Doce (doh-say)

Today I discovered that Zach can count to 12 in Spanish. Who knew??? And guess who taught him? Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-Dora, that's who!

Like every new parent, I've struggled with the whole television thing. I've read all the studies, blah blah blah, and even without all that data, of course I realize that it's better to be running around outside than sitting still staring at the boob tube. But I'm an "everything in moderation" sort of person/parent, so I've tried to find the right balance. I understand that the temptation to let the tv be the old electronic babysitter (it really really works!) is a slippery slope, so I try to reserve that for absolutely must get something done times.

Anyway, I'll stop with all my theories and thoughts on kids and tv and just say that Zach does watch tv. He started with a deep love for Sesame Street, and then graduated to an obsession with Dora. Fortunately his cousins Bryn and Maryn had passed along their old dvds; I was amazed at how many times Zach could watch the same thing over and over again. He has since moved on to a mix of PBS and Nick Jr shows, which is how he generally starts off his morning.

Which brings me to my discovery this morning. As I was eating my breakfast, Dora and her loyal companion Boots decided to count some stars. If you've never been *fortunate* enough to watch Dora, they encourage viewer participation. So when they asked Zach to count with them, he started with "one, two". But they were counting in Spanish, and suddenly I hear Zach switch to "tres, cuatro..." Huh? When I asked him about it, he laughed, and then demonstrated that he could actually count to doce!

Now, I'm not claiming he got the pronunciation exactly right, but it was obvious he had the gist of it. So my point is - it's really rather amazing all the ways kids learn, and the things they can absorb when you're paying absolutely no attention!