We sat curled up together in the only rocking chair Alexis has ever known. It was carefully selected for her long before we knew she was a "her," long before we knew she would love books, long before we knew anything about the person she is. It's the chair we've sat in nearly every evening of her life. It's where adventures have taken place and where books have come to life. Once upon a time, I was the one with all of the words. I would read to her for hours on end. Lately, however, the tables have turned. It's her job to read to me these days.
She carefully maneuvered her way across the page, occasionally pausing for help when she didn't recognize a word. She has gotten pretty good at sounding things out, but she gets frustrated easily. It's better to help her quickly than to let her struggle and get upset.
"Two birds are making a nest on my head?" she slowly read. I smiled at her inflection. The kid is either a natural-born actress or a drama queen. She exaggerates everything when she reads.
"Why would two birds make a nest on my head?" she continued. My mind began to wander. That particular Elephant and Piggie book is one that I have memorized many times over. I don't really have to pay attention to know what's coming next.
"There . . . " I was jarred to attention. I didn't hear the rest of the sentence because I was stuck on "there."
"THERE."
Not "der."
"THere."
Alexis has so few words left that she pronounces like a preschooler. The "th" sound was pretty much the last one she had to fully conquer. And there it was. She had conquered it. I listened carefully as she finished the book. Every time, EVERY SINGLE TIME, she pronounced the "th" correctly.
A little bit more of the baby is gone.
Here's to hoping she hangs on to "icksgusting" a bit longer.
And maybe the cheap plastic bead necklaces and that little lip sucking thing she does when she's tired. They both sort of make me crazy, but they're some of the last signs of "baby" she has.
