Learning to see

Three-year-old S.C. came downstairs for breakfast, one early dawn. She asked, "Is the sun over the horizon?" Her mom reassured her that the light was peeking over, but that the sun's actual globe wasn't visible just yet. Dawn is S.C.'s favorite time of day, the time when she can most clearly see the movement of the planet and the effects of the sun's light, overpowering the light of all the other suns in our sky. Here is S.C.'s morning haiku, which she later illustrated and set to music.

Catch! the sparkles from
The stars and the moon before
They all go away


-- S.C., 3 years old (Feb. 2006)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Playing with her toy globe. Contemplating thoughtfully.

"Mommy, how many trips have you made around the sun? I've made three trips around the sun. We say that I'm three years old, but this is my fourth trip. When I've finished this trip, we'll say that I'm four years old."

-- S.C., 3 years old

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

S.C. was watching the teakettle on the stove.

"Steam rises up. It doesn't rise down."

-- S.C., 3 years old (Oct. 2005)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

S.C. was pushing a heavy cart at our local Big Box Large-Volume Discount Store. (Ah, inertia!)

"Look, Mommy! These heavy carts push themselves, see? Once you get them going, then they push themselves. ...But then they're really hard to stop."

-- S.C., 3 years old