"He's SO smart!"

Today, Grandma spent a wonderful morning with Donovan. I took Aaron to an appointment, and then ran a few errands. Last week I purchased 5 pairs of snowpants at a children's second-hand clothing store, and was thrilled to find that 2 of them fit perfectly (one for Aaron, one for Donovan). Today I wanted to run in and return the 3 that did not fit. When we got to the register I had to tell the clerk my name, and then I picked Aaron up just as the clerk asked what our address was. Aaron shouted out our address (house number, street name, city) clearly and correctly to her. The clerk was so surprised and said, "Wow! He is so smart! How old is he?" By now Aaron had moved on to counting the pens in her pen holder on the counter and telling her how many there were (14). I told her he was 3 1/2, and she said, "Well we sure see a lot of kids in here, but I'd have to say he's the smartest 3 1/2 year old I've seen." I then shared, "Actually, he has only been speaking English for 5 months; he was born in China and just came to the U.S. in April." She was floored; she asked twice if I was serious, and when I said yes, her mouth dropped open.
It is truly amazing to have witnessed Aaron's language development the past 5 months. Certainly having a brother the same age has helped Aaron learn English quickly, and it is clear that Aaron is a very smart boy (as is Donovan). We are so lucky!