Avery's reward day

(Warning: Potentially annoying braggy parent post ahead. Don't read this if those kinds of posts annoy you!)

At the beginning of the summer, Avery decided to make the goal of reading 100 books before kindergarten started in the fall. I encouraged her to make a goal of reading some books, thinking she would maybe set her goal at 20 or so. After all, she is a fairly new reader. She suprised me by setting her goal at 100. I was a little leary because she doesn't have much experience with setting goals, and I didn't want her first experience to be one where she failed. She insisted on 100, and I finally agreed. We decided that if she reached her goal, she could go to the water slide park. Well, this week, Avery read her 100th book! I am kind of in shock at how well she has done, with very little prodding from me. In the beginning, she was reading mostly short, easy books with only a couple of words on each page. But by the end, she was reading some pretty hard books - the longest of which was 62 pages!!

Today, we took Avery to the water slide park. It was fantastic fun, and was especially rewarding as a parent to see her reach a goal and really enjoy the prize. She told me it was more fun than Disneyland, which of course isn't true, but I think the fact that she earned it made it more fun. She went down the really big water slides 4 times. On the 5th time, the lifeguard told her she was too short and wouldn't let her ride again. Boo lifeguards!

We love the wave pool!

And the waterslides!

Waterfalls are awesome!

Being too short stinks!

Avery's reading chart:

This was the best day ever!!!

After the water park, we went to the "Pink Pizza Place" (aka Generous George's Positive Pizza and Pasta Place) for dinner where Avery got to out on a chef's hat

and make her own pizza

while Donovan got to eat noodles

and straws.

I'm so proud of you, Avery!
(PS, after this we signed Avery up for dance class and then went to the shoestore to get her ballet shoes. This is what I was doing when I lost track of time and forgot my date with Emily. I'm sorry again!!!)