A couple of Alexims.....

Tuesday I asked Devree how she was feeling when she woke up?

"I have a headache."

When Alex came down I asked the same thing but rather than tell me he had a headache he told me, "My head is bouncing." Which is EXACTLY how one would describe a headache...don't you think?

Last night Austin - being silly - managed to drop his slice of cantaloupe on the floor. Alex quickly proclaimed "Three second minute!" We all looked at him puzzled. "Oh, I mean, three second rule!" 

When reading yesterday I stopped Alex to ask what "I was as nervous as a cat sitting in a vet's waiting room." meant. He had no idea. I asked if he knew what nervous meant?
Yes. Shaky?
Sort of. More like scared. What's a vet?
I don't know.
Do you know what a veterinarian is?
No.
Do you know what a waiting room is?
No.
I told him he needs to stop and ask when he doesn't understand. We continued reading. I stopped him again and again, he had no clue what he was reading. He's a tricky one because he pronounces everything just fine. Hard, long words and you think he's getting it but then when you ask....nope! He's not comprehending. I asked what level this book was? 5.1 (Fifth grade, 1st month)
What? Wasn't your last book 4.2?
Yes.
Why do you have this book?
His eyes fill with tears, "I want to be 5th grade." and then the tears escape down his cheeks. 

Oh baby.....(my heart just hurt for him).

I shared with him about how I just started running in January, training for a 5K and at first how I could only run for TWO minutes before I felt like dying. And slowly week by week I added more running to my time, running for TWO weeks what was suggested in one, and today I'm up to two 12 minute runs. I told him how if I had just started running 3 miles, I would have hated it, my body would have hurt, I would have quit or never tried it again. I also pointed out that there are people my age that run marathons and I can't do that yet. And some run way faster than me and lap me on the track.  Reading is like running. We just keep getting a little bit harder each time and condition our brain to understand the words like I'm conditioning my body to run. That reading something that you don't understand isn't fun and that you don't get anything out of it and it may make you hate reading and want to quit. He seemed okay with my analogy but still so very sad.

Then in a moment of brilliance I told him to think about how he has only been speaking & reading  English for TWENTY TWO months and is currently reading on a 4th grade level but his friends have been speaking & reading English for TWELVE YEARS and they are only on a 6th grade level!! That he should be so very proud of himself! It was like a light went off in his head! He IS doing great! He hugged me and smiled and agreed to turn in his book and bring home a 4.3 level tomorrow.

Whew...

He's feeling so much better and so far (knock on wood) no one else has come down with Strep symptoms.