Spelling Lessons

My Jed has learned that just about any time we spell something out loud, it means that spelled item is very, very desirable. For example, imagine we are traveling from one boring activity to another in the car. I may say "Daddy, should we go for i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m tonight after the whatever?" Michael would frown, look confused and spell it back to himself several times before figuring out what I mean. Jed, however, will perk up his ears and with shining, eager eyes proclaim loudly from the back seat "YES, MOM, we should have some R-F-J-T-I-Z!"

He even knows what m-i-l-k spells so now we have to spell it l-e-c-h-e.

Another popular one is repeating what few letters he remembers. "Michael, should we give Jed an s-a-u-s-a-g-e for dinner or should he just be forced to eat this disgusting pumpkin concoction I've created?" Jed pipes up "Jed should have some s-u and s-u-s-a and s-a-s-a-s!

I confess that at this point I've started purposely spelling things just to hear what stream of letters will emerge from his darling little mouth. Yesterday, as I made dinner, I told Jed, "Zoe is crying. Go give her some TLC." He ran over and smoothed her head and patted her tummy. "Mom, she is OK. I gave her some S-R-T-M-A."