A Play

Jaimee has reached the much coveted level 15-18 books at school (for those without wee ones - this is the equivalent of an A+ for a year 1 child) and is so excited to be bringing home 'chapter books' - you remember, those wee books that consisted of a couple of simple poems or songs, a non fiction and a fiction story or two...and a play.  Jaimee LOVES the plays.  She has come home with several familiar stories now: Goldilocks, Chicken Licken, The Three Billy Goats.

She struts around the house, assigning everybody a part (of course, she gets to be the narrator and also has the lead role every time) and then reminding us for the next 45 minutes what our part is going to be until we finally cave and 'perform' the play with her.  Then she sits in the 'narrator' spot on the couch, legs crossed like a little lady and book held out in front of her while us lowly performers wait on the floor for our cue.  I love her 'narrator' voice: she does it to perfection.  Jaimee has really started using expression in her voice as she reads...so often she will start a sentence in one voice, then realise it was meant to be said in a baby voice or a surprised voice, so she giggles a whoops, then repeats in the correct tone.  Even Kate gets given a part now that she is reading, and me and Marty give each other goofy grins as Jaimee and her sit huddled over the pages while Jaimee points at Kate's lines for her to read in her cute little voice.  Marty gets right into character, making Jaimee laugh as he gobbles like 'Turky-lurky' or "CLIP CLOPS" as the Great big billy goat gruff.  I do my best...enough said.

All in all, it is a sweet family moment, and  I love the memories we are creating together.  So thanks NZ primary schools for keeping those 1970s books around - they are just as fun the second time around!