Score one for Reading

Do you ever have one of those moments where you just are so happy that you can’t stand it? Well, I had several of those today. Now, if you are not a parent the following may bore you to tears because this is one of those I’m so glad to be a parent moments. No, it isn’t like the times I traveled across Europe and saw some of the most wonderful architectural sites. No, it isn’t like the time I sat on the beaches of Hawaii and gazed at the beautiful ocean while smelling fragrant blossoms. And, no it isn’t like the time my heart pounded with excitement the day my husband asked me for our first date. What I heard and saw today was probably small in many parental moments, but it just made my day. As my husband and I were discussing dinner options we heard our wee one say the letters “I” and “J” and then a mixture of other letters. Then she began to repeat “I” and “J” as if she were reciting the whole alphabet. She has been known to sing along during the alphabet song, but really doesn’t enunciate most of the letters.

In addition, she does have a fairly wide vocabulary recognizes her shapes and colors as well as her numbers through 10. Plus, she has been a avid fan of the letter "A" and number "2" for a while now. However, just listening to her master two of the alphabet letters and say them as confident as she did put the biggest smile on her daddy's and my face. But wait! To top it off she walked up to her daddy as he sat on the family room floor and said “P”. No, that isn’t the potty type “P”, but the letter version. He was confused at first until I reminded him that he had the letter on the sleeve of his sweatshirt he was wearing.

Yes, the wee one also was recognizing some of the letters of the alphabet today. I realize this is probably very normal for an almost two year old, but for us its one of those watching the wee one grow moments. She is like a sponge and soaking everything up. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am hoping that reading to her everyday and providing a large quantity of books for her own “reading” pleasure helped spur today’s happy moments. I do give some credit to Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster and his letter of the day. Of course, watching her when she smiled for the first time and stuck her feet in her mouth the first time and all those other first times still rank up there too. The first time podium is becoming very crowded with wonderful first time memories.