Observation From Mal

Mal drove Laura a little nuts today, with constant demands for new toys from the dollar store. She told him that we simply cannot buy him something new every day. So I wound up taking him out to a gym that isn't terribly far away. We played there for an hour or two.

They have various rules posted near each play area. One room is specifically for quiet time. It has a black light that makes the white balls in the pit glow, and a thing that's basically marbles in front of a giant cool Lite-Brite, and a big color-shifting bubble column. A little girl joined us and told Mal to "shush."

He looked at me and told me to "shush." I told him I was pretty sure she was talking to him. Then she moved over to the door and pointed at the part of the sign that includes the "be quiet" rule. And recited it (based on size, I'm betting she's 4). I looked at her mom in amusement.

Her mom acted embarrassed. "This is this first time in her life that she's cared about the rules," she confided.

Later, I sent Laura a short video of Mal shimmying up and sliding down the "column of bubbles." She answered "At least he isn't being noisy."

She got a kick out of the full story.

On the way home, he requested supper at Chick-Fil-A. While I was eating (he really only wanted soda, though he'll probably eat the kid's meal I got for him eventually), he told me that he still wanted to the dollar store. I checked Google maps, and remembered her story about how much easier it is to walk than drive.

They're in the same parking lot. It's just that navigation software is bad at coping with that scenario.

So we walked that direction. Mal was skeptical, because "It's really far away."

About halfway there, he spotted the logo and admitted "I made a mistake."

This is the second time he's visited. (And, yes, I spent the dollar on the toy after Laura told him we wouldn't. The kid's relentless).

We were walking back to the car when he pointed out the beautiful moon.

"It's like a pizza," he informed me solemnly.

I didn't want to disagree, so I thought about it, then allowed that "It is shaped a bit like a slice of pizza."

Under no such constraints, he informed me that I was mistaken: "No, it's half."

I'm pretty sure he's picked this up from Starfall. Wherever it came from, I'm almost positive it isn't anything we've taught him.

The mathematical concept is one thing here, and I'm skeptical that he's doing more than parroting that. But I'm ready to be impressed that he can even repeat a simile.