Mittens For Sale

Earlier in the week I was looking intently at my laptop while four year old Hertsje was jumping around next to me. She was happily entertaining herself with a few little dolls and a book.
Suddenly she got very quiet.
She looked over at me while pointing to a small snowman figure holding a string of mittens. A sign next to the snowman caught her eye.  In a quiet surprised voice she said to me:
"I know what this sign says.
It says 'Mittens for Sale'.
(slight pause)
Oh my goodness, I can read!"
These are the moments in life that bring me the most joy.
I knew it was coming, as Hertsje has been interested in sounds, letters, words, and books since the day she discovered them.
Still, it's always a delightful wonder to watch a child surprise herself when it all clicks.
A little later that day we were watching an episode of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" (my choice, not hers).
Daniel and his friends all had different ideas about how to do something so they were discussing the need to have a "plan".
After it was over we were playing together with the puppets I have here.
Both of us kept getting ideas as we went along.
She looked at me and said:
"I think we need a plan."
I agreed, pulled open a draw and grabbed a pen and a notebook.
She asked me what that was for.
My response was that we needed to write down our plans.
With a look of shock and horror she blurted out:
"I don't know how to WRITE yet! I just learned how to READ today!"