I see her.

One of the greatest gifts I have as a mother is the ability to see my children for who they really are. They may be a lot of things to a lot of people, but I know who they really are. We've had a lot of low-key days around here lately, and I have found myself sitting cross-legged on the floor with the girls, playing with toys, reading books and flying them in the air with my feet. I figure I better do it while I still can because my stomach is gradually getting bigger, and it's becoming harder to rest comfortably with the girls on my lap.

All the time I've been spending with them without distractions has been so good for us. Yes, there have been lots of looooong moments where I find myself wondering how long the girls can really play cats and dogs, but for the most part, I love the chance to slow down.

Genevieve has been seeking lots of attention lately. She and I have been working hard on learning to read. Teaching her to read has been primarily my job, whereas Mya had lots of help from her extra year at school in California. When we first started reading, I found myself losing patience quickly because I thought she was just being stubborn (which happens a lot) and not wanting to read the words correctly, but after lots of encouragement she is really starting to get the hang of words. The moment kids realize that you haven't just been making up stories for 3 years but rather reading words on the pages is an amazing day. They start wanting to do the same. Genevieve can now read several BOB books by herself, and she is up to 33 sight words.

I can't really explain how watching her begin to read makes me feel. I guess it gives me confidence. The teacher in me always wants my girls to love learning, especially when it comes to reading and writing. I think we'll continue working on reading for a couple more months, and then I hope to introduce her to more mathematical concepts. Wish us luck!