Still Best Friends

Last week at Gabi's parent/teacher conference, Ms. Laura told us that Gabi already knows the entire three-year-old curriculum in English (which she mostly knew before the school year started) as well as most of it in Spanish (but don't worry, she's adding in plenty of extras to keep Gabi interested -- that is what I love about this school: the ability for individualized instruction without removing her from her same-aged peers). She was also impressed with Gabi's vocabulary. I am, too; I remember a couple weeks ago when Gabi told me that "bows are dainty." Gabi likes to give me definitions of new words she has learned, such as "twice means two." Ms. Laura advised us that Gabi would be ready for some phonics workbooks and some easy-readers. Today, while I was fixing lunch, Gabi picked up a piece of paper and sounded out the letter sounds for N-E-S-T and then read "nest!" Wow, that girl is smart! So she read her first word without any coaching at all.

I'd like to share the last of our pictures from our New Years trip to Atlanta. We spent our final day playing with Gabi's best friend, Martin.


Sharing a cookie and a laugh at the Barnes & Noble cafe


Holding hands


Mmm!


Playing trains in the Barnes & Noble children's section


Bella signing "baby" -- she was so excited to have a playmate her size!


brothers Aaron and Martin


Choo-choo!


Best friends


Leaving Barnes & Noble
After lunch, Gabi played at Martin's house while I packed up the car and cleaned our house.


Playing at Martin's house


We miss you!
Gabi is also really into math skills now. She is adding single-digit numbers and able to compare bigger and smaller numbers. One day she was reading a book with numbers and I heard "twenty-one-teen, twenty-two-teen" as she continued to count past the twenty that they learn in school. So today I bought her a pre-math workbook, a beginning phonics workbook, a four-year-old handwriting workbook (since she loves to write letters), and a word-puzzle game (spelling three-letter words) to do during afternoon quiet time. She selected the math one for today, and it was a hit. She talked me into letting her do the first five pages, although I was initially only going to do two a day.