Leap Frog Dog

This weekend we spent time with my family in the great green woods of the Northwest.  Great fun was had by all, thanks to a paintball free-for-all, good eats, and some good nature teasing amongst my siblings.  Monster and Monkey spent the majority of Saturday outside playing on my parents patio and the continuous physical activity, plus lack of TV, started to wear on Monster.  He asked to watch a “oovie” several times and the minute he woke up this morning (he was asleep last night when we got home) he asked for “leap-frog-dog”.  The first time I had heard of not-to-be named show of leaping frogs, was when my friend Tammy from the Crazy Station Wagon told me the show practically taught her son to read.  I was a little suspicious of this statement, just like I am pretty sure similar claims which boast they can teach your 18 month old to read, are just plain ridiculous.  I, however, am totally backtracking on my narrowminded-ness after witnessing Monster’s two-year-old sponge-like abilities soak up episode after episode of Leap-frog-dog.
I was sitting on the couch with Monster this evening and he says something about his milk.
“What is your milk doing?” I asked.
“My lilk is fwying!” He shouts, flying his milk above his head. “Lilk fwing into passsst!”
“Your milk is flying into space?!” I laugh a little, knowing thanks to leap-frog-dog, he knows what space is now.
“Is your milk flying to the moon?” I ask, knowing it is the only “plant” he knows of.
“Lilk fwying to da moooooon!” And, complete with rocket noises, his milk took off.
Not only does he know what space is, the moon, and rocket noises, he also has a good number of letters recognized, can name many numbers and count correctly in 4-5 number spans, has a bunch of shapes down, and does amazing with colors.  I heard him count the other day “Eight, nine, ten, twelve, nineteen!”. I have counted over 10 maybe two times with him.  He points out triangles and circles to me and is starting to sing the ABC song.
TV can be an awesome learning tool when used correctly.  My challenge for myself, and for Monster, this upcoming week is to enforce these new skills with hands-on projects and learning moments for Monster.