We had visitors yesterday–Risa, Kim, and two little monkeys! Not so little anymore, actually, since they’re learning to read. This is Kat reading me the Dr. Seuss classic “10 on Top” which, I don’t think I’d ever read before. (Yes, there ARE books I haven’t read.) I do love that magic moment when kids start reading, though it’s easy to forget how hard it is at the beginning!

I honestly don’t remember how hard I thought reading was, when I learned. I’ve told you how I remember the moment when the concept “clicked” and I remember having to learn all the words, and getting stuck from time to time, but I remember it being easy(ish). Maybe my big sister had something to do with it. I had a role model to try to emulate. And I do remember starting by half-memorizing books that Mom read to me, so that I could half-guess at what the words were because I knew the story they were telling. Kind of like how it’s easier to remember song lyrics that rhyme because you know what that line has to sound like.

Anyway, it was fun, watching/helping the two of them read from the huge pile of  books they brought along with them. Kim helped, too, and Risa looked thrilled to be able to sit and knit while I amused her children (grin). Even if that meant I didn’t get as much knitting done as I had hoped … worth it, though.

Chappy is still exhausted from all that entertaining. It’s tiring being that adorable for an audience, you know.

You’ll be pleased to know that the ottoman is helping. I’ve got Chappy using it to jump UP onto the bed, but he’s jumping down next to it. Hopefully that will come, but while the jump down is a harder landing than I’d really hope for him, it doesn’t worry me as his Mom as much as the difficulty of jumping UP. And at the moment, the ottoman is in the hallway outside my room. It’s blocking the bookcase, but I haven’t come close to tripping over it yet. Lifting it over the bed four times in the last two days got old really fast–especially since there’re no handles or anything to make the lifting easy. And while it’s not heavy, it’s awkward and I’d guess around 15-20 lbs … and I haven’t put anything into it yet!

But, speaking of kids?

I saw a brand-new baby born on the Lambcam this afternoon–new baby Grover! So cute! They only had three pregnant nanny goats this year, and named all the babies for Muppet characters. They started with boy/girl twins named Gonzo and Camilla (check out their video!). Then two twin boys, named Statler and Waldorf, and now Grover. So much cuteness they’ve got romping around that barn!

Tags: Friends, General // 7 Comments »