Maldito

Maddie has learned that words are made from letters.

Maddie knows her letters and numbers pretty well.  She further understands that when I read bedtime stories to her, I’m reading the words from the page.  (Except when I’m faking it, when there are too many words.)  And she can even read a few three-letter words herself, like cat and hat.

Maddie’s favorite letters are the ones that are the initials of the names of her family and friends.  So when she practices writing letters, she usually starts with those.  Lately, she’s been writing her favorite letters in word-like groups like so:

MADL ELADM ELD4 MALDITO

and asking me what she wrote.  I’d read off each letter, but she’d stop me, and ask me what words she wrote.  She’d apparently hoped that she magically put letters together that form a coherent thought, like “The beautiful princess had a wonderful birthday party.”

(I particularly loved her construction, maldito, until I discovered it was Spanish for “cursed.”)

Who We Were Then
  • David
  • Lillian
  • Maddie (4 years old)
  • Aaron (1 years old)