A Beautiful Sight

It's so cold outside that when Austin wanted to "come" to school in his warm, comfy, cozy onesie,  I didn't object.  It's rare that I allow p.j.'s at school (ironically we have a scheduled Polar Express p.j. day tomorrow) but I just find that getting dressed and completing hygiene before school helps to set a proper mindset for the school day.

Meleah and Austin have some subjects that they can complete independently in the mornings so  I occasionally seize the opportunity to do laundry or other chores around the house while they work on those.  Today I tackled the last bit of  my Christmas baking. I was so pleasantly surprised to find Austin not only doing his self-selected reading, but really enjoying it (he even asked me for more time, twice!)  You see this journey has been grueling at times -  after his stroke he lost the ability to recognize many letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds, never mind being able to read.  It has not been quick and it has not been easy but I think that's what makes it so rewarding to be at this point. We still have work to do but are determined and encouraged.

 As J.K. Rowling says,  "I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."  I have always loved to read and it makes my heart happy that our kids are discovering that joy as well.