Letters to Julia - Letters Letters Letters

Dear Julia,

What a smart little girl I have! And as a former preschool and kindergarten teacher, I love that you love letters! One day when you are older I hope you will defend me to all my teacher friends and assure them that I did not pressure you to learn letters and sounds before you were ready! :-)

You really do enjoy learning and playing with letters. I hope it always stays fun for you!

Right now, you are two years, six months old, and you really do love letters! You always want to watch Letter Factory and the Preschool Prep DVDs. Well, after asking for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Elf, your all-time favorites for some time now! You point out letters any time you see them, and you know most of them. (I won't be too teachery and give current recognition/identification stats. If I did that, I would also have to say that you know all your colors and shapes, too, even hexagon. :-) And then I would have to say that you have text directionality and story structure down, too!)

Auntie Jen and I laughed at you a lot this week. Your new favorite word is "really." You always say things like, "Mom, I am really eating my oatmeal now," and "I am really wearing my shoes," and "Mom, I want to really go outside to really play with the puppies." Most of the time you use it correctly, but it is a little funny when you don't.

Here you are watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse this morning. It is the only thing that you actually sit and watch, totally focused on.

Funny girl! I love you! And I missed you a lot when I went to Nairobi. I am glad to be back home with you. I know you had fun at the baby house and you were perfectly fine, but I still missed you. And you know what? I even cried after I told you goodnight on the phone. See? Sometimes it is okay to cry. But I am okay, and you were okay, and we both had a great time!

I love you, baby girl.

Love, Mommy