She is finally talking and learning to hold her own in this loud, talkative family. My Rachel has always struggled with verbal skills, and has always been overshadowed by siblings who excel in this area. But, finally at 6.5 years old, she will not be silent. She must talk. She must tell her stories.
And most of her stories are about flamingoes. She has developed a deep affection for this odd-looking bird. I’m not sure where the fascination came from, but she talks about flamingoes all the time. She wants flamingo toys for her birthday. She wants a pet flamingo that will peck bad guys who come to our house and chase stray dogs that try to eat our chickens.
When she began an elaborate, fictitious story the other day, I typed it up while she told it. Seeing her words on paper has enthralled her and she is now begging me to type up one of her stories several times a week.
She doesn’t know that she is getting beginner’s lessons in composition. She is just having fun.
Little by little, over time, we will work on correcting her grammar, her subject/verb agreement and making the story flow. But right now, she is just learning that she has something to say. That when we write or type the words we say, that it is called writing. That she can tell good stories. And that writing is FUN!
I leave you with one of Rachel’s stories . . . . .
Rachel’s Pet Flamingo and Her Sister
August 17, 2010
One morning, there was a flamingo in the air. Then Rachel was on it. She is not a mama or a daddy. She is not a grown up either. Rachel is still a kid.
But Rachel saw a ship with pirates on it. Prairie said, “What’s that in the air? That is a flamingo with Rachel on it.”
The pirates saw the flamingo with Rachel on it. Rachel and the flamingo stopped. They looked and saw the pirates. She saw Prairie too. Rachel said, “If you don’t let my sister go, I will swoop down with my pet flamingo.”
Then Rachel said, “Flamingo, swoop down and get them.”
Then the flamingo swooped down to get them. The pirates ran and the flamingo ran. And Rachel, on the ship, shoots bullets out of her gun. Then Rachel got Prairie.
Prairie said, ” How did you get here?”
Rachel said, ” I heard something that is in the girls’ room and the flamingo was waiting outside.”
Prairie and Rachel were on the flamingo. Then Rachel shot the bullets out of her gun. Then the ship started to sink down.
Rachel said, “You will never get us.”
The bad guys said, “I will with my cannon!”
The cannon shot, and it missed the flamingo. Then Rachel shot another bullet out of her gun. And the boat sank down. And the boat sank down and the ship sank.
Rachel and Prairie and Rachel’s pet flamingo went back home.
The End
Prairie Sings 
Rachel,
We love your story!!! Please keep up the writing because we look forward to reading more!!!
The Plyler Crew
Rachel, I love your story. I can’t wait to hear another story.