Daddy's Garage

"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry."

Maria Montessori


Nathan is a very literal little boy. He's been a little slower than many of his peers to engage in imaginative play, particularly the girls. In the past, I often attributed this to his logical, very pragmatic view of the world. I'm learning, with hindsight as my guide, that yeah, I guess it is one of those developmental stages that will be gone through. It may be to varying degrees. It may come sooner or later. It may even look much different than you expected; but probably, it's gonna happen.

A month or so ago, we had several rainy days. We were en route home from school on one such rainy day after several, and we all had had enough.

"I am ready for it to stop raining," Nathan said. "Let's tell Daddy to make it stop." (Now this is an entirely different post for a different day, and it may not even be my story to tell. Suffice it to say, Nathan thinks Shaun can influence the weather patterns...)

"Yes I am ready for it to stop too, but we really need the rain." So annoying, this response from me, even if it's true.

"Why?"

"For the plants and flowers and to replenish our water supply."

"But Mommy, when it rains it just goes on the ground, how can we save it for a supply?"

Seriously...how will I answer this child's questions when he's, uh, six?!?!

"In our reservoirs, ponds, lakes and rivers."

"Well," he tells me, without missing a beat, "I am going to go in Daddy's garage and make a thing out of wood that will shoot me up in the sky to a cloud, then I am going to squeeze all the water out of the cloud and then it will be sunshiny, and we will get to have the water too. What do you think of that idea?"

"I'd say it was a pretty good one."