1 to 10

We read many stories that include counting.  We watch cartoons that involve counting.  We even count how many cookies or crackers we plan on eating.  I knew my son understood the words, but did he really understand what they meant?  I'll find him repeating numbers after me; one, two, thfree... and point to the objects as we count along.  He's becoming my little copy cat.

Yesterday I discovered he can count higher. 

Yesterday I discovered he can count all the way to 10.

I was shocked.  I actually thought, did he really just say those words?  Does he know he's counting?  Maybe he thinks of it as a sentence?  Like we say: Open the door please.  He memorizes the sequence of words.  Perhaps these numbers are just words to him.  How much can a 22 month old know, and realize, about numbers?

Either way, I'm excited.  I'm excited to hear all ten of those words come out of his mouth and in the right order.  I like the way he points to an object and acts like he's counting each item: one, two, three, ... all the way to ten.  So he really doesn't understand the two pretzels he has in front of him, are only two and not ten.  But he shows so much excitement when I cheer and applaud at the fact he's counting from 1 to 10.  He's proud of his accomplishment, and he should be. =)