Rocket Science

Do you ever watch your kids, when they don't know they're being watched? I love doing that. Even as adults, I love to watch my kids interact with others, when they're on the job, doesn't matter. I love it when they don't know I'm watching.

Beth lives dowstairs in our basement apartment so she comes upstairs to wait for her bus every day. She usually likes to watch TV while she waits. Her favorite shows at that time are Dora the Explorer and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I didn't used to let her watch 'em. They're for preschoolers. Way too young for her.

But then one day I was sitting at the kitchen table watching her. Dora would ask what shape the bush was, (then ya have that akward silence when they're all looking at YOU wating for you to answer. I always feel so self consious!) :) Well I'd hear Beth say, 'circle' and Dora would yell, "That's right!" and Beth would smile.

I began to think about this.

In Beth's world, everything is Rocket Science. Most TV shows, Sunday school classes, dinner table conversations. Unless it's geared specifically for her level, it's over her head, or just too fast for her to keep up. What would that be like for me? What if everything in my life was too hard? If it was calculus or something. What if day after day I had a hard time keeping up? I don't know about you but I'm the kind of person that I'd eventually give up. 'What's the point of trying, I know I'm not gonna get it.'

Have ya ever been watching Jeopardy and the topics are ones you don't know the answers to? Then all of the sudden, a topic comes up that you know?! You get the first answer right, then the next and at the end you realize ya did it! You think to yourself, 'that was a no brainer'.

I think Dora and Mickey are no brainers for Beth. She knows her shapes and colors, she realizes this is young for her but it's a no brainer. How often does she get those in life? To really know the answers? I imagine how it must make her feel inside. Makes me smile just thinkin' about it. :)