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Esme has been playing Super Why all morning on my computer, doing quite well on her spelling practice.  She is sounding out more in both her many pbs kids games and also in her forays into Daddy's Skyrim playing around the town, reading the 'talks' as she calls them and learning the commands.  I also had her trace the words 'giraffe' and 'spaceship' into her letter to Santa yesterday.  She did okay, but she needs more practice and gets antsy quickly.. but because it was a letter to Santa she paid a lot of attention to it.  She says he lives at the Christmas House and she lives at the Green House.  Sending this letter out means 1.) she can't change her mind (much) and 2.) we have time to collect the Santa presents and then choose a few extras from Mom and Dad. 

I've been sorting cloth for winter dresses and making a flat sheet for her bed.  I have enough cloth of that to make her a second one, too.  I put several of the things harvested from the garden into a lunch to take to work.  Glad to have a nice house and warm things, crafts to make for the 'homestead' etc etc...  Esme is playing Ring around the Rosie with her puppy and foot wrestling.  We had a talk first thing this morning about her keeping her kitten locked in her room and being mad when she escaped.  It was the 'if you love something you can't keep it in a cage because it is not fair to it - it needs to run and play and eat food and all of the things you like to do when you run around the house.'  She cried a bit longer on the stairs and then came to me saying she 'I understand.  Mama, you said the right words.'  I hope she did understand.  And I know that is a lesson for me, too -- watching her play at the park and trying to keep an eye but let her run free at the same time, that was resonant.