OH MY GOD.
Sep. 25th, 2008 12:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
Listen to this. You have to. This is important.
A few weeks ago, while taking out books from the library, Evangeline lamented the fact that we couldn't take out *all* the books she wanted. And I told her that as soon as she could write her name, when she was three, we'd get her her very own library card instead of making her share with her sister. (Instead, they can both share with *me*, right? Right?)
And I figured that we wouldn't make a big deal about it, and that when she actually turns three in a month we'd put in a little bit of serious effort, and by 3.5 she'd be able to scrawl something approximately like her name, right? So over the past few weeks I've mentioned it maybe, like, five times and shown her how to write her name, with the reminder that writing her name = getting a library card. No pressure though because she's not even three yet, there's no *rush*. If she brought it up, I'd help her - but she never did.
Today, I felt a bit out of it, so I mostly sat and read while Evangeline worked with playdough and then took out some crayons and paper to draw. And as I was sitting in the opposite corner of the room reading, Evangeline suddenly interrupted her chatter to say "And when I write my name, I can get a library card, right?"
Well, I know a cue when I hear one, so I said "That's right, sweetie" and went over to help her write her name.
Except she'd already written it. An E, a V, and a line that was clearly the start of her A. With suitable spaces between the letters, and very neat. I wasn't sure she'd done it herself until I asked her to finish up the A and she carefully made another E for me (A and E do sound alike, that's not a worry). EVE. (For sure I'm not trying to teach her Evangeline...!)
SHE WROTE HER OWN NAME DOWN. WITHOUT SEEING IT TO COPY OR HAVING ME RECITE THE LETTERS OR HOLD HER HAND. I DID NOT EVEN KNOW UNTIL IT WAS OVER WITH.
This is big. It was legible, even. I wasn't looking at this and trying to guess what she meant. I knew what she meant, because I could read it.
What the hell are we going to do with this child? She isn't even three yet!
A few weeks ago, while taking out books from the library, Evangeline lamented the fact that we couldn't take out *all* the books she wanted. And I told her that as soon as she could write her name, when she was three, we'd get her her very own library card instead of making her share with her sister. (Instead, they can both share with *me*, right? Right?)
And I figured that we wouldn't make a big deal about it, and that when she actually turns three in a month we'd put in a little bit of serious effort, and by 3.5 she'd be able to scrawl something approximately like her name, right? So over the past few weeks I've mentioned it maybe, like, five times and shown her how to write her name, with the reminder that writing her name = getting a library card. No pressure though because she's not even three yet, there's no *rush*. If she brought it up, I'd help her - but she never did.
Today, I felt a bit out of it, so I mostly sat and read while Evangeline worked with playdough and then took out some crayons and paper to draw. And as I was sitting in the opposite corner of the room reading, Evangeline suddenly interrupted her chatter to say "And when I write my name, I can get a library card, right?"
Well, I know a cue when I hear one, so I said "That's right, sweetie" and went over to help her write her name.
Except she'd already written it. An E, a V, and a line that was clearly the start of her A. With suitable spaces between the letters, and very neat. I wasn't sure she'd done it herself until I asked her to finish up the A and she carefully made another E for me (A and E do sound alike, that's not a worry). EVE. (For sure I'm not trying to teach her Evangeline...!)
SHE WROTE HER OWN NAME DOWN. WITHOUT SEEING IT TO COPY OR HAVING ME RECITE THE LETTERS OR HOLD HER HAND. I DID NOT EVEN KNOW UNTIL IT WAS OVER WITH.
This is big. It was legible, even. I wasn't looking at this and trying to guess what she meant. I knew what she meant, because I could read it.
What the hell are we going to do with this child? She isn't even three yet!
