She's Reading Now

Sophie starts first grade at Salem Elementary next week and I’m having all the feelings. Yesterday I found her curled up on the couch reading an actual chapter book - not picture books, not early readers, but a real book with paragraphs and no illustrations on every page.

She’s Reading Now

When did this happen? When did my baby learn to read full sentences? I swear it was just yesterday that we were sounding out three-letter words and celebrating when she recognized ‘cat’ and ‘dog.’ Now she’s reading Nancy Drew mysteries and asking me what ‘suspicious’ means.

I know first grade is going to be amazing for her. She’s so ready - excited about her new teacher, already planning what to pack for lunch, practicing writing her full name in cursive even though they won’t learn that until second grade. But part of me wants to freeze this moment right here, when she still wants to read to me at the kitchen counter before breakfast, when she still needs help with some of the bigger words.

Six years old and reading chapter books. My heart can’t handle how fast this is going.