My Kindergartener is learning how to write and is forever asking us how to spell things. We typically have lots of patience about it and even try to make her figure it out by sounding it out, but there are times -- like when I'm trying to make dinner (ha..that's kinda funny...OK, when I'm trying open the can of Spagehetti-O's) and the cat wants out and the phone rings and the four-year-old starts crying about something -- well, I just don't have time for it.

I feel guilty, of course. She wants to learn & I want to help her, but somebody's got to get the Spaghetti-Os on the table.

Saturday it occurred to me that what I needed was a kid's picture dictionary so she can see the item and see how to spell it. So, I'm adding that to her Christmas List, but, in the meantime, I rounded up all the baby "first word" books that were still floating around the house and realized that they work just as well.