puzzles and paleontology

Malcolm has become quite the little problem-solver lately.

He has always enjoyed working on puzzles, but a couple of weekends ago, while spending the night with his grandparents, he mastered a (brand new) 24-piece puzzle in the span of an evening ...

All by himself.

I don't know if this is "normal" or whatever the case may be, but it makes my nerdy heart soar.

I have a kid that actually likes to use his brain and work through puzzles!

In addition to his puzzle-y love, is a love of letters (another nerdy score for me!) ... So, my husband made the genius move of combining the two when he purchased a cheap, foamy, floor puzzle at a discount store. We tucked it away for a while, but decided to use it as a "Job Well Done!" gift for the amazing transition that Malcolm has made (thus far) into sleeping in his "big boy" room and bed.

Needless to say, it's been a great big hit!

Long-sleeved tee shirt: Old Navy (thrifted for $0.50)
Fleece pants: Old Navy ($7.00)
Socks: Circo ($1.00)

And where does the cute dinosaur shirt fit in?

Maybe we can start working on spelling simple words with the pieces ... Like "T-Rex."