The Spelling Bee

And Mom fails.
You both are doing amazingly well with the pre-reading and beginning to read behavior. I'm sometimes surprised, but I guess once it starts to happen, the ball really gets rolling. After teacher conferences I realize we could probably "up" how we challenge you. You're at the point where you can probably start attempting to read more than I thought possible. We also work on numbers on the highway, and that works pretty well. Her teacher noted "Zoe counts to 100!" and said "that's what we look for our kindergartners to do". Okay, enough bragging.
And it made me realize once again that you have had so many people on your side.  A lot of big people trying to help you out. You are loved (or as Victoria Williams sang "you are loved, you are loved you are really, really loved")

selfie.

One of the things Zoe's teacher suggested was that we start having her do 'kid writing' which means having her sound out words and write them out herself. She often asks how to spell words and up to the suggestion that she try it herself I went ahead right away and spelled words for here. But the sounding out is all part of learning. She's a bit reluctant, although given the right situation she'll just go ahead and do it. Sometimes we all work that way I suppose.
The other night we were sitting around and she asked me how to spell a word. I had to have her repeat it several times. Still stunned.
Dist.
Dust?
No. DIst.
This?
No. DIIIst.
Just?
No. DIIIst.
Say it again.
Dist.
Puzzled mom look. What does it mean? Say something with that word in it.
Mumbling...something about a computer.
Ah...DESK?
No.
At this point I'm thinking about the subtlety of sound and how there are certain sounds that cultures make that other cultures can't even distinguish from each other. Got to have the ear for it. Zoe, I'm stumped. Roman! What's Zoe saying?
Dist.
Ugh. Then it occurs to me that this is a word that Zoe knows, but it's her own version of the word. Her classmate Blink for example. She swore that was his name (complete with an exaggerated blink to make the point), but it's actually Blake. I keep hearing about a Menard too (as in save big money at Menards), but I suspect that's not quite right (although at the same time I wouldn't be surprised if it is). She still calls him Blink. She likes that better. I do too. :)
Back to our conversation.
So, Zoe, is it something like "it's just and you and I sitting here"?
No. It's dist me and you.
Okay then.