Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2008 November 15

(1) Sat Nov 15 2008 12:48 Crafty Friday: I was on a crafty roll all day yesterday. I made a rice bag, a drawstring bag, a something something, finished my last chocolate chip cookie and four cucumbers/pickles and most of an Oreo. I also made some homemade notepads for my piano students (article forthcoming) and scrapbooked 8 recipe cards for an exchange. Is that it? It seemed like a lot more work yesterday.

Sat Nov 15 2008 12:54 So Smart?: I was telling a friend the other day about how Maggie learned her numbers (and knows her shapes and colors) and four letters (M, S, Y and O). This was one of the many times I have highly recommended the Preschool Prep DVDs. This friend insisted that Maggie was just exceptional. Well, that may be the case. But when John and I discussed it later he pointed out that maybe it's just because we taught her those things. Maybe other parents don't teach their toddlers colors, shapes, numbers and letters.

But why not? Probably because they think children can't learn them so young. We introduced the Meet the Letters DVD this week and Maggie's knowledge of the alphabet is rapidly expanding. At the beginning of the DVD the creator says "most learning tools miss this window [of opportune time for learning such things] by a year or two." Most parents too, apparently.

I should also mention that Maggie loves to learn. From the moment she was born she's been alert and attentive to the world around her, soaking it all in.