When we are born, we are are like clay. Fresh, pliable, ready to be molded into the individuals we will be for the rest of our lives. We learn by our senses, by our surroundings, and most importantly by those who are around us at any time.

I have noticed this fact as I watch my two year old cousin grow. I was there the day he was born and held him only two hours after his birth. It's amazing, not as amazing as having a child personally, but still amazing.

He is developing his personality from what he sees. His father plays with him very "rough and tumble" so my little cousin believes this is how a little boy should act. He stomps, throws, pounds, and kicks any inanimate object in sight. Also my uncle has a tendency to lose his temper and yell, so little cousin thinks when he doesn't get his way, that it is alright to yell and get angry.

The most important thing that I have noticed is that his speech has slowly developed. It is such a wonder how one day I see him and all he can do is coo, and then the next, he's saying words. He listens to what the adults in his life say and he has been mimicking us. Just a few weeks ago, I was yelling to my cat, and I said "hey you!" Then my little cousin looked at the cat and repeated that, although it sounded more like "Hey-ooo."

This brings me to my books of the week. The first would be the Dr. Seuss book, Red Fish, Blue Fish. This is an excellent book for children, because although it is silly (which kids like)it shows children how to count and to recognize their colors. The book uses rhymes to keep the child's attention and to easily teach speech and phonics. The second book I highly recommend is Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes. Once again, the repetitive sounds of the poems help the kids to learn sounds and rhythms easily. I am a huge fan of poetry, and it is wonderful for children to learn to appreciate it at a young age.

That's all for now lit fans, more next week!