I play this game with Kelsey all the time now, where I make connections of thoughts using word analogies. I’m basically trying to just teach her some concepts about relationships and about linguistic constructions without, you know, letting her think it’s a learning experience. Because she’s going through a phase where being taught isn’t really very fun.

We were at the Ice Cream Machine, enjoying some sugary goodness, and I started playing the word game, mostly to keep Kelsey distracted because I could see the crazed hyper sugar-induced evilness just about to sprout from her head. So I began with “I love you more than napkins love ice cream faces!” And I mopped some blueberry ice cream off her face.

That’s the game. It’s simple, but it gets her synapses firing. I start off saying something like “I love you more than ____ love _____.” And she responds by finding something that has some kind of connection, and she makes up her own. She’s very innovative. Here are a few of the connections she made while we were enjoying some ice cream:

“I love you more than the sun loves the trees”
“I love you more than dogs love bones”
“I love you more than fans love to blow”

Wow, I think. She’s really getting it! I’m so proud of her!

I asked Laurel if I could have a bite of her chocolate ice cream, because I’m totally obsessed with ice cream but have to stick to the sorbet or the occasional sherbet because I can’t have fat in my diet. Long story. With tears. Anyway, Laurel said no. So I point off into the distance and say, “Look, Laurel! A bird!”

And, of course, she is still a trusting soul to some degree, so she looks the other way for the bird while I take a huge bite of her ice cream.

A minute passes, and all of a sudden, Laurel says, “I love you more than birds love to fly.”

I was a bit too stunned to say anything. I didn’t expect Laurel, at 28 months, to get analogies. I praised her and tried not to make a big deal out of it. She hasn’t done a repeat performance yet. Maybe it was a fluke. Since I didn’t expect her to get such concepts yet, I really haven’t been including her in the game.

I’m thinking of just assuming I have two preschoolers, and including Laurel when I’m trying to teach Kelsey new concepts. Allen’s Dad keeps reminding me that Allen was reading at age 2. So I’m beginning to look at gifted resources in the area. I think there’s a lot I can do for her at home, but obviously I’m going to need to do some research. If you have any thoughts, please send them my way.

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