Hayden is obsessed with letters and numbers. Though I am very, very proud of him, it is strange to have a not-even-three-year-old who can read. I mean, as in actually read. Words.

Most kids haul around stuffed animals or blankets everywhere they go. Hayden brings numbers and letters. We have various magnetic fridge door ones, some wooden puzzle piece ones, some kind of plastic-y-foam ones, and even stickers. They go for rides with us in the car, come along for walks, take showers and baths with him, and he even sleeps with them.

Today, driving home from the grocery store, Hayden was arranging his letters into words. I heard him say "H-O spells Ho. What's 'Ho' mean?" I couldn't just ignore him, so I said that it was a tool you use in the garden. So, then he said, "Well then, what does H-O-E spell?" He had me. So, I said that "h-o-e" was actually the correct way to spell hoe, the garden tool. So, then he was back to asking about the other variety of "ho."

I told him "ho" is like "ho ho ho", like Santa says, and left it at that.