Abby spells colors, then counts objects of the color.

We like a lot. Abby touches the letters as she spells the colors, and we make the big baby face be a ‘mask’. Sean even makes funny voices, I’m not as fun as he is.

Here are two recent Gleeson illustrations. One is by me, the other by my daughter Faith. One is done in Adobe Illustrator, the other in Crayola marker on a cloth diaper. Click on either picture to see the enlarged version.

Everyone, since you ask.

Faith has been learning her non-alphanumeric glyphs. She knows that an exclamation point means you SHOUT the word or phrase which precedes it, and a question mark indicates a question. She also knows that an ‘S’ with a vertical line through it means money.

Last night, as we were eating pizza from Mazzio’s, she pointed to the pizza box, which said, among other things, “Mazzio’s®.” She asked, “What does the ‘R’ in the circle mean?” I explained what a registered trademark is, and how trademarks exist so people won’t be confused by having competing businesses with identical names.

I am pleased to report that this lesson was absorbed. Today, Faith has been writing several words on the Magnadoodle, each with an ‘R’ (or an ‘r’) in a circle. She wrote “pizza®,” “moon®,” and “baby®.”

“Look, Daddy, look! I wrote ‘moon’! And the ‘R’ means people won’t be confused!”

I swear, this teaching gig is too easy sometimes.

Faith has been reading some Brand New Reader books today, which she found in an still-packed box of books. We bought them last summer and they were completely ignored because I also bought a plumber’s helper with which to shove them down Faith’s throat. Metaphorical of course. LikeWowMom knows whereof I type. I’ve sinced learned (and relearned) that it’s best if it’s their idea, not mine… I can provide the raw materials and maybe even attempt to utilize them myself, but the minute I provide any autocratic direction, we’re sunk!

We really like these. They have lively illustrations and the text is as interesting as it gets with primer style readers, but the best thing about them is the price. Go on, click the link. Take a look. And that’s for 4 books!

I’m going to get her some more by that illustrator, I believe.