Forced Phonics

After seeing Alexa gravitate towards only the practical lessons at school, I decided to make a concentrated to promote the "challenging" lessons - numbers and letters - at home.  I have a Parent-Teacher conference later this week, and I'm bracing myself for hearing about Alexa's lack of interest in academics.

Thankfully I was able to pick up a few pointers at Mom's Day regarding the alphabet-related lessons, so I have been making a conscious effort to use the Montessori method.  Instead of identifying the names of the letters, Alexa is learning the alphabet phonetically and identifying letters based upon the sound.  I've showed her words in People magazine, on boxes of cereal, in catalogs...basically anything with large-font.  We did have a small milestone tonight as we were sharing a Vitamin Water Zero.  Alexa was able to identify the sounds for all the letters in the word "Zero."  Four down, actually six, because she knows "A" and "G", twenty more letters to go.  Maybe there is still hope for Stanford afterall.  :)

However, I knew today's not-so-subtle phonics lesson was over when Alexa told me her brain was hurting.  There's always tomorrow...

If only she could color and draw all day....Alexa's dream.

First Speech

Back to normal...in addition to the normal Monday fatigue, Alexa was still recovering from the relatively late flight yesterday.  Taco night seemed to make things a little better though....

As we were in the grocery store tonight, Alexa told me she wanted me to hear her speech from Granty's golf tournament.  Before the trip, Damon and I had asked Alexa if she wanted to give a speech at the dinner, and she quickly agreed - - she is fifty-percent Armenian, after all.  We prepped her with a few things to say, but the rest was left to her own accord.  However, when it came time to speak at the tournament, she wasn't quite able to find the words.  I think she saw tonight as an opportunity for redemption. 

These are not her words verbatim, as I was shopping in the produce department at the time, but it captures the gist of her message:
"Thank you for coming tonight.  I am happy to be at this golf tournament for Granty...I love him very much.  He was the best baby brother and the cutest little baby you've ever seen.  I miss my Granty, and I love him so so much."

Not bad at all for her very first speech.... :)

Granty would be very proud of his doting big sister.

A Joyful Life

Several months back, I had received a coupon for 100 free 4x6 prints at Costco, and as I had some time to myself today, I decided to take advantage of the offer and upload photos to the website.  In this age of digital photography, it's amazing how few pictures I actually print.  What I expected to be a relatively simple exercise ended up being a very tear-jerking activity.  

I planned to use the prints to compile an album of Grant, and it quickly set in how short his life truly was.  He graced us with his presence for exactly 25-weeks.  It was touching to scroll through the photos to see the joy of his birth, recall the sadness of his hospitalizations and vividly remember all of the times in between.  However, one common theme throughout everything was Granty's smile....it was hard to find a series of photos in which Granty wasn't smiling.  Although his life was short, Granty lived it to the fullest - he exuded joy and exuberance.

At the golf tournament this weekend, the centerpiece of each table included an 8x10 photo of Granty throughout his five months of life.  When the pictures were being taken out of their frames today, Alexa began to sort through the photos and pick out her favorites.  After all was said and done, Alexa picked out her favorite picture of Granty....the one with her reading (or reciting) "Purplicious" to her beloved baby brother.  This is definitely one of my Top 5 of the two of them - it captures the essence and pride of her big sister role and the joy Granty brought to her life.

Smashing Success

Today was the Grant Hovannisian Memorial Golf Tournament benefiting Phoenix Children's Hospital, and I am floored and humbled by the support that was shown.  Nearly 100 golfers played 18-holes and another 200+ people attended the dinner, so many that the golf course had to explicitly cap attendance.  Wow!  There is no doubt how much our little boy is loved.....  I am completely overwhelmed and at a loss for words for the love, generosity and support that continues to be shown to our family.  We are truly blessed.

I am so proud and honored of Damon's brother Vincent and sister Gia for coordinating this event; it truly was an amazing tribute to our remarkable little boy.  I know the event exceeded all expectations, and I can only imagine how excited the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation will be to receive the final tally of the golf, silent auction and dinner.  PCH and its wonderful staff grew so close to our hearts in such a short period of time, and I am so thankful that Granty's legacy will continue at such an amazing place.

Tee time

The best golf socks - - all members of a foursome donned giraffe socks.

Gorgeous weather for an outdoor dinner & band.

What a turnout!

Enjoying the festivities....and guarding a cookie.

Happy 11-Month Birthday!

Happy 11-Month Birthday, Granty!

It's hard to believe my little guy would have been eleven months old today.  His personality was so big at just five months old, I can only imagine how vivacious he would be six months later.  Just like Alexa has Damon wrapped around her finger, like most dads are with their daughters, I think I would have been a sucker for Granty.  That grin and those eyes....he'd definitely have his way with me.

As much as I miss Granty and think about him constantly, I do feel his presence with me, whether it be through a deeper level of determination and perseverance or one of the many little reminds and signs that make me think of him.  I've had a lot of doctor's appointments in the last few weeks, and at the last four visits, "Home" by Phil Phillips has been playing on the office's sound system (radio, not a playlist).  I smile whenever I hear it, and I feel like it is one of many signs that Granty is watching out for me.

I would give anything to be in the process of planning his first birthday party, but I find a sense of peace, not to mention pride, in the legacy that continues in Granty's honor.  The generosity, love and support of family and friends has been evident, and so many families at PCH (and giraffes at zoos across the country) will benefit through Granty's legacy.  It truly is amazing how much this little guy unknowingly accomplished in his five months of life; his presence will continue to be felt for years to come.

"That grin and those eyes..."

Another Challenge

Today was "Mom's Day" at Alexa's school, a nice break from the normal routine, as I was able to skip the commute and work remotely for the rest of the day.

It was a good chance for me to finally see the Montessori method at work in her Primary class.  As soon as we entered the classroom, Alexa immediately went to pick up one of the lessons - a stamp with  watercolor paints.  After the stamping work, it was onto the metal inset (a tracing activity), and then she pulled out the tissue paper and glue activity.  Hmm...all of her selections seemed to be based upon art and fine motor skills.  Finally, Alexa's teacher interjected and suggested to Alexa that she should select some more challenging work - - - numbers and letters.

Alexa's teacher, who reads the blog religiously every morning, compared the task of getting Alexa to become engaged in the challenging work (numbers and letters) to her tendencies at swimming lessons.  Poor Ms. LeAnna!  I thought two times a week with swimming was tough, so I can only imagine the challenge on a daily basis.  I was always a good student, so it is quite a challenge to get my head around Alexa's lack of interest in numbers and letters.  I cannot fault Damon entirely for this one - - her perfectionist traits (getting frustrated if she doesn't get the hang of it quickly) are definitely from me.  I was very happy to hear her teacher will be leading Summer Camp...looks like Alexa will have a summer of learning!

There is hope though...tonight was the best swimming lesson in a long time.  She walked into the lesson entirely on her own, smiled and laughed with Coach Anthony and the girls in her class, and she even let go an swam on her own!  I don't know who was more excited about the lesson - progress!

Working on her letters and sounds....yeah!
(For the record, the Crocs are her indoor shoes at school :)

The Anticipation Is Building...

For over a week now, Alexa has been eagerly anticipating Thursday, May 2nd....it is Mom's Day at Montessori school.  I did not have the opportunity to volunteer for a Park Day this year, so I knew my attendance was a "must" tomorrow.  Thankfully the appointment and meeting gods were smiling upon me, and my calendar is abnormally free tomorrow morning.  Whew!

During dinner tonight, Alexa was giving me the lowdown of the rules I need to follow when I'm in her classroom in the morning.  No drinking from other people's water bottles, no touching other people's work, raise my hand or touch the teacher's shoulder if I want her attention, no sharing snacks....the list was endless.  She also told me not to wear high heels tomorrow because they're too fancy for the playground.  School rules and fashion advice....oy!

It's flattering to see how excited she is for me to come to her classroom, and I'm just as excited to see Alexa in her element.  I'm very curious to see some of the lessons she talks about - - the "metal inset" work and "insect" lessons are very popular with Alexa these days.  I finally get to see what she's talking about instead of politely nodding my head and saying, "Oh... that's nice."  It should be a very fun experience tomorrow morning (& my buddy Jenny will be there for backup too :)!

Hard at work on the Easter eggs...let's hope they''re as dedicated to their school work.