Life is a Highway - it’s the journey, not the destination

ello - anyone out there?? Won’t be surprised if no-one is, been so terrible at keeping up with others as well as writing my own and then because I wasn’t reading anyone elses I figured who’s going to read mine, even if I do blog. Well anyway, that a vicous circle starting to form. So here goes another post about reading…

Oh it’s been a hard slog!! If anyone could have given me any advice when starting out HE it would have been that reading doesn’t come on overnight. I imagine the reason no-one ever did say it is because it’s common sense, goodness knows why I keep thinking it should be super fast. I suppose I always remember myself reading and not struggling.

Anyway, it seems like we’ve managed turn a corner and M is really reading well. He was doing ok before Christmas, then we had a little break from doing anything and then when we came back he was in a different league. I do like watching him, when I’m not stressing , as it amazes me how many stages there are to reading for him. He’s managing to pick up some jokes that are written on The Simpsons, is reading all sorts of stuff, but mostly still comic books. That’s ok though, I love comics!

I’m so amazed he doesn’t have a complex about his reading and thinking he’s rubbish at it. I’d pat myself on the back about that if only the story was the same about his maths. Oh the maths - I daren’t think about it! Actually I think it’s compounded the problem as Alex has overtaken him ability wise, and she loves doing it. Where Marcus will do what I ask, and do no more. Alex will keep asking for more. Sigh. I need to have a look into doing more games and livign maths, but I’ve been a bit rubbish lately. I need to have a good look at our shelves and make a game plan.

Alex is doing ok, she’s still a bit of an enigma with the reading thing. But she likes to try and doesn’t seem to get discouraged when she needs to know a word (like very 2nd word!!). Every so often she’ll read something, like today at the library she was reading the titles of books. I do worry less about her as she enjoys it all.

We had a lovely trip the other day to Dover overnight and then onto France for a day trip. I’ll try and stick some photos in. We visited Dover castle which was fabulous, M is very into history and the war so this was perfect. We want to go back some day. The weather was absolutely perfect, so warm.

France was great too. M was a bit nervous about the ferry - he reads way too many shipping disaster books, but was ok once we got going. To see them both getting so excited at the prospect of going to a new country was cool. James did fab at driving on the other side of the road, was the first time we’d done it and we visited Boulougne-sur-mer which was really nice, really french (read - dog s**t everyhwere!) and lovely weather again. had lovely time sat on the beach there. Bought lots of booze and cheese - huge babybels!!

Should be getting packed for Melrose, but am not yet. Kids extra excited, I’m still a little wary as I never enjoy melrose. Still, take a deep breath and then go for it!