A few things that have made me smile in the last few days . . .

• Hearing AJ rhapodize enthusiastically about the beauty of pi. She is definitely her father's daughter.


• Seeing M&M delight in learning to do a bridge kickover (a gymnastics move).


• Knowing Ebee absolutely LOVES her new combination ballet/gymnastics class (even though I could do without having her ask every 10 minutes all week long if it's time to go to her class again yet).


• Seeing AJ settle back into her choir, and knowing she's enjoying it.


• Knowing that we've found activities for each of the kids that fit their personality and needs so well: priceless.


• Watching M&M taking time out of math to explain to Ebee that it's "dragon" and not "jragon" and the difference between the look and sound of the letters D and J, then seamlessly transition to explaining who Harriet Tubman was and what she did. I had difficulty bringing myself to send her back to her math.


• Ebee was so interested in Harriet Tubman and asked so many questions, that I had AJ read her a book about Harriet Tubman to practice her reading aloud for that day. I wish I had captured on video AJ's almost lyrical reading of the book, her flexible voice rising and falling with the meaning of the words, complete with an old-style Southern accent.


• That didn't exhaust Ebee's attention span, so then M&M read her a book about Abraham Lincoln. She loved it. Ebee can now sound out simple words and sentences, but she still prefers to have someone else read to her.


• Watching the girls take more responsibility for their own rabbits, and learn new skills.


• Realizing how good the kids are getting at understanding things, how helpful they are, and how much they're growing up.