New Generation of Sponges Out-Absorb Old Generation!
Jill had a really great article on children's creativity. And I've written on how they absorb just every little thing they're exposed to -- they're so amazing!
My daughter is in a weekly program where she memorizes scripture in small amounts. This helps her learn the Word of God in small portions. She hears a preacher on the radio as we drive and she'll pipe up, "Hey, I've heard that story before!" I'm always amazed at what children are equipped for and how little we think they can do.
We have a chihuahua. Gracie is her name. She's two and only now coming down from her puppy years. (I say coming down because WOW are those puppy years hyper years.) Gracie and my daughter fight over my lap and are both very territorial over things like the best seat on the couch, et cetera. (This is going places -- hang in there.)
Another issue: the cat. Gilbert, our cat, is not a normal cat. For starters, I've had him for quite some time and I imagine he's about ten years old. I think in cat years that makes him 53. He's a crotchety old curmudgeon. Oh, and he's about 22 lbs. He's a manx, so that weight is without tail. Gracie loves to torment Gilby. She just thinks he ought to play with her like our cow dog Roxie does. He has yet to be convinced.
My little angel decides she wants to help Gilby. She announces that Gilby needs a disguise and that she's going to help him. She ferrets through her art box to retrieve the bag of colorful feathers. She grabs his brush and sits next to him. She combs the feathers into his fur, laying the many colors down in one direction all over the cat until he looks more like a very strange bird. (The canary that ate the cat?) I took a photo and then she came to me and said, "Now we have to give him a new name." I said, "why?" She says, "So Gracie won't recognize him. Let's call him...." she puts her finger over her chin and taps it, "Joseph!" I laughed and said, "okay."
I tell the story to a friend that afternoon and as I do, I recall the story of the Coat of Many Colors that Joseph wore and said, "Gilby looked just like Joseph with his coat!" My daughter looks up and says, "Yeah. Like in the Bible," and went back to playing. She sounded a little like, "duh mom," but I don't think she's gotten to that age yet. I realized I truly was the slow one here.