The brain ticking inside the Bub has surprised me lately. The other day, we were sitting at a cafe having coffee and a cookie, and I told him that we had to leave soon so that I could show someone our car. As expected, he didn't respond or seem to care one way or another, as long as he had time to eat his sparkly star shortbread. We chatted about other things, the bright sun and the cute dog, then examined the rusty bicycle, wondered who ripped the subway sign and who was going to fix it, etc. Then a block into our walk home, he turned to me and asked, "Who's looking at our car?" I answered and smiled because it was the first time I noticed him carry a thought through various distractions and still pick up the thread of an earlier conversation. It felt like a big development, the budding ability to carry a thought beyond the immediate present.
A few days after this, he was talking on the phone to Mama while she was on the train to DC. They said hi, he asked where she was, then "How long is the train ride?" Again I was struck by the maturity of the question. Like most 3-year-olds, he soaks up everything he sees and hears, but until now the way he experienced the world was related only to his immediate present sensory experience. (Why bribery is so effective, I think.) Now I've seen him concern himself with experiences that aren't directly tied to his own. I'm not sure if this is as big a developmental milestone as it feels, or if it just reflects the fact that I spend far less time with him than I used to, and so his growth is happening outside my observation. Anyway, it's fun to see and hear him get older, especially when we still have conversations like this that keep him young:
"I can watch 8 movies."
"Oh really?"
"I'm serious.
[Glowering] I have a serious face.
I know everything."
And all things being relative....he's right. Ya gotta love him.
ReplyDeleteIt's so amazing how fast they grow both mentally and physically. Kudos to you for actually catching the change. You have to really be listening and processing what he's saying. I don't ever remember listening 100% with you girls. So I'm proud of you! I can just see that "serious" face of his too.
ReplyDeleteWisco, I think it's fixed! I went to the blog and the comment form opened right up. Anyway, I love this blog--and really think it's great how in tune you are with your Bub. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteWere you having troubles posting comments, Mollie? I was too, until just now. Blogger must've changed something. Hm.
ReplyDeleteThat is cool to see the Bub growing and developing. I think back to when infants are trying to form words, before they're able to, and it looks soooo frustrating! But kids develop at such an astonishing pace, they probably don't even realize how much more capable they are at everything compared to just weeks and months prior.