EUREKA!
My kids made a remarkable discovery the other day. I was sitting with my father-in-law, just talking on the couch in the family room, when we heard Joseph get very excited about something. We both looked into the kitchen and saw him standing by the refrigerator. He wasn’t standing in front, he was standing to the side and had his face pressed up against the side where the door actually meets the main fridge body and seals shut. Several times he opened and slowly closed the door until something magnificent happened that got him all excited!
“Michael! Come here quick!”, he shouted.
Michael came in and said…”What?”
“Look! Look! Watch this!”, he exclaimed.
Slowly they both repeated what Joseph had done just a minute before by himself. They whispered amongst themselves and the level of energy between them increased. Rose came ambling into the kitchen and joined the group. Now we watched as all three of the triplets made a discovery that reminded me of that scene in the film, “2001: A Space Odyssey” , when the alien monolith implanted intelligence into the minds of the cavemen. I could almost hear the heavenly host singing “AAAAAHHH” as clouds parted and beams of sunlight bathed my children in an all knowing light.
“THE REFRIGERATOR LIGHT TURNS OFF WHEN THE DOOR CLOSES!”
You could hear the awe in their whispered voices as they discussed this newly found truth. Joseph opened the door and made his next big discovery, the light switch that made it happen! They stood there playing with the switch for a long time, each taking turns, pushing the button in and out and making the light go on and off. It never ceases to amaze me how many times stuff like this happens in their lives on a daily basis.
Next I thought if I should now tell them that there weren’t little men inside the car radio.
So funny the things we take for granted that are new discoveries to kids. I remember my son turning the light off by accident when he reached for something and leaned his hand against it, for a split second he thought he’d broken the fridge, then the light came back on when he moved. His face was priceless.
Umm….there aren’t men in the radio??
Cate P: No! No, no, no, no, no…Did I say there were no? No, what I meant was…What I mean is…Oh my this is awkward.
What a delightful tale.
Kids and animals. You gotta love them
Don’t you wish we all still had that wonder and awe in us? Lucky for you, you get to experience it all again through the eyes of your children! Thanks for sharing this with us! It made me smile!
I love those little discoveries. I teach kindergarten and I’ve seen it happened a few times in the classroom. The title of this story is so very accurate – EUREKA!
Also…
When I was little, I thought there were little people in the television.
Wendy: You gotta love them?
Joan: You’re welcome.
Diana: I thought there were people in the TV too.
You have discovered the fountain of youth – us old folks remain young at heart when we take the time to look at the world through a child’s eyes. A good reason to take a child with you.
Funny the things you rediscover when you’re kids first discover them!
Reading this post made me think I should give my son a sibling.
Thanks for sharing this, it’s truly delightful.
You’re welcome.