The other day I walked into the kitchen and saw the counter besieged by a battalion of toy dinosaurs. I didn’t know if I should feel honored to have a prehistoric army ready to defend me. Or if I should get ready for an attack. One can never tell and it’s best to proceed with caution when confronted with such a scenario.
Thankfully, my son beckoned me over to take a look at the dinosaurs, so I knew I wasn’t the target.
We spent the next few minutes naming all the dinosaurs he had out. Of which there were several T-Rexs – in varying sizes – because he thinks they’re cool. Naturally, I had to ask him how many dinosaurs there were and which were big, and which were small. These types of questions are easy for my son because he’s used to answering them. He loves to count and is proficient at differentiating sizes. But I’m always looking for ways to expand his mind, so I like to ask him questions that require him to think. I like to keep him on his toes that way. Sometimes he answers correctly, other times he laughs it off like I’m a crazy woman for asking. After I’ve asked everything I possibly could about dinosaurs, we each go about our day. But instead of putting them away, my son leaves the dinosaurs on the kitchen counter.
Missing the clues
I must have passed them several times during the day when something about them catches my eye, prompting me to look closer. Turns out, they’re all facing the same direction! Why hadn’t I noticed that before? Also, they’re almost in a pattern – big dinosaurs next to small dinosaurs next to big dinosaurs, etc. Almost, but not quite. There was still a bit of randomness to it that was aesthetically pleasing. It was actually a work of art and not the haphazard display I initially mistook it for. My son didn’t just want to show me his dinosaurs but he also wanted me to see how he arranged them. As if he was a museum exhibit designer or an artist displaying his masterpiece. And I totally missed it!
In fact, I miss it a lot. Like when he builds towers and I only praise him for their height not realizing there’s a method to how he’s stacked them. He has a system. Sometimes he sorts by color, other times it’s by letter or whatever strikes his fancy at the moment. And whatever you do, don’t mess with the blocks. He can even tell if one is missing or if a new one’s been added – granted he only ever stacks 7 blocks at a time. But there’s definitely an intentionality about everything he does.
What I’m learning
Even if I don’t understand it, there’s more going on and it’s never happenstance. Yet I’m always drawn to the obvious, which doesn’t make sense since my son has never followed convention. He dances to the beat of his own drum. That’s what I love about him: there’s so much more to him than the obvious.
My hope is you will always look beyond the obvious and find something unique to celebrate about your child today and every day.