Happy Birthday Gabrielle

Today's my daughter's birthday, she's 5 to be exact. Last Tuesday we attended a kindergarten round-up to get her ready for the fall. Unbeknownst to mom and I that is was a "parent's only meeting." I picked the girls up from head-start school and the first thing Gabrielle says to me while buckling herself into her booster seat was "daddy I am so happy cuz today I am going to kindergarten!" I explained to her it was just a meeting but her happiness I shared. I am just as excited as she is about her starting school because she is very smart. On Saturday we had Gabby's party ahead of her actual birthday. Family and friends attended and it was nice. Gabby made out like a bandit on gifts; most of which were clothes, puzzles, lots of school "stuff". Gabby is so ready to be a big kindergartner. We got her lots of learning books to get her ready, reading and writing before she starts the big K in the fall. She is very excited about learning to write and is starting to spell things on her own. This morning at the grocery store as we waited in the car for mom to get cupcakes for school, Gabby spelled out the words "Kroger" and "food". Both signs on the store. Now we are working on familiarizing her with the letters and phonics. Every night we have been doing her little writing tablets and reading her new beginner's books. The books contain two short stories, then asks questions about the story. When she first picked up the pencil more than a year ago now, what seems like just yesterday, I asked her "wouldn't it be nice to learn how to write stories to share with your friends?" She got the biggest look of amazement and when she finally came to she said "daddy, I want to write stories too." That was a year ago and she is on her way to reading and writing. Both of which will put her way ahead of her classmates. Around this last Valentine's day I started to write them their own fairytale and got into it pretty far. I read it to Gabby and Olivia, and both were mystified over the fact that daddy had wrote it. They were very excited. I told them "picture this in your head as I read….." They used their imaginations as I read and both were indulged to the characters. The characters which mom and dad were the starring roles. Kids are creative sponges. I am grateful that I can show them one outlet where their minds can run free. © Mike McDonnell 2009