Brag Alert!

"F - R - EE... Free!  That says 'free'!"  

"F - A - C - T... fact.  'Fact'!" 

This is Gavin lately.  He's starting to sound out any letters he sees in an effort to build words everywhere.  In books, on cereal boxes, signs along the road, or vans and buses at a stoplight while we're driving.  I'm more than stoked.  He loves to build words, so much so that he might be annoying friends.  They want to play trucks and run around, while Gavin wants to stand in front of the refrigerator rearranging magnet letters.

Don't get me wrong - he still loves running around - usually after he's built some words.

Graeme is hanging in with his brother as he's starting to recognize letters and numbers as we go throughout the day.  He'll find a "T" on the side walk (in paint or some such) and get very excited, for example.*  He also loves to sing the ABC song and say "No, that doesn't rhyme!" - even when the given words do rhyme.  But he's getting it!

Though we do read a lot (doesn't every parent?), I credit LeapFrog videos for helping Gavin make the leap to success. (Couldn't help it.) He got a video about complex words for Christmas and that began the obsession with the "Silent E" and "sticky vowels".  And, let me tell you, 'silent E's' are VERY exciting!

* Graeme gets very excited about everything these days.  At a friend's house yesterday, he found a "Mater" truck to play with... and yelled an enthusiastic "Mater!" every time he entered the room.  (Probably every five minutes.)  It was reminiscent of the goldfish swimming around the bowl and thinking, "Hey, a castle!" every time he swims around.  Eternally sweet... we should all be so excited about the little things!