Carlye

We met with Carlye's second grade teacher today, and we are so thrilled with her! She told us that Carlye is reading on a third grade level, and continuing to improve daily. She told us that she has no interest in keeping her at grade level, but will continue working with her to make sure that she continues to grow and learn. She's doing well in math, and even though they have started using a different curriculum that is more difficult she is keeping up really well. Throughout the course of the meeting Carl was trying not to laugh at the similarities between Carlye and I. Here's our list:

1) We both read FAST
2) If we can't do it perfectly the first time we would rather not do it
3) Math isn't fun
4) We are both very shy (I've overcome it a little more, but Carl still sees it often)
5) We don't want to try new things unless we know EXACTLY what will happen and when
6) We work well with whomever we're paired with (Carl's comparison, not mine)
7) If everything is not laid out or organized to perfection we can't work
8) If someone messes up or incorrectly states something we've said or done (or displays our art work upside down) we would rather just deal with it then point out the mistake to them and possibly make them feel bad
9) We love to give gifts
10) We tend to be pleasers
11) We both love to write
12) We both love books
13) We both love Madame Alexander dolls (had to add that one for Heidi - it's #13 - smile!)

Overall we are incredibly proud of Carlye. Mrs. Harrison said that she works well no matter who her partner is, and that when she is "stretched" out of comfort zone she stays stretched out and doesn't return to the way she was before. Carlye's confidence is improving every day, and I couldn't be more proud of my little girl. She's growing up more and more every day, and I love who she's becoming. She loves Emmaline, and we didn't realize how much until we saw her classroom on Tuesday. There is artwork on the walls of our beautiful canine companion, and many of her journal entries and stories involve Emmaline as the heroine. At 6 o'clock in the morning when her melodic voice penetrates the quiet stillness, and we force ourselves to stem the tide of murderous thoughts, we know it is because of the love of our children for their furry little friend.

I was only blessed with one little girl here on earth, and I couldn't be more thankful and proud of her. She is so incredible. Not perfect (as she is so artfully illustrating at this moment as she carefully irritates and frustrates both of her brothers to the point of tears), but amazing. She is my girly-girl tomboy, who paints her nails and then climbs trees or heads off on an adventure to explore the wild unknown of the back of the ranch. She plays with her dolls, dresses up her dog, and shoots her bow with the best of them. She's a "beautiful, wonderful, perfect all American girl."