letter recognition

Busy weekend here... two baby shoots ( one 4 month old, one 14 day old... SO CUTE!), gorgeous day at the markets, a birthday party to attend... it seems to go so fast!


Today I wanted to do some letter recognition with Jared. He doesnt seem to know many letters at all, and more the point, he actually doesnt really care. But I want to give him a good start to school next year so I do thing with him that involved identifying letters without it seeming like a complete teachery lessony thing.
He and Amahli were playing with the letters that Jumeirah had out yesterday and were having a great time trying to guess what they were. I asked him to pick out a letter and tell me what it was ( deep down thinking he was never going to get it right unless it was an " R" which is calls "an RRRR like a pirate")
He picked out a T. Nope, didnt get that one ( unless you count, " its a cross like Jesus was on!" )

So he tried another one. A. Nope not real sure on that one either.

I went to walk away and leave them play, a bit flustered that he seems to get it sometimes and not other times, when he picks out a Z. Which is labels correctly.
" ok then, can you think of something that begins with Z?" I ask, thinking that he wont be able to get it.
" A zebra" comes the reply.
"Ok..... ( Im beginning to get that feeling that I am underestimating him, yet again), can you paint me a zebra then?"

And so he does. Complete with feet :) And with some help, ( he copied from my writing) he writes the word Zebra.

And yet again, my little guy teaches me to STOP underestimating him, that he knows more than he lest on, and that next year at school, he really WILL BE FINE :)