"Head...Shoulders...Knees and...SOCKS!"

Yesterday Av and I went to the bookstore and ended up getting him a new book:



It's got simple words, just a few per page.  Av is way into phonics, so I thought (since he is a Cars fanatic) that this might be something he can learn to read himself.  And you know what?  This morning he sat down with me and read me the book.

It wasn't him "reading" - like when a kid has heard a book so many times he's memorized it - he read it.  He patiently sounded out each word to figure out what it was.  Some words he recognized already like "car" and "red" - but the other words like "highway" "mean" "tire" "night" and "dull" he figured out all on his own.  I was so f-ing proud of him. 

Shiny was downstairs (unfortunately he had to work today) so after I called my folks to share the good news, we went down to tell him.  It was bittersweet.  On the one hand, HE READ HIS FIRST BOOK!  He excitedly told Shiny that he read the word "highway" and that "gh" was a "silent blend".  On the other hand, Shiny, like myself, wanted to immediately tell his mom.  And we can't. 

My mother-in-law was an amazing woman.  She was an educator and teacher, and I know how super proud she would be for Av - he's reading before kindergarten.  I can see the huge smile that would be on her face when we told her.  She'd make him feel so proud of this great accomplishment.  And it crushed Shiny that he couldn't share this news with her.

So today had it's ups and downs.  But the memory of her giant smile has been with me all day, and I hope to never forget that.