LIke a Sponge

One of Lauren's favorite books to read at bedtime is Chaat & Sweets, part of the World Foods series of kids' books. The book describes different Indian chaat with colorful illustrations and paper cutouts depicting the various foods. She loves the colors of this book; vibrant yellows, bright pinks and greens, and ornate curlicues.

There's one page with the line that goes: "I like chutney and paneer pakoras, fritters made of CHEESE!" (I usually add a dramatic flourish to the "cheese") Well, last night I was about to turn to that page and before I even got to it she exclaimed, "Tsis!" I did a double take...did she just say "Cheese?!"

I was blown away! She didn't just recognize the illustration, she knew it was coming up on the next page before she even saw it! To test and see if it wasn't just a fluke, I reread from the beginning and again, before I turned the page she said, "Tsis!"

Even though I like to think she's smarter than most kids (every parent thinks their kid is gifted..til they come to the realization that..um..well, maybe not) she's probably right on track..neither advanced nor behind. What's blowing my mind is that for the first time I'm realizing that OMG she's paying attention to everything we say or do. She's like a sponge absorbing all the words, all the colors, all the tastes and sounds...good and bad. Here I thought she was only paying attention to the colorful pages of a storybook when she was really taking in so much more. She was learning the sequence of the pages, and probably recognized the rhythm and the rhymes.

I promise I will not complain the next time she hands her book back to me and says "Boo?" (translation: please read it again!)

If you've got little kids, the World Foods board books by Amy Wilson Sanger are the best. There's first book of Sushi, Yum Yum Dim Sum, Hola Jalapeno, Let's Nosh (Jewish foods), Soul Food and Mangia Mangia! I've got them all memorized! When I go to a sushi restaurant, I can't help but say, "Miso in my sippy cup, tofu in my bowl. Crab and avocado fill my California Roll!"