Shameless Pride in Brian's Early Abilities!

I just love this drawing!

Brian tried to write my name. I think the last letter is an incomplete E, since he would hear the sound of E, not I.

Here are the sixth and seventh paragraphs from the December, 1984, Christmas newsletter...don't read them unless you want to remember how crazy I was about noticing every little detail about his mental and physical growth....

Brian is such a whiz -- but don't tell him! He hopefully thinks it's normal for a 2-year-old to know all of the uppercase and lowercase letters, to know 20 sight words [he could recognize words like mommy, daddy, love, piano, the, on, a -- etc], to sound out a few words [like cat, bat, rat, mat, sat], to read sentences, to print several letters, to write a few words, to do 12-25 piece puzzles, to "read" John 3:16 in the Bible, and to "read" the encyclopedia. And believe me when I tell you, I have not tried to teach him these things. He's just very interested in letters and words and books.[Aside, 2009, I did put word cards all over the house and I did point out the words to him -- I guess I didn't use regular daily teaching and phonics instruction so I didn't think I was teaching him.]

I'd better add that Brian loves lizards and ants and beetles and millipedes and frogs -- anything that I'll let him pick up, in fact! He loves to play in the dirt (or in the house) with his Hot Wheels cars and trucks. The parks in Grass Valley (about 2 miles from us) are a favorfite place to go. If we put up a tree swing I'm sure Brian would be on it constantly. Just before he turned one I "held my breath" and let him swing on a regular swing . . . now he goes higher than my head! (And I still hold my breath.)