Just because...

13 came over yesterday to work on homework on my computer and to spend time with us! Yay! It was good to talk to him and have him around for a bit. 4 was asleep when 13 came so she didn't know he was there. About twenty minutes into his visit she came running down, practically leaped on his lap, threw her arms around his neck and said with a sweet smile, "13, are you home?" 13 hugged her tight and grinned really big. He talked to her for a bit, explaining where his home is. She didn't understand. She asked, "When's 18 comin'?" 13 told her that she was at work.

After 13 left and Marc had come home, I was downstairs working on the computer. I came up because 4 was calling my name.

4 - "Mommy, are you comin'?"
me- "Where?"
4- "To 18's work. We're goin' to see her."

Ya, it tugged at my heart strings just a bit.

I am going to two different schools tomorrow to observe two different classes for 4. I want to make the right decision about where she should be placed so that she can get the help she needs and still achieve the academic education. I remember with 10 I didn't know anything. I was new to it all and I just took the teacher's or administrator's word for it. Now I ask what options there are. And luckily for me, both 4's and 10's teachers are amazingly helpful and they make sure that I know my options.

10 doesn't like to read to me at home. In fact I begged his teacher to not send such hard books home for him to read. She informed me that he reads to her at school all the time and didn't understand why he wouldn't read to me. She encouraged me to read the books to him that were sent home and that eventually he would hopefully start reading to me. Well, on Monday night my dad was over and he happened to be there while 10 was doing his homework and when it came time to reading I told my dad just to read it to him. I walked into the next room to nurse Baby and I hear my dad start reading and then 10 just starts reading all by himself out loud. Now this may be something they hear at school all the time, but, I almost started to cry, I was so excited to hear him read!!! I giggled when I heard him read the word "tortoise"—I mean, that is a big word, and he knew it! Oh, yay for grandpas! Because last night 10 read out loud to me! It was awesome. I think he just needed confidence in the setting at home and somehow his grandpa James gave him the confidence. It is so neat to hear him read full paragraphs—not just the three or four words to a page I used to hear him read before he moved up reading levels!

And now here are some pictures. Just because I have them, and what the heck, this is a "just because" post. Right? Right.

Me cooking Tai food. My brother, Daniel, taught me how to do this! We love it around here. This is only my second time making it. Here I am realizing that the water is too high in the pan so I need to take out the rice (which is in the bamboo basket I am holding up) and drain some of the water. I am saying, "Marc come help me."

Mmmm, Tai basil chicken cooking in the wok.

Putting in the fish sauce.

Long story, but short one is, Baby was REALLY tired and grandma Judy was letting her snuggle, I thought it was cute, because she is so content, and in a little ball. (I cropped the picture down, because my mom wasn't dressed to the hilt as usual and I knew she would be upset if I posted an imperfect picture of her...)

Oh, and P.S., I got up at 5:30 this morning to make Marc breakfast—an omelet—but, he informed me half way through cracking the third egg that he was having a special breakfast at work today. So I enjoyed it and then took off downstairs to watch Quantum Leap on HULU while I ride my bike, but instead of going to HULU, I remember some cute things said by 4 yesterday and think, "I don't want to forget that." Hence the post. I guess everything else just came as I sat here.

OK, now I am going to excercise before I have to get the kids up for school, which is in 39 minutes, so I better hurry!