My Almost Reader

Sophia read her first sentence today!!  "Zac sat on a can." The only word I had to help her with was "a".  :)

She can identify all of the letters and knows what sound most of them make, but she hasn't started actually reading yet.  Here and there, we have practiced spelling some simple words when we have a free moment or two.  But my sweet little girl will be starting kindergarten this fall, and I would like her to have a basic understanding of reading before she starts school.  So, I found this website starfall.com. What a great website! It has little games children can play to help them learn to read.  Anyways, after looking at it for just a few minutes, she was sounding out words! I was so proud of her!  She was so proud!

I know we are just beginning, but she is a very smart girl and will pick it up in no time.  It will be so cool to hear her read books aloud, but I have to admit.....there will be a little part of me that will miss her imaginative "reading" she has done so often in the past.  I love to hear her sweet, expressive voice making up her own story as she flips through the pages of a book. My baby girl is growing up. Thankful and wistful at the same time.

Double Blessings

I had 2 special blessings today.  One from Sophia, and one from Ezra.  My back has started to aggravate me again in the past week or so.  Well, today, was even worse. :(

I was loading the kids up in the car this morning, and my back/hip started shooting pain. Aloud I said, "You all need to pray for Mommy.  My back has been hurting." I was basically just talking aloud and trying to deal with the pain as I loaded them in the car.  Well, Sophia stops right there and says, "I'll pray!  Dear Jesus, Please, please, help Mommy's back to feel better!" And she continued to pray a very sincere prayer for her Mommy.  I was touched by the faith of my 4 year old girl, who knew she could stop and talk to God right then and there.  And He would listen!

My second blessing came later in the day.  Ezra was sitting on the counter-top in the kitchen, while I was getting stuff out of the refrigerator for dinner.  I was feeling pain again and said, "Mommy's back hurts." Then Ezra spoke up so sweetly and said, "I pray!" And nodded his head in that sweet way he does when he's trying to be a good boy. He covered his eyes with his chubby fingers and said, "Dear Jesus, (mumble, mumble) Mommy's back....(other words I couldn't understand)........" And looked up at me.  The neatest part about this blessing was this was the FIRST TIME I'd ever heard Ezra pray on his own.  Such sweet, beautiful words coming out of the heart and mouth of my 2 year old little boy.

After each of these blessings, my heart just swelled with gratefulness.  Grateful that my kids are really learning what it means to pray.  To have faith. What it means to have a God who cares about our every need. What it means to have a God who is available and with us at all times.  A God who has the power to heal and help and guide.  A so wonderful, awesome God.