Yesterday Maddie turns on the TV and finds the cartoon station. I walk into the room and hear a program about how the egyptians drain the body of all organs and brain etc...etc... I look at Maddie and see an expression on her face that is priceless. It is a look of confusion, horror, and interest. Hmmmm...should I leave it on or is it too much for her . Now this is a children's show, Reading Rainbow. I always let them watch this if they are interested, it's educational. I used to watch this show, I loved it when I was little. But still, taking out the brains and internal organs? I decide to leave it on, you can see the intense learning that is going on just by looking at her. Towards the end of the show they show the pryamids where they kept the mummies and she is fascinated, proclaiming that she wants to go to Egypt! I bring out the globe and show her exactly where Egypt is, no problem to her. "All we have to do is take a boat like the one we rode on to Mackinaw Island and then drive the rest fo the way". I laugh and try to explain to a 5 year old how far and exspensive it is. She and I argue about this for a while, I tell her the only way we will get there is if we win the lottery. And that I would love to go to far away places too(trying to teach contentment) until I finally tell her that we will go to the museum and see a real mummy someday.
The point to my story here is that Maddie is not that little baby girl I long for her to stay, but she is growing and wanting to know and learn about things that I thought she was too young to handle. I'm trying to live in the present moments and this really makes me wonder how many moments I've lost by not living in the present.