(no subject)

[the_rck]

Delia is spending the week with Scott's parents. Their church is doing vacation Bible school all week, so she'll be participating in that. I don't know what else Scott's parents have planned to keep her busy. She took her bike, two books and twelve stuffed animals (nine of them tiny, what she refers to as 'little guys').

The big family Father's Day gathering was on Saturday. That's when we handed Delia off to Scott's parents. I hadn't been sure about doing that, about not having her around on Father's Day, but Scott didn't seem to mind. We gave him his gifts on Saturday. Sunday ended up being a day for relaxing and doing not much of anything. I think Scott needed that, and he wouldn't have gotten it if Delia had been here. She views him as the person who will always do things with her-- go biking, play a game, wrestle on our bed, something at any time.

Last week was the last week of school. Delia's class had all sorts of special things going on. They had a picnic on Tuesday. Parents were invited, but Delia was adamant that I not go, so I didn't. I regret that a bit, but I don't want to force myself in when I don't have to.

It felt a bit weird not having Rock Hunters or soccer practice. They've been going on so long that they felt permanent. Not having them left me a little at a loss. At least it was a week for Scott's Babylon 5 game. That was fun even if our group did unleash a big bad who's certain to come back to haunt us. We had good intentions.

Delia brought home her report card on Friday. Everything looks good. She needs a little more practice with money and estimation, but we can do that. We'll also keep her practicing multiplication facts over the summer so that she doesn't forget them. She won't enjoy that, but I think I can get her to do it. I'm not so sure that I can get her to continue the twenty minutes of reading a day. I'd like her to, but she's resistant.

Delia's now interested in Judy Blume's books. Her teacher read the class Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge, and Delia loved them. I've got Fudge-a-mania from the library and plan to get Double Fudge. After that, I'm not sure which of the books are age appropriate. I need to check out Judy Blume's website. I've been told that it has clear information about what ages her different books are meant for.

I'm resigned, at this point, to not finishing the Narnia fic on time. It's just not going anywhere. I'll post as much as I have at deadline time and grovel to the Finishathon moderator in hopes that I'll be allowed back next year. I don't know what happened. Normally, I finish things like this in good time. I meet my commitments. Not this time, I guess.

Comments

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

Yay, Judy Blume! She was one of the authors who "got" what it was like to be a kid.

For Delia, I think all the Fudge books, _Freckle Juice_, and _Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great_. A good children's librarian can help you sort out the ones that are a little too mature for her. (_Forever_, for example, deals explicitly with sex.)

Can the reading become part of an otherwise enjoyed time, like dessert, or special "Mom & Me" activity?

[the_rck]

I was wondering if Freckle Juice might not be too young for her. That's as hard to judge as too old.

I'll try to make reading time special. She may simply resent it as time away from her bicycle and her friends. I don't know.

[aki-jade.livejournal.com]

How old is she again? I know I read Blubber when I was in like, 2nd grade, and I really liked it. Also, any of the Ramona series. I think it starts off with Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

[the_rck]

She's eight. I may try Blubber after I go through all the Fudge books and, probably, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great.

She hasn't really caught on Beverly Cleary's books. I know her teachers have read some of them to her class, but they didn't catch her attention. I don't know why.

[aki-jade.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I always confuse Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. But to be fair, it's been years since I've read those sorts of books. >.>

[dormouse-in-tea.livejournal.com]

can you take what you've what you've got (which is great) and try jumping forward, maybe to a time when they DO Need to start doing themselves, Aslan's gifts being exhausted? You could focus maybe on Nellie's interactions with a dryad or a Talking Animal, and show how everything developed without having to write it all?