We all want our kids to be smart. We're not shy about that. We tend to not say the things out loud that we also want....please don't let her be ugly. Please let her teeth be relatively straight, her nose not too crooked, her feet not too flat, her eyebrows to be separate. Oh, laugh all you want, but Booger, at age 5, has a raging uni brow. So much so that I'm trying to figure out if Child Services would be called if I took her to get it waxed before she starts Kindergarten. I really don't want the other moms to look at the school composite photo and say, oh, who is that poor girl with the uni brow? Parents are brutal. Oh, she's a lovely girl, but that uni brow? Sheesh, you would think her mother would DO something about that. Maybe electrolysis would be a more efficient way to go.
I've had my nose stuck in a book pretty much my entire life. I don't ever remember a time when I wasn't reading for pleasure. My summers as a kid were not spent outside running around, instead up in my room reading everything I could get my hands on. I was at the library nearly every day in the summer. My mom is a reader as was her mom. Now, my mom and I are both only children, so I'm sure that explains some of it. But, I think, when raised to appreciate the written word, it rubs off on you. In this electronic age we live in, I make an extra effort to share the written word with Booger. We head to the bookstore at least once a month and Mr. Snob takes her to the library after he picks her up from preschool at least twice a month. She is already a born reader. I knew she knew many of her "sight words" as the teachers call them....a, an, the, good, dog, etc. But today, she picked up a book and just started reading it out loud. It wasn't Tolstoy or anything, but Green Eggs and Ham is sure as hell a good place to start. I was so proud of her I almost cried. I'm afraid I'm turning into that mom...you know the one - the one who never shuts the hell up about her kid. Being proud is one thing, and you know that I am...I'm just trying not to cross the line, you know? So, sure she's reading, but I can't teach her to somehow keep from using her knees as brakes - damn near every pair of jeans have holes in the knees.
On another note, Mr. Snob doesn't much dig his name here on the ol' blog. To be honest, I didn't really think he read it all that often, but seems like I was mistaken. I'll be working on another name for him, I guess - SuperHusband seems a bit much, no?
I've had my nose stuck in a book pretty much my entire life. I don't ever remember a time when I wasn't reading for pleasure. My summers as a kid were not spent outside running around, instead up in my room reading everything I could get my hands on. I was at the library nearly every day in the summer. My mom is a reader as was her mom. Now, my mom and I are both only children, so I'm sure that explains some of it. But, I think, when raised to appreciate the written word, it rubs off on you. In this electronic age we live in, I make an extra effort to share the written word with Booger. We head to the bookstore at least once a month and Mr. Snob takes her to the library after he picks her up from preschool at least twice a month. She is already a born reader. I knew she knew many of her "sight words" as the teachers call them....a, an, the, good, dog, etc. But today, she picked up a book and just started reading it out loud. It wasn't Tolstoy or anything, but Green Eggs and Ham is sure as hell a good place to start. I was so proud of her I almost cried. I'm afraid I'm turning into that mom...you know the one - the one who never shuts the hell up about her kid. Being proud is one thing, and you know that I am...I'm just trying not to cross the line, you know? So, sure she's reading, but I can't teach her to somehow keep from using her knees as brakes - damn near every pair of jeans have holes in the knees.
On another note, Mr. Snob doesn't much dig his name here on the ol' blog. To be honest, I didn't really think he read it all that often, but seems like I was mistaken. I'll be working on another name for him, I guess - SuperHusband seems a bit much, no?
Labels: Booger
3 Comments:
First of all, don't try to stifle your pride in front of Booger. I mean, sure, tone it down in front of other mothers, but she needs to know that you think she's fabulous so she can continue to aspire to your pride. Kids reach for the bars we set for them, and your radiating positive things for her will keep her sights set high.
As far as knowing when to rein it in, I don't have the answer for you because I'm guilty of crowing a bit too much about my (amazing) children, too. (When they were about 10 months old, they each had over 200 word vocabularies in ASL. They both read well above grade level and are remarkably articulate. My eight year old uses words like "parched" in every day conversation and my ten year old analyzes song lyrics, for crying out loud.) I think it's important, too, for kids to hear us praising them to others, but I'll admit that it's important to choose your audiences wisely. Not everyone wants to hear it.
Finally - did you take Mr. Snob's name when you married him? If so, then he has nothing to bitch about in taking YOUR name here. That may sound militant, but it's not intended to, really. I avoided that whole problem because "Chili" is a variant of my last name, which I have because it is HIS last name, so it's all good..
As another psycho photo and story foister, I have to say that when Boo (now 12) picked up a book (about dolphins) in early first grade and read it through out loud, I though she'd memorized it. I was driving at the time and nearly had an accident because my eyes were full. Organicgirls all love to read and books are every blood where. My girls are articulate, dare I say verbose and scary witty and I am a shout at the top of my lungs proud of these (phenomenal) kids, but I also suggest prudence before whipping out your Mom stuff. Having said that, don't ever stifle your pride on YOUR blog - it's yours and we (and I think I can speak for Chili) love to read about Moms and their tangible joy in their offspring.
I didn't take my dh's name, but I hyphenate. He's just Husband or dh on my blog, mostly because I haven't found the perfect moniker for him as yet. Wonderhubby? SuperSpouse? What do you think? : )
As you've already had responses about your pride in the Booger's reading abilities, I'll address the other item of discussion...
The name Mr. Snob (Waves to the Mr.). Just remember "The Old Ball and Chain" is not very affectionate either. Honestly, from some of your pictures, I'm still fond of The Last Avatar, but that's just me. You can always add to the description. Not Mr. Snob, but Snobalicious, at least you have a name that you can do such things. If I had a Mrs... it'd be Mrs. Man. For some reason, that just does NOT have a good ring to it.
Wish me luck on Good Weather tomorrow, I'm going to try to make the Mud Hens Game.
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