So it appears we can also spell

The great white maternity shirt debate has been unsatisfactorily resolved, notwithstanding all the good advice I got from my previous post. I did not make it to the shops in time, and was forced to wear my husband's white shirt to Court. Caught a glimpse of myself in a reflective surface just as I wandered into Court and shuddered. Also the buttons face the wrong way.

But anyway, that's done.

We found out last Friday, quite by accident, that The Son can spell! Everyone within 3 generations is thrilled - The Son, The Grandmother and her siblings and of course the parents who are fighting to see who should get the credit for this latest development.

It all started with the second episode of Survivor Tocantins last Friday and a hyperactive 3-year old who wanted to do something interesting right about the time the contestants were about to start the Immunity Challenge. The father had gone into hiding in the bedroom, and the maid and I were not in the mood to entertain The Son (C'mon! It's the Immunity Challenge, for God's sake.).

So I gave him a piece of paper and a pencil, and I told him to write "Zoo" on it. I had another phrase in mind, but decided that "Zoo" was more polite.

And he did. He just did. He didn't copy it from anything, and no one told him how to spell it.

I was convinced that it was a fluke. So I told him to write "Map" on another piece of paper.

And he did. Although I noted that his spelling appears to be far better than his penmanship - the direction of the loop on the "P" is driving him insane and he writes everything in 80 point-size and upper case.

"Can you write 'BASEMENT'?" I asked. After all, we could have an Einstein on our hands. Might as well find out. Could earn some money.

"No, I am sleepy now." said he. And then he walked off to bed.

"Who won the Immunity Challenge?" I asked the maid.