Ks in the Sand, & Other Letters, Numbers, Shapes

The week before last, when we were in Sand Key, Kyle and Owen perfected the art of making "Ks." This was incredibly exciting for both boys since prior to Sand Key they could not seem to manage to make a "K" no matter how hard they tried. It was gratifying especially for Kyle given that it is the first letter of his name and the one letter in his name that both he and Owen simply could not write. Making "Ks" in the sand was a major activity of our trip. Hundreds of them were drawn, all over the beach, by all four of us. And somehow this turned into a sort of letter-writing-breakthrough for K & O. They started writing other letters that had previously stumped them ("Rs," "Ms," and "Bs" for example), and then numbers too (they mastered the previously-impossible "4" when they became absolutely determined to write our hotel room number - 441 - in the sand over and over and over), and then on the last day of our trip-- the elusive shape of a heart (a shape that both of them loved but neither of them could draw before we left for Florida). Somehow the sand-writing just turned a corner for them. Maybe it was because they could write so big in the sand? (instead of being constrained to paper) Or maybe it was because they could use their fingers? (instead of pencils, markers, crayons, or sidewalk chalk) Or maybe it was just the beautiful setting, the doting parents willing/able to watch them write in the sand for hours, or the glorious sunshine and warm breezes??? Who knows. Whatever it was, it was a huge breakthrough. They've been writing letters, numbers, and shapes like madmen ever since. They can write many/most letters now. They can both write their own names and each other's names now. They can write Alex's name. And they can write more and more numbers and draw more and more shapes each day. When it rains, it pours. Here, ever since we returned from Sand Key, it is pouring letters, numbers, and shapes.