How Much is Really in that Brain of Theirs?

So, Evelyn can read. I mean really, she can read. I know that she's 3 (3 1/2) but she-can-read!

Right now you're saying to yourself that I must have sat down with her multiple times a day since she was 18 months old quizzing her on all the little words in her little bedtime books until she could finally spout out what I wanted her to read (say). That's not how it happened.

In fact, Ric and I didn't even know she could read. Apparently Alex, her 5-year old brother taught her. One night about a month ago she comes out at bedtime with the Dick and Jane book that both of her older brothers learned to read on. She tells Ric that she can read it, so he plays along. She opens the book and PROCEEDS TO READ. Granted it was all "Oh oh. Oh, Dick. See Dick. Oh Dick." so we were surprised but not really bowled over by the whole thing. I mean, it's completely reasonable that, if taught, she could recognize the 3 words on the page and be able to point to and repeat them.

Well, it's been about a month and I swear now that she's reading these words, and many more. She's not sounding out phonetically, if you're wondering, but she's momorized and recognizing a lot of the words in this book and can get through about 5 of the first chapters of Dick and Jane. My mother (Nana) and Grandpa Clark arrived this evening and the kids read to them before bed. Even I couldn't believe that she's learned even more words in this book and can actually remember them. (Right now you're saying to yourself that she's just memorized the stories.) Well, it's not that. I can tell by the way that she points to each word as she's saying it, sometimes messes up, but stays on that word and then moves on. She's going word by word, not saying the story.

This is crazy. She's 3. Not even close to being 4.

Although I'll say that this parlor trick is nothing compared to my nephew, Robby, who can recall - to the digit- the populations, square mileage, and capitals of ALL the 50 states (and many countries). Oh, and he could do this at age 4. My boys didn't even know how to say a number in the hundreds, let alone the millions and hundred-thousands.

Sometimes our normal, regular kids are just amazing, just as they are. Makes me wonder what is in that brain of theirs. It's strange only knowing what they're capable of based on what comes out of their mouth, or how they perform in school, or how they get along with others. It's a weird feeling to realize that they are SO MUCH MORE THAN ALL THAT. And they are old enough that their little brain has grown beyond the baby stuff that as moms we have a total handle on.

I guess that means they're not babies any longer.