That's what we did this morning. We arrived at the Pittsburgh Zoo with a crab and left with a jellyfish, but in between Jonathan was a perfect little boy, just the right age to delight in all the exhibits. He could identify many of the fish as well as the animals, and explained to me—thanks to a Magic Schoolbus book that's currently one of his favorites—that the clownfish can live inside the sea anemone because it's covered with mucus which protects it from the anemone's sting.
Noah, on the other hand, could take or leave the animals. What fascinated him was everything mechanical: the big power cords at the entrance, the lights along the walkway, a child-proof outlet cover (which he promptly removed, then replaced when asked), emergency exit doors, a machine that made bubbles, and anything else with buttons, cords, switches, lights, or moving parts. This is the same child who won't talk, but eloquently asks me several times a day if he can record his voice on my computer. What he really wants to do is plug the headphone and microphone cords into the computer. The headset was one of the first things he helped me unpack, and he grinned delightedly when he discovered the plugs, then pointed to the computer, which, incidentally, was still closed up and anonymous-looking. He quickly found the jacks, and needed only a little guidance to make sure the plugs were going in straight. (To be truthful, that was my paranoia; he could have done it all on his own, but I was a little nervous.) One lesson in pink-to-red, black-to-green was sufficient; he's done it correctly ever since. First thing this morning he came excitedly into my room, big grin on his face, running straight to...Grandma? No, Grandma's computer.
Comments
Add comment
