Simple delights

As your child grows older, you are often amazed at their growing ability to observe, analyze, describe, and appreciate the world around them. Conversations get more and more sophisticated, complex, and always interesting, whether it's about space adventures, or a fantasy they come up with, or "the olden times", either ancient China, or "when great-grandma was little".

But what really struck me with delight were their moments of curiosity and awe about something which seems childish and simple. Every evening, we read at least two books of their choosing--that is, if they are well-behaved during the day; taking away books, one at a time, is a standard consequence for bad behavior. Tonight Ben had picked out this picture book called "Big, Little", a simple baby book that goes like this: Trees are big, dandelions are little, ladies are big, ladybugs are little, on and on as such. Since Paul was reading, I had the leisure of observing the boys' reactions. Noah was so deeply engaged in the rhythm of the book, with appreciating expressions on his face, just completely enamored by the simplest prose of all. For some reason, that was a very special and sweet moment in my heart. That pure appreciation of something so simple and fun. Moments we perhaps want to look for in daily life.