The Treasure of Seeing

I was pondering how many times lately I’ve used the word “Look!” in the car lately in an attempt to decrease the incidence of “Are we there yet?”

I’m a child of Saturday morning cartoons and after school re-runs of Happy Days and Lavern and Shirley, but I have to say I’m not a real fan of having the TV on for more than an hour or two during any given day. I’m also not a big fan of the on board DVD players.

But to be honest, a borrowed unit did save my sanity when I traveled 6+ hours alone with my kids. But I didn’t feel good about it.

Lately, the kids and I have been playing the Corn and Beans Game. About 4 hours into my solo trip with them, I needed a pastime that would keep them from looking at one another. (Bill Cosby could not have been more right about sibling rivalry.) And so, the Corn and Beans Game was born.

“What do you see out your window? Corn or Beans?” In late June, it was difficult to tell. And when neither was present, we sometimes learned a new crop. “Wheat! Evergreens! Dead grass! Cows!” Every time the scenery changed, they’d get to shout what they had.

Increasing their awareness of what’s around them has led to some pretty interesting discoveries. “There’s a crashing plane that’s smoking!” We learned about crop dusters that day. Or the day my 3 year old saw the sun setting behind a cloud, perfectly displaying rays of light on every side, she burst with excitement from the backseat, “Look!!! Look, it’s God! Do you see it? Can you? It’s GOD!”

And because of her, we all could.

What have your children helped you see? What are you still missing?