seeing is understanding

When our power went out from the hurricane, the pumps in the basement couldn't kick on (we don't have a generator), so we had water issues.

Unfortunately some of my journals, yearbooks, and photo albums were destroyed.

I am still working on salvaging my senior year yearbook. It's going okay... there are sections with pages permanently stuck together, but a lot of them have been separated. The spine has collapsed, so I have an enormous rubber band on standby once it actually dries.  

Hayden was asking about the book earlier, as it's out in the center of the table for the time being. I turned to my senior picture, pointed to it, and asked him who it was. He said, "You!"

I was so happy I kissed him. (I mean really... I'll be 36 in a few months already so if he can recognize me at 17, that is on the list of the best compliments of my life.)

Then I found a candid-- it's a picture of me in physiology class and I'm looking at a skeleton so I'm not facing the camera. I asked him who that was, and he said, "Mom!"

Then I skipped to the back of the yearbook where the parents could place an "ad" for their graduate. Mine has a baby picture of me, and out of that page and both sides of the spread, he knew which one was mine.

The truth of the matter is that I don't have any of the above mentioned pictures out in frames, or an album. I know for a fact that my parents do not have that particular senior picture on display in their house, and I don't recall seeing that baby photo of me either.

Yes, through all of our basement cleanup Hayden most likely understands that this was mine. However, he doesn't yet grasp the concept of "high school" and "yearbook". So as far as he's concerned, this is just a big printed book and I could be pointing to anyone he knows.

The piece that impressed me, and Dan, was that Hayden accurately pointed to the spot where my name is near the baby picture. Although it is a little larger and bolder than the rest of the note that my parents had published, he honestly could have just as easily pointed anywhere on the page. At the very least... kudos to him for realizing that was a name right there in the center. And, that it was mine. Process of elimination can't occur without logical cognition!

There are also a couple of pages in the yearbook of some of the senior students cars. He pointed out the Jeep and Volkswagons almost immediately.

But how's this for being a visual learner:

Hayden was walking around with three one-dollar bills from my dad. He refused to put them in his bank, or let me do it, even when I offered him play money from his toy register instead.

He was so frustrated that he took my wallet out of my purse and was demanding "cass" from me. I told him if he took his cash outside in this weather, it would get wet from the rain and be ruined.

He either didn't understand or didn't care.

Anyway, at one point he did misplace one of the bills. He was downstairs with Dan, he had two dollars, and apparently kept repeating, "one more!"

Whether Hayden realizes it or not, he can count.

My child is clearly selectively motivated by cars and money and doughnuts. Is that really so different from other guys?