The Geek Squad

Let me begin this post with one very important statement which I have made before -- all children are different. Even if they are from the same parents, each child is unique. I saw this firsthand growing up as the oldest of five children. We each had different strengths and interests. Some are artistic. Some are musical. Some are athletic. Some enjoy working with their hands. Some would rather use their minds. Some like to read while others hate the thought. Some do math just for fun (ok, so that is just me...)

Anyway, you get the point.

Rewind 5 years. I was pregnant with Robbie. Trying to stay involved in my pregnancy, Bob would sing the ABC song each night to my growing tummy. Immediately after Robbie was born, they swaddled him and handed him to his daddy. When Bob started singing the ABC song to him. Robbie immediately stopped crying and stared intently into Bob's eyes. So cute.

I've written about it many times before, but Robbie had an affinity for letters. He loved books and flashcards and quickly learned his ABCs (around 17 months). He would eagerly point out letters in the grocery store or as we were driving down the road. This is definitely one of our favorite memories! He was very sturdy for his age and began walking at 9 months! Very early.





When Eveley came along, I reminded Bob that each child is different and we can't expect our children to all have that same interest or eagerness. Eveley is different from Robbie in some ways. But she too had a love for letters and books. She began talking very early and now will not be quiet. She was sitting at the table soon after she turned 2 and drawing in a notebook. We asked her to come into the other room and she responded, "I can't come right now. I'm crunching some numbers." Not sure where she got that...

Then came little Caleb. So far, he has been our little runt. He was the smallest (7 pounds, 1 ounce) and has stayed small. While the other 2 consistently stayed above 75% in their height/weight, little Caleb is around the 20% mark despite his ravenous bear-like appetite. I have said that he seems to be about 4 months behind Robbie. In pictures, they look similar at those different stages. But during this heavy winter, Caleb got a little bored and finally decided to walk at 14 months. He's everywhere now.

Caleb was not very verbal. He was content to just squeal or whine until we understood his point. He said mama pretty early but didn't care to learn any other words. I was pretty sure that sweet Caleb would not follow in his brother and sister's footsteps.

We have many different sets of flashcards that have barely survived these 3 little boogers. Caleb loves to sit down with the box and pull the cards out randomly and make some sound as if he knows what they are. We would sit down with him, just as we did with the others, and show him the letters and repeat the ABCs over and over and over again. He would watch our mouths intently and try to mimic the sounds.

Then it stuck! Last week, we were going through the normal routine and he began pointing at the letters and getting them right. My little, squirt, 14-month-old Caleb knows his ABCs. Seriously. It is the cutest thing ever. And I had to get it on video because I'm sure there are some people who wouldn't believe me. (I'll put it on the blog once I can figure out how to upload it from my Iphone). So Mr. Caleb now holds the record for the ABCs!

We are very aware that we will most likely have a child who will cringe at the ABCs or cry when we pull out the flashcards. But for now, it's pretty interesting to see the continued love that they have for learning. I'm sure big brother Robbie is so proud!