Numeric Milestones

So we're overdue on blogging about Ryan's second birthday, but here's a different numeric story. Having mastered colors a few months ago, Ryan is now a very proficient counter. He can count to ten (sometimes eleven), but more importantly he actually counts physical objects. When he sees three objects he knows there are "three," which is a major step over simply knowing the words and order. But when counting above four or five or so (when he actually has to point to count rather than just seeing the right number) he's at an interesting state. He points as he counts, just as adults do, but, unlike adults, unless they're in a straight line he uses no particular order as he points. This means he often double-counts or skips one because he can't keep track of which ones he's already counted. Of course this makes sense... no one's taught him to count in rows or on fixed patterns. It's no different than him not knowing that he's "supposed" to face the front while riding in an elevator. But, much like reading or standing in a single-file line, it's another one of those skills that initially has to be hammered into you before you forget that you ever learned it.