1..2..3

Let me start by saying that we have very cute little boys who are both brilliant. That being said, they occasionally have moments when I wonder "how can they possibly NOT get this."  One of those moments occurred yesterday.

Our oldest loves to count.  He tries to count everything...snacks, books, you name it. He doesn't always get it right, but he is close...he has the right idea.  However, somewhere in his number learning, the number 16 disappeared. Ask him to count to 20 and no fail 16 would be missing.  Coach him over and over saying 15, 16, 17 to help him hear where it belongs and still 16 would somehow be left out.  It was getting to the point where he had said it wrong so many times that I was beginning to think/worry that his brain had made a permanent connection and he would never be able to count 1-20.

Yesterday evening Daddy decided that maybe he needed a visual.  We wrote out 1-20 and asked him to count pointing at each number...still no 16.  We tried some more.  No 16.  We finally bribed him with m&ms.  He was determined to get it right (yes, the bribe of even just one m&m is THAT strong).  He tried and tried and he finally got it!! Well, giving an m&m to one child makes the other child think he deserves one too.  So to be fair (I am a middle child after all), Daddy offers an m&m to our youngest if he will say 1, 2, 3.

Easy, right.  He is two. He repeats EVERYTHING. Here is how it went:

Daddy: Kyle say 1, 2, 3 and I will give you an m&m
Kyle: 8, 9, 10 (mouth pops open for said m&m)
Daddy: say 1...2...3
Kyle: 8, 9, 10 (repeat maybe 3 more times with Daddy saying 1,2,3 and Kyle saying 8,9,10)
Daddy: say 1
Kyle: 1
Daddy: say 2
Kyle: 2
Daddy: say 3
Kyle: 4
Daddy: say 3 (heavy emphasis on 3)
Kyle: 3
Daddy: Finally!! Here is your m&m!

Oh boy...I think I have my work cut out for me. ;0)