Learning Letters

So, what have I been doing with my time? This is the question I ask myself each evening as I crawl into bed exhausted from the day. If I look around my house, I would say, not much!!! I’m amazed at how the days fly when I am occupied with the care of a 2 ½ year old and a 2 month old. And though there are times I just want run away and not come back, I am so very very happy. I love these kids, and feel so blessed to have them in my life.

Zachary has been having a difficult time adjusting to having a new little sister and just simply being a 2 years old. He has so much to learn and understand. I really do miss that sweet happy baby of just 1 year ago, but now and again, I see him reappear, even if it is only for a small moment between tantrums.

I felt he needed some more scheduled activities with Mommy, so I decided to start him on his ABC’s. This was more of a way to get us to sit down together and have some quality time, but he is really picking up the letters. We are having a great time at it and we both look forward to our projects together.

I will only bore you with our first week of projects and of course we started with “A”. I am just so excited with his enjoyment of our activities I had to share. And in the process, I am learning what he likes and doesn’t like to do.






Our first day we made a page for the letter A. We used his finger to make little ants. It was really more of a Mommy project, but he got to do one of his own, Which is below. Every time he looks at it now, he says “finger ants!”























On the 2nd day was a felt board story of 10 Little Apples. I was so surprised at how he took to this concept and now asks for it almost every morning. As I was making all of this, I was wondering if it was going to be worth all the trouble. And he has answered that with a resounding “YES!!!”














But I didn’t realize that I had made 12 pieces to go with only 10 apples. Zachary has to have everyone eat an apple and feels so bad for the two that are left out. Guess I need to make two more and sneak them in just to see his reaction.






The next day we made Apple Crisp. He loves to help in the kitchen, so this activity is always a great hit with him. He loves to taste each ingredient as it goes into the bowl. He doesn’t believe mommy when I tell him that flour or baking soda taste "YUCKY!" all by their selves, he has to find out for himself.

He enjoyed the cooking more that the eating, but I enjoyed both!! Yummy!

On the 4th day we had an apple puzzle. To my surprise, he could care less about this activity. He usually loves puzzles, but this one, just did nothing for him. Glad I didn’t put much effort into it, but will try it again later. I did make the mistake of trying this after his nap, which isn’t always the best time of day for such things.

And on the last day, we made an ant. He always wants to paint but doesn’t get the opportunity very often since his Mommy is too lazy.

This was a two part project. After the paint dried we put the accessories on like eyes and legs. He was insistent that we make the legs different colors.

It now sits on top of the aquarium as he loves to pull the eyes off. He is always delighted though when he looks up to find it watching him.

It has been a lot of extra work to organize these projects for him, but I can truly say, it has been worth it. Zachary has always like books, but in the three weeks that we have been doing this, he much prefers to read books together than to watch his dvds. So I am so very excited with that development.