As I alluded to in my last post, our little 4.75 year old is an inquisitive one, to say the least. He has always been this way - full of an insatiable desire for more and more and more knowledge. The nature of his questions has changed and developed over time, from simple, answerable questions like "What kind of fish live in the ocean?" to more difficult (but still knowable) questions like "How big is a swordfish?" to abstract and tricky questions like "What happens to fish when they die?". We roll with the punches and try to answer almost everything, or look it up (or let's be honest, make it up), but I am definitely finding myself saying "I really don't know" more and more these days. Soon enough, Ethan will be able to read and answer his own curiosities; in the meantime, I've already put in a request to Santa for non-fiction picture books for our little wonderer.
Some of Ethan's questions clearly reflect his growing fears and concerns as his world gets bigger. The other day he asked me at what age he would have to grow up and move out of Mommy and Daddy's house. I assured him that he could live with Mommy until he's 101, although I'm not sure Daddy will agree. Hearing Ethan's questions is like watching the wheels turn in his active, developing brain, as they connect dots, recall memories and relate them to today, and process new information. He has been into maps for awhile, trying to understand how the pieces of the world fit together and who lives where. The other day, he was putting together a puzzle that showed the map of the US, where each state had a representative icon (e.g., a lobster in Maine, a peach in Georgia, cheese in Wisconsin). After asking in which state Uncle Pauly was walking (answer: not on this map, which made me realize that a world atlas may be in order), Ethan looked at the animal skull picture on Utah (not sure why Utah is known for fossils, but...), and asked "Is this state where people die?". It took me a moment to process the question but I realized with all the Halloween skeletons around, and discussions of bones and such, it made sense that he would draw this conclusion. He then asked "Where is heaven on this map?". Maybe we'll find that one when we get the world atlas...
In addition to a constant line of questioning, Ethan always has interesting observations about the world around him. Just yesterday, he told me, "You and Daddy - you work on the computer because you couldn't figure out what else to do for a job, right?". Huh. As if I already didn't have enough questions about what to do with my life, the validity of my career is now being challenged by an under-fiver. I asked what sort of jobs he thought Daddy and I had passed up to work on our computers, and he said "like policemen, or firemen, or construction, or doctor, or teacher, or...". I see.
Yesterday, Ethan had his very first volunteer experience. I have been wanting to get him involved in something that would expand his world view a bit and make him feel appreciative and grateful for what he has. Lo and behold, the perfect opportunity to help out at Catherine's Cupboard food pantry presented itself. He and I showed up at 4:30 yesterday afternoon, not really sure how it would go or what we would be doing, but ready to help. We spent about two hours there, first putting all the food out and prepping the shopping bags, then helping clients make their way through the food line and select their goods. It was everything I had hoped for our first volunteering adventure - the cause and goal were simple to explain (hunger is a concept that is easy to grasp, even for 4-year olds), our help was openly appreciated, and the atmosphere was lively and fun. It was interesting for me to view the experience through his eyes, as he quietly studied every client and my interaction with him/her, helping when asked but also being very shy around strangers. On our way home, Ethan asked when we could go back again (success!) but also asked questions that demonstrated he understood at least a little part of what we were doing there - questions about why people were there, and how hungry they were, and where they would sleep. I could almost see his little world expanding just a bit, his perspective on humanity slightly altered, all for the better.
And because pictureless posts are no fun, some nuggets from last weekend's super duper fun visit to Pumpkin Valley (or as our silly boys like to call it, Pumpkin Belly) Farm:
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| Who knew cows eat pumpkins? |
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Wrangled my little squirmer in for a Mommy-Adam shot
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Somehow overlooked the Mini-maze and ended up in a very complicated adult version. Bailed out the side. Great life lessons taught about sticking to your guns and not taking the easy way out.
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| Moms are allowed too, right? |
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