The Amazingness of Children

I just have to take a moment out of my day to point out how amazing children are.

I'm sitting here, watching my 10 month old son playing peacefully by himself, with whatever he happens to see. A pacifier, a plastic ball, a scratched CD-R. Watching him realize the light reflecting off of the disc makes pretty colors. Watching him take the pacifier out of his mouth, examine it, flip it upside down, and put it back into his mouth. Watching him hold the ball, and bring his arm up, then down, then dropping the ball and watching ever so closely how it bounces.

It's almost as if I can see his little mind recording every detail of life--every action and reaction-- and learning from it all. I love watching him. The looks on his face are just priceless.

I think my favorite part, though, is when my kids pull out their toys and start playing with them. Not even toys that make sounds or light up, but the plain old plastic dinosaurs or blocks... toys that require imagination to make them really work. I love seeing my 3 year old stand up every plastic animal he has, then inch them around as if they are walking or moving... he'll lay the hippo on his side. He'll push the giraffes closer together. He gets so concentrated and focused. I just have to wonder what is going on inside that little head of his. What is his imagination showing him? What is he REALLY seeing, and what are those animals really doing? Is he making them act out a movie he saw, or is he creating his own world? Why did that tiger just jump on the toy pig? Does he know that tigers eat pigs? Is the momma lion reading that Pinocchio book to her baby lion cubs? I wish I knew the answers.

And watching my 10 month old explore the house. He's like a young Indiana Jones. He pulls himself up on the bed or the couch, and climbs it like a rock wall. He crawls underneath the pool table and turns his head to look at the underside of it. He stands up in the center of a room, far from anything, and concentrates really hard on where he wants to be, then wobbles slightly as if he's standing on a cliff edge and needs to grapple to the other side. He uses the tips of his fingers to gently pick up something he finds, like a receipt that fell out of a pocket, or one of his brother's trading cards from a trading card game. He examines every inch of something he picks up, then attempts to use it in some way.

It amazes me to no end just how smart and creative children are. How they can figure out a dvd player, and how to put on a movie (and even press play!). Or how they can understand how to take off a diaper, throw it away, and bring me a new one. How they know exactly how each of their toy tools is supposed to be used. They understand every word I say, even if they can't say it yet themselves.

Whether they are learning actual skills or creating things in their mind, I can't help but stop and watch. I wish I could see what goes on in their minds. But in a way, I'm glad I can't. Because not knowing is part of what makes it so much fun to watch!