Reading Stories

S: Okay, R, it's time to get ready for bed. Let's read some stories. Go pick out a few stories to read.

(R runs to bookshelf and pulls Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She was Extinct off of her shelf.)

R: You not read this story, Mommy.

S: You don't want me to read the story?

R: No. Only teachers read stories.

S: Oh, really?

R: Yeap.

(R climbs into her rocking chair and looks as if she's going to start reading the book.)

S: Are you a teacher, R?

R: Yeap. (flips a few pages, to a page where a bunch of children and Edwina are holding hands in a circle). Ring around the Rosy. Pocketbook full of posies. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

(flips a few more pages)

S: Tell me the story. What's happening here?

R: It's a boy. (quickly flips a few more pages, to the end of the book). Cookies!! (pretends to pick up a cookie and eat it). Yum yum yum!

(R gets up and runs back to her bookshelf. Returns with Is Your Mama a Llama?)

S: Oh, this book is fun. Tell me this story!

R: Once upon a time . . . there was a cave!

S: Oh! What was in the cave?

R: Aminals.

S: What kind of animals?

(R proceeds to flip very quickly through the book's pages until she gets to the end)

R: The end!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

I read this book to R two days ago.It's a Signed English version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears that was actually mine when I was younger and my mother was teaching me how to read and sign.

R loved the story. She got really into it.

When I finished the first read-through, R read through it herself, turning all the pages and pointing out stuff on every page. Her favorite page-- or at least the one she talked the most about-- was the page where Goldilocks breaks Baby Bear's chair.
Then she wanted me to read it to her again.

Fast forward to today. She woke up from her nap just talking and talking and talking--having this huge long monologue up in her room. Since she wasn't crying or fussing, I just let her talk, figuring it was good for her to continue to have quiet to-herself time. J listened through the monitor for awhile and we were kind of confused. She was saying things like, "chair broke to pieces not at home not at home not at home not at home bears eat cream of wheat" and lots of other random words we couldn't always make out.

Honestly, at first, we couldn't really tell what she was saying because we had no idea what she was talking about. Once we figured out that it was all about Goldilocks and the Three Bears it came together. She must have been telling the story to her three babies that sleep in her crib with her.

When she came downstairs, she still wanted to talk about Goldilocks. Here's a video of part of our conversation.

(a transcript of the video conversation follows, for those who may have difficulty understanding either me or R):

S: Do?
R: Broke da chair.
S: Yeeaaah. And was Baby Bear saaad?
R: (nodding head) Cyin.
S: What did he do?
R: Cy [cry]
S: He cried, that's right
S: What did Goldilocks do when the bears came home?
R: No, no
S: Did-- The bears told Goldilocks no, no, right? And then she ran home. Yeah.
R: A run. A run no.
R: Tha-. Goldilocks.
S: Yeah
R: Lock a door. Lock a door.
S: That's right, next time the bears will have to lock the door.

So, folks, there you have it. Moral of the Story: Lock The Door.