Ben's new "computer"

Glenn bought a piece of software a couple of weeks ago so that Ben could play around on a computer. It's called Kid Pix and is a bloody cool application! It allows for some pretty fun graphic creation. When you get bored with that, you can put your art together into a slideshow, providing sound, if you want. Ben had it, and the mouse, mastered in about 45 minutes (spread over two days, that is). It was actually a little eerie to watch him figure out how everything worked, especially since he doesn't yet read and therefore has to navigate by memory after we tell him what a certain button does. He assimilated what the computer wanted of him, in terms of direction, in a way that my mother would envy as she wrestles with hers!

He only gets to play with it during the 30 minutes between Rex's bedtime and his own, but is often talking and thinking about Kid Pix. Some months ago I got a used keyboard at Goodwill, so that the kids could play around with it. Today Ben proudly announced that he had made a screen for it (see photo). I love the idea of using wooden unit blocks to make advanced technology!

Rex the orator

Rex's speaking skills have grown so quickly that I regularly find myself, mouth open, making startled eye contact with Glenn. The unspoken question is, "did I just hear what I think I just heard?!"

Usually the answer is "You sure did!"

I recently read that somewhere in the range of 18-24 months, most children will start stringing two to four words together. Well, let's just say that at nearly 22 months, Rex has that skill down. The child is using prepositions!

If you're not familiar with Goodnight Gorilla, it's a charming children's book in which animals help themselves to the zookeeper's keys, then follow him home to sleep in his bedroom. His wife, clearly accustomed to this behavior, wearily leads them all back into the zoo. There are almost no words in it, and like many such books, it's adored by kids. Yesterday I looked over to see Rex sitting with Glenn on the couch, "reading" the book to his dad. His pronunciation is still confusing, but we parents don't have much trouble translating the sounds into "elephant, lion, hippo," etc.