Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Children are amazing! Walt Disney knew it, Art Linkletter knew it and grandparents know it!

The other day, our just-turned four year-old grandson blew us over with his grand dramatics (as he recited word for word with flair and inflection, a dialogue of Bob and Larry's from one of the Veggie Tales) and observation skills. This came after supper when the two of us went out onto our back deck to check the night sky and breathe some fresh air. He pointed out the stars. I noticed, through the trees, a very bright star in the western sky and told him I thought it was too big to be a star and that it might be a planet or a satellite. He looked toward where I was pointing and said, "Nana, that's Venus." And sure enough it was the "Evening Star" which I was looking for in the southern sky. I ran back in and expressed my amazement to his parents and they just affirmed that they always looked for Venus before going to bed.

This little fellow knows the names of all the planets and a salient feature of each one. The ease with which children can absorb and hold information is an awe-inspiring thing.

Today it was our five year old grandaughter who cheered our hearts with her effervescent joy. On the way from Kindergarten she and I sit together on the back bench of the van and she shares her adventures of the morning with me as Grampa chauffeurs. She was excited to remember for some unexplained reason that she had seen a grasshopper at Camp last summer. Well we had a little discussion about that little creature and I told her there was even another name for it. Before I could utter my word "Katydid" she jumped in with, "Praying Mantis"? Wow I'm thinking, you have to be a cracker jack teacher to keep these little buttons entertained in the classroom these days.