice.  He was sitting on the sofa, playing with his lip and reading quietly by himself.  In a blog post only a few months ago, I despaired that he would ever learn to read.  Now he is reading without saying out loud.  Six months ago, I thought that he might have even been going backward in his reading and today he is a reader.  Not just a reader but he is choosing to read, for fun.  It does my heart good to watch him this morning. 

Actually I had inklings that this was coming.  Suddenly the notes he writes are more accurate and he is writing 'books' complete with 'chapter pages'.  I don't know what was the switch but it has definitely been turned on.  I suspect that some of it was just the way his brain works.  He needs to find the pattern in something, but when that pattern emerges, he is insatiable.  Some of it may have been, that I relaxed.  I didn't 'give up' but I definitely relaxed.  I read to him at night when he was tired, rather than being frustrated that he was struggling to read to me.  We got through all eight books of 'Deltora Quest' and have started on the 'Stories of the Shadowlands'.  I just read two chapters and we go to bed.  I don't qualify it anymore, making him read his book to me first.  Now I just chilled out.  Maybe I should have thought to do that months ago! 

Today was busy and all over the place.  I had to take a baby goat down to the vet, which took forever and tried to get at least a little yard work down.  Today was mowing, tomorrow is whacking weeds.  It is getting hotter and hotter and I am starting to think that the weeds are going to win this summer.  I keep thinking that if I can just stay on top of them I should be fine, but as the days get hotter earlier and summer really takes hold, there is a panicky feeling that I will lose control.  Ah well, some things just can't be done.  And weeds can be pretty too!

 Di came over with her boys and we were going to the pool but this was delayed due to the excursion taking the kid to the vet.  Di was lovely and looked after all the human kids, so I could take the four legged kid in.  Then we went to play in the pool.  Levi just loved it and both Di and I commented how much easier it is to go to the public pool when the kids (human) are completely confident swimmers.  Di and I sat in the shade and planned the trip to the coast, glancing up to check on them.  One year ago we had to stand on the side, or knee deep in the water watching them.  Two years ago we were in the water with them and they had life jackets on!  My, it is incredible how fast and strong and independent they grow without noticing it.