Julie's Boggle

One of the aspects I find most rewarding about having Jon around, is watching how delighted he is by some of the very ordinary things in life.

Top 10 things that especially please him at the moment, in no particular order, are:

• Switching on / off any light at our request
• Climbing up onto any surface for the first time
• Anything falling, or being dropped, doubly so if there is an accompanying crash!
• Pulling the plug out of the bath after getting the okay from us (this goes with pointing at the little whirlpool over the plug hole and putting the bath plug back in)
• Being boosted up onto our bed for a little impromptu bouncing
• Pulling himself up using us as a support, on his unstable change mat
• Being able to point something out when we ask where it is
• Successfully acquiring anything that he pointed out for us to get for him
• Discovering an unattended item of technology (e.g. remote control, cell phone, open laptop)
• Being allowed to push the shower door open once the water’s stopped

Any one of these seemingly mundane activities – and there are dozens of others – are enough to bring on grins and even chortles of glee in young Jon.

(Of course, I should note that this is when he is well-fed and/or rested, he is still very much a regular toddler in terms of being quite out-of-sorts when either of these two criteria is not met.)

Jonathan’s full-on enthusiasm for life’s minutiae is a poignant reminder that he is on an intense voyage of discovery.  Where so much is still new and interesting, untainted by the weariness of repetition that dulls the senses of us grown-up folk.

And while I find it difficult to summon up any real excitement in flicking a switch (even if someone has asked me to!), getting to watch Jon’s little face light up at the opportunity is the best way to catch some of this vivid joy while it lasts.