Thing 1 can read and write.  I’ve realized it was starting to click for awhile.  If we wrote down simple words like cat he could sound it out and figure out the word.  Yesterday we were hanging out on the couch on a nice lazy Sunday and I gave him a squeeze and told him that I loved him.  He took off to go colour at the table.  A few moments later he came back with a piece of paper that said “and Mom I ♥ U to“

NO HELP!  The boy can write too.  He gets it!

I’m a proud Mommy.